LSU ENDS SEASON-OPENING LOSING STREAK BEHIND STOUT DEFENSE 1C THE
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Johnson nets big wins for Trump, GOP
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HOOT AND HOLLER
But he faces more hurdles when Congress comes back Tuesday BY MARK BALLARD | Staff writer
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
The Ragin’ Cajuns defense tackles Rice Owls running back Quinton Jackson at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium in Lafayette on Saturday. The Cajuns struggled in their first game in the renovated stadium. Rice held a 14-6 lead at halftime as new University of Louisiana at Lafayette starting quarterback Walker Howard struggled to 8-of15 passing for 57 yards and one interception. The Cajuns defense kept them in the game, and UL scored a touchdown to cut the lead to 14-12 in the third quarter after a missed two-point conversion. Rice tried to end it in the final two minutes, but a UL goal-line stand gave them one more chance. But Howard was injured on the final drive, and backup QB Daniel Beale could not get UL into field goal range.
ä SEE COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE CAJUNS’ SEASON-OPENING GAME. PAGE 1C
WASHINGTON — Over the past eight months, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson overcame a tiny majority of often unruly Republicans to enact a batch of “if only” policies that conservatives have wanted for decades. Scaling back Medicaid; closing borders and ramping up immigration enforcement; slashing regulation; lowering taxes — key Johnson parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda are now law, in large part because of the quiet yet steely demeanor of the 53-year-old House leader from the Shreveport suburb of Benton. But in the “whathave-you-done-lately” Trump world of national politics, Johnson faces a whole new set of hurdles when Congress reconvenes in Washington on Tuesday. Foremost is passing a budget during the next 30 days to avoid shutting down federal government operations. Just two years ago, few would have predicted Johnson, who was first elected to Congress in 2016, would be the one at the helm.
ä See JOHNSON, page 3A
‘It’s OK to talk about it’
LDWF under scrutiny over wildlife rehab rules
Patients with maternal mental health struggles find hope
BY ANDREA GALLO | Staff writer Brittany Lane keeps a yellow birdhouse in her kitchen, the word “hope” painted on one side of its roof and “love” painted on the other. It’s a reminder of how far she’s come since June, when Lane, 31, wanted to end her own life. After having her fifth baby, emotions she’d tried to suppress for years spiraled out of control. She never fully mourned her father and her uncle, who both died in 2022 while she was pregnant and then taking care of a newborn. Her fourth and fifth children arrived back-to-back, leaving her little time to adjust to a much bigger family. All at once, the grief and the demands of motherhood overwhelmed her. Instead of taking her doctor’s advice to seek inpatient treatment, Lane assumed she
ä See HOPE, page 4A
WEATHER HIGH 89 LOW 73 PAGE 6B
Some legislators seek more leeway for abandoned animals
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN | Staff writer STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
Woman’s Perinatal Mental Health Unit patient Brittany Lane, from left, stands with nurse Maggie, social worker Mallori, recreational therapist April, clinical director of the unit Bianca Glueck, director of inpatient perinatal psychiatry Dr. Kelly Cannon and chief nursing officer and executive VP of patient care Cheri Johnson at Woman’s Hospital on Aug. 13.
“I knew deep down that I needed the help. And at that point, it was like, get it now or there might not be a next time.”
From Neuty the Nutria to Little Buck, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has sometimes faced criticism that it deals too harshly with people who take in wild animals. Now the department is under renewed scrutiny after it recently killed deer being kept by two different families, and after the Natural Resources Commission proposed even further restrictions on rehabilitating wildlife. Some legislators say the law needs to change to give people more leeway to nurse injured or
BRITTANy LANE, mother and Woman’s Perinatal Mental Health Unit patient
Business ......................1E Living............................1D Nation-World................2A Classified .....................6D Lottery..........................2B Opinion ........................4B Commentary ................5B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
ä See LDWF, page 7A
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