The Acadiana Advocate 10-04-2025

Lunch leads the way

Backup QB Winfield may be unlikely leader for Cajuns, but his hometown of Lutcher knew he always was one

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

As far back as he can remember,

University of Louisiana at Lafayette quarterback Lunch Winfield recalls people following him.

It wasn’t something he planned for or expected. It just kept happening

If the there was a group project in class, everyone wanted to be in Winfield’s group.

“Even when I was in the second or third grade, people just listened to me,” Winfield said “I really don’t know why I just started noticing that people just kind of gravitated to me.”

If a friend was struggling with learning how to play basketball or football growing up, Winfield taught him.

“I still have people tell me, ‘You remember the day you taught me how to play basketball, or whatever?’ ” Winfield said.

When Lutcher High’s football program was struggling through some off-the-field issues during Winfield’s freshman season, the coaching staff bypassed the expected senior starter at quarterback to insert sophomore wide receiver Winfield, even though he had never played quarterback before.

“We just noticed how he carried himself on the basketball court,”

Lutcher coach Dwain Jenkins said.

“I believed in his ability to develop as a quarterback, but we were going to turn this thing around, do things the right way and he was going to lead us.”

So when the Ragin’ Cajuns began to see their season slipping away, trailing Marshall 34-17 in the middle of the third quarter with a 1-3 record, UL coach Michael Desormeaux called on Winfield to save the day The redshirt sophomore answered the call again, leading the Cajuns’ offense to six straight scoring drives with five straight touchdowns in a 54-51 double overtime win.

While UL coaches, players and fans could hardly believe their eyes, no one in Lutcher was surprised.

“The one thing I always said about him is the impact you see on the field is just the tip of the iceberg,” Jenkins said. “What he does in the locker room and in the building to build up everybody around him is where the secret is. That’s where he makes his biggest impact.

“That’s what you kind of saw Saturday night in Lafayette.”

It was Jenkins’ biggest selling point when the Cajuns recruited Winfield.

“People didn’t know what to make of him,” Jenkins said.

The Power 4 programs wanted him to play safety, but Winfield wanted to play quarterback. His leadership skills almost demanded it.

“It’s genuine, and if you’re around him, it’s infectious,” Jenkins added.

ä See LUNCH, page 5A

Lafayette teachers to get bonus

School Board also OKs $30M in construction projects

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

Lafayette Parish teachers will receive a nearly $3,000 bonus check with 2002 half-cent sales tax funding.

The Lafayette Parish School Board voted unanimously at its October meeting to approve the $2,908.74 payments to be distributed to eligible employees this month.

The money comes from about $8.1 million in excess funding collected from the sales tax. The funding in the past has been used for one-time “bonus” checks and for permanent raises.

The tax generated about $37 million during fiscal year 2024-25. The tax helps fund professional development, tutoring and lower class sizes in the district.

The board also approved about $30 million in construction projects throughout the district.

ä See TEACHERS, page 5A

AG Murrill fires secretary of state lawyers

Officials at odds over canceling of legal contracts as redistricting case looms

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Attorney General Liz Murrill has fired all of the outside lawyers working for Secretary of State Nancy Landry in an extraordinary high-stakes legal battle between two of Louisiana’s six statewide elected officers.

Murrill said she acted to protect her primacy as Louisiana’s chief legal officer after Landry, in her view, challenged that authority in advance of an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court hearing on whether Louisiana will have to redraw its congressional voting maps.

Landry believes Murrill has overreacted and questions whether the attorney general has the

ä See LAWYERS, page 5A

Trump orders bombing to stop after Hamas accepts parts of plan

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, BASSEM MROUE and JOSEPH KRAUSS Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip

U.S. President

Donald Trump on Friday ordered Israel to stop bombing the Gaza Strip after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan to end the nearly two-year war and return all the remaining hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. Senior Hamas officials suggested there were still major disagreements that required further negotiations.

There was no immediate response from Israel, which is largely shut down for the Jewish Sabbath, and Hamas’ response fell short of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demands that the group surrender and disarm.

But Trump welcomed the Hamas statement, saying: “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE.”

“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out,” he wrote on social media.

Hamas said aspects of the proposal

ä See BOMBING, page 4A

Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli military strike in Gaza City as seen from the central Gaza Strip on Thursday.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Migrant children offered

$2,500 to leave U.S.

McALLEN, Texas The Trump administration said Friday that it would pay migrant children

$2,500 to voluntarily return to their home countries, dangling a new incentive in efforts to persuade people to self-deport U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t say how much migrants would get or when the offer would take effect, but The Associated Press obtained an email to migrant shelters saying children 14 years of age and older would get $2,500 each Children were given 24 hours to respond

The notice to shelters from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s Administration for Families and Children did not indicate any consequences for children who decline the offer ICE said in a statement that the offer would initially be for 17-year-olds.

“Any payment to support a return home would be provided after an immigration judge grants the request and the individual arrives in their country of origin,” ICE said. “Access to financial support when returning home would assist should they choose that option.”

Advocates said the sizable sum may prevent children from making informed decisions.

Court lets Trump strip Venezuelans’ protections

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to strip legal protections from more than 300,000 Venezuelan migrants

The justices issued an emergency order, which will last as long as the court case continues, putting on hold a lowercourt ruling in San Francisco that found the administration had wrongly ended temporary protected status for the Venezuelans. The three liberal justices dissented.

Trump’s Republican administration has moved to withdraw various protections that have allowed immigrants to remain in the United States and work legally, including ending TPS for a total of 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians who were granted protection under President Joe Biden, a Democrat. TPS is granted in 18-month increments.

In May the Supreme Court reversed a preliminary order that affected another 350,000 Venezuelans whose protections expired in April The high court provided no explanation at the time, which is common in emergency appeals.

“The same result that we reached in May is appropriate here,” the court wrote Friday in an unsigned order

N.H. teen who killed 3 gets 60 years to life

CONCORD, N.H. — A young New Hampshire man who was 16 when he killed his sister-in-law and two young nephews was sentenced Friday to 60 years to life in prison for crimes his lawyer said he doesn’t remember committing.

Eric Sweeney, now 19, had been living with his older brother’s family in Northfield for three years when he fatally shot Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her sons, 4-year-old Benjamin and 23-month-old Mason, in August 2022. Originally charged with firstdegree murder, Sweeney instead pleaded guilty in August to lesser second-degree murder charges. At a sentencing hearing Friday, defense lawyers sought a prison term of 40 years to life, based in part on the “immeasurable trauma” Sweeney suffered as a child, including a mother who “dragged him through drug dens and a succession of abusive father figures.”

Prosecutors asked for a sentence of at least 97 years — consecutive sentences of 35 years to life for Kassandra Sweeney’s death and 40 years to life for each of the boys’ deaths, with up to 18 years suspended if goals related to education, mental health treatment and good behavior were met.

The sentence imposed will allow up to six years to be suspended, making Sweeney eligible for parole at age 68.

‘Diddy’ gets 4 years in prison

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK, LARRY NEUMEISTER and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced Friday to four years and two months in prison for transporting people across state lines for sexual encounters, capping a sordid federal case that featured harrowing testimony and ended in a forceful reckoning for one of the most popular figures in hip-hop.

Combs, 55, was also fined half a million dollars Since Combs has served a year in jail already, this sentence means he would be released in about three years. His lawyers wanted him freed immediately and said the time behind bars has already forced his remorse and sobriety

He was convicted in July of flying his girlfriends and male sex work-

ers around the country to engage in drug-fueled sexual encounters, a practice that happened over many years and in different locations. He was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life.

“Why did it happen so long?” U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian asked as he handed down the sentence. “Because you had the power and the resources to keep it going, and because you weren’t caught.”

Combs showed no visible change of emotion as he learned his sentence, sitting in his chair and looking straight ahead as the judge spoke. He remained subdued afterward and appeared dejected, with none of the enthusiasm and smiles that accompanied his interactions with lawyers and his family earlier in the day

In a final word before sentencing, Combs told the judge his years of behavior were “disgusting, shameful” and apologized to the people he hurt physically and mentally

He said his acts of domestic vio-

lence were a burden he would have to carry for the rest of his life.

His defense lawyers played an 11-minute video in court portraying Combs’ family life, career and philanthropy At one point during the video, Combs put a hand on his face and began to cry

His nearly two-month trial in a federal court in Manhattan featured testimony from women who said Combs beat, threatened, sexually assaulted and blackmailed them. Prosecutor Christy Slavik told the judge that sparing Combs serious prison time would excuse years of violence.

“It’s a case about a man who did horrible things to real people to satisfy his own sexual gratification,” she said. “He didn’t need the money His currency was control.” Combs was convicted under the Mann Act, which bans transporting people across state lines for prostitution. Defense attorney Jason Driscoll argued the law was misapplied. Several of Combs’ children

Synagogue attack victim apparently shot by police

BY DANICA KIRKA, KWIYEON HA and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press

MANCHESTER, England One of the two Jewish men killed in a car and knife attack on a synagogue in the English city of Manchester appears to have been accidentally shot by a police officer, according to detectives who said Friday that the attacker may have been motivated by Islamic extremism.

Police said congregant Adrian Daulby, 53 and security guard Melvin Cravitz, 66, died trying to prevent Thursday’s attack on the Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue. Three other people are hospitalized in serious condition.

Police shot and killed a suspect seven minutes after he rammed a car into pedestrians outside the synagogue and then attacked them with a knife in what the police force called an act of terrorism. He wore what appeared to be an explosives belt, which was found to be fake.

Police identified the attacker as a British citizen of Syrian descent who was on bail over an alleged rape. They said it’s not clear whether he acted alone, though they’ve said they believe there is no further danger to the public. Officers have arrested six other people on suspicion of being linked to the attack, though they haven’t identified them or elaborated on what role they’re suspected of playing.

A pathologist provisionally determined Daulby had a gunshot wound. Since the attacker did not have a gun, the injury may have been “a tragic and unforeseen consequence” of police actions, Greater Manchester Police Chief Stephen Watson said.

Daulby and another man, who was hospitalized with a gunshot wound, were among worshippers being hailed as heroes for barricading the door to stop the attacker from entering, Watson said.

Daulby’s family said his “final act was one of profound courage.” Cravitz’s family said it was trying to cope with the shocking loss of a man who “would do anything to help anyone.”

The attack came amid high tensions over Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza.

Dozens of people gathered in pouring rain near the synagogue Friday for a vigil, where Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy was heckled by members of the crowd who accused the government of allowing antisemitism to spread.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the head of Orthodox Judaism in Britain, said the attack was the result of “an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred” on the streets and on-

line. “This is the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come,” he wrote on social media.

Police identified the attacker as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, who moved to the United Kingdom as a young child and became a citizen in 2006.

Police said the crime is being investigated as a terrorist attack and Al-Shamie “may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology.”

The killer, wielding a large knife, shouted, “This is what you get for killing our children” as he tried to break the door in, Alan Levy, chairman of the synagogue’s trustees, told ITV News.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the attacker was not previously known to counterterrorism police or the security services. Police said AlShamie was on bail over an alleged rape at the time of the attack but had not been charged.

Neighbors of the attacker in the Manchester suburb of Prestwich, a couple of miles from the synagogue, said AlShamie’s family had lived in the house for years. Several described seeing AlShamie lifting weights and working out in the backyard.

A statement on Facebook from the attacker’s family condemned the “heinous act, which targeted peaceful, innocent civilians. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort,” the statement said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who visited the scene of the attack on Friday with his wife Victoria, said “this was a dreadful attack, a terrorist attack to inflict fear Attacking Jews because they are Jews.”

“It’s really important today that the whole country comes together people of all faiths and no faith, stand in support and solidarity with our Jewish community,” he said.

Some politicians and religious leaders claimed pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which have been held regularly since the war in Gaza began, had played a role in spreading hatred of Jews The protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful but some say chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” incite violence.

Some also say the U.K.’s recognition of a Palestinian state this month has emboldened antisemitism — a claim the government rejects. Lammy was interrupted by boos and shouts of “Shame on you” as he addressed the vigil in Manchester

pleaded for leniency

His daughters Chance and D’Lila Combs cried as they spoke, with D’Lila saying she feared losing her father after the death of their mother, Kim Porter, in 2018. Six of Combs’ seven children addressed the judge.

“Please, your honor, please,” D’Lila said through tears, “give our family the chance to heal together, to rebuild, to change, to move forward, not as a headline, but as human beings.”

Outside the courthouse, journalists and onlookers swarmed the sidewalks as TV crews stood in a long row across the street, echoing scenes from Combs’ trial.

During testimony at the trial, former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura told jurors that Combs ordered her to have “disgusting” sex with strangers hundreds of times during their decade-long relationship. Jurors saw video of him dragging and beating her in a Los Angeles hotel hallway after one such multiday “freak-off.”

Trump reverses $187M in funding cuts for N.Y.

BY SUSAN HAIGH and GABRIELA AOUN Associated Press

President Donald Trump said Friday he has personally reversed $187 million in funding cuts made by his administration for New York’s law enforcement and counterterrorism operations, following bipartisan outcry from New York officials.

The Republican announced the restoration of federal funding on Truth Social. “I am pleased to advise that I reversed the cuts made to Homeland Security and Counterterrorism for New York City and State. It was my Honor to do so,” he wrote.

The reversal came after Democratic Gov Kathy Hochul sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday railing against the cuts, saying they represented 86% of homeland security funding to the state, impacting the New York City police and fire departments, state police and other law enforcement agencies.

The cut would had

slashed federal counterterrorism funding for the NYPD from $90 million to nearly $10 million, according to Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who on Wednesday called it “a devastating blow.”

On Friday, Hochul credited political pushback from the state for the restoration of funds.

“From the moment these devastating cuts were announced, I made it clear that New York would not stand by while our law enforcement and counterterrorism operations were defunded,” Hochul said in a statement.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency did not respond to a request for comment.

A FEMA email announcing the grant allocations Monday said that “recipients of grants will no longer be permitted to use federal funds to house illegal immigrants at luxury hotels, fund climate change pet projects, or empower radical organizations with unseemly ties that don’t serve the interest of the American people.”

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Fundingvotefails againinSenate

Hopesfor aquick end to government shutdown arefading

BY STEPHENGROVES,MARYCLARE

JALONICK

and MATT BROWN Associated Press

WASHINGTON Hopes foraquick end to the government shutdown fadedFriday as Democratsrefused to budge in aSenate voteand President Donald Trumpreadied plans to unleash layoffs and cuts acrossthe federal government.

On thethirdday of theshutdown, anotherSenate vote to advance a Republican billthat would reopen the government failed on a54-44 tally —well short of the 60 needed to end afilibuster and pass thelegislation. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, announced that the chamber would close forlegislative business next week, amove meant to force the Senate to work with the government funding billthat has been passed by House Republicans.

Following thefailed vote,senators quickly headed for the exits of the Capitol, expecting no more votes over the weekend and showing few signs of any real progress toward ending the congressional standoff. Instead, both sides dug in for aprolonged shutdownfight that thrusts federal workers into more uncertainty,threatens to ripple into the broader economy and gives the Trump administration an opportunity to reshape thefederal government.

“I don’tknow how many times you’re going to give them achance to vote no,” Senate MajorityLeader John Thune saidatanewsconference Friday.After thevote, he said he was flying home to South Dakota for the weekend, adding, “I’ll be available.” The vote showed hardening lines

in the Senate.The same three members of the Democratic caucus—

Sens.Catherine Cortez Masto,John Fettermanand Angus King —who votedfor the funding bill previously did so again,and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was once again the only Republican opposed.

“They thoughtthey could bludgeonusand threatenusand scare us.Itain’tworking,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer D-N.Y

Democratsare demanding that Congress extend health care benefits, while Republicans are refusingtocommit to anything until the government is reopened. They are tryingto wear Democrats down to vote for aHouse-passedbill that would reopen the government temporarily,mostly at current spending levels.

Although Republicanscontrol the White House and bothchambers of Congress,the Senate’sfilibuster rules make it necessary for thegovernment funding legislation togain support from at least 60 of the100 senators.That’sgiven Democrats arare opportunity to use their 47 Senate seats to hold out in exchange forpolicyconcessions

Theirprimary demand is that Congress extend tax credits that were boosted duringthe COVID-19 pandemic for health careplans offered under marketplaces set up underthe Affordable CareAct.

“Everyoneisabouttoexperience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles because of theRepublican healthcarecrisis. Everyone,”warned House MinorityLeader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Friday

Theshutdowngamble

Democrats are running the highrisk strategyof effectively voting for agovernment shutdown to make their stand. Trumphas vowed to makeitaspainful as possible for them.

Karoline Leavitt discussed areport that said military families are already seeking food aid as troops go without apaycheck. “This madness must end,” she said.

Talksinthe Senate

Abipartisan group of senators, includingmoderateDemocrats who have said they want to find aquickresolution, hasbeen discussing possible health care compromises through one-on-one talks over the last two days. One option floated by South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, aRepublican, would extend the higher subsidies for one year andthen phasethemout to pre-pandemic levels.

Thune acknowledged those conversations on Friday,telling reporters, “Honestly,I think the more productiveconversations arehappening outsideofthe leader’soffice at the moment.”

TheRepublican president has called the government funding lapse an “unprecedented opportunity” to make vast cutstofederal agencies and potentially lay off federal workers, rather than the typical practice of furloughing them.Trump shared asocialmedia video Thursday night that depicted WhiteHouse budget director Russell Vought as agrim reaper Voughthas already announced that he is withholding billions of dollars for infrastructure projects in states with Democratic senators, and on Friday morning, he said he wouldwithhold another $2.1 billion for Chicago infrastructure projects to extend itstrain system tothe city’sSouth Side. Democratic leaders have displayed no signs of budging under those threats.

“The cruelty that they might

unleash on everydayAmericans using thepretense of ashutdown is only going to backfireagainst them,” Jeffriessaidatthe Capitol Thursday evening.

Roughly 750,000 federal employeescould be furloughed, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, andthey could lose out on $400 million in daily wages. That lossinwages until after the government reopens could drive down wider demand forgoods and services.

“All around the country right now,real pain is being endured by real peoplebecause the Democrats have decidedtoplaypolitics,” Johnson said Friday

The White House also began its news briefingonFriday by rattlingoff thevarious consequences of the shutdown that were already hittingAmericans. Press secretary

Anumber of Republicans have voiced support for extending the subsidies. Their expiration would cause significant increases in healthcare premiumsfor plenty of peopleinstates withGOP senators —especially in ruralareas where farmers, ranchers and small-business ownerspurchase their own health insurance.

Still, it wasunclear if they would be able to find asolution that could appease the White House andRepublican leaders, who want to see cuts to the subsidies. Thune also said he wasn’tsure if acompromise would have the votes to pass. Johnson said Friday that “more reforms are coming” to the ACA subsidies and argued that they “are not working.”

Schumeralso saidthathe’ssupportive of theinformaltalks, but “unfortunately,last night,” Democrats returned fromthe discussions and said Republicans didn’t offer them anything.

“You need Trumptoget it done,” he said.

Trumpnolongerdistancinghimself from Project2025

Presidentusing shutdown to furtherits goals

BY JILL COLVIN Associated Press

NEW YORK President Don-

ald Trump is openly embracing the conservative blueprint he desperately tried to distance himself from during the 2024 campaign, as one of its architects works to use the government shutdown to accelerate his goals of slashing the size of the federal workforce and punishing Democratic states.

In apost on his Truth Social site Thursday morning, Trump announced he would be meeting with hisbudget chief, “Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are apolitical SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent.”

The comments represented adramatic about-face for Trump, who spent much of last year denouncing Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’smassiveproposed overhaul of the federal government, which was drafted by many of his longtime allies and current and former administration officials.

Both of Trump’sDemocratic rivals, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, made the far-right wish list acenterpiece of their campaigns, and agiant replica of the book featured prominently onstage atthe Democratic National Convention.

“Donald Trump and his stooges lied through their teethabout Project 2025, andnow he’s runningthe country straight into it,” said Ammar Moussa, aformer spokesperson for both campaigns. “There’snocomfort in being right —just anger that we’re stuck withthe consequences of his lies.”

Asked about Trump’sreversal, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, “Democrats are desperate to talk aboutanything aside from their decision to hurt the American people by shutting down the government.”

Disavowed,thenembraced

TopTrump campaign leaders spent much of 2024 livid

at The Heritage Foundation for publishing abook fullof unpopular proposalsthat Democrats tried to pin on thecampaigntowarn asecond Trump termwould be too extreme.

While many of the policies outlined in its 900-plus pagesaligned closely with the agenda thatTrump was proposing —particularly on curbingimmigration and dismantling certain federal agencies —others called for actionTrumphad never discussed, like banning pornography, or Trump’steamwas actively tryingtoavoid, like withdrawing approval for abortion medication

Trump repeatedlyinsisted he knew nothing about the group or who was behindit, despite hisclose ties with many of its authors. They included John McEntee, his former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, and Paul Dans, former chief of staff at the U.S. OfficeofPersonnelManagement

“I know nothing aboutProject 2025,” Trump insisted in July 2024. “I have no idea who is behind it. Idisagree with some of the things they’resayingand someof the things they’re saying are absolutelyridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, Iwishthem luck, but Ihave nothing to do withthem.”

Trump has since gone on to stock hissecondadministration with its authors, including Vought, “borderczar” TomHoman, CIADirector John Ratcliffe, immigration hard-liner StephenMiller and Brendan Carr,who wrote Project 2025’schapter on theFederal CommunicationsCommission and now chairs thepanel. Dans, the project’sformer director,saidit’sbeen “exciting” to see so much of what was laid out in the book put into action.

“It’sgratifying. We’re very proud of the workthat was done forthis express purpose: to have adoer like President Trump ready to roll on Day One,” said Dans, who is currently running for Senateagainst LindseyGrahaminSouth Carolina.

Pursuing project’splans

Sincehis swearing in,

Trump has been pursuing plans laid out in Project2025 to dramatically expand presidential power and reduce the

size of thefederal workforce.

They include efforts like the Department of Government Efficiency andbudgetrescissionpackages, which have led to billionsofdollars being stalled, scrappedorwithheld by the administrationsofar this year

They are now using the shutdown to accelerate their progress.

Ahead of the funding deadline, OMB directedagencies to prepare foradditional massfirings of federal workers,ratherthan simply furloughing those who are not deemed essential, as has been theusual practice during past shutdowns. Vought told House GOP lawmakersinaprivate conference callWednesdaythatlayoffs wouldbegin in thenextday or two.

They have alsoused the shutdown to target projects championed by Democrats, including canceling$8billion in greenenergyprojectsinstateswith Democratic senators.

Dreaming of this moment

In his chapter in theblueprint,Vought made clear he wanted the president and OMB to wieldmore direct power

“The Director must view his job as thebest, most comprehensive approximation of the President’smind,” he wrote. Vought described OMBas“aPresident’sairtraffic control system,” whichshould be “involved in allaspects of theWhite Housepolicy process,”becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.”

Sen. MikeLee, R-Utah,said on Fox News Channel that Vought “has aplan, and that planisgoing to succeed in further empowering Trump. This is going to be theDemocrats’worst nightmare.”

HouseSpeakerMike Johnson, R-Benton,echoed that message, insisting the government shutdown gives Trump and his budget director vast power over the federal government and the unilateral power to determine which personnel and

policies are essential and which are not.

Schumer has handed “the keys of the kingdom to the

president,” Johnson said Thursday. “Because they have decided to vote to shut the government down, they have now effectively turned off the legislative branch and they’ve turned it over to the executive.”

Hegsethsaysitwas carrying drugs

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON Defense Secretary

Pete Hegseth said Friday that he ordered another strike onasmall boat he accused of carryingdrugs in the waters off Venezuela, expanding what the Trump administration has declared is an “armed conflict” with cartels.

In apost on social media,Hegseth asserted that the “vessel was trafficking narcotics” and those aboard were “narco-terrorists.”

He said the strike killed four men but offered no details on who they were or what group they belonged to, following the U.S. designation of several LatinAmerican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

President Donald Trumpsaid in his own social media post that the boat was “loaded withenough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND

BOMBING

Continued from page1A

touching on the futureof the Gaza Strip andPalestinian rights should be decided on thebasis of a“unanimous Palestinian stance” reached withother factions and based on international law

The statement alsomade no mention of Hamas disarming, akey Israeli demand included in Trump’s proposal.

Trump appears keen to deliver on pledges to end the war and return dozens of hostages ahead of thesecond anniversary of the attack on Tuesday.His peace plan has beenacceptedbyIsrael and welcomed internationally.

Key mediators Egypt and Qatar welcomedthe latest developments, andMajed Al Ansari,a spokesmanfor Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, saidthey would “continue discussions on the plan.”

Aspokesman forU.N Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he “urges all parties to seize the opportunity to bringthe tragic conflict in Gaza to an end.” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media that “the release of all hostages and aceasefire in Gaza are within reach!”

Earlier,Trump hadwarned that Hamas must agree to the deal by Sunday evening, threatening an even greater militaryonslaught.

“If this LAST CHANCE agreementisnot reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break outagainst Hamas,”Trump wrote Friday on social media. “THERE WILL BE PEACEINTHE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAYORTHE OTHER.”

Under the plan, which Trump unveiled earlier this week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas would immediately release the remaining48hostages— around 20 of them believed to be alive. It would also give up power and disarm. In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of the territory,release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction.Plans to relocate much of Gaza’spopulationtoother countries would be shelved.

Theterritory of some 2

PEOPLE” and implied it was “entering AmericanTerritory” while off thecoast of Venezuela.

It is thefourth deadly strike in theCaribbean andthe latest since revelations that Trumptold lawmakers he was treating drug traffickersasunlawful combatants and military force wasrequired to combat them. Thatassertion of presidential war powers sets the stage for expandedaction and raises questions about how far theadministration will go without sign-off from Congress.

“Blowing themupwithout knowingwho’s on the boatisaterrible policy,and it should end,” said Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky,aconsistent and harsh critic of theU.S.strikes.

TheTrump administration laid out its justification forthe strikes in amemoobtained by The Associated Press this week.

“The President determined that theUnited States is in anoninternational armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations,” according to the memo

senttoCongress. Trumpdirected thePentagon to “conduct operationsagainst them pursuant to the law of armed conflict,”the documentsays.

Sen. Jim Risch, Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said thepresident had theauthoritytogoafter thecartels withoutfurtherauthorization from Congress under “his general powers under the Constitution as thecommander in chief.”

“What could be abigger defense of this country than keeping out this poison that’skilling thousands of Americans every year?” Risch said Friday

Paul said only Congress has the authority to declare war and characterized the memo as “a way to pretend like” the administration is notifying lawmakers withajustification for the strikes.

“If they want to declare war, come to Congress andsay they want to declare war,”hetold AP “But youcan’tjust say it yourself andsay,Oh, well, we sent them a note and now we’re at war with un-

named people who we won’teven identify before we kill.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, aleftist leader who has clashed with the Trump administration, accused the U.S. of committing “murder” andurged the victims’ families to “join forces.”

“There arenonarco-terrorists on the boats,” he posted on Xafter the strike wasannounced. “Drug traffickers live in the U.S., Europe andDubai. On that boat are poor Caribbean youth.”

Video of Friday’sstrike posted online showed asmallboat moving in open water when it suddenly explodes, with water splashing all around it. As the smoke from the explosion clears, the boat is visible, consumedwith flames, floating motionless on the water

With it, at least three of the strikes havenow been carried out on vessels that U.S. officialssaid hadoriginated from Venezuela. The strikes followed abuildup of U.S.maritime forcesinthe Caribbean unlike anyseen in recent times

The Navy’spresence in the region —eight warships with over 5,000 sailors andMarines—has been pretty stable for weeks, according to twodefense officials, whospoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations. In apost about the first strike last month, Trumpclaimedthe vessel was carrying members of the Tren de Aragua gang. Posts about all the subsequent strikes, including Friday’s, have not provided any details about what organizations have been targeted. The four strikeshave killed 21 people, the administration says. Pentagon officials who briefed senators on the strikesthis week could notprovide alist of the designatedterrorist organizations at the center of the conflict.

Officials in thePentagon, when asked formore details about the strike, referred The Associated Press back to Hegseth’s post. The press office for Venezuela’sgovernment did not immediately respond to arequest for comment on the latest strike.

million Palestinians would be placed underinternational governance, with Trump himself andformerBritish Prime MinisterTony Blair overseeing it. The plan providesnopathfor eventual reunification with the Israeli-occupied West Bank ina future Palestinian state. Palestinians long for an end to the war,but many view this andpreviousU.S proposals as stronglyfavoringIsrael.

Trump’sproposal “cannot be implementedwithout negotiations,”Mousa Abu Marzouk,a senior Hamas official based outside of Gaza, told theAlJazeera network

TheHamas statement said it was willing to return allremaining hostages according to the plan’s“formula,”likely referringto the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange. It also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politicallyindependent Palestinian body.

But Abu Marzouksaid it might be difficultfor Hamas to releaseall the hostages within 72 hours as theproposal dictates, because it couldtake days or weeks to locate the remainsofsome of thecaptives.

He saidHamas was willing to hand over its weapons to a future Palestinian bodythat

runs Gaza, but there was no mention of that in the official statement

Another Hamasofficial, Osama Hamdan, told Al Arabytelevision that Hamas wouldrefuse foreign administration of the Gaza Strip and that the entry of foreign forces would be “unacceptable.”

Israel has sought to ramp up pressure on Hamas since ending an earlier ceasefire in March. It sealed the territory off from food, medicine andother goodsfor 2 1/2 monthsand has seized, flattened and largely depopulated large areas.

Experts determined that Gaza City had slid intofamine shortly before Israel launched amajor offensive aimedatoccupying it.An estimated 400,000 people have fled thecity in recent weeks,but hundreds of thousands more have stayed behind.

Olga Cherevko, aspokesperson for theU.N. humanitarian office, said shesaw severaldisplaced families staying in the parking lot of Shifa Hospital during avisit on Thursday “They arenot able to move southbecause they just cannot afford it,” Cherevko told The Associated Press. “One of the familieshad three children and the woman was pregnant with herfourth.

And there were many other vulnerable cases there, including elderly people and people withdisabilities.”

Most of Hamas’ topleaders in Gaza andthousands of its fighters have already been killed, but it still has

influenceinareas notcontrolled by the Israeli military and launches sporadic attacks.

Hamas has long insisted it will only release the remaining hostages —its sole bargaining chip and poten-

tial human shields —inexchange fora lastingceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.Netanyahu hasrejected those terms, saying Hamas must surrender and disarm

Thousands of Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, attacking army bases, farmingcommunities andanoutdoor musicfestival, killing some 1,200 people,mostly civilians. They abducted 251 others, mostofthemsincereleased in ceasefires or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’sHealth Ministry,which does not say how manywere civilians or combatants. It says womenand children make up around half the dead.

The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, andthe U.N. andmanyindependent experts consider its figures to be the mostreliable estimate of wartime casualties.

The offensive hasdisplaced around 90% of Gaza’s population,often multiple times, andleft much of the territory uninhabitable.

Both the Biden and Trump administrations have tried to end the fighting and bring back the hostages while providing extensive military anddiplomaticsupport to Israel.

LUNCH

Continued from page 1A

“He can make you believe in him. Winfield has been making his presence known since he entered this world.

His mother Sabrina Robertson, remembers her youngest of five weighing 10 pounds, 2 ounces, being 26 inches long and leaving the hospital in 6- to 9-month-sized clothes with a size 2 shoe.

His lifelong nickname, Lunch, came about as early as a kid can get one.

“He tells the story that the nickname Lunch comes from his stealing my daddy’s chicken, and that did happen,” Robertson explained.

“But he was a big baby I handed him to my daddy and when he opened that blanket and said, ‘Oh, look, a big lunch.’ He’s had that nickname since he was 2 days old.”

For the record, his mother is the only person who doesn’t call him

Lunch His real name is D’Wanye’. Lunch was always easier because so many people assumed it was Dwayne.

Robertson said she’d go to school during his high school years and ask where D’Wanye’ was and his friends would say, “Who is that?”

“He used to tell me that I should have named him Kevin because no one ever gets his name right,” she laughed.

and grandparents growing up in Lutcher And while he credits his family for being good influences in Winfield’s life, he just thinks “some kids are special. Some people just have special gifts, and Lunch has a special gift as a leader.”

yards and three scores and running it 43 times for 130 yards and a fourth score.

On the season, he threw for 2,187 yards and 32 touchdowns and ran for 2,477 yards and 38 more scores.

That’s taking part in 70 touchdowns in one season.

“D’Wanye’ knows everything is in God’s hands,” Robertson said. “He knows it’s all in God’s timing.” So yes, Winfield was more than ready for the huge challenge facing him when Desormeaux put him in the game with 6:55 left in the third quarter trailing 34-17.

right to end her outside legal contracts. She declined to answer when asked whether she might go to court to block Murrill.

Adding to the legal and political drama, Murrill and Landry, while not close friends, grew up a block from each other in the Greenbriar neighborhood of Lafayette and went to Lafayette High School, LSU and LSU law school at the same time. Landry is one year older.

At the heart of the dispute is the Callais case, which is sure to draw national attention because Louisiana is asking the Supreme Court to overturn the decadesold Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act If the court invalidates Section 2, the state Legislature is poised to redraw Louisiana’s congressional boundaries to force either U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields or U.S. Rep. Troy Carter or both they are Black Democrats — out of Congress, to be replaced by a Republican.

In Murrill’s view, Landry has recently attempted to insert her views into Callais before the Supreme Court, and in so doing has tried to usurp Murrill’s role.

In her most recent brief, Landry wrote that she has consistently opposed the Legislature’s decision in January 2024 to create a second Black-majority congressional seat won later that year by Fields. The Legislature’s decision — which had the full support of Murrill and Gov Jeff Landry, to the dismay of conservatives subsequently — is the central question in the Callais case. Murrill and Jeff Landry said they supported creating the second Black-majority district because of recent Louisiana court rulings. Nancy Landry now says she favored keeping the previous congressional map, where Carter was the only Democrat.

“What Nancy is trying to do, for whatever reason, is to stake out some political position,” Murrill said in an interview.

“Maybe she believes the court is on the verge of making some consequential decision on redis-

TEACHERS

Continued from page 1A

The money will fund new wings at Broadmoor, Ernest Gallet and Westside elementary schools. The new wings will replace 24 portable buildings across all three schools Broadmoor’s wing

will have 20 classrooms

Gallet’s will have 10 classrooms and Westside’s will have 14 classrooms.

It also includes funding for a new P.E. facility at Milton Elementary-Middle and more

Robertson thinks her youngest son’s maturity comes from growing up with older siblings and older

first cousins

He taught himself how to walk at 7 months so he could play with those older siblings and cousins.

He went to Head Start earlier than most kids his age.

“He never really did all the silly childish things most kids do,” Robertson said. “He was always around older kids They would play sports.

There would be up to 19, 20 kids at any given time in the yard playing. We had two basketball goals.” Jenkins knew Winfield’s parents

One of his mother’s biggest beefs with Winfield once he got to high school was keeping his injuries a secret.

“Injuries have always been a sore subject between D’Wanye’ and me,” she said.

Robertson especially remembers not finding out Winfield suffered a hamstring injury as a sophomore until after the Tigers were eliminated by St Martinville in the playoffs.

She does admit, however, that on occasion, she’ll watch one of those old television games and still gets a good laugh every time the announcers doubt if Winfield will return to the game after suffering an injury

“He won’t say anything until he just can’t take it anymore,” she said.

Conquering injuries was the theme of his senior season. Winfield suffered a high ankle sprain in the first playoff game. After that, he spent all week in practice in a boot and then somehow played in the games on Friday

“He could barely walk,” Jenkins said.

Yet in the state championship game in 2022, Winfield led Lutcher to the title after throwing for 299

tricting, she wants to stake out a new place, a different place than she had taken before publicly, and rewrite history.”

That’s nonsense, Landry said in a separate interview

“My actions are not politically motivated at all,” she said.

At issue is Landry’s decision to file her own legal brief in August and support the position of the Callais plaintiffs seeking to overturn the current congressional map, which includes four Republicans and the two Black Democrats Landry also asked the Supreme Court to add 10 minutes to oral arguments to allow her outside counsel, Phillip Strach with the Nelson Mullins law firm, to present her legal position. The court said no to that request.

Landry said she was simply trying to make sure that her point of view was represented through legal counsel when the Supreme Court handles the redistricting case. Oral arguments are scheduled for Oct 15.

“The remedy in this case intimately involves my office,” said Landry, who oversees elections in Louisiana. She is named as a defendant.

Landry said her lawyers offered comments to the brief that Murrill’s lawyers were preparing. Murrill’s team didn’t respond, Landry said. That prompted her to file her own brief, she added.

“I have been consistent throughout the case in the pleadings,” Landry said. “There’s nothing unusual or different in the filing of this brief.”

For her part, Murrill said Landry didn’t show her brief to the Attorney General’s Office before filing it and then

money for Lafayette High’s baseball and softball fields.

Several students from Milton spoke at the board meeting, asking the board to approve $2.2 million in funding for their new facility.

Seventh grader Ellie Gaspard, who is one of the cocaptains of Milton’s dance team, said the school needs more space for all of its teams to practice. “The mission of the Jazz and Jackets (dance team) is to build self-discipline and self-worth both on and off the dance floor,” she said. “Adding an athletic space

wouldn’t discuss the matter

“For her to parachute in at the eleventh hour and then demand to have her lawyers stand at the podium and then refuse to even tell me or the governor what she wanted to say was just unacceptable,” Murrill said. “She’s a ministerial officer, so her legal position on the constitutionality of the law is irrelevant. That’s my job, not her job.”

By “ministerial officer,” Murrill means Landry’s role is an administrative, not a policymaking one.

Murrill struck back at Landry by canceling Nelson Mullins’ contract to represent the Secretary of State’s Office on redistricting — and then went a big step further by canceling Landry’s other seven outside legal contracts on other matters

“If they don’t cooperate with the attorney general, then they won’t get my approval,” Murrill said. “So I disapproved them. I have indicated I have the resources to supply her with legal assistance. That is what I will do.”

In doing so, Murrill ended one contract the Secretary of State’s Office had with Jimmy Faircloth, a friend and supporter who gave her first state government job when he was executive counsel to then-Gov Bobby Jindal.

“It had nothing to do with the merits of the work,” Faircloth said of Murrill’s decision, adding that he hadn’t done any work on the secretary of state contract for some time.

Murrill also canceled the secretary of state’s contract with the Berrigan Litchfield law firm in New Orleans. John Litchfield served as

would have a huge impact on our school, especially on teams like ours.”

Fourth grader Luke said he asked principal Amanda Guillory about adding a new indoor space to the school so elementary students would have a P.E. space when it rained. He took his own measurements to create a plan, but Guillory said it was too expensive at the time, he told board members.

“I was so surprised when she showed me the new plans for the new gym,” he said. “I know it will be great for all the students.”

“I’ve never been a guy to quit, because if I quit, then I’m also quitting on everybody who is following me,” Winfield said. “All my peers are watching They will see me quit They’ll be thinking, ‘Oh well, he quit. It’s over now.’ ”

Not everything has gone as planned since Wiinfield signed with the Cajuns At Lutcher he was essentially given the quarterback job because of his leadership skills.

At UL, he’s had to lead as a backup, and last year, he had to do so sitting out with an injury

That’s where the spiritual side of Winfield surfaced. After his injury, he thought about attending the university’s ABS Bible study program.

The very day he finally made up his mind to go, the team chaplain Eric Treuil also suggested it might be good idea for him.

“When he said that, it hit me, ‘That’s a good sign,’ so I went,” Winfield laughed.

“I loved it. I got baptized and fully gave my life to Christ and to be a follower of Christ,” he said.

That made getting through the disappointments of not winning the job and the injury much easier for him to get through.

Murrill’s campaign chair when she was elected as attorney general in 2023.

“The law firm is authorized to work for the Secretary of State’s Office, but I haven’t done any work,” Litchfield said.

Murrill also fired Celia Cangelosi, who has been an outside counsel for the Secretary of State’s Office for more than 25 years Cangelosi’s current contract calls for payments of $375 per hour, up to $400,000 per year from the Secretary of State’s Office. Cangelosi did not return a phone call.

The top Nelson Mullins lawyers earn $475 per hour, up to $800,000 per year in payments. Strach did not respond to an email.

Besides the one with Nelson Mullins, Murrill said she

“I was ready, because I already knew I was one play away from being the starter,” he said. “I was already preparing like I was the starter.”

For his old high school coach, the performance on the field wasn’t a surprise. He’d seen that from Winfield over and over The thing that really made Jenkins proud is Winfield the person hadn’t changed at all.

“When his opportunity didn’t come right away, he didn’t do what they do in college now,” Jenkins said “He didn’t look for the first ticket out of town. He stuck around and continued to be the same highcharacter kid he was in our locker room.

“He just continued to support his teammates. To me, that’s awesome.”

Since Saturday’s comeback win, Winfield’s sorting through an increase of more than 200,000 Instagram followers.

He’s even been contacted by the company that makes the snacks “Lunchables” to show their support.

“Normal practice week,” Winfield joked. “It’s all in God’s hands.”

severed the other outside legal contracts to ensure that Landry doesn’t try to put any of those lawyers on the redistricting case.

Murrill said her office and the Governor’s Office have to approve legal contracts for all state agencies.

Jay Dardenne, who served in various capacities of state government for more than 30 years, said attorneys general have sometimes refused to hire lawyers sought by the governor — a dispute between then-Gov. John Bel Edwards and then-Attorney General Jeff Landry ended up in court, with Landry winning and Edwards not getting the lawyers he wanted in a coastal lawsuit case.

But Dardenne could not remember an instance

where the Attorney General’s Office simply canceled existing contracts. Murrill said the legal conflict with Nancy Landry is awkward since they’ve known each other for so long.

“It’s not my preferred outcome,” Murrill said “But I got to do what I got to do. Of course, I still consider her a friend.”

Landry said she and Murrill haven’t talked in over a month.

“Part of working with Liz is working through disagreements,” Landry said.

“I’m just surprised that it’s become this involved with the firing of every attorney of the Secretary of State’s Office employs over what I consider to be a very minor disagreement.”

Shown

Noem visitsICE

Federalagents detain several people near site

BY

CHRISTINEFERNANDO and JOHN O’CONNOR Associated Press

BROADVIEW,Ill. Federal agents detained multiple people Friday near an immigration facility outside Chicago that has frequently been targetedbyprotesters during President Donald Trump’sadministration’s surge of immigration enforcement this fall As Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem met with employees inside the U.S Immigration andCustoms Enforcement processingfacility in Broadview,acrowd grew over several hours, some riled by newly installed barricades to separate them from law enforcement officers stationed outside. Noem, whose visit to Chicago was confirmed by Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, also accompanied agents Friday on araid near alocal Walmart store. Some protesters have aimed to block vehicles from going in or out of the area in recent weeks, partof growing pushback to asurge of immigrationenforcement that begin in earlySeptember.Federal agents have repeatedlyfired tear gas, pepper balls and other projectiles toward crowds in response and at leastfive people have faced federal charges after being arrested in those clashes. Local law enforcement stepped up its own presence Friday at thefacility about 12 miles west of Chicago. Several streets aroundthe site were closed, patrolled by Illinois State Police officers wearing riot helmets andholding batonsonpatrol. Thestate policeset up concrete barriers Thursday

night to segregate protesters and designate spacesto demonstrate.

It was unclear how many people were detained Friday. Oneman was seenstruggling on the ground with agents after he appeared to break through aline into the roadway and in front of avehicle.

“Every week, ICE escalates its violence against us,”said DemiPalecek, a military veteran and candidate forCongress. “Withthis level of escalation, it’sonly a matter of time before someone is killed.”

Democratic Gov.JBPritzkerlashed outatthe Trump administration for the way federal agents, many of them

facilityinIllinois

masked to hide their faces, aretreating protestersover the past month, castigating their “inhumane” tactics including slamming protesterstothe ground, arresting a reporter and firing chemical agentsintothe crowds.

On Thursday, Pritzker demandedNoem face the public by answering reporters’ questions and divulging details aboutthe ongoing operation.

Noem,alongside Gregory Bovino,chief patrol agent of theU.S.Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector,appeared on the Broadview building’sroof,surrounded by armed agents andacamera crew while standing beside asniper’spost,according to footage shared online by conservative media personality Benny Johnson.

Avideo Johnson later posted showed ahandful of protesters being detained in a parking lot while Noem noted “consequences for breaking the law and jeopardizing our law enforcement.”

Severaldemonstrators were frustrated by the designated protestzonein Broadview,saying keeping them off public streets violated theirFirst Amendment right to free speech. Mostignoredthe zonetoprotest on theother side of the facility

Swiftfanscelebrate releaseofnew album

By The AssociatedPress

From Mexico City to Manila, the United Kingdom to the United States, Taylor Swiftfanshooted, sobbed happy tears and danced theirway through the pop star’slatest album release, “The Life of aShowgirl.”

Swift’s12th studio offering dropped Friday,and her Swifties were more than ready for it. Many were dripping in the color orange to usher in her latest era at gatheringsaround the world. Some closed their eyes to take in the fresh dozentracks amidthe chaotic crowds around them. José María Bastida, awriter,rocked an orange sequin tuxedo jacket at a watch party in aMexico City restaurant serving Swift-themed cocktails,including atequila heavy “Ophelia’sJuice” and aliquored up “Showgirl Slushy.”

“I feel like it’ssuperexperimental,” he saidofthe album,“becauseit’ssupposedtobringalot of newstuff and we haven’t seen that moresexy side of TaylorSwift.”

In Los Angeles, the fervent lined up at midnight at aTarget to snapupthe new musiconvinyl andCD. Maria-Elena Garcia rented ahotelroomand drove in from SantaBarbara. “I like alot of hervalues andlikewehavea lot similar values. Forexample, cats,” she said. TheAMC theater chain hasgranted special permission for moviegoers to sing and dance their way through screenings of “The Official Release Party of aShowgirl,”inselect theaters for the weekend only.The film is screening around the world. Added bonus: No trailers beforehand. At theBlack Dog pub in London, thought to be the location for Swift’s

song “Black Dog” from her lastalbum, vacationingAmerican NatalieRichmond, 43, showed up to markthe occasion. Her two Swiftie daughterswoke her up extraearly to listen to thealbum.

“Weactually lived in Nashville early on so we’ve been following her ever since she began,” Richmond said. “She’srelatable. She’sthe person that everybody wants to be friends with. We all listen to her music and think I’d love to go out and hang out withher.” Kansas City’sUnion Stationwas lit up in orange and teal in celebration.

MusicianChloeRoseentertained Swift fans withfour hoursofcoversataspot there ahead of the release as the crowd made friendshipbracelets andsipped on themed cocktails.

Swift includes abundant nods to fiancé Travis Kelceamid the glitz,glamour and Las Vegas lechery of it all.

Chevronrefinery fire extinguished

BY ETHAN SWOPE and HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. Firefighters fully extinguished Friday the fire that broke out the night before at a Chevron oil refinery just outside Los Angeles, sending towering flames into the air that were visible formiles.

Officials in El Segundo, California, urged people to stay indoors. By early Friday,the fire wascontained and there was no threat to public safety,the city said in astatement. No evacuations wereordered.

“All roads have been reopened after last night’s Chevronfire,” thecityof El Segundo posted Friday morning.

AChevron spokespersonconfirmedthe firewas fully extinguishedbylate Friday morning.

“Following Chevron’sactive response along with support from the cities of El Segundo andManhattan Beach emergencyservices the fire is now out,” the company said in astatement, adding it haslaunched an internal investigation to determine the cause.

Localair qualitymonitors showed no airpollution concerns Friday morning in and around El Segundo, but the South Coast Air Quality Management District said they detected elevated levels of volatile organic

compoundsovernight at the fenceline refinery and community monitors. Fridaymorning’sdrizzle, marine layer and light winds waskeeping the bulk of the plume aloft, the air quality agency said in a statement, but that could change as onshore winds strengthen in the afternoon. According to the company,the fire broke out around 9:30 p.m.ataprocessing unit at the southeast corner of the Chevron refinery in El Segundo, abeachside city located about amile south of Los Angeles International Airport.

Residents nearby described feeling arumble and then seeing the flames.

“Pretty much the whole sky was orange,” said Sam Daugherty,who told KABC-TV he lives10 blocks away and began packing abag in apanic.

There were no injuries at the refinery and all personnel wereaccounted for, the companysaidina statementlate Thursday The refinery covers roughly 1.5 square miles andhas more than 1,100 milesofpipelines, according to the company’swebsite. The refinery,which hasbeen in operation since 1911, can refine up to 290,000 barrels of crude oil aday,including gasoline, jet and diesel fuels, according to thecompany’s website.

EEOC is suing Coca-Cola bottler

Suit alleges federal violation for firing disabled Lafayette worker

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR | Staff writer

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. is being sued for allegedly not accommodating a Lafayette delivery driver who developed a disability and was fired.

The U.S. Equal Employment Op-

portunity Commission, on behalf of Michael Bradley filed the federal lawsuit Sept. 29 in U.S. Eastern District Court, New Orleans, against Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, the third-largest bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola products in the United States, which

is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.

The plaintiff alleges a violation of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

The commission alleges in its lawsuit that Bradley was a fulltime large store delivery driver

working for Coca-Cola in Lafayette starting his route around 4:30 a.m. He had been diagnosed with renal disease that required dialysis. In February of 2022, he suffered a medical emergency that required hospitalization and a diagnosis of renal failure.

Bradley requested a leave of absence which was without pay.

The company’s policy, the lawsuit states, is to terminate employees on leave for more than six months. According to the lawsuit, Bradley asked to return to work on a reduced schedule so he could undergo hemodialysis for four hours

GET A GOOD ROOK

ABOVE: Ross McCarron and his 6-yearold twins Conrad and Vivienne make their moves on a giant chessboard at Moncus Park in Lafayette on Friday.

LEFT: Vivienne McCarron, 6, peeks out from behind a chess piece as she enjoys the fall weather with her dad and brother on Friday.

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

State intervenes on Belle Chasse Bridge

Lawmakers

BY HALEY MILLER | Staff writer

BY LARA NICHOLSON | Staff writer

Nine homicidesinseven days rattle N.O.

Crimespikes amid looming National Guard deployment

BY MISSY WILKINSON and JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

Nine people were killed in New Orleans last week, marking the city’sdeadliest seven-day stretch since theNew Year’smorning terrorist attack on Bourbon Street.

Over aweek ending Friday morning, the bloodshed spread across theCrescent City.Homicides were reported in nine neighborhoods: Desire, Broadmoor, Little Woods, Mid-City, Bayou St.John, the Central Business District, French Quarter,7th Ward and Leonidas.

The victims included a Chicago tourist shot during her birthday celebration in the Quarter,aBayou St. Johnartist gunneddown after answering his door, and aBrennan’sRestaurant chef killed in acarjacking as he waited to pick up his son from day care.

The pace and randomness of the attacks have some locals recalling 2022, when New Orleans led the nation in murder rate at the peak of athree-year surge in deadly violence. For the past two years, the city has enjoyed steep declines in crime, with the tallyofmurders sliding back to anear half-century low reached in 2019.

“As aresident, trying to navigate this city thatI love, it’s verytraumatizing,” said Rhonda Findley, acommunityactivist and FrenchQuarter business owner.“We should not be where we are. Ishould not be living in fear.”

NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick on Wednesday acknowledged September had been“quite achallenge,” closing the month with 14 homicides.

Metropolitan Crime Commission data shows monthly homicide figuresticking up since the start of July,while carjacking and armed robbery reports in thecity remained relatively few compared to recent years Police data shows overall violent crime remains at

BRIDGE

Continued from page1B

Belle Chasse Bridge spokesperson Angela Noote said she had no information to offer regarding the letter and confirmed Thursdaythattolls hadbeensuspended.

Plenary opened the $170 million bridge in March, in the first public-private partnershipofits kind for Louisiana. It began tolling drivers two months later after delays caused the opening date to change at least 12 times.

Under theagreement, Plenary paid about $70 million of thecosttobuild the bridge, and in exchange will now collect tolls and fees for aperiodof30years, which could come out to $630 million to $726 million, according to a2023 audit from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor But delays on the bridge’s opening due to sinking pavement resulted in fines of $10,000 per day for the company —well over $3.5 million total—until tolling began last May.Even now,smaller components of the project have yet to be finished, and Plenary continues to accrue $5,000 fines per day while the state waits for the entire project to finish.

Plaquemines Parish residents have complained for months that the bridge’s new tollingsystem is rife with problems that have left them with insurmountably high fines and no relief, especially since the bridge is the main route in and out of the parish.

Kristy Canova,a mother

Wells in connection with the killing of Brennan’s chef Carl Morgan, 36, during acarjacking Tuesday evening in the 3400 block of Canal Street.

Wells, 21,was in “very grave” condition Wednesday afternoon at alocal hospital, under NOPDsupervision, after being found shot in the head on an Interstate 10 shoulder aboutfive miles away fromthe murder scene and alittle over an hour after it happened.

VENUE

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July filed that it had seized the property in May, accordingtoland records. Chaisson got amortgage for$2.66 million when he bought the 9,000-square-foot building in 2023. Asign in the window Wednesday indicated the property is forsale.

historically low levels. As of Friday morning,New Orleanshad recorded 90 murders —down from 96 at the same time in 2024, accordingtoNOPD data. Nonfatal shootings have also fallen year-to-year,from 163 to 140, accordingtothe department.

National Guarddebate

Data analyst Jeff Asher said the numbers point to crime “levelingoff forthe last few months,” afterdramatic declines since 2023. He argued that the trends do not supportGov.Jeff Landry’spush to deploy the NationalGuard to NewOrleans.

Pointing to figures showing dramatic decreases in shootings, carjackings, car thefts andburglaries, Asher argues that the deployment will only detract from those gains.

Rafael Goyeneche, president of the nonprofit Metropolitan Crime Commission,downplayed concerns around the impendingdeployment, which Landry requested this week in aletterpetitioning U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for 1,000 troopsfor Louisiana. Goyeneche saidhe expects those troopstoact much astheyhave in past stints in New Orleans, including after the Jan. 1 BourbonStreet terrorattack that killed 14.Hesaid the Guard’spresence will likely serve as a“visual deterrent.”

“They’re not thefirst responders. They’re not the investigators,and they’re notgoingtoarrest. They don’thave the authority” unless policeworkistheir

of three and owner of two cars, saidshe’saccrued a bill of more than $7,000 in tollsafter aglitchcaused her GeauxPass account to be closed and additional fees added to every tripshe and her teenage sontake over thebridge.

Plaquemines Parish residentswho are registered with GeauxPass are charged25cents each time they cross the bridge, while any driverwithout GeauxPass pays$2.26. But fees tacked onto that toll can bring the bill up significantly,like a$25 feefor toll violations and a3%hiddencredit card fee.

As aresult,Canova says she’sactually charged closer to $54 forevery round trip she takes, not counting the times she’saccidentally doublecharged. Her attempts to contact GeauxPass customer service have notfixedthe issue, and the nearest physical office is more than 75 miles away in Golden Meadow

“They have no reasonable answers,” Canovasaid. “Nobody has any idea what’sgoingon.”

GeauxPass will open a temporary,90-day customer service center on the Plaquemines Parish GovernmentCampusinBelle Chasse starting Oct.10.

Small-business owners in thearea also say thetolls have hurt their wallets by scaring patrons out of travelingover the bridge. During ahearing last monthwith the stateSenate transportation committee, Katie Vujnovich, owner of Haus511 boutique in Belle Chasse, said the hit to her business has been worse than the COVID-19 pan-

day job,hesaid.

Goyenechepointedto arecent track record betweenJan. 1and Mardi Gras this year when Guard troops peppered the French Quarter after the mass killing. Violent crime declined during that periodand “jumped right back up after they withdrew,” he said.

Last week’sviolence alsorenewed criticismof Louisiana’s2024 permitless concealed carry law,which Goyenecheargued has stymied the policehunt forillegal guns.

The law means that in scenarios likeearlySunday’s melee on BourbonStreet, “theycouldn’tdoanything to stop that until the(shooter) took out the gun and opened fire in thecrowd, and it’stoo late.”

DeputySuperintendent Hans Ganthier on Tuesdaysaid NOPD wouldlike stricter gun rules in the French Quarter but added, “The law is thelaw,and our job is to follow thelaw.”

Case updates Kirkpatrick on Wednesday touted swift arrests in severalofthe nine reported homicides in thepast week. By Friday afternoon, five of thecases had been cleared, according to NOPD.

In theBourbon Street shooting thatkilled Chicago woman Jessica Williams and wounded three others, police booked MekhiJarius Andry,20, and Dontrell Bradley,19. Andry allegedly shotBradley,afelon barred from possessing a firearm,who fired back.

New Orleans police have obtained afirst-degree murderwarrant forRaymond

demic, with in-store sales down nearly 40%.

“You can’tblame it on the economy because my online saleshavenot changed, Vujnovich told the committee. “We’re actually up, probably because people don’twanttocome physically into my store.”

In that same hearing, representativesfromPlenary told thecommittee that there had been just under 3 million transactions on the bridge thus far and that the number of complaints had been “relatively modest” in comparison.

J.B.Kendrick, president of customerservice providerand subcontractor Kapsch TrafficCom, saidat thehearingthat her staff “has failed some of the citizens in their customerservice phone calls,” and has been retraining them. She later addedthatissues like these aretypical in new rolloutsoftolling systems

In avideo postedtosocial media earlier thisweek

Landry said thecrushing fees and other issues were the result of former Gov John Bel Edwards negotiating “a terrible deal” for thestate, andthathewould execute abetter position for taxpayers. The DOTD approved the current tolls and fees in 2022.

Threestate lawmakers

EnriqueGarcia, 26,was arrested Saturday,the same dayheallegedly shot and killed Eliot Brown, 47, at his doorstep in the 3200 block of DumaineStreet. He’s being held withoutbailat theOrleans Justice Center pending an Oct. 16 mental competency hearing.

On Friday, Walita Eugene, 38, and Mark Pohlen, 61, were separately booked on suspicion of second-degree murder in two overnight homicides.Eugene is accused of killing aman about 2a.m. Friday during adomestic disputeinthe 4300 block of LouisaDrive.Pohlen is accused of killing awoman on the front porch of ahouse in the 3900 block of General Taylor Street late Thursday, according to NOPD.

Still at large is asuspect who killed aman Sept. 26 in Kermit’s Treme Mother-inLaw Lounge.

Findley praised NOPD’s workinclosing cases but noted she’snever taken down a2022 petition calling for theNational Guard in New Orleans, though the city’s homicide rate has waned.

“I’m apretty liberalmindedperson, so Ifind it strange that I’m on the side of ourRepublican-ledgovernment initiative, which is just to bring help,” Findley said. “If the National Guard can bring resources so we can actually get more NOPD officers on the street, Idon’tunderstandwhy we wouldn’tembrace that.”

Tessa Vanooteghem, a motherand medicalstudent who had just picked her son up from theAbeona House when thechef, Carl Morgan, was carjacked and murdered,said the close call “unmasked” her“false feelings of safety.”

“I was just starting to feel like the crime was decreasing andI could be lesson edge,” she said.

Sen. Pat Connick, R-Marrero;Sen. GaryCarter,D-New Orleans; andRep.Jacob Braud, R-Belle Chasse —issued aletter to the attorney general last week requesting an investigation intoPlenary and acease and desist letter for theexcessive fees.

In that letter,lawmakers say Plenary has billed usersmorefor administrative fees, postage and incidentalfees thanfor the tolls themselves —roughly$6.8 million versus $5.2 million between May14and Sept. 14 of this year

Braud said he wantstoget more information abouta potential buyout provision in the contract withPlenary so thestate could possibly managethe bridge itself. Constituents,hesaid, “deserve afreebridge.”

“Nothing has gone as planned,” Braud said. “Everythinghas been adelay or some type of disappointment.”

The state is alsocurrently working on another bridge in Lake Charleswith Plenary Group.

Email LaraNicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate. com.

In May,15th Judicial District Judge Michelle Billeaud ordered Chaissonand The Grouse Room to pay nearly$20,000 in past due sales tax, interest and penaltiestothe Lafayette Parish School Board, according to records. At the time, Billeaud also ordered the businessto be closed until the matter was settled. Chaissonmoved the business downtownin2020 under alease-to-own agreement with theprevious buyer,according to reports. The two-story space holds 800 people, and the second floorholds 30% of the capacity.Itwas apopular spot for live music by local and regional musicians and public gatherings. Ardoin said those whohad bought tickets to his show will be refunded.

COCA-COLA

Continued from page1B

threedaysa week. His request was denied,allegedly because the company had no light-duty positions available.

Bradley underwent surgery that allowed him to undergo peritoneal dialysis from home at night. It would allow him to workfull time.

In July 2022, hisdoctor said Bradley could return to workwiththe restrictions that he start no earlierthan 7a.m., that he work no longer than eight-hour shifts andthathenot lift more than50pounds, the lawsuit states. The restrictions were needed so he could continue dialysis at night until or unless he obtained akidney transplant.

The lawsuit allegesthat Bradley was told to apply forother jobs with the company that accommodatedhis restrictions. The company did not assist him in locating anew job, but he applied forone that met his criteria,

SUGARFEST

Continued from page1B

Jeannie Luckett, director of programsatthe West Baton Rouge Museum,said.

SugarFest is the annual freecelebration of thesugar cane harvest. It will run Sunday from 11 a.m.to4 p.m. on the museum grounds, at 845 N. Jefferson Ave. in Port Allen.

The festival is acherished communityevent, Luckett said, last year welcoming between 3,000 and 4,000 people. It’s so treasured that the disappointment when COVID-19 forced the event to go virtual still stands out.

“Somebody said, ‘You don’tunderstand. It’sjust not the same. My family gets together three times ayear —Thanksgiving, Christmasand SugarFest,’” Luckett said.

At the event, visitors can sip on cane juice, watch demonstrations of candy making, blacksmithing and other handicrafts, participate in acakewalk and see performances from local music artists, including bluesman KennyNeal. The festivalwill also featurea “CaféFrançais” area, where conversation is conducted exclusively in French, and attendees can play the game of bourré.

“We’re really kind of disguising an educational event as afestivalbecause we’re highlighting allthese Louisiana folk life traditions, so that people can connect with the past,” Luckett said.

SugarFest includes alongrunning sweets contest, where bakers bring their best cookies, cakes,pies andcandiestobeevaluated by local celebrity judges.

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.

fountain installer

Anotherpersonwas hired who did nothavea disability

The company allegedly provided no explanation as to whyBradley wasnot given the job, the lawsuit alleges, and on Aug. 23, 2022, Bradley wasfired. The commission alleges in its lawsuit that Coca-Cola denied Bradley the alternate position and fired him because of his disability Bradley is demanding a jury trial, financial compensation, back pay and punitive damages.

“Coca-ColaBottlingCompany United, Inc.isaware of the litigation thathas been filed. As amatterof policy,wedonot comment on pending legal matters. We take all allegations seriously and are committedto an equal opportunityworkplace in compliance with all applicable laws,” Cassandra Mickens,senior manager, corporate communications, wroteinanemail response forthis story

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

Among the judges this year is Stella Reese Chase, of New Orleans’ Dooky Chase Restaurant fame

“The grand prize is this beautiful pewter sugar shell, likethisfancy little sugar spoon, and it’sengraved each year,” Luckett said. “And people just fight for that thing every single year.” Mary Acosta,who hasentered her baked goods in the contest for 10 years, once brought home the sugar spoon forher winning pound cake.She saidit’sa “fun, oldfashioned” event.

She’sbeen trying out recipes for Sunday’scompetition.

“Sometimes justcooking up atraditional recipe is the way to go,” Acosta said. “I am going to have to sacrifice acup of real maple syrup.”

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street finishes its week with more records

NEW YORK Most U.S. stocks ticked higher on Friday, sending Wall Street to more records

The S&P 500 edged up by less than 0.1% to close out its seventh winning week in the last nine, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 238 points, or 0.5%. Both added to their all-time highs set the day before. The Nasdaq composite lost an early gain and slipped 0.3% from its own record

Usually, the first Friday of each month has Wall Street transfixed on the monthly jobs update that the U.S. government publishes. It shows how many jobs employers created and destroyed, while also updating the unemployment rate. But the shutdown of the U.S government, now in its third day, is delaying the release.

Artificial intelligence stocks have become so dominant, and so much money has poured into the industry, that worries are rising about a potential bubble that could eventually lead to disappointment for investors.

Applied Materials fell 2.7%

The company, whose equipment helps make semiconductor chips, said it will take a roughly $110 million hit to its revenue in the fourth quarter because of a new U.S. Commerce Department rule expanding export restrictions to certain customers based in China. But gains for oil producers helped offset such losses. Exxon Mobil climbed 1.8%, and Diamondback Energy rose 3% as the price of crude clawed back some of its sharp losses from earlier in the week.

Apple removes ICE reporting apps

Apple has taken down an app that uses crowdsourcing to flag sightings of U.S. immigration agents after coming under pressure from the Trump administration.

ICEBlock, a free iPhone-only app that lets users anonymously report and monitor activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, was no longer available on Apple’s App Store as of Friday The developer had confirmed its removal on Thursday evening.

“We just received a message from Apple’s App Review that #ICEBlock has been removed from the App Store due to “objectionable content’,” ICEBlock said in a social media post. “The only thing we can imagine is this is due to pressure from the Trump Admin. We have responded and we’ll fight this!”

The developer said last month that it had more than 1 million users. Even though it has been removed from the app marketplace, those who have already downloaded the app should still be able to use it.

Apple said it removed apps like ICEBlock due to the potential for risks that were raised by law enforcement.

Nvidia, Fujitsu to work on AI robots together

TOKYO U.S. technology company Nvidia and Fujitsu, a Japanese telecommunications and computer maker, agreed Friday to work together on artificial intelligence to deliver smart robots and a variety of other innovations using Nvidia’s computer chips.

“The AI industrial revolution has already begun. Building the infrastructure to power it is essential in Japan and around the world,” Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang said, hugging his Fujitsu counterpart Takahito Tokita on stage.

“Japan can lead the world in AI and robotics,” Huang told reporters at a Tokyo hotel.

The companies will work together on building what they called “an AI infrastructure,” or the system on which the various futuristic AI uses will be based, including health care, manufacturing, the environment, next-generation computing and customer services. The hope is to establish that AI infrastructure for Japan by 2030.

Landlord groups agree to $141M deal

Greystar joins others to settle class-action suit on housing costs

BY R.J RICO Associated Press

ATLANTA Real estate giant Greystar and 25 other property management companies have agreed to collectively pay more than $141 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing landlords of driving up housing costs by using rentsetting algorithms offered by the software company RealPage. Greystar, the nation’s largest landlord, would pay $50 million under the proposed settlement agreement, which was filed Wednesday in a Tennessee federal court. The deal would still require a judge’s approval. The companies have also agreed

to no longer share nonpublic information with RealPage for its rent algorithm — a key stipulation, since plaintiffs say RealPage used that information to enable landlords to align their prices and push up rents.

“This represents a fundamental shift in the multifamily housing industry and will help reverse the type of anticompetitive coordination alleged in the Complaint,” attorneys wrote in the settlement filing.

All companies involved in the settlement deny wrongdoing and have agreed to help plaintiffs in the ongoing case against RealPage and more than a dozen other property management firms that have not reached settlements. RealPage and others are also fighting an antitrust lawsuit filed last year by the Department of Justice and several state attorneys general. Greystar reached a settlement in that case in August.

The settlement funds from the

class-action lawsuit would be distributed among millions of tenants included in the settlement class.

In a statement, Greystar said these settlements “allow us to move forward and remain focused on serving our residents and clients.” Headquartered in South Carolina, Greystar manages more than 946,000 units nationwide, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council.

RealPage has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and argues that the plaintiffs misunderstand how their product works.

RealPage, which is based in Texas, has said its software is used on fewer than 10% of rental units in the U.S., and that its price recommendations are used less than half the time.

“While the proposed settlements do not include RealPage, we are encouraged to see this matter move toward closure,” Jennifer

Bowcock, RealPage’s senior vice president for communications, said in a statement. “RealPage continues to believe that this litigation is without merit and that our revenue management products, and our customers’ use of them have always been legal.”

RealPage software provides daily recommendations to help landlords and their employees price their available apartments. The landlords do not have to follow the suggestions, but critics argue that because the software has access to a vast trove of confidential data, it helps RealPage’s clients charge the highest possible rent.

RealPage argues that the real driver of high rents is a lack of housing supply It also says that its pricing recommendations often encourage landlords to drop rents since landlords are incentivized to maximize revenue and maintain high occupancy

Shutdown leaves U.S. hanging on monthly jobs report data

View of hiring, economy grinds to a halt

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON From Wall Street trading

floors to the Federal Reserve to economists sipping coffee in their home offices, the first Friday morning of the month typically brings a quiet hush around 7:30 a.m. as everyone awaits the Labor Department’s crucial monthly jobs report.

But with the government shut down, no information was released Friday about hiring in September

The interruption in the data has occurred at a particularly uncertain time, when policymakers at the Federal Reserve and Wall Street investors would need more data on the economy, rather than less.

Hiring has ground nearly to a halt, threatening to drag down the broader economy Yet at the same time, consumers — particularly higher-income earners — are still spending and some businesses are ramping up investments in data centers developing artificial intelligence models. Whether that is enough to revive hiring remains to be seen.

It’s the first time since a government shutdown in 2013 that the jobs report has been delayed. During the 2018-19 partial government closure, the Labor Department was one of several agencies that remained open because Congress had agreed to fund them.

September’s jobs figures will be released eventually, once the shutdown ends.

If the shutdown continues for another week or more, it could also postpone the release of other high-profile data, including the next inflation report, set for Oct. 15.

The Trump administration has blamed Senate Democrats for the shutdown, while Democrats levy similar charges against the White House.

“Businesses, families, policymakers, markets, and even the Federal Reserve are flying blind at a key juncture in America’s economic resurgence because the Democrats’ government shutdown has halted the release of key economic data,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai.

Yet President Donald Trump himself has often trashed government jobs data when it has painted an unflattering picture of the economy In August, he fired the then-head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after the

has been delayed.

agency reported that job gains in May and June had been sharply lower than previously reported.

For now, economists are turning to alternative measures of the job market provided by nonprofits and private-sector companies. Those measures mostly show a job market with little hiring, but not many layoffs, either Those who have jobs appear to be mostly secure, while those looking for work are having a tougher time.

Payroll processor ADP, for example, said Wednesday that its estimate showed the economy had lost a surprising 32,000 private-sector jobs last month Companies in the construction, manufacturing, and financial services industries all cut jobs, ADP found. Restaurants and hotels, and professional services such as accounting and engineering, also shed workers.

Businesses in health care, private education, and information technology were the only sectors to add workers, ADP said. Austan Goolsbee, before becoming president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in January 2023, was one of those busy economists on the first Friday morning of the month, often dissecting the data for the financial news network CNBC. Now he still

checks the data Friday mornings and has a team of research economists that analyze the report.

“It’s still the best data — the BLS numbers are the best labor market numbers in the world,” Goolsbee said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And when we don’t have them, we suffer.”

Just last month, however, the Chicago Fed began issuing its own estimates of the unemployment rate and other job-market indicators, using a combination of public and private-sector data, which it updates every two weeks.

On Thursday, its latest figures put the unemployment rate in September at 4.3%, the same as in August and still low historically While there are alternative measures of hiring and unemployment, there are fewer sources of information on inflation, which the Fed is charged with keeping stable and low Prices have picked up in recent months for many imported goods, mostly because of tariffs, but Goolsbee said that he is closely watching inflation in services, which have perked up in the past two months. Higher services prices are a potential sign that inflation is spreading beyond just imported products.

Struggling soybean farmers look to Washington for help on tariffs

But fewer resources available this time

BY BROOKS JOHNSON, CHRISTOPHER VONDRACEK and COLE REYNOLDS

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

The White House came to farmers’ rescue during President Donald Trump’s first trade war This second time around: A bailout isn’t so simple. That’s because this summer Trump’s big tax and spending bill drained the Commodity Credit Corporation, a $30 billion financing arm of the U.S Department of Agriculture, to instead fund cropstabilization programs.

Now, the White House and Congress are scrambling to deliver emergency aid to row-crop farmers after the administration’s trade war with China tanked their soybean markets.

“I don’t know if (farmers) can expect what happened last time to happen this time,” said Gbenga Ajilore, a former USDA staffer and chief economist at think tank Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In 2018 and 2019 during the previous trade war with China, Trump paid farmers by tapping $28 million from the CCC. Former President Joe Biden also used the fund to offset fertilizer price increases after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. China, in retaliation for tariffs

on its exports, isn’t buying U.S. soybeans this year That’s pushed prices well below break-even for most farmers, especially given the rising costs of farming, from fertilizer to machinery When Republicans, via the spending bill, spent a large chunk of next year’s CCC funds on price-loss programs this summer it left very little money for tariff relief once the fund resets on Wednesday But soybean farmers are hurting now

“Everyone’s talking about, ‘How do we get farmers through to October of ’26,’” said Jennifer Ifft, an agriculture economist at Kansas State University “They might have to go to Congress.”

Last week, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins spoke about aid for

farmers who, in her words, “are facing very very difficult times.”

“We are currently in conversations here at the White House, across the government, on a farmer aid package,” Rollins said.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, said Congress should approve aid for soybean farmers but called any action a “short-term fix.” Rather, she’d prefer pairing a bailout with restoring SNAP payments through a new farm bill and enacting year-round sales of E15 fuel.

“The farmers I know would rather have trade (than aid),” Klobuchar said. “The No. 1 thing is to get rid of these tariffs.”

Bibi tells thetruth (again)

Israeli PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the U.N. General Assembly was partly aperformance, but mostly profound. The performance part included aQRcode on his lapel, which delegates were invited to zoom in withtheir camera phones and see atrocities committed by Hamas that are too gruesome for TV networks to show.Healsoarranged for his statement thatIsrael has not forgotten the hostages to be blasted over loudspeakers set up in Gaza for that purpose. The profound part included repetition of what he has said before with some twists. Netanyahu reminded the delegates that Israel’sbattle against terrorism is not limited to the region, but thatthe terroristswant to return the entire world to the “Dark Ages.”

Afew excerpts from hisspeech:

n “Iran’saggression, if not checked, will endanger every single country in the Middle East, andmany,many countries in the rest of the world, because Iran seeks toimpose itsradicalism well beyond the Middle East.”

n “Hamas steals the (humanitarian aid) and then they hike the prices and that’show they stay in power.”

n “Israel must also defeat Hezbollah in Lebanon It has tentacles that span all continents. It has murdered more Americans and more Frenchmen than any group since bin Laden. It’s murdered the citizens of many countries represented in this room. And it has attacked Israel viciously over the last 20 years.”

n “For 18 years, Hezbollah brazenly refused to implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which requires it tomove itsforces away from our borders. Instead, Hezbollah moved right up to our border.They secretly dug terror tunnels to infiltrate our communities and indiscriminately fired thousands of rocketsinto our towns and villages.”

n “In this battle between good and evil, there must be no equivocation. When you stand with Israel, you stand for your own values and your own interests.”

n “Wesee this moral confusion (about which side is good and whichside is evil) when Israel is falsely accused of genocide when we defend ourselves against enemies who try to commit genocide against us. We see thistoo when Israel is absurdly accused by the ICCProsecutor of deliberately starving Palestinians in Gaza.”

n “No army has done what Israel is doing to minimize civilian casualties. We drop flyers. We send text messages. We make phone calls by the millions to ensure that Palestinian civilians get out of harm’sway.”

Netanyahu strongly criticized the U.N., which he said hasn’tchanged itsnegative attitude toward Israel since he first spoke from the same platform 40 years ago when he was Israel’s ambassador to that body.Hesaid: “The real war criminals are notinIsrael. They’re in Iran. They’re in Gaza, in Syria, in Lebanon, in Yemen. Those of you who stand withthese war criminals,those of you who stand with evil against good should be ashamed of yourselves.”

President Trump said he is optimistic that his 21-point peace plan for Gaza, which includes the release of the remaining hostages, will be accepted by Hamas and Israel. Unless Hamas and other terrorist groups renounce their charters, which call for Israel’sdestruction, the elimination of the Jewish people, and most importantly that their god has changed his mind about such things, any agreement will be written in the diplomatic equivalent of disappearing ink. Sellers of stocks, bonds and precious metals are required to tell prospective buyers: “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” The opposite is true whenitcomes tothe enemies of Israel, who are constantly on display at the U.N., on many U.S. college campuses and in many nations.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.

NationalGuard notbuilt to patrol ourcitystreets

The notion recently published that we should welcome the National Guard is acraven position to hold. While thespace in this form will not permit me to point out flaws in thereasoning aguest columnist recently put forward (though suffice to say,she seemstoput morestock in immediate brutal solutions than long-term solutions based in justice and addressing theroot causes of problems),one issue that people on this position overlook is simple: the National Guard is not alaw enforcementagency This is not adenigration of their branch, but simply amatter of fact They have different training and skill sets, even down to different meanings of phrases that one might shout out under pressure. We do not want any branch of the military working as crime prevention in any

Why are we sending troops to Los Angeles, D.C. and other U.S. cities where they are not wanted, instead of providing moreassistance to Ukraine, which has been brutally attacked and invaded by Russia and is begging for help as Russia murders itscitizens and destroys its infrastructure? Why did we give a red-carpet welcometoamurderous thug? Andwhy have we failed toimpose sanctions and tariffs on Russia when we have ignored or insulted our longtime friends, neighbors, and allies and imposed onerous tariffs on them?

Failure to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin has emboldened him to widen his attacks to include Poland, aNATOally

Why are we cuttingfederal employees and programsthat we

city Beyond this idea, there is also the matter of separation of powers and government.While the balance between the rights of acity versus a stateversus thefederal government has always been delicate, the Trump regimeseeks to smash that balance with aseries of metaphorical sledgehammers. Setting precedent to deploy federal soldiers into American cities is one of those such hammers. There is adifference between providing extra security presence after an attack during ahigh-profile event, such as during the Super Bowl, and attempting to police apopulation with abranch of the military.The government and people of New Orleansshould not welcome the National Guard as the latter TYSON ANSON NewOrleans

citizens rely on —Social Security, healthcare, FEMA, parks, the arts, news organizations —and instead spending moreonprisons, guards andborder patrols? Seventy percent of those imprisoned by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have no criminal records. Can we remember when we visit NewOrleans’ famed National WWIImuseum,that theheroes in that vast war were not thejack-booted Germans nor the brutal Gestapo whoseized people off the street and shipped them off to hastily constructed prisons, but thepeople —including our own American troops (the Greatest Generation) —who risked their lives to vanquish Nazi evil? Whose side is theU.S. on now?

NANCY PICARD Mandeville

E-editionprovidesadifferent kind of pleasure

My wife and Iare retired. Oneof our morning pleasures is reading thenewspaper side-by-side. The online edition allows us not only to read together but to share thoughts and form opinions as we talk about those news items in our common view.This has becomean almostdaily practice as we enjoy this unexpected advantage of the online edition. Iadmit that Imiss an

actual paper copy to accompany me as Isip my morning coffee. Still, I prefer conversation with my wife to silently internalizing what Iam reading.

So please continue to produce the e-edition of the newspaper,but don’t neglect to providejoy to those of us who love the tactile text. THE REV.JULIUS R. TIPTON Baton Rouge

West Point has becomeshamefulinmyeyes after hearing the newsthat it wascanceling an address scheduled by actor Tom Hanks. As of now,this shameis ahuge embarrassment and is irrevocable.

How could they cancel someone with the prestige and dedication of TomHanks? That is reprehensible. Has West Point lost all respectability?

What is this great fear of President Donald Trumpthat has overtaken our country? Is it about money? Is the fear due to the possibility of harm to family members? What has happened to this once noble and great country?

Donald Trumphas trampled on all things of value and respectability.Unfortunately,now the cowardly actions of West Point have been added to the wide public embarrassment of the United States of America. All Ican think of is that the administration of West Point has becomeanother yellow-bellied sycophant in the hands of Donald Trump. Trumpisadisgrace to our country.I cannot even begin to express my disgust at the actions of West Point. Shame on them.

CAROL POOLEY Donaldsonville

Iamcurious about whythere is no newsabout the Pelicans. Iknow the situation is not rosy but Ihaven’tseen aword in weeks. Are they out of business?

JOHN LIUKKONEN Metairie

Pelicans win historic preseason opener

New Orleans is first NBA team to play in Australia

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

The New Orleans Pelicans made history Friday and got a victory to go along with it.

Trey Murphy and Zion Williamson led the way as the Pelicans won their preseason opener Friday in Melbourne, Australia

The Pelicans are the first NBA team to play a game in Australia.

“It was electric,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “The fans were in tune They were engaged It was a really great platform to come here and play high-level competition.” Murphy scored 18 points and Williamson

finished with 15 points and five steals in the

107-97 victory over Melbourne United.

The first basket of the preseason came on an assist from Williamson to Murphy, who buried a jumper Williamson shot 5 of 8 from the floor

“(Zion) came out and got started right away,” Green said. “I loved his activity defensively, getting steals and deflections

Then just getting out in the open floor and playing in fastbreak opportunities. Then when the game slows down, we know we can put the ball in his hands in the high post, and he makes plays for his teammates and for himself.”

They were two of six Pelicans to score in double figures against Melbourne United, which competes in the National Basketball League, which is Australia’s professional league.

Jordan Poole, making his Pelicans’ debut

ä See PELICANS, page 3C

GIANTS AT SAINTS • NOON SUNDAy • CBS

Saints star Hill attacked rehab when he decided he wasn’t ready to ‘walk away’

Taysom Hill wondered about his football future after the initial feedback from his surgeon and the rest of his medical team was less than encouraging.

Doctors informed Hill that while a return was possible, there were doubts question marks, he called them as to whether that realistically could happen in 2025. After all, he would be 35 years old. And Hill not only tore his ACL in December but he also suffered additional damage — four torn ligaments that stabilize the corner of the knee — that required a partial knee reconstruction “It was one of those things where you just put your head down, you go to work and see what happens,” Hill said.

So to be standing in the Saints’ locker room on the verge of possibly making his season debut Sunday against the New York Giants, Hill is proud that his longawaited return is in sight

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

It was one of those things where you just put your head down, you go to work and see what happens.”

TAySOM HILL, Saints tight end, on his injury recovery

Cook hones skills through rugged UL basketball workouts

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

It’s another example of why it’s a good idea to always play hard: You never know who’s watching. When new UL men’s basketball coach Quannas White took over the Ragin’ Cajuns, only three returning players stayed. Initially 6-foot-6 senior forward Zeke Cook didn’t think he’d be one of them.

“I intended to leave,” Cook said. “I had multiple decisions to make.”

In December 2023, White had the scout on a game between Houston, the team White was an assistant coach on at the time, and Jackson State, where Cook was playing at the time. Cook’s hustle on the game film left an impression on White.

“He played hard,” White said of Cook. “He played the right way. He reminded me of the guys we had in Houston.” So when decisions had to be made about the future roster, White had a good impression of Cook.

“He sold me on it being a good fit,” Cook said of White.

Once the summer workout sessions began, Cook realized what he had signed up for When asked about the ruggedness of summer conditioning, Cook just smiled, took a deep breath and shook his head.

“It feels like even when we walk through, it’s got to be full speed,” Cook said “Like, you’re getting tired doing walk-throughs during plays. It’s supposed to be an off date, but we’re going through plays and it don’t feel like an off day because we were running full speed.“

If the performance in a particular drill doesn’t meet the coach’s standard, there’s a price to pay Running typically gets the point across.

“If you don’t do the plays like he wants you to do it — run to the screen and talk loud and do what he wants you to do there’s going to be a track meet,” Cook said “You’re going to have to have a suicide (run) or some

WR Duhon leads LRA in blowout

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

It’s easy to get caught up in the stature of Lafayette Renaissance senior receiver Ja’Courey Duhon. Sure, at 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds, he isn’t among the biggest players on the field. But once the ball is snapped, Duhon’s quickness, elusiveness and overall talent is more than evident, regardless of the competition.

“Ja’Courey plays a lot bigger than he is,” said Tigers coach Hunter Landry, whose team improved to 5-0 after defeating Beau Chene 50-10 on Thursday “He is just a football player. He will go out there and block linebackers who are twice his size. He runs extremely hard, does whatever you ask of him and when he is on the field, Ja’Courey will give you everything he has.”

Duhon said while others might focus on his size, he doesn’t.

“Size doesn’t matter,” said Duhon, who had five receptions for 91 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers’ win over Beau Chene “For me, it is heart over mindset. I’m either going to outrun you or outwork you. Eventually one of us are going to get tired, and I don’t see myself getting tired.”

Duhon has 24 receptions for 410 yards and nine touchdowns this season. And just as explosive as he’s been offensively, Duhon has been equally explosive in the kicking game as a returner In the Tigers’ 40-13 win over L.B. Landry, Duhon returned a kick more than 90 yards for a touchdown

“I love being able to return kicks,” Duhon said. “That’s the best part. It’s electric. In my head, I’m always thinking about returning a kick to the crib.”

Duhon, who was among the first players to introduce himself to Landry last year, has been everything the Tigers coaching staff had hoped he would be.

“We have a special bond with

Ja’Courey,” Landry said. “He did a lot of growing up last year, and this year he has taken on more of a leadership role. He has a great work ethic, and he is one of those kids you never have to worry about on or off the field.”

Considering Duhon’s explosive attributes, Landry said the focus for the Tigers coaching staff is finding as many ways as possible to get him the ball.

“Ja’Courey does great things

with the football in his hands,” Landry said. “He’s really good in the return game and offensively, we have to make sure he gets his touches Whether that is having him run it or throwing it to him, good things happen when Ja’Courey has the football. He sets up blocks well, and there are times when he looks bottled up and he’ll end up making a big play out of nowhere.” But what makes Duhon even

more special is his team-first mentality, Landry said. “Ja’Courey is a focal point in our offense, and we’re excited to have him,” Landry said. “But he also understands that the more success he has that he’s going to draw more attention from defenses and that is only going to open things up for other guys He’s very selfless.”

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

Miscues costly in St. Martinville loss to Woodlawn

NEAL MCCLELLAND

Contributing writer

Despite a large number of offensive miscues, St. Martinville was still within a touchdown of visiting Woodlawn with less than four minutes left in Thursday’s home nondistrict contest Unfortunately, those offensive miscues proved too much to overcome for the Tigers in a 26-20 loss to the Panthers.

“It’s my responsibility. I’m the one that needs to take the blame for this,” SMSH coach Garrett Kreamer said. “We had some mistakes on offense, but in the end, we just didn’t make enough plays to come away with the win.”

St. Martinville (2-3) had three fumbles lost, three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown that was called back due to a penalty, and turned the ball over on downs three times.

The majority of those mistakes came courtesy of the Woodlawn defensive front four, which made life for the St. Martinville offense miserable.

“We knew coming into the game that their defensive front four were very good,” Kreamer said. “They were able to stop our running game and made us onedimensional.

“They were able to put pressure on our quarterback and force us to do things that we don’t normally do.”

In addition to the fumbles, the Woodlawn defensive front four also produced four sacks.

Despite the pressure, SMSH was able to generate some offense The Tigers had three scoring drives in the first half that led to a touchdown and two field goals as St. Martinville and Woodlawn were tied 13-13 at the break.

“We did some things right on

St Martinville coach

offense,” Kreamer said. “In the end, we just didn’t do enough of them.”

The Tigers defense, however, shined. Despite giving up an 80-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and failing to stop a fourth-down conversion that led to another touchdown in the second quarter, the Tigers held the Panthers to negative rushing yards. “I’m real proud of those guys on defense and what they were able to do tonight,” Kreamer said.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

“They really played hard and and had several big stops for us.” St. Martinville still had a chance to pull out a win late in the game. Down by two touchdowns about halfway through the fourth quarter, SMSH returned a punt for a score to cut the lead to 26-20 with four minutes left and then recovered the onside kick. However, Woodlawn’s defense was able to hold SMSH just enough to force the final turnover, this time on downs. The Panthers were able to run out the clock in

the final two minutes. “We just need to regroup and come out fighting next week,” Kreamer said “We need to get better and we need to catch better.”

Ravens QB Jackson ruled out against Texans

Lamar Jackson has been ruled out for Baltimore’s game against Houston on Sunday after missing a week of practice because of a hamstring injury

Jackson had to leave last weekend’s loss at Kansas City in the second half. Cooper Rush is now in line to start for the Ravens, who have lost nine of their last 11 games when Jackson doesn’t play The two-time MVP has missed only one game since the start of the 2023 season — a Week 17 matchup when Baltimore had little to play for Baltimore also ruled out All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf) and All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard (calf) for this weekend, as well as cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring).

Athletics OF Butler gets patellar tendon surgery

Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler underwent surgery on his right patellar tendon on Friday in hopes he will be ready for spring training next year

Dr Mike Banffy at the KerlanJobe Orthopedic Center in Los Angeles performed what the A’s announced was a successful procedure to repair the partial tendon tear as well as removal of scar tissue. Butler also was given a platelet-rich plasma injection in his left patella tendon because of tendonitis. Butler batted 234 this season with 21 home runs, 63 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.

The 25-year-old is the club’s Roberto Clemente Award nominee for his off-the-field work. The A’s signed Butler in March to a $65.5 million, seven-year contract.

Tarleton places Gillispie on leave after complaint

Tarleton State has placed men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie on temporary administrative leave after receiving an anonymous complaint, the school said Friday The former Kentucky coach who also led the programs at Texas A&M and Texas Tech has been at Tarleton State for five seasons. Gillispie faced allegations of player mistreatment at Texas Tech, where he spent one season. Tarleton State said associate head coach Glynn Cyprien is filling in for Gillispie. The school had no further comment. The Texans open the regular season Nov 3 at SMU. Gillispie, who turns 66 next month, has spent most of his coaching career in his native Texas, leading Texas A&M to the NCAA Tournament in 2006-07.

Sawdust helps Djokovic beat Cilic at Shanghai

Novak Djokovic launched his bid for a record-extending fifth title at the Shanghai Masters by beating Marin Cilic in straight sets on Friday in the Serbian’s first match since the U.S. Open. The fourth-seeded Djokovic struggled to maintain a grip early in the second-round match and sprinkled sawdust on his hands to combat the humidity He prevailed 7-6 (2), 6-4. After breaking serve early in the second set, Djokovic fought off two break points in the final game before sealing victory with his 10th ace. It was his first match since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the U.S. Open semifinals. Djokovic next faces German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, who beat American Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (9), 6-2, 6-1.

Pegula is 3rd U.S. player to reach China semifinals

Jessica Pegula became the third American to reach the semifinals of the China Open after rallying to beat compatriot Emma Navarro on Friday The fifth-seeded Pegula wasted six set points in the opener but dominated the next two sets to triumph 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-1 “I told myself not to get too frustrated,” Pegula said. “Just stay calm, try to relax a little bit, and not try as hard.”

Pegula next faces Linda Noskova, who eased past Britain’s Sonay Kartal 6-3, 6-4. The 20-yearold Noskova became the youngest Czech player to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal since the format was introduced

Rookie CB Rileygetschancetostepup

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

The Saints already had been moving in this direction,but Sunday’sgame against the New York Giants should be the biggest opportunity yet for rookie cornerback Quincy Riley

After the Saints ruled out starting outside cornerback Isaac Yiadom with ahamstring injury Friday, Riley is in line to start in the New Orleans secondary.

Yiadom wonthe outsidecorner job out of training camp, buthe steadily has cededplaying time to Riley as the season hasprogressed. Riley may have supplantedYiadom this week without the injury

After playing strictly on special teams the first two weeks, Riley played 18 defensive snaps (31.6%) in Week 3and 24 defensive snaps (40.7%) last week in Buffalo.

“He’shad his fair amountof opportunities the last couple of weeks. Ithought he’sbeen productive, he’smade plays, alot of positives coming out of that,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said of Riley. “If the opportunity presents itself, he’ll be ready to go.”

The 2025 fourth-round pick forced afumble againstthe SeattleSeahawks, and he’sbeen targeted only onceincoveragethroughtwogames If Riley holds his own, this may be adecision the Saints stickwith for the course of the season If Yiadom crosses acertain play-

PELICANS

Continued from page1C

scored 11 points to go with four rebounds and four assists.Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins also scored 11 points apiece, and Bryce McGowens scored 10.

It was the first glimpse of the team that new executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars assembled in theoffseason. ThePelicansstarted three of the new players Dumarsbrought in. The starters Friday were Williamson, Murphy,Poole, Kevon Looney and Saadiq Bey

None of the starters played more than 21 minutes. Williamson played just more than15minutes

“Wehad aplan to playthem a certain amount of minutes for the first game,” Green said about his starters.

Herb Jones, returning froma season-ending shoulderinjury missed the game with aleft ankle sprain. Greensaid he isn’tsure whether Jones will be available for Sunday’sgame.

“He’ll continue to be evaluated,” Green said.

The Pelicans outscored United 60-38 in the paint, but United outrebounded the Pelicans 60-57.

The Pelicans will play their final gameinAustraliaonSunday(11 p.m. SaturdayCentraltime)againstSouth East Melbourne Phoenix.

time percentage —the exact numberisnot clear, as it is theNFL’s proprietaryformula— the Saints wouldloseout on acompensatory draft pickafter Paulson Adebo signed with the Giants this offseason.

Four playersruled out

The Saints officially ruled four players outfor their Week 5game against the New York Giants, but the more interesting part of the finalinjury report is thelist of questionable players.

Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau —both of whom practiced for the first timethis week after suffering ACL injuries latelast season —are both officially questionable. So is offensivelineman Dillon Radunz,who returned to practice Friday after missing the last two weeks witha toe injury

“They’ve been able to do acouple things this week in practice, we’ve just gottosee how their bodies are feelingafter they go through afull week for the first time this season,”

Moore said about Hill and Moreau.

“They’ve done some good things, but there’salot of work that would have to go into that.”

Also questionable for the Saints are tight end Juwan Johnson (ankle), left guard Trevor Penning (ankle) and defensive tackle John Ridgeway (shoulder).

Hilland Moreauare stillonthe physically unabletoperform list, and Ridgeway is making his way back from injured reserve,mean-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByTyLER KAUFMAN

Saints cornerback Quincy Rileydefends during agame against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept.7 at the Caesars Superdome.

ing none of them currentlyhold a 53-man roster spot.Ifthe Saints intend to use any of them Sunday, they will need to create spots on the rosterbyletting other playersgo. Earlier this week, Mooreruled

Pelicans guardJose Alvarado, right, jumps to block ashot from Melbourne United forward Finn Delany during their exhibition game Friday in Melbourne,Australia.

outright guard Cesar Ruiz (ankle) anddefensive end ChaseYoung (calf) He added two more to the list Friday,ruling outYiadom and receiver Trey Palmer (ankle).

Moore saidYiadom’sinjury oc-

UL

Continued from page1C

consequence, so yeah, every practice is tough.” Cook isn’tcomplaining about the hard work or regretting his decision to stick with UL

“It was tough, but it was agood thing,” Cook said. “I’ve been in college basketball for six years, and I’m glad Ihave acoach like coach Q —somebody to hold you accountable and watch youonand offthe court. He just wants you to be abetterperson on and off thecourt.”

It didn’ttakemuch film study to notice how well Cook fits into White’s brand of basketball. The Starkville, Mississippi, native rebounds, plays defense and hustles at alltimes.

curred in practice this week.

On the Giants’ side, the big one to watch is Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence,who missed the entire week of practicewith an illness. Lawrence is questionable forSunday’sgame.

Running back Tyrone Tracy practicedina limitedcapacityFriday, his first practice this week, but is doubtful forSunday OK with aggression

Aweek after his unit melted down against the Seahawks, special teams coordinator PhilGaliano said he was mostly pleased with howthey responded last week against the Bills.

There were two notable negativesinthatgame. One was Blake Grupe mis-hitting akickoff that landedshort of the landing zone, and the other being aroughing-thepunter penalty that gave Buffalo new lifeafter athird-downstop.

The mis-hit can’thappen, but Galiano did not take muchissue with the roughing penalty on linebacker Nephi Sewell because of the situation NewOrleans wasinatthe time.

“You’re downtwo scores with five minutes, right? So want to be aggressive and go block the punt,” Galiano said. “... We thought we hada really good scheme that showed up and was true, and we just missed it. It’sanunfortunate penalty there,but at thatpoint in the game. you have to be aggressive.”

moreofa vocal leader

“He’sgrowing in that area,” Whitesaid.“Yes,therearedifferent ways to lead. He’smore comfortableleading by example, butI’m trying to get him to be more vocal.” Suchlessons areimportant for ateam where even areturning playersuchasCook sawmany unfamiliarfaces on thefirstday of practice.

“The processhas been great,” Cook said. “Weall get along great offthe court andon the court, so there are neverany arguments. We all hang out. We do alot of stuff together,and coach Q made that point from the beginning that we have to be close.”

“. I’m glad Ihaveacoach like coach Q— somebody to hold you accountable and watch you on and offthe court. He justwants you to be abetter person on and off thecourt.”

ZEKE COOK, UL forward

“I think it’sa good marriage with the way his philosophy is and his playing style,” Cook said.

Trying to become abetter leader and teammateisn’t the only thing Cook is working on.

“Weare extremelygrateful to have the opportunity to be in this country and see the excitement from the fans,” Green said. “This was areally competitive game. Our guys are reallyenjoying this experience.”

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

Hill, the do-it-all weapon who is listed on the roster as aquarterback once again, said his kneefeels “super stable” after months of rehab and three days of practicethis week. Though he has yettotake contact, Hillsaid he feels healthy and betterthan he expected afull 10 months after the injury “It’sanemotional thing,” said Hill, who was listed as questionable against the Giants.“It’sone that you’re filled with gratitude. And alot of people have been really involvedwith this process. So if you takeastep backand you think

After the two exhibition games in Australia,the Pelicans return to theUnited States fortheir final two preseason games. Theywill play the Houston Rockets on Oct. 14 in Birmingham,Alabama.Two nights later,they’ll play on the road against the Orlando Magic.

about allthose people and the experiences thatyou had along the way, it’s one that fillsmewith gratitude.”

Before he attacked rehab, Hill

first hadtodecideifthe attempt was worth it. Butthe nine-year veteran said coach Kellen Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis lethim take his time, and Hill came to the conclusion that he wanted to keep going.

“I love playing football,” he said.

Hill isnostrangertolengthy recoveries. But doing so at 35, he said, required adifferent perspective. And this was the first time an injury stretchedfromone season to another

When he suffered aseason-ending Lisfranc injuryincollege, for instance, he was ready by thestart

The regular-season opener is Oct. 22 when the Pelicans make thetrip to Memphis, Tennessee, to play theGrizzlies.

But before that, thePelicansget to enjoy one more gameinAustralia.

“I didn’tknow we had this many fans in Australia, andIdidn’tknow howmuchtheyloved basketball here,” Murphy said. “It’sreally a blessing.”

of thenextseason.This year,the Saints determined Hill would need to be placed on the physically unable to perform list, causing him to missthe first four games.

Alongthe way,Hill found solace in the fact that teammate Foster Moreau also was attempting to come back from his own serious knee injury.Hill understood that fewpeople could truly relate to what he was going through, but Moreau was one of them.

“That’smyPUP brother, man,” Moreau said, later adding, “Through thisprocess, it’s grueling. I’m glad Ihad him around. He’salways got asmile on his face and some love in his heart.”

“I’d never wish that (injury)on him, but Idefinitely became the

“He’s fitting in well,” White said of Cook.“But understand, I’m putting in anew system offensivelyand defensively. It’s goingtotaketimefor Zekeand everybody else on the team.These thingstake time, but Zeke’sbeen very receptive.”

One area where White wants Cook to improve is becoming

benefactor to go through that with him,” Hill said.

The Saints don’thave to activate either MoreauorHillthisweekend because NFL rules allow a21-day window once players on PUP begin practicing. Teams will use that timetorampupa player’sconditioning, and Moore said Friday the Saints would takethe whole week to measure how the tworespond to gettingback into football shape.

For Hill, there’s also the matterofhis role. Moore didn’tget to experiment with how he’d use Hill in training camp,sothere’sa mystery abouthow he’lldeploythe former starting quarterback.

In thelimited portion of practice open to reporters this week, Hill began thesession lined up stretch-

“The coaches are actually spending a lot of timewith me, mainly on my shooting,” said Cook, who averaged 5.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 15.2 minutes agame last season forthe Cajuns. “I’m very thankful forthem.”

The coaching staff also has worked on building Cook’sconfidence.

“The sky is the limit,” Cook said when asked about his expectations. “Sun Belt champs and national champs. We’regoing to push through it until we can’t push through it anymore.”

ing with the tight ends, threw passes with the rest of the quarterbacks in individual drills and also ran routes with the quarterbacks throwing to him

Even when injured,Hill sat primarily in quarterback meetings this season.This was doneinpart so Hill could learn the entire offense, the ins and outs of whyconcepts were run across the unit,and give himabetter understanding of the entire picture.

But where will he play the most? Moore and Hill were coy on what to expect.

Hill is just glad to be in this position, no matter what positionhe ends up playing.

“I wasn’treadytowalkaway,” Hill said.

THENATION

THINGS TO WATCHINWEEK6

Who, what andwhere to keep an eyeoninthisweek’sgames around thenation

Tide taking Commodores seriously No.10Alabama hoststhe surprising and 16thranked Commodores on Saturday —and insists it won’tget blindsided like last year’s 40-35loss at Vanderbilt.Anareatowatch will be therun game.Vanderbilt gashed Alabamafor 166yards on thegroundlastyearand boasts oneofthe SEC’sbest rushing attacksin2025. The Commodores rank firstinthe league with 6.49 yardsa carryand 18 rushing touchdowns.Defensively,Vanderbiltisallowing thethird-fewestyards rushingagameat79.8. Conversely,Alabama hasone of theworst rushing offenses anddefensesinthe SEC.

1. OLEMISS

Record: 5-0 overall, 3-0 SEC

Previous rank: 6

2

Ranked rivals meet in Tallahassee No.3Miami andNo. 18 FloridaState play Saturday nightasAPTop 25-rankedteams forthe firsttimesince 2016.Miami hasresume-building wins over NotreDameand Florida andislooking to addFlorida Statetothatlist. FSUislooking to reboundfromadouble-overtime loss at Virginia.Running back GavinSawchuk (234 yards rushing) andquarterback Tommy Castellanos(217yards rushing) lead Florida State’sgroundattack, whichranks second in theFBS at 336.3yards agame. Miamiistiedfor eighth in theFBS in rushingdefense at 76.3 yards agame.

1 3

Aggies seek to stay unbeaten Offtoa4-0 startfor the firsttimesince 2016 No.6 TexasA&M is quitepleased with itsearlyseason performance. MississippiState (4-1)is coming offits firstlossafter it fell to No.15Tennessee 4134 in overtime.Itwillbethe Bulldogs firstroadgamesince theiropeneratSouthernMiss andwillbeinfront of acrowd expected to exceed 100,000.The Bulldogs will seea familiar face in TexasA&M’s leadingreceiverMario Craver,who transferred from MississippiState.Craverranks second in thecountry by averaging119.2 yardsreceiving agameand leadsthe Aggies with four TD catches.

—AssociatedPress

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOSByCOLIN HUBBARD

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, left,runswith theball against AlabamadefensivebackKeonSabbduring agameSept. 27 in Athens,Ga.The Tide won24-21.

Georgialooks to bounce back

BY PAUL NEWBERRY Associated Press

ATLANTA— The Georgia Bulldogs are hurting. Kirby Smart doesn’tmind a bit. From his perspective, acrushing loss to Alabama will go along waytoward determiningifthis team has what it takes to make another championshiprun.

So far,the coach likes what he sees.

“The more invested you are, the more you hurt,” Smartsaid.

“I know more about my team right now than Idid aweek ago. Ican guarantee you that.That’s whatfiresmeup. And Igot alot of optimism after that game, because Ilearned ahell of alot more about my teamthan Ihad the previous week.”

TheNo. 12 Bulldogs (3-1,1-1 Southeastern Conference) will be looking to bounce back when they host Kentucky (2-2,0-2)on

Saturday

“If Icould play right now, I would,” defensive lineman JordanHall said early in theweek.

“I’m just optimistic about what’s in front of us. We’ve got along seasonwaiting for us. We can’t be mad about the past. We’ve just got to use that as fuel.”

Stillinchampionship picture

While discouraging, the first loss of the season was hardly a death blow to Georgia’shopes in the national championship race.

Ayear ago, the Bulldogs lost apairofSEC games —toAlabama and Ole Miss— but still managed to claim the conference title and aspot in theCollege Football Playoff.

That said,they can’tafford another slip-up against one of the SEC’slesser teams, especially with games against No. 4Ole Missand No. 9Texas still lurkingonthe schedule.

“Different year,different season. Ithink what’sapplicable is that collegefootballteamsare going to have this parity,” Smart said. “What’s going to separate teamsishow they either fractureordon’tfracture, or how their infrastructure’s built to sustainlosses. We’re built for this. We have infrastructure, we have plans, we know thepathway,soI’m excited to see where this team goes.”

Aworkinprogress

The Bulldogs have plenty of thingstowork on, starting with their propensity for sluggish starts.

Theyfell behind Tennessee 21-7inthe first quarter before rallyingtowin in overtime. Against the Crimson Tide, Georgia faceda 24-14deficitat halftime.Even when taking on overmatched Austin Peay,the Bulldogs were only up 14-3at thehalf.

“We’ve got to do better at it. I don’treally know why it’shappening,” Hall said.“We’re going

through practice trying to come out withalittlebit more energy.”

But Smart likes what he sees in thetrenches. Georgiarushed for 227 yards against Alabama, while limiting the Tide to 117 on theground.

Chauncey Bowens has become the leader in the backfield, ripping through Alabama for 119 yards anda touchdown on just 12 carries,averaging awhopping 9.9 yards each timehegot theball. His emergence has been especially important as Nate Frazier dealsagain with fumbling issues.

Apesky opponent

Last week: DefeatedLSU 24-19

Thisweek: Idle

2. ALABAMA

Record: 3-1 overall, 1-0 SEC

Previous rank: 11

Last week: DefeatedGeorgia 24-21

Thisweek: vs.Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC)

3. TEXASA&M

Record: 4-0 overall, 1-0 SEC

Previous rank: 3

Last week: DefeatedAuburn16-10

Thisweek: vs.Mississippi State,6:30 p.m. Saturday(SECNetwork)

4. GEORGIA

Record: 3-1 overall, 1-1 SEC

Previous rank: 1

Last week: Lost to Alabama 24-21

Thisweek: vs.Kentucky,11a.m. Saturday (ABC)

5. LSU

Record: 4-1 overall, 1-1 SEC

Previous rank: 2

Last week: Lost to Ole Miss 24-19

Thisweek: Idle

6. OKLAHOMA

Record: 4-0 overall, 1-0 SEC

Previous rank: 4 Last week: Idle Thisweek: vs.KentState,3 p.m. Saturday (SECNetwork)

7. TENNESSEE

Record: 4-1 overall, 1-1 SEC

Previous rank: 9

Last week: DefeatedMississippi State 41-34

Thisweek: Idle

8. TEXAS

Record: 3-1 overall, 0-0 SEC

Previous rank: 5

Last week: Idle

Thisweek: at Florida, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN)

9. VANDERBILT Record: 5-0 overall, 1-0 SEC Previous rank: 7 Last week: DefeatedUtah State 55-35

Thisweek: at Alabama, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC)

10.MISSOURI

Record: 5-0 overall, 1-0 SEC

Previous rank: 8

Last week: DefeatedUMass 42-6

Thisweek: Idle

11.SOUTH CAROLINA

Record: 3-2 overall, 1-2 SEC

Previous rank: 13

Last week: DefeatedKentucky 35-13

Thisweek: Idle

12.MISSISSIPPI STATE

Record: 4-1 overall, 0-1 SEC

Previous rank: 10

Last week: Lost to Tennessee41-34

Georgia hasdominated the series with Kentucky,holdinga commanding 64-12-2 lead witha15-game winning streak The Bulldogs haven’tlost to the Wildcats since2009. Still, Kentucky has been a troublesome opponent at times forthe Bulldogs,who struggled to a13-12 victory ayear agoin Lexington

Smart expects his team to be fired up on Saturday “There’salot of college football teamsright nowthathave teams thatthe kids don’tcare,” he said. “When people hurt, you usually get abetter response.”

“Wecan run the ball, and we can stop the run,” Smart said. “The twothingsthatwestruggledwith lastyear,sowehave to continue to improve in those areas.”

Thisweek: at Texas A&M, 6:30 p.m. Saturday (SECNetwork)

13.AUBURN

Record: 3-2 overall, 0-2 SEC

Previous rank: 12

Last week: Lost to Texas A&M 16-10

Thisweek: Idle

14.FLORIDA

Record: 1-3 overall, 0-1 SEC

Previous rank: 14 Last week: Idle

Thisweek: vs.Texas, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN)

15.ARKANSAS

Record: 2-3 overall, 0-1 SEC

Previous rank: 15

Last week: Lost to Notre Dame 56-13

Thisweek: Idle

16.KENTUCKY

MAJOR LEAGUEBASEBALL

Brewersemploywoodpecker mentalitytoattackatplate

BY STEVE MEGARGEE AP sportswriter

MILWAUKEE Pitching generally has carried the Milwaukee Brewers as they’vemade their run of seven postseason appearancesover the last eight years.

This year,they mighthave the type of offense that can produce more playoffsuccess

Milwaukeeposted the best record in the major leagues thisyear while having the second-best ERA. But the Brewers also scored 806 runs —their most since 1999 —torank third in the majors.

They’ve done it without hitting many homers and instead relying on plate discipline and speed. They will try to keep that going Saturday when they host the Chicago Cubs in Game 1ofanNLDivision Series.

The Brewers swung at the fewest percentage of pitches outside thestrike zone across the majors.

Hitting coach Al LeBoeuf saidthe Brewers can preach thatmentality up and down the lineup because 2018 National League MVP Christian Yelich believes in it.

“Christian understands the fact that’sthe way we have to play,” LeBoeuf said. “He just passes the baton and spreads the message, ‘Hey here’sthe way we’ve got to play.’

Manager Pat Murphy delivers his own pointed message.

“If you chase, you don’tplay,” Murphy said. “The guys with the best ability to control the strike zone are going to play.”

That’swhat the Brewers told first baseman Andrew Vaughn when they called him up from the minors after acquiring him from the Chicago White Sox. Vaughn hadan.869 OPS in 64 games with Milwaukee, up from .531inhis 48 games with the White Sox.

“The message was control the strike zone, get on base and score runs,” Vaughn said.“Just be stubborn.”

The Brewers’ .332 on-base per-

ä Cubs at Brewers. 1:05 P.M. SATURDAy,TBS

centage was the second-highest in MLB.

Theyalsowreak havoc once they reach base. Milwaukee’s164 steals ranked second in the majors.

Thatexplains how the Brewers scored so many runs despite hitting just166 homers to rank 22nd. Murphy compares his hitters to woodpeckers because they keep pecking away throughout games.

“These guys are ahandful,” CincinnatiRedsmanager Terry Franconasaid.“Whenyou play them, even when you beat them, you’re tired.They have alot of ways to come at you.”

Outfielder Sal Frelick said he can tell how the Brewers’ speed bothers opposing defenses.

“It’s not even the actual stealing bases part. Just having the threat of it,” Frelick said.“Pitchers maybe have to slide-step, which makes them not throw as many strikes.

Andwith aspeedy guy on first, a hitter is probably going to get more fastballs because (a pitcher)doesn’t want to throw curveballs in the dirt or off-speed pitchesthat you can steal on.”

Although Milwaukee didn’thave asingle All-Star position player, several Brewersoutperformed their career norms. Frelick’sOPS is .756,upfrom .655last season.

Second baseman Brice Turang has seen hisOPS soar from .585 in his 2023 rookie season to .794 this year

As alongtime Brewers minor league coach in the majors forthe first time this year,LeBoeufhas seen both Frelick andTurang develop. LeBoeuf noted Turang adjusted his swing to turn the barrel out in front, giving him more bat speed. He mentioned Frelick’s“tremendous hands” andimprovedbat-toballskills It took awhile for this lineup to get going.

When the Brewers were 25-28 on May 24, they were ranked 14thin MLB in total runs, 21st in on-base percentage(.311) and28th in slugging percentage(.354). Yelichwas returning from back surgery,twotime All-Star catcher William Contreras was playing through abrokenfinger, andboth hadslow starts. Butthe Brewers ranked second in total runs, first in on-base percentage(.343)and eighth in slugging percentage(.426) therest of the way.The lineupsurgedeven after LeBoeuf was away from the team for threeweeks in July to undergo surgery for prostate cancer.Leboeuf said last week he feels great and that “winning ballgames has made it alot easier to digest.”

But the playoffs areadifferent beast.

Starting with their Game7home losstothe Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2018 NL Championship Series, the Brewers have dropped11of their last 13 playoff games. They scored more thanfour runs in just one of those 13 games, a5-3 Game2victory over the New York Mets in last year’sNLWild Card Series.

“Itdoesn’t matter if you’rethe Brewers, Dodgers or whoever,” Yelich said.“Runs are hard to come by in the postseason becauseyou’re facing all the best pitchers, allthe leverage armsout of the bullpen.”

Yetthe Brewers believe their resourcefulness at the plate and on thebasepathscould maketheir offense particularly well suited for the postseason.

“You look at alot of offenses with teams that hitalot of homers,” Frelick said. “When those offenses aren’thitting homers, you kind of see them not scoring as many runs. Ithink in our case, that’s not how we play anyway.When we’re not getting12hitsagame, we’re still able to score runs because that’show we have to score runs, by playing small ball, moving runners and stuff like that.”

Rangers’ managerial search focusedononlyone candidate

BY STEPHEN HAWKINS AP baseball writer

ARLINGTON,Texas The Texas Rangers’ search forBruce Bochy’s replacementiscentered on Skip Schumaker,aformer NL Manager of the Year who has worked in their organizationfor thepast year

“Wehave alead candidate internally that we’re focused on,” Chris Young, the team president of baseball operations, said Friday Young acknowledged that he had begun what he would considera formal interview process, and that there were not yet any external candidates.

“At this point, we haven’tfocused there yet,” he said. “Our hope is that we don’thave to.” Schumaker,aspecial adviser for the Rangers, was the 2023 NL Manager of the Year when Miami went 84-78 and made thefourth postseason appearance in club history.That was the same year Texas, with Bochy in his debut there, won its first World Series championship TheRangers andthe 70-year-old Bochy,afour-time World Series champion who was baseball’swin-

ningest active manager,mutually agreed Monday to end his managerial stint. That was the day after Texas finished 81-81 for its second non-winning record since itschampionship. Bochy was at theend of histhree-year contract.

TheMarlins slippedto62-100 in 2024 afterchangesinthe front office and aroster decimated by trades and injuries. Schumaker and theteam agreed that he wouldn’t return for this season.

Texas hired Schumaker in November, amove viewed by many as making himthe heir apparent to Bochy.Schumaker remains under contract with theorganization through the end of October

There are seven other MLB teams also looking for new managers. Young wouldn’t saywhether any other teams had requestedpermission to speak with the 45-yearoldSchumaker about theiropenings

When asked whether there was worry about Schumaker in relationtothose other openings, Young said: “I’m not overlyconcerned at this point.” Before going to Miami, Schu-

Gausmanlooks to keep Blue Jays aheadofYanks

BY IAN HARRISON Associated Press

TORONTO— FromApril through September,the Toronto Blue Jays got thebest of the New York Yankees, winning the American League East in atiebreaker based on an 8-5 head-to-head recordthatincludeda 6-1 advantage north of the border

Starting Saturday,inthe first October postseason meeting between these longtime divisionrivals, they’llbattlefor aspotinthe AL Championship Series against Seattle or Detroit.

Former LSU star Kevin Gausman will start Game1for the Blue Jays, opposed by Luis Gil of the Yankees. Manager John Schneider said Gausman’ssteadiness made him an easychoice.

“He’sthe same guy every single day,”Schneider said. “You don’t worry about him getting caught up in the noise.”

Afterusing his top three starters in this week’sWeJaysild Card Series win overBoston, Yankees manager Aaron Boone picked Gilover Will Warren for Saturday

“I feel like he’sready for this and he’s in line,” Boone said. “I trust himtohandle the situation.”

Gausman, a34-year-old righthander,went 10-11 with a3.59 ERA and189 strikeouts over 32 regularseason starts.

“I’mready to go,” Gausmansaid. “I’mfiredup.” Gausman went 2-1infouroutings against theYankees.Heallowed two home runs, both Giancarlo Stanton solo drives, in 222/3 innings.

Gil missedmost of the season because of aright lat strain. The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year went 4-1 with a3.32 ERAin11starts after returninginearly August.

“I feel really good,” Gil said through atranslator.“Ifinally feel thatI’m 100%.”

New York’sseven games in Toronto allcame between June 30 and July 23, during an 8-13 slide by the Yankees. The Yankees were much improved after trade deadline acquisitions.

“The times we were here in the summer acouple of times wasn’tat

ourbest, certainly,and still working through some things,” Boone said. “I feel like obviously the last couple of months we really started to play really well.”

New York went 34-19 in August and September,winning eight straight to finish the season at 9468, the samerecord as the Blue Jays.

Boonesaidleft-handerMax Fried will startSunday’sGame2,with Carlos Rodón and rookie sensation Cam Schlittler expected to follow Schneider didn’treveal who’d start Game 2.

The leading candidates are 2020 AL Cy Young Award winnerShane Bieberand rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage, who rose from lowAtothe majors this season, going 1-0 in three September starts. Yesavage struck out 160 batters in 98 inningsacross fourminor league stops and fanned 16 more in 14 big league innings.

The Blue Jayshead intothe ALDS still uncertain, at least publicly,about the status of injured shortstop Bo Bichette.

The two-time AL hits leader and two-time All-Starhasn’tplayed sinceSept. 6whenhesprainedhis left knee in acollision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells.

SchneidersaidFridaythatBichette hasn’tbeen able to test himselfbyrunning or hitting against regular pitching speeds.

“For him to be on (the roster), he’d have to play pretty regularly,” Schneider said. “It’snot saving him for aKirk Gibson at-bat once a game that maynot come.” Toronto bolstered its lineup by welcoming back switch-hitting slugger Anthony Santander in September after almost four months out because of aleft shoulder injury,but Bichette’sabsence still leaves abig hole.

“It’shard to play without Bo,” slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.said through atranslator. “Obviously we didn’twant that to happen, but it’s just part of baseball.”

makerwas abench coachfor St Louis,where he played for the Cardinals during their2011 World Series win over Texas.Heplayed 11 big league seasons with St. Louis (2005-12),the LosAngelesDodgers (2013) and Cincinnati(2014-15) Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker said while Schumaker lives on the west coast, he hasbeen very involvedwith the team in his advisory role “He’d spend time with us and manydifferent folks in the front office,add hisperspective,his wisdom. He was around and available alot,” Fenstermaker said. “We probablytalkedtohim every few days, if not daily,throughout the course of the year and bounce ideas off him and get his perspective.”

Bochyhas been offered an advisory role in the Rangers front office. He alsocould be in line for such apositionwith the San FranciscoGiants,thoughheisn’t acandidate for the managerial opening of theteam he ledtothreeWorld Series titlesfrom 2010-14. With 2,252 wins, Bochy is sixth among all managers, with thefive ahead of him all in the Hall of Fame.

BY IANHARRISON Associated Press

TORONTO— Cam Schlittler silenced the people who made hurtful commentstohis family on social media before his historic performance in theNew York Yankees’ Wild Card Series win over the Boston Red Sox.

“They’re just trying to getunder your skin, but Ithought they crossed theline alittle bit,”Schlittler saidFriday. “At the end of the day,there’snot much they can say now.”

Schlittler becamethe first postseason pitcher withatleast eight scoreless innings and12strikeouts without allowing awalk, pitching NewYorktoa4-0 clinching win Thursday.

Schlittler,who grew up aRed Sox fan in Walpole, Massachusetts, said Fridayhewas disappointed his family was targeted.

“I don’treally want to give them theattention they’re looking for,” he said of those who made the hurtful posts. “I get it, it’spart of the game.I think Iwas just kind of disappointedinthe factthat,just being from that area,I wasn’t really expecting it to go that far.” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he wasn’t surprised Schlittler

wasabletoharnesshis emotions andholdthe RedSox in check.

“I know he’sgot areally good head on hisshoulders,” Boone said. “He’s gota really,really good demeanor and disposition about him, as well as being areally confident kid, and confident in his ability.”

Schlittler kept his head bowed when he walkedtothe dugout after hisfinalout in the eighth showing only the slightest emotionwith asmall fist pump and tip of his cap to the capacity crowd of 48,833 at YankeeStadium.

The 6-foot-6Schlittler started the season at Double-A Somerset, was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 3and debutedinthe majors July 9after Clarke Schmidt injuredhis elbow Schlittler said he didget some positive messages from childhood friends after his strong performance helped eliminate Boston from the postseason.

“They’re happy forme,” he said. “I think they’re bummed out, obviously.They’re all Red Sox fans. I told themthat’sexactly whatwas goingtohappen. They’ll getover it. Hockeyseasoniscoming up, basketballseason is coming up. I’msurethey’ve gotother things to distract them.”

By 3p.m. on Sept. 10, my phone was blowing up with the news of conservative activist and radio host CharlieKirk having been shot at acollege campus event. It dominated the conversations between my clients and me for the next two days.

“Did you hear about Charlie Kirk?” they would ask. “I did. Did you watch the video?” I’d ask Most teens and young adults had seen the footage, now pulled down from media platforms, of the shooting.

“What was that like for you?” Iasked them all Responses weremostly similar.Horrible, traumatizing and terrible were words used Many expressed sentiments of disbelief and described their shockedstate evendays later That’sunderstandable. Our psyche is not meant to witness such things, and when it does, it can experience trauma. Trauma occurs when we witness or experience something tragic and aren’table to make sense of it. There was a time when, in order to experience trauma, you had to experience it directly or witnessthe event

firsthand. But in today’sdigital age, many are traumatized by watching videos and even hearing secondhand accounts of atragedy.Add to that the ability to replay the video, for some multiple times, and one can worsen the traumatic experience. Here are afew tips for helping people who have witnessed traumaticevents: n Normalize their experience of the tragedy,but not the tragedyitself. It’simportant to know that it is normal and OK to experience feelingsof shock, fear and helplessness after witnessing such atraumatic event. Even if you didn’t experience the same thing, you can say,“It makes perfect sense to me that you’d be feeling these things considering what you’ve experienced.”

Be an empathic observer

This means asking them what it is like for them when they see or hear these things. For kids, we may want to offer them some options that we can guess they might be experiencing. “Was it scary for you to hear about that?” “What was the scariest part?” As they process what they’ve experienced, which may be brief, our paying attention and showing them that we care about their experience actually beginsor continues to heal the traumatic experience.

Process your emotions with other adults, not kids. This can be tricky.It’sgood for young people to know that what has affected them has also affected you.This normalizes their experience. But we must be careful not to process all of our emotions withthem. Find friends, or evenaspiritual or psychological counselor,to help you process your emotions and experience. Remind them that just because they can see things, doesn’tmean they should. You can’t “unsee” certain things, and it can be hard to heal from the experiencethe more our mind replays the event. Just becauseyou’ve already seen a tragic or violent video doesn’t mean that seeing it again won’tadd to the impact ofthe trauma

Assure them that youare available to talk withthem about it more than once. While mostkids know they can talkto

RandyWheeler checks over a16mmrecording

Digital preservation

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

Manypreferawork-lifebalance. Not Randy Wheeler

Hisworkday begins at the foot of his bed.

HisMid Citybedroom in Baton Rouge is one of his five physical mediatransferstationsinhis homewherehe started adigitaltransfer business in 2010. As technology has evolved, so has video, photoand audio playback formats, so Wheeler’scollectionofequipment grew

“It was aslow process,” Wheeler said of hisgrowing collection.“It started in one room and just sort of grew,and then you have to buy two or three of everything.”

The collection of equipment grew out of his office, into hissecondoffice, living room, kitchenand bedroom.

Andnow,his home is aliving time capsule of floor-to-ceiling stacks of old video playback machines, film reels, photoscanners and physical media capturing scenes across the world dating back acentury

Wheeler holdsopen acase with a videotape recorded in 1983 that he recently transferred withseveral other tapes for aclient.

Wheeler hasseen thousands of weddings, birthdayparties, high school football games and funerals. He’swatched babies grow up, seen the evolutionofMardi Gras parades, viewed VietnamWar footageand listenedtocelebrity interviews, including an audio interview with Jayne Mansfield four days before she died.

“That’sprobably why I’mstill do-

ing it just because it’sa wide range of stuff,”hesaid. “I’ll be doing audio one day and prints, and then I’ll be doing video. The subject matter varies alot.”

Allofitispreserved andrestored in one home.

Down therabbithole

Each of his five stations has different purposes, all less than a 10-second walk from each other

Right beside thefront door is his photo scanning and restoration station, taking form as adesk with abig monitor and an early 2000s Nikon photo scanner.Photo restoration is one of the many services Wheeler offers, ajob where he’s touched up photos datingbackto the 1920s. Someare so old they don’thave adate. His living room shelves are stockedwithold DVDs,CDs,cassettes, film players or cardboard boxes holding what’sprobably even more oldfilm,camera gadgets andequipment parts that he bought from eBay

ä See ARCHIVE, page 8C

Reusing, recycling plasticand paperbags

Dear Heloise: Ihave been seeing lots of suggestions about recycling plastic bags. Isave all my plastic(and paper)bags. The majority are donated to my local food pantry as they are always in need of bags for their shoppers.

ARCHIVE

Continuedfrom page7C

Hints

Acommunity service

from

Heloise

Ieven save the plastic bags from items that Iorder online. Some of them are great for lining small trash cans. Some of these bags are silver on the inside and can be turned inside out if you prefer this look. Some of the bags have astrip that can be removed to seal the bag, in case you want to return the item(s). Youhave the option of resealing the bag once it’sfull.

Some clothing items ordered online come in zip-close bags. Isave these for food waste to reduce

odors. Ihave also saved some for packing items like shoes or bottles of shampoo when Itravel. Iput my pill caddy in one so that the pills are contained should one of thecompartmentsopenwhile traveling.Thanks for all your tips! Sandra, in Oxford, Ohio

Securing information

Dear Heloise: At this time of year,manyorganizations send out directories with updated personal information.When recycling old directories, Ishredthe old items or at least blackout anythingpersonal witha black marker.You never knowthese days where your information can end up. —K.F., in San Pedro,California

Send ahint to heloise@ heloise.com.

RELIGION BRIEFS FROM STAFFREPORTS

Church hosts service on breast cancer

Greater St. James Church, 1919 Arizona St., Baton Rouge, will conduct aBreast Cancer Awareness service at 11 a.m. Sunday

The Rev.Levie Wright invites all to wear pink and take part in this special service. Carolyn Gee will be the guest speaker For more information, call (225) 229-0762.

Clothing give-away and health fair

GreaterDivine Missionary Baptist Church, 6045 Hooper Road,Baton Rouge, will hold its annual Community Clothes GiveA-Way and Health &Wellness Fair for the surrounding community from 9a.m to noon Saturday

This free outreach event offers new and gently worn adult and children’sapparel along with access to wellness resources. The public is invited. Donationsare accepted through the Greater Divine Church app,available

in the Google Play Store. For more information,call the church officeat(225) 354-0459.

St. Francis Episcopal holds blessingofpets

In honor of St. Francis of Assisi’s feast day,St. Francis Episcopal Church, 726 Maple St. Denham Springs, will hostablessingofthe animalsat9:30a.m.Saturdayonthe church lawn. Clergyfrom St. Francisand Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, members, friends andpets of all kindsare invited. The church asksthat all pets be safely contained or leashed for thecomfort and safety of everyoneatthe event. Photos of pets and stuffed animals also are accepted St.Francis ofAssisi is the patron saint of animals and theenvironment, known forhis love of all creation. He also cared deeply for the poor,sopet food for Denham Springs Animal Shelter will be collected on Saturday. For more information, call the church office at (225) 665-2707.

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Saturday, Oct. 4, the 277th day of 2025. There are 88 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Oct. 4, 1957, the Space Age began as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit. Also on this date: In 1777, Gen. George Washington’stroops launched an assault on the British at Germantown, Pennsylvania, resulting in heavy American casualties and the retreat of Washington’sContinental Army

In 1927, sculptor Gutzon Borglum began construction on what is now Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

In 1965, Pope Paul VI became the first pope to visit the Western Hemisphere as he addressed the U.N. General Assembly

Down the hall leads to two office rooms, one for film transfer and restoration, andthe other office forduties likeanswering business emails and phone calls.

Wheeler alsohas astation in his bedroom.

“I have such bad sleep patterns thatI better work when I’m awake,”Wheeler said. “That could be any time. Basically,I’m working unless I’mtired.”

To accommodate his sleeping patterns and long work hours, he created asolution so that he can monitorfilm transfer from his bed: an ensemble of baby monitors pointed at all stations with viewable monitors from his bed.

“I have acamera pointed at the stationinthe living room, andifI’m in the bedroom, Ihave alittle TV monitor that Ihave pointed at the TV screen to make sure the tape is still running and there’snoproblems.”

He has no hardclock-in or clock-out time, one of the benefits of having ahome office, he said.

“That’s thebig advantage of ahome office,” Wheeler said. “Opposed to an office, you don’thave to do that nine-to-five kind of thing.”

Andthe collection meanders into his kitchen, with some film stacksafew feet

FOOTBALL

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Afew seconds later, D’Antonio snappedthe ball and surgedtowardCillo, who at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds is “small” only by football’s outsized standards. The whistle soon sounded to signal theend of the play following ashort gain.

In that moment, Cillo was no longerburdened by the inescapable mid-life question of “what if?” He was no longer acuriosity,but an official, game-tested NCAA Division III college football player,just like everyone else in uniformonthis sundrenched early fall Sunday

“It doesn’tcompare to the birth of yourchildren,” the father of three said after making his debut as amember of Lycoming’sjunior varsity in a16-9victory on Sept. 28. “But I’m telling you, from acompetitor’s standpoint and aguy that’s loved to compete at differentthings over the years, Ithink this goes to thetop of thechart. This was awesome.”

Several different video playback machines from Sonydigital and other proprietaryformats line awork area in Randy Wheeler’soffice in Baton Rouge.years of ever-changing formats require ahost of different machines to be able to transfer footage.

away from his refrigerator JayneMansfieldinterview

Fivepaces further into his livingroom is theaudiostation, another big desk and monitor next to awallof media players, anda shelf of even more media players.

There, Wheelerplayed an audio interview recording of celebrityjournalist Taris Savell and actress Jayne Mansfield from June 25, 1967, four days before Mansfield died in acar crash. He doesn’tknow if or where the interview broadcast.

Wheeler saysSavell came to hishouse in 2020 with an assistant and abunch of interview reels, some from her1970s cable showand

points.MikeFlynt returned fromalong break fromthe gametoplay one final season at linebacker for NAIAlevel Sul Ross Stateat59. Joe Thomas Sr.moonlighted as arunningbackfor South Carolina State at 55. Allofthem, however, had some level of experience. Andnone of them played in thetrenches. Bellomo had another question:Who cares?

Hearing someone else say out loud what he’dlong told himself privately provided thespark Cillo needed.

“It’s time to put regret,not even in the rearview mirror,but time to put it out of sight,” Cillo said. “Rearview mirror meansyou can still see it.I wanted it outofthe picture altogether.Itwas time. It was now or never.” Bellomo, whohas trained athletes off and on since the 1990s,came up with aplan. Strengthwasn’tgoing to be an issue,not for someone whocan pull afiretruck. Conditioning, flexibility and recovery were another matter entirely Enter what Bellomo called “‘Rocky’-type stuff.”

some audio interviews before the show began.

After acouple minutes of searching through files on his computer,Wheeler played the beginning of the audio interview

“Hello, this is TarisSavell in Pensacola, Florida, actually in Biloxi,” Savell said at the beginning of the recording. “It’s an unbelievable hour for an unbelievably attractive televisionmotion picture star.I don’tbelieve it. Jayne Mansfield, how are you? Are you awake?”

“I’m awake, and you’re in your pajamas,” Mansfield said.

Andit’srelicslikethisinterviewthatWheeler can access at thetouch of afew buttons.

Throw in the fiscal strain of paying for tuition out of pocket —Cillo is using some of that pension to offset the cost —and it’salot.

“I’m taking arisk academically,I’m taking arisk physically,definitelyarisk financially,” Cillo said. “I smile alot, but I’m smiling through the stress.”

Being strong is one thing.

Knowing how to use that strength to play football is something else.For allofthe wisdomgleaned from his life experiences,Cillo was aneophytewhen it came to Xs and Os.

“It wastough,” Cillo said. “Some days I’d wake up and say,‘You’ve got to get around.’ And my body would say,‘Pump thebrakes, brother.’”

Cillo willed his way through two weeks of 12hour days of practices, meetings, walkthroughs and meals.

“He’s taken some lumps, but he keeps coming back,” coach Mike Clark said. “He keeps learning, keeps working.”

Wheeler,born and raised in Chicago, came to Louisiana in 1988 whenheenrolled at Tulane,soon transferring to LSU before deciding he didn’t like college.Itwas theweather that drew him to Louisiana. “I hadenough of the snow,” he said. “I’d rather be hot than cold.”

Hauling heavy video equipment through the snow just isn’tideal, he said. Since setting up shop in BatonRouge,his servicehas touched the hearts of community members.

The endproductcan be emotional forclients, he said, particularly if they’re seeing old familyfootagefor the first time. Clients oftenbring unlabeledboxes theyfound in attics or garages, so they may notknow what thefilm is “You getpeople crying, because I’ll usually show part of it over there on the laptop,” he said, pointing to oneofhis stations. “And I’ll show them how the folder structure is of the files, but then you get something, and they’ll start crying.” For Wheeler,the job keeps him content. He hasa couple of advertisements on Google and gets plentyofbusiness, he said. There’snonearby competitionoffering as manyservices as he does. “I’m not getting bored with it.I don’tdislikeit,” Wheeler said. “I might as welldoitas much as Ican as long as Ienjoy doing it.”

ing without sleep. Next day, samething. The last thing Cillo wants out of this is sympathy or preferential treatment in thelocker room or on the field. Clark, 54 and in his 18thseason at Lycoming, never promised Cillo anything other than an opportunity.IfCillo never plays in a varsity game, which would make him the oldest nonkicker to ever see action in an NCAA contest, so be it. He is fully committed to seeing this through as long as his body allows and it’s not just about the football. Cillo provides countless rides and will occasionally pick up the tab for apostpractice meal.He’ll give advice when asked, but doesn’t want to overstep. He figured that’swhat teammates do.

In 1970, rock singer Janis Joplin was found dead in her Hollywood hotel room at age27. In 2002, “American Taliban” John Walker Lindh received a20-year sentence aftera sobbing plea for forgivenessbefore afederal judgeinAlexandria, Virginia.(He was released fromprison in May2019 ) In 2004, theSpaceShipOne rocket plane broke through Earth’s atmosphere to theedgeof space for the second time in five days,capturing the $10million Ansari Xprize aimed at openingthe final frontier to tourists.

PROCESSING

Continued from page7C

parents and other caring adults, it’sgood everyonce in awhile to remind them that you are asource of support for them. This is truefor adults as well. We naturally hate to burden people with our “stuff,” so reminding them multiple times we are “herefor you” makes it easier to reachout. It can be good

Today’sbirthdays: Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa is 81. Actor Susan Sarandonis79. Actor Armand Assante is 76. Actor ChristophWaltz is 69. SingerJon Secada is 64. Actor Liev Schreiber is 58. Actor Abraham Benrubi is 56. Actor Alicia Silverstone is 49. Actor Caitríona Balfe is 46. Actor Rachael Leigh Cook is 46.Actor Melissa Benoist is 37. NBA All-Star Derrick Rose is 37.

to check in with them even weeksafter bysaying, “Hey,just checking in about what happeneda few weeks ago. How are you doing with that?” This doesn’tdrag it back up for them. It remindsthem you care,and givesthem another opportunitytodo aself-check which canbe healing in the wakeofa traumatic event.

Petitfils is alicensed professional counselorin Youngsville.

How dida guywho is drawing from his pension and will be eligible for Social Securitybefore he graduates end up leading his Gen Zteammatesinan old-school postgame cheer of “HipHip Hooray”? How didsomeone whodrivesto campus every dayina sedan that might be older than someofhis fellow freshmen become an unlikely —ifperfect —brand ambassador for atopical pain reliever as part of aNIL deal?

Dave Bellomo is glad you asked. Bellomoand Cillo who have knowneachother for 30 years —were chatting last spring when the conversation took aturn.

Cillo hadrecentlyleft his job as part of the WilliamsportRecreation Department, where for more than threedecades he keptthe local streets and parks clean in thenorth-central Pennsylvania town most widely known as the home of the Little League WorldSeries. He took amaintenance gig at Williamsport AreaHigh School,where he graduated from in 1984, to give himself somethingtodo.

Cillo could feel theclock ticking. He regretted not going to college, not playing football beyond quitting after afew high school practices

Bellomo, who served as Cillo’sdefactotrainer as Cillo navigated everything from power lifting to marathons to triathlons, asked: Why not now?

There have been AARP-eligible college footballplayers before. TomThompson and Alan Moorewere both 61 when they booted extra

Sprinting up the massive hill that leadsuptothe high school.Thendoing it again,onlythis time while carrying a100-pound rock. Stretching exercises that would bring Cillo to the brink of tears. Cold immersion. Myofascial Therapy Saunas

Cillo also needed to apply to Lycoming, asmall school of just over 1,000 students, and get accepted. Navigating thesea of paperwork wasn’t exactlyeasyfor someonewho hadn’tbeen in the classroomfor 40 years.

Atypical school daybegins with predawn hours spentstudying —Cillo is majoring in criminaljustice for now —and chugging coffee. Thenit’soff to campus in his black Chuck Taylors forclasses. He’ll try to sneak in alittle treatment forwhatever might be hurting on agiven day

While the rest of the Warriors head back to their dorms, Cilloinstead checks in on his 90-year-old mother Rita, whoisdealing with a host of health issues. Sometimesthatmeansstaying thenight to keep an eyeon her, whichoften meansgo-

“Everyone just loveshim,” fellow defensive lineman Mason Woodward said. “It’s like, ’Oh yeah, it’sTom.’ Clark creditsCillo’s presence forhelping theWarriors stay focusedamid awinless start, intangibles that last year’s groupstruggled with during adifficult season. If that’swhat eventually becomes Cillo’slegacy at Lycoming, that’sfine withhim. Playing is just part of this experience. So is creating bonds with young menjust starting to find their way.If there’sanything he wants people to take away from this, it’sthe message that it’s never too late.

“I know there are people out there just like me, holding themselvesback,” he said. “And Iwant to tell thosepeople, ‘Don’t do it any longer.Ifyou have adream, if you have apassion, follow through with it.’”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Get in the game of life. Consider what makes you happy and head in that direction. It's up to you to create your destiny. Refuse to become a follower when you have so much to offer.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Muster up some time and energy to fix up your surroundings. The more comfort and convenience you surround yourself with, the better you'll feel and the more you'll accomplish.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Refuse to get trapped in someone else's drama. Distance yourself from downers and embrace those who enjoy the same things you do. Schedule an outing that offers a change of scenery.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Calculate your financial situation before taking on more expenses or debt. You are best not to fund someone else in good faith. Time is money, so map out your plans carefully.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Pay attention; be ready to make a move on demand and set yourself up for success. Don't take on someone else's burden; offer advice, not hands-on help. Let your instincts be your guide.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Socializing is favored. Who you meet and what you learn will be helpful in something you want to pursue. Reuniting with someone special can be eye-opening, revealing new possibilities.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) The rewards will be astronomical if you go out of

your way to do something special for others. An outing or social event will offer insight into how you can improve meaningful relationships.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Adding to your skills will set you on a path that promises a bright future. Apply for seminars, network and establish yourself among people who can help position you for success.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Speak up, show discipline and interest, and offer alternatives that incorporate something you can offer into the mix. Getting along is half the battle when the competition is fierce.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) It's what you do that counts. Be the one to follow up and follow through, and you'll leave a lasting impression. Words mean nothing if you are all talk and no results.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Let your charm lead the way. A positive, entertaining attitude will draw a crowd. Take the high road, and you'll earn sympathy and admiration from those who matter.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Do what's best for you. Don't let a last-minute plan stop you from reaching your goal. It's time to simplify your life and your needs. Choose peace of mind over living beyond your means.

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

nea CroSSwordS

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Mark Twainsaid, “Necessity is the motheroftaking chances.”

At the bridge table, the morechances you have to make your contract, the better. In today’s deal, South ended in five clubs. West led thehearttwo. East won with the queen and, withnothing better todo,continuedwiththeheartace.After ruffing, what shouldSouth have done?

North suffered greatlyonthe second round of the auction. Afteropening one diamond, hearing Eastovercall one heart, and having partner respond two clubs, what could he do? Nothing was perfect.Eventually,hechosethreeclubs astheleastevil.ThenSouthcue-bidthree hearts,askinghispartnertobidthreenotrumpwith aheart stopper.When North could not, Southsettled into five clubs

South started with 10 toptricks: two spades, onediamond and seven clubs Heneededeitherathirdspadeorsecond diamond. Declarer initially wondered if either finesse would work, but then he saw he had abetterlineofplay.

South drew trumps, then maximized his chance forthree spade tricks by playing aspade to dummy’s ace and leading aspade to his king. When the queen appeared, he was playing for an overtrick. ButifEasthad turned up with

queen-fourth of spades, South would have still had the diamond finesse on the back burner

The bidding does affect the odds here, but that is hardtoquantify. Apriori, one of two finesses will work76percent of the time. The recommended play comes in at 88.5percent. ©2025 by NEA,Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed

ToDAY’s WoRD sIDEBAR: SIDE-bar: Aconference between the judge and other parties unheard by the jury.

Average mark39words

Timelimit 60 minutes

Can you find 54 or morewords in SIDEBAR?

YEsTERDAY’s WoRD —PEAsAnT

today’s thought “Then spoke Jesus again to them, saying, Iamthe light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John8:12