The Acadiana Advocate 08-28-2025

WR JOHNSON READY FOR BREAKOUT SEASON WITH CAJUNS 1C

OUT WITH THE OLD

ABOVE: Rubble is all that is left of the old Lafayette High School buildings as demolition work continues. The new school in the background opened for the first day of classes on Aug. 7.

RIGHT: Demolition continues on the old Lafayette High buildings on Friday.

Missing

N.O. boy killed by alligator, coroner says NOPD probes mother, police response

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

The day after a 12-day, multiagency search to find a missing autistic boy ended with the discovery of his body in a New Orleans East lagoon, another quest has launched to determine where the blame should lie in what NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick has deemed a “failure.”

The New Orleans coroner determined Bryan Vasquez, 12, died from blunt force trauma and drowning sustained during an alligator attack. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries was asked to eradicate “nuisance alligators” in the waterway near the 13000 block

PROVIDED PHOTO

Bryan Vasquez, 12, disappeared from his home in New Orleans on Aug. 14.

of Sevres Street, where the child’s body was found, Kirkpatrick said at a Wednesday media briefing.

New Orleans police confirmed that Bryan’s mother, Hilda Vasquez, has been served with a search warrant and had her phone confiscated as part of the unclassified death investigation

“We’re looking at all aspects,” NOPD Deputy Superintendent Nicholas Gernon said. “This is a fact-finding mission.”

Hilda Vasquez’s criminal history is under review as part of the wider investigation by police and the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services, Kirkpatrick said.

“I think that the death of Bryan

La. wants part of Voting Rights Act overturned

Attorney general argues race-based redistricting is unconstitutional

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON — Louisiana is now urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule a key section of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, which would throw out the state’s congressional map that has two minority-majority districts.

“The Constitution forbids sorting voters by race. And telling legislators drawing maps to think about race, but not think too much about race, is an untenable standard.”

LIZ MURRILL, Louisiana attorney general

“The Constitution forbids sorting voters by race. And telling legislators drawing maps to think about race, but not think too much about race, is an untenable standard,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said after releasing Wednesday afternoon a 58-page brief filed with the Supreme Court. Louisiana had previously defended the maps, saying they had created them under protest when a federal judge ruled a previous map with one minority district unconstitutional. But, after the Supreme Court asked for arguments on whether Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is constitutional, the state changed direction.

“We have consistently argued that the U.S. Supreme Court’s redistricting jurisprudence needs to be drastically changed or overruled,” Murrill said. “By requiring state legislatures to draw maps that sort voters by race, it forces us to violate the

Two children killed in shooting at Minneapolis Catholic school

Authorities say a shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of building

BY STEVE KARNOWSKI, MARK VANCLEAVE and GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — A shooter opened fire with a rifle Wednesday through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis and struck children celebrating Mass during the first week of school, killing two and wounding 17 people in an act of violence the police chief called “absolutely incomprehensible.”

Armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, 23-yearold Robin Westman approached the side of the church and shot dozens of rounds through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School just before 8:30 a.m., Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at news conferences. He said the shooter then died by suicide.

The children who died were 8 and 10. Fourteen other kids and three octogenarian parishioners were wounded but expected to survive, the chief said.

Fifth grader Weston Halsne told reporters he ducked for the pews, covering his

shielded by a friend who was lying on

of

His friend was hit, he said. “I was super-scared for him, but I think now he’s OK,” the 10-year-old said, adding that he was praying for the other hospitalized children and adults.

See SHOOTING, page 5A

ä See VOTING, page 5A ä See MISSING, page 5A

Administration appeals order to unfreeze funds

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s administration appealed to the Supreme Court again on Wednesday in its bid to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid funding frozen.

The Justice Department filed an emergency appeal seeking quick intervention to halt lower court decisions that have kept the money flowing, including for global health and HIV and AIDS programs.

The justices rebuffed the Trump administration on the issue earlier this year, but the court was divided 5-4. The justices have since sided with the administration in several highprofile cases.

The Republican administration says the funding at issue includes about $12 billion that would need to be spent by Sept. 30 if the lower court orders remain in place A judge’s March order requiring the funding to continue wrongly interferes with negotiations between the president and Congress over the cuts, they argued.

Trump has portrayed the foreign aid as wasteful spending that does not align with his foreign policy goals.

A divided three-judge panel of the appeals court in Washington allowed the administration to suspend the funding earlier this month, but the full court declined to let the freeze snap into place immediately

Nonprofit organizations that sued the government have said the funding freeze breaks federal law and has shut down funding for even the most urgent lifesaving programs abroad

Rapper hospitalized after shooting at store

DALLAS Dallas rapper FBG Murda was shot in Irving on Tuesday after he and another man got into a dispute with the owners of a muffler shop, according to authorities.

The 21-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Cayto Rivers, is currently hospitalized, Irving police said. The extent of his injuries remains unclear

On Tuesday around 2:20 p.m., Irving police officers were dispatched to a muffler shop in response to a shooting.

After a preliminary investigation, police found the dispute began when Rivers and Elijah Jacobs, also 21, entered a restricted area of the shop

The shop’s owners asked Rivers and Jacobs to leave, after which the pair became “verbally aggressive” and brandished firearms, police said. According to police, the owners “physically restrained” Rivers and Jacobs to prevent them from using their weapons The two men allegedly threatened to shoot the owners. As Rivers and Jacobs attempted to leave, an owner held on to one of them and was dragged along. A firearm was discharged during the altercation and Rivers was struck, police said. It wasn’t immediately clear how many shots were fired.

Irving jail records showed Jacobs was in custody as of Wednesday morning and is facing a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Police said Rivers will be booked into jail once medically cleared.

Sting sued over ‘Every Breath You Take’ money

LOS ANGELES Sting’s former bandmates in the Police have sued the singer and bassist for what they claim are unpaid royalties over the group’s hit “Every Breath You Take.” In the suit filed in London High Court, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland claim they never got songwriting credit on their band’s 1983 single, famously sampled on Diddy and Faith Evans’ “I’ll Be Missing You.” They allege in the suit that they have never been paid for their writing contributions.

The Police formed in 1977 and quickly became U.K. charttoppers, earning a U.S No. 1 single with “Every Breath You Take” before splitting in 1984. Sting went onto a successful solo career In February 2022, Sting sold his entire songwriting catalog to Universal for an estimated $300 million.

Abrego Garcia requests asylum in U.S.

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and BEN FINLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose case has come to encapsulate much of President Donald Trump ’s hard-line immigration agenda, wants to seek asylum in the United States, his lawyers told a federal judge Wednesday Abrego Garcia, 30, was detained Monday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Baltimore after leaving a Tennessee jail on Friday. The Trump administration said it intends to deport him to the African country of Uganda.

The Salvadoran national’s lawyers are fighting the deportation efforts in court, arguing he has the right to express fear of persecution and torture in Uganda. Abrego Garcia has also told immigration authorities he would prefer to be sent to Costa Rica if he must be removed from the U.S

A U.S. immigration judge denied his request for asylum in 2019 be-

cause he applied more than a year after he had fled to the U.S. He left El Salvador at the age of 16, around 2011, to join his brother, who had become a U.S. citizen and was living in Maryland.

Although he was denied asylum, the immigration judge did issue an order shielding Abrego Garcia from deportation to El Salvador because he faced credible threats of violence from a gang there that had terrorized him and his family He was granted a form of protection known as “withholding of removal,” which prohibits him from being sent to El Salvador but allows his deportation to another country Following the 2019 ruling, Abrego Garcia was released under federal supervision and continued to live with his American wife and children in Maryland. He checked in with ICE each year received a federal work permit and was working as a sheet metal apprentice earlier this year, his lawyers have said.

But in March, the Trump admin-

istration deported Abrego Garcia to an El Salvador prison, alleging he was a member of MS-13.

The allegation stems from a day in 2019 when Abrego Garcia sought work as a day laborer at a Home Depot in Maryland. Authorities had been told by a confidential informant that Abrego Garcia and other men could be identified as members of MS-13 because of their clothing and tattoos. He was detained by police, but Abrego Garcia was never charged — and has repeatedly denied the allegation. He was turned over to ICE and that’s when he applied for asylum for the first time.

The Trump administration’s deportation of Abrego Garcia in March violated the immigration judge’s 2019 order barring his removal to El Salvador Abrego Garcia’s wife sued to bring him back.

Facing mounting pressure and a U.S. Supreme Court order, the Trump administration returned Abrego Garcia to the U.S. in June, where he was charged with human

Israel calls Gaza City evacuation ‘inevitable’

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, SAM METZ and SALLY ABOU ALJOUD Associated Press

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Israeli and U.S. officials were to meet Wednesday in Washington to discuss postwar Gaza, even as Israel’s military called the evacuation of Gaza City “inevitable” ahead of a new offensive and no sign of a ceasefire was in sight.

The meeting comes amid mounting outrage over this week’s double Israeli strike on a southern Gaza hospital that killed journalists, emergency responders and others. The toll from the attack on Nasser Hospital rose to 22 after two more people died Wednesday, Gaza health officials said.

The Israeli military, which has said it will investigate, offered no immediate explanation for striking twice and no evidence for an assertion that six of the dead were militants.

As a growing chorus of international leaders urge Israel to reconsider its offensive and commit to talks, Pope Leo XIV called for Israel to halt the “collective punishment” and forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.

The Israeli military on Wednesday told residents of Gaza City to prepare to leave.

“The evacuation of Gaza City is inevitable,” spokesperson Avichay Adraee

wrote in Arabic on X. He said Israeli forces have surveyed vast empty areas south of the city “to assist the evacuating residents as much as possible.” He said the displaced would receive space for tents, and infrastructure would be set up to distribute aid and water

More than 80% of Gaza is designated as an Israeli military zone or subject to displacement orders, the U.N. humanitarian agency said in June.

Israel has pressed ahead with plans to mobilize tens of thousands of reservists.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the military will launch its offensive while simultaneously pursuing a ceasefire.

Hamas said last week that it accepted a ceasefire plan from Arab mediators.

Qatar, which has rarely assigned blame through more than a year of mediation, said Tuesday that Israel has yet to officially respond and “does not want to reach an agreement.” Last week, an official from Qatar said the proposal under discussion was “almost identical” to an earlier draft that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff put forth and Israel accepted.

The deal said to be under discussion would include a 60-day truce, the release of some of the 50 remaining hostages held by Hamas in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza and a road map toward talks on a lasting ceasefire.

Leaders of ‘slave labor cult’ arrested

BY JOSEPH WILKINSON New york Daily News (TNS)

Two leaders of the Kingdom of God Global Church, a nationwide ministry once called a “slave labor cult” by a former member, were arrested Wednesday by the FBI.

David Taylor, the 53-year-old leader known as the church’s “apostle,” and Michelle Brannon, its 56-year-old executive director were both detained, the Justice Department announced. They stand accused of forced labor conspiracy and money laundering

The Kingdom of God Global Church, also known as Joshua Media Ministries International, operates from several locations in Michigan, Texas, Florida and Missouri.

The controversial and charismatic Taylor has led the church since it was founded in Michigan in 2013.

According to the feds, the church is little more than a front designed to convince people to give Taylor their money Church members work long, unpaid shifts at call centers throughout the country to solicit donations, according to a federal indictment.

“Taylor demanded that victims raise more money admonished victims for not meeting his monetary goals, explained the power God gave him, rebuked victims for disobedience and cursed those who stopped working for him,” the indictment reads.

The feds say Taylor ran his call centers with an iron fist, depriving food and sleep from those who failed to reach his “unobtainable” fundraising goals.

With the tens of millions generated from the call centers, Taylor bought expensive luxuries for himself, including properties, vehicles Jet Skis and a boat, according to the feds.

smuggling, a federal offense.

The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop for speeding in Tennessee There were nine passengers in the SUV and Abrego Garcia had $1,400 in cash on him. While officers discussed among themselves their suspicions of smuggling, he was allowed to drive away with only a warning.

A federal judge in Tennessee released Abrego Garcia from jail on Friday after ruling that he was not a flight risk or a danger The Trump administration moved to deport Abrego Garcia again on Monday, alleging he is a danger Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have filed a federal lawsuit to ensure that he can exercise his constitutionally protected right to fight deportation. He is entitled to immigration court proceedings and appeals, his lawyers say U.S District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland has ruled that the U.S. government cannot remove Abrego Garcia from the country as the lawsuit plays out.

Some FEMA staff are put on leave

BY GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA Associated Press

Some employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who signed a public letter of dissent earlier this week were put on administrative leave Tuesday evening, according to documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

More than 180 current and former FEMA employees signed the letter sent to the FEMA Review Council and Congress on Monday critiquing recent cuts to agency staff and programs, and warning that FEMA’s capacity to respond to a major disaster was dangerously diminished.

Thirty-five signed their names while 141 signed anonymously for fear of retribution.

The Associated Press has confirmed that at least two of the signatories received notices Tuesday evening informing them they would be placed on leave indefinitely, with pay and that they must still check in every morning confirm-

ing their availability It was unclear what the status was for other signatories. The notice said the decision “is not a disciplinary action and is not intended to be punitive.” FEMA did not respond immediately to questions about how many staff received the notice and whether it was related to the opposition letter The dissent letter contained six “statements of opposition” to current policies at FEMA, including an expenditure approval policy by which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem must approve contracts exceeding $100,000, which the signatories said reduces FEMA’s ability to perform its mission.

In an email Monday, FEMA spokesperson Daniel Llargues said that the Trump administration “has made accountability and reform a priority.”

“It is not surprising that some of the same bureaucrats who presided over decades of inefficiency are now objecting to reform,” Llargues said.

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CDC director out after less than a month

BY MIKE STOBBE Associated Press

NEW YORK The director of the nation’s top public health agency is out after less than one month in the job, U.S. officials announced Wednesday

“Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wrote on social media. HHS officials did not explain why Monarez is no longer with the agency Before the department’s announcement, she told The Associated Press: “I can’t comment.” Monarez, 50, was the agency’s 21st director and the first to pass through Senate confirmation following a 2023 law She was named acting director in January and then tapped as the nominee in March. She was sworn in on July 31 — less than a month ago, making her the shortest-serving CDC director in the history of the 79-year-old agency

Her short time at CDC was tumultuous. On Aug 8, at the end of her first full week on the job, a Georgia man opened fire from a spot at a pharmacy across the street from CDC’s main entrance. The 30-year-old man blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal. He killed a police officer and fired more than 180 shots into CDC buildings before killing himself. No one at CDC was injured, but it shell-shocked a staff that already had low morale from other recent changes.

The Atlanta-based federal agency has been hit by widespread staff cuts resignations of key officials and heated controversy over long-standing CDC vaccine policies upended by Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr

During her Senate confirmation process, Monarez told senators that she values vaccines, public health interventions and rigorous scientific evidence. But she largely dodged questions about whether those positions put her at odds with Kennedy a longtime vaccine skeptic who has criticized and sought to dismantle some of the agency’s previous protocols and decisions.

Trump takes control of Union Station

Management of D.C transit hub has been Amtrak’s responsibility

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s administration is taking management of Union Station away from Amtrak in the latest example of the federal government exerting its power over the nation’s capital.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the takeover Wednesday alongside Amtrak President Roger Harris at Washington’s main transportation hub during the launch of an updated version of the rail service’s Acela train The federal government owns Union Station, which is near the Capitol.

Duffy said the station has “fallen into disrepair” when it should be a “point of pride” for the District of Columbia. He said the Republican administration’s move would help beautify the landmark in an economical way and was in line with Trump’s vision.

“He wants Union Station to be beautiful again. He wants transit to be safe again. And he wants our nation’s capital to be great again. And today is part of that,” Duffy said.

It’s Trump’s latest attempt to put the city under his control. In recent weeks, Trump has increased the number of federal law enforcement and immigration agents on city streets while also taking over the Metropolitan Police Department and activating thousands of National Guard members. Last week, Trump said he wants $2 billion from Congress to beautify Washington.

Duffy said the federal government can do a better job managing the train station and attract more

shops and restaurants and generate more revenue that will be used to pay for upgrades to the station, which opened in 1907. Since then, the cavernous Roman-columned building has been through multiple management changes and numerous ups and downs regarding its cleanliness, safety and state of repair

Mayor Muriel Bowser said upgrading the transit hub that serves various rail lines and buses would be an “amazing initiative” for the federal government to take on because the city cannot afford the cost.

“It has suffered from not being able to get the money that it needs for the renovation,” the Democrat

said at a separate news conference.

National Guard troops have patrolled in and around Union Station ever since Trump announced the anti-crime effort this month. Vice President JD Vance and Defense

Secretary Pete Hegseth were shouted down by opponents of the federal intervention when they visited with troops there last week.

The deputy transportation secretary Steve Bradbury cited a new roof and new public restrooms among $170 million in upgrades that he said are needed at the station.

Union Station has had a history of ups and downs during its nearly 120year history

In 1981, after rain started pouring through the ceiling, the National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over some of the area surrounding the station, declared the building unsafe. The station was closed for five years for renovation and President Ronald Reagan signed the Union Station Redevelopment Act to help fund and organize its comeback. The station has occasionally been a magnet for

Poll: Handling crime is relative strength for Trump

BY JILL COLVIN and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press

WASHINGTON As armed National Guard troops patrol the nation’s capital as part of an unprecedented federal takeover of Washington’s police department, handling crime is now a relative strength for President Donald Trump, according to the latest AP-NORC poll.

Americans are generally not happy about the Republican president’s handling of issues like immigration and the economy but are more positive about his toughon-crime approach, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

Indeed, the vast majority of Americans, 81%, see crime as a “major problem” in large cities a concern Trump has seized on as he has deployed the National Guard to the District of Columbia and threatened to expand that model to cities across the country Despite that perception, data shows that violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low But Trump’s approach appears to be helping him, at least for the moment: His overall approval rating has increased slightly,

from 40% in July to 45% now.

But the poll shows there is less public support for federal takeovers of local police departments, suggesting opinions could shift over the coming weeks or months, depending on how aggressively Trump pursues his threats.

For now, many Republicans in particular feel extreme action needs to be taken, even as statistics show violent crime is down in Washington and across the nation following a coronavirus pandemic-era spike “About damn time that somebody did something,” said Charles Arnold, 87, a lifelong Republican who lives in San Diego.

About half of U.S. adults, 53%, say they approve of Trump’s handling of crime, the poll finds. That’s higher than his approval rating on the economy, immigration and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine — which are in line with his overall approval rating.

Trump’s approach on crime is similarly popular among White and Hispanic adults, with roughly half in each group saying they approve of the way he’s handling the issue. Black adults, however, are substantially less likely to say they’re

‘Alligator Alcatraz’ will likely be empty within days, email shows

BY KATE PAYNE and MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press/ Report

for America

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A top Florida official says the controversial state-run immigration detention facility in the Everglades will likely be empty in a matter of days, even as Republican Gov Ron DeSantis’ administration and the federal government fight a judge’s order to shutter the facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by late October That’s according to an email exchange shared with The Associated Press. In a message sent to South Florida Rabbi Mario Rojzman on Aug. 22 related to providing chaplaincy services at the facility Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie said “we are probably going to be down to 0 individuals within a few days.” Rojzman, and the executive assistant who sent the original email to Guthrie, both confirmed the veracity of the messages to the AP on Wednesday The facility was rapidly constructed two months ago with the goal of holding up to 3,000 detainees as part of President Donald Trump’s push to deport people who are in the U.S. illegally At one point, it held almost 1,000 detainees, but U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said that he was told during a tour last week that only 300 to 350 detainees remained. Three lawsuits challenging practices at the detention center have been filed, including one that estimated at least 100 detainees who had been at the facility have been deported Others have been transferred to other immigration detention centers. News that the last detainee at “Alligator Alcatraz” could leave the facility within days came less than a week after

a federal judge in Miami ordered the detention center to wind down operations, with the last detainee needing to be out within 60 days. The state of Florida appealed the decision, and the federal government asked U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams to put her order on hold pending the appeal, saying that the Everglades facility’s thousands of beds were badly needed since other detention facilities in Florida were overcrowded.

Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe had argued in their lawsuit that further construction and operations should be stopped until federal and state officials complied with federal environmental laws. Their lawsuit claimed the facility threatened environmentally sensitive wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals and would undermine billions of dollars spent onenvironmentalrestoration.

on board with Trump’s approach to crime, with just 27% in favor

There’s broad agreement among Americans that crime is a significant issue in large cities, even with incident numbers in decline. That belief is especially

pronounced among Republicans, nearly all of whom see crime as a significant problem in large cities. Roughly 7 in 10 independents and Democrats agree. Americans who live in urban areas are also more likely to say crime is a “major problem” in their own communities. Still, there are limits to what the public may accept. The poll finds 55% of U.S. adults believe it is “completely” or “somewhat” unacceptable for the federal government to take control of local police departments.

Halsne’s grandfather, Michael Simpson, said the violence during Mass on the third day of school left him wondering whether God was watching over.

“I don’t know where he is,” Simpson said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the shooting is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.

O’Hara said police hadn’t yet found any relationship between the shooter and the church, nor determined a motive for the bloodshed. The chief said, however, that investigators were examining a social media post that appeared to show the shooter at the scene and contained “some disturbing writings.”

“The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” said O’Hara, who gave the wounded youngsters’ ages as 6 to 15. He said a wooden plank was placed to barricade some of the side doors, and that authorities found a smoke bomb at the scene.

Westman’s uncle, former Kentucky state lawmaker Bob Heleringer, said he did not know the accused shooter well. He said he last saw Westman at a family wedding a few years ago and was confounded by the violence: “It’s an unspeakable tragedy.”

The police chief said Westman did not have an extensive known criminal history and is believed to have acted alone Federal officials referred to Westman as transgender, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey decried hatred being directed at “our transgender community ” Westman’s gender identity wasn’t clear. In 2020, a judge approved a petition, signed by Westman’s mother, asking for a name change from Robert to Robin, saying the petitioner “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”

Frey said the violence had forever changed the students’ families and the city along with them “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now,” Frey said at a news conference.

MISSING

Continued from page 1A

is a failure. I think it is,” Kirkpatrick said Tuesday “And as I said, we’re going to look at everything. I mean, everything.” Orleans Parish court records show that Hilda Vasquez was charged in 2014 with cruelty to juveniles and second-degree cruelty to juveniles She later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of simple cruelty to juveniles by

VOTING

Continued from page 1A

federal Constitution.”

The state’s brief details the position Louisiana will take Oct. 15 when state Solicitor General Benjamin Aguiñaga argues Louisiana v Callais before the nine justices of the high court. The brief contends that Senate Bill 8, which enacted the maps, only became law because of “unprecedented pressure by the courts to draw a second majorityminority district or else the courts would. And that is why our original briefing in this case defends SB 8 under the Court’s existing precedents.”

“Whether race technically predominates or not,” the brief states, “…does not change the fact that the classification is fundamentally contrary to the Equal Protection Clause’s prohibitions.”

The filing concluded by asking the high court to find “the intentional creation of a second majority-minority district in SB8 is unconstitutional.”

If the Supreme Court accepts Louisiana’s argument, it would mean drastic changes to how election maps across America are drawn, election observers say “It’s a breathtaking, wholesale attack on the Voting Rights Act, which just turned 60 this month,” said Michael Li, a redistricting authority with the Brennan Center for Justice, which is affiliated with New York University Law School.

“These kids were literally praying.”

Bill Bienemann, who lives a couple of blocks away and has long attended Mass at Annunciation Church, said he heard as many as 50 shots over as long as four minutes.

“I was shocked I said, ‘There’s no way that could be gunfire,’” he said Bienemann’s daughter, Alexandra, said she was an alumna of the kindergarten-to-eighth-grade school, and it made her sick to her stomach to think she might know some of those who were injured.

The police chief said officers immediately responded to reports of the shooting, entered the church, rendered first aid and rescued some of the children hiding throughout the building as other

negligent treatment or neglect.

A police source familiar with the case said Bryan Vasquez, then 6 months old, was the victim and suffered a fractured skull and broken legs.

Hilda Vasquez declined to comment on her 2014 conviction. Cristina Rosales-Fajardo, who has served as a translator for Hilda Vasquez and an organizer of the civilian search efforts, said the investigation process has been “like a war,” leaving the family without an opportunity to properly grieve, and Bryan’s mother without the

“It’s also completely unfounded,” he said, arguing that for four decades the courts were able to distinguish between situations where majority-minority districts are necessary to remedy race discrimination and where they are not When Louisiana was required to draw new U.S House districts due to population changes in the 2020 census, it originally passed a map much like the old one, with five majority-White districts and one majorityBlack district.

A group of Black voters, known as the Robinson litigants, filed a legal challenge arguing the Voting Rights Act required two majority-Black districts, since roughly a third of the state is Black and the districts could be configured to be compact while linking communities with similar interests.

A federal district and appellate judges agreed.

Gov Jeff Landry and the Legislature in January 2024 passed SB8, which redrew the maps from which the state elected its six representatives to the U.S House to include two Black majority districts instead of one.

State lawmakers argued that the map they drew was for political reasons: to protect the White majorities in the districts represented by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Start

But a second group of “non-African Americans,” known as the Callais litigants, then filed their own lawsuit, claiming the new map relies primarily on race and is an illegal gerryman-

emergency responders arrived. Frey and Annunciation’s principal said teachers and children, too, responded heroically

“Children were ducked down. Adults were protecting children. Older children were protecting younger children,” said the principal, Matt DeBoer Danielle Gunter the mother of an eighth-grade boy who was shot, in a statement said her son told her a Minneapolis police officer “really helped him” by giving aid and a hug before her son got into an ambulance.

Amid a heavy uniformed law enforcement presence later Wednesday morning, children in dark green uniforms trickled out of the school with adults, giving lingering hugs and wiping away tears.

Aubrey Pannhoff a 16-year-old

phone that held pictures and videos of him.

A frequent presence at the search scene near the 13000 block of Sevres Street, Hilda Vasquez has been heartbroken over the death of her son, who had been missing since he sneaked out of Beaucaire Street at 5:20 a.m. Thursday Aug. 14. His disappearance triggered a multiagency and volunteer search that ended Tuesday when his body resurfaced and was discovered by a United Cajun Navy volunteer’s drone

der under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. Two of the three federal judges on a special panel ruled in their favor

The Callais parties argue that Louisiana’s Black population doesn’t live close enough together to support creating two Black-majority districts. The fact that the new district stretches from Baton Rouge to Lafayette to Shreveport is evidence legislators were using race to draw a district with the goal of creating a second Black district, they argue.

Section 2 mandates that states with histories of polarized voting and diluting minority voices must allow minority-majority districts if, generally, voters with like interests live close enough together When conditions such as segregated communities and polarized voting cease to exist, such as in parts of the northeast and west, voting rights challenges fail in court.

But some courts have ruled that those conditions continue to exist in Louisiana. For example, the state’s White majorities have never elected a Black candidate.

The state of Louisiana initially asked the U.S. Supreme Court how best to balance Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which allows configuring districts in a way that minorities have an opportunity to elect one of their own, and the Equal Protection Clause, which forbids creating districts based on race.

The high court asked for new arguments on whether Section 2 the remaining legal tool to enforce the Voting

sent a telegram of condolences. The Chicago-born Leo, history’s first American pope, said he was praying for relatives of the dead. News of the shooting rippled through a national Democratic officials’ meeting nearby in Minneapolis. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who represents the area around the school, visited the scene.

Atlanta Archbishop Gregory Hartmeyer, who chairs the board of the National Catholic Education Association, said in a statement that reasonable firearms legislation must be passed.

“The murder of children worshipping at Mass is unspeakable,” Hartmeyer said. “We must take action to protect all children and families from violence.”

Monday had been the first day of the school year at Annunciation, a 102-year-old school in a leafy residential and commercial neighborhood about 5 miles south of downtown Minneapolis. Karin Cebulla, who said she had worked as a learning specialist at Annuciation and sent her two nowcollege-aged daughters there, described the school as an accepting, caring community

“Everyone felt safe here, and I just pray that it continues to be a place where people feel safe,” she said.

student at a different Catholic school, rushed to Annunciation after her own school’s lockdown and prayer service, and she said she was asking God: “Why?”

“It’s little kids,” she said through tears. “It’s just really hard for me to take in.”

Minnesota Gov Tim Walz lamented that children just starting the school year “were met with evil and horror and death.” He and President Donald Trump ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff on state and federal buildings, respectively, and the White House said the two men spoke. The governor was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in last year’s election against Trump’s running mate, now Vice President JD Vance, a Republican. From the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV

A mother of four, including an infant, Hilda Vasquez had recently moved to a new address in Village de l’Est and had not had time to install the security measures that contained Bryan in the past.

“She just was holding on to faith and fate,” said Rosales-Fajardo. “When they finally confirmed that it is her son, she asked to see his body Well, they’re not allowing her to see the body because of the decomposition and the damage that the alligators caused.

“I brought them to my house, which is right around the corner

Rights Act, violates the 14th and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The state already has argued to the high court the validity and need for two minority-majority congressional districts, noted Ashley Shelton, who leads the Power Coalition, a New Orleans-based community activist group that is one of the Robinson litigants.

“What has changed? Other than the political whims of the president,” Shelton said. The current configuration

The gunfire was the latest in a series of fatal shootings in Minnesota’s most populous city in less than 24 hours One person was killed and six others were hurt in a shooting Tuesday afternoon Hours later, two people died in two other shootings in the city

O’Hara, the police chief, said the Annunciation shooting does not appear to be related to other recent violence.

Alongside many major U.S. cities, violent crime in Minneapolis has decreased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of homicides between 2020 and 2024 fell by about 7%, based on data from AH Datalytics and its Real-Time Crime Index, which tracks crimes across the country using law enforcement data.

Over the first six months of 2025, the index shows a 21% decrease in homicides over the same period of 2024, while aggravated assaults — which include non-fatal shootings were down 8%.

from her house, and we just cried.” Hilda Vasquez has criticized the NOPD’s five-hour response time, which Kirkpatrick described on Wednesday as “inordinate.” An internal NOPD investigation into that delay launched last week. “We know that these are difficult outcomes, and we still have quite a grieving community and a grieving family,” Kirkpatrick said. “This investigation does continue.” Anyone with information may call Crimestoppers anonymously at (504) 822-1111 or contact NOPD at (504) 821-2222.

with two Black Democratic and four White Republican representatives was drawn by and approved by the Republican majority of the Louisiana Legislature and signed into law by a Republican governor U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields the Baton Rouge Democrat who won election in the newly created Black majority district, released a statement Wednesday saying the attorney general should represent the state’s interest whenever

the validity of a state law is challenged.

“That responsibility exists for a reason: the people deserve to know that the laws passed by their elected legislature will be given a full and fair defense. I just have the belief that the Attorney General should be willing to defend the work of the people’s representatives,” Fields said.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

Shownistoday’s weather.Temperatures are today’s highs andtonight’slows.

FarEast, Crimea feel pinch, butMoscow doesn’t

BY KATIEMARIE DAVIES

Associated Press

Gas stations have run dryin some regions of Russia after Ukrainian drones struckrefineries and other oil infrastructureinrecent weeks, with motorists waiting in long lines and officialsresorting to rationing or cutting off sales altogether Wholesale prices on theSt. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange for A-95 gas —the highest octane —spiked torecord highs last week, soaring to about 50%higher than in January,asdemand soared from farmers seeking to bring in the harvest and Russians hitting the roads for their last big vacation of the summer Russian media outlets reported fuel shortages are hitting consumers in several regionsinthe Far East and on the CrimeanPenin-

By TheAssociated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark— Den-

mark’sforeign minister summoned the top U.S. diplomat in the country for talks after the main national broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have beencarrying out covert influence operations in Greenland. In alengthy written statement, the U.S. State Department confirmed that the deputy chief of mission in Copenhagen, Mark Stroh, had met with Danish foreign ministry officials. It declined to comment “on the actions of private U.S. citizens in Greenland.”

“The U.S. government does not control or direct the actions of private citizens,” it said. The department said Stroh had “a productive conversation and reaffirmedthe strong ties amongthe Government of Greenland, the United States, and Den-

sula, which was illegally annexed from Ukraine byMoscow in 2014. Media outlets in the Primorye region, which borders NorthKorea, reported long lines and prices of about 78 rublesper liter (approximately $3 58per gallon) at gas stations in the area, where the averagemonthly wage is about $1,200.Journalistsatlocal news outlet Primpress found other drivers trying to sell gas online foras much as 220 rublesper liter (about $10.12 per gallon).

In the Kurilsky district of the KurilIslands north of Japan, shortages of lower octane A-92 gas forced officials to haltpublic sales outright Monday.InCrimea, apopular resort area, some companiessold fuel only to holders of couponsorspecial cards. Russia is no stranger to gasoline price increases at the end of summer.But this year’sshortages have been aggravated by Ukraine’sattacks on oil refineriesinthe war Larger,more concentrated attacks are causingmoredamage and hampering production,all timed to coincide with peak demand.

mark.” Itsaidthe U.S. valuesits relationshipswith bothDenmark,a NATO ally, andGreenlandand noted that Trumpand histop aides hadall said theyrespect “the right of the people of Greenland to determine their own future.”

“Wecontinue to fosterengagement and cooperation with Denmarkand Greenland to support increased security and prosperity for ournations,”itsaid Strohisthe second American diplomat to be summoned by aEuropeanNATO ally this week as theTrump administration shakes up its approach to foreign policy. France hadcalled U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner to its foreignministry after he sent aletter to French PresidentEmmanuel Macron alleging thecountry didnot doenoughtocombat antisemitism.

TheWhiteHouse didnot offer an immediate comment on Denmark’ssummons.

Trumphas repeatedly

Ukrainiandrone attackscause gasshortages in Russia

Ukraine has targeted energy infrastructure before, but therecent strikeshave been more successful, withmoredronestargeting amore concentratedgroup of facilities

“The Ukrainians are attacking an arc of refineries, starting from Ryazan, which is south of Moscow, allthe waytoVolgograd. That region is where people are driving through on their way to (resorts on)the Black Sea. That’s theregion wheremost of theharvestoperations are going on.And that’salso a rather densely populated region,” Sergey Vakulenko, asenior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center,told The Associated Press.

Between Aug. 2and Aug. 24, Ukraine attacked oil infrastructure at least 12 times, according to media reports. Of those attacks, at least 10 were targeting sites in the Ryazan-Volgogradarc in southwestern Russia.

These attacks have damaged many oilrefineries but have not destroyedthemoutright, Vakulenko said, adding that most of the facilities are extremely resilient against fires.

But they can slow refinery activity,asshown by afallinthe intake of crude oil to be turned into diesel, gasoline or other products by roughly 200,000 to 250,000 barrelsper day,saidGary Peach, oil markets analyst at Energy Intelligence.

“That’sjust enough to make their gasoline industry feel some pain, especially during the high consumption months in the summer,” he told AP.Gasoline productionfell 8.6% in the first 19 days of August, compared with ayear earlier,and diesel production was down 10.3% Other war-related issues have caused even moreconsumer pain.

Ukrainian drone strikes repeatedly have disrupted Russiantransportation networks, particularly airtraffic, causingmorepeopleto travelbycar and increasing demandfor gas, Vakulenko said.

To trytoease the shortage, Russiahas pausedgasoline exports, with officials Wednesdaydeclaring afull ban until Sept. 30 and apartial banaffecting traders and intermediaries until Oct. 31.

Oilcompanymanagershavealso been summoned to government meetings twice this month to discuss the shortages, Russian media reported. While officialsappear to be concerned, the gasoline shortfall “isn’t system critical,” Peach said. So far, the shortage remains confined to certain areas —the Far East and Crimea —because these regions usually are supplied by fewer refineries and present greater transportation demands. Moscow has been spared the latestgasoline pricespike because it is well-supplied from major refineriesinYaroslavl andNizhny Novgorod, cities afew hours’ drive away.The capital also has arefinery in the city itself Russia is not at immediate risk of grinding to ahalt —even in more vulnerable regions, experts say Although private drivers may feel some pain at the gas pump, most buses and trucks run on diesel, for which Russia hasa surplus. The military,whichlargely usesdiesel fuel, also is insulated from any shocks.

said he seeks U.S.jurisdiction over Greenland, avast, semiautonomous territory of Denmark. He has not ruled outmilitary force to take control of the mineral-

rich, strategically located Arctic island. Denmarkand Greenland have said the island is not for saleand condemned reportsofthe U.S. gathering

intelligence there. Public broadcaster DR said Danish

land andthe U.S.,believe that at least three American nationalswithconnections to Trump have been carrying out covert influence

TANGIPAHOA

Frustration grows after plant fire

Officials say black soot ‘no imminent threat’

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

The black, oily soot that spewed from the Tangipahoa plant that caught fire and exploded last week does not pose “an imminent threat to public health,” regulators said Wednesday, but further details on the substance’s contents were not provided, and parish officials expressed concerns over the slow release of information.

U.S. Environmental Protection

‘The

Agency officials issued the finding, but nonetheless warned residents to wash surfaces and their hands if they’ve come in contact with the material and to avoid concentrated collections of the black residue.

Coating surfaces across the area near Smitty’s Supply Inc., the black soot, which fell at least on Friday and Saturday, has become one of several contamination concerns for residents after the devastating fire near Roseland and has been key in a series of proposed class-

action lawsuits over the blaze. Covering roughly 20 acres, the complex holding as much as 8.7 million gallons of flammable hydrocarbons and other chemicals caught fire shortly before 12:52 p.m. Friday, sending a towering black plume skyward.

The fire continued to smolder Wednesday with scattered hot spots and remains 98% contained, though officials have not said what was in the complex and what burned.

EPA officials said black soot from the fire has been reported as far as 15 miles away from the Smitty’s complex, but testing has shown the material isn’t a major health risk.

“Based on the data currently available, there is no indication of any imminent threat to public health from the soot or smoke residue deposited in the surrounding area,” the EPA statement said.

“Out of an abundance of caution, residents are advised to take general hygiene precautions, including washing any outside surfaces that may have been impacted by

tools to succeed’

Welding program at Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office expands

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

Families and friends gathered at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Safety Complex on Wednesday to celebrate a group of incarcerated men earning their welding certificates. The 11 men earned their technical degree after completing the yearlong program through a partnership with South Louisiana Community College. The graduation ceremony was spe-

cial for two reasons. It was the largest graduating class in the partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and the community college. And the Sheriff’s Office now has a permanent 10-bay welding station.

“The highlight for us is about our focus and our mission of SoLaCC, which is to transform and impact lives,” said Chancellor Vincent June. “This is giving these young men an opportunity to forget about what happened in the past and utilize this new education

credential right away.”

The partnership, now in its eighth year, has graduated more than 70. It previously used SoLaCC’s mobile welding unit. But SoLaCC was able to obtain $300,000 in funding from the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and used the money to build the permanent structure at the Sheriff’s Office Willow Street complex. In addition to accommodating more

soot or smoke and practicing good hand-washing after contact with outdoor surfaces. Do not ingest any deposited soot or come into direct contact with areas of concentrated residue,” the agency said. The EPA statement came only a few hours after Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller expressed frustration with the slow pace of information from the unified command managing the fire’s aftermath. Miller said in a statement he is “standing with our residents and pushing for answers.”

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New Italian eatery coming to Lafayette

Restaurant to occupy South College Road building

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

The building that once housed Tchoup’s Midcity Restaurant and Bar on South College Road has been empty since Tchoup’s closed late last year

This fall, the cozy spot is slated to open again with a new concept: rustic Italian food featuring classic Sicilian recipes, courtesy of local restaurateurs Gene Todaro and Hunter Moody Todaro founded Lafayette restaurant Marcello’s in 1981 as an upscale Italian eatery. He is partnering with Lafayette native and Baton Rouge restaurateur Moody (known for his work with Sonny’s BBQ in Baton Rouge, among other restaurants) to open this new spot — CuGino.

The name is Italian for “cousin,” and a Sicilian play on Gene Todaro’s name meaning “with Gino,” according to a report from Developing Lafayette.

“As a guest, Marcello’s has been my favorite restaurant in Lafayette for a

Race for Sulphur mayor grows with 2 more candidates

Election to be held April 2026

BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer

With around eight months until the election for the next mayor of Sulphur two more candidates have announced plans to run for the position.

Nicholas Nezat and Jacob Stutes have announced they plan to join the race. The election will be held in April 2026.

Nezat, who has served on the Sulphur City Council representing District 2 since 2022, announced his candidacy Sunday via Facebook.

“Over the past few years, I’ve listened, walked our streets and heard your concerns,” Nezat said in the post. “I know what Sulphur needs to be the

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Tangipahoa blastneeds thorough investigation

After plumes of smoke from amidafternoon blast at aplant darkened theskiesoverRoseland on Friday,hundredsofresidents were forced to evacuate. Whenthey wereallowedto return Monday,they found their possessions covered in an oilyblack soot andthe smell of grease in the air

Fortunately,noone was injuredinthe accident.But it was thelatest example of therisks we face as Louisianans as we welcome the jobs andeconomicactivitythat heavy industry brings to our area

It also highlighted why federal and state oversight of these industries is so important.If our state’scitizens are expected to continue to accept such risks, we also must havevigorous environmentaland regulatory agencies thatcan assess the dangers and force companiestoaddress them before tragedystrikes.

The investigation of the explosion at Smitty’s Supply Inc. is in the early stages. Thecompany blendsand distributes oil and otherlubricants under brand names including SuperS,Shell, Quaker State, Castrol, Exxonand Valvoline.On the 20-acre site, its storagetankscan hold up to 8.7 million gallons of lubricants suchasethanol, charcoal lighter fluid, hydraulic fluids,diesel, brake fluid and other flammable liquids, according to state regulatory documents.

We were glad to see that TangipahoaParishofficialstookquick action toclose the Tangipahoa Riverand keep spilled chemicals from flowing into the nearby Lake Pontchartrain beforeturningthe scene over to theEnvironmentalProtection Agency.Likewise, resultsofair andwater quality monitoring by theEPA andthe state’s Department of EnvironmentalQuality cangive residents some comfort. Gov. Jeff Landry’svisit to Amite on Monday showed that hisadministration has made the cleanup apriority.The longterm health and well-beingofresidents should remain in the forefront.

Although poorer communities often bear the brunt of environmental disasters —and certainly,many neighborhoodsinRoselandwhere theblast occurred, were not wealthy—we note that in this case,the homes evacuatedincluded that of former Gov.John Bel Edwards.

An investigation into whatcaused the explosion has been opened by the Occupational Health and SafetyAdministration. Smitty’s employs about 450 people in theareaand has been the subject of complaintsbefore.AccordingtoOSHA, the plant hashad twoinjuriesand one fatality since 2017 and was subjectto more than $58,000 in fines. State andfederalregulators have alsodocumented various spills over the years, some of which thecompanyadmitted were preventable.

We hope those affected andthe widercommunity get some answers soon.

And moreimportantly,wehope thisincident leads to action that will prevent future accidents, onesthat could be deadly.While there has been apush recently to weaken theenforcement of environmental rules, that devalues what theseagencies do. When accidents like this happen, they prove their wortha thousand times over

Lower9th Ward isn’t

As alifelong resident of the Lower 9th Ward, a fifth-generation homeowner,and thefounder of Sankofa Community Development Corporation, Iread your recent article on the lack of grocery access in our neighborhood with disappointment. This is not to say thetopic isn’tcritical; it absolutely is, but it overlooks the real, ongoing work being done by thepeople who live here. It echoed the same tired narrative: that the Lower 9th Ward is still waiting for something to happen.

We’renot waiting. We’ve been working. For nearly two decades, Sankofa CDC has been responding to the legacy of food apartheid and systemic disinvestmentinour neighborhood not withcomplaints, but with action. We’ve grown urban farms, removed tonsofdebris from blighted lots, partnered withlocal farmers and fishers, operated mobile markets,employed community members, launched aMain Street corridor,created a40-acre wetland park and just last year,opened theFresh Start Market,the Lower

9th Ward’sonly green grocery store. That’snot theory.That’sboots on the ground. That’s progress. Have there been challenges? Absolutely.But despitelimited resources and systemic obstacles, we’ve pushed forward because we are not just rebuilding after Katrina. We are reclaiming our community,onour terms.

The narrative that the Lower 9th Ward is “still behind” fails to see the people already doing the work. It disrespectsthe families whoreturned, rolled up their sleeves, andcontinue to build. As we approach the 20th anniversary of HurricaneKatrina, we call on the media to stop with surface-level parachutecoverage and start showing up with intention, consistency and respect Ourneighborhood is not ablank slate. It is aplace of resilience, culture, history and power We’rehere. We never left. And we’re not done yet RASHIDAFERDINAND founder and CEO,SankofaCommunity Development Corporation

Housing immigrants at Angola abridgetoo far

Irecently took my 11-year-old grandsontothe airport.

As an unaccompaniedminor,I knewIwould have to check in at the airline kiosk, get both of us TSA passes, accompany him to the gate andwaitatthe gate until the plane departed.

Ialso knewfromrecent trips that short-term, long-term and surface lotparking have all been full. Upon arrival, thatwas the case, so my only recourse wastoswallowa $36 daily feefor valet parking.

Afterwaiting for 20 minutes, I was told thatIcould not request my car back for the first 24 hours. At leastthe valetoffered to call security in charge of the short-term lot, andIwas allowedtopark.

Upon entering, Isaw what seemed to be severaldozen empty parking spaces with reserved signs. Iwas able to find two empty spots for legitimate parking.

Iknowmanywould ask, “What in the world were they thinking when theybuilt this 5yearsago?” Ichoosetoframe this looking forward: “Whatare theygoing to do to quickly resolve this?” Ihopethe answerisnot to park at the old airport andtakeashuttle back andforth.

Visitors needing rental cars complain bitterly of the extra hour or more requiredtoget arental.

The proposed housing of nonviolent immigrants who have no criminal backgrounds at the Louisiana State PenitentiaryatAngola is barbaric, uncivilized and un-American. We say in our Pledge of Allegiance, “with liberty and justice for all” —“all” includes immigrants who may be here illegally Those politicians who advocate for such policies should be removed from office. These actions constitute agross abrogation of fundamental constitutional and civil rights. Furthermore, those policies are cruel, inhumane and ungodly.Every good andnoble citizen should stand up and be counted in opposing this grave injustice.

JASON SAVOY Mamou

Iamalifelong NewOrleanian, andfully understand the culture of privilege forour politicians and VIPs always having parking spots available

DAVID ELIZARDI Metairie LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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.

Lastfall, my van was hit broadside by adriver who ran ared light. The driver’slight had been red for several seconds. Thankfully,myfamily emerged from thecrash uninjured, very shaken and just glad to be alive. Ourvan, however,was totaled. Since that time, Ihave become much moreaware of how frequently this happens. Daily,Isee drivers blatantly run red lightsthat are very clearly red. When adriver runs ared light,

their lives and their passengers’ lives are as much at risk as all the other drivers entering the intersection with thegreen light.Inthis situation, the potential for alife-altering crash for manyvehicles is very high. Perhaps areminder of this tragic “lose-lose” scenario will encouragethose drivers to stop next time they encounter ared trafficlight.

MICHAELENE

WALSH Baton Rouge

The public needstobeaware of what to expect the next time they must park at the airport, as this might well have been adebaclefor me andmygrandson. We all expect to be told of the solution and not addmoresurprisestoanalready fraught experience traveling by air in ourcity

COMMENTARY

KATRINA

‘There wasnoplaybook’

As medical professionals, we all encounter tragedy daily —car wrecks, shootings, strokes and sudden deaths. But nothing prepared us for what we witnessed at theSuperdome during Katrina.

Iserved as thephysician medical director for Acadian Ambulance Service, which was the medical contractor providing EMS services at the Superdome. It wasAcadian’s tradition to staff the first aidstation at the Dome during hurricanes, since it was ashelter of last resort for people who were unable toevacuate thecity. Iwas there for twodays.

Though many of my personal memories remain buried, some scenes are still vivid:Diabetics in crisis, elderly people in heart failure, mothers in labor,and schizophrenicswithparanoia and hallucinations. Cancer patients wanted to know where they were goingtoget their chemo. Dialysis patients lookingfor direction. Thousands of people needing help all at once.

There was no playbook. When protocols failed, we had to invent solutions. For instance, oneofour air ambulance flightmedics evacuated six newborns from a flooded hospital using acardboard box padded with blankets. Everywhere, improvisation replaced procedure, andcourage replaced certainty

Our small first aid station was meant to handle minor illnesses and injuries and occasional heart attacks. Relief came when aFEMA Disaster Medical Assistance Team set up in the smaller New Orleans Arena next door.Together,weimprovised asystem: triage patients in theSuperdome, stabilize critical patients in the arena,movethemacross the raised walkway to theSuperdome helipad, and then flythemtoBaton Rouge. At first, helicopters made 90-minute round trips to LSU’sbasketball arena,which had beenconverted into a field hospital. But thedemand

tomove large numbers of people out of the Superdome was overwhelming. The breakthrough came when we realized the Interstate 10/Causeway cloverleaf outside of the flood zone could serve as an ambulance staging area and helicopter drop-off. Helicopters could cycle patientsout of the Superdome in minutes instead of hours, and ambulances could take them directly to moredistant regional hospitals. As fast as thehelicopters could land on the helipad, we would fill them with sick and injured people fortheir flight out

Theconditions inside the Superdome deteriorated rapidly.Inthe chaos of medical evacuations, families were tornapart, with no system in place to track where loved ones had been flown or which hospitals had received them. Rumorsswept through the Dome —whispers of violence, of rapes, of failing generators about to flood.

The National Guard urged us to strip off our orange vestsand conceal our stethoscopes to avoid being singled out. Fear for our own lives grew palpable. Iwondered if this was what soldiers meantbythe “fog of war.” Those days in New Orleanswere heartbreaking,yet what standsout most in my memoryisthe grit and determination of my colleagues paramedics, nurses, doctors and supportstaff. Oneco-worker persuaded three 18-wheeler drivers to push through floodwaters to Charity Hospital, where they loaded 48 patients andseveral staff members into the backs of those trucks and carried them out of thecity.Employees from Acadian’smaintenance department waded through 4feet of filthy water, hauling coolers filled with hamburgers so we could have ameal while working at the Dome. Icould tell a thousand stories like these —people sacrificing and pitching in with whatever they had. Even my own family found ways to help: Three of my

brothers flew intothe Superdome to assist with patient care and establish satellite communications.

Alot has changed in the 20 years since Katrina and Rita. Unfortunately,the standing of health care professionals seemstobeeroding. Online criticism is now routine. Public cynicism towardscience has grown louder.Meanwhile, ourhealth care system remains deeply flawed —profit-driven, bureaucraticand nearly impossible for theaverage patient,oreven theaverage physician, to navigate.

Beyond the core duty of caring for patients, today’shealth care workers face crushing workloads, chronic staffing shortages, endless paperwork and the dictates of insurance companies and profit-focused administrators. They endure verbal and physical abuse, punishinghours and the moral injury of knowing what their patients need but being unable to provide it.Layer onto that theshocks of pandemics and the increasing frequency of natural disasters, and it becomes clear: Working in health care today requires extraordinary commitment, resilience and sacrifice.

Idon’tthink about Katrinaevery day, but forgettingisimpossible. The memories remain etched in me like awatermark —faint at times, butalways present.

It’shard not to envision another catastrophe that could once again plunge us intochaos. In theyears since, I’ve cometocall myself a “practical prepper.” Itrainedasa ham radio operator,stockpiled food and essential suppliesand never leave home without my “get home or go” bag, packed withthree days’ worthofgear.I’ve made peace with the idea that disasters are not aquestion of “if” but “when.” And when that moment comes, thetruest resource we will have is eachother —our neighbors, our colleagues, our community

Ross Judice, M.D., served as chiefmedical officer of Acadian Ambulance Service from 1998 to 2010. He is the author of ‘The Katrina Diaries,’a firsthand account of medical responders’ experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Throughout August and September,weare featuring reflections on the 20th anniversary of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, two storms that changed Louisiana forever

Landry seals deal on LIV Golf event at City Park

N.O. will be fifth stop on international

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

New Orleans will officially host a LIV Golf event next summer, Gov Jeff Landry announced Wednesday at City Park, making it the fifth

U.S. stop on the international tour.

The league, backed by a Saudi Arabian wealth fund, brings a second professional golf tournament to the metro area, with dates set for June 26-28 at Bayou Oaks golf course in City Park.

”I’ve always imagined that the city of New Orleans will surpass all cities in the country as being the place where you want to entertain, and we have proven that again and again,” Landry said at City Park’s Pavilion of Two Sisters. Landry was joined on stage by LIV CEO Scott O’Neil; state Senate President Cameron Henry, RMetairie; City Park Conservancy CEO Rebecca Dietz; and other state and local officials at a splashy news conference that featured a

SULPHUR

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beautiful city it once was Now, I believe it’s time to take the next step.”

Nezat was raised in Sulphur and is a lifelong Republican, but said his run will not be about politics.

DJ, the Treme Funktet Band and pyrotechnics.

The announcement itself offered a glimpse into what officials said the three-day tour would bring once it hits the city next year

”This is not your grandfather’s golf. We have walk-up songs. We have emcees. We have DJs. We have concerts on the course,” O’Neil said.

The Louisiana Legislature, at Landry’s request earlier this year, helped lure the tour to New Orleans with a $7 million one-time budget allocation — $2.2 million of which goes toward improving City Park’s Bayou Oaks golf course, and the other $5 million toward LIV as a hosting fee.

”City Park is about to get a facelift,” Landry said. “This is an area that could be even greater We can make City Park great again.”

City Park leaders this week finalized a new 20-year master plan based on community feedback that does not include renovating Bayou Oaks.

LIV launched in 2022 as an alternative to the PGA Tour Landry has said the tour could generate about

“It’s about you, our families, our neighborhoods, and the future of our city,” Nezat said in the post. “It’s about fixing what’s broken and building what’s needed together.”

PLANT FIRE

Continued from page 1B

“Due to the event’s Unified Command structure, we are allowed in all the meetings where we hear information and have input, but we are frustrated with the long process of validating that information and being able to distribute it to the public,” Miller said Wednesday

Meeting with governor Miller sent out the statement after meeting Wednesday morning with Gov Jeff Landry and other state and federal officials.

EPA is the lead of the unified command and didn’t respond on Wednesday to a request for comment on Miller’s concerns. But it issued the statement about the black soot about two and a half hours afterward.

In that statement, EPA officials didn’t say what constituted the black material, which initially was described on Friday as oily at a time when it was intermittently raining, but later described as soot.

According to his Sulphur City Council biography, Nezat, a Sulphur High School graduate, has worked in law enforcement at the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office for more than 15 years, as well as at the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office and the State of Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice.

On Aug. 19, Stutes, the funeral director at Robison/ Johnson Funeral Home, announced on Facebook that he would be running for mayor “As a mayoral can-

mentWednesday,Sunderland said that the agency’s advice seemed reasonable.

“The main hazard from soot is inhalation. This is how it enters the lungs, bloodstream, brain, etc.,” he said.

“Soot deposited on surfaces is far less hazardous. It is most likely to slowly decompose on exposure to oxygen and sunlight, or drain into gutters and streams,” he added.

He noted that a person mowing grass in the area where the black material fell “could be at risk, but nothing an N-95 mask couldn’t remove.”

He said the greater risk at this point could be from staining to property

Cause still unclear

In an interview earlier this week, Peter Sunderland, a University of Maryland professor whose specialties include fire protection engineering, said whether it is soot or potentially oil droplets thrown from the fire, the materials are generally toxic. But offered the EPA state-

RESTAURANT

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longtime,”saidMoody “We’ll have a few things in common with them, such as how we source ingredients and make everything from scratch. Even our tomatoes are tier one as compared to other restaurants.”

Moody teased a few menu items, saying that CuGino will be distinct from other Italian offerings in Lafayette.

“We’re doing arancini, because in our opinion, Lafayette doesn’t have a true one. We’ll have a couple of steaks and our hope is they’ll be the best in town. We’re going to hand-sear the fish of the day, taking inspiration from Galatoire’s.” CuGino’s head chef will be

$60 million in economic impact. Critics say reaching that number is unlikely anytime soon.

The PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic, at TPC Louisiana on the West Bank of Jefferson Parish, has been a staple in the metro area since the 1930s and saw record attendance last year Steve Worthy, chair and CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, which operates the tournament for the

didate my mission is to empower the people of Sulphur by promoting transparency, accountability, and effective leadership,” Stutes said on his candidacy Facebook page “I believe that citizens deserve to have their voices heard and their needs prioritized.” In his announcement, Stutes said his commitment to the office is “built on putting people before politics” with a focus on transparency and accountability.

“As a dedicated leader, I’m committed to methodically analyzing and addressing the

“Smitty’s will provide additional information as warranted as things progress and in cooperation with all federal, state and local authorities,” company officials said.

The fire forced a 1-mile evacuation that affected close to 1,000 people and a local elementary school The evacuation wasn’t fully lifted until Tuesday, though some roads remain closed. Though it issued a statement Tuesday expressing sorrow and promising to rebuild, Smitty’s hasn’t offered explanations about what caused the fire or what was in the plant when it burned and exploded.

Smitty’s officials said they remain focused on safely and efficiently cleaning up, making plans to move forward and supporting the needs of local, state and federal agencies.

Mal Tossell, who has worked with Todaro before. Moody said that an experienced team of former employees have come on board for the new operation. “I’m really excited to be part of the Lafayette community, after working in Baton Rouge for 15 years,” said Moody “Our hope is to provide a memorable guest experience, one guest at a time.”

The building will undergo renovations in preparation for the new restaurant, which is anticipated to open in October. The building was approved for a building permit by Lafayette Consolidated Government on Wednesday The work includes closing in the building’s pavilion area and is valued at $13,000, according to documents. Tchoup’s MidCity Res-

EPA officials said boom has been placed along 42 miles of the Tangipahoa River in an effort to halt the flow of contaminants and foam used on the fire. Oil retrieval equipment is operating in multiple locations, Miller added. Fire foams, like AFFF, can contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. They are persistent pollutants that have been increasingly linked to human health impacts, such as decreased female fertility and high blood pressure in pregnant women, child developmental effects, increased cancer risk and reduced immunity

EPA officials said fluorinefree firefighting foam was mostly used to fight the blaze “except for a limited period of time when fluorinated AFFF, which does contain PFAS, was used.”

In chemical fires such as the one at Smitty’s, foams must be used to smother the fire, Sunderland said.

EPA officials did not specify the length of time that AFFF was used. Aerial photos of the fire and surroundingareaappeartoshowwhite foam in nearby ditches.

The EPA has not completed testing of river and ditch water, agency officials said. Minute PFAS chemicals are hard to control and filter and, Sunderland said, won’t

taurant operated out of the building for five years, and was known for classic barbecue and sides before pivoting to focus on steak and seafood. Tchoup’s owner Ryan Pecot also opened Adopted Dog Brewing in Lafayette in early 2023, and continues to operate that location.

Gov. Jeff Landry, with club in hand, makes his entrance Wednesday at an event touting the LIV Golf Louisiana tournament in New Orleans next year

dispersed to charities over the past decade.

PGA Tour, said in an interview Wednesday that LIV’s June schedule is unlikely to impact the organization, which hosts their yearly tournament in April.

”We’re just going to continue focusing on providing the best customer service experience,” he said.

Worthy said the Classic is “coming off three straight record-setting years,” including $24.6 million

city’s challenges,” his candidacy Facebook page states.

“My approach is rooted in facts, driven by a passion for transparency, and guided by a strong sense of responsibility.”

Republican state Rep. Les Farnum has also announced his plans to run for the office.

Current Mayor Mike Danahay has been in the position since 2018.

Danahay told The Advocate that he has to commit to running for a third term and is still contemplating the decision.

be stopped by boom in the river Miller, the parish president, also shared numbers to report affected wildlife at (832) 514-9663 and to help affected residents at (877) 891-2276.

Bringing the tour to New Orleans follows a sea of controversy over the league’s wider presence in the U.S. PGA Tour officials and political leaders have accused Saudi Arabia of “sports washing” or investing billions into sports, businesses and other ventures as part of an image makeover campaign in an effort to distract from its history of human rights violations. Also at issue from both sides of the political spectrum is Saudi Arabia’s growing economic influence in the U.S., which was further cemented by President Donald Trump’s May announcement of the country’s $600 billion commitment to invest in the U.S. Other concerns about the tour center on claims of LIV nabbing golfers from the PGA Tour with hefty signing offers that have reached more than $300 million on top of million-dollar signing bonuses.

Email Joni Hess at joni.hess@ theadvocate.com.

PROGRAM

Continued from page 1B

peoplewhoareincarcerated within Lafayette Correctional, the mobile welding unit will now be freed up so other partnerships can be createdwithotherAcadiana correctional facilities.

“This program is about more than welding,” Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mark Garber said in a statement. “It’s about rebuilding lives. We are investing in people, giving them the tools to succeed and helping create a safer, stronger Lafayette Parish.”

SPORTS

Feel-good surprises show up on Saints’ roster

BY MATTHEWPARAS Staff writer

Every year,there are ahandful of players whomake a53-man roster that hardly anyonecould have seen coming before training camp began.

The odds were stacked against them. They began buried on the depth chart. Theywere an afterthought because of their draftstatus, if they were even lucky enough to be drafted at all. They wereignored.

But coaches love competition. And since taking over the New Orleans Saints,coach Kellen Moore emphasizedhe’d have no preconceived notions about theroster.Everyone, he said, would have achancetoearn their spot.

Moore meant it.

That mentality wasnot only reflected in hischoice to start quarterback Spencer Rattler over rookieTyler Shough, but it was

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Prior to becoming thestarting quarterback at LSU, Garrett Nussmeier had areputation as agunslinger He had abig arm and was never afraid to let it rip. Thattalentand tendency were on display in the 2022 SECchampionship game,whenNussmeier replaced an injured Jayden Daniels in the second half and uncorked a57-yard completion and two touchdown passes of 30-plus yards.

attempts. His average depth of target forthe season was under 10 yards, per PFF

For offensive coordinator Joe Sloanand coach Brian Kelly,creating more explosive plays through the air was an emphasis this offseason.

The expectation heading into his first season as astarter in 2024 wasmore of the same, but that didn’tend up becoming thereality. The LSU offensehad trouble taking thetop off of defenses. The vertical passing gamebecame aweakness of the attack. Nussmeier was second in the country in pass attempts of 20 or more yards, but he completed only 36% of those throws, according to ProFootball Focus. LSU threwthe ball often, but manyofNussmeier’spasses were shorter

“Yardsisone thing, but you’ve got to score points, and that comes from explosives alot of times,” Sloan said.“It comesfromexplosive-playtouchdowns.

Generating those big throws should be easier for the Tigers this season after they addedKentucky transfer Barion Brownfrom the transfer portal and broughtback fifth-year senior ChrisHilton

Both wideouts provide elite speed to awide receiver corps that lacked it ayear ago

“Fast, and he’sreally good at tracking the ball downfield,” Hilton said of Brown. “That’sone of thethings that impressed me the most.” Hilton played in only six games last season because

The move didn’tcome as much of asurprise.

When the New Orleans Saints trimmed their roster from 90 to 53 on Tuesday, defensive end Isaiah Foskey w Foskey, just alittle more th removedfrom being asecon by the Saints, n to expectation The last time sacked aquart in November 2 was against So as Foskey was his stellar care Dame. He finis school’sall-tim sacks. All of his college succ the boxes he checked at the N nevertranslated to theNFL with the Saints. Who knows? Perhaps he la another team and resurrects like former Saints Trey Hen Zack Baun did when theymo maybe he hit his peak in Sou Whichever direction hisca from here, onething is clear latestina recentrun of guys selected with atop-40 pick w pan out, including Marcus D

E

ieve it is time forULredshirt

receiver Jaydon Johnsonto ason. the 6-foot-2, 227-pound target coordinator TimLeger saidthe ion beganwhen the Missouri nativemadefour A’sand aB in thespringsemester.Thesigns vekept coming ever since. a time wherethere were some sand some different things hat were adistraction from ally important,” said Leger, open the season against Rice rdayatOur Lady of Lourdes w,he’sjust adifferent guy in all What we’ve seen on the pracmuchmoreconsistent version, s aroutine andstructure. He’s gt gs theright way.”

Johnson had five receptions for 73 yards last season. The expectations are exponentially higher in 2025.

“I feel like I’ve come to this fall camp with more hunger,more consistency,being into more of the culture,” Johnson said. “Last year,I probably wasn’tall theway into the culture. Imissedagamelastyear, allbecause of me.

“That’sall stuff that has fallen onto me my decisions, my habits. Butthis year,I’m diving into the culture.” Getting closertothe finish line of his college career spurred ashiftinhis mentality

“Last year,Ijust had alot of off-the-field things going on —school, family things going on. Ijust couldn’tbeall into the ball, but this year I’ve cleared all that up. “I’ve been able to lock in with the film, studying, locking in with the quarterbacks, getting in with them.” Johnson is ready to get as many50-50 balls as possible.

Burns makes U.S. Ryder Cup squad

Captain Bradley picks six, snubs himself

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

U.S. captain Keegan Bradley went down the list of six names to fill out his Ryder Cup team, one by one, the suspense building whether he would call his own name and become the first playing captain in 62 years. Turns out Bradley knew all along. He had only one job in mind, and he said Wednesday while announcing his six captain’s picks — none named Bradley — that the best chance for the Americans to win the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black was to leave his golf clubs at home.

“I know 100% for certain that this is the right choice,” Bradley said.

Shreveport native and former LSU golfer Sam Burns was one of the golfers who made Bradley feel that way Burns — along with Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young and Patrick Cantlay ended up being Bradley’s six captain picks.

This marks the second straight Ryder Cup selection for Burns, who finished seventh in the PGA Tour’s FedExCup that wrapped up Sunday in Atlanta. He posted a 1-2 record in Italy during the 2023 Ryder Cup.

“Getting selected to these teams are some of the highest honors you can achieve,” Burns said. “I’m privileged and honored to be a part of this team.”

Burns finished 16th in the Ryder Cup points, but he completed the 2025 season as the PGA Tour’s top putter

“He’s incredibly passionate and the best putter on the planet,” Bradley said. “He has an extreme competitive fire. He’s won the match play, and his back was against the wall and he played well to make this team. I can’t wait to see him out there in front of those fans.”

The automatic U.S. qualifiers were Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, J.J. Spaun, Harris English and Russell Henley

Although he didn’t win this season, Burns made more than $6 million this season, which he has now done for four straight years.

He’s made at least $5 million for five straight years.

“It’s going to be an incredible week; we will have tons of support,” Burns said. “These fans love getting behind their teams and their country. Hopefully we can rally behind that energy.”

For all the speculation — especially after Bradley made a bold run at winning the Tour Championship last week Bradley said he had known “for a while” he would not be the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.

“I grew up wanting to play the Ryder Cup. It broke my heart not to play, it really did,” he said. “Ultimately, I was chosen to do a job. My ultimate goal was to be the

best captain I could be.” Bradley went with a pair of Ryder Cup rookies in Young and Griffin. Thomas, Morikawa, Burns and Cantlay all were on the last U.S. team. Europe, which will announce the rest of its team on Monday, is likely to return 11 of the 12 players who won in Rome two years ago. Luke Donald returns as captain. Bradley made a compelling case as a pick, and he likely would have been chosen without much argument if he had not been captain. He has won twice in the last 13 months against strong fields — only Scheffler has won more since then. He finished at No. 11 in the Ryder Cup standings and was the eighth-best American in the world ranking. He said when he was appointed in July 2024 that he would play only if he qualified. And then he won the Travelers Championship and said, “This changes the story a little bit.” All

along, it became a singular talking point about the Ryder Cup.

“No matter what decision I made, I’m going to be defined by this decision,” Bradley had said at the Tour Championship, calling it the biggest decision of his career Instead, he will stick to being captain, a decision that is sure to be second-guessed if the Americans don’t win.

Thomas is playing in his fourth straight Ryder Cup, making him the most experienced American on the team. He also was part of the committee that selected Bradley at 39 — the youngest Ryder Cup captain since Palmer was 34 — to be captain last year

“He wants to do whatever is best for the team,” Thomas said. “I know all of us are gutted for him. But him leading us to victory will be cooler than any experience he can have as a player We don’t doubt him for one second.”

Staff writer Roy Lang III contributed to this report.

Djokovic’s back in third round of U.S. Open

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer

NEW YORK — For the second contest in a row at this U.S. Open, Novak Djokovic appeared a bit sluggish, a bit off, for a stretch.

This time, he even dropped the opening set. And then, as always at Flushing Meadows, the 24time Grand Slam champion progressed to the third round.

Djokovic improved to 36-0 across the first and second rounds in New York, a place he’s won four championships, by coming back to beat 145thranked American qualifier Zachary Svajda 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday

“I really tried to soak it in and enjoy the moment, especially when I won the first set,” said Svajda, a 22-year-old from San Diego.

“It kind of shocked me. I was like, ‘Wow!’” Asked on court afterward how he felt in his first competition since losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals on July 11 while hindered by a groin injury, Djokovic replied: “Not that great, to be honest.” Svajda noticed.

“He was missing a little bit,” said Svajda, who got cramps in his legs and arms as the match wore on. “He was getting a little frustrated.” At his news conference later, the 38-year-old Djokovic spoke a little more about his mood.

“He does everything so well, which is incredible It’s Novak Djokovic, so there’s not a big weakness.”

ZACHARy SVAJDA

LSU men’s hoops hires ex-Texas A&M assistant Coach Matt McMahon has welcomed a new member to his LSU men’s basketball coaching staff 70 days before the team’s season opener Vince Walden was hired as an assistant coach, the program announced Wednesday

The Suffolk, Virginia, native most recently spent six years with Texas A&M, serving as an assistant coach last season. Walden replaces assistant coach Yasir Rosemond, who was hired April 7 but left the team June 21 for the same role at his alma mater Oregon. Walden helped the Aggies achieve a 23-11 record and fifth-place finish in the Southeastern Conference (11-5), serving as the team’s director of basketball operations before last season. Walden spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Arkansas State before working at Texas A&M.

Vikings bring back WR Thielen in Panthers trade

The Minnesota Vikings acquired 13-year veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who has the thirdmost catches in franchise history, in a trade with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday The Vikings sent a 2026 fifthround draft pick and a 2027 fourthround pick to the Panthers for Thielen, a conditional 2026 seventhround pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in the deal, which was pending him passing a physical exam. Thielen, who turned 35 last week, was set to make $8.75 million this season, of which the Panthers already had paid out $1.75 million.

The Vikings, who have ample salary cap space, will assume the remaining $7 million on the contract, unless the two sides agree to adjust it.

Ravens extend safety Hamilton with $100M deal

Kyle Hamilton has been added to the list of Baltimore Ravens players to receive a big new contract this offseason.

The Ravens agreed to a fouryear, $100.4 million extension with the star safety The deal includes $82 million guaranteed, according to a person with knowledge of the contract, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the terms weren’t announced.

The deal for Hamilton, an AllPro in 2023, comes after the Ravens gave running back Derrick Henry an extension through 2027 and receiver Rashod Bateman an extension through 2029. Baltimore also re-signed tackle Ronnie Stanley this offseason, shortly before he was set to hit free agency

White Sox place center fielder on the 10-day IL

The Chicago White Sox placed Luis Robert on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, a tough blow for the center fielder after he started to deliver at the plate.

Robert has a left hamstring strain.

He left Tuesday night’s 5-4 loss to Kansas City because of hamstring soreness. The White Sox also recalled outfielder Will Robertson from TripleA Charlotte before their series finale against the Royals.

The 28-year-old Robert got off to a tough start this year, batting .190 with nine homers, 35 RBIs and 93 strikeouts in his first 79 games.

He has been much better since the All-Star break, hitting .298 (34 for 114) with five homers and 18 RBIs in his last 31 games.

Other

events

competing, but I don’t enjoy not playing well.

“That’s why I put extra pressure on myself and my team to be better the next day, the next match.”

That will come against Cam Norrie, a British left-hander who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2022 and is 0-6 against Djokovic. Norrie got past Francisco Comesana of Argentina 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (0), 7-6 (4) in four hours and now it’s his turn to face the task that Svajda did Wednesday against Djokovic.

“I’m just trying to be locked in. Just trying to solve the riddle once I’m on the court,” Djokovic said.

“It’s not like I’m not finding joy on the court competing. I enjoy

“It’s not a motivation thing. It’s just like me a bit frustrated with my game, and then I kind of go through stuff internally that — you don’t want to know the details what I’m going through and telling myself,” he explained after getting to the third round at a major for the 75th time, breaking a tie with Roger Federer for the most such appearances by a man.

“He does everything so well, which is incredible,” Svajda said.

“I was talking to my team and coaches before, trying to figure it out It’s Novak Djokovic so there’s not a big weakness.”

No 5 seed Jack Draper, a semifinalist in 2024, withdrew because of a lingering injury to his left arm. Winners included both of last year’s runners-up — Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz — along with No. 10 seed Emma Navarro and 2021 champion Emma Raducanu. No. 12 Casper Ruud, whose 0-3 record in Grand Slam finals includes a loss to Carlos Alcaraz at Flushing Meadows in 2022, was eliminated 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 by Raphael Collignon of Belgium. The 107th-ranked Collignon had never won a match at a major or played a five-setter until this tournament. Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were scheduled to play their second-round matches in Ashe at night.

Chiefs receiver suspended for six games after crash Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been suspended six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy keeping him out of a series of high-profile games starting with next week’s season opener against the Chargers in Brazil.

Rice pleaded guilty about six weeks ago to two third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury

As part of his plea agreement from the March 2024 crash on a Dallas highway, prosecutors said, Rice also received a sentence of five years of deferred probation and 30 days in jail.

The NFL handed down its suspension, which Rice will not appeal after its own internal investigation.

Date

Sept.

PAST FIVE YEARS

2024: 5-6

2023: 2-8

2022: 1-9

2021:

PROJECTED STARTERS

Offense

WR Jylan Joseph (5-11, 170, So.)

WR Oliver Price (5-8, 155, So.)*

TE Cameron Maxwell (6-3, 210, Jr.)*

OT Collin Lewis (5-11, 225, So.)*

OG Neven Leon (5-11, 195, Sr.)*

C Christian Menard (5-8, 220, Jr.)*

OG Kyle Ebarb (5-10, 220, Sr.)*

OT Noah Guidry (6-1, 225, So.)*

QB Jamichael Walters (5-6, 155, Jr.)

RB Marcus Etienne (5-6, 165, Sr.)*

RB Isiah Heathmon (5-9, 180, So.)

Defense

DE Dwight Minger (5-11, 175, Sr.)*

NG Makai Trailer (6-2, 330, So.)

DE Jayden James (5-11, 210, So.)

LB Chris Hernandez (5-10, 175, So.)

LB Neven Leon (5-11, 195, Sr.)

LB Dejean Brown (5-5, 165, So.)*

LB Isaiah Heathmon (5-9, 180, So.)

CB Jeremy Evans (5-9, 160, Jr.)

CB Jylan Joseph (5-11, 170, So.)

SS Toren Robinson (5-9, 170, Sr.)

SS Tyquan Pete (5-9, 170, Sr.)*

*RETURNING STARTERS

COACHES

Head coach: Eric Cooley

Assistant coaches: Dmyrus Daniels (OC/QB),Adam Doucet (LB/RB), Curtis Broxton (WR/DB),BryanVickers (WR/DL),Grant Leblanc (OL/DL).

PREP FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

What we know

Offensively, the Crowley Gents are undergoing a change in scheme.

Gents coach Eric Cooley has brought in new offensive coordinator Dmyrus Daniels to call plays. Under Daniels’ guidance, the Gents will be more multiple on offense with an emphasis on the triple option

“I fired myself as the play-caller,” Cooley said with a laugh. “We will be more zone read and option this year I think the change in offensive scheme is going to really help us.”

With more focus on running the football, Cooley is excited about the potential of the rushing attack.

That excitement is a result of the amount of experience the Gents return along the offensive line. Crowley returns its entire starting offensive line of tackles Collin Lewis and Noah Guidry, guards Neven Levon and Kyle Ebarb, and center Christian Menard.

“Last year, we started two or three freshmen on the offensive line, so they are back,” Cooley

said. “Everything runs through the offensive line, and with the amount of experience they got last year, we should be better upfront.”

Not only are they experienced in the trenches but the Gents also are bigger. The offensive line now averages about 225 pounds.

“We go about seven deep on the offensive line,” Cooley said. “Those guys really took the weight room seriously and got bigger and stronger in the offseason. So, I expect we will have better running lanes and that we will be better in pass protection.”

What we don’t know

There are going to be a lot of new faces for the Gents, most notably on defense and at kicker and punter

Cooley admits there are going to be as many as six new starters on the defensive side of the ball, so it is expected they’ll need more time to come together

“On defense, we’re going to have two new starters in the secondary, at linebacker and along the defensive line,” Cooley said. “There’s going to be a bunch

of new faces on defense. Right now, we’re trying to make sure our run fits are right.”

In the kicking game, the Gents have to replace Sam Hernandez, who wore many hats for Crowley as starting quarterback, outside linebacker/safety, kicker and punter last season.

“We don’t know who our punter or kicker is going to be right now,” Cooley said. “Special teams are going to need a lot of work We had a super kid in Sam last year, but we haven’t found that guy so far.”

Despite the many unknowns on defense and special teams, Cooley believes the Gents are in good shape.

“We knew that we would be youthful this year,” he said. “But we’re more athletic and we run better as a group.”

How we see it

Despite the loss of Floyd Flugence to graduation, the Gents are still talented enough offensively to remain competitive Whether that translates into another playoff berth will be determined by how well the defense comes together Eric Narcisse

SCOREBOARD

Jiri Lehecka (20), Czechia, def. Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Argentina, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-4. Novak Djokovic (7), Serbia, def. Zachary Svajda, United States, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. Tomas Machac (21), Czechia, def. Joao Fonseca, Brazil, 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-3. Jerome Kym, Switzerland, def. Brandon Nakashima (30), United States, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (8). Raphael Collignon, Belgium, def. Casper Ruud (12), Norway, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. Taylor Fritz (4), United States, def. Lloyd Harris, South Africa, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-4. Benjamin Bonzi, France, def. Marcos Giron, United States, 2-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. Arthur Rinderknech, France, def. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (18), Spain, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. Cameron Norrie, Britain, def. Francisco Comesana, Argentina, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (0), 7-6 (4). Frances Tiafoe (17), United States, def. Martin Damm Jr, United States, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (8), 7-5. Ugo Blanchet, France, def. Jakub Mensik (16), Czechia, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7). Women’s singles Second Round Emma Raducanu, Britain, def. Janice Tjen, Indonesia, 6-2, 6-1. Emma Navarro (10), United States, def. Caty McNally, United States, 6-2, 6-1. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia, 6-3, 6-3. Cristina Bucsa, Spain, def. Alexandra Eala, Philippines, 6-4, 6-3. Jessica Pegula (4), United States, def. Anna Blinkova, Russia, 6-1, 6-3. Barbora Krejcikova, Czechia, def. Moyuka Uchijima, Japan, 6-4, 6-2. Taylor Townsend, United States, def. Jelena Ostapenko (25), Latvia, 7-5, 6-1. Elena Rybakina (9), Kazakhstan, def. Tereza Valentova, Czechia, 6-3, 7-6 (7).

Transactions

FOOTBALL National Football League

BUFFALO BILLS — Signed QB Shane Buechele, RB Frank Gore Jr., WRs Stephen Gosnell and Kristian Wilkerson, TE Keleki Latu, OL Travis Clayton, Dan Feeney and Kendrick Green, DL Zion Logue and Jordan Phillips, LBs Jimmy Ciarlo and Keonta Jenkins, CBs Daequan Hardy and Dane Jackson and Ss Jordan Poyer and Sam Franklin the practice squad.

CAROLINA PANTHERS — Claimed CB Damarri Mathis off waivers from Denver and WR Dalevon Campbell from the Los Angeles Chargers. Waived DT Jaden Crumedy. Signed LBs Krys Barnes and Maz Mwansa, CBs Shemar Bartholomew and Mike Reid, OL Boogie Basham, DE Jared Harrison-Hunte, OL Jarrett Kingston and Brandon Walton, OT Mike Tarquin, DT Sam Roberts, TE Bryce Pierre, WR Ja’seem Reed and S Trevian Thomas to the practice squad. CHICAGO BEARS — Signed WRs Maurice Alexander,

Oliver Price

CB/WR, 5-8, 155, So. Price is arguably the top cornerback.A student of the game, Price has a high football IQ He has good hands and ball skills, and he excels in coverage.

Jylan Joseph WR/DB, 5-11, 170, So. Joseph is one of the more physical players on the roster He is extremely athletic with good hands at receiver, while defensively he doesn’t avoid contact and seems to relish a good collision. Joseph is strong in coverage and a good tackler

Jamichael Walters QB/FS, 5-6, 155, Jr.

Although he is a first-year starter at quarterback,Walters returns as the starter at safety At quarterback, he has a great knowledge of the offensive system, and he is expected to be a playmaker as a runner and passer Collin Lewis OL, 5-11, 225, So. Lewis is exceptionally strong And for someone his size, he runs extremely well.A fierce blocker Lewis has shown the ability to excel as both a pass and run blocker

Marcus Etienne LB/RB, 5-5, 165, Sr. Etienne has natural instincts and good vision at running back.At linebacker he is a good tackler who does a great job of finding the football. He excels at filling the gap against the run and is capable of covering pass catchers.

Payton Turner. Davenport was drafted 14th in 2018. Turner was drafted 28th in 2021. Foskey was drafted 40th in 2023.

Davenport and Turner never could stay healthy Turner is still dealing with injuries and was put on the Dallas Cowboys injured reserve list (ribs) on Tuesday

The Saints have selected seven other players with a top-40 pick since 2018

Cesar Ruiz, picked 24th in 2020, has started consistently But he has had his struggles this preseason

Chris Olave (11th in 2022) is one of the team’s best offensive weapons, but he has dealt with several concussions in his first three seasons. If he stays healthy, he can be a special one. Trevor Penning (19th in 2022) also has dealt with injuries and hasn’t lived up to expectations. Penning’s switch this offseason from tackle to guard is supposed to change the course of his career but he’s currently dealing with a toe injury Yeah, some of it is just bad luck. But teams can’t afford to have so many misses. Outside of Foskey, the last four of the Saints’ draft picks in the top 40 look more promising. Defensive lineman Bryan Bresee (29th in 2023) has been solid in his first two seasons.

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

Five players, in particular, were long shots. Now, they’re not.

Isaiah Stalbird

Being described as a hybrid player is a compliment in the NFL. Being called a tweener is not.

Last year as an undrafted rookie, Stalbird straddled the line between the two categories. He spent most of the year on the team’s practice squad, first as a linebacker and later as a safety But when the Saints’ new coaching staff came in this spring, they moved him back to linebacker.

Stalbird benefited from the switch. And this summer he came on strong throughout the preseason, something defensive coordinator Brandon Staley noted Tuesday

“It started clicking later for me,” Stalbird said.

The 25-year-old first got people’s attention with his thudding special-team tackles. Then by the third preseason game, Stalbird was notably playing ahead of D’Marco Jackson who started the first two contests but ultimately got cut.

Though he’s undersized at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, Stalbird said his speed and physicality still give opposing offenses something to think about. And those elements also translate to special teams Stalbird’s calling card. Similar to J.T Gray, Stalbird locked down his spot because of what he’s able to do in the third phase of the game. That’s more than fine by him.

“That’s always been my thing,” Stalbird said. “In college, I was a walk-on. Special teams was my path.”

Rejzohn Wright

Wright has a knack for pestering wide receivers.

It was no coincidence that Wright was featured in the

first fight of training camp

Brandin Cooks punched him after the cornerback gloated perhaps a little too much after a solid pass breakup. But that sequence also explains why Wright ended up making the roster: He’s confident and aggressive.

“That’s what coach Staley said he likes about me, too,” Wright said during camp.

“He said, ‘You’re not going to give them a play off.’ And I’m not, so.”

Wright’s frame (6-foot-2) and skill set match more of

Time will tell. There have been some hits outside of the top-40 picks, such as Erik McCoy (48th in 2019).

Taliese Fuaga (14th pick in 2024) appears to be a staple at tackle for years to come. Same goes for Kelvin Banks (ninth pick this year), who could end up being one of the best draft picks in years for the Saints. Then there is quarterback Tyler Shough, selected with the 40th pick in April. He didn’t win the starting quarterback job, but he has shown flashes that he has the skillset and traits to become the franchise’s long-term solution at quarterback.

But one thing we know is the Saints have missed on several draft picks over the last few years. It’s a big reason why they haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2020 season, Drew Brees’ final year It’s why the Saints are in the rebuild they currently find themselves in. The postseason drought probably won’t end this season.

The Saints desperately need to start hitting on their draft picks, especially the ones in the early rounds.

Foskey not lasting through the end of his rookie contract is the latest reminder

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.

men. He’s big and aggressive, even when he’s not technically sound.

“I’m going to try to give it my all every play,” Simpkins said.

Mason Tipton

Tipton had such a dominant camp that his roster spot actually never seemed to be in question But that still spoke volumes about his progress, given he was definitely on the bubble heading into camp.

Like last year, he was a standout in practices. But this year, he excelled in games, too. He had a 54-yard touchdown against the Chargers and then had more yards in one game (100) against the Jaguars than he did all of his rookie year (99).

what former coach Dennis Allen looked for in his cornerbacks, and the 24-yearoldhadastrongtrainingcamp last year until he suffered a season-ending injury before cuts were made. But healthy again, Wright showed he had the vision necessary to play in Staley’s scheme.

Wright’s best play of the summer was when he broke up a pass late against the Jacksonville Jaguars, leading rookie safety Jonas Sanker to grab the interception and force a 17-17 tie.

“Those last two preseason games, he put a lot of quality downs on tape,” Staley said. “I thought in the last game, in particular, he tackled extremely well. That play (against Jacksonville) was a really good indication of his training camp, where he was contesting the entire way And he’s a guy that we felt was an improving player.”

Wright has been on and off rosters since 2023. He has yet to play in a regularseason game. But that could change this year

Torricelli Simpkins

It was telling that even after the Saints traded for veteran Luke Fortner, Simpkins continued to get secondteam snaps at center Simpkins one of two undrafted rookies (punter Kai Kroeger) to make the roster impressed throughout camp, especially after coaches moved him from guard to center According to The 33rd Team, Simpkins had 106 pass protection snaps without allowing a sack — the most in the preseason among rookies.

Moore said Simpkins’ play style is “everything we want” out of offensive line-

“The balls that are coming my way, they’re mine — the 50-50 balls, I can beat them,” he said. “If the ball carrier is coming my way, I’m making an aggressive block on the ball.”

Johnson expects to make a difference on special teams as well.

“You learn that when you first come here,” he said of special teams. “It’s all about the culture. If you’re not about the culture, you might as well not be here.”

Historical connection

Despite being only threeand-a-half hours apart, UL and Rice have met only six times in football.

But there’s a deeper connection between the programs.

The UL program’s first bowl game was the Oil Bowl played on New Year’s Day 1944. The SLI Bulldogs as UL was known in those days — defeated Arkansas A&M 24-7. The star of the victory was former LSU two-sport athlete and future Major League Baseball player and manager Alvin Dark.

Many players from other schools were on the team as well mostlymarinestraining in Lafayette — including 14 former Rice Owls. Six former Rice players were in the starting lineup, including 200-pound guard Weldon Humble.

Humble ended up playing five seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Texans. He was named second-team All-Pro in 1948 and won the NFL championship in 1950.

That group of Rice players returned to Houston

and some of them helped the Owls beat Tennessee 8-0 in the 1947 Orange Bowl.

Red-zone defense

One area where the UL defense almost has to improve this season is the red zone.

A year ago, opposing offenses scored on 100% of their trips into the red zone against the Cajuns. Since that statistic began being charted in 2008, the only other team that gave up 100% was Colorado State in 2020, but that was only four games because of COVID.

Going back to 2001, no Sun Belt defense ever has allowed 100% scoring by opposing offenses in the red zone.

During the 2024 season, UL opponents scored 33 touchdowns and kicked 13 field goals in red-zone trips

“Just having some growth for me from Year 1 to Year 2, I’m just more comfortable as a player,” I know what to expect. I know the ins and outs of the day-to-day and everything And so it just allows me to pay more free.”

It’ll be interesting to see what role Tipton gets in the regular season. He might get lost in the shuffle with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Devaughn Vele and Cooks seemingly ahead of him. But his home-run ability gives the Saints an intriguing option.

Velus Jones

Jones declared he was the fastest player on the Saints — so much so that he said he was willing to bet one of his game checks on it.

That speed secured him a game check.

Jones made the Saints’ roster over more established running backs like Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Cam Akers. His speed was one of the main reasons. Since transitioning from wide receiver to running back last year, Jones has developed nicely at his new position.

The Saints are also counting on him to contribute on special teams. In Chicago, where Jones began his career the 2022 third-rounder had an issue with muffed punts and bobbled kickoffs, but the Saints are still intrigued by his skillset.

“I’ve liked him for a while,” special teams coordinator Phil Galiano said. “I remember when coming out of college, I like his return ability I like his speed. I like his explosion, to be able to play in coverage units, to be able to run the ball in the kick return game. I think he’s a matchup problem.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate. com

Continued from page 1C

of injuries. A fully healthy version of him from the start essentially is adding a new player to the mix alongside redshirt junior Aaron Anderson, senior Zavion Thomas, redshirt sophomore Kyle Parker and Oklahoma transfer Nic Anderson. Thomas, Hilton, Brown and redshirt freshman Jelani Watkins have the speed to threaten any defense downfield.

“We got me, Jelani, Chris,” Brown said. “It’s some people that can move.”

Nussmeier agrees that LSU is more equipped to create more explosive plays through the air this season. He believes it’s the biggest difference between the LSU offense this year from last year

“We’ve got a lot more speed,” Nussmeier said. “We’ve got a lot more guys that can go take the top off the defense. And so I think that’s something that’ll help

open up our entire offense as a whole a lot.”

An improved deep passing attack also will help LSU become more efficient in other aspects of its offense. Running the ball and throwing short to medium passes — the former of which the Tigers struggled to do — are easier to accomplish effi ciently when safeties and cornerbacks are playing with greater caution, making sure nothing gets over their heads. Generating those explo-

sive plays won’t be easy in LSU’s season opener against Clemson. The defense is a veteran group, featuring a defensive line that will make life difficult for Nussmeier to find enough time to throw it deep. But for Sloan, leaning into LSU’s strengths as a unit will be important. And this offense, as constructed, should threaten defenses with the deep ball all year long.

“We’re going to get over the top of a lot of defenses,” Kelly said.

Grilled andspicy makes forbest corn on thecob

BY BETH DOOLEY

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

Now that it’scorn season, everyone has an opinion about thebest way to cook corn. In apot of boiling water? Lightly steamed?

And what about grilling?Isitbest to soak the ears in their husks first; pull back the husks, remove the silk and wrap them back up before grilling; or remove the husk and silk and wrap them in tin foil? The discussion will continue as the embers burn low Istand by the simplest method.

Just husk the corn, remove the silk and grill those cobs naked so they’re lightly charred, sweet, slightly crisp with aroasty popcorn taste.

While you can’tbeat athicksmear of butter,asprinkle of coarse salt and pepper,Ilove anointing the cobs with atangy-hot Mexican sauce and adusting of salty cheese.The tangyhot combination is remarkably simple. Just whisk togethergood mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder,salt and pepper.Itamplifies the corn’sgrilled flavor and balances its sweetness.

Corn season is short, so don’t limit the options. Trygrilled corn with olive oil, basil and Parmesan cheese; tzatziki and curry powder; or cumin, chilicrisp-whipped butter and asplash of rice winevinegar.These combinationsare not for corn purists who abide bytheir butter and salt.

This is messy corn! Forget the skewers with prongs that attach to the end of the cobs and keep fingers clean. Keep agarden hose nextto the picnic table and plentyofnapkins on hand. Why not toss afew extra cobs on the grill while you’re at it.Leftovers, already seasoned,can be transformed into agreat pasta or whole grain salad. Simplycut the kernels from the cobs and toss with hot pasta, alittle oiland asprinkling of cheese.

Bucatini with cherry tomatoes, capers bring bigflavors

BY GRETCHEN McKAY Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

There is something about cherry tomatoes that tomato lovers find irresistible.

Perfectly portioned for one juicy bite, they’re an adorable fruit. They’re also so sweet and intensely flavored that they make agreat afternoon snack when plucked off the vine, still warm from the sun. Even our dog Harry couldn’tresist the tiny tomato’scharms,eating whatever Sun Golds he couldreachas they ripened in planters onmypatio

While they often end up in salads, cherry tomatoes also work wonderfully in simple pan sauces because their thin skin allows them to cook down quickly in the oven or on the stovetop. Got 20 minutes, some

ä See BUCATINI, page 6C

ometimes, Iget intoa rut and eat the same things over and over Sometimes, it’s because Iambusy and my brain justgrabs the familiartoput dinner on the table. And other times,thereisjust more of thesame produce at the farmer’smarket or the grocery store.Itishardtobecreative when even farms are in arut! But all of us need to trynew recipes to keep life interesting. Here are some ideas.

Lemon Chicken

Serves 6.

3tablespoons

champagne, now is the time to use it)

1.Place the flour onto aplate, mixinthe zest andthe ground pepper.Dip eachthigh into the flour on both sides. The pointis to only lightly coat the thighs.

2. Place the oil into alarge skillet and heat over medium heat. When theoil begins to shimmer addthe thighs to the pan. Allow thethighs to cook and the skin to begintobrown. Cook for 6minutes. Then turn the thighs and cook another 5minutes.

4. Add the lemon juice and stir Cook for 5minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Add the thighs back to the pan and add the mushrooms. Add the butter and allow it alltomelt. Cook for 3to5minutes

5. Remove the thighs to aplatter.Spoon the pan juices over the thighs, covering the thighs with themushrooms.Put asliceof lemon over each thigh. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.Sprinkle with thechopped capers and serve.

3. Removethe chicken thighs from thepan andset them aside on aplate. Add thegarlic to the pan and stir well. Add white wine to deglaze the pan.

6C ● Thursday,August 28, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

Grilled Corn with Spicy Aioli

Serves 6. Recipe is from BethDooley. Grilling corn gives it anotably smoky, sweetchar, but broilingworks nicely,too. Mixupthe dressing to have it on hand andreadytoslather all over the sweet, hotearsasthey come off thegrill. If you don’thave agrill, turnon thebroiler, andjustwatch thatthe cobs do not burn.

¼cup good quality mayonnaise

Zest and juice of 1lime

¼teaspoon ancho chili powder, to taste

Coarse salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper,totaste

6earsfresh corn, shucked

2to3tablespoons crumbled cotija, feta or ricotta cheese

2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving Lime wedges for serving

1. Preheat the grillorbroiler to high.

2. In asmall bowl,stir together themayonnaise, limezestand juice, ancho chilipowder,and salt andpepper to taste.

3. Grill the cornuntillightly charred and cooked through, about7to10minutes.

4. Removeand slatherthe hot cobs with theseasoned mayonnaise. Sprinkle with the crumbled cheeseand thechoppedcilantro. Serve the corn with more cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

Bucatini with Burst Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 4. Recipe is adapted from “MoreMediterranean: 225+ New Plant-Forward Recipes” by America’s Test Kitchen.

FORTOPPING:

2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼cup capers, rinsed and patteddry

1anchovy fillet, rinsed, patteddry and minced ½cup pankobread crumbs

Pinch

¼cup

1teaspoon

FOR PASTA: 6tablespoons

1. Prepare topping:Heat oilin a10-inch skillet over medium heatuntil shimmering. Add capers and anchovies andcook, stirring frequently,until capers have darkened and shrunk, 3-4 minutes.

2. Using aslotted spoon or fork, transfer caper mixture to paper towel-lined plate, and set aside Leave oil in pan and return skillet to medium heat.

3. Add panko, salt and pepper andcook, stirring constantly, until panko is golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Transfer pankotomedium bowl andstirin parsley, lemon zest andreserved caper mixture.

4. Meanwhile, bring4 quarts of watertoboilinalarge potof salted water.While comingto aboil, heat 1/4 cup oil, garlic and

BUCATINI

Continued from page5C

garlic and olive oil and aheavy saute pan? In about the time it takes to cook and drain apot of pasta, you’ve got dinner

This dish was certainly a breeze on awarm summer evening. The tomatoes are tossed directly intoa pan along withslivered garlic, extra virgin olive oil andanchovies without anyprep (other than aquick rinseunder cool water). As they burst and breakdown, they create abright andtomato-forwardsaucethat’s full of umami flavor

By The Associated Press

Dramaonthe escalator

Dear Miss Manners: Iwas leaving an underground transit station and making my way to the escalator to go up to thestreet when I noticed atall young man gaining rapidly on mefrom behind.

We have an unwritten rule that you stand on the right side of the escalator if you just want to ride, and moveto theleft if you want to walk up themoving stairs. I began to drift rightwards, but he camegalumphing up on the right side of me. Istretched out my right hand to takethe banister, saying to him,“May I please get on the escalator?”

anchovies in largesaucepan over medium heat.

5. Cook, stirring occasionally, until anchovies break down and garlic is lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Addtomatoes, salt,sugar andpepper flakes to saucepan andstir to combine. Coverand increase heattomedium-high. Cook, without stirring, for10 minutes.

6. When water is boiling, add pasta. Cook,stirring often, until al dente (bucatini takes about 12 minutes).Reserve½cup cooking water,then drain pasta.

7. Off heat, add remaining 2 tablespoonsoil to tomato sauce, and stir gently until it forms a light sauce. Add drained pasta andtoss to coat.

8. Adjustconsistency of sauce with reserved cooking water as needed (I added about ¼cup)

9. Stir in basil and seasonto taste with salt. Serve, passing panko toppingseparately

What really sets it apart, though, is the crunchy,gremolata-like panko topping. Fried capers andanchoviesadd asalty kick, and there’salso the tiniest hint of lemon. Unless you’re a cheese fanatic, you won’t miss thegrated Parmesan you usually find ontop of pasta

Theoriginal recipe calls for penne, atraditional pairing for chunkier tomato sauces. Butto me,itfelt likeabucatinikind of night.

Anycolor of cherry tomato will work in the dish; just be sure they are vibrant, uniform in size and firm to the touch. For a spicier dish, addmore red pepper flakes.

TODAYINHISTORY

Today is Thursday,Aug.28, the 240th day of 2025. There are 125 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Aug. 28, 1963, during the March on Washington, theRev Martin Luther King Jr.delivered his “I Have aDream” speech before an estimated 250,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Also on this date:

In 1862, the Second Battleof Bull Run began in Prince William County,Virginia, during the Civil War; the Union army retreated two days later after suffering 14,000 casualties. In 1898, pharmacist Caleb Bradham of New Bern, North Carolina, changed the name of the carbonated beverage he’d created five years earlierfrom “Brad’sDrink” to “Pepsi-Cola.”

In 1955, Emmett Till, aBlack teenager from Chicago, was abducted from his uncle’shome in Money,Mississippi, by two White men after he had allegedly whistled at aWhite woman four days prior; he was found brutally slain three days later In 1957, then U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, D-S.C., began what remains the longest speaking filibuster in Senate history (24 hours and 18 minutes) seeking to stall the passage of theCivil Rights Act of that year

In 1968, police and anti-war demonstratorsclashed in the streets of Chicago as the Democratic National Convention nominatedHubertH.Humphrey for president. In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered amandatory evacuation as Hurricane Katrina approached thecity. In 2013,amilitary jury sentenced Maj. NidalHasan to death forthe 2009shooting rampage at Fort Hoodthatclaimed 13 lives and left 30 people injured. Today’sbirthdays: Actor Ken Jenkins(TV:“Scrubs”) is 85. FormerMLB manager and player LouPiniella is 82. FormerMLB pitcher Ron Guidry is 75. Former U.S.Poet Laureate Rita Doveis73. Artist Ai Weiwei is 68. Actor Daniel Stern is 68. Olympic gold medal figure skater Scott Hamilton is 67. Actor Jennifer Coolidge is 64. Film directorDavidFincher is 63. Country singerShania Twain is 60. “Pokemon”creator Satoshi Tajiri is 60. Actor Billy Boydis 57. Actor Jack Black is 56. Hockey Hall of Famer Pierre Turgeon is 56. Actor Jason Priestley is 56. Olympic gold medal swimmerJanet Evansis54. Actor Carly Popeis 44. Countrysinger JakeOwen is 44. Country singer LeAnnRimes is 43. Rock singer Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine) is 39. Actor QuvenzhaneWallis is 22.

Gentlereader: Although your question pertains to walking, every type of vehiclehas its own etiquette for passing, and examining the common features among the different systemsisinstructive.

twostrangers yelling at one another satisfies the goal of avoiding acollision.

With great annoyance, he stepped around tomyleft side and passed me, sternly proclaiming over his shoulder,“Move out of the way for people walking faster than you!”

Icould only muster the feeble and not-quite-sensical response, “Not if you pass on the right!This is America!”

Iamareasonably fitand active woman who will turn 50 this fall. The young gentleman looked to be in his 20s and was wearing business attire. What is the etiquette for “faster walkers”?

Youremembered two of the rules: 1. that the overtaker —who has the better view —has the primary responsibility to avoid colliding with the overtaken; and 2. that there is acorrect side for passing someone. Unfortunately,you forgot the equally,ifnot more, important shared duty to avoid acollision. The rules of sailing express this gracefully by requiring the overtaken to hold their course —inother words, not to do somethingsurprising that makes it harder forthe overtaker to prevent acollision.

Grabbing the banister only to prevent the 20-something from passing on thewrong side made acollision morelikely,and was therefore the worse infraction. He, of course, should have passed on the correct side, and also slowed down.

Andwhile Miss Manners realizes that no one ended up on the ground, shedoes not believe that

Dear Miss Manners: Iwork as a volunteer at amilitary base overseas. My problem is with acoworker whowill not communicate with me except via email. Usually the content of the communications is of anegative nature. Iamofthe sort whoprefers working out differences using speech and not the written word, especially when the two individuals live in close proximity

This person is in aposition of authority.I have repeatedly requested —tonoavail —that we either talk in person or over the phone when she has gripes. Are there any etiquette rules regarding email and business communications?

Gentle reader: There are, but you are not going to like the mostimportant one: The boss gets to set the rules.

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

Serves 6. All ingredients should be straight from the refrigerator and cold beforemaking the soup.

for garnish

Quinoawith Raisins

Serves 6. 1½ cup tricolor

1. Bring3cups of water toaboil. Addthe quinoa. Whack thecheesecloth packagewith the flat side of aknife to breakthe cloves.Thenadd the package to thepot. Simmer for 20 minutes and thenremove from the heat. Let sitfor 5minutes. Remove the cheesecloth package of garlic. Drain the quinoa through a fine sieve. Place into abowl.

2, Addthe golden raisins and the pine nuts to the quinoa. Add the butter,salt and pepper.Toss well and serve.

SUMMER

Continuedfrom page5C

Lemon Chicken is alight dish thatworks well in summer, and it’sfull of bright flavors. It is easytomake and rewarms well, if you wind up withleftovers. It is also versatile. Iusually make it with chicken thighs, because I find themtastier and juicier than chicken breasts. But if you prefer chicken breast,use this same recipe and you will still be happy Chilled Avocado Soup allows you to use the abundance of avocados thatare available in the season,

1. Place allthe ingredients except the olive oil andthe tomato into afood processor.(Youcan use a blender,but that makes the soup too homogenized. Ilike the slight texture left when you use the food processor 2. Divide the soup into chilled bowls. Garnish each bowl with afew drops of olive oiland afew tomato pieces. Serve immediately

but in anew way. This soup is easy and can be garnished in different ways.And whenI have just alittle bit left over, maybe aquarter cup or afew tablespoons, Imix it 2to 1with mayonnaise and use it as adressing or on sandwiches. You have no waste. When Iamtired of regular potatoes, sweet potatoes, pasta and rice, Igenerally start looking at cracked wheat or farro. Ihaverecently been trying to addquinoatomyrotationofstarches. Istarted easing it into my dinners by mixing it half and half with rice. Theycook in about the sameamount of time, and when you aren’t accustomed to the little grain of quinoa, eating it with

rice is away to ease into it In my recipe for Quinoa with Raisins, Ijust use quinoa and treat it abit like couscous. Iuse golden raisins and pine nuts, but you could use chopped dried apricots and almonds. Even chopped dates would work with pecans or walnuts. It is time for us to use our imaginations.

Liz Williams is founderofthe Southern Food &Beverage Museum in NewOrleans. Listen to “Tip of theTongue,”Liz’s podcastabout food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts.Email Liz at lizwillia@ gmail.com.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Achange will turn out to be ablessing in disguise. A change to how you present yourselfor your ideas will offer feedback that can help you make better choices.

LIBRA(sept.23-oct. 23) Choose peace, charm and intelligenceoverdiscord embellishment and absurdity.A change of plans or direction or adiversion that creates uncertainty for an opponent will help you clear your way forward.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Sit back and let the dustsettle. Emotional confusion is apparent,and communication will lack the truth. Taking care of business will have the most significant influence on the outcome.

sAGIttARIus(nov. 23-Dec. 21) Risks aren't worthwhile. Observe when things don't measureuporwhen confusion takes precedence. Protect your reputation, moneyand healthfrom anyone who maytry to take advantage of you.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You'll have to face your demons if you procrastinate. Opportunity knocks; it's up to you to open the door. Focus on what makesyou feel complete, and don't look back.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Refuse to let an emotional situation drag you down or cause you to miss out on something thatcan improve your life. Change will lead to happiness and astellar you.

PIscEs (Feb.20-March 20) Channel your energyintoself-improvement, and enjoy what youlearnand how it influ-

ences what youdonext. Explore the possibilitiesand expand your interests.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Don't lethostility be your ally. Be agood listener and observer. Say little,but do alot. Living up to your promises and feeling good about yourself will help you navigate your way to positive change and acceptance.

tAuRus (April 20-May20) You may feel comfortable sittingstill, but alittle exhilaration will staveoff the boredomand encourageyou to pursue your dreams, hopes and wishes. Turn your thoughts into action.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Shake things up, but first, prepare for thefallout. Avoid lettingnegativity or someone's critical input lead you astray. Listen to your inner voice and follow your heart cAncER (June 21-July 22) Go over every detail; be precise andleavenoroom forerror. Amistake will be costly, whether it's personal or professional Emotions and hostility will hurtyour reputation.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Observe the changes others implement, and learn from their mistakes. Having apractical vision and afriendlybudget in place will help. Don't fear being different. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2025 by NEA, Inc dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Celebrity Cipher cryptogramsare created from quotationsbyfamouspeople, past and present. Each letter in thecipherstands for another toDAy'scLuE:V EQuALs J

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squaressothat each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontainsthe samenumber only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increasesfromMonday to Sunday.

Yesterday’sPuzzleAnswer

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Some of you read these columns over theInternet.Thatwouldhavebeenmuch harder to do if newspaper owners had foreseen the danger to their printed editionsand alwayscharged for everything on their websites. Now, maybe,itistoo late.

Bridge players should also be keeping an eye open for dangers —the fourth letter of my “trade” acronym. In particular,itishard to break the habits of alifetime when adeal comes alongthat does not fitintoa typical pattern.In today’s, how should South plan the play in three no-trump, and how should East defeat him?

After asimple Stayman auction,West leadsthe heart nine, topoftouching cards in asuit containing no honors. South haseighttop tricks: threehearts and five clubs.Hecan get aninth winnerfrom diamonds. Thedangeristhat thedefenderswill take the first diamond trick and cashfour spades. Whendeclarer needs somehelp from the defenders, he should put them on the spot as quickly as possible. South should takethe first trick with his ace, play aclub to the queen, feigning afinesse, andcall fora diamond.

Many Easts would play secondhand low without even thinking. But an East whoisused to deducing the dangerwill

wuzzles

seethat declarer has at leasteight winners via three heartsand five clubs. If he is allowed to steal adiamond trick, he will be home East shoulddive in with the diamond ace and shift to the spade king. When it holds,hecontinueswithhissecondspade andthe contract dies.

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

Each Wuzzle is awordriddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

InstRuctIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional

toDAy’s WoRD RAGouts: ra-GOOZ: Mixtures of meat andvegetables cooked in athick sauce. Average mark 20 words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —cRADLED

today’s thought “Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivers from death.” Proverbs 11:4

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street goes higher, pushes S&P to record

Modest gains on Wall Street lifted the stock market Wednesday ahead of a highly anticipated earnings update from computer chip giant Nvidia.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2%, good enough to nudge the benchmark index past the record high it set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3% and the Nasdaq composite closed 0.2% higher Technology companies led the way higher, outweighing declines in communication services and other sectors.

After the market closed Nvidia reported quarterly earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street analysts’ forecasts, though the company noted that sales of its artificial intelligence chipsets rose at a slower pace than analysts anticipated

“Saying this is the most important stock in the world is an understatement,” said Jay Woods, chief global strategist at Freedom Capital Markets. “The stock’s average move after an earnings release is plus or minus 7.4%, so just an average move will make an impact on the entire market.”

Several big software companies — CrowdStrike Holdings, ServiceNow, Palo Alto Networks, Intuit and Salesforce — rose ahead of the Nvidia results Shares in several companies rose after they reported quarterly results that topped analysts’ forecasts.

Department store chain Kohl’s vaulted 24% and database platform company MongoDB surged 38%. Both companies also raised their full-year guidance.

Ford recalls 355K pickup trucks

NEW YORK Ford is recalling more than 355,000 of its pickup trucks across the U.S. because of an instrument panel display failure that’s resulted in critical information, like warning lights and vehicle speed, not showing up on the dashboard.

According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall covers certain Ford F-150s from the 2025 model year — as well as other Ford “Super Duty” trucks, including 2025-2026 F-550 SD, F-450 SD, F-350 SD and F-250 SDs. A recall report dated Aug. 22 notes that the instrument panel cluster (IPC) can fail at startup, resulting in drivers seeing a blank screen.

As a result, the NHTSA notes, drivers may not be able to read critical “safety-related telltales and gauges,” increasing the risk of crash. The recall report notes that Ford isn’t aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue but had received 95 warranty claims as of June 26.

To address the display failure, Ford is offering a free IPC software update to impacted owners.

Minnesota pharmacists sue Walgreens

Two Minnesota pharmacists who refused to administer gender-affirming drugs to patients are suing Walgreens and the state’s pharmacy board, claiming they were denied the right to refuse patient prescriptions that conflict with their religious beliefs. Gender-affirming drugs are hormones or hormone-blockers that create physical changes in the body to align with the person’s gender identity

The federal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, alleges Walgreens fired Rachel Scott of Mahtomedi and drastically reduced the hours of Dora Ig-Izevbekhai of Woodbury after the two “Bible believing” Christians submitted formal requests for religious accommodations to not prescribe the drugs.

According to the complaint, Walgreens said their refusal to dispense the drugs over religious objections was illegal under Minnesota law

Southern U.S. pulls ahead in growth

tion and uncertainty weighed on businesses and consumers.

Still, the South led the nation in economic expansion and job creation, according to data from the credit card giant.

BY CASEY HE The Dallas

Morning News (TNS)

Job growth, strong consumer spending, housing affordability and surging business investment are making the South the fastestgrowing regional economy in the U.S., according to a new report from Visa.

Economic growth slowed in all four U.S. regions in the first quarter of 2025 as tariff implementa-

Service sector hiring across the region has outpaced expectations, and robust consumer spending in Texas and Florida — two of the country’s top domestic migration destinations — is fueling much of the momentum, the report said.

Michael Brown, Visa’s principal U.S. economist, said Texas in particular is an anchor for the regional growth story He pointed to about 270,000 tech workers the state has added since the pandem-

ic. Visa’s economists now forecast the South’s gross domestic product to grow by 1.6% and 1.2% year over year in the third and fourth quarters of 2025, followed by 1.9% growth in both 2026 and 2027. Visa economists noted that the impact of the levies are hitting hardest in the West — which depends heavily on trade with Asia and in the Midwest, where manufacturing and agriculture face significant disruptions By contrast, the South has so far escaped the brunt of the international surcharges reshaping global trade That is leading to a more optimistic outlook.

“Export demand has held up better than we feared — that’s crucial for a state like Texas with significant international trade exposure,” Brown said. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the South’s population has surged, with workers and companies relocating from higher-cost regions to more affordable states. Between 2020 and 2024, the region added more than 6 million residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That influx has lifted housing markets, which remain more affordable than elsewhere in the country, while drawing new investment into fast-growing industries.

Cracker Barrel’s reversal on new logo shows how tricky rebranding can be

Executives have decided to return to the original Cracker Barrel logo, at left, after backlash over the new Cracker Barrel logo, below. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOS

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN AP business writer

Like its namesake barrels that transported soda crackers until boxes replaced them, Cracker Barrel needed to change.

The restaurant chain’s new CEO, Julie Felss Masino, laid out the argument to investors last year: Cracker Barrel’s customer traffic was down 16% compared to 2019. Research showed consumers thought the brand fell short of competitors in essential ways, from the quality of the food to value and convenience

“We are not leading in any area. We will change that,” Masino said.

But over the past week, Cracker Barrel’s attempted revamp hit a wall. The company saw severe backlash over its plans to modernize and simplify its nostalgic logo — including from President Donald Trump.

“I don’t like the changes. I mean it’s always been Cracker Barrel like it is, so I’d like for it to stay like it is,” customer Sid Leist said during a visit to a Cracker Barrel in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on Tuesday By that evening, Cracker Barrel had reversed course and said its old logo would remain. It features an overall-clad man — said to represent Uncle Herschel, a relative of Cracker Barrel’s founder leaning on a barrel, with the words “Old Country Store” underneath.

Investors cheered the move. Lebanon, Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel’s stock price rose 8% Wednesday to close at $62.33 per

share. That was even higher than its closing price on Aug. 15, before it announced the new logo. Richard Wilke, a former executive at the brand consultancy Lippincott who helped lead rebrands for companies like Delta Air Lines and Walmart, said Cracker Barrel’s existing logo is too detailed and fussy for the digital age, when companies have to think about how their brand appears in a smartphone app.

But Wilke said Cracker Barrel’s new logo, featuring just the company’s name in brown letters on a gold background, lacked character The logo’s rollout also seemed like an afterthought. In a news release about new fall menu items, the company mentioned the new logo in the fourth paragraph.

Cracker Barrel acknowledged Monday that it should have done a better job with the new logo’s rollout.

The company said it should have emphasized all the things that would remain the same about Cracker Barrel restaurants: the rocking chairs on the front porches, fireplaces in the dining rooms and vintage Americana and antiques scattered throughout.

The company said it would also continue to honor Uncle Herschel on its menu and on items sold in the country-style stores attached to its restaurants. But it was too late, and Cracker Barrel pulled its new logo the next day

Thomas Murphy, a professor of practice at Clark University School of Business, said returning to the original logo was a “positive

course correction” given the intensity of fans’ response. Now, Murphy said, Cracker Barrel should reinforce the message that it’s not moving away from its values or heritage.

Murphy said Cracker Barrel can continue to “refresh” its stores, making them brighter and more welcoming to younger customers. But it doesn’t really need to “rebrand,” he said, which would indicate a bigger change in direction or purpose.

Wilke agrees that Cracker Barrel should stick with the old logo but continue to revamp its restaurants in the short term. Eventually, the company will have to adopt a simpler logo, he said, but it should design one that retains more of the brand’s heritage. Cracker Barrel caught heat not only from Donald Trump Jr but from the president himself. On Tuesday morning, Trump said via Truth Social that Cracker Barrel “should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before.”

Later, Trump celebrated Cracker Barrel’s decision to drop its new logo.

Wilke said he wishes both Republicans and Democrats would stay out of brand decisions like Cracker Barrel’s. Rebrands are almost always about trying to attract new customers without alienating old ones, he said.

“This isn’t a political story,” he said “If politicians now turn every company logo design update into a debate about being ‘woke’ or ‘anti-woke,’ we are headed into a damaging new era for corporate branding.”

Group

BY TERRY TANG Associated Press

Organizers of a Target boycott that began in January are pointing to their tactics as a hopeful sign that actions against corporate retailers can still make a deep impact. When Target announced its current chief executive officer will be stepping down in February 2026 and an insider was taking the helm, those organizers saw it as a move in the right direction and stress more than ever that boycotts will continue as long as previous promises made to the public go unfulfilled.

“It’s been now nearly 200 days and what all the statistics and economics are showing that since

that boycott was announced on that Monday — every single week since then Target foot traffic in nearly 2,000 stores has declined sharply and continues to decline,” said organizer Jaylani Hussein, at a news conference of the National Target Boycott movement outside Target’s Minneapolis headquarters late last week.

Boycott organizers in Minnesota were among some of the first to galvanize when Target opted in January to follow other companies like Amazon and Walmart and forego diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. High-profile civil rights activists like the Rev Al Sharpton and the Rev Jamal Bryant also made similar calls for what they deemed a betrayal of previous DEI promises.

Social justice advocates say this shows boycotting is a key tactic not to be taken for granted.

Retail analysts say it’s difficult to gauge the exact impact of the boycott, since Target has faced a slump the last few years and a leadership change was in the cards. Still, groups like Washington-based DC Boycott Target Coalition insist falling foot traffic is “due in no small part” to a boycott that spans coast to coast.

“The leadership change doesn’t mean anything without a culture change,” the group said in a statement, vowing to continue pressuring Target until the corporation sees its diversity goals as “more important than bowing to an administration that is filled with racism, failure and hatred.” Opponents began the national boycott in February, during Black History Month. Their strategy left some Black-owned brands with merchandise on Target shelves conflicted or scrambling.

Stacey Widlitz, president of investment research firm SW Retail Advisors, said she believes that Target’s sales malaise has more to do with its operational issues — messy stores and poorly stocked shelves — not from its pullback from DEI initiatives.

The number of Americans who say they regularly shop at Target has gone down 19% since 2021, according to Consumer Edge. The number of Americans who say they do not shop at Target has risen 17%.

The same analysis also looked at trends along party lines. Since last year, the number of regular Target shoppers who identify as Democrat has declined 13%. Inversely, the number of Republican customers has risen 13%. It’s not clear if that is due to Target’s $1 million donation to Trump’s inauguration or some other factors.

TheWilliamsCenteratSouthern University at Shreveport hasbeen a cornerstoneofmycollege journey providingmethe support,opportunities, and asense of community that has helped me grow both personally and professionally Scan

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Nursing Major Houston, TX

Southern University pushes students to reach academic excellence by creating asupportive environment. To ensureSouthern continues to succeed, weneed to keep supporting and investing in theUniversity

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DarrinL.Dixon,MBA

Executive Director

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SouthernUniversityand A&M College ‘92

Being an advocatefor ourannual “Are YouIn?” Campaignisvital for fostering acultureofgiving thatstrengthens our University community and supports the next generation of leaders. Every contribution, no matter the size, directly impacts our students and programs, helpingustocreate abrighter futuretogether.

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Ibadan, Nigeria •Baton Rouge, LA

Southern University empowers minority scholarship,champions academic excellence, and fosters astrong sense of community It’s aplace wherediversity is celebrated and innovation is partofthe culture. I’ve had the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research, and my professors have truly inspired me to push boundaries, pursue my goals, and believe in the impactI can make.

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Bayard Management Group, LLC Southern Universityand A&M College‘99

Southern University was thefoundation of my learning. It propelled me into my career by providing both a strong education and invaluable opportunities.Since graduating,I’ve had thechance to work forFortune 500companies,held politically appointed positions in local,state,and federalgovernment,and for the past 15 years I’ve successfully managed my own human resources and workforce training firm.It’s incredibly important foralumni to support the“AreYou In?” Campaign -because we arethe productsofthis great University,and it’s our turn to giveback what wasonce given to us.

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