The Acadiana Advocate 08-21-2025

ALL RETIRED UP

ABOVE: Lafayette MayorPresident Monique Boulet hugs former Lafayette Fire Chief Robert Benoit during his retirement party at Lafayette Central Fire Station in Lafayette on Wednesday. Benoit worked for the Fire Department 46 years. He was the fire chief for 32 years. RIGHT: Robert Benoit is greeted by family, friends and colleagues during his retirement party on Wednesday

BOTTOM RIGHT: Fire Department personnel and other guests listen to a speaker during the retirement party for Robert Benoit

BY PATRICK WALL | Staff writer

Council OKs negotiations for Lafayette library land

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR | Staff writer

The latest plan to build the long-sought and delayed Northeast Regional Library in Lafayette, this time on land that was part of the historic Holy Rosary Institute, received the go-ahead Tuesday from the Lafayette Parish Council. The council authorized Mayor-President Monique Boulet to negotiate and enter into a lease agreement with the property owners of the former high school for Black students.

Details of the potential agreement between Lafayette Parish officials and Holy Rosary Land Holdings, while not yet in writing, suggest the parish could lease the land for $1 per year for 99 years on which to build the Northeast Regional Library The council voted 4-1 Tuesday to support building the library on the property along Louisiana Avenue next to Holy Family Apartments and near Carmel Avenue, across from the

nicipal golf course.

BY JOSIE ABUGOV | Staff writer

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Trump calls on Federal Reserve official to resign

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to resign after a member of his administration accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud.

Ten Commandments law partially blocked

BY MILLA SURJADI

The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

DALLAS A federal judge ruled Wednesday to temporarily block a new Texas law requiring school districts to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

the line from exposure to coercion.” Classroom displays of the Ten Commandments “are likely to send an exclusionary and spiritually burdensome message” to the plaintiff families’ children that they are “the other,” he wrote.

The law is set to take effect Sept. 1

Texas pledges.

Bill Pulte, director of the agency that oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, urged the Justice Department to investigate Cook, who was appointed to the Fed’s governing board by former president Joe Biden in 2022. She was reappointed the following year to a term that lasts until 2038.

Pulte, in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleged that Cook claimed two homes as her principal residences in 2021 to fraudulently obtain better mortgage lending terms. On June 18 of that year she purchased a home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and then two weeks later bought a condo in Atlanta, Georgia, the letter said. Before joining the Fed, Cook taught at Michigan State University

Pulte also charged that Cook has listed her condo in Atlanta, Georgia, for rent. Mortgages for homes used as principal residences typically carry lower interest rates than properties that are purchased to rent, the letter said.

Pulte suggested that Cook’s alleged actions could constitute a fireable offense. Fed officials are protected by law from being removed by a president, except “for cause,” which is generally seen as some kind of malfeasance or dereliction of duty Pirro relaxes D.C. stance on rifles, shotguns

WASHINGTON Federal prosecutors in the nation’s capital will no longer bring felony charges against people for possessing rifles or shotguns in the District of Columbia, according to a new policy adopted by the leader of the nation’s largest U.S. attorney’s office.

That office will continue to pursue charges when someone is accused of using a shotgun or rifle in a violent crime or has a criminal record that makes it illegal to have a firearm Local authorities in Washington can prosecute people for illegally possessing unregistered rifles and shotguns.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement that the change is based on guidance from the Justice Department and the Office of Solicitor General and conforms with two Supreme Court decisions on gun rights.

The new policy also coves large-capacity magazines, but it does not apply to handguns.

Zoo’s tortoise hatchlings come out of their shells

PHILADELPHIA Sixteen criti-

cally endangered western Santa Cruz tortoises born to some very old parents got a slow walk and the red carpet treatment Wednesday at a Philadelphia Zoo event to show off the highly prized hatchlings. Animal care specialists who have watched over the 16 since they were eggs held the animals on a pathway by the zoo’s tortoise habitat. The hatchlings are said to be eating well and growing. The pampered turtles were born in a series of hatches this year to Mommy and Abrazzo, a couple that is estimated to both be about 100 years old. Mommy arrived at the zoo in 1932, but had not produced offspring until Abrazzo was brought in nearly five years ago from Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina. The 16 are her

The judge agreed with a group of multifaith and nonreligious families that the law will interfere with their children’s religious education and send a harmful message.

In a statement, Attorney General Ken Paxton said he will “absolutely be appealing this flawed decision.”

“The Ten Commandments are a cornerstone of our moral and legal heritage, and their presence in classrooms serves as a reminder of the values that guide responsible citizenship,” he said. “Texas will always defend our right to uphold the foundational principles that have built this nation.”

U.S District Judge Fred Biery, in his ruling, found the law “officially favors Christian dominations over others” and “crosses

“The displays are likely to pressure the child-Plaintiffs into religious observance, meditation on, veneration, and adoption of the State’s favored religious scripture, and into suppressing expression of their own religious or nonreligious backgrounds and beliefs while at school,” Biery wrote.

The 11 school districts named in the suit, including Plano ISD, Austin ISD and Houston ISD, are temporarily prohibited from displaying the Ten Commandments, according to the ruling. Dallas ISD is not named in this lawsuit.

“As a rabbi and public school parent, I welcome this ruling,” said Mara Nathan, a plaintiff in the lawsuit. “Children’s religious beliefs should be instilled by parents and faith communities, not politicians and public schools.”

The 16 families that are part of the federal lawsuit are Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist, Hindu or nonreligious. They argued the bill “forcibly” subjects students to state-sponsored scriptural principles such as “I AM the LORD thy God” and “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

The families say the law is a violation of the First Amendment’s establishment and free exercise clauses, which protect the separation of church and state and religious freedom, respectively, according to court rulings.

Republican state lawmakers have said young people need God and suggested only good could come from exposure to a document that encourages students to respect their parents and not kill, steal or cheat.

They have also said Christianity is an important part of the nation’s founding and history, noting that references to God are on U.S. currency as well as in the national and

Erin picking up steam as it edges along East Coast

BY ALLEN G BREED and JOHN SEEWER

Associated Press

RODANTHE, N.C. Hurricane Erin began strengthening again Wednesday while creeping closer to the mid-Atlantic coast and churning up menacing waves that have closed beaches from the Carolinas to New York City

Forecasters expect the storm to peak going into Thursday and say it could reintensify into a major hurricane.

While Erin is unlikely to make landfall along the East Coast before turning farther out to sea, its outer edge packing tropical-force winds was approaching North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Water began pouring onto the main route connecting the barrier islands and around a handful stilted homes precariously perched above the beach. Authorities expect the largest swells during high tide will cut off villages and vacation homes on the Outer Banks and whip up life-threatening rip currents from Florida to New England

New York City closed its beaches to swimming on Wednesday and Thursday Some beaches in New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware also will be temporarily off-limits.

Surfers flocked to the oceanfront in Virginia Beach, where Erin was supplying robust waves for the East Coast Surfing Championships and the kind of swells

that many locals hadn’t seen in awhile.

“We’re notorious for not having waves,” said Henry Thompson, who competed in the open long board event. “Usually we get a surf competition and it gets canceled due to no waves or they just run it in really bad waves.”

The championships will pause Thursday when Erin blows directly off the Virginia coast But Thompson said he’s expecting more hurricanes and good surfing in the coming months.

“Surfers, we’re dreaming of hurricanes all year,” he said.

Despite beach closures elsewhere, some swimmers were continuing to ignore the warnings. Rescuers saved more than a dozen people caught in rip currents Tuesday at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina — a day after more than 80 people were rescued.

A combination of fierce winds and huge waves could cause coastal flooding in many beachfront communities, North Carolina officials warned on Wednesday Dozens of beach homes already worn down from chronic beach erosion and protective dunes could be at risk, said David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Erin has become an unusually large and deceptively worrisome storm, with its tropical storm winds spreading across 500 miles — roughly the distances from New York City to Pittsburgh.

Trump to expand push against ‘woke’ museum exhibits beyond Smithsonian

BY DAVE GOLDINER

New york Daily News (TNS)

President Donald Trump reportedly plans to expand his push to whitewash “woke” museum exhibits on slavery and American history beyond the Smithsonian.

After Trump tweeted that the Smithsonian is too focused on “how bad slavery was,” the White House said it would eventually seek to use its power over funding to force other museums to toe the line on Trump’s views about history

Trump will hold the Smithsonian “accountable” and “then go from there,” an unnamed official told NBC News.

Trump this week renewed the attack on the Smithsonian that he unleashed this month when he ordered a sweeping review of its exhibits, policies and staffing.

He suggested the revered cultural institution, which is an independent organization but receives significant funding from the federal government, is too fo-

cused on the evils of slavery

“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our country is, how bad slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “Nothing about success, nothing about brightness, nothing about the future.”

The White House ordered up a wideranging review of the Smithsonian museums and exhibitions ahead of the country’s 250th birthday

In a letter sent Tuesday to Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch III, the White House laid out in detail the steps it expects the organization to take as part of the announced review The examination will look at all public-facing content, such as social media, exhibition text and educational materials, to “assess tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals,” according to the letter

The families who filed the lawsuit are represented by the civil liberties organizations Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the national ACLU, the ACLU of Texas and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

A Dallas activist group and faith leaders filed a similar lawsuit in June seeking to block Dallas ISD and Lancaster ISD from displaying the Ten Commandments. If left in place, Texas public schools must conspicuously display a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments that is at least 16 inches by 20 inches. The law specifies the exact wording that must be used and requires the text size and typeface be readable for a person with average vision from anywhere in the classroom.

A federal court in Louisiana last year blocked that state’s Ten Commandments law for violating the establishment and free exercise clauses, a ruling that was affirmed on appeal last month.

Gabbard slashing intelligence workforce

BY AAMER MADHANI, ERIC TUCKER and ALI SWENSON Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Office of the Director of National Intelligence will dramatically reduce its workforce and cut its budget by more than $700 million annually, the Trump administration announced Wednesday Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in a statement, “Over the last 20 years, ODNI has become bloated and inefficient and the intelligence community is rife with abuse of power, unauthorized leaks of classified intelligence, and politicized weaponization of intelligence.”

She said the intelligence community “must make serious changes to fulfill its responsibility to the American people and the U.S. Constitution by focusing on our core mission: find the truth and provide objective, unbiased, timely intelligence to the President and policymakers.”

The reorganization is part of a broader administration effort to rethink its evaluation of foreign threats

to American elections, a topic that has become politically loaded given President Donald Trump’s longrunning resistance to the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election.

Notably, Gabbard said she would be refocusing the priorities of the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which her office says on its website is “focused on mitigating threats to democracy and U.S. national interests from foreign malign influence.”

It wasn’t clear from Gabbard’s release or fact sheet exactly what the changes would entail, but Gabbard noted its “hyper-focus” on work tied to elections and said the center was “used by the previous administration to justify the suppression of free speech and to censor political opposition.” The Biden administration created the Foreign Malign Influence Center in 2022, responding to what the U.S. intelligence community had assessed as attempts by Russia and other adversaries to interfere with American elections.

Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COMor337-234-0800

News Tips /Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM

Obituaries: 225-388-0289• Mon-Fri9-5; Sat10-5;ClosedSun

Advertising Sales: 337-234-0174•Mon-Fri 8-5

Classified Advertising: 225-383-0111• Mon-Fri8-5

Subscribe: theadvocate.com/subscribe E-Edition: theadvocate.com/eedition Archives: theadvocate.newsbank.com

evolving AI landscape.” It cites the technology’s growing importance to the global economy as well as President Donald Trump’s executive order in April saying teachers and students should learn to use it.

Louisiana schools already are experimenting with AI programs, including one that helps students learn to read, and the state Education Department issued guidance for schools last year on how to adopt the technology safely The resolution pushes the department to ramp up those efforts.

Several tech leaders wrote letters in support of the resolution, including Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of the online publishing tool WordPress, and Sal Khan, CEO of Khan Academy, a nonprofit that produces widely used educational videos and an AI-powered tutoring program. Khan wrote that the resolution would help position Louisiana “as a national leader in both education and workforce development.”

Ronnie Morris, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education president who introduced the AI plan, said schools must move quickly to keep up as the technology transforms many industries and everyday life.

“This thing’s moving so

META

Continued from page 1A

expanding it to a size that would rival the footprint of Manhattan as the company dives headlong into the highstakes race to dominate the emerging AI industry

Wednesday’s approval was largely expected as Louisiana officials, including Gov Jeff Landry, have welcomed the project as an economic development game-changer in a long-struggling region of the state. But the project in Richland Parish has also drawn sharp criticism over its huge energy needs.

Much of the debate has involved whether average electricity ratepayers and businesses statewide will end up shouldering at least some of the costs associated with the power plan Entergy has set out for the facility Entergy says there are safeguards in place and argues that the new plants will ultimately benefit everyone.

Those divisions were on display at Wednesday’s fast-tracked vote, which occurred a couple months before initially planned.

“I’m not for this project 1%, 10% or 100%,” said Commissioner Foster Campbell, who represents the district where the data center will be built. “I’m for this project 1,000%.” Commissioner Davante Lewis cast the only vote against the plan. He said the agreement left fundamental questions on the table that were “too bitter to swallow.”

Proponents spoke at length of the high rates of poverty in the region and the need for high-paying jobs in north Louisiana Work currently underway on the facility is already leading to “exponential growth” for small businesses in the area, said Rob Cleveland, head of the economic development authority in northeast Louisiana

“We chose Louisiana as the home for our largest data center yet for a variety of reasons, including excellent access to infrastructure, a strong workforce and a reliable grid,” said Ashley Settle, a spokesperson for Meta. But over a dozen people from across the state urged regulators to delay the vote, raising concerns over rising gas prices, unclear job commitments by the tech company, water demands of the facility and environmental risks.

“Meta has provided no assurance that these supposed jobs are going to go to Louisiana residents,” said Miriam Abuzied, a Lake Charles resident. “With a financial and environmental impact this big, please, please push

“Just because a technology exists doesn’t mean that it’s a useful pedagogical tool.”

Advancing AI

Morris, a former ExxonMobil engineer, said he consulted educators and industry experts when drafting his AI resolution.

It also draws from Trump’s executive order, “Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth,” which said students must learn to use AI and teachers must be trained to adopt it in their classrooms.

leading industry professionals in a way that we would have never done before,” he said.

State already using AI Louisiana already has been exploring how schools can harness the power of AI while mitigating risks.

fast,” he told the board. “Louisiana needs to decide: Are we going to be on the plane or the bus?”

‘Shocking lack’ of studies

But the board’s push to go all-in on AI is already raising concerns, both practical and philosophical.

Morris introduced an initial version of the resolution Tuesday that called for AI to be integrated into schools’ curriculum, the state to vet available AI tools, and teachers to be trained on the technology But after Education Department officials and some board members said parts of the plan would be difficult or impossible to implement, Morris produced a scaled-back version that the board adopted Wednesday

It simply states the department will research AI and explore the creation of a vetted clearinghouse of AI tools.

Still, some education experts expressed more fundamental qualms about what they call a rush to put AI in front of students. They say the technology poses student-data privacy risks, it sometimes provides incorrect information and can be used for cheating, and there is scant evidence that it boosts student learning.

“There’s a shocking lack of rigorous studies that show anything positive coming out of this,” said Benjamin Riley, the founder and CEO of Cognitive Resonance, a think tank that advocates for the responsible use of AI.

Work continues on the Meta Richland Parish data center near Rayville on June 27. Meta’s data center will need roughly three times the amount of electricity that the city of New Orleans uses in a year and increase Entergy’s electric needs in Louisiana by around 30%.

this vote.”

‘Enormous risks’

Meta’s data center will need roughly three times the amount of electricity that the city of New Orleans uses in a year, and increase Entergy’s electric needs in the state by around 30%. With the commission’s approval, the utility can now begin constructing the three new plants and other transmission infrastructure

Two of the electricity plants will be located near the data center in Richland Parish and a third in St Charles Parish.

Both environmental advocacy groups and oil, gas and petrochemical companies disputed Entergy’s request to build over $5 billion in new infrastructure, arguing that the plan risks increased bills for all types of ratepayers.

“The imposition of the risk to ratepayers, and the increase in Entergy returns, comes upfront, while the potential benefits to the ratepayers may materialize over the course of many years but are based on speculative assumptions and thus far from certain at this time,” the Louisiana Energy Users Group (LEUG) wrote in a letter on Monday to the regulators.

LEUG is composed of around 30 companies in the state, including Exxon, Shell and Dow, which collectively spend over $5.5 billion in the state each year on electricity and other services.

The Alliance for Affordable Energy, a consumer and environmental nonprofit, urged the regulators to delay the decision until October, when the commissioners had originally planned to cast their votes. The Alliance had warned of grid reliability and environmental risks of the new fossil fuel-powered gas plants, which would produce pollution and climate-warming emissions.

“The commission has approved a deal that transfers enormous risks of two powerful corporations to residents of Louisiana,” Logan Burke, who leads the Alliance, said after the vote.

“I genuinely hope that the provisions that purport to protect other customers are

Morris said that AI, which uses large data sets to train computers to do advanced tasks and solve complex problems, has the potential to ease the load on teachers by helping with tasks like lesson planning. AIpowered programs can also provide personalized support to students, he added.

“With these tools, basically every student has a tutor in their laptop,” he told the board on Tuesday Blake Bertuccelli-Booth, a New Orleans-based tech worker and AI proponent, said he was blown away when Morris showed him a draft of the resolution He said it would push state education leaders to partner with the tech industry, which could bring more resources into Louisiana schools.

It will “instantly bring new investment into the state and excite a lot of the

as Entergy argued, fueling the plants as prices rise was a hazard that Lewis also wanted to see better addressed. Entergy also did not undergo a competitive bid process for the plan, as is typical, citing Meta’s fast timeline. Lewis further questioned whether Meta would still receive all the power it needs even if the grid is strained due to high demand. A forced blackout in the New Orleans area occurred in May because of spiking electricity demand.

Last year, the state Education Department established an AI task force featuring educators and technology experts, and it released AI guidance for schools. The guidebook states the technology can be a powerful tool to support student learning, but it also raises “data security and privacy concerns” and can be used for plagiarism.

The state also piloted an AI-powered reading program called Amira Learning, which can give students real-time feedback as they read aloud. The program has been rolled out in 37 school districts across the state, just over half the total, and 57,000 students were using it by the end of last school year, state officials said.

An independent study found that Louisiana students in grades K-5 who regularly used the reading program saw modest but statistically significant improvements in their reading scores, said Adam DiBenedetto, the state Education Department’s director of innovation. However, only a fraction of students used the program frequent-

The vote took place before a judge who oversaw a recent hearing on the case was able to release her legal recommendations. Entergy and the four regulators agreed that the issues have already been thoroughly discussed, saying there was no point in further delaying such an important project.

ly enough to make such gains, he added. Moving forward, the state will focus on “getting the implementation and usage of these tools right so that we do see higher effect sizes,” DiBenedetto said. Riley, who heads the AI think tank, said other studies have found relatively low usage of online learning programs, which he attributed to students preferring human instructors “chatbots.” He also argued that while AI-powered “tutors” can correct student errors, they are less able than human tutors to diagnose and fix students’ misunderstanding.

“The way they engage with you is shallow and superficial,” he said.

Faith Boninger, an assistant research professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, co-authored a report last year calling for a pause in schools’ use of AI. The report stated that the growing push for schools to embrace unproven and unregulated AI technology could turn teachers and students into “involuntary test subjects in a giant experiment in automated instruction.”

“There’s a lot of marketing of AI now,” she added in an interview, “but schools would do well not to rush to adopt it.”

Email Patrick Wall at patrick.wall@theadvocate. com.

The hearing process involving the judge is only intended to be informational. The PSC is not required to wait for the judge’s recommendations or abide by them. Despite that, Entergy had reached a compromise prior to the vote with some of the parties involved in the case, including environmental groups Sierra Club and the Southern Renewable Energy Association, as well as hired advisers to the PSC regulators and Walmart. Meta has agreed to provide 1,500 megawatts of renewable energy to the grid as part of the deal, though the commitment is not legally binding.

successful. But future deals like this must have more firm protections.”

Entergy has stressed that the tech company will cover all revenue for the new plants throughout the 15year contract between them.

Phillip May Entergy Louisiana president and CEO, said in a statement after the vote that “these investments will help power one of the most advanced data centers in the world and will also reinforce our grid, create economic opportunity and support a more sustainable energy future across Louisiana.”

“Importantly, Meta is paying its share of the costs for the infrastructure needed to support its operations, ensuring that other customers are protected from those expenses,” said May

But of particular concern to opponents is the plants’ life span of up to 40 years since Meta’s contract is only for 15, potentially leaving other ratepayers on the hook if the tech company leaves.

All customers will also pay for a $550 million transmission line and operational costs related to the plants.

Supporters say the plants can serve all customers if Meta leaves after its 15-year deal is up, allowing Entergy to retire older plants. But residents from Thibodaux to Monroe voiced caution.

“What’s the risk in waiting a little bit longer?” asked Samm Clark, a Baton Rouge graduate student who grew up in Monroe. She described the promise of up to 500 permanent jobs by Meta for such a massive facility as “abysmal.”

A single ‘no’

For Lewis, the only of the five regulators who voiced skepticism about the plan, the risks associated with the plants were a major sticking point. Still, he said that the agreement that passed had better protections than Entergy’s initial request

“One of the challenges that I just could not get over was the proliferation of gas turbines that we were using in the state,” Lewis said following the vote.

While the Meta plan may only affect bills by a dollar,

Texas House puts redistricting plan in motion

BY JIM VERTUNO and NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

AUSTIN,Texas Texas Republicans on Wednesday took the first step toward approving new congressional maps that would give their party as many as five new seats in the House of Representatives, spurring what’s likely to be a national battle over redistricting.

The approval by the Texas House of Representatives came at the urging of President Donald Trump, who pushed for the extraordinary mid-decade revision of congressional maps to give his party a better chance at holding onto the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. The maps need to be approved by the GOP-controlled state Senate and signed by Republican Gov Greg Abbott before they become official.

Texas state legislative Democrats delayed the vote by two weeks by fleeing the state earlier this month in protest, and were assigned round-the-clock police monitoring upon their return to ensure they attended Wednesday’s session.

The approval of the Texas maps on an 88-52 party-line

session Wednesday

vote is likely to prompt California’s Democraticcontrolled state Legislature this week to approve of a new House map creating five new Democraticleaning districts. Unlike in Texas, the California map would require approval by voters in November before it becomes official.

Democrats have also vowed to sue to challenge the new Texas map and complained that Republicans made the political power move before passing legislation responding to deadly floods that swept the state last month.

Texas Republicans openly said they were acting in their

party’s interest. State Rep. Todd Hunter who wrote the legislation formally creating the new map, noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed politicians to redraw districts for nakedly partisan purposes.

“The underlying goal of this plan is straight forward: improve Republican politi-

cal performance,” Hunter a Republican, said on the floor

Democrats said the disagreement was about more than partisanship. “In a democracy people choose their representatives,” State Rep. Chris Turner said “This bill flips that on its head and lets pols in Washington, D.C., choose their voters.”

State Rep John Bucy blamed the president. “This is Donald Trump’s map,” Bucy said. “It clearly and deliberately manufactures five more Republican seats in Congress because Trump himself knows that the voters are rejecting his agenda.”

The incumbent president’s party usually loses seats in the midterm election, and the GOP currently controls the House of Representatives by a mere three votes.

Trump is going beyond Texas in his push to remake the map. He’s pushed Republican leaders in conservative states like Indiana and Missouri to also try to create new Republican seats. Ohio Republicans were already revising their map before Texas moved. Democrats, meanwhile, are mulling reopening Maryland’s and New York’s maps as well.

However, more Democratic-run states have com-

mission systems like California or other redistricting limits than Republican ones do, leaving the GOP with a freer hand to swiftly redraw maps. New York, for example, can’t draw new maps until 2028, and even then, only with voter approval. In Texas, there was little that outnumbered Democrats could do other than fume and threaten a lawsuit to block the map. Because the Supreme Court has blessed purely partisan gerrymandering, the only way opponents can stop the new Texas map would be by arguing it violates the Voting Rights Act requirement to keep minority communities together so they can select representatives of their choice.

House Republicans’ frustration at the Democrats’ flight and ability to delay the vote was palpable.

House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced as debate started that doors to the chamber were locked and any member leaving was required to have a permission slip before exiting. One Democrat who refused the 24-hour police monitoring, State Rep. Nicole Collier, refused to agree and was confined to the House floor since Monday night.

Obama applauds California redistricting plan as ‘responsible’

BY MEG KINNARD Associated Press

Former President Barack Obama has waded into states’ efforts at rare middecade redistricting efforts, saying he agrees with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to alter his state’s congressional maps, in the way of Texas redistricting efforts promoted by President Donald Trump aimed at shoring up Republicans’ position in next year’s elections.

“I believe that Gov Newsom’s approach is a responsible approach. He said this is going to be responsible. We’re not going to try to completely maximize it,” Obama said at a Tuesday fundraiser on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, according to excerpts obtained by The Associated Press. “We’re only going to do it if and when Texas and/ or other Republican states begin to pull these maneuvers. Otherwise, this doesn’t go into effect.” While noting that “political gerrymandering” is not his “preference,” Obama said that, if Democrats “don’t respond effectively, then this White House and Republi-

can-controlled state governments all across the country, they will not stop, because they do not appear to believe in this idea of an inclusive, expansive democracy.”

According to organizers, the event raised $2 million for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and its affiliates, one of which has filed and supported litigation in several states over GOP-drawn districts. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Eric Holder, who served as Obama’s attorney general and heads up the group, also appeared. Spurred on by the Texas situation, Democratic governors including Newsom have pondered ways to pos-

sibly strengthen their party’s position by way of redrawing U.S House district lines, five years out from the Census count that typically leads into such procedures. In California — where voters in 2010 gave the power to draw congressional maps to an independent commission Democrats have unveiled a proposal that could give that state’s dominant political party an additional five U.S. House seats in a bid to win the fight to control of Congress next year If approved by voters in November, the blueprint could

nearly erase Republican House members in the state, with Democrats intending to win the party 48 of its 52 U.S. House seats, up from 43. A hearing over that measure devolved into a shouting match Tuesday as a Republican lawmaker clashed with Democrats, and a committee voted along party lines to advance the new congressional map. California Democrats do not need any Republican votes to move ahead, and legislators are expected to approve a proposed congressional map and declare a Nov 4 special

election by Thursday to get required voter approval. Newsom and Democratic leaders say they’ll ask voters to approve their new maps only for the next few elections, returning mapdrawing power to the commission following the 2030 census — and only if a Republican state moves forward with new maps. “And we’re going to do it in a temporary basis because we’re keeping our eye on where we want to be long term,” Obama said, referencing Newsom’s take on the California plan.

BY MIKE STOBBE Associated Press

NEW YORK At least 600 employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are receiving permanent termination notices in the wake of a recent court decision that protected some CDC employees from layoffs but not others

The notices went out this week and many people have not yet received them, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 2,000 duespaying members at CDC.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday did not offer

details on the layoffs and referred an AP reporter to a March statement that said restructuring and downsizing were intended to make health agencies more responsive and efficient. AFGE officials said they are aware of at least 600 CDC employees being cut. But “due to a staggering lack of transparency from HHS,” the union hasn’t received formal notices of who is being laid off,” the federation said Wednesday The permanent cuts include about 100 people who worked in violence prevention Some employees noted those cuts come less than two weeks after a man fired at least 180 bullets into the

CDC’s campus and killed a police officer

On April 1, HHS officials sent layoff notices to thousands of employees at the CDC and other federal health agencies, part of a sweeping overhaul designed to vastly shrink the agencies responsible for protecting and promoting Americans’ health.

Many have been on administrative leave since then — paid but not allowed to work as lawsuits played out. Affected projects included work to prevent rape, child abuse and teen dating violence. The laid-off staff included people who have helped other countries to track violence against children.

LIBRARY

Continued from page1A

Parish Council member

John Guilbeau cast the only vote against building the library on the Holy Rosary property.Two Lafayette PublicLibraryBoard members, Vice President Allan Moore and Ella Arsement, asked the council not to select the leasedHoly Rosary property Some objected in part because Lafayette Consolidated Government in 2024 spent $339,000 to buy 6 acres of land at 101 Shadow Bluff Drive near Louisiana Avenue and Aldi’sonwhich to build the library andbecause LCG would be investing millions on abuilding on private land.

“This property is forthe sole purpose of serving the community that it sits in,” Dustin Cravins, president of the Holy Rosary Redevelopment board, said after the meeting. That is writtenin the deed, he said.

“This library is very much in that scope,” Cravins said, “and we’re very confident that this partnership is going to serve the peopleof the northside of Lafayette in away that they’ve deserved to be served for many,many years.” Beside alease for $1 ayear for 99 years,the agreement couldcontain an optionto renew for another 99 years and the right of first refusal to buy the land. Cravins said theland willnot be sold.

“The land is not for sale,” Cravins said. “Not today,not tomorrow,not ever.”

If alease agreement is negotiated, the Boulet administration would have to return to the Parish Council for approval, City-Parish Attorney Pat Ottinger said. Immediately after alease is signed, he said, Lafayette will pay $99 to secure the 99year lease. If athird party takes over the land, he added, they willbebound by the lease agreement with LCG. City Council member Kenneth Boudreaux,who ledthe former City-Parish Council

to set aside $8 million for the library’construction in the 2018-19 capital budget, calledTuesday’sactiona game-changer for the neighborhood, whichissocioeconomically challenged andin need ofinvestment.

Boudreaux cautioned that there still could be pushback from opponents to the locationand the new library,includinga possiblelawsuit.

“Is this even legal?” Guilbeauasked, adding that he has requested an opinion from the state Attorney General’sOffice.

The library board and LCGwent through alegal request for proposals process that was for buying land on which to buildthe library AproposalbyHolyRosary representatives at that time was rejected because it was fora30-yearlease,not apurchase, hesaid Guilbeauquestioned whetherentering alease now withoutgoing for bids againorbuyingthe prop-

erty is legal and whether it violates an ordinancethe council approved in 2024 to buylandonShadow Bluff Drive for the library

The state constitution, Ottinger said, allows agovernmententity to buildon propertyitdoes not own. Ottinger cited several state attorney generalopinions thatsupport thatconclusion. Lafourche Parishbuilt four librariesonprivate land, he said.

Theordinanceapproved Tuesday authorizing Boulet to enter into aleaseagreementfor the Holy Rosary land, he said, also containsa clause repealingordinances or resolutions that conflict with it, like the oneauthorizing thepurchase of the Shadow Bluff land for the library.

Boulet saidifthe proposal to build on leased Holy Rosary landgoes through, LCG could sell the ShadowBluff property Communityleaders have

been fighting at least since 2018 for construction of theNortheastRegional Library.Public librarieswere built across theparish but not in the largely Black, socioeconomically challenged neighborhood that is geographically cut off from other libraries by the heavily-traveledEvangeline Thruway Theformer Lafayette City-Parish Council in its 2018-19 capital budget transferred $8 millionfrom the library fund balance to the new NortheastRegional Library construction project Theproposal was dormant for yearsasvoters rejected the renewal of one of three library property taxes in 2018, eliminating about $3 million in annual revenue, and agreed to transfer $10 million from library funds to other parish projects like drainage at thesuggestion of then-Mayor-President Joel Robideaux. Former Library Board

President DougPalombo andLibrary Director Danny Gillane, at the request of residents, resurrected the project in the fall of 2021 after another library property tax wasrenewed. Acommitteeofresidents and board members appointedbyPalomboconsideredwhether the parish shouldbuy land or lease abuilding to establish the northeast library.The committee in February 2021 recommendedbuying land and building anew library

Then-Vice President Landon Boudreaux, who chaired thecommittee, brushed aside thecommittee’srecommendation andinstead pushedtolease an existing building to see if alibrary in that area of thecitywould be used enough to warrant constructing anew library Thelibrary board rejected his request and sought bids to buy land. In August 2022, the library board voted to accept

the proposal of ESD Investments to buy 5acres of an 8-acre plat at 2600 Louisiana Ave., but that sale fell through.

Library Boardmember Robert Judge, whovoted in 2021 to lease abuilding for the new library,was elected board president and in 2023 againpushedfor the board to lease abuilding instead of building one. Afterthe ESD Investments sale fell through, in May2023 theboard entertained apresentation for the sale of the Shadow Bluff property thatiteventually purchased. The board approved the proposal in September 2023, without going out forbids or other proposals, to buy 6acres of land for $339,000 from aprivate seller,St. Patriots Properties, andthe Parish Council later concurred.

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

Ex-official:LCG findings warrantscrutiny

Former St.Martinpresidentweighsinonspoil bank audit

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Chester Cedars,who was the St. Martin Parish president when Lafayette officials removedaSt. Martin Parish spoil bank along theVermilion River without permission, responded to aLouisiana Legislative Auditor’sinvestigative report that foundformer Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory and his staff may have

violated state and federal lawsand the Home Rule Charter “I’mnot here to gloat,” Cedars told theSt. Martin Parish Council on Tuesday Cedars, an attorney and former prosecutor,said the audit report justifies any move St. Martin Parish officials made over thespoil bank removaland said there are reasonsfor prosecutors to look very closelyatthe findings.

Alawsuitispending against La-

Viralfood trends

flourish in Lafayette

Dubaichocolate, Cheeto boudin balls havefollowings

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

If you spend any time scrolling online, chances are you’vecome across afew trending food itemscirculating the internet. From the famous Dubai chocolate filled with pistachios and chopped phyllo pastry,toa spicybowl packed withbold pickled itemsand Korean corn dogs withsweet or savory toppings. Thanks to popular demand,manyof these trending disheshavemadetheir waytolocal shops in Lafayette.

“I started making Dubaichocolate cups more recently, but that and the Hot Cheeto boudin balls, alongwith some other items, were made because of demand. Every customer wouldask me to make it because they wanted to tryit,” said Letisha Levy,ownerof Gigi Sweets andTreatsat101 FloydSt.

The Hot Cheeto boudin balls are exactly what they sound like —aboudin ball dusted with aHot Cheeto coating Back in 2021,whenHot Cheeto boudin balls were at their peak, Levy said she wasselling more than 100 aday

These days, she says theviral Dubai chocolate is what’spopular

This local trend mirrors what’s happening nationwide. Talker Research conducted astudy this summersurveying 5,000 American adults, with 100respondents from each state, and found77% of Americans nowmake mealtime decisions based on what’s trending online. The poll also revealed that nearly everyone (93%) regularly encounters food content on social media, which makes up nearly40% of their feeds. More thanhalf(58%) admitted they’ve saved enough viral recipes to fill an entire cookbook

The surge of food trends can be tracedback to 2020,when people spent more time at home and even more time online. During thatperiod,social media also saw arise in viral moments like challenges and dance crazes. Alongside the latest craze, there are plenty of other viral dishes nearby just waiting to be tasted

One standout is the TaoQi Ice Cream, which first appeared locally in 2024. Originating from China,the ice cream is shaped and flavored likefruitssuch as peach, mango andlemon. Peach is the most popular

The ones at Asian Market, located at 119Tucker Drive, had afluffy texture, similar to high-quality frozen yogurt, with alight peach and vanilla flavor.In contrast, the mango delivered astrongerfruity taste with ahint of vanilla as well. Also spotted at the Asian Market were Korean hot dogs, which began going viral on social media around 2019. These deep-fried, Cheeto-dusted mozzarella dogs are finished with spicy mayo and extra Cheeto dust Pair them with bubble tea, another Asian trend, at spots like TeaRex at 2920 Johnston St.,orgrab themfrozen

fayette Consolidated Government in St. Martin Parish for removing 6feet off the top of aspoil bank at night in 2022 and using thesoil to build alevee on the Lafayette Parishside of the Vermilion River behind OakbourneCountry Club To accomplish the work, three barges were positionedsideways, blockingthe passage of boats in theriver LCGdid not have federal or local permitsfor the project.

The Legislative Auditor’sreport was sent to 15th Judicial District Attorney DonLandry of Lafayette and the U.S. Attorney’sOffice for theWestern District of Louisiana in Lafayette. Chris Tauzin, St. Martin Parish Council chairman, asked Cedars on TuesdayifSt. Martin Parishcan file criminal charges against Guillory or others involved in the 2021 clandestine levee removal project,which Guillory code-named “Apollo.”

“He pretty muchsaid we don’t have jurisdiction to do that,” Tauz-

in said Wednesday In 2021, Cedars toldthe council, he became aware that LCG was considering astudy to determine the impact of removing the St. Martin Parish spoil bank, which Tauzinsaidwas morelike alevee protecting homes and other structures in the Cypress Island Swamp area. Cedars said he didn’tobject to LCG conducting astudy and asked that they share the results. He also found out in 2021 from

KEMP

BLESSEDBETHy SHRIMP

Youngsvillerecognized as business-friendlycity

Recent improvements an achievement, mayorsays

BYSTEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

Louisiana EconomicDevelopmentre-

centlyrecognized Youngsville as abusinessfriendlycity by designating it as aLouisiana Development ReadyCommunity

Theaward is given to communitiesthat foster economic growth, support local business and set themselves in agreat location for investment and development, according to acity of Youngsville statement

“Receiving the Louisiana Development Ready Community designation is asignificantachievement for Youngsville and atestament to the hard work and dedication of ourcommunity leaders, residents and local businesses,” said Youngsville Mayor Ken Ritter

ABOVE: The Rev.John‘Buddy’ Breaux, pastor at Our Lady of theLake Catholic Church, blessesthe shrimp fleet during the73rdAnnualShrimp Festival at thedocks on Sundayin Delcambre. LEFT: The 73rdKing Crustacean Glenn Toups, left, and73rdDelcambre Shrimp Queen Shani Sonnier,second fromright,walktothe docks alongwith therestofthe royalty

“This recognition places us in an ideal position to continue growing and attracting new investment, ultimately benefiting our citizens and providing more opportunities for businesses to thrive.”

The city was noted for its continued infrastructure enhancements,workforcedevelopment initiatives and the ease of establishing new businesses.

TheLDRC program, launched by LED, aims to assist communities across the state in enhancing their readiness for development by evaluating keyfactors such as infrastructure, workforce and economic development strategy.

“Weare excitedtopartnerwithYoungsville in this achievement,” said Pat Witty,a representativefrom LED. “This designation represents thecity’s dedication to creating awelcomingenvironment forbusiness growth and economic expansion. We look forward to supporting Youngsville as it continues to develop as atop-tier location for businesses and investment.”

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents arrested aman after drugs and an illegal sawed-off shotgun were found on ashrimping boat in Iberia Parish. RendalJenniesJr.,42, of Houma, wasarrested Tuesday and faces one count of possessionof cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, possession or dealing in unregistered or illegally transferred weapons, possession of afirearm by afelon and possession of a firearm in the presence of drugs, according to an LDWF announcement. Agents patrolled Cote Blanche Bay

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Medicaid auditshows

whyweneed watchdogs

Let’stake amoment to recognize alittle heraldedpartofstate government, theLouisiana LegislativeAuditor.The office is taskedwith finding the receipts to ensure taxpayermoney is being spent properly by agencies. While many in thepublic policy arenarely on this work, the public, too, should be aware of itsimportance. Oneofits latest audits looked at the state’s Medicaid program. It found that over the last six years, the Department of Healthhad paid almost $10 million to insurance companiesfor Medicaid beneficiaries who had alreadydied. Legislative Auditor MikeWaguespackispart of Gov.Jeff Landry’sLADOGE effort, which seeks to identify and eliminatewaste in government. The Medicaid programpaysmanaged care companies afixed monthly feeper Medicaid enrollee until the DepartmentofHealthdetermines that the person is nolonger eligible.The audit says that the department missed 1,072 deaths during the six-year period fromFebruary 2019 to March 2025, resultingin$9.6million in monthlyper-member paymentsmade for dead Medicaid enrollees.

The audit found these discrepanciesbylooking through basic information, like obituaries, Louisiana vital records, the Social SecurityAdministration’sDeath Master File, state records andthird-party sources, as well as vitalrecords from other states —information one would expect LDHtohave access to The overpayments spanned theadministrationsofboth Landry and Gov.JohnBel Edwards andare somewhat explainable by the federal government’ssuspensionofMedicaid eligibility confirmations during the COVID pandemic, so the point of the audit is not to cast blame.Itisto determine how LDH can be abetter steward of taxpayer money

That’swhy most audits of stateagenciesinclude recommendations forthe future. In this case, LDH Secretary Bruce Greenstein said the department is working to get approvalstouse the Social Security Administration Death Master File, and it will incorporate death data from third-party sources into itsdecisions as well. To help recoup the losses, LDH also plans to withhold $4 millionfrom managed care companies that received the overpayments.

That’sawin for Louisiana taxpayers.But it also raisesquestions about how newMedicaid work requirements,passed in the OneBig Beautiful Bill, will be monitored.Weare gladLouisiana seems to be taking stepsto streamlineaid to needy individuals with itsOne Door program. But if the state has had trouble tracking who is dead or alive, it doesn’tinspireconfidencethat verification of which recipientshave completed work requirementswill be smoothoreasy.

Thegood news is that we havethe Louisiana Legislative Auditor on the watch. Theauditor works for all of us. Copies of thisand allits reports are available for public viewonline at www.lla.la.gov or for inspection at its Baton Rougeoffice.Ifyou wanttoknowthat the government is spending yourmoney well, there’s no better resource.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

Arecent letter by state Rep.Charles Owen questions whether global marketstruly demandcleaner energy solutions or if Louisianaismerely bending to “climate ideologues.” But that view ignores theeconomic and regulatoryreality facing the industries our statedepends on.

Major trading partners —from Europe to Asia —are implementing carbon border taxes and supply chain emissions disclosures. U.S. companies are adapting to stay competitive. That’snot ideology,it’smarket pressure. If we want to keep refining fuel, making fertilizer or producing steel here in Louisiana, we must show we can do it cleaner

Owen also falsely claims that Germany’srecent long-term LNG deal excludes carbon capture. In reality,both of Venture Global’snew LNG agreements with Germany’sSEFE include carbon capture and storage as acore component. Even our fossil fuel exportsnow require cleaner production to stay competitive in global markets. As for Texas, thefacts speak for themselves. Athird of all EPAClass VI permit applications —those needed

Contrary to all science and reasoning, the Trumpadministration proposes revoking theendangerment rule. The rule that found “carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public healthand welfare.”Itunderpins manyenvironmental protections. We don’tneed to rely only on in vitro studies to understand the truthofthat statement

During the pandemic when people stopped commuting and traveling by air,car and boat, thehole in theozone layer shrank, the air and oceans were cleaner and the environment recovered. That was areal-world demon-

for permanent carbon storage —come from Texas entities. That’snot environmental activists, it’soil and gas companies, manufacturers andenergy developers preparing forthe next chapter of energy growth.

Dozens of Texas business groups, including the Texas Association of Business and Texas Association of Manufacturers,have publicly endorsed thestate’sapplication to oversee carbon storage wells. Communities across Texas are eager forthe jobs and investment this industry brings. That’sthe competitive threat, and opportunity, facing Louisiana. This isn’t about subjugation. It’s about smart economics.

Louisianaalready has something Texas wants—EPA “primacy” to permit Class VI wells. That advantage is drawing CCS investment and jobshere. With smartoversight, we can continue to expand that progress across the state. If Louisiana refuses to adapt, those investments won’tdisappear,they’ll head west

DESIREE LEMOINE campaign manager, IndustryMakes

stration of the impact of greenhouse gases. As his administration has been wrong on many fronts, including vaccination policy,human andcivil rights and immigration, this proposed rule change would again makethe world less safe. Perhaps President Donald Trumpand his billionaire cronies plan to go intospace and leave an uninhabitable Earth for the rest of us. That is theonly logical explanation forwhy they believe they can safely revoke theendangerment rule.

DEIDRE CHARLOT NewOrleans

BACK TO SCHOOL

Dialysis patients need help from Congress to

I’m writing not just as anurse, but as awife and caregiver.Myhusband Kenneth was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy at just 20 years old. That disease slowly damaged his kidneys, leading to kidney failure and the need for dialysis, atreatment that does the work of the kidneys by cleaning the blood when the kidneys can no longer do so. For the past decade, we’ve built our life around his treatment. We started with peritoneal dialysis at home, which involvedusing acatheter and fluid exchange to filter his blood overnight while he slept. When that was no longer effective, he transitioned to home hemodialysis, whichfilters his blood through amachine during the day.Thankfully,Ken recently received akidney transplant. Through it all, I’ve been by his side, managing his care, preventing infections and falling more deeply in love. As akidney patient caregiver and advocate, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Marietta vs. DaVita deeply concerns me.Itallows private insurers to design plans that make it harder for new dialysis patients to stay on their insurance. That can disrupt care, cause financial distress, limit provider options, and even jeopardize eligibility for akidney transplant. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, our beloved congressman, alongside U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,R-Start, can help by cosponsoring the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act. Dialysis patients fight too hard to manage their condition. They shouldn’thave to fight well-deserved insurance coverage as well.

SHEREE STEPHENS Shreveport

Kids are heading back to school to meet theirteachers,see their friends and getstartedwith an exciting newyearoflearning! So, what’sgoing on in this cartoon? youtellme. Be witty,funny, crazy absurd or snarky —just trytokeep it clean.There’snolimit on the number of entries.

Thewinning punchline will be letteredinto the word balloon and runon Mondayinour print editions and online.Inaddition, the winner will receive asignedprint of the cartoon along with acool winner’sT-shirt! Some honorable mentions will also be listed.

To enter,email entriesto cartooncontest@theadvocate.com. Allentriesmust include your name, homeaddress and phone number Cell numbersare best.The deadline forall entriesismidnight on Thursday. Good luck withthis homework, everyone!— Walt

Migratingfrombluetored

During the high inflation daysofthe Biden administration, many of thelessthan-well-off were forced to cut back on their spending, whetheritwas food, gasoline or in some cases medication. Some migrated from bluestates to red ones where oftentaxes, housingand prices were lower Blue state Democrats are reactingtolosing residents not by reducing taxes, but by raising them. Their philosophy seems to be that they are losing money so taxes must be raised to make up for the shortfall. The exact opposite should happen, but because Democratsare so wedded to “tax the wealthy” they can’t seeany other way Maryland Gov.Wes Moore, aDemocrat,who followed his tax-cutting predecessor Larry Hogan, aRepublican, signed abill in May which increases income taxes on residentsmaking more than $500,000ayear.Hogan’sadministration touts that it cut state taxes by $4.7 billion over his eight yearsin office, moving the state’seconomy from 49th to 6thinthe nation ineconomic performance.Hogan claimedto have left behind a$5.5 billion surplus and $3 billion in arainy-day fund.It takes agenius —oraDemocrat —to spend such alarge surplusinsoshort a time. This is likely amongthe reasons

Maryland is experiencing anet population outflow AWall Street Journal editorial points outthe potential political fallout for Democratsfromthis moderngreat migration.Between 2020 and 2024 the losses from states that have raised taxes and have lousy schools are as follows: “California (-1,465,116), New York (-966,209) and Illinois (-418,056).”

Which states are benefiting from the influx of newpeople? Texas (747,730), and Florida(872,722). These two states “gained the equivalent of West Virginia. Utah, Idaho, Arizona and North Carolina also experienced arush of newcomers.”

The political benefits to these lowertaxingstates (assuming any fleeing Democrats don’tbring their ideology about“taxingthe rich” withthem) will beseen in coming elections. The Journal predicts Democrats could lose as many as 10 house seats in 2030, the yearofthe next census. This would likely overcome the gerrymandering California and Illinois are fashioning as they draw districts to give Democrats an even larger advantage than they currently enjoy This is what can happen when politicians are more interested in gaining or maintainingpower,ignoring theConstitution (and yes, Texas Republicans are doingthe samebut for different reasons).

Forthose who flunked or didn’ttake

civics in high school, this is theway the process is supposed to work. Census datataken every 10 years in even decades determines the number of seats each state has in theU.S. House of Representatives. The House is currently fixed at 435 members, so states gaining population may gain seatswhile states with slower growth or declines may lose seats. This is the Democrats’ great fear and why some are trying to go outside theConstitution and the census to rig thesystem Followingthe census and apportionment, states redraw their congressional and statelegislative district boundaries to reflect population shifts and ensure districts have roughly equal populations. Independent RedistrictingCommissions, separatefrom state legislatures, are then responsible for drawing district boundaries, according to theCampaign Legal Center It doesn’ttake apolitical genius to realize that if people are taxed more on what they have earned, many, including businesses, will look for places that tax them less. This is what’shappening in some blue states. Democrats who thinkraising taxes on the successful will benefit them in future elections, may be sowing seeds for future electoral defeats.

Email Cal Thomasattcaeditorstribpub.com

Changing statisticianswon’t change results

Here’salife hack for readers who are trying to lose weight andare discouraged by the numbers on thescale: Take ahammer to the thing.Ifthat seems too destructive, donate it to the SalvationArmyand, if you must keep ascale in the house, buy anew model that tops out at 150 pounds.

The secret behind this hack is psychology.It’shard to eat less than your body wants, which is why people who try to lose weight often fail and feel miserable.

But if no working scale is available, you can’tfail:Eat as much as you like; the numbers will never climb. Sound crazy? It is. But the president has just used aversion of this trick to deal witha sagging American jobs market

facturingboom that President Donald Trump haspromised. This is not the sort of jobs report any presidentwants to see; it’sthe kind that portends fallingapproval ratings andparty losses at the next election.

So Trumptook immediate, decisive action:Hehopped on TruthSocial and announced that he would fire Erika McEntarfer,the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

bers have been juked, and most of whom probably already know which side they’re voting for next time around.

There’ssomething interesting going on in the continuing controversy over President Donald Trump’santi-crime initiative in Washington, D.C. When Trump first announced the move, saying crimeinthe city is “out of control,” many Democrats and their media allies denounced it with the argument that crimeisinfactfalling in the district, perhaps even to its lowest point in 30 years. Now,after aweek of heightened law enforcement and rising arrests, more and more voices are conceding that Trump is right, that crimereally is aserious and ongoing problem in the district. Some of those voices are still opposed to Trump, but at least they are now admitting there is abig problem.

Arecent Wall Street Journal report featured Ebony Payne, aneighborhood commissionerin northeast Washington who spends herevenings reviewing messages from neighbors “reporting assaults, smashed car windows, break-ins, shootings, and teenagers threatening children or even dogs.” Payne told the Wall StreetJournal that she and her neighbors “are frustrated by the city’sinability to respond to ‘out of control’ crime” and that whenthey heard of Trump’s initiative, “some residents’ first reactionwas relief.” Payne wassorelieved that she has beendisappointed that she has not seen agreater police presence in her neighborhood. “Weall wanted something to be done,” she said. “It’sjust really unfortunate that we are in this situationwhere there’sasledgehammer on our city,because we couldn’tget ahandle on our crimeproblem.”

New York Timescolumnist Maureen Dowd was born and raised in Washington, the daughter of aD.C. policeofficer.Inarecent column, she wrote that, “City officials and many liberal residents are outraged about Trump’spainting D.C. as ahellscape and flooding the zone with law enforcement and troops.” Amoment later,she added, “It is also true that many D.C. residents are secretly glad to see more uniforms. No matter what statistics say,they don’tfeel safe.” Dowd herself doesn’t. She carries pepper spray,she said, because “I feel more wary walking around the city.It’sdisturbing to ask someone to unlock the Claritin at CVS because the police didn’tlock up the smash-and-grabbers.”

The columnincludes aconversation with formerprosecutor Elie Honig, now aCNN legal analyst. What Honig told Dowd is aclassic of a type of commentary you might call Trump-isbad-but-he’s-right. “Yes, Trump is hypocritical and scattershot on public safety,” Honig told Dowd. “And yes, he’slikely doing this as aflex But he happens to be within the law here and he happens to be right.”

Last week, the profoundly anti-Trump publication The Atlantic published an article saying that Trump “has the wrong answer for how to fix” Washington crime. No surprise there. But the news wasthe headline: “Trump Is Right That D.C. Has aSerious Crime Problem.” “The nation’scapital really does have along-standing and profound violence problem that will notimprove without deliberate intervention,” Atlantic said.

All of this is music to the ears of the D.C. Police Union, which represents 3,200 officersand has supported the Trump effort sincethe beginning. “Wecompletely agree with the president that crime in the DistrictofColumbia is outof control and something needs to be done with it,” union chief Greggory Pemberton said whenthe plan wasrolled out.

For months, commentators havebeen asking why tariffs aren’tweighing on the economy more heavily.Importers —including many manufacturers have been worriedthat they will. But the headline jobs and gross domestic productdata have lookedprettygood. Then came Friday’sjobs report.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a unit of the Labor Department,revised its estimates for May andJune payrolls sharply downward, bymore than 250,000 jobs, and estimated that the economy added only 73,000 jobs in July,well below analysts’expectations. Virtually all these new jobscame from health care and social services. The numbers contain no sign of themanu-

This movewas so boneheaded,William Beach,who served as bureau commissioner during thefirst Trumpadministration, calledit“totally groundless” and “a dangerous precedent” that “undermines thestatistical mission of theBureau.”

Ahearty second to that. Trying to intimidatethe Bureau of Labor Statistics is the policy equivalent of smashing your bathroom scale. It’s banana republic stuff, anditwon’twork anybetter in the United States.

On the margin, afew voters might be fooled into thinking economic conditionsare better than they really are.

But thetrick can work only so far —as the Biden administration found out when it tried to gaslight voters into believing that everything in theWhite House was going just great.

Thepeople most susceptible to the spin fall into two groups: thepresident’s base, who don’tneed it, and high-information voters who pay close attention to economic data, many of whom will understand how thenum-

Everyone will be paying closer attention to what’shappening in their own experience. Arewages rising? Are their friends and relatives being laid off? Is it easy to find another job? If they’re getting the wrong answers to these questions, it really doesn’tmatter what numbers thebureau is putting out. That is, it doesn’tmatter politically Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers matter tremendously in other ways. They feed into agreat deal of market activity as well as vital social science, bothofwhich are possible only if the numbers are trustworthy.The statistics are also, of course, one of thepresident’s essential guides to economic policy

This guide is now tellingthe administration that it is moving in the wrong direction. Awise politician would take heed and course-correct toavoid bumbling deeper intothe woods. Instead, Trumpdecides to shoot the messenger so his supporters won’trealize he’sled them astray

Buteven if Trumpmanages to bully theguides intotelling him what he wants to hear,what then? Eventually voters will look around and notice the truth: America is losing its way MeganMcArdle in on X, @asymmetricinfo.

On Monday morning, the union tweeted what it said were numbers on D.C. crimeinthe last week, underthe Trump program, versus seven days earlier.They were robbery,down 46%; assault with adeadly weapon, down 6%;carjacking, down 83%; car theft, down 21%; violent crime, down 22%; and property crime, down 6%. That looks good. But of course, one part of the ongoing debate about D.C. crimeisthe reliability of statistics released by the Metropolitan Police Department. There have been serious allegations, and one senior officer suspended, about cooking the books —inthis case, downgrading felonies into misdemeanors that will not show up in the serious crimestatistics. The alleged downgrading is part of the reason the unionand others in the city say that the crimeproblemis worse than Trump’sopponents insist. Let’shope the newest numbers, reflecting the Trump effort, are accurate. But at least for the moment, fewer andfewer are claiming that crimeisgoing down or thatit is the lowest it has been for 30 years (that, apparently,was the creation of the outgoing Biden Justice Department). That’sapositive development; it was always slightly ridiculous for Democrats to argue that crimeinthe district is just not serious enough for federal intervention. Now,atleast, there is some agreement that the problem really exists.

Byron York is on X, @Bryon York.

USS N.O. catches fire in Japan, Navy says

No injuries reported on transport ship

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON — The USS New Orleans caught fire Wednesday off the coast of Okinawa, according to U.S. Naval Institute News.

Relying on a statement from the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet, the nonprofit’s online news service reported that crews responded to a fire aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport ship, which usually carries a crew of 361.

No injuries or pollution were reported, the Navy reported. The fire had been contained, and the vessel was stable.

The Navy said it would issue a statement with more information after having a chance to investigate the matter Stars and Stripes, the military news source, reported that Japanese crews helped fight the fire, which began about 5 p.m local time. The Navy asked vessels to

stay a mile from the incident.

Japanese television news stations showed images of tugboats using water cannons to subdue the fire. NHK broadcast images of the incident off the coast of Naval Base White Beach, Okinawa.

The USS New Orleans is part of the U.S 7th Fleet’s amphibious ready group and can transport about 700 troops. It is working out of a base in Sasebo, Japan, and operates with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

No Marines were aboard at the time of the fire, according to the Military Times an independent news organization that focuses on the military USS New Orleans’ current mission involves enhancing interoperability and serving as a ready response force, according to the Military Times.

The ship was built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems of New Orleans and was christened in November 2004.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

La. National Guard troops arrive in D.C.

Federal government will foot the bill

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

The 135 Louisiana National Guard troops sent to join President Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime and homelessness in Washington, D.C., arrived Wednesday to help local law enforcement — and they will stay there “as long as the President needs them,” Gov Jeff Landry said Wednesday

The troops join a federal intervention that began about 10 days ago, when Trump issued an executive order declaring a “crime emergency” in D.C. He used that to initiate a takeover of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department, and he also deployed 800 D.C National Guard troops to the nation’s capital. Federal agents and ICE officials are also on the ground there.

In recent days, six Republicanled states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia and South Carolina, promised to send over 1,000 more National Guard troops to participate in Trump’s efforts.

The federal government will foot the bill for Louisiana’s deployment and there will be no cost to the state, said Lt. Col Noel Collins, a Louisiana National Guard spokesperson, in a statement. The Louisiana National Guard will be there “in support of the (District

FOOD

Continued from page 1B

from the Asian Market to enjoy at home. Spicy bowls, viral since 2023 are another must-try The trend is a snack that is usually served in a container soaked in a juice mixture that comes from banana peppers, pickles and jalapeños, inside the bowl. Other ingredients added are hot sausages and eggs.

”I also add Ruffle chips on the side because a lot of people like to dip in it. The sauce from the bowl is made with our specialty seasoning and Tabasco sauce,” said Levy But of course, Dubai chocolate re mains Levy’s bestseller, thanks to its recent viral fame. Some shops like Oh Sugar La put their spin on it with Dubai brownies, while others, like Gigi Sweets and Treats, stick to the classic bars and cups. Oh Sugar La, a dessert shop that sells all of its treats at Zeus locations in Acadiana, opened in 2021. Owner Ghadi Kalboneh said whenever the Dubai chocolate became popular, they started to get creative. The shop is also home to Biscoff cheesecake cups and Dubai white chocolate bars.

Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.

of Columbia National Guard) and assisting local law enforcement,”

Collins added

Out-of-state troops will perform duties such as protecting landmarks and crowd control, according to Joint Task Force District of Columbia, the military unit overseeing the D.C. Guard. They will be staying at hotels and military base housing.

It is unclear whether the Louisiana National Guard will be making arrests. Typically, federalized guard members may supplement law enforcement, but the Posse Comitatus Act bars them from engaging directly in law enforcement activities.

However, the Louisiana National Guard was deployed to D.C. under Title 32 status, according to Collins. Under such status, guards are not fully federalized and remain in control of the state governor but may complete requests from the federal government, Collins said.

Title 32 deployments are not subject to the Posse Comitatus Act and may take part in law enforcement activities, she said.

“Under Title 32, National Guard soldiers often perform what are called domestic operations or Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) missions — examples include disaster response, security assistance, traffic and crowd control, or supporting local law enforcement,” Collins added

Collins said the Louisiana troops will be armed with Army-issued 9 mm M17 pistols.

D.C. officials were originally told the Guard members would not be armed, but were warned that could change in the coming days, The Associated Press reported.

Continuing controversy

In justifying his D.C. crackdown, Trump has painted an image of a lawless city where crime is out of control.

“The White House is in charge. The Military and our Great Police will liberate this City, scrape away the filth, and make it safe, clean, habitable and beautiful once more,” Trump wrote on social media.

But critics have pointed out that crime in D.C. last year hit a 30-year low, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Meryl Chertoff, a professor at Georgetown Law in D.C. who heads the Georgetown Project on State and Local Government, said the city’s highest crime rates are traditionally in Wards 7 and 8, but that National Guard members have not been stationed there. On Tuesday evening, a D.C. official gave a similar assessment of the situation.

Soldiers “are being sent to stand around the monuments, and around the monuments is not where the crime is occurring in D.C.,” Chertoff said.

“It doesn’t make sense if your

goal is actually to reduce the incidents of violent crime,” she said. “It only makes sense if your goal is to have good visuals.”

Meanwhile, Landry has supported the president’s efforts.

“We cannot allow our cities to be overcome by violence and lawlessness. I am proud to support this mission to return safety and sanity to Washington DC and cities all across our country, including right here in Louisiana,” he said in a statement on the social media platform X.

Some criticized the governor for sending troops out of state during hurricane season.

“In the middle of hurricane season, he is sending the national guard to play politics with Trump. Shameful,” Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis, a Democrat, wrote Monday in a post on X.

Landry pushed back during a news conference Wednesday

“I am not in any way worried that the amount of Guardsmen we sent to D.C. impact our ability to respond to a hurricane. Anybody who believes that doesn’t know how to count,” he said.

The Louisiana National Guard has over 11,000 members, said Collins, its spokesperson.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

the Corps of Engineers that LCG was applying for a permit in association with the spoil bank removal project LCG later withdrew the permit application after buying land in St. Martin Parish and conducting the project.

Cedars urged anyone looking at the events and actions surrounding the spoil bank removal to consider them in totality and consider the motivation behind them, like why there was a $1.5 million difference between the highest and lowest bids for the excavation work and no one in LCG questioned it.

LCG, under the Guillory administration, in December 2021 received bids ranging from $390,000 to $1.9 million for as-needed excavation work in Lafayette Parish, Cedars said. Rigid Constructors submitted the low bid and was awarded the contract.

About six weeks later, that contract was amended for the spoil bank removal work, adding $3.6 million to the $390,000 Rigid contract without seeking bids, even though the work was outside the excavation contract’s scope. The amendment was made four days before work began on the spoil bank.

Only a few in LCG were aware of the project, and it was given a code name to keep it secret. LCG bought land in St. Martin Parish without the knowledge of the city or parish councils or a third person who owned a piece of the land. The work was conducted at night and within 24 hours with Rigid being paid a $1.8 million fee to expedite the work, according to the auditor’s report.

On March 8, 2022, Cedars said he found out about the work and called Guillory The next day, LCG officials filed with the St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court Office documents recording LCG’s February purchase of land in St. Martin Parish for the project. It would seem to a reasonable person, Cedars said, that LCG officials were conspiring. Cedars said other things should be considered about the project, such as why the Legislative Auditor’s Office took three years to issue its report, whether regulatory agencies like the Corps haven’t done anything about LCG violating federal acts, why the project was done at night and why no one questioned amending the $390,000 as-needed excavation project to add $3.6 million for the spoil bank project.

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

BLOTTER

Continued from page 1B

when they saw a shrimping boat fishing for shrimp before boarding the boat.

After inspection of the vessel, agents found oversized skimmer nets, which led to additional inspection of the boat. Agents allegedly found Jennies in possession of cocaine, marijuana and a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun.

Boat captain Peter Nguyen, 39, of Houma, was cited for shrimping violations. Two skimmer nets and 1,813 pounds of shrimp were seized.

Popeyes manager accused of battery

A woman claimed that a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen manager assaulted her when he allegedly threw hot chicken at her after she complained about an order Shena Decuir, the woman claiming the assault, said she received first-degree burns on her neck, arms, legs and feet after she complained about an error in her order to a Popeyes manager at a Johnston Street location, Decuir told KLFY Decuir called Lafayette police shortly after the incident. Upon arrival, emergency services were called out, with police charging the manager with simple battery according to KLFY Decuir told the news station she is seeking an attorney in the matter She claimed she suffered physical and emotional distress after the incident.

The Popeyes location currently has a job opening for a restaurant manager Suspects sought in retail theft

Police are searching for two people involved in a retail theft that occurred this month, according to a KLFY report. On two occasions, the subjects entered Victoria’s Secret located in the Mall of Acadiana, police said. Police said the suspects allegedly concealed merchandise in bags and fled the store without paying for the items. In total, the individuals have stolen over $6,000 in merchandise.

If anyone has any information about this crime or the identity of the suspect, call Lafayette Crime Stoppers at (337) 232-TIPS (8477) or by downloading the P3 Tips Mobile App or by dialing **TIPS (**8477) on your mobile device.

Most in-state prognosticatorssee LSUinCFP despiteClemson,Alabama missteps

TEMPERED EXPECTATIONS

How will the LSU Tigersdothisseason?

It is oneofthe most compelling questions across not only Louisiana butalso all of college football. Has allofLSU’seffort and expense this offseason been worthit? Will it payoff with aberth in theCollege Football Playoff and achance at theprogram’sfifth national title? (I’m still counting the 1958 title in LSU’scorner,despiteAuburn’snew and ridiculous claim.)

We polled our LSU beat staff and anumber of other prominent voices covering theTigers for their/ ourpredictionsonhow Brian Kelly’s team will fare this season.The predictions, not surprisingly,fell in apretty narrowband between 10-2and 9-3 in theregular season. No one feels like LSUisgoing to repeat 2019, but everyone clearly believes theTigers at least will be in theconversation for aCollege Football Playoff berth. Drum roll, please

WILSON ALEXANDER• THE ADVOCATE Record: 9-3

LSU should bebetter than itwas last year,but it will play seven teams ranked in thepreseasonAP Top25, starting withthe difficult opener at Clemson.The Tigers will be in CFP contention lateinthe season. It’sjust hard to getto10wins.

CHESSA BOUCHE •WVLA/WGMB Record: 10-2

Throughout camp, I’ve been im-

pressedwith thedefensive line, especially withtransfers Jack Pyburn andBernard Gooden. The Tigers haven’thad “dogs” upfront causing havoc and puttingpressureonthe quarterback.Myreal concern is the offensive line and therunning game.They lost two All-American bookend tackles and returned only onetruestarter from ayear ago. I thinkwith Garrett Nussmeier taking abig step forward in Year 2as astarter,and focusing on being a

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

moremobile quarterback, will take alot of pressureoff of theO-line.

MICHAEL CAUBLE •WBRZ Record: 10-2

Ithink theTigers will go 10-2 on theseason, but Idon’thave aton of hope that they win the opener at Clemson. Atough opponent on the road withsome proven line play will be atall ask for atalented LSU team that’sgoing to improve as the ä See LSU, page 3C

Playing his first game in the Caesars Superdome, NewOrleans Saints rookie safety Jonas Sanker admitted hewanted to end his debut with a bang.

It was the final play of Sunday’spreseason 17-17 tie against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Jacksonville positioned at theSaints’ 42 looking to gain a few extra yardsfor a game-winning field goal attempt.Sanker was drifting toward the tight endinthe middle of the field when he saw Jaguars quarterback Seth Henigan throw aquick slant to the right side of the offensive formation

Sanker bolted in the direction of the play and suddenly the ball was right there in front of him, courtesyofcornerback Rejzohn Wright’s pass breakup. “For me that was really justbeing in the right place at the right time, Sanker said

Howard gets August news he’s

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

One of those late August meetings finally wentWalker Howard’sway UL coach Michael Desormeaux gave Howard the news Tuesdaythathewas going to be the starting quarterback forthe Aug. 30 season opener againstRiceatOur Lady of Lourdes Stadium.Itwas amoment that Howard believed may never arrive. “Those meetings honestly haven’tgone real good formeinthe past,” said Howard, who transferred to UL after stops at LSU and Ole Miss. There was atimeHoward wasn’tsure he’d be playing football this season. Nowthe former St. Thomas More standout is the starting quarterback forhis hometown team. “(Ole Miss teammates) Caden Prieskorn and Jaxson Dart really helped me last year,” Howard said. “Theypushedmeforward. They mademegotoevery single meeting and watch film.I texted them (Tuesday) and appreciated them and texted my dad the samething.” Desormeaux has knownHoward since he wasakid and understood what the moment meanttohim

“He’sbeen to hell and back,” Desormeaux said. “I wish people couldsee what these kids go through. Iwish they could see the emotional ups and downs that they’ve got to handle with everything that is put on them,

playmakingshinesfor Saints

Saints

When he snatched it out of the aironly conds remained in regulation, and Sanker d one thought: score.

Hemade it to the Jaguars’ 24-yard line fore he wasknocked outofbounds.The

ficials determined time expired as he tumedout of bounds, though theTVbroadcast ggestedasecondmight have remained. egame ended in adraw Probably could have played it alittle safand got out alittle earlier,” Sanker said. That may be true, but it was still amemoble homestadium debut for Sanker,who ntributed morethan aclose miss at a me-winner Jonas had alot of clips in the team meetg today,” coach Kellen Moore said. “A lot it is his play style,his effort, block deruction,meeting theballatthe point of ack. He made someplays in the passing game.

“He was on that (tape) aton, and he’s earned those opportunities. We expect him to keep growing.” With regular starting safeties Justin Reid andJulian Blackmon both being held out of thegame forprecautionary reasons, Sanker got achance to play 100% of the defensive snaps —easily the longest look New Orleans has had at Sanker, whom it selected 93rd overallthis spring.

Sanker welcomed the opportunity after playing roughly half the defensive snaps in the preseason opener

“Seeing different looks, building camaraderieand just being comfortable,” Sanker said. “Thinking back,I really haven’tplayed alive full gamesince November of last season. So it’sgood to get out there, hit alittle bit, run around, tackle andjust feel everything full speed.”

His playmaking wasn’t limited to hisinterception.

Scheffler dislikes comparison to Woods

Legendary golfer inspired current No. 1 player during 2020 Masters

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

ATLANTA Scottie Scheffler shies away from comparisons to Tiger Woods even as the numbers are starting to make that inevitable.

Scheffler has been No. 1 in the world longer than anyone since Woods.

He is the first player since Woods to have five-plus wins in back-to-back years. He comes into the Tour Championship on a streak of 13 tournaments in the top 10.

“It’s very silly to be compared to Tiger Woods,” Scheffler said. “I think Tiger is a guy that stands alone in the game of golf, and I think he always will. Tiger inspired a whole generation of golfers. You’ve grown up watching that guy do what he did week in, week out, it was pretty amazing to see.”

Scheffler was amazed by the only time he played with him in a tournament, a moment nearly five years ago that shaped the way the 29-year-old from Dallas now dominates his sport.

It was the final round of the Masters in November 2020, both of them 11 shots out of the lead with no chance to win.

What stands out from that autumn Sunday was Woods making a 10 on the par-3 12th hole and then made birdie on five of his last six holes.

Scheffler remembers the opening hole just as well.

As he looks back to the start of his pro career, Scheffler felt he was guilty of not giving himself enough chances at winning and rarely being in the final group “I always found myself just a little bit on the outside looking in, and that’s one of the things I learned from playing with Tiger,” he said.

“We’re in 20th place or whatever going into Sunday at the Masters.

Tiger has won five Masters, he’s got no chance of winning the tournament. Then we showed up on the first hole and I was watching him read his putt, and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this guy is in it right now.’

“That was something that I just thought about for a long time,” Scheffler said. “I felt like a change I needed to make was bringing that same intensity to each round

Scottie Scheffler speaks before a practice round of the Tour Championship on Wednesday

Scheffler put together a final-round 67 to win the BMW Championship last

and each shot. And I feel like the reason I’ve had success in these tournaments is just the amount of consistency and the intensity that I bring to each round of golf is not taking shots off, not taking rounds off, not taking tournaments off.

“When I show up at a tournament, I’m here for a purpose and that’s to compete hard, and you compete hard on every shot.”

That’s what golf has witnessed since Scheffler finally broke through at the WM Phoenix Open in 2022, and within two months he was a Masters champion and No. 1 in the world.

It doesn’t mean he wins every week golf is still golf, an impossible game to master

This week is an example of that.

The change to the format in the Tour Championship put emphasis on getting to East Lake, and now the top 30 players start from scratch for 72 holes to see who wins the FedEx Cup

Scheffler has no advantage by starting at 10-under par, nor does he have a points advantage. It’s a welcome change for most players because they signed off on it. Rory McIlroy, the Masters champion, says he didn’t mind the starting strokes because great play should get some reward.

“I didn’t hate the starting strokes. I thought that the player that played the best during the course of the season should have had an advantage coming in here,”

By

Tiger Woods walks to the 18th green during the British Open at Royal Troon golf club in Troon, Scotland, on July 19, 2024.

McIlroy said. “But you could also argue if it was starting strokes this week, Scottie with a two-shot lead, it probably isn’t enough considering what he’s done this year.” Scheffler started with a two-shot lead each of the last three years and it still took him the third try to win the FedEx Cup. He loves the pressure of competing. And besides, not starting with an advantage is sure to get his attention from the start. He has his caddie, Ted Scott, back on the bag this week as Scott is dealing with a family emergency Scheffler is quick to point out how his career took off when he brought in Scott to work with all the preparation he put into his job. This year has been as good as any considering he started late because of hand surgery, and he

added the PGA Championship and British Open to his two previous Masters titles.

But it’s not over yet. Scheffler was reminded of that in 2022 when he lost a six-shot lead in the final round to McIlroy That was the year he won his first Masters, rose to No. 1 in the world and had four victories.

But when he returned home, he was met with condolences for not winning at East Lake.

“It just irked me so bad finishing off the year where guys were like: ‘Hey, great playing, I’m sorry about how it ended.’ It’s like, ‘You know what, man, I won the Masters this year, won a few other tournaments.’ It was a pretty good year.”

The tournament starts Thursday It’s already been a good year for Scheffler

Falcons tackle McGary carted off during practice

Atlanta Falcons starting right tackle Kaleb McGary was carted off the practice field with a possible lower left leg injury on Wednesday, giving the team a new challenge as it prepares for Friday night’s final preseason game at Dallas.

The Falcons said an update on McGary, a 2019 first-round pick who has started 92 of 93 games, would be provided “at the appropriate time” following an MRI.

If the Falcons are without McGary, they will have to find a new blocker to protect the blind side of left-handed quarterback Michael Penix, the 2024 first-round pick who is entering his first full season as the starter McGary recently signed a contract extension through the 2027 season.

Bears sign backup QB Bagent to 2-year extension

The Chicago Bears signed backup quarterback Tyson Bagent to a two-year contract extension through the 2027 season on Wednesday Chicago also signed veteran running back Royce Freeman and placed running back Deion Hankins on injured reserve Bagent played in four games and threw two passes last season with Caleb Williams starting every game after being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick.

But he’s made a big impression over two seasons. Undrafted in 2023 following a record-setting career at Division II powerhouse Shepherd University, Bagent played in five games and made four starts while leading Chicago to two wins with Justin Fields injured in 2023.

Jake Paul and Davis announce Nov. 14 fight YouTuber-turned-cruiserweight boxer Jake Paul and undefeated WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis have agreed to fight on Nov 14 at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.

Paul’s promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, and Netflix announced the highly unusual matchup Wednesday Netflix will stream the fight worldwide to its more than 300 million subscribers.

The 30-year-old Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs), a three-division world champion, would be the first star near his ostensible prime to face Paul (12-1, 7 KOs), the online celebrity who has become one of the world’s highest-paid combat sports athletes despite never fighting an elite boxer

BY JENNA FRYER AP auto racing writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. NASCAR in 2026 will race on a new street course in San Diego, return Chicagoland Speedway to the schedule, move the All-Star race to Dover, Delaware, and end its 38-race season back at Homestead-Miami Speedway The schedule released Wednesday includes

Florida at Homestead, which hosted the championship-deciding finale for 18 consecutive years before NASCAR shifted it to Phoenix Raceway in 2020. The race at Phoenix was given a different date in the playoffs and NASCAR is expected to rotate the season finale to various

Bucks sign former Clippers wing Coffey Veteran wing Amir Coffey has signed with the Milwaukee Bucks after spending six seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Bucks announced Wednesday Coffey 28, had spent his entire NBA career with the Clippers. He averaged career highs last season in scoring (9.7), minutes (24.3) and games played (72). The 6-foot-7 Coffey also had 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game last season while shooting 47.1% from the floor and 40.9% from 3-point range. He has made 13 starts each of the last two seasons. Coffey has career averages of 6.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He has shot 45.5% overall, 38.4% from 3-point range and 83.7% from the foul line over the course of his career

Astros OF runs into wall, checked on for concussion Houston Astros outfielder Taylor Trammell was being evaluated for a concussion after being carted off during Wednesday’s loss to the Detroit Tigers following a crash into the center field fence in the first inning. The Tigers led 4-0 with no one out when Dillon Dingler hit a line drive to deep center

The ball deflected off Trammell’s glove just before he hit the fence. Dingler ended up with an RBI triple, giving Detroit a five-run lead. Trammell was examined by the Houston training staff and started to walk off the field before going to a

all the expectations and allthese things. Iwish people could see that and understand that.”

Desormeaux also acknowledged that two quarterbacks —redshirtsophomore Lunch

Winfield and redshirtfreshman

DanielBeale —didn’t hear what they wanted to from the meeting

“You’re breaking two guys’ hearts thatcompete really well and put it on the line,” he said. “We’re so fortunate and so blessedtohave aproblem where we’ve got three really good quarterbacks that Ibelieve we could win with, and Iget the luxury of picking the one that Ithink is best for our team.”

Desormeaux,who also revealed that Beale will begin the season as the backup, said the starting job was not given to Howard. That was understoodbyall parties when Howard transferred.

“At the end of the day, Ithink he embodies the best physical attributes of both Lunch and Daniel,” Desormeaux said. “He’sa very gifted passer.He’sareally talented runner.You couple that with his competitive spirit …that goes along way.”

Howard replaces Sun BeltOffensive Player of the Year Ben Wooldridge and takes overan offense that carried ahuge load during a10-win seasonayear ago.

“It’sbeen along journey,”Howardsaid. “I’m super excited that I’m here,super excited I’m back home and that Isaw the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Now that the starting jobis Howard’s, his focus shifts to the Rice Owls.

“So Igot the quarterback one,” he said. “That was an accomplish-

ment for me. Now the accomplishment is to restart. We’ve got to have agreat year,got to go 1-0 every week.”

Theother Cajunawarded a startingpositionafter Tuesday’s second scrimmage was redshirt junior kicker Tony Sterner. All he’sbeing asked to do is replace theLou Groza Award winner in Kenny Almendares.

“Whenever Ithink aboutKenny,Ithink about Kenny as a friend,not just winning awards,” Sterner said. “In the room we have, we don’tthink about the last season. We justknow we have a high standard and we’re all good enoughtoachieveit.”

For Desormeaux, Sterner began to elevate himselfover redshirt senior Logan Klotz and freshman Brek Schultz early in August camp

“The end of the first week of camp and there’sabig 53-yard fieldgoal,”Desormeauxsaid.

“Sterner comes in there and drills it rightthrough the uprights. That kind of jumps out at youalittle bitthere,and Ithink he just competed consistently at ahigh level after that.”

Klotz will handle the kickoff duties, andHunter Sims will be Sterner’sholder Sterner transferred to UL from IncarnateWord after the 2022 season. At IncarnateWord,the left-footed kicker had 39 touchbacks and made a35-yard field goal.

In last year’swin over Grambling in the opener,Sterner had four kickoffs and made a27-yard fieldgoal.

“I think the biggest thingfor me is Igot my body weight up, so Ifeel likethat added more power to me,” Sterner said. “I used to kind of lack my long distance, but now Ifeel comfortable andI think that bodyweighthas helped me get stronger.”

for the seasonopener against

CORYDIAZ •GANNETT LOUISIANA

Record: 9-3

season goesalong and contend for aCFP spot that will keep everyoneinBaton Rouge happy for the holidays. Hey,maybethey even host the first December playoff gameinTigerStadium this year

REED DARCEY •THE ADVOCATE Record: 9-3

Give Kelly credit: It looks like he’s put together the deepest most talented roster LSU has had since 2019. Will it pick up nine wins or 10? Or 11? Tough road trips to Clemson and Alabama, plus asneaky difficult game at Oklahoma, are making it hard to findmore than nine.

The offensive line is young and LSU will drop three games most of those likely on the road in crazy environments —because of some missteps upfront. Idothink LSUsneaks in theCFP as oneof thefinal at-largeteams.

JACQUESDOUCET •WAFB Record: 10-2

LSUcould have areally good teamand still lose thefirst game. If that happens, let’s not panic. I do think this is Kelly’sbest roster overall with the least amount of holes. In Nuss we trust.I’m going 10-2 and aCFP berth

GLENN GUILBEAU• TIGER RAG Record: 10-2

LSUathletic director Scott Woodward shocks the world the

BY MATTHEWPARAS Staff writer

The New Orleans Saintsfinally got somesize at wide receiver,but it cost them draft picks.

TheSaints announced they acquired wideout Devaughn Vele from the Denver Broncos on Wednesday,giving them a6-foot5, 210-pound target to help in the passing game. In exchange, the Saintstradeda2026 fourth-round pickand a2027 seventh-round selection to the Broncos

New Orleans’ acquisition of Vele marks the team’ssecond trade in recent days. On Sunday,the Saints sentdefensive tackle Khalen Saunders to theJacksonville Jaguars in exchange for center Luke Fortner

Thedealsalso coincidentally happenedwith their preseason opponents: TheSaints played the Jaguars last Sunday and are set to host theBroncos on Saturday

Former Saints coach Sean Paytonnow coaches in Denver,and theBroncos have brought on manyplayers andcoaches from NewOrleansoverthe last two-plus years. Now, the pipeline goes the other way with Vele heading to the Saints.

TheBroncos moved off of Vele after just one season.But for a seventh-round pickayear ago, the27-year-old hadaproductive rookie season with41catches for 475 yards and three touchdowns.

The Saints werenotably small

SAINTS

Continuedfrom page1C

While Sanker patrolled thedeep portionsofthe field formuchof the game,hehad acoupleofopportunitiestoshowoff thephysical play style that drew the Saints to him in thefirst place.

There was theplay early in thethirdquarterwhen, facing a third and 8, Jaguars quarterback Nick Mullens saw receiver Austin Trammellopenunderneath with nobody on him.Trammellwas the inside receiver in atrips formation,and Jacksonville tried to clear apath for him by running an inbreaking route with the receiver immediately to his right It would have worked, had it notbeen for Sanker’srecognition. He read what was happening, cut

day before theNo. 9Tigers open at No. 4Clemson by proactively proclaiming LSU national champions of 2025, borrowing apage from Auburn athletic director John Cohen’sBurnt Orange Linings Playbook. LSU makes Woodward look wayward by falling 27-13. Butthis movie’s notover. LSUrecovers andwins the rest, except for a27-24 loss at Alabama, to finish10-2 andreach the playoffs for thefirst time since 2019. Kelly showersthe mediawith receipts andsays, “See youatthe national championship.”

MATT MOSCONA •WNXX-FM Record: 11-2

This is by far Kelly’sdeepest and most talented team, which includes thebest quarterback in thecountry.The defense will fin-

in their wide receiver room.Asof

late May,they were one of just two teams nottohave awideout taller than 6-2. It was adeparture from how theSaints have operated when Michael Thomas, for instance, was the big go-to option for former quarterback Drew Brees.

NowVeleprovidesa largetar-

underneath receiver Joshua Cephus’ dig route and arrived just as Trammell caughtthe ball. Sanker knocked the receiver off his feet a yard shy of thefirst-downmarker, forcing afourth down.

“(Defensive coordinatorBrandon) Staley really emphasized the physicality and just how that has to be the identity,not just of the defense but the whole team,” Sanker said. “… Ithink Idid a pretty good job today,just being physical

“Just having thatmindset of no onecan block me,whether it’s a singleblock or double team.Just having that mentality every time I’m on thefield ultimately leads to youbeing able to physically impose your will.”

Later in the game, Sanker showedoff hisphysicalityand play recognition again. This time, with the Jaguars driving into

ish top 20 forthe first timesince 2017. Opening at Clemson is a steep hill to climb, and Ithink the Tigers drop another opener.But after that, Ithink they finish 7-1 in theSEC and beat Texas in the SEC championship game, clinching aberth in the 12-team CFP

KOKI RILEY •THE ADVOCATE

Record: 10-3

LSU makes the CFP with a10-3 record, including aloss to Texas in theSEC championship game. Losses against Clemson and Alabama will prevent LSU from earning astrong seed in the field, but big wins over Florida, Texas A&M,South Carolina and Oklahoma push it into the CFP

GLEN WEST •GEAUX247.COM

Record: 10-2

This season comes downtotwo

get. TheBroncos quarterbacks had a74.5% completion rate when targeting himlast season. Eleven of his 12 third-down catches moved thechains. Allthreeofhis touchdowns came in the red zone.

Email Matthew Parasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com

Saints’ territory with alittle more thansix minutes remaining in the third quarter,Sanker saw ascreen pass develop to the same side of the field where the Saints were sending acorner blitz.

He shotlike abolttothe play, detonating theplayermeanttobe the lead blocker (receiver Trenton Irwin) and driving him back into Trammell, who fell to the ground fora1-yard gain.

Reid loved seeing that.

“It gets me fired up because I was talking to him allweek about running through people’s faces the whole week,” Reid said. “... On that screen playheran through that guy and put him intohis own man. He had anumber of plays just showing his physicality and tenaciousness.”

Email Luke Johnsonat ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

keyquestions: 1) Is the LSU defense ready to embrace the havoc identity BlakeBaker wants? 2) Will the LSU offensefind the right balancebetween therun andpass to reach itshigh ceiling? This is a roster built to withstandany schedule.Despite afew bumps alongthe way (at Clemson andatAlabama), LSU hasthe talent anddepth to be aplayoff-caliber team in 2025.

SCOTT RABALAIS •THE ADVOCATE Record: 10-2

Ican’twith sound reasoning pick LSU to winits opener at Clemson. But Ithink this is aprogram that has learned to course correct with its collective back to the wall. The Tigers will have little room forerror if they hope to reach the CFP,but Ithink they makeitthrough with only one moreloss, probably at Alabama.

2025 SCHEDULE

Date Opponent

Sept. 4 Iota

Sept. 12 EAST BEAUREGARD

Sept. 18 PORT BARRE

Sept. 26 Sacred Heart

Oct. 3St.Edmund

Oct.9 WESTMINSTER

Oct. 17 NORTH CENTRAL

Oct.24VERMILION CATHOLIC

Oct.31BerchmansAcademy

Nov. 7 CATHOLIC-PC

*Home games in caps

PAST FIVE YEARS

9-2

3-4

PROJECTEDSTARTERS

Offense

Pos.

Name Ht. Wt.

WR Roderick Tezeno *6-3 175Sr.

WR Maurice Marcel 6-4 185Jr.

TE Myles Collins *6-3 215 So. TSammy Griffin* 6-2255 Jr

GJohn Parker Fontenot 6-2 250 So.

CHaysLatiolas *5-10 240Sr.

GKye Latiolais 5-10 250So.

TBraydon Fontenot 6-1200 Jr.

QB Kross Gillen *6-2 185 Jr

RB RowenBergeron *6-1 200Sr.

RB Royce Butler *5-10 170Sr.

Defense

Pos. Name Ht. Wt.

DE Jacob Cypriano *6-0 190Sr.

DT Brayden Fontenot 6-1215 So.

DT Sammy Griffin* 6-2 255 Jr

DE Myles Collins *6-3 215 So.

LB JP Trahan *5-9 190Jr.

LB Ethan Belleau 5-9180 So.

LB Braylin Harris *5-9 185Sr.

CB Ky Daughtery* 5-8 170 Sr

CB Garrett Lormand 5-10 165 Sr

FS RoyHenry* 6-1 170 Sr

SS Braxtin Harris 5-11 170 So.

*Returning starter

COACHES

Head coach: Cullen Matherne (22-27) Assistant coaches: Bryant Masson (DC), Randall Bulliard (QB/WR), MatthewCourville (DB),Tyler Smith (WR).

OpelousasCatholic

What we know

When talking about Opelousas Catholic, most people think about theamount of offensive firepowerit possesses.

That’s largely because of the presence of wide receiver

Roderick Tezeno, a6-foot-3 USC commitment rated as the state’s 15th-best player by 247Sports

Butthere’smoretothe Vikings than just offense, which scored more than 40 points 10 times last season and more than 50 four times.

Coach CullenMathernesaidthe Vikings will be just as good on defense —ifnot better —thisseason

“I knowthat we have somebig names on offense, but I really believe we have the ability to playcomplementary football,”Mathernesaid.“Our defense has the potential to be abletostep up on those days when our offense doesn’t score40points. In practice, our defense is out there flying around.Theyare winning somedays, and theyare doing so with heart, guts and execution.”

Defensivelineman Brayden Fontenot, middle linebacker John Parker Trahan, athree-year starter,and defensive backs Braxtin Harrisand Kaleb Tezenoleada speedydefense

“I love the wayour guys playinthe secondary,”Matherne said. Our defensiveline is older than our secondary,but they have done agreat job of flying around.As agroup, Ilovethe wayour defenseattacks the weapons we have on offense.They are aspecial group.”

What we don’tknow

Talenthas rarely been aproblem forthe Vikings. It’s usually been about depth, which is aconcern formost Class 1A teams.

Depth forthe Vikings comes intoquestion when injuries begin to mount as theydid last season when they lost several players formore than half of theyear.

“Staying healthy is thebig thing,” Matherne said.“Last year,I think we playedone or twogames theentire year without missing one starter

“So stayinghealthymakes aworld of difference in your season.”

With only 45 players on the roster,the Vikings have worked to create depth by cross-training players at multiple positions.

“you have to tryand create as much depthasyou can, Matherne said.“Because injuries happen, we teach everykid everyposition withinreason. So no one is just one(position).

“All of our kids know howtoplaysomewhere on offense and somewhere on defense.”

Howwesee it

ThisVikings are talented and have everything needed in allthree phases of the game to make adeep playoff run.They’ll be contenders forthe district titleand a threat to advancetothe Division IV select final.

EricNarcisse

SCOREBOARD

Pa Tuesday’s games Game 25: Tokyo(Japan) 6, Chihuahua (Mexico) 0 Game 26: Irmo(S.C.) 3, Honolulu (Hawaii) 0 Game 27: Santa Cruz (Aruba) 6, Vancouver (BritishColumbia)1 Game 28: Sioux Falls (S.D.) 9, Bonney Lake (Wash.) 0 Wednesday’s games Game 29: Taipei (Chinese Taipei) 7, Barquisimeto (Venezuela) 3 Game 30: Fairfield (Conn.) 7, LasVegas (Nev.) 3 Game 31: Santa Cruz (Aruba) 3, Tokyo (Japan) 0 Game 32: Sioux Falls (S.D.) vs.Irmo (S.C.), n Thursday’s games Game 33: Barquisimeto(Venezuela)vs. Santa Cruz (Aruba), 2p.m. Game 34: Las Vegas vs.Game 32 winner, 6p.m. Tennis

ATPWorldTour Winston-SalemOpen At Wake Forest;Winston-Salem, N.C. Purse: $798,335; Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Men’s singles Round of 16 MiomirKecmanovic (13),Serbia, def. Luciano Darderi (3), Italy, 6-3, 6-1. Sebastian Korda(11),UnitedStates, def. Kamil Majchrzak,Poland, 6-7(3),6-3, 6-4. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard(9),France, def AlexandreMuller (8), France, 6-3, 6-2. Marton Fucsovics, Hungary,def. Roberto Bautista Agut (14),Spain,6-4,6-3 Hamad Medjedovic, Serbia, def. Gabriel Diallo (4), Canada, 6-4, 6-2. Men’s doubles Round of 16 Marcelo Melo and RafaelMatos,Brazil, def. Alexander Erler, Austria, and Robert Galloway,United States, 6-2, 6-2. Matthew Ebden and John Peers(4),Australia, def. David Pel, Netherlands, and Manuel Guinard, France,2-6,6-3,15-13. Michael Venus, New Zealand, and Yuki Bhambri(2),India, def.Santiago Gonzalez, Mexico, and Austin Krajicek, U.S.,2-6, 6-3, 10-4. WTAAbierto Monterrey At Club Sonoma;Monterrey,Mexico Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Women’s doubles Round of 16 AlexandraPanova,Russia,and HanyuGuo (3), China, def.Nadiia Kichenok,Ukraine, and Aldila Sutjiadi,Indonesia,6-3,6-2. WTATennis in the Land At Flats West Bank;Cleveland Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Women’s singles Round of 16 Sorana Cirstea, Romania, def. JilTeichmann, Switzerland, 6-1, 6-1. Women’s doubles Round of 16 AleksandraKrunic,Serbia, and Anna Danilina (1), Kazakhstan, def. Zhu Lin and Zheng Saisai, China, 6-2, 6-1. Women’s doubles Quarterfinals Xu Yifan and Zhaoxuan Yang, China,def. UlrikkeEikeri, Norway,and EriHozumi (3), Japan, 6-4, 6-3.

RoyceButler

RB/LB,5-10, 170, Sr

Oneofthe most athletic players on the team,Butleris adynamic runner withgreat vision and hands out of the backfield. He has good instincts and is dangerous withthe ball in his hands.

MauriceMarcel

WR/DB,6-4,185, Jr

Marcel doesn’t get enough attention forhis ability to make plays on the perimeter.Equipped withgreat size and hands, Marcel is aphysical routerunnerwho has establishedhimself into an elite possession receiver.

Roderick Tezeno

WR/DB,6-3,175, Sr

Atop-notch college prospect,Tezeno is blessedwith a combination of size, speed and hands. He’sa greatrouterunnerand his work ethic is second to none

BraxtinHarris

DB/RB,5-11, 170, So

An extremely competitivesafety, Harris has elite coverageand tackling skills. He has greatspeed, but his fearlessness in runsupporthas made him abig hitterinthe Vikings’ secondary.

KalebTezeno

DB/QB 5-10, 160, So

An instinctive athlete,Tezenohas ahigh football IQ that allows him to read and react well. He is strong,athletic and fast. He’sgood in coverageand has good ball skills.

Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball American League BALTIMOREORIOLES—SentSSJorge

Winover non-vegetable eaters by starting with zucchini zoodles

Powerpersuade LIVING

April Hamiltonuses a device to prepare zucchini noodles,orzoodles, for her ZucchiniCarbonara. See the recipe on PAGE 6C

BY APRIL HAMILTON| Contributing writer

Arecent best friend/houseguestobserved me prepping dinner and said, “nozucchini for me, thanks.”

Iwent about my business knowing Ihad awin up my sleeve. Itake pride in converting almost anyone into avegetable devotee, askill Ihoned teaching hundreds of kids to cook in libraries, classrooms and church kitchens. Step one: Letthem have ahand in thepreparation andtheir interest piques. Step two: Incorporate theveggies intoafamiliar favorite and the “I loveit!” odds increase. They often come back for seconds.

First you need aZoodler.Thisisamade-up word for a device that spins vegetables into spaghetti-like strands.I heard about this conceptyears ago and laugheditoff as a fad. How is it possible for asimple countertop appliance to do such afeat?

ä See ZUCCHINI, page 6C

OODLES OF ZOODLE USES

n Toss themraw witha drizzle of oliveoil, lemonjuice and asprinkle of salt and pepper fora quick side salad

n Add halved grape tomatoes, tiny mozzarella balls and ashoweroffreshbasil to theabove, subbing balsamic vinegarfor the lemonjuice, fora nice caprese ‘pasta’

n Subtheminorsupplementaramen bowl

n Add themtochicken noodle soup

n Givethemthe oliveoil, garlic and crushed redpepper treatmentfor aspin on theclassic Spaghetti aglio eolio

n Slurp themlikespaghetti

n Makethis version of carbonara

n Repeat, trying out otherveggies with the spiralizertreatment.

Broilermakes forquick pork kabobs

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER

Tribune News Service (TNS)

For aquick and easybarbecuestyle dinner,Iprepared these flavorful pork kabobs under the broilerinstead of on the grill. They cook in just minutes but still deliver that deliciously charred taste. Asimple saucemade from honey,mustard, and soy sauce adds aperfect balance of sweet and tangyflavors. It’sused both to glaze the pork and as adipping sauce on the side. To round out this easy summer meal, Ipaired the kabobs with cornonthe

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER

Readingthe

Dear Heloise: I, too, have an issue reading the small copy on containers at the grocery store, so Iuse my cellphone to enlarge the copy.At5feet, 1 inch tall, Ialso have ahard time seeing the price labels on the top shelves. Over time, these labels tend to curl upward, so Itake a quick photoand just delete it when I’m finished. —Lucia, via email

Mobile gardening

Cigarettesmokershocksguest

Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: Iread the letter about gardening from Lester,where he talked

aboutdiggingholes. Ialso hadmykneereplaced,so now Iuse oneof those big exercise balls while gardening. Not only can you move around easier youcan getupeasier than you can from astool, which was what Iused before Ialso use it when Ineed to get into cabinets that are low to the ground

Youget theaddedbenefitof strengthening yourcore as well. —Janet J.,via email Depositbox warning Dear Heloise: Safety deposit boxes maybedifficult to

access in theevent of someone’sdeath. It may take several monthsormore for access to be granted tothe estate administrator.You may not want toinclude it in the instructions for actionsthat should be done quickly after adeath.

Iwas an executor in one case where the relatives also had access to the box but lived in aforeign country Due to COVID, theycould not have the United States Embassy notarize adocument thatcould grant me access. —RolfTandberg,via email Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

ZUCCHINI

Continued from page5C

Istood my ground and carried on with my normal way of making spaghetti and such and chopping vegetables the old-fashioned way before roasting or sauteing them. For aborn-in-the-kitchen cooking enthusiast, Ihave an uncanny knack for resisting the next ‘viral’ kitchen gadget. Plus, my food truck-sized kitchen has no space for excess. When my daughter came home from college and parked all but her necessities herebefore setting sail forother horizons, Iscanned the contents of her overstuffed kitchen bin for treasure.With equal parts reluctance and curiosity,Iextracted her Veggetti Pro from the bin. After teaching myself how to use the contraption, Ichanged my tune to believer.Inseconds,one zucchini becomes aserving of vegetables posing as pasta, making actual twirlable noodles from ahumble squash. Pure magic. I served aheaping plate to my “no thanks” houseguest and stifled my glee as he praisedthe dish. Isuggested that certainly his wife with enviable kitchen storage has one of these spiralizers. Ilater confirmed this and urged her to give it

afront-row seat. Whether you are tryingto addmore veggies to your plateorlimit your traditional pastaintake for dietary reasons, Iurgeyou to dust offthe spiralizer in the back ofthe cabinetand employits wizardry daily.Or if youare like me andhave avoided this tool, Ideclare it asoundinvestment.For less than the price of atrip to the drive-thru,you can whittle summer abundance into pure gold.

Zucchini Carbonara

Makes 4servings. You will not miss thepastain this dish. Twirlable green noodlesare cloaked with thetraditional golden sauce of pancetta,egg andlots of Parmesan.Add some crusty breadonthe side 4large-ishzucchini

1tablespoon olive oil

4ounces diced pancetta, raw bacon or guanciale

1egg plus 2egg yolks, whisked together in aglass measuring cup 1cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided use ¼teaspoon each saltand pepper

1. Rinse thezucchiniand trim offthe ends.Position the zucchini one by one into the spiralizer,cutting in half if necessary to fit the length of themachine. Crank out thenoodles intoa pieplate or shallow bakingdish

2. Continue until youhave spiraledall the zucchini. (It will look like way too much

but will quickly cook down into 4servings).

3. Using afork, stir 2 3 cup of the Parmesan intothe egg mixture and add the salt and pepper and mix again.

4. Heat theolive oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. When theoil shimmers, add the zucchini in batches to cook one thick layer at atime.

5. Stir withtongs to wilt the zucchini to al dente When each batch is done, lift it out withtongs into a waiting colander placedon adeep plate to catch the liquid. Each batch will cook in afew minutes.

6. Cook the pancetta in a large Dutchovenovermedium heat until browned. Add thecooked zucchini and use tongs to combine andheat through.

7. Turn the burner off and slowly pourthe egg-cheese mixture intothe zucchini mixture,turning constantly with tongs to coat thenoodles with the sauce. The heat from the pan will cook theegg intoacreamysauce.

8. Divide among 4bowls, sprinkle each with extra Parmesan andserve with crusty bread if desired. Note in atraditionalpreparation of this dish, some of the starchy pasta water is added back in to make the sauce. Since the zoodles do not absorb any of the sauce, be sure to strain off theliquid after sauteing.

SunnyChicken

Dear Miss Manners: At adinner party, my companion quietly excused herself after the meal to smoke acigarette. She went outside, over our nonsmoking hostess’sprotestationsthat inside was fine. As Iescorted my friend outside, Iheard afellow guest,the wife of amutual acquaintance, shriek, “What? She SMOKES?” in atonethat would have been appropriate only if my companion had excused herself to

By The Associated Press

murder people or purchase heroin. Iignored it, but I felt like Ishould have said something. Is this kind of behavior going to becomeconventionally accepted as smoking is increasingly stigmatized? Gentle reader: One may have health concerns forthose close to you who smoke —orfor yourself,ifpeople smoke around you —but there are legitimate ways to express those concerns. The case you describe fits neither

TODAYINHISTORY

Today is Thursday, Aug. 21, the 233rd day of 2025. There are 132 days left in the year

Todayinhistory

On Aug. 21, 1831, Nat Turner launched aviolent slave rebellion in Virginia, resulting in thedeaths of at least 55 White people; scores of Black people were killed in retribution in the aftermath of the rebellion, and Turner was later executed.

Also on this date:

In 1858, thefirst of seven debates took place between Illinois senatorial contenders Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.

In 1911, Leonardo da Vinci’s“Mona Lisa” was stolen from theLouvre Museum in Paris.(It was recovered two years later in Italy.)

In 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed aproclamation officially declaring Hawaii the 50th state.

In 1991, ahardline coup against Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev collapsed in the face of a popular uprising led by Russian Federation President Boris N. Yeltsin.

In 1992, an 11-day siege began at the cabin of White separatist Randy Weaver in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, as government agents tried to arrest Weaver forfailing to appear in court on charges of selling twoillegal sawed-off shotguns; on the first day of the siege, Weaver’steenage son, Samuel, and Deputy U.S. Marshal William Degan were killed.

In 2010, Iranian and Russian engineers began loading fuel into Iran’sfirst nuclear power plant, which Moscow promised to safeguard to prevent material at the site from being used in any potential weapons production.

In 2018, Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer,pleaded guilty to campaign-finance violations and other charges; Cohen said Trumpdirected him to arrange the paymentofhush money to porn star StormyDaniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal to fend off damage to his White House bid. (Trumpwas found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to the

This does not, however entitle you to borrow your companion’scigarette so that you can return to the dinner table and put it out in the rude guest’sentree. Miss Manners suggests you tell your smoking companion that you are sorry for the rudeness shown her and be grateful that at least the perpetrator was insecure enough to frame it as aloud stage whisperrather than afull-throated lecture to your companion’sface. Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www.missmanners.com.

payments in May 2024.)

In 2020, aformer police officer whobecame known as the Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo, told victimsand family members in aSacramento courtroom that he was “truly sorry” before he wassentenced to multiple lifeprison sentences fora decadelong string of rapes and murders.

Today’sBirthdays: Rock

is

Actor Kim Cattrallis69. Former NFL quarterback JimMcMahon is 66. Rock musicianSerj Tankian(System of aDown) is 58. Actor Carrie-Anne Moss is 58. Google co-founder Sergei Brinis52. Singer Kelis is 46. TV personality BrodyJenner is 42. Olympic gold medal sprinter UsainBoltis39. Country singerKacey Musgraves is 37. Soccer playerRobert Lewandowski is 37. Actor HaydenPanettiere is 36. Comedian-singer-filmmaker Bo Burnhamis35.

LEo(July 23-Aug.22) Give andget.Take the good with thebad andturn it into something unique. Don'tpay for the mistakes of others or agree to participate in someone else's journey if it might cost you.

VIRGo (Aug.23-sept. 22) Keep tabs on your finances and use your skills constructivelytoensureyou enhanceyour popularity with those who can help you reach your goal.Stick with and trust those who share your values.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Take the high road. Don't let temptation winoranyone put you in avulnerable position Procrastination is the enemy, and lucidity and action are thepath to victory

scoRPIo(oct.24-nov. 22) Youcan't change others, but youcan spare yourself thegrief of trying. Channelyour energy into somethingconstructive. Concentrate on what will help you achieveyourgoal.

sAGIttARIus(nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take pride in where and howyou live. Make adjustments that suityour lifestyle and help youperform at your best. Look for opportunities thatofferachanceto learn and explore newpossibilities.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec.22-Jan. 19) Don't get angrywhen action is necessary Assess the situation andtakethe steps to achieveoptimal results. Direct your energyacutely,set asideyourego and do your best.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Pull everything together.Rise to theoccasion,and

you'llbring about positive changes that will surprise youand everyoneelse. A partnership or agreementwill lead to monetary gains.

PIscEs (Feb.20-March 20) An event offeringinsightinto anovel way to useyour skills will encourage you to add upgrades that helpyou standout. Your charm and contributions will lead to newconnections.

ARIEs (March 21-April19) Participation is essential if youwanttoreceivevalid inputonwhattodonext. Conversations withexperts will help you verbalize your thoughtsand enable youtosupport your plans.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Avoidstubbornness andarguments with people who can affect your life. Listen carefully, andyou'll figure outwho is looking outfor your best interests andwho is trying to exploit you.

GEMInI(May 21-June 20) Ahomeimprovement,office or designatedworkout space can significantlyenhanceyour life. Focus your energy on research and expanding your knowledge, skills and interests.

cAncER (June 21-July22) Think big, but budget wisely. Keep arecord of what youeat, drink andspend. Too muchof anything can be detrimental, physically,emotionally andfinancially.

Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrewsMcMeel Syndication

Celebrity Ciphercryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.Eachletter in thecipher stands for another.

toDAy'scLuE: BEQuALs M

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains thesame number only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Please permit me to show you one of my favoritedeals. It occurred in 1968 while Iwas in high school, playing in a duplicateatthe NewportBridge Club in Monmouthshire, England(nowGwent, Wales). Iwas partneringwith one of our schoolbridge team, Tony Disley Iopened one no-trump, showing 12-14 points. (Yes, this was aslight underbid; it wouldhavebeen reasonable to call this a 15-point hand.) Since we were not using transferbids,DisleyemployedStayman, then optimistically raised two spades to four spades. (Of course, if he hadinvited with threespades, Iwould have gone on to game.)

Westledtheclubqueen.HowdidIplan theplay?

With threetop losers, at first glance, Ineeded the heart finesse to win. But then Isaw amuch better line. Iwon the first trick on the board andcalled for thediamond jack. East rushed in with the ace and returnedaclub (not that it mattered)

Iwon on the board, played adiamond to my king, andled thespade queen Now West erred by playing herking. East groaned while winning with her aceand led another club, butI ruffed, drew themissing trump, and claimed an overtrick. Dummy’s heart loser wenton my diamond queen. Afterward,Ilookedattheotherresults. At everytable, Northmade twospades with only one overtrick. Perhaps all of the Easts led aheart at trick one, but I doubt it.

©2025 by NEA, Inc.,dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzleisaword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour or moreletters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,”are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words,orvulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD WALtZInG: WALT-zing: Ballroom dancing in 3/4time

Average mark 22 words

Timelimit 40 minutes

Can youfind 33 or more words in WALTZING?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD— nEGLEcts

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer today’s thought “And he taught,saying to them,Isitnot written, My house shall be called of all nations thehouse of prayer? but you havemade it aden of thieves.” Mark 11:17

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Lowe’s to buy building materials company

Lowe’s is buying Foundation Building Materials, a distributor of drywall, insulation and other products for approximately $8.8 billion as the home improvement retailer intensifies its focus on professional builders.

FBM also provides metal framing, ceiling systems, commercial doors and hardware and other products that serve large residential and commercial professionals in both new construction and repair and remodel applications.

It has more than 370 locations in the United States and Canada serving 40,000 professional customers.

The acquisition is part of Lowe’s move to provide more options for professional builders.

The Mooresville, North Carolina-based company recently closed on its $1.3 billion acquisition of Artisan Design Group, a provider of design, distribution and installation services for interior surface finishes, including flooring, cabinets and countertops, to home builders and property managers Rival Home Depot has been making similar moves. In June the home improvement retailer announced that it was buying specialty building products distributor GMS for $4.3 billion Best Buy’s website to expands its wares

People will soon be able to buy Fanatics sportswear and Martha Stewart cookware, along with all kinds of electronics, on the Best Buy website.

The retailer announced Tuesday morning that it has reentered the third-party marketplace business.

It’s a low-risk, high-reward way for Best Buy to better compete with Amazon and other online outlets. And it more than doubles the retailer’s product offerings.

“We’re looking at the marketplace as a natural extension of the things that we bring to our customers today,” said Jason Bonfig, chief customer, product and fulfillment officer at Best Buy “It’s a more holistic picture of what our customer would expect and how do we make sure (they) can purchase whatever they would like to at Best Buy.” Analysts aren’t confident about the marketplace’s ability to draw in new customers and “move the needle” significantly

“Let’s say it’s furniture. If Best Buy hasn’t carried that, then they’re not going to be top of mind for someone who’s looking for that type of product,” said Anthony Chukumba, managing director at Loop Capital.

Best Buy opened its website to select outside sellers from 2011 to 2016, with about 200 sellers participating However it ended the program amid low sales and confusion over returns.

LA Fitness sued for gym cancellation policies

NEW YORK The U.S Federal Trade Commission is suing the operators of LA Fitness, over allegations that they make it “exceedingly difficult” for consumers to cancel gym memberships and other related services offered in their clubs nationwide. In a Wednesday complaint, the FTC accused Fitness International and its subsidiary Fitness & Sports Clubs of illegally charging consumers “hundreds of millions of dollars in unwanted recurring fees” as a result of cumbersome cancellation processes. The agency said that tens of thousands of customers have reported difficulties with these policies to date.

“The FTC’s complaint describes a scenario that too many Americans have experienced — a gym membership that seems impossible to cancel,” Christopher Mufarrige, director of the agency’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.

THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business

Wall Street steadies after AI stars trim losses

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK U.S. stock indexes ended mixed on Wednesday after Nvidia, Palantir and other superstar stocks pared most of their steep losses from the morning.

The S&P 500 dipped 0.2% after trimming a loss that reached 1.1% earlier in the day and remains near its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 16 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.7%.

The day’s action centered again around stocks caught up in the mania around artificial intelligence technology

Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the world’s move into AI, sank as much as 3.9% during the morning and was on track to be the heaviest weight on Wall Street following its 3.5% fall on Tuesday

But it clawed back nearly all of Wednesday’s drop and finished with a dip of just 0.1%. As it pared its loss, so did broad market indexes because Nvidia is Wall Street’s most influential stock by being its most valuable.

Palantir Technologies, another AI darling, fell 1.1% to add to its 9.4% loss from the day before, but it had been down as much as 9.8% Wednesday morning.

One possible contributor to the swoon was a study from MIT’s

Nanda Initiative that warned that most corporations are not yet seeing any measurable return from their generative AI investments, according to Ulrike HoffmannBurchardi, global head of equities at UBS Global Wealth Management. But the larger factor may be the simple criticism that prices for such stock simply shot too high, too fast amid the furor around AI and became too expensive Nvidia, whose profit report scheduled for next week is one of Wall Street’s next major events, had soared 35.5% for the year so far heading into Tuesday Palantir had surged even more, more than doubling. The tech stocks still have sup-

porters, though, who say AI will bring the next generational revolution in business.

Mixed profit reports from big U.S. retailers helped keep the rest of the market in check.

TJX, the company behind the TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores, climbed 2.7% after beating analysts’ forecasts for profit and revenue. The week’s biggest news for Wall Street is likely arriving on Friday, when Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will give a highly anticipated speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The hope on Wall Street is that Powell will hint that cuts to interest rates are coming soon.

Target CEO to step down amid company struggles

COO Michael Fiddelke named to succeed Cornell

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP business writer

NEW YORK Target named an insider as its next chief executive officer Wednesday, a decision that comes as the discount retailer tries to reverse a persistent sales malaise and to revive its reputation as the place to go for affordable but stylish products.

Minneapolis-based Target said CEO Brian Cornell, who has led the company for 11 years, would step down on Feb. 1. The board of directors chose Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke, a 20-year Target veteran, to succeed him.

Target, which has about 1,980 U.S. stores, has struggled to find its footing since inflation caused pinched shoppers to curtail their discretionary spending. Customers have complained of messy stores with merchandise that did not reflect the expensivelooking but budget-priced niche that long ago earned the retailer the jokingly posh nickname “Tarzhay.”

Consumer boycotts since late January, when Target joined rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back corporate diversity, equity and

By The Associated Press

REDMOND, Wash. — Worker-led protests erupted at Microsoft headquarters this week as the tech company promises an “urgent” review of the Israeli military’s use of its technology during the ongoing war in Gaza.

A second day of protests at the Microsoft campus on Wednesday called for the tech giant to immediately cut its business ties with Israel. Microsoft late last week said it was tapping a law firm to investigate allegations reported by British newspaper The Guardian that the

inclusion initiatives, have compounded its predicament.

During a call with reporters on Tuesday, Fiddelke acknowledged many of Target’s problems For example, he said he thought the company became too focused on basic home goods during the coronavirus pandemic, when demand for cozy furnishings and kitchen tools exploded.

Fiddelke said he would step in as CEO with three urgent priorities: reclaiming the company’s position as a leader in selecting and displaying merchandise; improving the customer experience by making sure shelves are consistently stocked and stores are clean; and investing in technology

Target has reported flat or declining comparable sales — those from established physical stores and online channels in nine out of the past 11 quarters. On Wednesday, the company said comparable sales dipped 1.9% dip in its latest three-month period, when its net income also dropped 21%.

In March, members of Target’s executive team told investors they planned to regain the chain’s reputation for selling stylish goods at budget prices by expanding Target’s lineup of store label brands and shortening the time it took to get new items from the idea stage into stores.

“In a world where we operate today, our guests are looking for Tarzhay,” Cornell told investors. “Consumers coined that term de-

Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

“Microsoft’s standard terms of service prohibit this type of usage,” the company said in a statement posted Friday, adding that the report raises “precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review.” The company said it will share the findings after law firm Covington & Burling completes its review The promised review was insufficient for the employee-led No Azure for Apartheid group, which

cades ago to define how we elevate the everything everyday to something special, how we had unexpected fun in the shopping that would be otherwise routine.”

In August 2014, Cornell replaced former CEO Gregg Steinhafel, who stepped down months after Target disclosed a huge data breach in which hackers stole millions of customers’ credit- and debit-card records. The theft badly damaged the chain’s reputation and profits.

Cornell reenergized sales by having his team rev up Target’s store brands. He also spearheaded the company’s mission to transform its stores into hubs for shipping or picking up online orders.

The move helped to reduce costs and speed up deliveries, but the in-person experience for shoppers suffered as Target diverted store workers to fulfilling orders placed online, according to some analysts.

The coronavirus pandemic delivered outsized sales for Target as well as its peers as many people bought items to help them work and entertain themselves at home, but the spending sprees eventually subsided.

As inflation started to spike, Target reported a 52% drop in profits during its 2022 first quarter compared with a year earlier Purchases of big TVs and appliances that Americans loaded up on during the pandemic faded, leaving the retailer with excess inventory that had to be sold off.

for months has protested Microsoft’s supplying the Israeli military with technology used for its war against Hamas in Gaza.

In February, The Associated Press revealed previously unreported details about the American tech giant’s close partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, with military use of commercial AI products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly Oct 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

The AP reported that the Israeli military uses Azure to transcribe, translate and process intelligence gathered through mass surveillance, which can then be cross-

checked with Israel’s in-house AIenabled targeting systems.

Following The AP’s report, Microsoft acknowledged the military applications but said a review it commissioned found no evidence that its Azure platform and artificial intelligence technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza. Microsoft did not share a copy of that review or say who conducted it. Microsoft in May fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the contracts, and in April, fired two others who interrupted the company’s 50th anniversary celebration.