The Acadiana Advocate 08-16-2025

N.O.

mayorindictedonfederal charges

Cantrell accusedofconspiracy, fraudand obstruction

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Afederalgrand jury returned a criminal indictment Friday of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, accusingthe mayor of orchestrating ayearslong scheme to conceal arelationship sheallegedly pursued with her police bodyguard on taxpayers’ dime.

The indictment returned at New Orleans’ federal courthouseaccuses Cantrell of 11 countsincluding wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to afederal grandjury —all stemming from her efforts to hide the alleged relationship with Jeffrey Vappie,the former New Orleans police officer

assigned to protect her Prosecutors secured the charges against Cantrell through asuperseding indictmentintheir ongoing prosecution of Vappie, who was charged last summer with wire fraudand falsestatementcounts in thesame allegedscheme. Vappiefaces additional charges under the new indictment.

Prosecutors in the 44-page indictment describe Vappie and Cantrelldeleting WhatsAppmessages, lyingtoFBI agents and “intimidating” subordinatesasthey tried to cover up signsthey were pursuing their amorous relationship —including tripstoaCaliforniawinery andMartha’sVineyard —while Vappie claimed to be on

duty.

“This indictmentdoes not allege that arelationship constitutes a crime,” said Michael Simpson, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, at anews conference Friday afternoon.

“Rather,itreflects the prosecution of two public officialsallegedto have engagedina yearslong, continuing fraud scheme that used public money forpersonal ends, by exploiting their power andtheir authority.”

Cantrell’spress staff issued a briefstatement Friday evening saying that her attorney,Eddie Castaing, is “thoroughly review-

The indictment of NewOrleans MayorLaToyaCantrell,

aJuly 30 news conference, and her bodyguard alleges that the

engaged in ayearslong conspiracytospend public moneyontravel during aromanticrelationshipand then tried to coveritall up.

Fête-DieuduTeche

ABOVE: Flowergirls drop petals into thewater as the procession passes during the Fête-Dieu du Teche down the Bauou TecheonFriday in Leonville.Fête-Dieu duTeche is held on the Feast of theAssumption. The Eucharistic procession by boat on the watersofBayou Teche recalls therich Acadian historyand, in a way, reenacts the journeymade by the Acadians 250 years ago. It is alsoaday that marks the anniversaryofthe arrival of French-Canadian immigrants whobrought the Catholic faith to Acadiana after enduring great trials and suffering.

RIGHT: The BlessedSacrament arrives at St. Francis Regis Catholic Churchduring the Fête-Dieu du Teche on FridayinArnaudville.

JudiciaryCommissionrecommendscensure

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

The Louisiana Judiciary Commission is recommending 15th Judicial District Judge Royale Colbert of Lafayette be censured for two incidents of allegedmisconduct.

One incident involved Colbert’s interference in thecity’s last-minute attempt to stop a rap concert in 2021 at The District,a Johnston Street event center,after ashooting the previous weekend. The otherinvolved his interaction with acity police officer who stopped the judge in 2023 over an alleged traffic infraction.Colbert’sbehavior is describedincourtrecords as intimidating and disrespectful to thepolice officer

TheJudiciary Commission, whichconducteda hearingon thematter in April, sent itsrec-

ommendations to the Louisiana SupremeCourt on Aug. 6. Eleven members of the Judiciary Commission who participated in theApril hearing in which Colbert testified voted unanimouslytorecommend the SupremeCourt: n Suspend Colbert for 30 days

Putin

Trump says no deal made with

Leadersoffer few detailsabout effort to endwar in Ukraine

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska President Donald Trump said he andVladimirPutin didn’t reach adeal to end Russia’swar in Ukraine after meetingonFriday —despite Putin saying they had cometo“an understanding” —as the two leaders offered scant details on what was discussed while heaping praise on each other In briefremarks as they shared astage after meeting forabout 21/2 hours in Alaska, Putin said he and Trumphad reached an “understanding” on Ukraine andwarned Europe notto“torpedothe nascent progress.”

ButTrump then said, “There’s no deal until there’sadeal” and said he plannedtospeak withUkrainianPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders soon, to brief them on the discussions. “Wehad an extremely productive meeting, andmanypoints were agreed to,” Trump said. “And there are justavery fewthat are left. Some arenot thatsignificant. One is probably the mostsignificant, but we have averygood chance of getting there.”

He continued:“We didn’tget there.”

ä See TRUMP, page 5A

without pay n Order Colbert to take anger management classes or treatment. n OrderColbert to pay $2,635.96 in

Rapper sentenced in $1M fraud scheme

FORT LAUDERDALE Fla Rapper

Sean Kingston was sentenced to three and a half years in prison Friday after being convicted of a $1 million fraud scheme in which he leveraged his fame to dupe sellers into giving him luxury items that he then never paid for Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Paul Anderson, and his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, were convicted in March by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Turner was sentenced to five years in prison last month.

Before U.S. Judge David Leibowitz handed down Kingston’s sentence, the singer apologized to the judge in the South Florida courtroom and said he had learned from his actions. His attorney asked if he could selfsurrender at a later date due to health issues, but the judge ordered him taken into custody immediately Kingston, who was wearing a black suit and white shirt, removed his suit jacket and was handcuffed and led from the courtroom.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton described Kingston as someone addicted to his celebrity lifestyle even though he could no longer afford to maintain it.

“He clearly doesn’t like to pay and relies on his celebrity status to defraud his victims,” Anton said Friday

The federal prosecutor described a yearslong pattern by Kingston of bullying victims for luxury merchandise and then refusing to pay

“He is a thief and a con man, plain and simple,” Anton said.

Defense attorney Zeljka Bozanic countered that the 35-yearold Kingston had the mentality of a teenager — the age he was when he vaulted to stardom. The attorney said Kingston had almost no knowledge of his finances, relying on business managers and his mother Bozanic said Kingston has already started paying back his victims and intends to pay back every cent once he is free and can start working again.

Man struck, killed after fleeing ICE, official says MONROVIA, Calif. — A man fleeing immigration authorities outside a Home Depot store in Southern California was struck and killed by an SUV when he ran across a nearby freeway, officials said Monrovia police received a call Thursday about the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. A responding officer saw ICE agents approaching the store and conducting enforcement activity there, City Manager Dylan Feik said in a statement. Monrovia is about 20 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

One man fled on foot and headed toward the nearby freeway, where he was struck by a vehicle, Feik said. He was taken to a hospital, where he died, the statement said.

“We extend our condolences for the individual and his family,” Feik said.

Ethiopian fossil Lucy leaves for Europe

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia The human ancestor fossil known as Lucy left Ethiopia for display in a European museum, Ethiopian national media reported Friday, citing Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa.

Lucy’s skeleton, which is 40% complete, left Ethiopia on Friday and will be displayed at the Czech National Museum in Prague for approximately two months.

Lucy was recovered in Ethiopia in 1974 from what was an ancient lake near fossilized remains of crocodiles, turtle eggs and crab claws. She was a member of Australopithecus afarensis, an early human species that lived in Africa between about 4 million and 3 million years ago.

This is the second time Lucy has left Ethiopia. The first was in 2013, when she toured the United States Lucy’s fragmented bones will be exhibited alongside Selam, the fossil of an Australopithecus baby that is about 100,000 years older than Lucy and was discovered in the same region 25 years later

AG leaves D.C. police chief in charge

Reversal comes after city sues to block Trump’s takeover

BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Friday reversed course and agreed to leave the Washington, D.C., police chief in control of the department, while Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a new memo, directed the District’s police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement “notwithstanding” city law.

Bondi’s new order Friday came after officials in the nation’s capital sued to block President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Washington police. On Thursday night, his administration escalated its intervention into the city’s law enforcement by naming a federal official as the new emergency head of the department.

The attorney general’s new order represents a partial retreat for the Trump administration in the face of intense skepticism from a judge over the legality of Bondi’s earlier directive that sought to put the police force under the full control of the federal government But Bondi also signaled the administration would continue to pressure D.C. lead-

ers to help federal authorities aggressively pursue immigrants in the country illegally, despite city laws on the books that limit cooperation between police and immigration authorities.

The District of Columbia’s police chief said Trump’s earlier move to sideline her would threaten law and order by upending the command structure. “In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive,” Chief Pamela Smith said in a court filing.

The legal battle was the latest evidence of the escalating tensions in a mostly Democratic city that now has its police department

under the control of the Republican president’s administration that exists in its midst. Trump’s takeover is historic, yet it had played out with a slow ramp-up in federal law enforcement officials and National Guard troops to start the week.

As the weekend approached, though, signs across the city — from the streets to the legal system suggested a deepening crisis over who controls the city’s immigration and policing policies, the district’s right to govern itself and daily life for the millions of people who live and work in the metro area.

After a court hearing on the district’s request for a temporary restraining order against sidelining Smith, the Trump admin-

istration and city officials reached the temporary

The two sides sparred in court for hours Friday before U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who is overseeing the lawsuit She indicated the law likely doesn’t grant the Trump administration power to fully take over city police, but it probably does give the president more power than the city might like.

“The way I read the statute, the president can ask, the mayor must provide, but the president can’t control,” said Reyes who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden. The judge asked the two sides to hammer out a compromise, and promised to issue a court order tempo-

rarily blocking the administration from naming a new chief if they couldn’t agree. An attorney for the Trump administration, Yaakov Roth, said in court that the move to sideline Smith came after an immigration order that still held back some aid to federal authorities He argued that the president has broad authority to determine what kind of help police in Washington must provide.

Washington officials were pushing in court to halt U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s order Thursday to put the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Terry Cole, in charge of Washington police. The police takeover is the latest move by Trump to test the limits of his legal authorities to carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of people in the United States illegally It also marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority over a local government in modern times. While Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the city’s homicide rate ranks below those of several other major U.S. cities, and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the Trump administration has portrayed.

Death toll rises in India, Pakistan flash floods

Officials say at least 280 killed, scores missing

BY CHANNI ANAND and RIAZ KHAN Associated Press

PESHAWAR, Pakistan Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have killed over 280 people in India and Pakistan and left scores of others missing, officials said Friday as rescuers brought to safety some 1,600 people from two mountainous districts in the neighboring countries.

Flooding began a day earlier in Indian-controlled Kashmir and spread to the north and northwest in neighboring Pakistan, triggered by powerful cloudbursts sudden, intense downpours over small areas. The floods and subsequent landslides injured dozens of people and forced the evacuation and rescue of thousands of others, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Cloudbursts are increasingly common in India’s Himalayan regions and Pakistan’s northern areas, and experts have said cli-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHANNI ANAND

Stranded pilgrims are helped across a water channel using a makeshift bridge on Friday in Chositi village, Kishtwar district, Indian-controlled Kashmir, a day after flash floods.

mate change is a contributing factor Leaders in both countries offered their condolences to the victims’ families and assured them of swift relief.

In Indian-controlled Kashmir, rescuers searched for missing people in the remote Himalayan village of Chositi after flash floods a day earlier left at least 60 people dead and at least 80 missing, officials said.

At least 300 people were rescued Thursday after a powerful cloudburst triggered floods and landslides, but the operation

was halted overnight. Officials said many missing people were believed to have been washed away, and the number of missing could increase.

Harvinder Singh, a resident, joined the rescue efforts immediately after the disaster and helped retrieve 33 bodies from under mud, he said.

At least 50 seriously injured people were treated at hospitals, many of them rescued from a stream filled with mud and debris.

Chositi, in Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, is the last village accessible to motor vehicles on the route

Erin strengthens into hurricane

Heavy rains expected in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

BY DÁNICA COTO Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Erin strengthened into a hurricane on Friday as it approached the northeast Caribbean, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding and landslides.

The storm is expected to remain over open waters, although tropical storm watches were issued for Anguilla, Barbuda, St Martin, St. Barts, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten. Heavy rains were forecast to start late Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the

U.S. and British Virgin Islands and southern and eastern Puerto Rico. Up to 4 inches are expected with isolated totals of up to 6 inches, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The hurricane center also warned of dangerous swells but said the threat of direct impacts in the Bahamas and along the east coast of the United States “appears to be gradually decreasing.”

The storm was located about 365 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and was moving west-northwest at 17 mph.

Hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry said Erin is forecast to eventually take a sharp turn north-

east that would put it on a path between the U.S. and Bermuda.

“All of our best consensus aids show Erin turning safely east of the United States next week, but it’ll be a much closer call for Bermuda, which could land on the stronger eastern side of Erin,” he said. Erin is the Atlantic season’s first hurricane. It is forecast to become a major Category 3 storm late this weekend and pass some 200 miles north of Puerto Rico.

The U.S. government has deployed more than 200 employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to Puerto Rico as a precaution as forecasters issued a flood watch for the entire U.S territory from late Friday into Monday

of an annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountainous shrine at an altitude of 9,500 feet.

Officials said the pilgrimage, which began July 25 and was scheduled to end Sept. 5, was suspended.

The devastating floods swept away the main community kitchen for pilgrims, as well as dozens of vehicles and motorbikes. More than 200 pilgrims were in the kitchen at the time of the flood, which also damaged or washed away many of the homes clustered together in the foothills, officials said.

In northern and northwestern Pakistan, flash floods

killed at least 243 people, including 157 people who died in the flood-hit Buner district in northwest Pakistan on Friday Mohammad Suhail told The Associated Press that dozens of people were still missing, and rescue operations were underway He said 78 bodies were recovered by midday Friday and another 79 were pulled from the rubble of collapsed homes and flooded villages later

“The death toll may rise as we are still looking for dozens of missing people,” Suhail said.

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TexasRepublicans startanother redistrictingsession

to 10 staff members.

BY NADIA LATHAN, BILL BARROW, MICHAEL R. BLOOD and TRÂN NGUYEN Associated Press

AUSTIN,Texas Texas Republicans on Friday began asecond special sessionto approve new congressional maps sought by President Donald Trump to bolster his party ahead of the 2026 midterm elections as California Democrats prepared to unveil their own redistricting plan in an intensifying fight over control of Congress.

The GOP’sfirst special session in Texas ended without approving new political maps, thwarted by Democrats who staged anearly two-week walkout that meant not enough lawmakers were present to pass any legislation. Gov.Greg Abbott then quickly called asecond session that then started without the necessary quorumto conduct business. However,that could soon change as absentlawmakers have said they will return to Austin once California Democrats take more formal steps on their ownredistricting plan that they’ve been shaping behind closed doors. California Gov.Gavin Newsom andhis fellow Democrats

wereexpectedtorelease their proposallater Friday Trump is trying to protect Republicans’ slim House majorityin Washington and avoid arepeat of the 2018 midterms,whenthe GOP yielded control during his first presidency to aDemocratic majority that stymied hisagenda and twiceimpeached him. Thenation’s two mostpopulousstates have been atthe forefront of theresulting battlethat has reached into multiple courtroomsand statehousescontrolledbybothparties.

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows chided his colleagues who left Austin, accusing them of “following Gov.Newsom’slead instead of thewill of Texans.” The speaker said, however,that he’s“been told”toexpect a quorum on Monday.

“Let’sbereadyto work,” Burrows said, ticking throughalitany of issues without mentioning the president or redistricting.

TexasRepublicans

Abbott andBurrows have accused Democrats of preventing alegislative response todevastatingfloods that killed more than 130 people last month.

“Delinquent House Democrats ranawayfromtheir responsibility to pass crucial legislationtobenefit thelives of Texans,” Abbott said in a statement Friday,also without mentioning redistricting.

maps sought by President Donald Trumptobolster his partyahead of the 2026 midterm.

Burrows on Fridayagain threatened to have absent Democratsarrested under civil warrants issuedunder legislative rules. The lawmakerswho left thestate and have been staying in Illinois, Massachusetts andNew York, remain beyond the jurisdiction of those warrants and Texas authorities.

Democrats have countered thatRepublicans areresponsible for holding up flood relief by pairing it in special sessions with redistricting at Trump’surging.

“Weare in basically acold Civil Warthat we’re starting by capitulating to apersonin the White House,”said Rep. Eddie Morales, one of the

few Democrats whohas remained in Austin during the walkout

Afterthe new session opened, Republicans reintroduced aredistricting bill intended to sendfive more RepublicanstoWashington. TheGOP alreadyholds a2513 advantage in Texas’ U.S. House delegation.

Fighthas gone national In California,Newsomsaid Thursdaythathis state will hold aNov.4 specialreferendum on redrawn districts intended to give Democrats five moreU.S. House seats.

“Wecan’tstandbackand watch this democracy disappear districtbydistrictall

across the country,” Newsom said.

Newsom’sannouncement marked thefirst time any state beyond Texasofficially waded into Trump’sfight, though several governors andlegislative leadersfrom both parties have threatened such moves.

Trump hasurgedother Republican-run states to redrawmaps, even dispatching Vice President JD Vanceto Indiana to pressure officials there. In Missouri, adocument obtained by The Associated Pressshows thestate Senate received a$46,000 invoicetoactivate six redistricting software licenses andprovide training forup

Newsomencouraged other Democratic-led states to “stand up —not just California.”

Housecontrol

Nationally,the partisan makeup of existing district lines put Democrats within three seats of amajority Of the435 total seats,only several dozen districts are competitive. So even slight changes in afew states could affect which party is in control after the 2026 midterms. Newmapsare typically drawn once adecade after the census —the last being in 2020. Many states, including Texas, give legislators the power to draw maps. California is among those that empowers independent commissions with the task. California Democrats hold 43 of the state’s52House seats. Anew California map would take effect only if aRepublican state moves forward. It wouldremain through the 2030 elections. After that, Democrats say they would return mapmaking power to the independent commissionvoters approved in 2008.

Newsomand othersdepicted the looming battle as aconflict with allthings Trump.

“DonaldTrump, youhave pokedthe bear,and we will punchback,” said Newsom, apossible 2028 presidential contender

Negotiations forplastic pollutiontreatyfailinGeneva

BY JENNIFERMcDERMOTT

Associated Press

GENEVA— Negotiationsto reach amajor treaty to end growing plastic pollution around theworld fellapart on Friday,with delegates in Switzerland adjourning with no immediate plans to resume. The consequence of the failed talks is devastating,as it leaves no clear path for nations to collectively address the mountains of plastic that arefillinglandfills,clogging oceans and showing up in chunks on beaches and other public places.

“Consensusisdead,” Bjorn Beeler,international coordinator for the International Pollutants Elimination Network, said upon adjournment. Every year,the world makes more than 400 million tons of new plastic, and that couldgrowbyabout 70%by 2040 without policy changes About 100countries wantto limit production.Many have said it’salso essential to address toxic chemicals used to make plastics.

Thefinaldecision, or lack there of, underscored the influence of theUnited States and other oil-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, which opposed any limit on the productionsofplastics, made mostly from fuels like oil and gas.

Nations had worked for 11 days at the United Nations office in Geneva. But they were deadlocked over

whether the treaty should reduceexponentialgrowth of plastic production andput global, legally binding controls on toxicchemicals used to make plastics.

Environmentalists,waste pickers and Indigenous leadersand many business executives traveledtothe talks to make their voices heard.

Indigenous leaders soughta treaty that recognizes their rights and knowledge.

The Youth Plastic ActionNetworkwas theonly organization that spoke at the closing meeting Friday. Comments from observers were cutoff at the request of the U.S. and Kuwait after 24 hours of meetings and negotiating.

After the adjournment, some delegates tried to put agood face on the negotiations and expressed hope for future talks. Delegates did agreetheywould meet again at somepoint in the future.

IngerAndersen, executive directorofthe United Nations Environment Programme,saiddespite challenges, despite the disappointment, “wehavetoacceptthatsignificant progress was made.”

This process won’tstop, she said, but it’stoo soon to say how long it will take to get atreaty now

The negotiations were supposed to be the lastround andproduce the first legally binding treatyonplastic pollution, including in the oceans. But justlike at the meeting in SouthKorea last year,the talks ended withno agreement.

Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the chair of the negotiating committee, wrote andpresented twodraftsoftreatytextin Geneva based on the views expressedbythe nations. Therepresentatives from 184 countries did not agree to use either one as the basis

for their negotiations.

Valdivieso said Friday morning as the delegates reconvened in the assembly hall that no further action was being proposedatthis stage on the latestdraft

After athree-hour meeting, he banged agavel made of recycled plastic bottle topsfrom aNairobi landfill, one of many symbols of the plastic problem that were visible during the talks.

European Commissioner Jessika Roswall said the European Union andits memberstates had higher expectations forthis meeting and while the draft falls short on their demands, it’sa good basis for another negotiating session.

“The Earth is not ours only

We are stewards forthose who come afterus. Let us fulfill that duty,” she said. Representatives of Norway,Australia, Tuvalu and others nations said theywere “deeply disappointed” to be leaving Geneva without a treaty.Madagascar’srepresentative said the world is “expecting action, not reports from us.”

ing” the indictment. Her administration declined to comment further

An attorney for Vappie, Shaun Clarke, declinedto comment

The charges represent arelatively narrow prong of awideranging federal probe in which agents scrutinized variedaspects of Cantrell’s spending and political activities, including an alleged scheme in which aprivate electrical inspector was charged with bribing Cantrell lastyear.Still,the allegations mark astunning low point for the Democratic mayor, aformer neighborhood organizer whose ascent to the mayor’soffice epitomized changesthatswept New Orleans politics following Hurricane Katrina. Simpson saidthe probe that yielded Friday’scharges is “decidedly ongoing.”

The charges will posethorny questions about what comes next for New Orleans’ leadership in thewaning months of Cantrell’s tenure as mayor.Set to leave office due to term limits in January, she was already embattled by low approval ratings, legal troubles, a lack of political allies and aseries of scandals. Before Friday,political and legal observers had begun to think Cantrell might escape chargesas the federal investigation faced asnarl of challenges, including changes within President Donald Trump’sJustice Department, obstacles in corralling witnesses and the small sumsinvolved in the bribery indictment against electrician Randy Farrell. Cantrell has not been charged in that case.

She becomes the second mayor in New Orleans historyand its first sitting mayor to face criminal charges. FormerMayor Ray Nagin was found guilty at trial on corruption counts in 2014 after leaving office.

The charges against Cantrell stemmed from aprobe begun under former President Joe Biden’s administration. The grand jury delivered them amid widespread upheaval within federal law enforcement as Trump overhauls the Justice Departmentand FBI, focusing agents anew on immigration, violent crime and investigating Trump’senemies

The Justice Department’sWashington-basedcivil rights,environmental crimes and public corruption offices —areas where veteran prosecutors say New Orleans’U.S. Attorney’sOffice has longexcelled —have been gutted.

Politicalveterans and legal observersalike view an indictment of Cantrell, known as abold politician who rarelydisplays weakness lest it become fodder for her opponents, as unlikely to prompther to resign. Amid the federal investigation, Cantrellhas fought prosecutors’ scrutiny by arguing that her race draws criticism that Whitepoliticians escape. Being subject to federal investigation “seemstobe kind of prevalent relativetoBlack leadership,” she said at anews conference in 2023. “I am not exempt from that.”

JUDGE

Continued from page1A

and Judiciary Commission on his case. The Supreme Court is expected to conduct ahearing and make the ultimate decision on the commission’s recommendations.

Colbert did not immediately return acall requesting comment. The case is based on two incidents of misconduct “which demonstrate his tendency to react quickly out of indignation, rather than with the careful consideration expected of judicial officials,” Judge Bruce Hampton,chairmanofthe JudiciaryCommission, and Kelly Blackwell, commission attorney,wrote inthe Aug. 6findings. Colbert, they wrote, also invoked or abused theauthority of his judicial office in those incidents His behavior,describedas ethical misconduct, caused substantial harm to the public’sconfidence in and respect for the integrity and impartiality of thejudiciary,” they wrote. Additionally,Colbert’sappearance at the April Judiciary Commission hearing in New Orleans left the commission with concernsabout him repeating such behavior in thefuture, the document states.

JULY19,

JeffreyVappie Cantrell’sformer bodyguard,Vappie is accused of fabricating NOPD timesheets to collect his police pay while pursuinga romantic relationship with themayor.Hehas pled not guilty.

LaToyaCantrell

Cantrell allegedly communicatedwith Vappie aboutdeleting messages detailing the time theyhad spent together.She wasnot charged at the time but has since been indicted. She also denied that she and Vappie were romantically involved.

Michelle Woodfork

The interim NOPDChief, Woodfork upheld an internal affairs investigation into Vappie’s timesheets.Prosecutors allegethat Cantrell passed up Woodfork for the permanentjob in retaliation

Randy Farrell Faces 25 fraudand briberycounts related to unlicensed home inspectionsand alleged gifts to Cantrell to avoid scrutiny.

LaToyaCantrell

Farrell allegedly gave themayor football game tickets, an iPhone and asteak dinner before she fired acity official who’dbecome skeptical of his inspection work. Cantrell has not been charged in relationtothesealleged acts.

Fouad Zeton

Alocalbusinessmanand political rainmaker, Zeton allegedly delivered tickets purchased by Farrell to Cantrell and her second-in-command. Though under indictment in an unrelated case, he hasnot been charged in connection to Farrell.

GilbertMontaño

Cantrell’sformer chief administrativeofficer andtop deputy.He allegedly accepted tickets to football games fromFarrell, by way of Zeton. Montaño has not been charged.

Earlierindictments

Thescope of theinvestigation intoCantrellcame into sharper focus through the pair of indictmentsfiled in New Orleans’ federal court last year Prosecutors indirectly accused CantrellinSeptember of accepting bribes from Farrell in exchange for firing ahigh-ranking city official five years earlier.She had been implicated in the earlier corruption indictment of Vappie, whom federal prosecutors accused last summer of fabricating time sheets andlying to FBI agents in efforts to conceal an alleged romantic relationship between himself and Cantrell. Vappieand Cantrell have bothdenied having an affair In detailingthe fresh allegations against Cantrell and Vappie on Friday,Simpson, theactingU.S attorney, saidNew Orleanstaxpayers paid more than $70,000 for

Colbert, who became a judge in January 2021, was new to the bench when the LafayettePolice Department after 5p.m.onAug 13, 2021, posted anotice shuttingdownThe District, where aconcert was scheduledthe next night.

Aweekearlier, several shots were fired outside the venue with an assault weapon,killing one person and injuring another.The shooting caused concern among city andpolice officials. After receiving acall from attorney Harold Register requestinga temporaryrestraining order that would allow theconcerttotake place, Colbertmet with Register,then-City-Parish Attorney Greg Logan and others in hiscourtroom. Colbert told the commissionheviewed it as an informal meeting. The meeting wasnot recorded andnobodywas sworn in, the report states. Colbert,dressed in gym clothes, sat on adesk and used profanity. By theend of themeeting,the judge had mediated an agreement allowing additional safety conditions, such as morepolicepresence, at theclub No petitionfor arestrainingorder wasfiledatthe time andnocase number was assigned.Colbert filed a restraining order more than ayear later after alawsuit was filed Colbert’s testimonybefore

Vappie’stravel as he accompanied Cantrell on aseries of trips, includingthe visits to Napa andMartha’s Vineyard.

He said Cantrell ignored an associate who told her in repeated text messages that spending public funds to further her personal relationship with Vappie was illegal.

The pair also lied to colleagues and advisersabout theirconduct, as well as to federal investigators, according to the indictment.

Yearslongprobe

NewOrleans localofficialsmostly responded to Friday’sindictment by stressing thatCantrell is entitled to arobust defense andis innocent until proven guilty

“Everyone is presumed innocent underthe law,” saidCityCouncil member Joe Giarrusso, who representsthe council’s District A. “Mayor Cantrell deserves that presumption. This unfortunately will

theJudiciaryCommission

“gave the impression that he felt it was his job to fix perceivedinjustices about which people may approach him rather than neutrally rule on afiled document afterensuring there has been due processoflaw,” the report states.

The secondincident occurred on May29, 2023, when Colbert allegedlyran ared light in Lafayette and was pulledoverbythenOfficer Dominique Robinson. Theinteraction was capturedonthe officer’s dashboardvideo cameraand the body cameras of Robinsonand other officers anda supervisor whoresponded when Robinsonrequested assistance, thecommission’s report states. Colbert, driving behind Robinson, believed theofficer was playing on his cellphoneand sat through one or moregreen lights. Frustrated, Colbert eventually passed theofficer andblew his horn.

The video, according to the commission report, clearly shows Colbert accelerate anddrive the entirety of ablock during which the traffic signalhewas approaching already was red, then run thered light.

Colbert allegedly cursed during his 17-minuteinteraction with the officers, the report states,calling Robinson aliar,warned thathis reputation would be ruined

be sensationalizedbecause it involves the mayor andwill further impede the city’soperations. We should, however,let the facts play out and not rush to judgment.”

The indictments of people in her orbit, and nowofCantrell herself, followed aseries of controversies thatset hersecond term off to a rocky start: herhandling of Hurricane Ida, overseas travel on taxpayers’ dime and alleged relationship withVappie.

Her administration also confronted challenges partly outside her control, and her allies have arguedthat she faces unfair criticism.

The ongoing economicfallout andmass deathofthe COVID-19 pandemic, aspike in violent crime that tracked nationaltrends and infrastructure troubles that have plaguedNew Orleans for decades have all harmed constituent morale in theCrescent City,polling

andrefused instructions to stand in front of the police car and to sign theticket.

Thejudge told thesupervisor he was heading home to washhis truck and had “all the time in the world” for him to review the video. While testifying beforethe JudiciaryCommission, how-

LaToyaCantrell

Cantrell allegedly shared a‘personal and intimate’ relationship with Vappiethat they hid from public view, all while Vappiewas being paidtoprotect themayor and while she claimed to be away on city business.

JeffreyVappie

In fresh charges, prosecutors sayVappie and themayor sought to impede federal investigations by shielding text messages, lying to subordinates, colleagues and advisers, and submitting false information to federal prosecutors.

Michelle Woodfork Prosecutors strongly suggest that Cantrell passedoverWoodforkfor theNOPD superintendent position because an internal probe questioned Vappie’s conduct. Woodfork left theNOPD and is running for Orleans Parishsheriff.

Anne Breaud

Prosecutors sayCantrell abused her positiontoget informationabout Breaud, a French Quarter

shows.

Cantrell won praise from fellow Democratsfor herhandling of COVID-19, which gave her anational platform as ablue mayor in adeepred region resistant to masks, lockdowns and distancing —measures Cantrell embraced.

ButCOVIDalso markeda sharp turn in heradministration’sfortunes: Cadres of senior staffand advisers left her side after the pandemic’sfirst year,whichcoincidedwiththe endofthe mayor’s first term. Polling shows constituentopinionofher performance cratered around thattime,too, as voters started to viewher administration’shandling of crimeand infrastructure in the falloutofHurricane Ida, in August 2021, as inept. Cantrellfacedmore personal, private struggles as public criticism mounted during hersecond term Her husband, longtime New Orleans lawyer and public defender Jason Cantrell, died suddenly in 2023. The Cantrells had publicly struggled with their finances, with thefederal government securing a lien on their house in 2020 over unpaid taxes, and aroofing company doing the samein2023 over alleged nonpayment for anew roof. In October, Cantrell spoke publicly for the first time about having been sexually assaultedasa child and surviving the trauma. Cantrell’scase recalls that of former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry,who resigned in 2018 after pleading guilty to afelony theft charge and after publicly apologizing forhaving an affairwithher bodyguard while on the clock. The bodyguard,Sgt.Robert Forrest, also pleadedguilty to that charge. Barry and Forest each served three years of probation and repaid the city $11,000 and $45,000, respectively

ever,Colbertsaid he wasin ahurry to get homebecause of amedical emergency involving his child.

The inconsistent statements, the commission concluded,led them to wonder whetherhewas being dishonest or his anger at being pulledoveroverrode con-

cern forhis child. Awitness, the report states, recalled Colbert losing his temper and cursing during ameeting with 10 judges about renovations to the courthouse.

Email ClaireTaylorat ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

Japanmarking 80th anniversary of WWII

BY MARIYAMAGUCHI

Associated Press

TOKYO— Japan paid tribute Friday to more than 3million wardead as the country marked its surrender that ended WorldWar II 80 yearsago, as concern grows aboutthe rapidly fading memories of the tragedy of war and the bitterlessons from the eraof Japanese militarism.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed “remorse” over thewar —the first time aJapaneseleaderhas used the wordinanAug. 15 address since former Premier Shinzo Abeshunned it in 2013.

Ishiba called thewar a mistake, butdid notmention Japan’saggression across Asia or apologize.

“Wewillnever repeatthe tragedy of the war.Wewill never go the wrong way,” Ishiba said. “Once again, we must deeply keep to our hearts theremorse and lessonfromthat war.”

He vowed to pass his peace pledge to next generations

of remorse aboutJapan’s wartimepast.

Ishiba stayedaway from Yasukuni and sent areligious ornament as apersonal gesture instead of praying at the controversial shrine.

But Shinjiro Koizumi, the agriculture minister considered as atop candidate to replacethe beleaguered primeminister,prayed at the shrine. He told reporters that he made the no-war pledge to the spirits. “It is important to not forget those whosacrificedtheir livesfor theircountry,” he said.

Koizumiisthe son of popular former PrimeMinister Junichiro Koizumi, who outragedChina when he visited Yasukuni as aserving leader in 2001.

Right wing lawmakers, including former economic security ministers Sanae Takaichiand Takayuki Kobayashi, as well as governing Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Koichi Hagiuda,also visitedthe shrine Friday

criminals.”

“Only by facing history squarely can we gain respect, only by learning from history can we forge ahead into the future,” he added.

In Seoul, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, ahead of an upcoming trip to Japan forasummitwith Ishiba, called for the two U.S. allies to overcome grievances from Japan’s brutal colonial rule. He saidsome historical issues remainunresolved, urging Tokyo to face up to “our painful history and strive to maintain trust between our two countries.” Japanese emperors have stopped visiting the Yasukuni site since the enshrinement of topwar criminals there in 1978.

Emperor Naruhito, in his address at the Budokan memorial Friday, expressedhis hope thatthe ravagesofwar will neverberepeatedwhile “reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse.”

Continued from page1A

The high-profile summit ended without adeal to end, or even pause, the brutal conflict —the largest land warinEurope since 1945— which has raged for more than three years. It wasanabruptending to an otherwise friendly meeting in which ared carpet was rolled out for Putin as he landed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The two leaders greeted each other with ahandshake and asmile, and Putin even got arideinthe presidential limousine —anunusually warm reception for aU.S. adversary While the twoleaders were still on the tarmac, reporters nearby yelled, “President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?” Russia’sleader put his hand up to his ear as though to indicate he couldn’thear them. Trump andPutin then shared the U.S. presidential limo known as “The Beast” for ashort ridetotheir meeting site, with Putin offering abroad smile as the vehicle rolled past the cameras. Zelenskyy and European leaders were excluded from Trump and Putin’s discussions, and Ukraine’s president was left posting avideo address in which he expressedhis hope for a“strong position fromthe

U.S.”

“Everyone wants an honest endtothe war.Ukraine is readytowork as productively as possible to endthe war,” he said, later adding, “Thewar continues andit continues precisely because there is no order,nor any signals from Moscow,that it is preparing to end this war.”

Trumphad bothraised and lowered expectations for the summit, at turns character-

izing it as a“feel-outmeeting” but alsowarning of “verysevereconsequences” for Russia if Putin didn’t agree to end the war

He boasted beforetaking office that he could endthe warin24hours, acomment he later said was in jest.The opportunity to talk to Putin face-to-face gave him his best chance to date to getthe fighting to stop, but he came up short TRUMP

In anational ceremony FridayatTokyo’s Budokan hall, about 4,500 officials and bereaved families and their descendants fromaround thecountry observed a momentofsilence at noon, thetime when Emperor Hirohito’ssurrender speech began on Aug. 15, 1945. Participants later offered chrysanthemum flowers for the war dead.

Just ablock away at the Yasukuni Shrine, dozens of Japaneseright wing politicians and their supporters gathered to pray

The shrine honorsJapan’s2.5 million war dead, including convicted war criminals. Victims of Japanese aggression, especially China and the Koreas,see visitstothe shrine as alack

Anonpartisan group of 87 parliamentarians ledby Liberal Democrat Ichiro Aisawa also prayed at Yasukuni,pledging“to uphold peace” in Japan andinthe Indo-Pacific region.

Separately,Sohei Kamiya, head of the populist far-right Sanseito, prayed with 17 parliamentarians and 70 local assembly members from his party.Hetoldreporters that the prime minister should visit Yasukuni.

China and South Korea reminded Japan of its wartime atrocities in theircountries and elsewhere in Asia.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized attempts in Japan to “whitewash anddenyaggression, distort andfalsify history andevenseek to rehabilitate the accusations of war

Naruhito reiterated the importance of telling the war’stragic history to younger generations as “we continue to seek thepeace andhappinessofthe people in the future.”

As part of the 80th anniversary,hehas traveled to Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Hiroshima,and is expected to visit Nagasaki with his daughter,Princess Aiko, in September Hajime Eda, whose father died on his wayhomefrom Koreawhen his ship was hit by amine, said he will never forgethis father and others whonever made it home In aspeech representing bereaved families, Eda said it is Japan’s responsibility to share lessons about the emptiness of the conflict, the difficulty of reconstruction and the preciousness of peace.

Heat,thirstdrive families in Gaza to drinkunsafewater

BY WAFAA SHURAFA andSAM METZ Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, GazaStrip Af-

ter waking early to standin line for an hour under the August heat,Rana Odeh returns to her tent with her jug of murky water.She wipes the sweat from her brow and strategizes how much to portion out to her two small children. From its color alone, she knows full well it’slikely contaminated. Thirst supersedes the fear of illness.

Shefills small bottles for herson and daughter and pours asip into ateacup for herself. What’sleft she adds to ajerrycan for later “Weare forced to give it to our children because we have no alternative,” Odeh, whowas drivenfromher home in Khan Younis, said of the water.“It causes diseases for us and our children.” Such sceneshavebecome the grim routineinMuwasi, asprawling displacement camp in central Gaza where hundreds of thousands endurescorching summer heat. Sweat-soaked and dust-covered, parents and children chase down water trucks that come every two or three days, filling bottles, canisters and buckets and then hauling them home, sometimes on donkey-drawn carts. Each drop is rationed for drinking, cooking, cleaning or washing. Some reuse what they can and save a couple of cloudy inchesin theirjerrycans for whatever tomorrow brings —or doesn’t. When water fails to arrive, Odeh said, she and her son fill bottles from the sea. Over the 22 months since Israel launchedits offensive, Gaza’s water access has been progressively strained. Limits on fuel imports and electricity have hampered the operation of desalination plants while infrastructure bottlenecks and pipeline damage choked

delivery to adribble. Gaza’s aquifers became pollutedby sewageand the wreckage of bombedbuildings. Wells are mostly inaccessible or destroyed, aidgroupsand the localutility say Meanwhile, the water crisishas helped fuel the rampant spread of disease, on topofGaza’srising starvation. UNRWA —the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees —saidThursdaythat its health centers now see an average 10,300 patients aweek with infectiousdiseases, mostly diarrhea from contaminatedwater.

Efforts to ease the water shortage areinmotion, but for manythe prospect is still overshadowed by the risk of what may unfoldbefore new supply comes.

And the thirst is only growing as aheat wave bears down, with humidity and temperatures in Gaza soaring on Fridayto95degrees.

High heat,sullied water

Mahmoudal-Dibs, afather displaced from Gaza Cityto Muwasi, dumpedwater over hisheadfromaflimsyplastic bag —one ofthe vessels used to carry water in the camps.

“Outside the tents it is hot and insidethe tents it is hot, so we areforcedto drink this water whereverwego,” he said Al-Dibswas amongmany who told The Associated Press they knowingly drink non-potable water.

The few people still possessingrooftoptankscan’t muster enough water to cleanthem, so what flows from their taps is yellowand unsafe,saidBushraKhalidi, an official with Oxfam, an aid groupworkinginGaza.

Before the war,the coastal enclave’smorethan 2million residents gottheir water from apatchworkofsources. Some was piped in by Mekorot,Israel’snational water utility. Somecame from desalination plants.Some was pulledfromhigh-saline wells, and someimported in

bottles.

Everysource has been jeopardized. Palestiniansare relying moreheavily on groundwater,whichtoday makes up more than half of Gaza’ssupply.The well water has historically been brackish, but still serviceable for cleaning, bathing, or farming, according to Palestinian water officials and aid groups.

Now people have to drink it.

The effects of drinking unclean water don’talways appear right away,said Mark Zeitoun, director general of the Geneva WaterHub, a policy institute.

“Untreated sewage mixes with drinking water,and you drink that or wash your food withit, thenyou’re drinking microbes and can get dysentery,”Zeitoun said. “If you’re forced to drink salty,brackish water it just does your kidneys in, and then you’re on dialysis for decades.”

Deliveries average less than12.5cups per person perday —afraction of the 3.3-gallon minimum humanitarian groups say is needed fordrinking, cooking and basichygiene. In February,acute watery diarrhea accounted for less than 20%ofreported illnesses in Gaza. By July,it hadsurged to 44%,raising the risk of severe dehydration,according to UNICEF, theU.N. children’sagency System breakdown

Early in the war,residents said deliveriesfromIsrael’s water companyMekorot werecurtailed —aclaim thatIsrael has denied. Airstrikes destroyed some of the transmission pipelines as well as oneofGaza’sthree desalination plants. Bombardment andadvancingtroopsdamaged or cut off wells –tothe point thattoday only 137 of Gaza’s 392wells areaccessible, according to UNICEF.Water quality from some wells has deteriorated, fouled by sew-

APalestinian girldrinks water from ajerrycanon

Wednesdayafter collecting it from awater distribution pointduring ahot summer daywith temperatures reaching 97 degrees in Deir al-Balah, in the central GazaStrip

age, therubble of shattered buildingsand theresidue of spent munitions Fuelshortages have strainedthe system,slowing pumps at wells andthe trucks thatcarry water.The remainingtwo desalination plants have operated far below capacity or ground to a halt at times,aid groups and officials say.

In recent weeks, Israel has takensomesteps to reverse thedamage. It delivers water viatwo of Mekorot’s three pipelinesinto Gaza andreconnected oneofthe desalination plants to Israel’s electricity grid,Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told The Associated Press.

Still, theplants put outfar less than before thewar, MontherShoblaq, head of Gaza’sCoastal MunicipalitiesWater Utility, told AP That hasforced him to make impossible choices.

The utilityprioritizes getting water to hospitals and to people. But that means sometimes withholding waterneeded for sewage treatment, which can trigger neighborhoodbackups and heighten healthrisks.

Water hasn’tsparked the same global outrage as limits on food entering Gaza.

But Shoblaq warned of adirect line between thecrisis and potential loss of life.

“It’sobviousthatyou can survive for some days with-

out food, but not without water,” he said.

Supply’s future

Wateraccess is steadyingafter Israel’ssteps.Aid workers have grown hopeful that the situation won’tget worse and could improve.

Southern Gaza couldget morerelieffrom aUnited Arab Emirates-funded desalination plant just across the borderinEgypt. COGAT, the Israelimilitarybodyin charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, said it has allowed equipmentintothe enclave to build apipeline from the plant and deliveries could start in afew weeks.

The plant wouldn’tdepend on Israel for power,but sinceIsrael holds the crossings, it will control the entry of water intoGaza forthe foreseeable future.

But aid groups warn that accesstowater andother aid could be disrupted again by Israel’splans to launch a new offensive on someofthe last areas outside itsmilitary control. Those areas include Gaza City and Muwasi, where much of Gaza’spopulation is now located.

In Muwasi’s tent camps, people line up forthe sporadic arrivals of water trucks.

Hosni Shaheen, whose family wasalsodisplaced fromKhanYounis, already sees the water he drinks as alast resort.

Women barred from Taliban takeover celebrations

By The Associated Press

ISLAMABAD Afghan women were barred from attending celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’sreturn to poweron Friday. Some 10,000 men gathered across thecapital,Kabul, to watch Defense Ministry helicopters scatter flowers to the crowds below Three of the six “flower shower” locations were already off-limits to women because they have been prohibited from entering parks and recreational areas since November 2022. The TalibanseizedAfghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021, as the U.S. and NATO withdrew their forcesatthe end of a two-decade war

Since then, they have imposedtheir interpretationof Islamic law on daily life, including sweeping restrictions on womenand girls,based on edicts from theirleaderHibatullahAkhundzada. Friday’sanniversaryprogram,which also comprised speeches from key Cabinet members, was only for men. An outdoor sports performance, initially expected to feature Afghan athletes, did nottakeplace. Rightsgroups, foreign governments,and theU.N.have condemned the Taliban for theirtreatmentofwomen andgirls,who remainbarred fromeducationbeyondsixth grade, manyjobs, and most public spaces.

Members of the United AfghanWomen’s Movementfor Freedom staged an indoor protest on Friday in northeast Takhar province against Talibanrule

“This day marked the beginning of ablack domination that excluded women from work, education, and social life,” the movement said in a statement.

Southside Stadium name reveal met with cheers after community vote

BY ASHLEY WHITE | Staff writer

Students and faculty erupted into cheers at Southside High on Friday morning when the official name for the school’s new stadium was announced.

After weeks of voting by the community, students and staff, the stadium will be called “The Reef.”

“I think it fits the stadium really well. It suits the school and the culture here,” said Parker Dies, the varsity football quarterback. “Everybody’s been talking about (the potential name) It’s been a big thing around here for a while.”

The community voted on the stadium name and was able to choose between three choices that all nod to the school’s mascot, the sharks: The Abyss, Shark Stadium and The Reef.

Athletes, cheerleaders and coaches gathered in Southside’s cafeteria Friday morning to watch a video announcing the stadium’s name, which was kept secret until that moment. It also was streamed into classrooms.

Digital media teacher Nathan Champagne helped put together teasers that were posted on social media this week that held Easter eggs with the new name. He also put together the 30-second video students saw, using drone footage from the stadium’s construction.

As the video builds, the stadium feels complete, ending with viewers getting a sense of what it will

ä See ‘THE REEF’, page 2B

Audit: La. Medicaid paid $10M for dead patients

Payments were made after their date of death, report says

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

In the past six years, the Louisiana Department of Health has paid nearly $10 million to insurance companies for Medicaid beneficiaries who had already died, accord-

ing to a new state audit. The progress report, conducted by state Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack and shared with legislators last week, found the Health Department successfully verified most deaths, but it “could identify additional deceased Medicaid beneficiaries if it included additional third-party data sources, such as obituaries, the Social Security Administration’s death master file and

Trader Joe’s applies to open Lafayette location

Construction could start in October

ADAM DAIGLE

of

ä See TRADER JOE’S, page 2B

other states’ vital records databases,” data analyst Chris Magee said in a podcast about the findings.

The missed deaths, which work out to roughly 174 per year, occurred between February 2019 and March 2025 under the administrations of both Republican Gov Jeff Landry and former Democratic Gov John Bel Edwards. The review was conducted, in part, to “further the goals of

the Governor’s Fiscal Responsibility Program, known as LA DOGE,” the audit said.

The findings are not entirely surprising, considering the COVID-19 pandemic and a federal order that paused eligibility checks for part of that period, said Kevin Callison, a health economist at Tulane University

“Ideally it would be zero,” Callison said. “But the reality is that it’s just really difficult for state agencies to collect this data that comes

from various different data sources and aggregate that and be able to use that to determine things like eligibility and mortality.”

The report follows up on a similar 2017 review that also found deceased people still enrolled in Medicaid.

The Health Department administers Medicaid for about 1.6 million residents under a managed-care model, paying private insurers a

ä See AUDIT, page 2B

Expert on Acadian genealogy dies at 78

Stephen White was dedicated to research

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Stephen White, who wrote the definitive publication on the early Acadians, “The Genealogical Dictionary of Acadian Families,” died Wednesday

He was 78 years old and died in a nursing home. White was born in Massachusetts and is of Acadian descent. He was a resident of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. After becoming a lawyer he spent 49 years fulfilling his life’s

work as a full-time genealogist at the Anselme-Chiasson Centre for Acadian Studies at the University of Moncton. White “dedicated his whole life to preparing the genealogy of every Acadian in the world,” Warren Perrin, of Lafayette said. Perrin, an author, attorney and advocate for preserving the Acadians’ heritage, said White was “the foremost expert on Cajun genealogy in the world.” White visited Louisiana several times, Perrin said, and would help anyone who asked with their genealogy

He was awarded many honors for his work, including Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and in May was named an Honorary Member of the Order

of Canada, the second-highest award of merit in Canada. He also belonged to several Acadian family associations, including the Fédération Associations de Familles Acadiennes.

The first Acadians were residents of France who, in the 1600s, settled first in Port-Royale, Nova Scotia, then colonized other parts of Canada’s Maritime region. In the mid-1700s, the British gained control of the region called Acadia and deported the Acadians in what is now called the Great Upheaval or Le Grand Dérangement. Many made their way to Louisiana, where their descendants today are called Cajuns.

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@ theadvocate.com.

Federaljudgeswarnofthreats to courtsystem

Social media,lackof educationhurtpublic trust, panelistssay

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Surging threats of violence, criticisms frompublic officials and erodingconfidence in thejudicial process pose rising threats to the independenceofU.S. courts, three federal judges saidinawide-ranging discussion in New Orleans last week.

Courts’ lack of enforcement tools has laid bare their reliance on constitutional traditions andpublic trust for orders to be followed, one of the judges said.

“Wehave no form, no method of enforcement beyond ourconstitutional norms,” said U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, of the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Unless we have the trustofthe populace, we find ourselves onthe path to totalitarianism.”

The panel hosted by New Orleans’ Federal Bar Association on Friday,titled “Challenges to Judicial Independence,” prompted unusually candid reflections on the

legal world andits overlapwith politics from three of Louisiana’s most powerful court offi cials, plus aretired federal judge who moderated the talk Federal judges rarel give interviews or speak publicly,asidefromwhen presiding over casesfrom thebench

The panelists painted a mostly dire picture of the state of Americans’ faith in the court system, one shaped by apopulationincreasingly reliantonpolitically biased social-media echo chamberswhich they said can swiftly lead to threats of violence against those on the bench

“People can wrap themselves in an envelopeof theenvironment they want to believe in,” said the moderator,retired U.S. District Judge Paul Grimm, who served on the federalbench in Maryland from 2012 to 2022. “The dialogue is coarse, crude, andthreatening.”

DistrictJudges Susie Morgan, who were appointed by former President Barack Obama, andChief Judge Wendy tter,appointed by President Donald Trump in sfirst term —saidthey believe the judiciary has largely weathered those challenges thanks to individualjudges’ commitments to interpreting and upholding thelaw

The discussion comes at afraught moment for courts.

Still, three judges from theEastern District —Milazzo and U.S.

Threats of violenceand actual attacksonjudges have surged in recent years, Grimm saidinremarks introducing the panel. Data from theU.S Marshals Service, which U.S. District Judge Esther Salas of New Jersey has shared with multiple national media outlets, show that 80 judges received threatsduring afivemonthperiod leading up to March 1. Another 162 received threats over thefollowing six weeks.

Coarse discourse on social media, alack of civic education about

Senate committeelooking into delays in health care forveterans

Many dealing with PTSD, long waits

BYEMILYWOODRUFF Staff writer

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy convened aSenate Veterans’ Affairs Committee field hearing Thursday in Metairie to discuss gaps in mental health care for Louisiana veterans, from long wait timesand ruralisolation to provider shortages and the stigma that keeps many from seeking help.

Mental health challenges are prominent among veterans, with approximately one-third of all VA users having at least one mental health visit in agiven year But the situation for Louisiana’s 262,000veterans is especiallydire, witnesses said.

Based on initial data from asurvey conductedbythe University of Louisiana at Lafayette, PTSD rates among Louisianaveterans could be as high as 45% more than twice the national average. Forty-two percent of veterans who were surveyed live more than an hour from aVAclinic, and many face transportation gaps, rural povertyand food insecurity Louisiana Departmentof Veterans Affairs Secretary Charlton Meginley,who presented the findings, called them “deeply concerning.”

“Veteran mental health is not just aVAissue; it is anational security issue,” Meginley said, pointing out that if veterans aren’ttaken care of, it could discourage people from joining the military at all.

Cassidy,aphysician, convened the panel at Delgado Community College, calling it achance for veterans to speak directly to decisionmakers and to make sure “that the veteran transitions

AUDIT

fixed monthly rate per enrollee. That arrangement continues until the department confirms someone is no longer eligible. The audit found the Health Department made about$9.6 million in per-member permonth payments for 1,072 people after their date of death. None had claims for services after death, which auditors said corroborated the findings.

from serving ourcountry in the battlefield”to“servingour country, theirfamily andthemselveshere in society.”

‘A fatalgap’

The shortage ofproviders andlongwait times for appointments wererepeatedly pointedout by experts and community leaders as roadblocks to care.

“Unlessyou’re goingto commitsuicide, you’re not going to be seen right away,” said audience member BelindaHill, nationalservice officer with the Disabled American Veterans. Aveteran seeking help for substance usedisorderoften faces waits of more than 30 days, said EmilyMeyers, CEO of Long Branch Recovery and Wellness.

“It can be afatal gap,” said Meyers, given the risk of overdose, especially from fentanyl-laced street drugs. Anew VA Office of InspectorGeneral report released Mondayshowed Louisiana’s veterans hospitals are struggling with staffing, withthe deepestgapsbeing felt in mentalhealth and nursing.

In 2025, VA hospitals across the country saidthey were struggling to fill 4,434 types of critical jobs, which is 50% more than the 2,959 theyreported in2024,according to the report

The New Orleans VA had 30 types of occupations in “severe shortage,” which means there are far too few qualifiedcandidates to fill critical jobs, making it hard for the VA to hireand keep enoughstaff to meet veterans’ needs. Shreveport had 23 andPineville had 20, according to the report

“There’sa shortage,” said Fernando Rivera, director of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System and interim head ofVA’s multistate VISN16network.

“Wecan’t getaroundthe fact that …inour state, we don’t

have an overabundance of mental health providers.”

‘Eyeball-to-eyeball’ care

Veterans in Louisiana are able to get referralsfor same-day care to avirtual mental health provider,but community leaders said many veterans may not want virtual care, and high turnover among providers canabruptly endhard-won therapeutic relationships.

“I have been that lonely veteran, and Ihave gotten on the app, and Iwas as lonely whenI got off,”said JacksonSmith, aMarine combat veteran and executive director of Bastion Community of Resilience.

Smith held up aphoto takenduringhis servicein Afghanistan with aplatoon of 78 as he describedthe injuries and mental health issuesfollowing service.

“Over those eight months Iwatched virtually every oneofthose Marines experience multiple, in some cases dozens, of brain-injuring events like landmine explosions and fireplanes,” Smith said.

Smithadvocated for expansion of the Fox Suicide Prevention grant program to fund smaller,local organizations positionedtodeliver “eyeball-to-eyeball” support, and calledfor reinstating theVA’sassisted living traumaticbraininjury pilot program, which ended in 2017 without replacement.

Louisiana hasonly seven residential beds for those needing intensive mental health or substanceuse care

While screening across the VA’s multistate network has sped up admissions to outof-state facilities, the small number of in-statebeds makesitchallenging for people to get seen quickly, Rivera said. A$1.5billion investment in President Donald Trump’s2026 budget is expected to expandthose beds nationwide

thejustice system and atrend of public officials criticizing court decisions have concocted abrew of challenges judges nationwide are now confronting, the panelists said.

“Threats of violence are always horrible, but social media is the messenger we need to attack,” Vitter said.

Among the most disturbing threats are criticismsdirected at judgesbyelected or appointed public officials, saidGrimm, adding that suchattacks have come from both sidesofthe political aisle.

He cited twoexamples: DemocraticU.S. SenChuckSchumer’s criticism of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’sabortionstance several years ago, for which Schumer said Kavanaugh would “pay the price,” and Department of Homeland Security SecretaryKristi Noemcalling afederal judge an “idiot” over arecent order she disagreed with.

“Whenyou hear from apolitical leader,‘That judge is an idiot,’ then that person is emboldened,” Milazzo said. She added that such statementscan potentially lead to violence or,atleast,encourage mistrust in judges and their decisions.

Morgan echoed Milazzo’swor-

ries about federal officials’ refusal to comply with court orders.

“I find that very disturbing, a very bad precedent to set,” Morgan said.

Milazzo criticizedstate officials from both political parties for shopping around forjudgesviewedas politically friendly to their causes.

“The message is pretty clear without saying it: ‘What we are looking for is aknown result,’”Milazzo said. “Itlends to abeliefby people notinthe legalsystem that judges are motivated by an end result. That undermines the trust and the independence of the judiciary.”

The judgesalsodiscussedways to increaseeveryday Americans’ exposure to the legal profession. They encouraged their peers to hold public events and urged citizens to embrace opportunities, such as jury duty,toengage with the judicial process.

Vitter urged jurists to use plain language in their court filings.

“Wedon’tneed to throw in all these Latin phrases,” Vitter said. “I take pains in my orders to try and say,‘Could an average person read this and understand it?’

Email James Finn covers at jfinn@theadvocate.com.

‘THE REEF’

Continuedfrom page1B

feel like under thelights for agame or meet.There are no players or attendees in thevideo; Champagne wanted each persontobeable to imagine themselvesinthe stadium,regardless of their sport or where they are for thegame.

Watching the studentsreact to the video and name

TRADER JOE’S

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21 openings across 13 states. It’sknown for itslow prices, organic and specialty items, its wine and cheese selections, and quirky culture. It will be built next door to the site of aplannedbeer garden after the Lafayette City Council granted theapplicant aconditional useper-

announcementgave Champagne chills. “When Iheard the cheers and saw everyone clapping, it made me feel proud that Icould help with giving that joy and happiness,” he said. TheSchool Board voted in February 2024 to allocate $3.3 million to build the nearly 5,000-seat stadium

The school was built about eight years ago but afootball field andstadium were not included in the nearly $80 million project.

Head football coach Jess Curtis said the team is grateful to have astadium —and now —aname for the place they’ll call home. “This school is excited. It’s abreath of fresh air,” he said. “It’sreal now.We’ve got our first gameina couple of weeks. This is going to be tremendous forthe school and our program.” Email AshleyWhiteat ashley.white@theadvocate. com.

mitand rezoned the property last month. The applicant, BE Holdings, gotthe OK from the city zoning commission in June on thecondition thatit cannot have outdoor music documentsshow. Commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of the business, which was identified as Bluebird Beer Garden in LCG documents. Both properties are owned by an LLC registered to the Saloom family, records show Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.

Continued from page1B LOTTERY

Auditors identified the 511 deceased beneficiaries through obituaries, 210 through Louisiana vital records, 168through the Social Security Administration’sDeath Master File, 133 through acombination of state records andthird-party

sources and 50 from vitalrecords in 13other states The Health Department saiditplans to withhold about$4million from upcoming managed-care payments to recoup aportion of the fundsand agreedto incorporate additional data sources, including amore comprehensive SSAdeath file. In aresponse to the findings, Health Department Secretary Bruce Greenstein said thedepartment is “in the process of working with the U.S. Department of Treasury to gain the necessary approvals to receive the Social Security Administration Death Master File,” and woulduse it to check deaths in the future.

Relatedly,Louisianais gearing up to comply with new Medicaid workrequirements as part of the One

BigBeautiful Bill Act. The same data-accuracyhurdles could complicateenforcement. Verifying whether someone is dead or alive is less challenging than identifying whether somebody completed 80 hours of work or public service in the past 30 days, Callison said. “You think, oh, well, it’s easy to knowifsomebody’s dead or not, right?That shouldbepretty straightforward,but even there, it’snot perfect,” Callison said.

THURSDAY,AUG. 14, 2025 PICK 3: 7-4-4 PICK 4: 5-8-2-0

6-0-8-5-6

Target, Ulta agree to not renew partnership

NEW YORK Target and Ulta

Beauty are parting ways, ending a partnership launched in 2021 that created in-store shops filled with beauty products at hundreds of the discounter’s stores. According to a joint release issued Thursday, the companies said they have “mutually agreed” not to renew their pact, which concludes in August 2026. Until then, the Ulta Beauty experience at Target will continue in Target stores and on Target.com, the release said.

Ulta is currently in 600 of Target’s roughly 1,980 stores according to a Target spokesperson.

“For 35 years, Ulta Beauty has revolutionized how people experience beauty bringing together an unmatched assortment from mass to luxury — and our partnership with Target was one of many unique ways we have brought the power of beauty to guests nationwide,” said Amiee Bayer-Thomas, chief retail officer of Ulta Beauty in a statement.

Rick Gomez, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Target, said in a statement he was committed to “offering the beauty experience consumers have come to expect from Target.”

The partnership was announced in 2020 and came as the coronavirus pandemic upended shopping habits and more people tried to minimize potential exposure to the virus through one-stop shopping. COVID-19 had dampened sales of lipstick as people wore masks, but the skincare business enjoyed stronger sales.

Air Canada shutdown looms amid dispute

TORONTO A complete shutdown of Air Canada is looming if the union representing the flight attendants of the country’s dominant air carrier and the airline fail to reach an agreement by early Saturday More than 10,000 flight attendants are poised to walk off the job around 1 a.m. on Saturday, followed by a company-imposed lockout. It threatens to impact about 130,000 travelers a day

The Canadian carrier said it expects to call off 500 flights by the end of Friday ahead of the deadline. It already started canceling flights on Thursday in expectation of the massive work stoppage that could impact hundreds of thousands of travelers.

A full grounding could affect 25,000 Canadians a day abroad who may become stranded By midday Friday, Air Canada had called off 87 domestic flights and 176 international flights that were scheduled to depart Friday and Saturday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium On Thursday, when the airline said it was beginning its “phased wind down” of most operations, 18 domestic flights and four international flights were canceled Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the flight attendants, refused to voluntarily submit to arbitration Zelle sued over claims of $1B in fraud losses

Zelle’s parent company is being sued again over claims it failed to protect customers from fraud on the payment network used by the largest banks in America.

New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Early Warning Services LLC on Wednesday in New York State Supreme Court. The lawsuit claims that EWS launched Zelle without critical safety measures, which allowed scammers to steal more than $1 billion between 2017 and 2023. This lawsuit from James, a Democrat, comes five months after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dismissed a similar case that it had filed in December According to multiple media reports, the CFPB abandoned its lawsuit after the Trump administration took over federal agencies. The CFPB had also sued JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

BUSINESS

Market finishes week with a fade

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK U.S stocks edged back from their record levels on Friday in a quiet finish to another winning week

The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% from the all-time high it set the day before, as it closed its fourth winning week in the last five. The Dow Jones Industrial Average flirted with its own record, which was set in December before ending just below the mark with a rise of 34 points, or 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite dipped

0.4%, though it’s still near its record set on Wednesday

The U.S. stock market reached all-time highs this past week as expectations built that the Federal Reserve will deliver a cut to interest rates at its next meeting in September Lower rates can boost investment prices and the economy by making it cheaper for U.S. households and businesses to borrow to buy houses, cars or equipment, but they also risk worsening inflation.

A disappointing report about inflation at the U.S. wholesale level made traders pare back bets for coming

cuts to interest rates on Thursday but they’re still overwhelmingly expecting them. Such anticipation has sent Treasury yields lower in the bond market, though they inched higher Friday following some mixed updates on the economy One said shoppers boosted their spending at U.S. retailers last month, as economists expected, while another said that manufacturing in New York state unexpectedly grew A third said industrial production across the country shrank last month, when economists were looking for modest growth.

Another report suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers is worsening because of worries about inflation, when economists expected to see a slight improvement “Overall, consumers are no longer bracing for the worst-case scenario for the economy feared in April,” when President Donald Trump announced his stunning set of worldwide tariffs, according to Joanne Hsu, director of the University of Michigan’s surveys of consumers. “However consumers continue to expect both inflation and unemployment to deteriorate in the future.”

Shoppers step up purchases ahead of tariffs

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP retail writer

NEWYORK Shoppers spent at a healthy pace in July particularly at the nation’s auto dealerships, even as President Donald Trump’s tariffs start to take a toll on jobs and lead to some price increases.

But the figures also underscore anxiety among Americans: All the uncertainty around the expansive duties appears to be pushing them to step up their purchases of furniture and other items ahead of the expected price increases, analysts said.

Retail sales rose a solid 0.5% last month from the previous month, and June spending was stronger than expected, according to the Commerce Department’s report released Friday June’s retail sales were revised upward to 0.9% from the original 0.6% increase, the agency said. The pace in July matched economists’ estimates.

The increases followed two consecutive months of spending declines in April and May

Excluding auto sales, which have been volatile since Trump imposed tariffs on many foreign-made cares, retail sales rose 0.3% in July

Auto sales rose 1.6%. They appear to have returned roughly to normalized spending af-

ter a surge in March and April as Americans attempted to get ahead of Trump’s 25% duty on imported cars and parts and then a slump after that, according to Samuel Tombs, chief U.S. Economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. The data showed solid spending across various stores. Business at clothing stores and online retailers saw increases. Business at home furnishings and furniture stores had strong sales gains.

However, at electronics stores, sales were down. And business at restaurants, the lone services component within the Census Bureau report and a barometer of discretionary spending, also fell, as shoppers eat at home to save money A category of sales that excludes volatile sectors such as gas, cars, and restaurants rose last month by 0.5% from the previous month. The figure feeds into the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s consumption estimate and is a sign that consumers are still spending on some discretionary items.

Tuan Nguyen, an economist at RSM US, noted the difficulty of attributing the entire July gain to resilient American shoppers given so much uncertainty surrounding the economy and tariffs. A sizable portion of the gain likely came from rising prices of imported goods under the impact of tariffs, he said.

Nguyen also noted he can’t dismiss the possibility that consumers once again pulled forward their spending ahead of the August

tariff deadline, taking advantage of Amazon Prime Day sales as well as competing sales from the likes of Walmart and Target.

In fact, Nguyen noted the sharp rise in furniture sales, for example, appeared to indicate shoppers were trying to get ahead of the duties.

“There is nothing fundamentally wrong with American households that would suggest a spending recession given that shoppers are in a strong enough financial position to accelerate purchases,” he wrote. “With so much noise in the data, the rest of the year promises to be a wild and bumpy ride.”

Earlier this month, the Labor Department reported that U.S. hiring is slowing sharply as Trump’s trade policies paralyze businesses and raise concerns about the outlook for the world’s largest economy U.S. employers added just 73,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department reported, well short of the 115,000 expected.

Another government report, issued Tuesday, on U.S. inflation showed that inflation was unchanged in July as rising prices for some imported goods were offset by declining gas and grocery prices leaving overall prices modestly higher than a year ago.

Consumer prices rose 2.7% in July from a year earlier, the same as the previous month and up from a post-pandemic low of 2.3% in April On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.2% in July, down from 0.3% the previous month, while core prices ticked up 0.3%, a bit faster than the 0.2% in June.

BY DEVON PENDLETON Bloomberg News (TNS)

Some of the world’s wealthiest people joined Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in backing embattled insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc. in the second quarter George Soros’ investment firm, the family office of a Swedish packaging dynasty and Michael Platt’s BlueCrest Capital Management all increased their stakes in UnitedHealth last quarter, according to 13F filings published Thursday UnitedHealth’s stock plummeted this year following a string of

Kemnay Advisory Services boosting their

stakes in Apple Inc., while Platt’s BlueCrest and Iconiq Capital, a multifamily office that manages money on behalf of several Silicon Valley billionaires, bought more Nvidia Corp. shares. Money managers overseeing more than $100

Bad

weather

andthe politics of climate change

“Climate is what we expect,” said Mark Twain, “weather is what we get.”

Little wonder it’sbecome apoliticalissue

As fierce partisanshiptakeshold of American politics,all issues get sucked into the vortex. Public policies, good and bad, areseenthrough the lens of politics, not the common good. This applies to ahost of issues, including the effects of weather patterns in Louisiana andacrossthe nation.

ArecentGallup poll enlightensusonthe regional nature of theweather issue: AmongSoutherners, hurricanes are, far and away,the top weather concern. Among Midwesterners, it’stornadoes; among Easterners, flooding and storms; among Westerners, conditions that lead to wildfires. For Louisianaand other coastalstates, the weather reality andperceptions of climate change are of great consequence. But how do they relate and shape possible solutions?

Large swathsofLouisianaresidents, based on the2024 LSU/Reilly Center/Manship School survey,say their communitieshave experienced long periodsofunusually hotweather, floods, intensestormsand rising sea levels that erode shorelines.The survey alsofound that bigmajorities of affected residents —66% to 88% —believe climatechange contributed to these problems, alot or alittle.

Anationwide poll forUSA Today finds thatmoreDemocrats than Republicans say extreme weather—heat, cold, severe thunderstorms,droughts, wildfires, flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes —has becomemore frequentand moreintense over the past 10 years. While 84% of Democrats believe extreme weather will become more frequentinthe near future, 38%ofRepublicans agree.

Anationwide Pew Research survey found that 60% of Democrats say they experienced long periods of unusually hot weather in the last year,compared with 37% of Republicans. This pattern holds across multiple forms of extreme weather, including floods, intense storms, droughts, majorwildfires and rising sea levels.

What does this mean?

Says the Pew study: “Partisanship shapesperceptions of extreme weather itself, as well as theconnection to climate change.Republicansare lesslikely to report extreme weather events than Democrats. And while most Republicanswho do report experiencing extreme weather events draw alink to climate change, they are much less likely than Democrats to see astrong connection ” For example: The Pew poll findsthat 68% of Democrats and 26%ofRepublicans thinkclimatechange has contributed “a lot” to recent severeweather,like floodsand extreme storms. In addition, 72% of Democratsand 43% of Republicans think climate change contributed “a lot”torising sealevels that erode beaches and shorelines.

What about solutions?

The most popular proposals nationwide, according to Pew, are stricter building standardsfor new constructioninhighrisk communities (77% support)and financialassistanceto rebuild after extreme weather events (64%). Only14% of Americans favor requiring people to moveout of high-risk communities and28% favorbuying homes andmovingresidents to lower-risk areas.

By much smaller margins, more Americans thannot favor banning newconstructioninhigh-riskcommunities, and more than not also favor helping “cover therisingcostof homeowners’ insurance.”

Democrats are more likely than Republicanstosupport all of these national proposals. However, big majorities of both partiesfavorstricter building standards (71% of Republicans, 84% of Democrats)and financialassistancetorebuild (60%ofRepublicans,68% of Democrats).

This goes to show that even in adividednation—with partisans from each side fixatedoncrushing the opposition common ground can still befound

Based on the 2025 LSU survey,big majoritiesofLouisiana residents favor avariety of mitigationand reliefefforts. It found that 81% support payinghomeowners to strengthen their roofs to reduce riskofdamagefromstorms; 79% favor financial assistance for people who live in high-riskareas to relocate to safer spots;71% oppose new constructioninhighrisk areas and 66% support financialassistancetoresidents in high-riskareastorebuild their homes inthe same place. Highnumbers like theseusually spill over partisandivides. As the recently deceased TomLehreroncesaid, “Bad weather always looks worse through awindow.”Public issues, too, especially the toughest ones,alwayslook worse through apartisan lens.

Ron Faucheux is anonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer basedinLouisiana.

DefundingPBS andNPR

Once again, U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy have pooped on our heads and are trying to convince us it’sjust meltingice cream. Both voted for therescission package to defund NPR and PBS. Cassidy,tojustify his vote, referenced apiece titled “Animals need gender pronouns, too” as if that was emblematic of PBS/NPR programs. Perhaps one of his aides was tasked with finding one title, sans context,to support Cassidy’sposition. NPR and PBS are available to all of us, subscribers and nonsubscribers, offering everythingfrom intelligent children’s

programstointernational news to entertainment. Both offer a varietyofcontent and opinions; neither offers aslavish devotion to President Donald Trump. Could our Louisiana senators just be acting as minions to achieve Trump’srevenge on all things that do not praise him?

Iwant to know how defunding NPR/PBS reduces the deficit. How does the clawback improve thefederal government? How does removing congressionally approved funding improve our lives?

KATHY A. RUSH NewOrleans

OurFoundingFathers were wary of religion in government forareason

After 10 years of fighting over religious differences, primarily in Germany and Switzerland, with tens of thousands of casualties,the Religious Peace of Augsburg was signed in 1555. Notable productsofthis “peace” were that rulers of each state would choose the religion of thestate, and folks who lived there would have to follow thereligion or leave. Religious uniformity,yes. Religious tolerance, no. So went theReformation. Religious wars started again in France in the1570s and culminated in the Thirty Years War, with fighting in France, Belgium, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland, killing some10million people. In 1648, thePeace of Westphalia was signed, and the fighting stopped —areligious stalemate, with agricultural and economic consequences for everyone. The main learning of the leaders was that religion needed to be kept out of politics and government. Many of thepeople who immigrated tothe colonies left their European homes because of religious persecution. The colonies were settled by folks of different

religious beliefs. In Massachusetts,there werePuritans/Calvinists. In Pennsylvania, Quakers/ Anabaptists. In Maryland, Catholics. In Virginia, Anglicans. Some later immigrants experienced religious persecution in the colonies, depending on where they settled

The designers of the U.S. Constitution were men of the Enlightenment, many classically educated, fully aware of the history of Western civilization, especially thepolitical history of Western Europe during the Reformation. The Founders knew religion was important to the citizens of thecolonies, yet also knew that religion was divisive, not unifying. The Constitution was ratified provisionally,adding aguarantee that people wouldn’tbepersecuted for their religious beliefs, thus theFirst Amendment, ratified three years after theConstitution.Init, the Founders wisely allowed citizens to believe as they chose, but did not allow governmenttofavor one religion over another or none at all.

THOMAS HUMBLE Baton Rouge

Iam97years old and in good health. But Irely on my Medicare Advantage plan, and it works forme. Idon’tget sick often, but when Ineed to go see the doctor,I don’tworry about how much Ihave to pay because mostofmybenefits are at a zero copay.I have extra benefits like dental and glasses, which are very affordable because they’re free. Without my Medicare Advantage plan, Imight worry about an unaffordable health plan, and Iprobably would not have the extra benefits. But as fornow,I don’thave to worry about that, and Ilove my plan. Congress, protect Medicare, please! LUCILLE ANDERSON Baton Rouge

On the first day of training camp, new Saints coach Kellen Moore opted to keep the players as farawayfrom the fans as possible. Youwould think he would wanttobuild arapport with his fanbase. Hundreds, if not thousands, of fans weredeprived of seeing up close their favorite players. All of the scrimmageaction took place on the field, faraway from the fans. This was not acceptable. Saints fans deserve better EARL PANSANO Metairie

SPORTS

Kelly explains limitations putonsome players

LB Weeks, QB Nussmeier havelight practices

BY WILSON ALEXANDER

Staff writer

After four straightdaysofpractice, LSU

coach Brian Kelly said the team wanted to manage the workloadoftwo key players during alight session Friday morning in the indoor practice facility.

Linebacker Whit Weeks didnot practice. Instead, he watched from the side or rode astationary bike. Weeks suffered an ankle injury that required surgery in theTigers’ bowl game, and Kelly said LSU did not want him to practice five days in arow until game week.

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier waslimited. Nussmeier,who Kelly said aggravated apreexisting case of patellar tendinitis Aug. 6, did not throw for most of LSU’s14th practice.Heled thestarting offense during certain drills.

“Nuss is much more aboutmanaging his throws,” Kelly said. “He hit anumber of throws where we give him some time to back off alittle bit.”

Weeks and Nussmeier will practice fully during LSU’sscrimmageSaturday nightin Tiger Stadium, Kelly said Wide receiver Chris Hilton and safety Jardin Gilbert were not at practice because they graduated Friday,Kelly said. Hilton likely will be astarterthisseason, andGilbert could have arotational role.

LSU did not wear pads Friday ahead of the scrimmage.Kellysaid the team plans to replicate aroad environment as muchas possible Saturdaynight by turningonthe video boards and playing loud music before atop-10 matchup in theseason opener at Clemson.

“Wewant to be able toduplicate anight

ä See LSU, page 3C

push.WillSaintsfollowsuit?

IRVINE, Calif. If there were ever atime for the NewOrleans Saintstobreak out thetush push, it presented itself in Sunday’spreseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

TheSaints facedfourth and goal fromthe 1. From the same spot last season, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scored 12 of his 14 rushing touchdowns on the tush push —the NFL’s most controversial playthatinvolves twoblockersshoving the quarterback from behind to help push him across thepile. Saints coach Kellen Moore wasinvolved in it all, serving as the Eagles offensive coordinator

On Sunday,therewas no such push of atush.

Not on fourth down —which ended up as a3-yard loss on acarry by running back Kendre Miller —or any of the other short-yardage situations the Saints faced throughout thegame.

“Wehaven’tpracticed any sneak components or any of that stuff,” Moore said.

Moore has been tight-lippedon whether theSaints will attemptto run thetushpushthis year.Atthe

quarterback

Anybodycan replicate it It takes practice. We have asaying that, ‘I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks one time. Ifear the man that’spracticed one kick 10,000 times.’”

T.J. PAGANETTI,Saints run-game coordinator,onthe tush push play

NFLowners’ meetings in March, Mooresaidhewasn’tsure whether New Orleanshad the personnelto properly execute the play.OnTuesday,when asked again about his intentions, Mooreofferedonly a “we’ll see” before noting the Saints “aren’tthere yet” on any such decision.

But talk to anyone fromthe Eagles —including the contingent who followed Moore from Philadelphia to

off the ball to running backKendre Miller during the first half of a preseasongameagainst the Los Angeles Chargers on SundayinInglewood,Calif AP PHOTO By

JAyNEKAMIN-ONCEA

QB BridgewaterbackinNFL

BY WILL GRAVES AP sportswriter

PITTSBURGH Teddy Bridgewater always plannedto play football thisyear

Just maybe not quite this early In aperfect world, the well-traveled quarterback wouldn’tbespendingthisweekend in Pittsburgh getting ready for his preseason debut with TampaBay,but in Miami helping Northwestern High prepare to defend the Florida Class 3A title he coached his alma mater to last winter.

Don’tget Bridgewater wrong. The 32-yearold —whose retirement hasn’tquite stuck more than 18 months after heannounced it —iseager to go out and show he can still “spin it.” And he’sgratefultodoitfor ateam that has ripped off four straightNFC South titles, ateam that also happens to be notthat far from home.

Still, Bridgewater would be lying if he said

this was hisfirst choice. The plan was to coach untilNorthwestern’s season wasover, then explore his options in the NFL, just as he didlast year when he madeacameo with DetroitasJared Goff’s backup during the Lions’ playoff push.

Aseeminglyinnocuoussocial media post changed everything.

Bridgewater’sFacebook message was designed to find donors willing tohelp offset team expenses notcovered by the school, expenses —from food to rides home from practice —that he freely admitted he paid outofhis own pocket in 2024.

Yethis admission also constitutedpotential violations concerning impermissible benefits. Bridgewater —who did nottake asalary as head coach —self-reported the paymentsand was subsequentlysuspended. TheFlorida High School Athletic Association’sinvestigation is ongoing.

“It’s very upsetting,”Bridgewater said af-

ter ajoint practice between the Buccaneers and Steelers ahead of their preseason game at AcrisureStadiumonSaturday night.

“Just knowing that youhavegood intentions andthose good intentions will be turned against you and used against you.”

It’sunclear when aresolutionmight come.

ForBridgewater,who still communicates regularlywithhis at-the-moment former players, it can’tget here fast enough.

“I’mhoping to get it resolved because those kids have aspecial place in my heart,” Bridgewater said. “And I’dlove to finish what Istarted with them.” Bridgewater didn’t even rule out making the four-hour drive from Tampa to Miami on Fridays when theBuccaneers’ schedule allows to attend aNorthwestern game as afan He’dlove the opportunity to return one day as the coach of the school where he

3p.m.

2p.m. Texasvs. Massachusetts ESPN

4p.m. Puerto Rico ESPN

6p.m. Illinois vs.PennsylvaniaESPN2 MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

7p.m. UFC319 Prelims: Undercard ESPN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

1p.m. Pittsburgh at ChicagoCubs FS1

3:10 p.m. Seattle at N.y. Mets MLBN

6p.m. N.y.yankeesatSt. Louis Fox

9p.m. San DiegoatL.A. Dodgers MLBN NFLPRESEASON

Noon Cleveland at PhiladelphiaNFLN

3p.m. San Francisco at LasVegas NFLN

6p.m. N.y.Jets at N.y. Giants NFLN

8:30 p.m. Arizona at Denver NFLN RODEO

7p.m. PBR: Camping WorldCW

MEN’S SOCCER

11:30p.m.Man. City at Wolverhampton NBC

Noon FC BarcelonaatMallorca ESPN2

1p.m.BayernMunich at VfBStuttgartABC

5p.m.HFX WanderersFCatPacificFCFS2

7:30 p.m.MLS: Seattle at MinnesotaFS1

8p.m.PhoenixatTampa BayESPN2

9:55 p.m.Pumas UNAM at Toluca CBSSN

WOMEN’S SOCCER

3p.m.NWSL: Orlando at Kansas City CBS

6:30 p.m.NWSL: Portland at N. Carolina ION

9p.m.NWSL: San DiegoatBay ION TENNIS

10 a.m. Cincinnati-ATP Tennis

5p.m.Cincinnati-ATP/WTATennis WNBA

1p.m.New york at Minnesota CBS

NCAA finesMichiganmillions

Mooresuspended forthree gamesover sign-stealing scandal

BY LARRYLAGE and MAURA CAREY AP sportswriters

ANN ARBOR, Mich. The NCAA fined Michigan tens of millions of dollars Friday and suspended coach Sherrone Moore for three games for asign-stealing scandal that has loomed over college football’swinningest program for nearly two years.

The NCAA said it had “overwhelming” and concerning evidence of acover-up by Wolverines staffand noted there were “sufficient grounds foramultiyear postseasonban”againsta program now considered arepeat violator

But the governing body stopped short of program-crippling punishments, saying atwo-year postseasonban “wouldunfairly penalize student-athletesfor the actions of coaches and staff” who are no longer there.

“The panel concluded that an elaborate, impermissible scouting scheme was embedded in the Michigan football program over thecourseofthree football seasons, 2021, 2022 and 2023, and this occurred underformer head coachJim Harbaugh’s oversight,” said Norman Bay,chief hearing officer for the Division ICommittee on Infractions.

“What makes this case even more serious, in addition to the clear intent to impermissibly gain asubstantial competitiveadvantage, is the elaborate effort to obstruct the investigation ” Moore, who was already issued aself-imposed two-game suspension by Michigan, will alsobe banned from the firstgame of the 2026-27 season for atotal of three

Marcus Thornton attacks the basket while playing for New Orleans. ASSOCIATED PRESS

games. Moore received atwo-year show-cause order,but he will be allowed to fulfill coaching commitments andotherathletically related activities.

Financial penaltiesare expected to exceed $20 million and include a$50,000 fine, a10% fine on the football program’s budget, a10% fine on Michigan’s2025-26 scholarships and afine equivalentto theanticipated loss of postseason revenue for the 2025 and2026 seasons.

Michigan also facesa25% reductioninofficial visits during the upcoming season anda14-week prohibition on football recruiting communications during theprobation period.

Connor Stalions, aformer low-

McMahon hiresex-LSU star Thornton to staff

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

Aformer LSU standout and NBA player is returning to Baton Rouge as the newest hire to join coach Matt McMahon’s LSU men’sbasketball program. Marcus Thornton, who was the 2009 Southeastern Conference Playerofthe Year,willjoin the team’ssupport staff forthe 2025-26 season, the program announced Friday

The eight-year NBA player will have an off-court role mentoring players. He also will play arole in helping with player development. He is the second former NBAplayerand LSUstartobe hired this offseason after Ronald Dupree became the team’sfirst generalmanagerinApril. Thornton, 38,was born in Baton Rouge and played two years at Kilgore College before playing his junior and senior seasons at LSU. As ajunior in the 2007-08 season, he averaged 19.6 points pergame.

In his final season with the Ti-

gers, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged an SEC-high 21.1ppg. He led themtoanSEC regular-season championshipwith a13-3conference record (27-8 overall).

LSUreached thesecond round of both the SECTournament and the NCAA Tournament.

Thornton sits sixth on LSU’s career scoring average leaders (minimum1,000 points scored) at 20.41 ppgand concluded his twoyearcareer 23rd all-time in scoring(1,347 points). His168 career 3-pointers are also 10th all-time at LSU.

He was asecond-round pick in 2009 and played 483 games for seven NBAteamsineight years

Thornton started hisNBA career playing for the then-New Orleans Hornets during the 2009-10 season, averaging 14.5 ppg in 73 games.

His NBA career scoring average is 11.9 points and hishighest average for aseason was 18.7 ppg in 51 games for the Sacramento Kings in 2011-12. His final season was in 2016-17 withthe Washington Wizards.

level staffer whoconducted the scouting and sign-stealing operation, was issuedaneight-year show-cause order

Former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh faces a10-year showcause order following the conclusion of hispreviousfour-yearorder effective Aug. 7, 2028.

Ashow-cause order effectively bans aperson from college athletics for theperiod handed down. Harbaugh and Stalions will be prohibitedfrom engaging in all athletically related activitiesfor several years as aresult of the decision.

Michigan said it would appeal thedecision.

“(R)espectfully,ina number of instances thedecision makes

fundamental errors in interpreting NCAA bylaws; and it includes anumber of conclusions that are directly contrary to the evidence –orlack of evidence –inthe record,”the school said.

TheNCAA does not have rules againststealing signs, but does prohibit schools from sending scouts to the games of future opponents and using electronic equipment to record another team’ssignals.

In anoticesenttothe school last year,the NCAA alleged that Mooreviolated rulesasanassistantunder Harbaugh.

Harbaugh, who left the Wolverines after they won the 2023 national championshipand now coaches the Los Angeles Chargers, servedathree-game suspension in exchange for the Big Ten dropping its investigation into the allegations after the two ended up in court.

Moore also wasaccused of deleting text messages with Stalions before theywere recovered and provided to the NCAA.

TheNCAAinvestigation surfaced earlyinthe 2023 season amid allegations thatMichigan used arobust in-person scouting and sign-stealing operation conducted by Stalions. He wassuspended by theschooland later resigned.

Stalions, whodid not participate in the NCAA investigation, recently said he knew almost every signal opponents used in seven games over two seasons.

Big TenCommissioner Tony Petitti sent aletter to the NCAA Committee on Infractions last month,suggesting that Michigan’s football program should not face more sanctions relatedtothe signstealing saga.

The Wolverines open the season on Aug. 30 at home against New Mexico State and then play at Oklahoma, where Moore was an offensive lineman, on Sept. 6.

NewKaplancoach not worriedabout timing

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

For alittlemorethan two decades,John Thompson has envisioned himselfbecominga football head coach.

It may have taken alittle longerthanhethought it would,but Thompson’swait is over after beingnamed head coachatKaplan High.

“I’m extremely excited,” Thompson said. “For it to be my first head coaching job and it to be at aschool like Kaplan thathas sucha rich tradition andhistory, that is awesome.”

Thompson, who had spent the past eight years as an assistant at Vermilion Catholic, replaces Stephen Lotief,who wasrelievedof his duties earlier this month.

“I wassurprised thejob came open,”said Thompson, whowas the director of strength andconditioning forthe Eagles. “The opportunity was there. It was a no-brainer for me totake the job.”

It’snot an ideal time to be taking over afootballprogram with the season settostart in three weeks, butThompsonisn’t concerned about the timing.

“I’mconfident in what Ibring to the table,”saidThompson,who also served as theboysbasketball coach at Vermilion Catholic. “I’m notworried aboutthe timing. I like achallenge.Weunderstand thetime of year,and we know the situation we are in. Butitisupto us as coaches to figure it out and getthese guys readytocompete.” Thompson didn’tremove any-

Astros closer Haderdone throwing for three weeks

Houston Astros All-Star closer Josh Hader will be shut down from throwing forapproximately three weeks after the team announced Friday he hasbeen diagnosed with leftshoulder capsule strain. Hader was placed on the injured list on Monday for the first time in his nine-year major league career because of ashoulderstrain. Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Hader would seek asecond opinion before determining anext course of action.

General manager DanaBrown said Hader’snext three weeks will be filled with strengthening exercisesand rest before he is re-examined.A six-time All-Star,Hader, who is in his second year with the Astros, is 6-2witha2.05 ERA and is tied forthird with 28 saves in 48 appearances this season.

Brewersactivate rookie PMisiorowski from IL

Milwaukee Brewers rookie pitcher JacobMisiorowski hasbeenactivatedfromthe injuredlistafter missing about 21/2 weeks with aleft tibia contusion.

The All-Star right-hander started Friday for the NL Central-leading Brewers’seriesopeneratCincinnati as they attempted to earn a 13th straight victory.Herecorded only four outs while giving up five runs on four hitsand threewalks during 54 pitches.

Misiorowski last pitchedonJuly 28 in an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Misiorowski’sknee appeared to buckle in the first inning that night as he fielded adribbler and threw wildly to first base, though he remained in the game and ended up lasting four innings.

Jaguarsrookie Hunter sits, questionable vs. Saints Jacksonville Jaguars two-way star Travis Hunter was held out of the team’slight practice Friday “as aprecaution” because of an upper-body injury When asked whether Hunter wouldplayinthe team’s preseason gameatNew Orleans on Sunday, coach Liam Coen added “we don’t know yet.”

Hunter was on thefieldfor the hourlong session and carried a play-calling sheet while following the actionclosely.Hunterplayed on offense and defense, totaling 18 snaps, in Jacksonville’spreseason opener against Pittsburgh last Saturday.The Heisman Trophy winner also played both ways during a scrimmageThursday and crashed hard to the ground while defending adeep pass.

Muñoz of Colombia shoots 59 at LIVGolf

onefrom theexistingKaplan coaching staff, but he did bring former Eagles running backs and linebackers coachDillon Briggs with him as his offensive coordinator

“I didn’tget rid of anyone on the staff,” Thompson said. “Anyone who wanted to stay could stay, andanyone whowantedtoleave could leave.”

Thompson —who willhandle thedefensive playcalling, at least early on —said the Pirates will transition from the Wing-T to aspread offense.

“We’regoing to do alittle bit of this and alittle bit of that,” Thompson said. “We’ll have the Wing-T in our arsenal because that’swhat the kids know,but we are going to be shotgun (formation) with alot of motion. We’ll have some different sets,but we’re going to run, run, run until they stop it.”

Thompson admittedly is still learning players and assistant coaches’names,but he is grateful for theopportunity

“We’retaking thingsslow becausewehave to learn each other,” Thompson said. “We’re moving slow,but we’re moving at a good pace.” Thompson is ready for the Pirates to “surprise people” this season.

“Our goal is to compete,”he said. “We’re going to do what we can.Nobody is expecting anythingfrom us this year.But we’re going to surprise them.”

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

Sebastian Muñoz of Colombia recorded the third sub-60 score on the LIV GolfLeague, making birdie on 13 of his last 14 holes and becoming thefirst playertoshoot 59 with adouble bogey He responded from that early blunderbychipping in forbirdie on the sixth hole, the start of eight straight birdiesfor another record in thefour-year history of LIV Golf. He finishedwith five birdies in arow,hitting agap wedge to 3 feet on his final hole.

On aday of low scoringatThe Club at Chatham Hills,apar 71 that hosted the Mid-American Conference championship last year, Muñoz led by three shots over Dustin Johnson. Alarge group at 64 includedJoaquin Niemann, who was 7under through nine holes.

Heat gains flexibilityby trading HighsmithtoNets Miamitraded forward Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, amove that gets theHeat underthe taxlinefor this coming season and creates roster flexibility.The Heat arealso sending asecond-round pickin2032 to Brooklyn, which is sending aconditional second-round pick in next year’sdraft to Miami. With Highsmith being moved, Miami nowhas two open roster spots. Highsmith had knee surgery earlierthis month to repair ameniscus issueand theHeattimeline for his return was 8-10 weeks, one that suggested he could be ready for the start of the regular season. The 28-year-old Highsmith averaged 6.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 74 games last season for Miami. He

BRIDGEWATER

became a star in the late 2000s before embarking on a decorated college career at Louisville, followed by a nomadic journey through the NFL.

When Bridgewater, who played for the Saints from 2018-19, announced after the 2023 season that he was stepping away, he thought it would stick He quickly agreed to become the head coach at Northwestern, eager to start the next chapter of his life

Yet he also stayed in shape, even taking snaps during the spring game, headset on all the while. He also remained in contact with Lions coach Dan Campbell and realized that playing could not only let him feed a passion to play that is very much still there but also set another kind of example in the process.

“I always see it as motivation for the kids to know that you can do whatever you put your mind to,” Bridgewater said. “As long as you build those healthy relationships, continue to train, work hard year-round, opportunities are going to come.”

Enter Tampa Bay, which reached out looking for someone experienced to join a quarterback room that includes Baker Mayfield, who is coming off the best season of his career Bridgewater isn’t with the Buccaneers to be the starter like he was during stints in Minnesota, Carolina and Denver He is more of a resource now

“Most good quarterbacks have another guy in there that’s a veteran, that’s pretty savvy, that understands the game and knows the game,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. “And (Teddy) can help Baker out. Coaching helps (Baker) out, but there’s nothing like seeing it from a player’s standpoint, and (Teddy) can give that to Baker.”

There’s also a fair amount of life left in Bridgewater’s right arm. Wearing No. 16, he more than held his own while taking snaps during the joint practice with Pittsburgh And with Mayfield getting the night off Saturday, Bridgewater figures to get some extended run for the first time in a long time. However the rest of his 2025 goes, don’t expect Bridgewater to commit full time to becoming one of those quarterbacks who are just fine with bouncing around the NFL deep into their 30s. His preference in the near term would be to find a way to still have the best of both worlds: coaching high schoolers during the fall, then seeing what work might be there for him when the calendar nears late December He received feelers during the offseason after his stint with the Lions, and his answer was always some version of “I’m up for it, check back when Northwestern is done.”

“Yeah, I can make a ton of money playing football, and coaching high school ball, I get nothing,” he said. “But it’s not even about the money It’s about giving those kids a building block to go out into the real world and be productive.”

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

New Orleans — and they’ll stress thatthetushpushismuchmorecomplicated than it seems. To execute it correctly, there’s a level of precision that teams must master, and it takes time to hone the proper techniques. It’s why, they argue, the Eagles run the play better than anyone else, and why attempts to ban the play unfairly target the franchise. If the tush push does involve such details, and the Saints have yet to practice those details, then perhaps that reveals more about their plans than anything said in a news conference.

“Anybody can replicate it,” said Saints run-game coordinator T.J. Paganetti, who had been with Philadelphia since 2013 before joining New Orleans this offseason. “It takes practice. We have a saying that, ‘I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks one time I fear the man that’s practiced one kick 10,000 times.’

“That’s a good Bruce Lee quote, and it has relevance to that play If you’re going to hang your hat on that, then you’ve got to do it over, over and over again.” The tush push evolved over its time in Philadelphia. Although Philadelphia began running the play consistently in 2022, two years before Moore’s arrival, the origins of the look date back to a year earlier. In Week 5 of the 2021 season, tight end Jack Stoll ended up pushing Hurts from behind on

Kelly confident in retooled O-line

BY KOKI RILEY, RASHAD MILLIGAN and REED DARCEY Staff writers

The biggest question mark surrounding LSU heading into this preseason was the offensive line.

After boasting one of the best pass blocking groups in the sport the past two seasons, the Tigers came into this year needing to replace four three-year starters

Although the front has had an upand-down preseason, coach Brian

Kelly is confident in the line heading into the season opener against Clemson on Aug. 30.

“I’ve coached for a long time, a lot of guys in the NFL, a lot of first-round draft picks. I think I’ve got a pretty good eye for what an offensive line looks like,” Kelly said. “This group is going to be really good.”

All four starters who left were selected in the NFL draft. The first player picked was left tackle Will Campbell who was the No. 4 overall selection

Kelly admits the Tigers don’t have a lineman of Campbell’s caliber, but he believes the unit has done a good job of working together That cohesion, he said, starts with Virginia Tech transfer Braelin Moore at center

“Braelin Moore kind of sets up the rest of the group for success,”

Kelly said “His combination work is outstanding, his recognition of fronts (For) us to be an elite offensive line, if you have a center that can kind of set the stage for that, it allows everything else to kind of fall into place.”

LSU mostly has stuck with the same starting five on the offensive line this preseason, only occasionally rotating in redshirt sophomore Paul Mubenga and redshirt freshman Coen Echols with the first team.

Alongside Moore, the Tigers have turned to Northwestern transfer Josh Thompson at right guard, redshirt sophomore DJ Chester at left guard, redshirt sophomore Tyree Adams at left tack-

LSU

Continued from page 1C

game the best we can,” Kelly said. “Things that can distract you, we have to work on that.”

Evaluating backup QB

With Nussmeier watching practice, sophomore quarterback

Michael Van Buren took a lot of the first-team reps in one-on-one and seven-on-seven drills. Kelly said Van Buren took “virtually all of the reps.”

“We’re pleased with his progress, no doubt,” Kelly said. Van Buren has been inconsistent in his first preseason since transferring from Mississippi State, but he threw the ball well Friday

At one point, Van Buren threaded a touchdown to tight end Bauer Sharp through a tight window along the back line of the end zone, though

le and redshirt freshman Weston Davis at right tackle.

Kelly on Lindsey arrest

Kelly said Friday that the arrest of LSU running back JT Lindsey should serve as a reminder for his players to “keep your circle really close.”

Lindsey, a freshman from Alexandria, is suspended from team activities because he’s facing one charge of accessory after the fact to second-degree murder He is not accused of partaking in the alleged crime, only housing the two suspects. His lawyer Kris Perrett, has said that Lindsey was not aware the two individuals were wanted by law enforcement when he allowed them to stay in his oncampus apartment in July

“Well, this is all about who is in your circle, right?” Kelly said. “I’m not concerned about our university and the security and such. This is about who you give access to in your circle, right? I mean, your cir-

the defenders in the area said he was out of bounds.

“A lot of this is being in a new offensive structure,” Kelly said. “I would say Michael has grown so much since the spring in terms of recognition, footwork (and) progression reads. All the things that you need to be a high performer in this offense, he’s getting better at that every day.”

Defense nearly set?

Without Weeks, redshirt freshman Tylen Singleton played linebacker on the first-team defense along with redshirt senior West Weeks and redshirt junior Harold Perkins

The rest of the starting defense could be coming into focus two weeks out from the Clemson game.

On Friday, the rest of the unit consisted of sophomore defensive end Gabriel Reliford, sophomore defensive tackle Dominick McKinley South Florida transfer defensive tackle Bernard Gooden, Florida trans-

cle of influence has gotta be based upon people that you trust, people that know you and you know them. And that circle needs to really be evaluated by some players and some individuals.”

The two suspects Shemell Jacobs, 17, and Keldrick Jordan, 18 — were arrested at LSU’s Nicholson Gateway apartments on Aug. 4 in connection with the shooting death of 17-year-old Corey Brooks in Alexandria. According to the affidavit for Lindsey’s arrest, Jacobs and Jordan were seen entering and exiting the apartment with Lindsey Police also found that Jacobs had Lindsey’s ID when he was taken into custody

The warrant for Lindsey’s arrest said investigators believe the LSU freshman knew that Jacobs and Jordan were wanted for their alleged role in the shooting.

“They’re making revenue-share money,” Kelly said of his players. “They’re targets, too. People want

fer defensive end Jack Pyburn, Virginia Tech transfer cornerback Mansoor Delane, junior cornerback Ashton Stamps, NC State transfer safety Tamarcus Cooley and Houston transfer safety AJ Haulcy Sixth-year senior JacobianGuillory and sophomore Ahmad Breaux rotated in at defensive tackle with the starters.

CB returns Redshirt sophomore cornerback

Ja’Keem Jackson practiced fully Friday after he missed practice with an injury earlier this week Kelly said Jackson suffered a hamstring injury which he described as “probably a Grade 1” strain.

“We wanted to be certain that when we brought him back in, that we didn’t have any reoccurrences,” Kelly said.

Before Jackson had to sit for a few days, Kelly said LSU was rotating six cornerbacks. Stamps and Delane appear in line to start with sophomore PJ Woodland, five-

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts lines up for the goal-line

against the Washington Commanders on Jan. 26 in Philadelphia.

a quarterback sneak for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. Then, in Week 11 against the Saints, tight end Dallas Goedert motioned before the snap to line up behind Hurts in an I-formation and shove him for the first down. From there the play exploded. Since 2022, according to ESPN, the Eagles have had an 85.2% conversion rate on the tush push and have run it, by far, more than any other team. When not run by the Eagles or the Buffalo Bills (second in tush

push attempts), the league conversion average falls to 71%.

Stoll, now with the Saints, said there’s a “night and day difference” in terms of how the technique used for the play has changed. In a copycat league, not everyone has been able to grasp it.

“It’s not that simple,” Stoll said. “You can take the scheme, but unless you have all the details of certain plays, it doesn’t always work. It is cool to be part of something like that.”

to ingratiate themselves with people that are making substantial amounts of money, so you’ve got to be careful.”

Shifting Johnson

LSU sophomore Ju’Juan Johnson is officially a running back again, and Kelly expects him to have a role in the offense.

Johnson, a former Lafayette Christian two-way star, began practicing with the Tigers last season as a defensive back. LSU moved him to running back during the year, then decided in the offseason that he’d play quarterback. Now those plans are on the shelf.

Because Trey Holly transferred to Southern in July and Lindsey was suspended, the Tigers were down to three scholarship tailbacks before they moved Johnson back to that position.

“He is focusing his time at running back at this point,” Kelly said “I think he’s gonna be an important part of what we do.”

Cooley helps family

LSU redshirt sophomore safety Tamarcus Cooley has been on the receiving end of kudos after a recent kind act. Cooley, a transfer from NC State, was on his way home from practice recently when he pulled over on the side of the road after he saw a stranded family with a flat tire.

“I was able to make it on to the shoulder but it still wasn’t the safest spot,” the mother, who is unidentified in LSU’s social media post, explained. “Cars were speeding by us too close for comfort. I was struggling when Tamarcus stopped and asked if he could help.”

The mother said it was extremely hot outside at the time, and she had so much trouble getting the lug nuts off her wheel, she thought they were “welded in place.”

“He had so many reasons to keep driving past us,” the mother posted. “... Despite all of that, he changed the tire and refused to accept any money from me.”

star freshman DJ Pickett, Jackson and redshirt freshman MichaelTurner behind them.

Clemson prep underway

Last year, LSU did not start preparing its players for Southern Cal until the Saturday two weeks before the game. Thisyear,theprepstartedTuesday — four days earlier than last season.

“We’ll have no excuses about recognition of scheme,” Kelly said. Kelly said when the coaches begin going over fronts and potential plays of the Tigers’ upcoming opponent varies every year depending on the makeup of the team. He has started as late as the last week of camp with teams that have question marks all over the field.

“This one has been, I think, driven by the fact that we have some veteran players on both sides of the ball,” Kelly said. “That allowed us to transition into our opponent a little bit sooner.”

wouldn’t have many plays baked into the game plan for third and 1 or fourth and 1 because everybody understood that they’d run the tush push including the other team.

“It breaks teams’ wills, if you do it (correctly),” Paganetti said.

The biggest question is whether the Saints have the personnel to execute the tush push successfully The Eagles have one of the largest offensive lines in the league, a key to generating the strength needed in the trenches. Hurts’ exceptional leg strength is also notable, with the quarterback able to squat 600 pounds.

Stoll said that if the Saints do want to run the tush push eventually, the team has the advantage of having Paganetti on staff. Paganetti not only worked closely under Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, but Stoll said Paganetti can help teach the details so that everyone can be in unison.

Paganetti and Stoll agreed that if the Saints were to commit to the tush push, investment in the play is critical. Stoll said that when he was in Philadelphia, the Eagles

The Saints have size in the trenches: Their starting offensive line combines to weigh 1,583 pounds only 63 pounds lighter than the Eagles’ projected offensive line. But the Saints have yet to name a starting quarterback, and it’s unclear which of Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough would be better suited for the play Saints players at least seem curious about the play Stoll said he’s heard teammates express interest, especially given Moore’s history and his track record of helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl.

At a recent practice, the Saints had a play in which the runner was ruled down just short of the goal line. Kicker Blake Grupe just happened to be mic’d up for a video that would later be posted on social media.

“Tush push!” Grupe chanted. “Tush push! Tush push!”

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

Head coach: RoderickMoy (50-35)

NorthVermilion

What we know

ThePatriots willbecounting heavily on theexperience of the offensive anddefensive linestofind theirway early in theseasonwhile theoffense attemptstoanswersome questions.

“They’re really going to have to lead the way for us to wherethose skill guys can really be themselves,” Patriots coach Roderick Moy said. “The game for us is going to be won and lost in the trenches. That’swhereour biggest strongestand best guys are, so we feel confident there.”

The Patriots have size on the offensive line, and they’regoing to need it to pave the wayfor anew backfield after losing PrestonBagwell, who rushed for 1,100 yards last season.

Assistant coaches: CameronTouchet, MarcBroussard, JP Boullion,Richard Prejean, Seth Patin, Landon Dupuy Moy

Elsewhere, North Vermilion’skicking game is in thecapable hands of senior Logan Blanchard.

“We’re veryexcited about him on special teams,” Moysaid.“Ithink he’sgot achance to be acollege football player in thekicking game.”

What we don’tknow

Thebiggest questionstarts in the offensive backfield, especially with sophomore quarterback Eli Dubois.

“We’re confident in theworkhe’sput in and the

direction he’s going,”Moy said. “We’re just going to have to be very good around him until he gets his feet wet on Friday nights.

“He’sgoing to be arunning quarterback, and he does averygood job, even at his young age, of commanding the huddle and controlling theoffense.”

Dubois will be joined in the backfield by new ball carriers AveryStutesand Austin Francis, so the defense will have to play wellearly

“That’s whereour bread is going to be buttered,” Moy said of the defense. “We’re notgoing to be a 50-point-a-game offense. We’re going to stop people and be able to control the ball.”

Howwesee it

The Patriots hope tounveilanew turf field early in the season. With anew offensive backfield as well, the defense is going to have to be extra stingy until theoffense is ready to be moreexplosive.

This is goingtobeanold-school football approach using ball control to help the defense and the defense shiningbrightlyenoughtolower thepoints bar for theoffense.

The tricky part of that in thisbrutal 4A district is the Patriots’ best chance forwinsisinthe predistrict schedule, so theanswers must come soon.

KevinFoote

SCOREBOARD

San Diego at L.A. Dodgers, n TampaBay at San Francisco,n Saturday’s Games Pittsburgh (Burrows

at ChicagoCubs (Imanaga 8-5),1:20 p.m. Philadelphia (Walker4-5) at

(Cavalli 0-0),3:05 p.m. Miami (Quantrill4-9) at Boston (Bello 8-6), 3:10 p.m. Seattle(Woo10-6)atN.Y.Mets (McLean 0-0), 3:10 p.m. Milwaukee (Priester 11-2)atCincinnati (Littell 9-8),5:40 p.m. Atlanta (Wentz 3-3) at Cleveland(Cecconi 5-5), 6:10 p.m. N.Y. Yankees (Fried 12-5)atSt. Louis (Gray 11-5), 6:15 p.m. Arizona (Nelson6-3) at Colorado (Dollander 2-9), 7:10 p.m. TampaBay (Houser 6-4) at San Francisco (Verlander 1-9), 8:05 p.m. San Diego (Cease 5-10)atL.A. Dodgers (Snell 2-1),8:10 p.m.

JaxSmith

LB,5-9,170, Sr

Movedtothe inside linebacker spot to make the calls in the centerofthe defense.The twoyear starterappears readyfor his turnto lead the unit as the leading tackler.

AveryStutes

RB,5-10, 165, Jr

Bringing the toughness and winning mindset as the starting catcher in baseball, Stutes will be carrying aheavy rushing workload. His toughinside running will be keytosupporta first-year starteratquarterback.

LoganBlanchard

PK/P/CB,5-9, 155, Sr

Last year,Blanchard wasthe program’s only all-district performer as a kicker.This year, Blanchard is also serving as the starting cornerback. His aggressivenessand attention to detail should help him wear many hats.

Brooks Broussard

DL, 6-1, 225, Sr Amainstayonthe defensiveline forthe Patriots, Moylooks at Broussard as a “hiddengem” who is good enough to playcollege football at somelevel. He’s the one whowill oftenbedouble-teamed.

ChaseHenslee

DL, 5-10, 250, Jr Moylooks at Henslee as the “sleeper”onthe Patriots defense.The tackle is the one whowill most likely takeadvantage of the attention on Broussard to be an effective run stopper.

+7

Round of 16 LorenzoSonego and LorenzoMusetti,Italy, def. Jiri Leheckaand Jakub Mensik,Czechia, walkover Men’sDoubles Quarterfinals Rajeev

and Nikola Mektic, Croatia, def. Evan

and Christian Harrison (7), United States, 6-4, 6-4. Lloyd Glasspool and

Cash (2), Britain def. Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori (6), Italy, 7-6(7),7-6 (4). LorenzoSonego and LorenzoMusetti,Italy, def. LucasMiedler, Austria, andFrancisco Cabral,Portugal,6-4,3-6,10-6. Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury (5), Britain def. Mate Pavic, Croatia, and

A tale of crime

Documentary delves into Jack Strain, Peter Galvan cases

BY JUDY BERGERON Staff writer

When the documentary “Dead People, Crazy People, Drugs and Politicians” premiered recently in Baton Rouge, the production company preceded the main feature with another of its projects, a 26-minute zombie short Director Brett Roblez opened the question and answer session that followed by telling the audience, “If you ask me, the documentary was the real horror film that played.” Shockingly, the Dinosaur Rumblings Entertainment documentary becomes more horrific as its 97 minutes go by Corruption in St. Tammany Parish is well-documented and widespread, so “Dead People “focuses on just two cases, those of former Sheriff Jack Strain and former Coroner Dr Peter Galvan.

Presented by Bespoke Marketing, the documentary is based on the eponymously named 2024 book by Terry King and Chris Warner The idea for the production was born from a chance meeting between Roblez and King, who related to the filmmaker the subject of his book in disturbing detail.

“For lack of a better term, it sounded like the most insane thing I’ve ever heard, to the point of unbelievable,” Roblez said. A Google search verified what King had told him.

“And I was like, this is a story people need to hear because I grew up on the northshore, I graduated from Mandeville (High). I was a mile away from all of this, and I somehow didn’t hear about it,” he said, “So I called Terry and asked him if he ever considered making a movie, and he said, ‘I’ve always wanted to, but I didn’t know any movie people.’” Roblez jumped on the opportunity.

“And next thing I know, I’m interviewing district attorneys and coroners and calling wardens of correctional facilities. And it’s all been an unbelievable experience,” he said.

King is also interviewed early on in the film.

“I am a financial consultant who has a hobby of developing alternative housing strategies for corrupt public officials,” King says, only slightly joking. King is a member of Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany Parish, which has assisted with 29 cases involving everything from bribery to human trafficking.

Strain victim speaks

Five-term Sheriff Strain, who held the office from 1996 to 2016, was once one of the parish’s most powerful politicians. Strain is now himself behind bars, serving four life sentences without possibility of parole. He was convicted in 2021 on four counts of aggravated rape

ä See CRIME, page 6C

On the big screen

Southern students win Emmy for Human Jukebox documentary

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Southern University’s Human Jukebox is known for its members’ legacy and athleticism. Now the marching band’s talent is available to the eyes of American media, thanks to five Southern college students who created a 13-minute documentary, “The Hidden Sport.”

This year, the documentary won an Emmy and the students are now preparing to share the short film with the world via an August YouTube premiere. While there isn’t a set date for the premiere, people can subscribe to “The Hidden Sport” YouTube channel to stay updated.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded the students who call themselves the “Dream Team” — the CocaCola HBCU Sports Production grant worth $40,000, at the 46th annual Sports Emmy Awards in New York in May. The grant recognizes students enrolled in a historically Black college or university journalism or media production program with a focus on sports broadcasting.

Directed by senior Loren Sullivan, of Chino Hills, California, “The Hidden Sport” illuminates the impact that the Human Jukebox has on the university’s football season while representing the importance of marching bands in

HBCU culture. The short film also highlights the athleticism and hard work of the band’s practices and performances

An original idea

Mass communication students

Sydney Cuillier, of Houston; Ashley Lovelace, of Moorestown, New Jersey; and Eric White, of Donaldsonville — all former members of the Office of Student Media started brainstorming in November 2024 about possible ideas to enter the Coca-Cola HBCU Sports

Production grant competition. The prompt was about the past, present and future of athletics at HBCUs.

They asked Sullivan, a four-year member of Human Jukebox Media (the media team for the marching band) and a videographer, to be the director of the film. She accepted the task.

“Loren is an insanely talented, creative mind,” said Lovelace.

“She’s phenomenal behind the camera, and her eye is amazing.”

ä See JUKEBOX, page 6C

Tap 65 in Baton Rouge changing ownership

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

Operateonyourown pizza

Dear Miss Manners: Iwork with awoman with whom Ihave afriendly,professional relationship. We are often in shared-food settings together,such as office lunches or happy hours with appetizers. She adheres to ano-carb diet, but is quite gracious about encouraging others to order or bring whatever they’d like, saying that she’ll“make it work.”

My qualm is that when she needs to modify afood, such as only eating the cheese from apizza, she will execute the modification on the shareddish, rather than taking aslice of pizza and carving it up on her own plate. The crust carcass remains on the serving plate.

Is this strange? Is there apolite way to encourage her to perform pizza surgery on her own plate?

Gentle reader: “Here,Taylor,why don’tyou take your piece first.”

Dear Miss Manners: Iown a small retail gift shop. Ioffer my clientele traditional gift certificates, printed on card stock, that have the recipient’sname, the sender’s name and the gift

amount, all handwrittenby myself Forthe past several years, agentleman from the West Coast has called andpurchased agift certificate for his sister who lives here locally It’saconsiderable amounteach year She came in once andrequested a handblown glass item that was outof stock. Ihavesince had them restocked, but shehasn’t returned. Ikeep detailed notes of each gift certificatesold and redeemed.Thispast year,when thebrother called,Ididn’tmention to himthathis sister hasn’t beenredeeming thecertificates. Ithought it gauche. But Idid send apolitenote with her next gift, telling herthat the item shewas looking for is now backin stock. Iincluded our store hours, andwrote that we look forward to seeing her again

It’sbeen six monthsand shehas not shown up, and she has several giftcertificates now. They never expire and will always be honored; that’snot the problem. Ihonestly feel in aquandary about receiving money for products that are not being purchased.

The brother presumably doesn’tknow she isn’t redeeming his gift certificates, but Idon’tknow if saying somethingtohim is thepolite thing to do.

Should Isay something thenext time he calls, or stay quiet?

Gentlereader: “I hope that your sister is well. Ihaven’tseen her in the shop in awhile, and Iwas concerned. Iwould love her to enjoy the things that you are kind enough to facilitate her buying.”

This is agentle way to alert him to thecertificate situation, while legitimately veiling it under the morepolite guise that your concern is really about her health.

Miss Manners will add that it also saves both of you theembarrassment if it gets back to her —of rattingher out if her taste in shops has changed.

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email dearmissmanners@gmail com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick,1130 Walnut St Kansas City MO 64106.

Trythese toolsinthe kitchen

Dear Heloise: Due to my wife’shealth, after 68 years, Iamnow the cook.

Ifind that the most helpful tools for me are pliers, scissors and screwdrivers!I use the screwdriver to open cans with lift tabs. Istick the screwdriver through the tab and push down on the handle. Pliers can be used to pull open the inner tabs under products with lids. Scissors are good to cut open plastic

food bagsand cut upleafy items for salads. This sure has made my cookingeasy —BillAult,in SanAntonio

JUKEBOX

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When thecrew of students got together to conceptualizeideas andsubjects, they had alot of contenders. They thought about football coaching legendPete Richardson, baseballstar Rickie Weeks Jr.orHall of Fame player and former coach Sean Wallace. They also thought abouthighlighting sportslike volleyball or golf thatare not usually associatedwith historically Black colleges.

Sullivan offered the unconventional idea of profiling the world-famous marching band as acentrifugalforce that makesathletics flourish. Then, theyhad the idea to feature theathleticismof theband.

jor from Monroe, joined the project. As amember of HumanJukeboxMedia, Muhammad wastech savvy andhad experience behind the camera.

“‘The Hidden Sport’ was really labor of love,” Lovelace said. “This project took us five months.For Loren, it was afour-year journey,because she hadbeenonHuman Jukebox Mediafor her entire four years. When we pressed thesendbuttontoturnthis project in, there were alot of tears. It hasgrowntobecome something far beyond what we ever thought it would or could ever be.”

Sullivan said that the culmination of finishing the documentary was afull-circle experience for her and afinale for her years of recording the marching band.

Smartplanting

Dear Heloise: When Iplant anew perennial garden, Isave the plant tags and tape them to alarge pieceofpapertomake a chart in thesame layout as thegarden.Iwill takea photoofthe garden sometime during thesummer

RELIGION BRIEFS FROM STAFFREPORTS

Interfaith group holds prayer service

The Interfaith Federation of Greater BatonRouge invites congregations, organizational leaders, partners and friends to aprayer serviceofremembrance, thanksgiving and hope at noon Thursday,Aug. 28, at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, 185 Eddie Robinson Drive,Baton Rouge. This gathering honors the compassion and generosity shown by the Baton Rouge

community in 2005, when countless individualsand organizations extended hospitality,housing and meals to thousands in needduring Hurricane Katrina.

Freeman Baptist Church anniversary

Freeman Baptist Church, 4628 La. 955 West, Ethel, will host its churchanniversary service at 2p.m. Sunday.Special guestswill be the Rev.Melvin White and thePilgrim Missionary

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Saturday,Aug. 16, the 228th day of 2025

There are 137 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Aug. 16, 1977, Elvis Presley died at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 42; 41 years later,in2018, singer Aretha Franklin, known as the “Queen of Soul,” died in Detroit at the age of 76.

Also on this date: In 1777, American forces won the Battle of Bennington in what was considered aturning point of the Revolutionary War. In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln issued Proclamation 86, which prohibited the statesofthe Union from engaging in commercial trade with states that were in rebellion —i.e., the Confederacy In 1896, gold was discovered in Canada’sYukon Territory,sparking the “Klondike Fever” that would drawtensof thousandstothe region in search of fortune. In 1948, baseball legend BabeRuthdied in New York at age53. In 1954, the first issueof “Sports Illustrated”was released In 1978, James Earl Ray, convicted assassin of Dr Martin Luther KingJr., told aCapitol Hill hearinghedid not commit the crime, sayinghe’d been set up by amysterious man called “Raoul.” In 2014, Missouri Gov Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and imposed acurfew in the St.Louis suburb of Ferguson, where police and protesters repeatedly clashed in theweek since a Black 18-year-old,Michael Brown, was shot to death by aWhite police officer In 2020, lightning sparked the August Complex wildfire in California. More than 1,600 square

Continued from page5C

but thebestfor thenew guys.

when everything is in full bloom and print acopy to go withthe chart. The next spring, when plantsstartcoming up, I can easily tell which ones didn’tmake it through the winter and replace them with another plant that has thesame height and color characteristics, or with something that Ithink would look better —Sue J., via email Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Baptist Churchfamily of Natchez, Mississippi.

All arewelcome to join in this joyful celebration.

Youth Sunday at Greater Mt. Canaan

Greater Mt.Canaan Baptist Church invites all to its Youth Sundayprogram at 8:30 a.m. Sept.14at 5820 Evangeline St., Baton Rouge.

The guest speaker will be Louisiana Supreme Court Justice John M. Guidry

miles —greater than the size of Rhode Island would burn over the following three months.

Today’sbirthdays: Actor Julie Newmar is 92. Film director Bruce Beresford is 85. Actor Bob Balaban is 80. Ballerina Suzanne Farrell is 80. Actor Lesley AnnWarren is 79. Actor Reginald VelJohnson is 73. Singer/author/TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford is 72. Singer J.T.Taylor (Kool and the Gang) is 72. Movie director James Cameron is 71. Singer/actor Madonna is 67. Actor Angela Bassettis67. Actor Timothy Hutton is 65. Actor Steve Carell is 63. Country musician Emily Strayer (The Chicks) is 53. Actor/filmmaker Taika Waititi is 50. Singer Vanessa Carlton is 45. Country singer Dan Smyers (Dan &Shay) is 38. Actor Rumer Willis is 37. U.S. Olympic gold medal swimmer Caeleb Dressel is 29. Tennis player Jannik Sinner is 24.

Ourjourney is just taking a detour and anew direction.”

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

“We’refocusing on all the hard work thattheydo,” Lovelace said, “because they practice for eight hours aday —sun up to sundown. As students, we wake up to hearing the HumanJukebox, andwegotobed hearing the Human Jukebox.”

White came up with the name, “The HiddenSport,” because,asaformermarching band member,healways felt bands should deserve to be considered asport because of the labor and planning involvedina performance season.

‘A laboroflove’

The students combed through 11 five-terabyte harddrives— over four yearsofSouthern University Human Jukebox marching band footage. Sullivan also shot newfootage of the football team and filmed interviews that Cuillier,Lovelace andWhite conducted.

To help with production, Verbon Muhammad,asenior computer science ma-

CRIME

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involving young boys, two counts of aggravated incest, onecount of molestation of ajuvenileand onecount of sexual battery

In addition, just three weeksafter his criminal convictions, Strain pled guilty in federal court to takingbribes connected to a corrupt prison work-release program.Hereceived a10year sentence (torun concurrent to his other sentences) and a$10,000 fine.

Mark Finn, oneofStrain’s abuse victims, agreed to be interviewed for the film. His accounts were so disturbing that aportionofthem weren’tincluded.

“Whenyou have someone like that who’sa victim, you don’twanttotriggerthem for any reason,” Roblez said. “So, Ibasically just sat down and asked him, ‘Who is Jack Strain to you, and what would youliketotell us about your experience?’”

Finn toldhis side of the story

“I’m just gonna say the sexual stuff withmestarted when Iwas 6yearsold,” Finnbegan. “I know three to five times aweek.Strain was 10 years older than me.”

The abuse continuedafterFinnbecameanadult andwas frequently in jail on variousoffenses, mostly involving drugs.

“I have one of the worst cases of PTSD they’ve ever seen,”Finn continues. “It ain’teasy. I’m trying to get to apoint where Iamable to talk about this. …I’m tired

“Itwas nice to be able to accumulate all the footagethatI’vedoneand give back to organizationthat’s given so muchtome,” Sullivansaid. “I wouldn’t be in the place thatIamnow if I wasn’tinJukebox Media, so it was really nice to be able to makesomething for them, in asense.”

While the students were working on the film, two lossesaddedtothe gravityoftheir efforts. Football coach Sean Wallace died in February,and Caleb Wilson, amember of the Human Jukebox, died in March. White said that processing their deaths was the most challenging part of the experience.

“That was very hard, because it was late in our filmingprocess,” White said. “Nobody was in the mood at that time, which pushed us back almost aweek.”

The group dedicated their wintoWallace and Wilson at the Sports Emmys.

Acalltosupport thearts

All five students, along with their mentor Garrett

of this, man.” Amid all this darkness, Finn did express abit of hope to Roblez. “One thingthathedid tell me, which mademehappy in away,ishetoldmethat being apart of this and getting the message out there really helpedhim in his recovery,”the director said. “Thattalking about it, knowing his story is going to be outthere,ina way,gives him some sort of processof healing. And if we can contribute to that in any way, I think that’sawin.”

Roblez’sefforts to interview Strain, aided by state Sen.Franklin Foil,wereunsuccessful.

Thecoroner andcookiejar

It didn’ttake author King’s wife, Dr.Laura King, long to start noticingimproprieties after she began working in the coroner’soffice.

Galvan, parish coroner from2000 to 2013, swayed voters to pass an exorbitant tax for his office. He had a lavish newofficecompound built that included apress room larger than that at the White House, and ahuge office forhimself featuring an executive washroom and wetbar

“Galvanwas really trying to build amonument to himself, anditwas like the Taj Mahal,” said Warner Hugging and kissing his female employees was a commonpractice which Laura King found uncomfortable. Galvan also receivedyearly payments for unusedannual and sick leave to which he wasnot entitled. Crawfish boils and parties during office hours

Edgerson, whoisthe media director of HumanJukebox Media,attendedthe Sports Emmy Awards in New York. The university and alumni paid for the group to travel and stay in New York. Lovelace and White said the experience was adream come true andsolidified their career ambitions in broadcasting andsports media. This award was the first of such caliber thatthe school haswon in its145year history When acceptingthe grant award, Sullivan announced that thefilmteamwould give $10,000 of the $40,000 back to the Human Jukebox and Southern’smass communication department. The Coca-Cola Company was so moved by the students’ generosity that theyadded another $5,000 to Southern University

The entire “Hidden Sport” project was self-funded, student-produced and made possible by Edgerson’sproduction equipment and support with filming.

“Wetook the opportunity to turn ‘The HiddenSport’ from adedicationtothese entities that we love so much to acall to action to invest back into the arts,” Lovelace said. Since May,the students have participated in multiple screenings, from Baton Rougetothe EssenceFestivalinNew Orleans to Los Angeles. Four of the five filmmakers are pursuing graduate degrees this fall, andSullivanisgraduating in December

The “Dream Team” has aspirations to work together in the future and continue to shine alight on their alma mater,Southern University Subscribe to “The Hidden Sport” YouTube channel for the upcoming premiere.

Email Joy Holdenatjoy holden@theadvocate.com.

were seen as inappropriate, considering grieving familiesfrequentedthe compound to learn the specifics of aloved one’sdeath. Meanwhile, Galvan enjoyed expensive meals and the purchase of items for his personal use totaling thousands, allonthe office credit card, records obtained by Terry King would prove. With allthis and moreexposed,Galvaneventually pledguilty to conspiring to steal public funds from the coroner’soffice. In 2014, he was sentenced to 24 months in federal custody followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of at least $193,388. At the timeoffilming, Galvan was reportedly residing above aplane hangar and unreachable forcomment. Happeningnow King andConcerned Citizens of St.TammanyParish continue thefight against unscrupulous elected officials.Hehas anew book, “No Limit, Big Game Hunting in St. TammanyParish,” due out this fall. “Corruptionisa tax that we allpay,” authorKing says. Roblez, meanwhile, moves closer to bringinghis documentary to TV.Heand the rest of theteam have an inperson meeting scheduled with Netflix representatives in October For more, visit terrymking. com and dinosaurrumblings entertainment.com.

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) It's up to you to manage situations to maintain your status. Your skills will be better employed if you are the one calling the shots.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept 22) Patience will keep you from making an emotional blunder. Keep your thoughts to yourself. Pay attention to your finances and how money flows in and out of your hands.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Set the stage for change and do whatever it takes to improve your health and well-being. Don't set yourself up for failure unnecessarily. What you do will matter more than what you say.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Take care of business and move on to something you look forward to doing. Time is precious, and spending it with someone you enjoy will affect how your day unfolds.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Put pressure on yourself to take care of unfinished business. Live life your way and learn from experience, and you'll find your niche. Change begins with you.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Be aware of what's happening around you. Not everyone will be on your team or look out for your interests. Verify information before sharing it. Protect your reputation at all costs.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Look, see and do what you can to make things happen. Consider what excites you most and head in that direction. Engage in talks and associate with people who are heading in a similar direction.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Spend less time trying to force change and more time establishing what means the most to you. Concentrate on personal appearance, health, diet and positioning yourself for what you want to achieve.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Focus on what's important to you. Balance is the key, along with money management and eliminating unnecessary worry. Learn to trust your instincts and follow your heart.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Maintain stability. Avoid persuasive tactics that may lead you to take a leap of faith, potentially resulting in a loss. Pay more attention to how you look and where you live.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Choose kindness when dealing with the ones you love. A positive attitude has the most effective influence on others. Get approval from those you live with, near or rent from before you make domestic changes.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Anger will lead to regret. Gather the facts before pointing a finger at someone. Question your motives and what you expect in return for what you do. Choose homeand self-improvement over trying to change others.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject 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. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

By PHILLIP ALDER

Someadvertisementsmakeinteresting claims. For example, have you seen the one for a golf range-finder that promises you will play better if you use it? Why will knowing the exact distance to the pin improve your swing? Yes, it is nice to feel confident that you are using the right club, but you must still execute the shot correctly. At the bridge table, you can count winners and losers, but you must still execute the trick sequence correctly.

In today’s deal, how should South try to make six hearts after West leads the club queen?

North responded with a game-invitational limit raise. South bid what he hoped he could make.

Declarer has a spade loser and an uncertain trump suit. Obviously, after winning trick one with his club ace, the honor from the shorter side first, South should cash his heart ace to find out that situation. If the king drops, everything is easy-peasy. If an opponent discards, the contract is hopeless. Here, though, both opponents follow, but the king does not put in an appearance. How can declarer avoid losing a spade trick as well?

Thereisonlyonechance thedefender with the heart king is short in spades. South should cash his two top diamonds, cash his spade ace, lead to dummy’s spade king, take the club king, and ruff the third club. With the partial elimination complete, declarer leads a trump. Here, West must return a minor-suit card. Declarer ruffs on the board and sluffs his remaining spade. If you are good, you will get lucky — in bridge and golf.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”