The Acadiana Advocate 10-16-2025

Courthears La.votingrightscase

Justicesquestion howmuchraceshouldbeafactor

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON

—When the U.S. Supreme Court drilled down Wednesdayonthe issuessurrounding Louisiana’s votingrightscase, thesix conservativejustices askedquestions and made commentsthat indicated they thought Louisiana relied too much on race in drawing asecond majority-Black congressional district.

Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh asked in several ways whether race-based maps are permissible for an indeterminate period or should have an endpoint when states no longer have to consider race when drawing congressional

district maps.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked howmuch weight the Supreme Court should put on thelower court findingsthatspurred the Louisiana Legislature’sdecision to redraw its congressional maps to includea second majority-Black district

“What ifthe district court was just wrong?” she said.

U.S.Rep. Cleo Fields, theBaton RougeDemocrat elected last year in the majority-minority district at thecenter of Louisiana v. Callais and Robinson v. Callais,said after the 21/2-hourhearing thatthe justices asked pointed questions on all aspectsofthiscomplicated case.

Fields said he saw the justices’

questions as an indication that the conservative majority wouldn’t go as far as manylegal observers thought and find theVoting Rights Actof1965 unconstitutional —or dramatically change the act’sSection 2tomake it all but unusable.

Their questions reflected “the importance of this decision on the nation, regardless of their individualopinions,” he said.

“I’mcautiously optimistic,” Fieldssaid. “Thiscasemarks a pivotal moment in not only Louisiana’songoing fight to protect fair representation, but statesall across this nation as well.”

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

ä See COURT, page 5A

Acadiana crimelab opensinIberiaParish

Long-awaited facility will serveeight parishes in region

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

The Bo Duhe Acadiana Criminalistics Laboratory celebrated its opening Wednesday in Iberia Parish.

The $26 million facility,named in honor of the late 16th Judicial District Attorney M.Bofill Duhe, who died of cancer in March,willserve eight Acadiana parishes in the inspection, examination and testingof evidence in criminal prosecution

The next-door move is aconsiderableupgrade from the old facility, said Lab Director Kevin Ardoin. Thenew state-of-the-art brick-andmortar complex is40,000 square feet, compared withthe previous 10,000-square-foot sheet-metal building, whichserved Acadiana since 1989.

The project to construct thenew facilitybroke ground in May 2024, buttalks began in earnest in 2019, with Duhe being an integral part of seeing it come to fruition andsecuring state funding.

“It’samazing that here we are, 35, almost 40 years later,and this same property we planned on, we’re fi-

nally putting alaboratoryinplace,” Ardoin said. “It’salongtime coming, and I’m very emotionaland excited that it’shappening. “ Thecrime labwill house 24 employees,who willbeabletotackle the region’sbacklogofcases more efficiently, Ardoin said. Thefacil-

ity will also be able to host training sessions with law enforcement and staff.

“This will absolutely help us,” Ardoin said. “No. 1, you have space to addstaff andyou’vegot better

ä See LAB, page 6A

Landry halts newcarbon capture applications

Technology hassparked opposition in ruralLa.

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

Gov.JeffLandry declared amoratorium Wednesday on new applications forcarboncapture injection wells in Louisiana after years of growing complaints from people who live near where the projects are planned.

Landry’sorder calls for companies to make moreeffort to seek out public and local governmentinput on pending projects, as the Republican governor seeks to balance pressures from constituents in rural Louisiana and energy companies.

In the 12-page executive order,Landry says the changes are happening “to provide aclear road mapfor citizens and local officials,” to create transparency for the public and to recognize the reality of the intensive time requiredtoreview each project —anestimated 2,000 hours.

“Local government and citizens, through their local government, have aright to be heard to ensure safety, transparency, and localinput,” the governor’sorder says.

But the orderdrewimmediate response from industry groups whoworry it could hamstring an

ä See

BYQUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Born in 1926 in New Orleans, Charles Calvin Holdeman Jr.grew up through the Great Depression, waiting in soup lines and packing his shoes with cardboard when they worethin. At 17, withWorld WarIIraging across both oceans, Holdeman volunteered forservice in the United States Marine Corps. He believedeither the salary or the life insurance would benefit his mother back home. At 18, Holdeman waded through volcanic ash on the shores of the island of Iwo Jima. Four days WWII veteran from

at funeral ä See VETERAN, page 6A

Syria’s interim leader meets with Putin

MOSCOW Syria’s interim leader, who led a swift rebel offensive last year that ousted former Syrian President Bashar Assad despite years of Moscow’s support, held talks Wednesday in Russia during his first visit to the country that gave asylum to the deposed autocrat.

Welcoming interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the historic links between Moscow and Damascus, and he voiced hope for their expansion. The meeting underlines Russia’s desire to establish working ties with Syria’s new leadership and secure a military foothold in the country

Assad was an ally of Russia, and Moscow’s scorched-earth intervention in support of him a decade ago turned the tide of Syria’s civil war, keeping Assad in his seat until his swift removal in December

Pakistan, Afghanistan announce ceasefire

ISLAMABAD Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday announced a ceasefire following days of the deadliest clashes in years that killed dozens of people on both sides of the border

The pause came after appeals from major regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as the violence threatened to further destabilize a region where groups, including the Islamic State group and al-Qaida, are trying to resurface.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring armed groups, a charge rejected by the country’s Taliban rulers. Pakistan is grappling with militant attacks that have increased since 2021, when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry described the ceasefire as a 48-hour one and said the ceasefire was at Afghanistan’s request. Key border crossings remained closed. N.Y. officials confirm chikungunya virus case

MINEOLA, N.Y A person living in New York has tested positive for the chikungunya virus in what state health officials say is the first reported transmission of the mosquito-borne illness within the United States in six years

The state Department of Health said Tuesday that the virus, which has been spreading in China and elsewhere, was identified in a person living in Nassau County on Long Island.

The county’s health department, in a separate statement, said the person began experiencing symptoms in August after having traveled outside of the region, but not out of the country. Faulty engineering led to implosion of Titan

PORTLAND, Maine — Faulty engineering led to the implosion of an experimental submersible that killed five people on the way to the wreck of the Titanic, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded in a report Wednesday

The NTSB made the statement in its final report on the hull failure and implosion of the Titan submersible in June 2023. Everyone on board the submersible died instantly in the North Atlantic when Titan suffered a catastrophic implosion as it descended to the wreck.

The NTSB report states that the faulty engineering of the Titan “resulted in the construction of a carbon fiber composite pressure vessel that contained multiple anomalies and failed to meet necessary strength and durability requirements.” It also stated that OceanGate, the owner of the Titan, failed to adequately test the Titan and was unaware of its true durability

Hegseth’s plane diverted to U.K.

Judge blocks firing of federal workers

BY JANIE HAR Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from firing workers during the government shutdown, saying the cuts appeared to be politically motivated and were being carried out without much thought.

WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom because a windshield cracked on a flight back to the U.S. from a NATO meeting and all aboard are safe, the Pentagon said. The plane landed “based on standard procedures,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a post on X.

Israel receives remains of two more hostages Military says another

BY SAM METZ, SAMY MAGDY and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press

JERUSALEM Israel received the remains of two more hostages Wednesday, hours after the Israeli military said that one of the bodies previously turned over was not that of a hostage. The confusion added to tensions over the fragile truce that has paused the two-year war The remains were transferred by the Red Cross from Hamas. After the two coffins arrived in Israel, the military in a statement cautioned that the hostages’ identities had yet to be verified.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry said it received 45 more bodies of Palestinians from Israel, another step in implementation of the ceasefire agreement. That brought to 90 the total number of bodies returned to Gaza for burial.

The forensics team examining the remains said they showed signs of mistreatment.

As part of the deal, four bodies of hostages were handed over by Hamas on Tuesday, following four on Monday that were returned

body

was

hours after the last 20 living hostages were released from Gaza. In all, Israel has been awaiting the return of the bodies of 28 hostages.

The Israeli military said forensic testing showed that “the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages.” There was no immediate word on whose body it was.

In exchange for the release of the hostages, Israel freed around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees Monday Israel is expected to turn over more bodies, though officials have not said how many are in its custody or how many will be returned. It is unclear whether the remains belong to Palestinians who died in Israeli custody or were taken from Gaza by Israeli troops. Throughout the war, Israel’s military has exhumed bodies as part of its search for the remains of hostages.

As forensic teams examined the first remains returned, the Health Ministry on Wednesday released images of 32 unidentified bodies to help families recognize missing relatives.

Many appeared decomposed or

not

a

captive

burned. Some were missing limbs or teeth, while others were coated in sand and dust. Health officials have said Israeli restrictions on allowing DNA testing equipment into Gaza have often forced morgues to rely on physical features and clothing for identification.

The forensics team that received the bodies said some arrived still shackled or bearing signs of physical abuse.

Sameh Hamad, a member of a commission tasked with receiving the bodies at Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital, said some arrived with their hands and legs cuffed.

“There are signs of torture and executions,” he told The Associated Press.

The bodies, he said, belonged to men ages 25 to 70 Most had bands on their necks, including one that had a rope around the neck.

Most of the bodies wore civilian clothing, but some were in uniforms, suggesting they were militants.

Hamad said the Red Cross provided names for only three of the dead, leaving many families uncertain of their relatives’ fate.

Leader of Madagascar’s coup

says

BY BRIAN INGANGA, NQOBILE NTSHANGASE and GERALD IMRAY Associated Press

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar

he is president

The leader of Madagascar’s military coup told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he is “taking the position of president” and that the armed forces would be in charge of the African island nation for up to two years before any elections are held.

Col. Michael Randrianirina, who led the rebellion that ousted President Andry Rajoelina on Tuesday following weeks of youth-led protests, said in his first interview with a global news outlet since taking power that he expects to be sworn in as the country’s new leader in the next few days.

“There must be an oath-taking” to make his position official, Randrianirina said at his unit’s barracks while flanked by fellow officers “We are staying here for at least 18 months, at most two years.”

Randrianirina announced Tuesday that the armed forces were taking power in Madagascar, a sprawling country of about 30 million people off of Africa’s east coast that is the world’s leading vanilla producer and is known for its unique biodiversity Since gaining independence from France in 1960, it also has a history of coups and political crises.

The latest military takeover capped weeks of protests against Rajoelina and his government led by youth groups calling themselves “Gen Z Madagascar.” The protesters, who also included labor unions and civic groups, have demanded better government and job opportunities, echoing youth-led protests elsewhere in the world. Among other things, the Madagascar protesters have railed against chronic water and electricity outages, limited ac-

cess to higher education, government corruption and poverty which affects roughly three out of every four Madagascans, according to the World Bank.

Although some suggest the military seized power on the backs of the civilian protesters, demonstrators cheered Randrianirina and other soldiers from his elite CAPSAT unit as they triumphantly rode through the streets of the capital, Antananarivo, on Tuesday, with one protest leader telling the AP “the military is listening to us.”

The takeover was “an awakening of the people. It was launched by the youth.

And the military supported us,” said the protest leader, Safika, who only gave one name as has been typical with the demonstrators. “We must always be wary, but the current state of affairs gives us reason to be confident.”

The protests reached a turning point Saturday when Randrianirina and soldiers from his unit sided with the demonstrators calling for the president to resign.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco repeatedly pressed the assistant U.S. attorney to explain the administration’s rationale for the more than 4,100 layoff notices that started going out Friday even though furloughed workers can not access their work emails and there are no human resources specialists to assist with next steps.

“It’s very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programs, and it has a human cost,” she said. “It’s a human cost that cannot be tolerated.”

She granted a temporary restraining order blocking the job cuts, saying she believed the evidence would ultimately show the cuts were illegal and in excess of authority

Asked for comment, the White House referred The Associated Press to the Office of Management and Budget. The budget office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The American Federation of Government Employees and other federal labor unions had asked Illston to block the administration from issuing new layoff notices and implementing those that were already sent out. The unions said the firings were an abuse of power designed to punish workers and pressure Congress.

“The president seems to think his government shutdown is distracting people from the harmful and lawlessness actions of his administration, but the American people are holding him accountable, including in the courts,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of legal organization Democracy Forward.

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

News Tips /Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM

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

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

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

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

Archives: theadvocate.newsbank.com

Democrats dig in on budget standoff

Shutdown enters third week

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON Entering the third week of a government shutdown, Democrats say they are not intimidated or cowed by President Donald Trump’s efforts to fire thousands of federal workers or by his threats of more firings to come.

Instead, Democrats appear emboldened, showing no signs of caving as they returned to Washington from their home states this week and twice more rejected a Republican bill to open the government. The vote Wednesday was the ninth time the GOP plan has failed.

“What people are saying is, you’ve got to stop the carnage,” said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, describing what he heard from his constituents, including federal workers, as he traveled around

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J SCOTT APPLEWHITE

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.y. speaks during a news conference Tuesday at the Capitol in Washington.

his state over the weekend. “And you don’t stop it by giving in.”

Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz said the firings are “a fair amount of bluster” and predicted said they ultimately will be overturned in court or otherwise reversed That was already happening Wednesday, when a federal judge in California temporarily ordered the administration to stop the firings.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, said Wednesday that

the layoffs are a “mistaken attempt” to sway Democratic votes.

His House counterpart, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, said the administration’s “intimidation tactics are not working. And will continue to fail.”

Democratic senators say they are hearing instead from voters about health insurance subsidies that expire at the end of the year, the issue that the party has made central to the shutdown fight.

Journalists turn in access badges, exit Pentagon

Mass exodus follows new reporting rules

BY DAVID BAUDER AP media writer

NEW YORK Dozens of reporters turned in access badges and exited the Pentagon on Wednesday rather than agree to governmentimposed restrictions on their work, pushing journalists who cover the American military further from the seat of its power The nation’s leadership called the new rules “common sense” to help regulate a “very disruptive” press. News outlets were nearly unanimous in rejecting new rules imposed by Defense

Secretary Pete Hegseth that would leave journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they sought to report on information — classified or otherwise — that had not been approved by Hegseth for release.

Many of the reporters waited to leave together at a 4 p.m. deadline set by the Defense Department to get out of the building. As the hour approached, boxes of documents lined a Pentagon corridor and reporters carried chairs, a copying machine, books and old photos to the parking lot from suddenly abandoned workspaces Shortly after 4, about 40 to 50 journalists left together after handing in badges

“It’s sad, but I’m also really proud of the press corps that we stuck together,” said

Nancy Youssef, a reporter for The Atlantic who has had a desk at the Pentagon since 2007. She took a map of the Middle East out to her car

It is unclear what practical impact the new rules will have, though news organizations vowed they’d continue robust coverage of the military no matter the vantage point.

Images of reporters effectively demonstrating against barriers to their work are unlikely to move supporters of President Donald Trump, many of whom resent journalists and cheer his efforts to make their jobs harder Trump has been involved in court fights against The New York Times, CBS News, ABC News, the Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press in the past year

Alaska storms drive 1,500 from homes; villages destroyed

BY BECKY BOHRER, CEDAR ATTANASIO and GENE JOHNSON Associated Press

JUNEAU, Alaska — Rain and wind were forecast Wednesday along the Alaska coast where two villages were devastated by the remnants of Typhoon Halong and officials were scrambling to find shelter for more than 1,500 people driven from their homes.

The weekend storm brought high winds and storm surges that battered the low-lying Alaska Native communities along the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in the southwest part of the state, nearly 500 miles from Anchorage.

At least one person was killed and two were missing. The Coast Guard plucked two dozen people from their homes after the structures floated out to sea.

Hundreds were staying in school shelters, including one with no working toilets, officials said The weather system followed a storm that struck parts of western Alaska.

Across the region, more than 1,500 people were displaced by the back-to-back storms. Dozens were flown to a shelter set up in the National Guard armory in the regional hub city of Bethel, a community of 6,000 people, and officials were considering flying evacu-

ees to longer-term shelter or emergency housing in Fairbanks and Anchorage

The hardest-hit communities included Kipnuk, population 715, and Kwigillingok, population 380. They are off the state’s main road system and reachable this time of year only by water or air

“It’s catastrophic in Kipnuk. Let’s not paint any other picture,” Mark Roberts, incident commander with the state emergency management division, told a news conference Tuesday

“We are doing everything we can to continue to support that community but it is as bad as you can think.”

Among those awaiting evacuation to Bethel on Tuesday was Brea Paul, of Kipnuk, who said in a text message that she had seen

about 20 homes floating away through the moonlight on Saturday night.

“Some houses would blink their phone lights at us like they were asking for help but we couldn’t even do anything,” she wrote.

The following morning, she recorded video of a house submerged nearly to its roofline as it floated past her home.

Paul and her neighbors had a long meeting in the local school gym on Monday night. They sang songs as they tried to figure out what to do next, she said. Paul wasn’t sure where she would go.

“It’s so heartbreaking saying goodbye to our community members not knowing when we’d get to see each other,” she said.

PelicanCreditUnion expands school partnershipprogram to includeSoutheastern LouisianaUniversity

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi| stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

PelicanCreditUnion haspartnered with Southeastern LouisianaUniversityAlumni Associationtolaunchthe newLionPride Debit Card,designedtocelebrate andamplify the public university’s role in theregion. With everyswipe of theseuniquedebit cards, Pelicandonates apercentageofthe transaction totheSLUAlumniAssociation.Thispartnership empowers students,alumni, andfanstoturn theireverydayspendingintoeffortless, monetary contributionstotheir favorite university

“Weloveworking with this organization becausetheyare an engagedpartner,and they want to show theirLionPride everytimethey open theirwallet,”saidLeigh Porta, Chief Growth OfficerofPelican Credit Union.

Chicago-area judge bars ICE from arresting people at court

BY CHRISTINE FERNANDO Associated Press

CHICAGO — Cook County’s top judge signed an order barring ICE from arresting people at court. Cook County includes Chicago, which has seen a federal immigration crackdown in recent months.

Detaining residents outside courthouses has been a common tactic for federal agents, who have been stationed outside county courthouses for weeks, making arrests and

drawing protesters. The order, which was signed Tuesday night and took effect Wednesday, bars the civil arrest of any “party witness, or potential witness” while going to court proceedings. It includes arrests inside courthouses and in parking lots, surrounding sidewalks and entryways.

“The fair administration of justice requires that courts remain open and accessible, and that litigants and witnesses may appear without fear of

civil arrest,” the order states. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defended the practice of making arrests at courthouses, calling it “common sense.”

“We aren’t some medieval kingdom; there are no legal sanctuaries where you can hide and avoid the consequences for breaking the law,” DHS said in a statement. “Nothing in the constitution prohibits arresting a lawbreaker where you find them.”

As anot-for-profitfinancial institution operatingthroughoutthe majormarkets in Louisiana, PelicanCreditUnion is driven by thegrowthand successoftheir many school partnerships throughout thestate.SoutheasternisPelican’s second university partnership, followingasuccessful collaborationwith SouthernUniversity.Sincelaunchingdebitcards with Southern last year,Pelican hasdonated more than $32,000 in fundstothe Southern University Alumni Federation.

“WeareexcitedtoteamupwithPelicanCredit Uniontolaunchthe official Southeastern Lion PrideDebit Card,” said MalayneSharp,Director of Alumni Relationsfor Southeastern.“We’re grateful forthe partnershipwithPelican and theopportunity to create meaningful benefits forthe Southeastern LouisianaAlumniAssociationand ourLionfamily.” Theseacademicpartnershipsimpacttheregion’s financial literacy for thebetterbydeveloping an awareness of theresources offered by the credit unionand Louisiana’spublicuniversities. Pelicanregularly collaborates with academic leaderstohostfreeclassroom workshopsand presentationstoadvance students’financial education.

“Ascommunity partners we attend on campus events like tailgates, homecoming celebrations

andconferences.But more importantly, we offer freeclassroomeducation,”Portasaid.“Professors recognizethe valueofthe educationprovidedby Pelicanand itsimpactonyoung adultstudents preparingfor professional careers. Financial educationhasalwaysbeenahugepartofwhatwe do at Pelican, andwelookforward to continuing to trailblazeinthisarea.

Giving back is at thecoreofPelican’s values Thecreditunion embraces a“PelicanPays” mindset—aphilosophythatbegan with several giveaway initiatives at localrestaurants and grocerystores. Theinitiativewas designed to inspirecommunity memberstopay it forward andthe sentimenttookona life of itsown.The catchphrasenow reflectsthe generous spirit of Pelicanand itsidentity as an impactful communitypartner

“Weare very passionate aboutwhatwedo here,” said Porta. “It’sa good feelingknowing you work for abusinessthatissociallyresponsible andhas good intentions at heart.” Thenew Lion PrideDebit Card is availableto anyonewithorwhoopensaPelicanCreditUnion checking account. Thedebit card features the Southeastern University logo andcolors andcan be requestedonlineorin-personatany Pelican branch.For more informationonthe Lion Pride DebitCardvisit:https://www.pelicancu.com/ universal/southeastern-university-debit-card.

forbids poll and literacy tests and other practices that kept Black people from registering to vote. The law was changed in 1980s to allow minority residentstofile lawsuits claimingtheir voting power had been diluted. Instead of requiring those lawsuitstoprove that state legislators intentionally discriminatedagainst those voters—adifficult legal bar to clear —the act and later court rulings established aset of legal tests. If amajority of justices change those standards or findsSection 2unconstitutional in Louisiana, other states could redrawcongressional maps and heighten theprospect of fewerminority-majority districts.

Arguing for the Callaisgroup of adozen White litigants, Edward Greim asked the justices to set aside Section 2because it racially stereotypes by sorting voters into one district or another “If it was ever acceptable for our colorblind constitution to do this, it was never intended to continue indefinitely,” he said.

Janai Nelson—representing theRobinson litigants, agroup of Black voters, and arguing for the second Black opportunity district —said the proposals by the state and the Callais litigants would “resurrect the intent standard that this court was very clear about and Congress was extraordinarily clear about, knowing that results is keytoensuring that we do notcontinue to have rampant discrimination in voting.”

If thehigh court changesoreliminates Section 2, “the results would be pretty catastrophic,” shesaid Kavanaugh gave Louisiana a chance to respond to her com-

ments.

Louisiana Solicitor General J. Benjamin Aguiñagasaid the Robinson litigants focused on the state’sdiscriminatory actions in the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s and’60s that no longer apply.Louisiana contends that theVotingRightsAct essentially requiresstatestoconsider race whenredistricting, whichis unconstitutional.

Aguiñagasaid if theLegislature wants to draft amap that elects six White Republicans, several hundredthousand Democrats now amajorityintwo “blue” districts

would be assignedand their numbers would turn those “red”districts “purple” andcould endanger GOP candidates “That’sone political realitythat tells me that sky isn’tgoing to be falling,” he said.

U.S.Deputy SolicitorGeneral Hashim M. Mooppan, arguing for theTrumpadministration, said eliminating the tests of Section 2 would have little impact on minority representation in Congress He saidthat, of the60orsoBlack members of Congress, only about 15 come from majority-minority

districts.

Elections in Louisiana have ahistory of polarized voting, Nelson argued.

Whenthey are in the majority, Whitevoters have never elected aBlack candidate —even during years when White Democratic candidates won statewide elections. Black people live close enough together,share similar interests, and adistrictcan be drawn using traditional redistricting methods, such as being geographically compact, she argued

The court’sthree liberal justices

questioned theparties on the success Section 2has had over several decades. Justice Elena Kagan said Section 2only shows whenredistricting decisions violate voting rights based on current conditions.

“There’sa‘there’ there that African Americans can’tchoose acandidate of their choice,” Kagansaid.

JusticeKetanji Brown Jackson said Section 2is“like atape measure” to see if certain circumstances exist requiring aremedy, but it doesn’trequire aracial solution.

In Louisiana, she noted that Black populations often live in the same areas as the enslaved did along waterways such as the Red River,along which Fields’ 6th Congressional District lies. As Louisianalegislators haven’tchanged the maps in awhile,all Section2 did was show that, if the districts were reconfigured, then Black voter preferences would not be diluted, Jackson said.

It’s up to the states to decide how to fix the problem,she said.

Gov. Jeff Landry,U.S.Sen.John N. Kennedy,R-Madisonville, and State Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-Baton Rouge and chair of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, were amongthe Louisiana politicians attending the hearing. State Rep. Beau Beaullieu IV,RNewIberia and chair of the House &Governmental Affairs Committee that would getfirst crack at any redrawncongressional maps, also wasthere, with state Rep. Michael Johnson, R-Pineville.They’re expecting thegovernor to calla special session soon to address the possibility of redrawing the current map Though the justices could rule sooner,historically thecourt issues decisions in June.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

industry that could be aboon for Louisiana’seconomy TommyFaucheux,president of the Louisiana MidContinental Oil and Gas Association, said the projects could “breathenew economic life into ourcommunities and create the opportunities that will keep our kids here in Louisiana.”

“Let’snot let Texas, and other states waiting in the wings, take this moment from us because we put any more obstacles in our own way,” he added.

Carbon capture and sequestration involves pumping carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced from industrial processes deep underground, compressed to anear-liquid state. The chemicals would be stored there permanently Industry,LSU scientists and other sources argue Louisiana’ssedimentary geology is prime to safely use the technology

The technology,however, has recently sparkedopposition in conservative-leaningrural Louisiana, which typically is supportive of oil and gas and new industries. It has also drawn criticism from the state’smore leftleaning environmental justice movement. They worryabout storing waste carbondioxide under tens of thousands of acres of farm and pasture land, country estates and timber properties.

Concerns revolve around amix of issues: land rights; the impact on underground aquifers if CO2 leaks; skepticism of climate change; skepticismofits effectiveness in fully capturing CO2; and opposition to the use of federal money and tax credits to finance the effort.

Louisiana regulators

gainedprimacyfor carbon capture in early 2024, allowing the statetotake over final approval of carbon capture projects from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyinhopes of speeding alongthe process.

Though Landry’sorder calls on state departments to work together,the order has thepotential to slow apush to find carbon storage sites across Louisiana and make thestate’sfossil fuel-heavy industriesmorecompetitive in foreign markets worried aboutclimate change.

Released before noon Wednesday, theorder sparked immediate responses from the state’sinfluential tradegroups,including the Louisiana Chemical Association, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry,and the Louisiana Mid-ContinentOil andGas Association

While pledging to work with Landry,industry groups’ concerns about his order revolved around a similar theme —that thenew rules create uncertainty that could cede Louisiana’slead position in anew industry that couldmean billionsin economic development.

“The momentum Louisiana has built is no accident. It is the direct result of securing state primacy and leveraging our unique geology,world-classenergyinfrastructure andhighly skilled workforce,” said Will Green, president and CEO of LABI.

David Cresson, president and CEO of LCA, noted his association’s membershave alreadyinvested $60billion in Louisiana projectsthat depend on carbon capture andstorage,but the“conditionalmoratorium” sends “the wrong messagetothe market at apivotalmoment for Louisiana’seconomy.”

“A pause on applications, regardless of thereasoning,signalsuncertainty for projectsthatenablelower-

emissionsproduction, support thousands of high-wage jobs, and encourage future reinvestment,” Cresson said.

On the other hand, Landry’sadministration has seen opposition bubbling up in spread-outcorners of the state,triggering apush in themost recent legislative sessiontoblock or restrict carbon capture. Though mostofthose bills failed, one requiringthe state to give “substantial consideration” to local officials’ concerns has triggered new directives within the state Department of Conservation and Energy for greater public input.

Dustin Davidson, the department’sleader,said the Landry administration is trying to balance economic development andthe communityconcerns,saying that failedpushestoban carbon captureinparishes is “a messagethatyou can’t overlook.”

“Ifyou have folks that aresaying that they’re not liking somethingbecause they don’tknowwhatitis or there’snocommunication, whetherwedothis or not, you’re still goingtohave that hurdle to get over,” Davidson said.“And so,it benefits everybody to take astep back, understand exactlywhattheyneed to do, for companies educatingthe public that they’regoing to be operating within.”

Beginning under former Secretary TylerGray,the departmenthas already prioritized six of more than 30 projects forreview while thedepartment works to developaprioritylistfor the remainingprojects

Davidson saidthe lead six projects gained thatposition because of theireconomic impact and lack of identifiable “leak paths” for stored carbon dioxide, like old wells, that would have to be mitigated for approval.

“That is what allows us

to determine that those are good projects to move forward with and prioritize,” Davidson said. “Wewill continue to do that processmoving forwardinterms of identifying, again, thesafestin terms of theamount of leak paths and the best economic value to the state and to the local communities.”

Davidson added that the prioritization process is also away of managing the workload. Department officials saythe state has received far more projects than the 12 originally expected and faces totals thatare about half as bigEPA is handling for 46 other states.

Landry’sorderalso says other recent legislative changesonlandacquisition for CO2 pipelines and for creating carbon storage areas would constitute anew

“landowner bill of rights” that should guide government decision-making on new carbon capture projects. Those newlaws make it harder forpipeline companies to gain land expropriation power for CO2 pipelines,increase public notice requirements about expropriation plans andraise the percentage of landowners whomust agree —from 75% to 85% —before aregion, or “unit,” can be set aside for underground CO2 storage.

Someopponents, however, sayLandryhasn’tgone far enough to stop carbon captureand block unconstitutional land acquisition laws.

Mark T. Guillory,aretired AirForce colonel andpilot fromPineville, saidLandry should calla special session to repeal aseries of laws that, he says, illegally allow

companiestouse private land forcarbon capture and related pipelines. Guillory,who is part of Save My Louisiana, oneof several groups opposing carbon capture, said the order is also contradictory becauseitdoesn’t stop the projectsalreadyunderreview He argued that if one of those future projects were to leak into abig regional aquifer, it won’tmatter what was stopped “because you’ve alreadymessed things up.”

“We’re concerned about allofit, notjust theones that you’re going to do from today forward,” he said. “It’s meaningless in that way.” Since gaining primacy,the state has approved only one carbon storage project, in early September

VETERAN

Continued from page1A

after the first landings, Holdemen witnessed Marines from the 5th Division raise the American flag overMount Suribachionthe horizon.

Charles Calvin HoldemanJr.

On Sept. 14, Holdeman celebrated his 99th birthday at the Barclay House on Siegen Lane in Baton Rouge,surrounded by three generations of family,honored by letters from Mayor-President Sid Edwards and Gov.Jeff Landry, and gifted aLouisianastate flagthat had flown over the Capitol. He died a few weeks later on Oct. 3. On Wednesday Holdeman was laid to rest with full military honors at theSoutheast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Slidell. He was buried with ared Marine Corps veteran hat his family said he was never seen without The flag that covered his casketwas delivered to Holdeman’s grandniece, Rebecca Nicole Easley,who took care of him over the past year

Despite coming from amilitary family,Easley said her last months with Holdemangave her new perspective on how veterans’ service continues even after they leave the armed forces.

“These people didn’tjustgive their lives when they wentto war,” Easley said, “theygave therest of their life, too.”

Holdeman’sdeath highlights the slowly-closing period of American history with still-living witnesses to theU.S. struggle againstthe Axis powers in World WarII.

As such, much of Holdeman’s story is now being carried on by hissurviving family.OnWednesday,they told The Advocate how hard his young life in New Orleans had been. He worked odd jobs to help his

LAB

Continued from page1A

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS Marines and Patriot Guard Riders salute as pallbearers carry the casket of Charles Calvin Holdeman Jr., aWWII veteran whodied at age99, at Southeast Louisiana Veterans CemeteryinSlidell during his funeralon Wednesday.

mother and his younger sister untildesperation forced Holdeman’s mother to give up the younger child for adoption

The lossinstilled in him aneed to take care of his family,regardless of thecost.

“Once hewas finished with school, he said,‘I’m gonna jointhe Marine Corps. Because they’re paying,’ ”Easley said. “But not onlythat, if he died at war,they offered a$10,000 insurance policy to the family.And he did that for his mother,because he figured ‘I could either send her money home and come back and still takecare of her, or ifI diddie you’dbe rich.’”

He was assigned to the 4th Marine Division, 23rd Marines.

Like many veterans, Holdeman wasn’teager to describe his time in the military,especially surviving of the BattleofIwo Jima, the only time hesaw combat.

More often, the stories Easley and her cousins received were funnier

Holdeman had no driver’slicense, andhad neverbeen behind awheelinhis life, Easleysaid. However,while deployed, he once was ordered to move ajeep to a

different part of the island.

“He always said, ‘You did what you weretold, what you did was what you were told,’”Easley said.

So,without another question, he got behind thewheel and there, on the sands of aforeignland, learned to drive.

Another example of astory he would tell, relatedbyhis greatnephew Wade Holdeman,showed thegallows humor Marines often used while fighting in thePacific.

According to Wade Holdeman, his great-uncle and hisfellow infantrymen were once bickering over who among themhad secured akill on an enemy Japanese soldier

“They all argued. Igot him. No, no, Igot him. No, Igot him,” Wade Holdeman related Whentheyapproached thefallen soldier,theyfound him “riddled with holes,”Wade Holdeman said, and concluded “we all got him.”

As he talked, the smile slightly fell from Wade’sface.

“Henever really talked about the battle, losing friends,” he said.

Alongtime friend of Holdeman’s from theVFW,William Hunton, said oneofthe most vividtellings of Holdeman’sIwo Jima story

was given to aclass of Civil Air Patrol cadets, 12- and 13-year-old boys. Hunton compared it to Tom Hanks’ wardrama miniseries “The Pacific.”

Holdemantoldhis family about the fear and the anticipationhefelt beforelanding on the shores of Iwo Jima. He did twothings: pray,and write himself off as not coming back.

“He said, ‘You hit that beach, and at that point, mom, apple pie, USA, all that’sgoneout the window.

It’syou andyour brother,’”Wade Holdeman said.

“Brotherstoyour left andright,” added Alex Nesbit,anephew another generation youngerand himself aMarine veteran.

On the beach, Holdeman “did what he was told” and despite not ever working in communications, was ordered to run between battalion headquarters on the beach and connect them with wire so they could talk.

Asuperior officer allegedly turnedtohim and asked if he could tie asquare knot, when he said “yes,” he gothandeda spool of wire and was told to move.

After Iwo Jima, he worked in the construction of explosive shells, Easley said.

Just months before his death, in aconversation with Nesbit, Holdeman talked about getting the news of the atomic bombings of Hiroshimaand Nagasaki and the relief of aJapanesesurrender,which avoided an invasion of the home islands.

Once the war was won, Holdeman spent timeserving as military police on Guam, guarding Japanese prisoners of war Holdeman arrived at aport in Louisiana in November1946, and by thattime thereceptionsfrom American civilians had cooled.

Holdeman waspart of aworldhistoricevent while still only a teenager,but his family said the rest of his lifewas full of the same love of service he showed on Iwo Jima’ssands.

While he struggled to find work immediately after the war,Holdeman eventually found alifelong

calling with the U.S. Post Office, working for37years andretiring as chief engineer

He also spent over six decades as the director and chair of the board forthe Post Office Employees Credit Union.

While having no children of his own, Holdeman discovered a whole other side of hisfamily in the 1970s while perusing aphone book.

Almost all of his grand- and great-grand-niecesand -nephews said that “Uncle Charlie” would always arrive at their homes with snacks, cookies and especially jars of pickles.

Holdeman also served as commander of VFW Post 3267 for many years, but would “nevertake adime from the VFW,” according to Hunton. He wouldn’tlet theorganization pay for his room and board on trips, believing other veterans were moredeserving of the money

This selflessness was best shown by the fact Holdeman volunteered well into his 90s, first with Jefferson Parish Meals on Wheels.

Themost well-known volunteering he did wasfor the SoutheastLouisiana Veterans Home in Reserve. For years, Holdeman collected $1,000 each month in recycled cans, andconsistently donated the funds to the home.

His nephewNesbit said the connection between Marines is strong across generations and regardless of which wars they fought. Other Marineveterans honored Holdeman at his grave site,and two membersofanhonor guardfolded his casket flag.

“Having allthese jarheads around here, it’sanunderlying connection, it’sabrotherhood in common,” Nesbit said.

Despite his age, Holdeman’sfamily said he had immense strength over the last year of medical care, with the 99-year-old consistently doing more exercises than his physical therapy required.

Nesbit attributes it to being a Marine.

“We’re hard as hell to kill,” Nesbit said. “He didn’tgodown easy.”

there’ssomuch

Businessman contests bribery sentencing

Franques’ attorney objects to calculations in report

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

A Lafayette businessman who pleaded guilty in connection with a bribery scheme involving the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is objecting to how his sentence is being calculated

Leonard Franques is set for sentencing in U.S. District Court in Lafayette on Tuesday

He signed a deal with prosecutors Dec. 11, 2023, cooperated with investigators and pleaded guilty in January 2024 to conspiracy to commit bribery involving the LDWF Franques did not plead guilty to

another scheme involving kickbacks and bribes at the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office even though the factual basis for his plea deal stipulates that he entered into an agreement involving the pretrial intervention program in the District Attorney’s Office. The attorney representing Franques is objecting to two parts of the presentence report, alleging Franques’ sentence should not be increased for multiple bribes and alleging that the amount of the bribes was improperly calculated, thus increasing the sentence, which is not disclosed in federal documents.

The federal presentence report and Franques’ objections are not publicly available. The prosecution’s response to Franques’ objections were available online briefly recently, but have since been removed from public view.

Gulf fritillary butterfly alights on a swamp sunflower in Lafayette on Tuesday

Lafayette native competing for Miss Teen USA

She wants to be someone girls look up to

The Acadiana Advocate downloaded the prosecution’s response to Franques’ objections before the document was taken down. Franques’ attorney says that because he didn’t plead guilty in

Plant sues maker, installer of boiler

Smitty’s Supply denies fault in fire

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

Smitty’s Supply is suing the manufacturer of a natural gas-fed boiler and an industrial maintenance company, blaming them for the devastating August fire at its lubricants plant. Smitty’s alleges that it was not at fault for the fire, which sent black soot across rural Tangipahoa Parish and caused millions of gallons of chemicals and petroleum products from the company’s destroyed storage tanks to spill into a nearby river Smitty’s instead accuses Fulton Thermal Corp. of making defective boiler equipment and J&M Boiler Combustion Control Services Inc of negligence in its installation and maintenance of that equipment. J&M, which is based in Baton Rouge, was hired in 2021 to install a thermal fluid heater made by Fulton and later maintained it, according to the lawsuit. Smitty’s bought the heater from Fulton in the same year Fulton officials couldn’t be reached for comment.

Jean Window, president of J&M, said her company hadn’t worked for Smitty’s for a few years and didn’t know why her company was being

Swamp pop star avoids elimination

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Dustin Dale Gaspard’s meteoric journey on “The Voice” will continue.

Tuesday night, the Louisiana swamp pop star sang with fellow Team Niall competitor Revel Day in the first battle round of “The Voice” season 28. After hearing them perform Hozier’s “Too Sweet” as a duet, Niall Horan chose to keep Gaspard on his team, saying, “we could potentially have a winner in Dustin.”

First Runner-Up Junior Queen for National American Miss, and Top Model Runway

Breaux

But her proudest moment, she says, came in 2021 when she was crowned as the first African American Miss Lafayette Preteen. That pride traces back to a pivotal moment in her childhood where she watched one of her biggest inspirations, Miss South Africa Zozibini Tunzi, win the 2019 Miss

pageant. “I remember seeing her on

TV when I was 10 years old and thinking, ‘I want to do that. I want to be like her,’ ” Breaux recalled. From there, her mother, Yolonda Breaux, helped guide her into the world of pageantry Despite having no previous experience, the two learned as they went. Breaux’s first pageant was at the Scott Boudin Festival, a competition she didn’t win. However, it motivated her to keep going. “I was hesitant initially,” Yolonda Breaux said. “Growing

up, our family would watch the Miss USA competitions, but we never saw anyone who looked like us. So to see Zozibini win, and now to watch my daughter on that same kind of journey It’s a full-circle moment.” What began as a curious adventure quickly became a calling. Each competition taught Breaux new lessons in confidence and perseverance, leading her to connect with coach William Gasper, who, along with her mother’s encouragement, helped her grow into the young woman

After getting four chair turns last week in his blind audition, Gaspard had to get past this battle with R&B performer Day in order to continue in the competition Battle rounds come after the blind auditions, and are designed

against,

OUR VIEWS

Governor made right call on Tiger Stadium security

Saturdays in Death Valleyhave an atmosphere that is unique in college football. The tens of thousands of fans who gather to root on the LSU Tigers flood the campus expecting to enjoy tailgating, good times and hopefully awin.But at two recent home games, that atmosphere was shattered when news of shots fired on or near the campus spread among the crowd.

It happened Sept. 13 during LSU’sgame against Florida when campus police responded to an incident near the Law Center,where gunshots were heard as two groups were arguing. Thankfully,noone wasinjured. And it happened again on Saturday during LSU’s homecoming game against SouthCarolina. As the game was ending, campus police sent out an alert about ashooting that had occurred near the campus’ north gatesat8:30 p.m. Two people were injured, and a16-year-old has been arrested.

Needless to say,the incidentsrattledfans and the broader community. That’s why we must commend Gov.JeffLandry for quickly announcing that there would be enhanced security on campus for upcoming home football games. That is the response thatcitizens should expect when public safetylapses occur Toooften there is the temptation to defend the status quo and expect the public toaccept an unacceptable level of risk. We are indeed fortunate that there were no fatalities in these cases, but there’snoreason towait until agreater tragedy occurs. The time to act is now That was the message Landry sent as he orderedState Police to work the LSU police, the Baton Rouge PoliceDepartment and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office to assess security anddevelop aplan to be implemented by the time LSU plays its next home game against Texas A&M on Oct. 25.

LSU released astatement saying that safety is apriority and that it has 600 trained officers on-site for all home games. It also uses technology,such as cameras and license plate readers, to monitor the crowds.

We are glad to know these measures are in place,and we have no doubt that everyone involved is committed to making Tiger Stadium and the LSUcampus as safe as they can be. But these recent incidents need to be treated as the wake-up call they are.

LSU’smany boosters and fans throughout the as well and visitors from elsewhere welcomed into Tiger Stadium during college football season deserve to know thatevery effort has been madetoensure they have asafe environment. The only worry for fans should be what’s going on the field, not what’shappening outside of the stadium. We hope that these violent incidents are an anomaly.But the increased focus on security will help Tiger Stadium continue to live up to its reputationasacollege football mecca.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A

OPINION

Manufacturingpower fuelsLa.’s future

October is Manufacturing Month, which is atime to celebrate an industrythat often humsquietly in thebackground but powers nearly every part of our daily lives. From petrochemicals and industrial machinery to food processing and plastics, Louisiana’s manufacturing industry is central to our prosperity In Louisiana, we don’tjust make things, we makethings that matter According to theNational Association of Manufacturers, Louisiana manufacturers add roughly $59.4 billion in value, accounting for about 18.1% of the state’sGDP.Atthe sametime, morethan 140,000 Louisianans, with thousands more working in thesupply chains and transportation networks,

are employed in manufacturing. These are good-paying, high-skill jobs that sustain families and communities from LakeCharles to Baton Rouge to Monroe. Manufacturing in Louisiana is more than just numbers on aspreadsheet. It’sabout thepeople and pride. It’s the welders, technicians, engineers and operators who show up every day to turn raw materials into products that move theworld forward.

Even with our scale, challenges remain.For example, while manufacturing jobs have hovered in the 140,000145,000 range in recent months, the sector lost anet 1,470 jobs in the third quarter of 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That number

suggests headwinds such as supply chain pressures or talent gaps are real. We need to continue investing in education, training, and partnerships that help students see the range of careers available in this field. Every parish in the state has arole to play in building that future. This October,aswecelebrate Manufacturing Month, let’stake amoment to appreciate the impact this sector has on our communities. Louisiana has always been astate that knowshow to build, refine and create. That’ssomething worth celebrating, not just this month, but every month of the year NATALIEKACZYNSKI lead of strategic communications, TheTJC Group

The Oct. 9letter,“Christian politicians need to look at their priorities” addressed the question“Do you think it is possible to be agood Christianand a politician?”

Why not ask thesame question of a Jewish person? Or Muslim? Both religions promoteservice to others and a higher power,asJesus did.

Iacknowledge no “god” at all but do thinkit’sobvious that there is an unknowable and ineffable power that encompasses all of creation, and that everything comes from and is apart of that power What that power demands of us is the samefor each of us, but each one of us must figure that out for ourselves and determine our own path.

Consequently,viewing myself as connected toeveryone and everything in a very real, physical way,Istrivetolive as though my actions toward others

Twowords should explain why National Guard troops should not be calledtoAmerican cities to confront protesters: Kent State. For those too young to remember, National Guard troops were deployed to KentState University in May 1970 to control studentsprotesting theexpansion of the war in Vietnam. Troops carrying weapons with live rounds fired on unarmed students. They killed four,including astudent who was not protesting and walking acrosscampus, and wounded nine. There was no tear

affect me in the same wayasthey do them, and so am (usually) careful about what Isay and do.

Rather than ask if apolitician can still be agood Christian, Jew,Muslim,Hindu or atheist, abetter question might be whether apersoncan be apolitician and remain true to his/her moral compass.

Proclaimingoneselfa “Christian,” “Muslim,” or whatever says nothing about one’smoral character or strength. The proclamation is just a bunch of words. However,Ibelieve aperson’smorals and their strength in them can be readily recognized by aperson’sactions and answers regarding moral questions. Andaperson of strong moralcharactercan still be agood politician. It’sjust alot harder

WAYNE PARKER Baton Rouge

gas,rubber bulletsorothernonlethal means of control used. Abunch of young, scared,poorly trained soldiers reacted with force to agroup of student protesters. Jump to today.Troops arenow armed with larger,morelethalweapons capable of killing more protesters. Protesting in this country is atimehonored tradition going back to colonial days.Does the Boston TeaParty ring abell?

BARBARA BURTON Baton Rouge

Howcan Congress agreetokeeptheir salaries while others go without?

What if our elected senators and representatives decide that they will notaccept any salary during the partial government shutdown? Not only that, but that they will also direct that their staff members not receive any salaries during the shutdown. Both decisions would be admirable policies to adopt. Since they and the Trump administration are the national political body that has caused this shutdown, it is only appropriate that our senators and representatives are financially impacted by it. Our esteemed senators, Congress members and their staffs will be applauded for their wiliness to be financially deprived. If our senators, Congress members and their staff continue to accept their compensation, then their acceptance of ill-earned monies is despicable. They have put partisan politics first, while ignoring the financial straits and plans of Americans. Such office holders should be voted out of office at the next set of election by outraged constituents. Such senators and representatives are partisan cowards who have chosen to not act in the best interestsofthis country or of its residents.

BYRON ALMQUIST

Peace, warand Trump

“It’snice to start Updatewithsome good news for once: There’speace in the Middle East,” Colin Jost cracked on “Saturday Night Live.” “The only downside is, there’swar in Chicago.” Alaugh line, but also atelling truth. Those two words, peace and war,reflect two different sides of Donald Trump. Twodifferent political strategies in two different forums. Twodifferent views of the world.

Trump sees himself as the world’s best dealmaker,and openly yearns for thehighest honora dealmaker can receive: the Nobel Peace Prize. (After all, there’s no Nobel WarPrize.) And even his Democraticrivals must admit that his brief but triumphal visittothe Middle East celebrated asingular achievement: aceasefire after two years of brutal warfare.

The president received astanding ovation in Israel’sparliament, with many lawmakers donningred hats emblazoned with the words“TRUMP THE PEACE PRESIDENT.” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi told Trump that he was “the only onecapableofbringing peace to our region.” But back home, the word “peace” is practically banned, while “war” is everywhere. Trump has changed the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War. And while the highest goal of any military should be to prevent wars, not provokethem, Secretary Pete Hegseth keepsextolling his troops as “warfighters” rather than “peacekeepers.”

In fact,Trump keeps saying that a main mission of those “warfighters” is to repress civilians,not repel invaders. Speaking to agathering of military officersataMarine base in Quantico, Virginia, the president argued that “SanFrancisco, Chicago,New York (and)Los Angeles”were“very unsafe places, and we’re gonna straighten them out, one by one. “That’sawar,too,” he continued.“It’s

President Donald Trumpgreets Israel’s

PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu on Mondayashearrives at Ben Gurion International Airport, near TelAviv.

awar from within.”

“We’re directly confronting the sinister threat of left-wing domestic terrorism or violence,” Trumptold his Cabinet during arecent meeting. He’s even suggested that the military use the“war from within” in America’scities to train its “warfighters.”

On theworld stage, Trumpbasks in thepraise of foreign leaders like el-Sisi andIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called him the“greatest friendthat the stateofIsrael has ever had in the White House.” In those moments, he is the president of the whole country —anational leader,not justapartisan or factional chieftain. Back home, exactly theoppositeis true. He is not aunifying figure, but openly and proudly the president of Red America —atwar with the “others,” with the enemy “within.” That’s how he campaigned, and that’show he governs:constantly demonizing his foes in ways that galvanize his core base of support and justify increasingly ruthless methods of repression, including the deployment of armed National Guard troops.

“Trumpdeploys tactics and language of war against perceived domestic threats,” reads aWashington Post headline. That approach “represents adramatic shift in theuse of the military, which has been focused for most of American history on threatsfrom abroad.”

This is dramatic and dangerous, warns Michael Waldman, president of theBrennan Center for Justice at New York University’sSchool of Law.“It’s a militarylanguage used by thegovernmentagainst itsown people at atime, in fact, of relative tranquility,” he told thePost. “That’sreally damaging, and it’sreally rare.”

Trumphas even mused about invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 —a law meanttorepress rebellions bordering on civil war —tojustify the useoffederal troops against domestic foes.

“It’s an extremely dangerous slope, because it essentially says thepresident can just do about whatever he chooses,” Randy Manner,aretired Army major general and National Guard leader told Reuters. “It’s absolutely,absolutely the definition of dictatorship and fascism.”

The mosttelling rebuke of Trump’s homefront “war” camefrom afederal judge he appointed during his first term: Karin Immergut. In rejecting the president’s attempt to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, Immergut wrotethat Trump’sdescription of Portland as awar-ravaged city “was simply untethered to the facts.”

“This country has alongstanding and foundational tradition of resistance to government overreach, especially in theform of military intrusion into civil affairs,” Immergut wrote. “This is a nation of constitutional law,not martial law.”

Trump does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize for hisforeign achievements if he declares war on his own citizens here at home.

Email StevenRoberts at stevecokie@ gmail.com.

In his address to Israel’sKnesset followingthe release of 20 livinghostages by Hamas, President Donald Trump said severalthings that reflect wishful thinking. Among them: “The forcesof chaos that have plagued theregion are totally defeated.” “The enemies of all civilization are in retreat.” And the “long and painful nightmare is finally over.”

While the president and his team of negotiators are rightly given full credit for achievingthis moment (even by many Democrats), thereisnoevidence thatIsrael’senemies see it his way.Thisbattle may be over,but Israel’senemies don’tshare the same view Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) keeps tabs on what terrorist groups and others are saying abouta post-Gaza future. It has compiled20 examples that show thePalestinian Authority’s (PA) real intentions. In thePA’sOct.2 publication there was this: “It may be necessary to find away to persuade Hamas to completely leave theareafor ayearortwo. Later,when things become clearer,wecan lookfor ways to bring Hamas back to operation.”

After Trump won re-election last November,PMW PresidentItamar Marcus told The WashingtonFree Beacon: “(Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud) Abbas and his people hate Trump. They think he’snot upto their level of humanity.They mock theway he looks. They mock the way he talks. Now that Trump will be thepresident again, they think they can play him,but he should recognizeexactly who they are. They see themselves as in acamp with Russia and China and theIslamic world, and they are diametrically opposed to American policy around the world.” In aSept. 29 speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Abbas claimed thePA had “rejectedviolence andterrorism” and “adopted aculture of peace.” And yet the day before, the PA’s official daily continued to glorifythe terrorist murderers who killed six in an attack in Jerusalem three weeksearlier as Palestinian and Islamicheroes. This

is another example of the duplicity in which Israel’senemies have engaged at least since 1948 when the modern state was restored in its ancient Jewish homeland Need more examples for why this latest “peace” is not what the West has beenhoping for?

Palestinianschools aren’tteaching children to lay down their rhetorical arms against Israel, but to ratchet them up. PMW found ayoung girl in a Hebron school who said that the Oct. 7massacre and hostage taking by Hamas was a“beautiful dream...We woke uptothe sounds of laughter it was impossible to express theemotions in our hearts, and we never imagined such prideinour people on our faces. The sense of honor that we felt is indescribable.”

Don’t counton“journalists,” who have been pressured and threatened by Hamas to carry only their storyline, to tell thetruth. As Marcus wrotefor PMW on Sept. 1: “JournalistsinGaza,

whether working for Palestinian media or foreign newspapers, know that deviating from Hamas’sversion of events places their freedom and even their lives in danger.Survival comes first; truthcomes second.”

Celebrating therelease of hostages and mourning the dead is alegitimate response to theend of the current Gaza conflict.

ButIsrael, the U.S. and the rest of the civilized world should not engage in self-delusion, especially since Israel’s enemies have not repealed their charterscalling for the destruction of the Jewish state, nor have they heard from Allah that he has changed his mind and told Muslims to live at peace with Israel. Given thatindisputable truth, based on history andcommon sense, this is not the time for Israel to beat itsswordsinto ploughshares.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditorstribpub.com.

What to makeofa president whopowered aMiddle East peace agreement that eluded Egypt, Qatar,and France; who wonanaccord that matches and perhaps exceeds that of Jimmy Carter with Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat (1979) and Bill Clinton with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat (1993) —and who has dispatched federal troops to cities in his own country,used agovernment shutdowntofire federal workers, and redefined the extent of executive power?

What to makeofanAmerican chief executive whose fondest hopes include aNobel Peace Prize but whoismaking war in the high seas off Venezuela, the homecountry of María Corina Machado. She wonthe award forbeing, as the selection committee put it, awoman “who keeps the flameofdemocracy burning amid a growing darkness” —evocative, even ironic, language forthe Americas that likely wentunnoticed or was swiftly dismissed in the White House.

The United States has had enigmatic presidents before: Andrew Jackson (democratic sentinel, Indian fighter), Franklin Delano Roosevelt (ordering Japanese-Americans to internmentcamps, presiding over forces liberating Nazi concentration camps); Lyndon B. Johnson (high priest of the war on poverty,flawed minister of the warinVietnam), Richard Nixon (masterly in big-power politics, paranoid in domestic politics), Bill Clinton (skillful practitioner of the pastoral role of the office, fatefully addicted to raging personal hungers).

But even the word “enigmatic” fails to capture Donald Trump, especially the Trumpon vivid display in the first half of October In that brief period he has soared in reaching heights of achievement abroad beyond the dreamsofhis mostardent supporters even as he descended into new depths of retributive actions at home. No American president has showntwo sides of his personality and politics that have diverged so dramatically in so short aperiod.

Mr.Trumpinfull is, to be sure, full of himself.Trumpthe crusader forpeace is as much awarrior forconflict and revenge. Trumpthe aspiring winner of the Nobel Peace Prize campaigned forthe honor in amanner destined to deny him the medal. The face that appeared in silhouette across the front page of the Jerusalem Post, an art composite of images of the last hostages from the Hamas attack of 2023, in other settings glowers and appears in sneers. The president whospeaks as if he possesses great truths about human nature and practical politics traffics in untruths; he never has been, as James Boswell said of the 18th century explorer James Cook, “a plain and sensible man with an uncommon attention to veracity.” No one has ever said, as Roy Hattersley (the deputy leader of Britain’sLabor Party,19831992) did about Herbert Henry Asquith (British primeminister,1908-1916), that Trump’s“life wasavictory forthe vigorous application of a fine mind and highly developed conscience.” Aman of contradictions and chaos, Trump seemstocreate both as he barrels through the workday.He’smade an entire country delirious while dividing his own. His peace plan depends in large measure on Egypt, even as Egyptian worries about its access to American arm sales are prompting it to cozy up to China, one of Trump’smany foes. His tariffthreats against Canada and rhetoric about making it the 51st state have produced aspike in nationalism north of the border that conflicts with both countries’ enthusiasm forthe military links that would result from cooperation on adefensive missile shield.

Prior successful presidents mastered the arts of subtlety and nuance. Trumpdoes not do subtlety or nuance. He is not knownfor a single sentence of understatement. He lacks the gentle touch.

Other presidents wielded the equivalent of aslender lit matchstick as an instrument of enlightenment and, ultimately,ofpower; here Harry Truman and, on their best days, George H.W.Bush and Barack Obama, come to mind. Trumpemploys ablow torch. Other presidents have romanced Congress in astyle that suggests the soothing piano tones of Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune;Mr. Trumpaddresses Capitol Hill much like Franz Schubert’s Marche Militaire

But days ago, when appearing triumphantly in the Israeli Knesset, he heard Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak of a“covenant between our two promised lands.” The Trump mystery and confusion only grow

Email DavidShribman at dshribman@postgazette.com.

Councilseeks attorney generalopinion

Drainage district’s scopequestioned

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

The city of Donaldsonville is asking theLouisianaAttorney General’sOffice to determine whetheralocal drainage district is responsible for routine projects within city limits. There was asimilar debate in Sorrento afew years ago.

The questionconcerns thescope of authority for the West Ascension Consolidated Gravity Drainage District, which oversees drainage-related projects and operations on the west bank. The Ascension Parish ordinances state that the district has the power to maintain alldrains within its boundaries. Members of both the city and the district’sboard say they want to determine if that authority includes ditches within Donaldson-

TEEN

Continued from page1B

she is today,she said.

“Pageants aren’tjust about beauty,” Breaux said “They teach you discipline, communication, and how to be your authentic self.”

Growing up, Breaux says she often struggledwith confidence. She was often

PLANT

Continued from page1B

sued. She accused Smitty’s of “grasping at straws.” “Wedon’thave astake in the game,” she said. Smitty’sclaims it was unaware of the boiler’sallegedly defective condition and contends “no action or inaction on the part of Smitty’s caused or contributed to the happening” of the fire.

“Fulton sold Smitty’sa defective thermal fluid heater, and J&M was negligentin its installation and/or maintenance of the heater,causing an incident that irreparably damaged Smitty’s Supply’spropertyand inventory,led to mass layoffs of our valued employees, and impacted the Roseland community,” Matthew Sherman, Smitty’sSupply’sattorney,said in astatement.

He added that Smitty’s regularly had the equipment inspected and used it properly Smitty’sisseeking monetary damages for its prop-

GASPARD

Continued from page1B

ville city limits To that end, theDonaldsonville City Council unanimously approved aresolution Tuesday night authorizing thecitytoseek an opinionfrom the attorneygeneral on thescope of thedistrict’sauthority.The move comes beforeaNovember election date, during which west bank voters will decide whether to renew the 4.67mill drainage tax that helps fund the district.

MayorLeroy Sullivan told the councilthatthe proposition creating the district didn’tmention it would be responsible foronlymajor projects.

“In their proposition, it does not saymajor drainage. But when you talk to theparish, they’re like, ‘We’re just responsible for majordrainage,’” he said.“So that’snot whatthe people voted for.”

Thesituationfollows the conclusion of ayearslong court case over asimilar dispute on the eastbank, which ended earlierthisyear with

teasedfor her soft-spoken voice. Through pageantry, she’slearned to embrace who she is andfind hervoice as atool to uplift others.

When she isn’t preparing for competition, Breaux stays busy as avarsity cheerleader at Lafayette Renaissance Charter High School and as anactive usher at her church. After graduation, sheplans to attend Southern University,

erty,business and other losses, as well as cleanup costs.

Thesuitwas filed on Tuesday in the 21st JudicialDistrict CourtinTangipahoa Parish.The company has been accused of being at faultfor thefire in more than 20 other suits filed in thesame court.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also considers Smitty’sasthe responsible party liable for an extensivecleanup that hasalready cost the federal agency tensofmillions of dollars andisrequiring more than 450peopleto sustain.

In astatement about the suit, Smitty’sofficials said the lawsuit was “an unfortunate but necessarystep to protect Smitty’sSupply’s business, reputation and ability to build back in Tangipahoa Parish.” Fed by naturalgas,the equipmentinquestion heated upthermal fluid used to warm lubricants in Smitty’s storagetanks througha closed-loop system, akin to theway aradiator and the

saying, “It put me in an awful position.” Gaspard brought his energy,range and infectious soul to the song. All of the coaches, exceptfor Michael Bublé, recommended that Gaspard advance Bubléhad praise forboth singers, but stated that the song was abit outside the pocket for Gaspard, telling RevelDay thathewould pickhim to advance. Said Horan: “Dustin, that

SENTENCING

Continued from page1B

the District Attorney’sOffice scheme, that conduct should not be used to enhance his sentence, federal prosecutors wrote. The two schemesare separate, they wrote, but most of the parties in both are the same. The court will have to decide whetherthe twowere part of asingle criminal enterprise or two offenses, prosecutors wrote, but they maintain the evidence does not support the claim that they were part of the same scheme since they involved separate government entities and officials, nearly identical modus operandi and overlapping time frames.

parties agreeing to dismiss the case.

Clarification wanted

The resolution occurred at theend of atwo-hour meeting, when City Attorney SpencerLong saidthere were “unansweredquestions” about the division of responsibility. According to Long, thedistrict’s stated responsibility encompassed only majordrainage projects, suchasBayou McCall, Irish Canal and BayouNapoleon.

“Theydon’tbelieve that they are responsible for drainage in the subdivisions, drainage on the sides of the roads, or really just any drainage in the city,” he told the council.

He said he had discussed the situation with Sullivan, whoserves on thedrainage district board, and needed a resolution from the council to request an attorney general opinion.

Pamela Matassa, aspokespersonfor theparish govern-

where she hopestostudy media broadcasting.

“I just wanttobesomeoneyoungergirls can look up to,” Breaux said. “If they can see me and believe they can do it too, then I’ve already won.”

She alsohopes to do some good through in her nonprofit,“Bows of Confidence,” aprogram she believes will inspire young girls to embrace self-love

fluid running through it cool acar engine.

Chad Tate,president of Smitty’s, told authorities in late August thatthe fire started in “the heating portionofthe boiler,” according to aLouisiana State Police incident report.

State Police investigators found the fire beganinthe boiler and spread to therest of the plant but did notsay what originally caused the blaze, whether any equipment was defective or if boileroperations wereat fault.

Several government investigations remain pending, including one by the Louisiana StateFireMarshal’sOffice.

Ken Pastorick,spokesperson withthat office, said Tuesdaythatstate troopers are continuing to assist in thefire marshal’sprobe and that investigators have already spoken “to the boiler manufacturer,aswellas allservice contractorsrelevant to the investigation.”

In August, Tate identified for state troopers adifferent arm of Fultonthan the

controlled raspygrowl you’ve gotisamazing. I’m really glad Ichose this song. It opened up my eyes.”

Gaspard will nowmove ontothe knockout rounds on “The Voice.” Thoseepisodes willair followingthe lastbattle round on Oct. 20.

ment,saidina statementthat the government was aware of thecity’s requestfor an opinion.

“AscensionParish Government will be working with the Attorney General’sOffice to provide anysupporting documentation or informationthey may require as part of thatreview,” she wrote.

Ascension Parish council member Oliver Joseph, who chairsthe board of the district, said he appreciated the city’sresolution becauseboth sides require clarity

“The bottomline is we’re just trying to understand the language and get an attorney opinion (on)what’s the parish’sresponsibility andwhat’sthe city’s responsibility from the millage,”he stated.

SimilartoSorrentocase

Thesituation closely resembles acourt case brought in 2020 by thetown of Sorrento, which Donaldsonville City Council Chair CharlesBrown referenced

andindividuality.Through community events, she encourages girls to decorate bows that reflect whothey are, asymbol of strength and self-expression.

Breaux’sjourney is also rooted in her mother’s strength as atwo-timecancer survivor.She hopes to oneday establisha support network for daughters of cancer survivors, giving young women aspace to

one Smitty’ssued as the makerofthe thermalfluid heater anda different maintenancecompany than the one named in the lawsuit. Window, the president of J&M, saidher companyis notconnected to that com-

after the meeting.

“I’ve been over this 20 years, of course, and I’ve seen thedispute withSorrento,” he said. “…With the parish saying, ‘Wedon’t do workinthe municipality,but the people voted for that.’

Sorrento sued the East Ascension drainage district in 2020, alleging the district was required to perform ditchand culvert maintenance inside the town.

In 2022, Judge Jason Verdigets ruled in favor of the town, writing that theEast Ascension drainage district “acted in away that is manifestly arbitrary and unreasonable”whenitrefused to maintain the ditches. The district appealed the ruling, andanappeals court reversed part of the decision later that year

The casedocket satdormant until earlierthis May when thetownofSorrento filed amotion to dismiss the case. Verdigets granted it in June.

share their experiences and healing.

As sheheadstoReno to represent Louisiana on Oct. 22-24, Breauxcarriesmore than just atitle she says she will carry her community, herfaith andevery little girl who wants to dream big.

“No matter where you start,” she said, “you can always become who you’re meant to be.”

pany Askedwhy Smitty’ssued J&M and not the maintenance company Tate had identified in August, Smitty officialssaid J&M was namedbecause it installed the equipment.

Franques’ attorney also objected tohow the amount of the bribesinvolved was calculated. In theLDWFbribery scheme,Franques signed a10-year contract with departmentSecretary Jack Montoucet withthe first $53,085 paymentmade on Nov. 10, 2021, the document states. By Oct. 14, 2022, the amountpaid in thekickback scheme, theywrote, was $867,670, the intendedloss forthe first year Some$600,000 will bededucted from that amount to coverthe costofFranques’ online programs. Because theDistrict Attorney’sOffice scheme is relevantconduct for the purpose of guidelines calculations, the prosecutors wrote, money received in that scheme also must be

considered, deducting the cost of runningthe online services. Officials determinedthatusing $149,318 to enhance his sentence is reasonable, they wrote. To qualify for areduced sentence, Franqueswould have had to receive less than $95,000, prosecutors wrote.

LSU run game showssigns of turning corner

rushing attack waspriorityduring offweek

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

The shotgun handoff went toJu’Juan Johnson, and agaping hole was left forhim on the left side of the offensiveline. It wasthe sort of crevice LSU running backs haven’tencountered much through the first half of the season. But Johnson didn’thesitateashetook the ball and sprinted 56 yards to put LSU at the 11-yard line with 2:51 left in the third quarter against South Carolina. The sophomore’s runwas LSU’slongest carry of the season, coming on an uncharacteristically strong night for its rushing attack. The Tigers finished with aseason-high 166 yards rushing on 30 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt in their 20-10 win over the Gamecocks.

“A lot of the things thattake time to come together are starting to come to fruition,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said Monday.“And so the run game, as Isaid,has got to be central to ouroverall offensive efficiency.” Kelly’sright. LSU’simproved running game played abig part in its offense becoming more efficient Saturday.The 420 yards of totaloffense it accumulatedwas themost in any contest outside of the Southeastern

PROVIDED PHOTO By UL ATHLETICS

defensiveback Maurion Eleam, left, is expected to returntoaction quicker than originally believedaftersuffering ahip dislocation amonth agoagainst Missouri.

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

When UL redshirtjunior Maurion Eleam dislocated his hip during theCajuns’ road loss to Missouri, it was the type of injury that’s alarmingto allinvolved right away. Seemingly in seconds, paramedics flooded the field to help the5-foot10, 166-poundformer walkon from Neville.

“It shocked me,” said Eleam, who is expected to return for the 4p.m. homecoming game against Southern Mississippi on Saturday at OurLadyof Lourdes Stadium. “As soon as it happened, Iwas on the ground and Iimmediately felt something. Icalled for help andI just knew something was wrong.” It turned out that Eleam dislocated hiship. “It was aclean, clean dislocation,” he said. “I wasn’treallyscared. Iwas just in alot of pain.” Doctorsand coachesdid notexpect Eleam

RE

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Fouryears ago, after committing apair of costly turnovers against ahated rival, Spencer Rattler wasbanished to the bench.

The man who replaced him in thelineup will be across the field from him Sunday when the New OrleansSaints travel to facethe Chicago Bears andquarterback CalebWilliams. Williamswas theheadlinerofthe 2024 quarterback draft classthat featured arecord sixpassers taken in thetop-12 picks —and also one quarterback taken in the fifth round, Rattler,who has for the moment securedone of the 32 starting jobs in the NFL.

This Sunday they will meet as peers, albeit withsome qualifiers. Onewas hailed as a“generational prospect.”

The other has had to work to shedthe label thatcomes with his draft position,and is by no means there yet. Still, they are peers. Twoof32. And that is the wayRattler looks at it.

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

“I like to put myself up with any of those guys in that (2024 draft) class,” Rattler saidWednesday. “I’ve been competing withthose guys sincehigh school ball, I’m still doing it to this day. Ilovetocompeteagainst those guys, and Idefinitely want to be mentioned in that group, because Ifeel like confidence-wise, I’m up there with thoseguys.”

Butonce they wereteammates —and it may be fair to say rivals. There was aspecific momentthat altered the pathsfor both of them.

It was October 2021 andRattler was thestarting quarterback for an unbeaten No.6OklahomaSooners team.His play had been uneven that season, though, and against Texas it started to fall apart. An early interception ledtoa touchdown drivethat put Texas up 21-7. A second-quarter fumble was followedbyanotherTexas score. Down 35-17, Rattler lost his grip on his starting job.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. After Flau’jae Johnson nearly willed the LSU women’sbasketball team back to theFinal Fourlast season, she could have walked off the court in Spokane, Washington, and called it acollegiate career

The WNBA was there. Johnson, then a junior, was age-eligible to declare for the draft.But something pulled her back to the Tigers —beitaneed to add more tools to hergame, adesiretomaximizeher earning potential or an itch to team back up with Mikaylah Williams and trytobookend her collegiate experience with national championships.

LSU won it allwhenshe was afreshman, thenfell one step shy of the FinalFour when she was bothasophomore andajunior

“Itwas athought to leave,” Johnson said, “just for thebusinessside. Like, people think thatyour NIL stops when you go to the league,but in fact, youactually get more money,sothat was abig deal.”

It wasn’talways certain whether Johnson would make it to this point, oneinwhich she represents LSU —asasenior —atthe annualbasketballmedia days that the SEC held Tuesday and Wednesday In April, Johnsonhad oneweek to decide about her future. Would she go pro? Would she return to the Tigers for her senior year? The hybrid basketball-music star maintains an active presence on social media, but she wentdark after her junior season ended, letting the uncertainty linger for nearly two weeks after LSU lost to UCLA in the Elite Eight. Johnson sat down with LSU coach Kim Mulkey then and told her that she wanted to take on moreon-court responsibilities.

“I want to be aplaymaker,” Johnson said. “So we had that conversation, and Ifeel like

2a.m.

6:30

2p.m.Arsenal

CBSSN TENNIS

5a.m.Stockholm-ATP,Brussels-ATP Tennis

9:30 p.m.Stockholm-ATP,Brussels-ATP Tennis HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

7p.m.ChurchPoint at NorthwestCox4 *Friday

HIGH SCHOOLS

More runaways coming?

Afterseveral blowouts in Week 6, Week 7 mightjustfollowsuit

AREA FOOTBALL LEADERS

just cheeringand having agood time.”

Here’sa closer look at the Week 7schedule: Game of theWeek

NBA memo to all30teams targetspoor fanbehavior

The NBA has reminded teams to prioritize addressing inappropriate fan behavior at games this season.

In amemo sent to all 30 clubs, the league told teams thatitwants“consistent and vigilant enforcement of theNBA Fan Code of Conduct to deter andaddress fan misconduct at NBA games and events.”

Amongthe notable incidents in theNBA last season: some fans in Dallas were ejected for their reactions in the days followingthe team’s decision to trade longtime Mavericks star Luka Doncic to the Los AngelesLakers, andthe Minnesota Timberwolves ejected afan fromaplayoffgame forracially charged comments directed toward Golden State’sDraymond Green.

Ex-Angelsofficialtestifies in pitcher’swrongful death suit

SANTAANA, Calif. Aformer Los Angeles Angels official has testified that an employee convicted of providing drugs leading to thedeath of one of the team’spitchers had been taking prescription medicationto deal withdepression and bipolar disorder

TimMead, who oversaw communications withthe Angels, said he was aware of themental health struggles employee Eric Kay had faced.The testimony came in acivil trial to determine whether the Angels should be held responsible for the 2019 overdosedeath of pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

Kay was convicted of providing the drugs that led to Skaggs’ death on ateam trip to Texas.

The trial is expected to take weeks andcould includeplayers’ testimony

Veteran guard Westbrook agrees to deal with Kings

Former MVP Russell Westbrook is joining theSacramento Kings, apersonfamiliarwith the agreementtold The Associated Press on Wednesday

The 36-year-old Westbrook is enteringhis 18th seasoninthe league He’sthe all-timeleader with 203 triple-doubles and ranks 20th in NBAhistory with 26,205 pointsand eighth with 9,925 assists. He holds career averages of 21.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 8.0assists.

Week 6ofthe high school football season in the Acadiana area was pretty alarming. It was two nights of uncompetitive football. Of the 27 games involving teams from area districts, the winning teams outscored thelosing teams 1,230320 (45.6-11.9) for an average winning margin of 33.7 per game. Of the 27 games, there were more shutouts (11) than games decided by single digits (six). Of the blowout wins, 16 were decided by 30 or more points Aquick glance at the Week 7 schedule shows it wouldn’t be a surprise if there’sasmanyas16 or 17 more such runaways.

It’spretty apparent too many schools are playing football. Perhaps some will be playing eight-man football in the near future. We’ll see what the future holds. With all of that said, there’sone program thatwas awful glad to be on the good side of theWeek 6 demolition derby It wasn’tlong ago Comeaux was regularly involved on the losing side of running-timecontests.

Ayear ago, there was talkof the school shutting down After a17-0 loss to South Terrebonne in the season opener Comeaux’slosing streak grew to 33 games. Since then, however,the Spartans have won four of their past five, including a62-20 victory over North Vermilion on Friday in which arunning clock was used.

“There’sacoach on thestaff who was here before Iwas the head coach,” Comeauxcoach Marquis Newsome said. “We both looked at each other and justsmiled and said, ‘Man it feels good to be on the good side of this for achange.’ It actuallyfelt goodtobeabletotell the referee,‘Hey,let’s run that clock.’

PREP REPORT

(0-6)

Iota (2-4) at Westlake(4-2) Kaplan (4-2) at Southern Lab (3-3) Westminster-Lafayette (3-3)atHighland Baptist (0-6)

Livonia (3-3) at Opelousas (0-5)

Friday’s games Lafayette (4-2) at Acadiana (3-3)

Comeaux(4-2) at St. Thomas More(4-2) North Vermilion (0-6) at Teurlings

Catholic (6-0)

Lafayette Christian (5-1) at NotreDame (5-1)

Vermilion Catholic (2-4) at Ascension

Episcopal (6-0)

Welsh (3-3) at Lafayette Renaissance (5-1)

Carencro(4-2) at Sam Houston (2-4)

Sulphur(2-4) at Southside (5-1)

New Iberia (0-6) at Barbe (1-5)

Eunice (2-4) at LaGrange (1-5)

Cecilia (2-4) at Beau

That win moved theSpartans to 4-2 headinginto arugged stretch drive,beginningwith ashort road trip to St. Thomas More. Thebottom lineisifthe season ended today,the Spartans would be in the playoffs. “Inside the meeting room,before the season started, the goal was alwaysthe same —tomake theplayoffs,” Newsome said. That confidence came from taking theirlumpswith acore of players whowere freshmen andsophomores overthe past two seasonsthat are now juniors and seniors. “It gaveour kids

theabilitytofight through any adversity,” Newsome said of the losing skid. Comeaux is led by junior running back Jaden Celestine, who leads the Acadiana area with 1,157 yards rushing and 17 TDs.

“The kid is aphenomenal kid great parentsand great leadership,”Newsome said. Newsome said he’snoticed the impact his team has had on the student body’senthusiasm

“A 100%,” he said. “The kids are more exuberant at school. They’re morelocked in. You walk the halls and everybody’s

Lafayette Christian at Notre Dame: This might be one of the top five matchups in the area all season.

The Knights have wonfour of thepast five meetings, but Notre Dame has been outstanding this season.

Take away anightmarish seven-turnover performance in a loss to Shaw,and all the Knights have done is knock off reigning statechampion Central on the road and rollpast previously undefeated Lafayette Renaissance 48-7.

It’ll be tough forany team to beat Lafayette Christian this season, but Notre Dame is 5-1 with aclose loss to undefeated Teurlings Catholic.

Finaltuneups

Even good teamshave issues that need to be ironed out.

Many of thetop teams in the area will be using this week to work on troubling aspects before thetougher competition down thestretch. For afew teams, that begins in Week 8. In Class 5A,Acadiana and Southside are both favorites to win this week, heading into their Week 8showdown in Youngsville.

Undefeated Erath figures to enjoy another laugher on Friday at Berwick, but then should be tested against St. Martinville on Oct. 22.

Sneaky good matchup

The two records are much different with Ascension Episcopal at 6-0 and Vermilion Catholic at 2-4.

Butthe unbeaten Blue Gators haven’tbeenchallenged much this season and the Eagles have in several contests. This should be an interesting test forcoach Jay Domengeaux’ssquad and one his team is looking forward to.

Both schoolswere on the right side of the area’sdemolition derby last week with Ascension Episcopal beating Gueydan 48-6 and Vermilion Catholic handling Highland Baptist 63-0.

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

The nine-time All-Starbegan his career with Oklahoma City and teamed with Kevin Durant to help the Thunder becomealeague power.After Durant left to join the Golden State Warriors, Westbrook was named the league MVP the following season —the first of his threestraight averaging atripledouble.

Big 12 fines Kansas $25K forLeipold’sknife comment

The Big 12 fined Kansas $25,000 on Wednesday for coach Lance Leipold’sstatement that apocketknife was thrown at his staff during the Jayhawks’ game at Texas Tech last weekend.

The conference said the allegation was inaccurateand Leipold’s comments after the 42-17 loss to the Red Raiderswere“disparaging.” Speaking about Tech fans’ tradition of throwing tortillasontothe field, Leipold said apocketknife was also thrown in the third quarter of the game.

“I mean it’sridiculous,” he said in his postgame news conference. “I mean it’ssupposed to be for safety andthings like that. It’s aculture that’sbeen accepted to apoint and it hasn’tchangedand eventually someone is going to be seriously hurt unfortunately.”

Expansion not discussed at annual NHL meeting

NEWYORK Expansion wasnot discussed at the NHL’sBoard of Governors meetingonWednesday, commissioner Gary Bettman said afterward.

The league has been at 32 teams since Seattle entered forthe 202122 season.There aregroups who have aspirations of franchises in Atlanta and Houston, among other places.

Askedifthe door couldbe opened on theexpansionfront at the next board meeting in DecemberinColoradoSprings, Bettman said that’snot for the NHL to decide.

“If somebody knocks on the door, we’ll peek around to see who’s knocking and then decide what to do with it,” Bettman said.

Bears feasting on opponents’ turnovers in 2025

BY LUKE JOHNSON and MATTHEW PARAS Staff writers

On the surface, the Chicago Bears defense that the New Orleans Saints will face this weekend has struggled in many ways. Through its first five games, Chicago ranks 27th in the NFL in both scoring (28.2 points per game) and total defense (369.4 yards per game). Its run defense is next to last in the league, yielding 156.4 yards per game on the ground.

But there is one aspect of what the Bears are doing under coordinator Dennis Allen — the former Saints head coach — that has the Saints’ attention.

“The turnover thing is real,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said The Bears have forced 12 turnovers in their first five games, eight of which are interceptions. Both of those figures rank second in the NFL behind the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Veteran safety Kevin Byard leads the Bears and is in a three-way tie for second in the NFL with three interceptions.

“We’ve got to respect them, and we’ve got to be on our A-game protecting the ball,” quarterback Spencer Rattler said. “That’s the main focus this week, especially playing these guys.”

Despite their 1-5 record, the Saints have been one of the NFL’s better teams at avoiding turnovers. New Orleans has committed only four turnovers through its first six games, tied with Chicago and Indianapolis for the seventhfewest in the NFL.

Rattler has thrown just one in-

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

Williams replaced Rattler and led a furious Oklahoma rally, outscoring Texas 38-13 during the remainder of the game in a wild 55-48 win.

A lot changed, and quickly They both transferred the next year, Rattler to South Carolina and Williams to Southern California, where he followed coach Lincoln Riley and won the 2022 Heisman Trophy “Just how to deal with adversity,” Rattler said about what he took from the experience. “It’s not the first time a quarterback had to go through that, so I’m not the only one. But adversity, it’s the quarterback position, it’s what comes with the job. You’ve got to deal with it and move onto the next.”

Their paths from that day in Oklahoma presented both with challenges.

LSU

Continued from page 1C

Louisiana game. The Tigers averaged a healthy 6.7 yards per play, and the passing game thrived in part because of that balance.

When LSU struggled Saturday, it had little to do with the run game or down-to-down efficiency

The Tigers turned the ball over twice at the goal line and scored just three points on three trips to the 1-yard line.

“In our blue zone — 5 yards going in, 10 yards going in — that clearly has to be much better,” Kelly said. “So we know the errors that we need to improve on, they’re all very much within our grasp of doing so.”

Improving the run game was an emphasis for the Tigers during their off week, especially when it came to their offensive line Kelly told the SEC Network before Saturday’s game that his offensive line needed to work on pushing out, instead of up, with their run blocks

“We come off the ball, we want to fire out instead of firing up, which is what Brian Kelly has been talking about,” SEC sideline reporter Cole Cubelic said and demonstrated during the first quarter of Saturday’s game

“When you come up, that loses leverage. You’re not able to get a push, you’re not able to get a drive on those defenders.” Kelly noticed an improvement in LSU’s technique on the line, noting how the Tigers “ran off the ball for the first time.” Kelly has said on multiple occasions that LSU’s technique upfront has needed improvement.

“Where we’ve got to get better is technically; our guys are playing hard,” Kelly said prior to

terception in his 203 pass attempts this season — down from five in 228 attempts last season.

But the Bears have found a way to create turnovers against teams that take care of the ball. On Monday night against the Washington Commanders, Chicago forced three turnovers against a team that had turned it over three times in its first five games combined.

It was the third straight game the Bears forced three or more turnovers.

“It seems like every year there

Ever since Williams won the Heisman, it felt like a foregone conclusion that he would go No. 1 whenever he entered the draft. That hype comes with pressure to perform, and Williams did not always deliver as a rookie in a city that is perennially starved for good quarterback play For Rattler, a couple of years of good but not spectacular football at South Carolina resulted in him lasting until Day 3 of the draft. He entered the NFL as a backup with intriguing potential. If it wasn’t for Derek Carr’s surprising retirement, that might still be what he is. Even after Carr’s retirement, the Saints drafted Tyler Shough in the second round, and Rattler had to beat Shough to earn the starting job The path matters, and not just from a narrative standpoint. The Bears are committed to building around Williams as a franchise cornerstone, treatment that comes with the draft investment. As a Day 3 draft selection leading a 1-5

are a couple of these teams just making them happen each and every week, and they’re on that trend line,” Moore said. “They’re doing a great job of attacking the football.”

Kamara DNP

Alvin Kamara played in Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, despite being listed as questionable with an ankle injury Days later, the running back missed practice.

Kamara was absent from Wednesday’s session with an ankle

injury Moore said. Kamara was

one of two Saints to sit out with injuries, joining cornerback Isaac Yiadom (hamstring).

Kamara had 10 carries for only 31 yards against the Patriots. He told reporters last week that he suffered the injury against the New York Giants, which he said required him to ice it.

“I feel good,” Kamara said.

“Just something in the game that I thought wasn’t that serious really, and really it’s not that serious really, but just a little soreness. I was

team, the bar is much higher for Rattler to get the same consideration.

But what also matters is the opportunity While Williams will have a longer runway, Rattler has con-

like, ‘Let me go put some ice on it.’ It’ll be all right.”

Moore said Kamara’s injury did not get worse and that Wednesday’s day off was required “maintenance.”

Kamara’s absence comes after he reportedly informed the Saints he would like to remain with the franchise amid other teams expressing interest in trading for him. The NFL Network reported over the weekend that general manager Mickey Loomis went to Kamara after teams called about the running back’s availability and asked whether he wanted to leave.

Kamara also publicly has said he wants to stay with the Saints for the rest of his career

“I want to be a Saint; I want to retire here,” Kamara said in 2024. “If I’ve got to play football somewhere else, I’ll probably be somewhere with my feet kicked up in Africa somewhere. I want to be a Saint.”

Moore’s role in trades

Moore said Wednesday that he’d mostly let Loomis handle trade decisions.

“I’m going to allow Mickey to roll with that and I’ll defer to him in a lot of those situations,” Moore said. “Certainly we’ll have conversations as we go, but we love this group, it’s a bunch of really good people, we’ve got the right people in the room, we love these guys and we want them to be successful here, first and foremost.” At 1-5, the Saints face extremely long odds of fielding a team that can make a push for the postseason this year (the 2020 Washington Commanders were the last to do it).

verted some doubters with his play this season. He has compiled modest statistics through six weeks, throwing six touchdown passes, averaging 202.8 yards passing per game and posting a 91.5 passer rating, all below league average for starting quarterbacks. But Rattler has avoided costly mistakes — his 0.5% interception rate and 5.1% sack rate both rank among league leaders — and he’s positioned a rebuilding Saints team to be competitive late in four of the five losses. A win Sunday against the Bears with Williams on the other sideline may convert a few more doubters, even if Rattler isn’t willing to place any added significance on the who and why.

“We all have our own paths, and we’ve got to do our best with our own paths,” Rattler said “The past is the past, and I’m focused on the present and the future.”

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

LSU running back Caden Durham cuts through the South

defense in the fourth quarter on Saturday at Tiger

LSU’s matchup with Southeastern Louisiana. “They are locked in. We’ve got to be better in terms of technical.”

Besides improving its technique, LSU also mixed formations in the run game. The Tigers handed the ball off to a running back from under center five times against South Carolina. They also executed a wildcat run with Johnson receiving the shotgun snap in the first quarter

A lack of creativity hasn’t been a major issue for the Tigers’ rushing attack, given how often they’ve handed the ball off to wide receivers. But offensive coordinator Joe Sloan’s decision to run the ball under center more often was a change from what defenses saw from LSU through the first five weeks of the season.

“I think it’s just been an evolution,” Kelly said Monday when asked about LSU’s uptick in under-center runs. “I think it starts

with getting off the ball. I think it starts with aiming points for our offensive line.”

The question that remains is whether LSU can sustain this level of success on the ground this weekend at Vanderbilt, next week against Texas A&M or at Alabama after the Tigers’ final off week. For LSU to have an efficient attack, that will be a necessity

“We need to have a running game that keeps you honest, that you can’t put five guys in the box and cover down with seven others,” Kelly said the Monday prior to LSU’s win over South Carolina “... We’ve got to be able to run the ball efficiently When you give us that look, if you want to play two high safety and give us fair numbers (in the box), we’ve got to be efficient in running the football.”

Email Koki Riley at Koki Riley@theadvocate.com.

Continued from page 1C

to return to the field about a month later, but he had other ideas.

As soon as he could run and do drills, Eleam was exceeding what the trainers suggested. He was going to do whatever he could to get back on the field as quickly as possible.

“I go in there yesterday and the guy at lunch time has his cleats on running around doing drills,” UL coach Michael Desormeaux said last week.

For Eleam, it was the only thing to do.

“I love football,” he said. “I’ve just got to be out there with my teammates. I’ve got to.”

Not many people penciled Eleam in as a starter after his first three seasons with the Cajuns Last season, he played in all 14 games as a special teams performer and then earned a scholarship in the offseason.

He then earned a starting spot in August camp, only to get injured in the third game of the season.

Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Eleam attacked the rehabilitation process.

“I just did everything I could to build my mobility and range of motion and stuff back so I can get back to being fully healthy,” he said.

He stayed engaged with the team, helping out on the sidelines as much as possible. Eleam appreciated that Trae Tomlinson moved from corner and Micaiah Bivines helped out in his absence.

“I just tried to show them what to do and what I was doing in certain situations on the sidelines,” Eleam said. “I just tried to keep it high energy I’m actually proud of Trae.

He stepped up and helped out the defense in a major way.”

The UL coaching staff thought highly of Eleam, or he wouldn’t have won the starting job out of camp. But the coaches quickly discovered he was more valuable than most realized.

The star position involves being proficient at defending the run and being good in coverage.

“I just think Eleam was playing really, really good football for us,” Desormeaux said. “Him not being there is something that certainly affected us, because he was playing so well.”

Eleam’s heightened knowledge of the system really has elevated him since August.

“I would say it’s just learning the defense — just knowing the fits and the man-to-man coverages,” Eleam said. “Just understanding the defense and owning the coaching and knowing the overall defense have really helped.”

Eleam’s return is coming at a good time with Southern Miss dual-threat quarterback Braylon Braxton coming to town.

“He’s a really good quarterback,” Eleam said. “The objective every week is to stop the run. That’s what we’ve got to do. Coach (Jim) Salgado calls the plays and we just have to go out there and execute.”

Eleam returned to the practice field for the first time Tuesday and hit the ground running.

“The training staff has been checking with me to make sure I’m all right,” he said. “I feel pretty good. I just tried my best to not think of anything negative while I was out. I stayed positive every day, so I’m just so excited to be back.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

Fresh red peppers are the star of this panzanella

BY BETH DOOLEY

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

Recipe Harvest Panzanella 6C

Panzanella, the classic Italian salad of sun-split tomatoes and crisped croutons flush with a bold vinaigrette, is the pinnacle of the late summer harvest And if we were in Tuscany, home of the original panzanella, and sipping chianti as the sun sinks into the hills that dish might include a whole lot more — roasted red peppers or roasted eggplant, or blanched green beans, perhaps tomatoes.

In Italy, panzanella simply means bread salad. Born of Italian thrift and creativity, it’s a delicious way to dispatch stale bread and what’s left in the garden. This recipe was inspired by a bounty of plump, almost too-ripe, red bell peppers from the farmers market. It showcases their sweet smoky nature when blistered under the broiler or on the grill, and it relies on a few slices of stale miche, baguette or ciabatta

Though some recipes recommend soaking the bread in water first, that step washes out its flavor and texture Lightly toasted dried-out bread has the best texture, crisped on the outside and

ä See PANZANELLA, page 6C

DAIODA/DREAMSTIME/TNS PHOTO

Roast the peppers, turning occasionally until their skins are blackened and blistered all over, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Start with butternutsquash for a creamy, nutritious soup

BY GRETCHEN McKAY

(TNS)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Recipe Butternut Squash Bisque 6C

It may not exactly be soup weather yet, but as October progresses, you know the brisk weather that mandates pulling on a sweatshirt could soon be upon us. The enticing aroma of burgers sizzling on a grill is starting to be replaced by the smell of a backyard fire pit, and it’s hard to walk two blocks without seeing Halloween decorations.

The scene is a little different at your local farmers market or grocery produce section, too. Bins that just a few

ä See SOUP, page 6C

Veggie Skeleton, and Homemade Hummus and Cucumber Yogurt Dip

A healthy skeleton? This nutritious display will be the hit of Halloween

BY APRIL HAMILTON Contributing writer

W hen my youngest daughter was in fourth grade, we built a skeleton out of a rainbow of veggies — the centerpiece of the classroom Halloween party — and not a carrot stick remained. Witnessing a carefully constructed vegetable skeleton disappear faster than you can say “abra cadabra” is a memory I will always treasure. You can build the creepy creature yourself or go one step further and have the kids chop along after a surgical hand scrub and safety talk. In my experience, when the kids are involved in the preparation, they will de-

vour the creation. The exercise is a fun way to learn the bones of the body, though anatomical accuracy is not a requirement. Multiple radish hearts will vanish before your eyes. Flash back to her kindergarten class, that same celebration was a full-blown sugar rush. She is now moving on to graduate school and the vision of that scene has not faded: 25 costumed 5-year-olds ripping into bulging sacks of sticky candy, their shrieks elevating over the din of “Monster Mash.” Equal parts festive and frightening.

ä See VEGGIES, page 6C

of platform.

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday, Oct. 16, the 289th day of 2025. There are 76 days left in the year.

Today in history: On Oct 16, 1962, the Cuban missile crisis began as President John F. Kennedy was informed that reconnaissance photographs had revealed the presence of Soviet nuclear missile sites in Cuba.

Also on this date:

In 1758, American lexicographer Noah Webster was born in Hartford, Connecticut

In 1793, Marie Antoinette, the queen of France, was beheaded during the French Revolution.

In 1859, radical abolitionist John Brown led an unsuccessful raid on the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry in what was then western Virginia. The raid failed to spark Brown’s intended slave rebellion, but deepened North-South animosities leading to the Civil War. (Ten of Brown’s men were killed, others fled, and Brown and six followers were caught and executed.)

In 1934, Chinese communists, under siege by the Nationalists, began their “long march” lasting a year from southeastern to northwestern China In 1968 American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos sparked controversy at the Mexico City Olympics by giving “Black power” salutes during a victory ceremony after they had won gold and bronze medals in the 200-meter race.

In 1978, the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church chose Cardinal Karol Wojtyla to be the new pope; he took the name John Paul II. In 1984, Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his decades of non-violent struggle for racial equality in South Africa.

In 1987, 18-month-old Jessica McClure was pulled from an abandoned well in Midland, Texas, after being stuck there for more than two days. The efforts to rescue “Baby Jessica” captured the attention of the nation

In 1995, the Million Man March, a gathering of Black men meant to foster unity in the face of economic and social issues affecting African Americans, was held in Washington, D.C. In 2017, Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had been captured and held by the Taliban for five years after walking away from his post in Afghanistan in 2009, pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy He was subsequently given no prison time after submitting evidence of torture at the hands of the Taliban. A federal judge vacated his military conviction in 2023. Today’s birthdays: Actor Fernanda Montenegro is 96. Actor Barry Corbin is 85. Musician Bob Weir is 78. Actor-director Tim Robbins is 67. Rock musician Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 63. Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan is 63. Actor Terri J. Vaughn is 56. Singer John Mayer is 48. Former WNBA point guard Sue Bird is 45. Actor Caterina Scorsone is 44. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper is 33.

Butternut Squash Bisque

Serves 8. Recipe is adapted from “Vegana Italiana: Traditional Italian the Plant-Based Way” by Tara Punzone with Gene Stone.

2 tablespoons maple

2

3

3

3

sliced green onion, for garnish ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish

2 tablespoons toasted pepitas, optional

SOUP

Continued from page 5C

weeks ago overflowed with sweet corn, peaches and local tomatoes now hold pumpkins, root vegetables like beets and rutabaga, kale and other hearty greens and a host of winter squash.

A perennial favorite is butternut squash, a peanutshaped winter squash with yellow-tan skin and sweet, nutty orange flesh.

Often roasted as a side dish because it’s so easy to peel, slice and cook all you need to make it shine is a sprinkle of salt and drizzle of olive oil butternut also makes the great base for a creamy and supernutritious, seasonal soup. This recipe from Tara Punone’s upcoming cookbook “Vegana Italiana” (Rodale Books, $32.50) is a great op-

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic and ginger, and saute for 10 minutes.

2. Add butternut squash and coconut milk to the pot and stir

3. Cover the pot and bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease heat to mediumlow

4. Keep the pot covered and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender

5. Stir in water, maple syrup, orange zest, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and curry powder

6. Use an immersion blender to blend until the soup has a smooth, creamy consistency It should not be porridge-like add more water if it is too thick

7. Garnish with green onions, parsley, pepitas and a drizzle of olive oil.

tion for vegetarians, vegans and people who follow a dairy-free diet. Chock-full of veggies, it also is suitable for those trying to get more plant-based meals into their weekly rotation It starts with an aromatic, mirepoix-like mix of onion, carrots and celery sauteed in olive oil. The fragrant broth that cooks the veggies after chunks of squash are added also includes garlic, ginger and coconut milk, which adds a lovely creaminess and subtle coconut flavor

The original recipe includes a teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg, but I wasn’t quite ready to commit to Thanksgiving flavors. So I flavored the soup instead with curry powder and a pinch of red pepper I also decreased the amount of coconut milk from three cans to two to make it a little less fattening It’s easy to puree the soup

Harvest Panzanella

right in the pot using an immersion blender If you choose to instead liquefy it in a blender, be sure to let the soup cool for a few minutes in the blender jar before hitting the on button, and work in small batches. Also, make sure to cover the top of the blender with a clean dish towel to prevent messy splatters. When purchasing, choose a heavy butternut squash with smooth, unblemished skin and a dry intact stem. Don’t worry when it comes time to peel it — unlike other thick-skinned winter squashes like Blue Hubbard or kabocha, butternut squash is blessed with a thin and delicate skin that easily comes off with a good vegetable peeler With some thick pieces of buttered toast or a grilled cheese sandwich, this soup makes a filling mid-week meal. In small portions, it’s also a lovely appetizer

Serves 6. Recipe is from Beth Dooley. You can make this ahead, just be sure to toast the bread well so it doesn’t turn to mush as the flavors meld together. Use any fresh veggies you have on hand This recipe features roasted peppers but tomatoes, corn and green beans

work beautifully. Add a few olives for color and punch.

2. Roast the peppers, turning occasionally until their skins are blackened and blistered all over, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and cover with a kitchen towel or set in a paper bag to cool for 15 minutes. Peel and seed the peppers and cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces Transfer to a large bowl and add the onion.

ing the pan occasionally until crisped and brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

4. Put the garlic, vinegar, pinch of red pepper flakes, basil, parsley and the remaining oil into a blender and whizz together

Homemade Hummus

Store-bought hummus is good; homemade hummus is great. You can season as you like and it is so easy to make. A friend whose grandmother is from Lebanon shared the wisdom from her culture: While the hummus is blending in the food processor, go vacuum the whole house. Point well taken, a long spin in the food processor makes a silky smooth hummus. Note: I make hummus with and without tahini, depending on what I have on hand. Due to sesame allergies, leaving it out is a good option for serving children.

Cucumber Yogurt Dip

Many cultures have variations on this creamy cucumber dip. It is great with vegetable dippers, as a sandwich spread or with grainy crackers. Protein is today’s buzzword and making this dip with Greek yogurt ramps up the protein content.

1.

2.

VEGGIES

Continued from page 5C

In fifth grade, we invented a game called Name that Veggie with alphabetical riddles from asparagus to zucchini. “I look like a tree and start with B.” If you guessed broccoli, you win! The prize? A fresh bouquet of broccoli and a recipe for creamy broccoli soup. I don’t recall the

lettuce riddle, but the prize was a head of romaine and a recipe for Caesar salad. Stopping by the store after school that evening, we saw a family from her class with recipe in hand to guide their shopping for the rest of the salad ingredients. Cue the happy dance. Fast forward and I am grateful the climate of the sugar-fueled celebration has changed. With the abundance of alternatives, cupcakes and candy aren’t

even missed. Look no further than the produce department or school garden and you can turn a basket full of fresh vegetables into the life of the party Add a dollop of homemade dip — the recipes here happen to pack a lot of protein — and be the superhero of Halloween (no cape necessary). Hope you will enjoy this fresh approach to head, shoulders, knees and toes. Wishing all a safe, happy and healthy Halloween!

1.

ta-

3. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper Scatter the bread cubes over the baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, tossing until well coated. Season with salt and pepper and toast in the oven, shak-

5. Transfer the toasted bread cubes to the bowl with the vegetables and toss with the vinaigrette. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding additional oil and vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper as necessary Cover and allow the flavors to mingle at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours before serving.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Take nothing for granted. Tidy up loose ends andbuy yourself time to relax and enjoy life Walk away from no-win situations and indulgent temptation. Choose to work on yourself instead of tryingtochange others.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Refuse to let emotions standbetween youand greatness. Youhaveplentytooffer by allowing yourself room to grow. Be confident, andmake changes for yourself, not for others.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Envision what you want and proceed. Work behind the scenes and concentrate on details and your budget to ensure you come out on top. Trust your instincts and only make changes that are necessary.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Excess is the enemy. No matter whatyou are dealing with,itisbest to keep it simple,affordable andwithin the confines of the rules, regulations and restrictions.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put more time and effortintopersonal change and growth. You will be given false information thatcan deter you from reaching your expectations. Leavenothing to chance; do the legwork yourself.

PIscEs(Feb. 20-March 20) Think twice beforeyou implementchange.Take the initiative to source the best instruction and help possible. Use common sense and consult expertstoavoidsetbacks.

ARIEs (March21-April 19) You knowwhat others expect, so do your part and move

along. Trying to avoid the inevitable will weighyou down mentally andemotionally. Get your priorities straight.

tAuRus(April 20-May 20) Base your actions on facts, not on emotions. Your best option is to pursue events that allow you to grow. Latch on to thepeople, places and pastimesthat encourage better relationships.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Achange will brighten your day. Engaging in social activities, attending networking events or spending time with someone special will put you in the right frame of mind.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Participate in events thathelp you promote something you're passionate about, and you'llattract theattention of someone with influence. Negotiations will lead to positivechange.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Even outthe playingfield if you wanttocompete. Observe any competition or situation that might compromise you and adjust accordingly before engaging. Preparation is key to gettingwhat you want.

VIRGo (Aug.23-sept. 22) Listen and learn. Theinformationyou gather will play a direct roleinhelping you and others. Join forces with someone, and it will transform how you utilizeyour skills or earn aliving.

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

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers The objectistoplace the numbers 1to9inthe empty squaressothat each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.The difficulty levelofthe Sudoku increasesfromMonday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

H.E. Martz said, “He who buildsabetter mousetrap these days runs into materialshortages,patent-infringementsuits, work stoppages, collusivebidding,discount discrimination —and taxes.”

Atthebridgetable,whenyourcontract appears hopeless, be aman, not amouse, and see if youcan trapanopponent into helping you. South blazes into sixhearts despite West’sone-spade overcall. West leads the spade king. After winning with his ace, howshould declarer continue?

After North made alimit raise, South bidwhathehoped he could make. (Yes, atournamentplayerwouldhave treated North’s three hearts as pre-emptive; he wouldhavecue-bid twospadestoshow heart support and at least game-invitational values.)

At firstglance, Southhas twounavoidablespade losers. He also has only 11 top tricks:onespade,sixhearts,onediamond and three clubs. Yes, the bidding tells declarer that East started with asingleton spade, but howdoes that help?

Declarer cashes his diamond ace and heart queen. When the trumps are 2-1, South plays atrump to the dummy, ruffs the last diamond, unblocks his twoclub honors, returnstodummy with atrump, and discards aspade on theclub queen.

Then comes the taxing play: Declarer leads dummy’s last club, and when East followssuit,South does notruff; instead, he discards another spade. East is trapped. He has onlydiamonds left,and on this trick, declarer sluffs his last spade and ruffs on theboard.

Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four lettersbythe 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 words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD PARoLE: pah-ROLE: Conditional release of aprisoner.

Averagemark22words

Timelimit

Can

THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Most U.S. stocks rise in another erratic day

NEW YORK Most U.S. stocks rose Wednesday following another topsy-turvy day on Wall Street.

The S&P 500 added 0.4%, but only after jumping toward one of its biggest gains since the summer, erasing it all and then climbing back.

The Nasdaq composite climbed 0.7% after earlier pinballing between a drop of 0.4% and a rally of 1.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged the market and edged down by 17 points, or less than 0.1%.

The erratic trading followed Tuesday’s roller coaster, where the Dow careened between a loss of 615 points and a jump of 455. The dizzying moves go back to the end of last week, when President Donald Trump shattered what had been a remarkably calm and strong run for Wall Street by threatening much higher tariffs on China. Technology stocks helped lead the way Wednesday following a better-than-expected profit report from ASML, a major supplier to the semiconductor industry. It expects its revenue for 2025 to be 15% above last year’s, while next year’s should be at least as high as this year’s.

Waymo plans driverless taxis in London in 2026

LONDON Robotaxi pioneer Waymo plans to expand to London next year, marking the company’s latest step in rolling out its driverless ride service internationally

Waymo said Wednesday that it will start testing its selfdriving cars on London streets in the coming weeks — with a human “safety driver” behind the wheel as it seeks to win government approval for its services.

In a blog post, Waymo said it will “lay the groundwork” for its London service in the coming months. The company said it will “continue to engage with local and national leaders to secure the necessary permissions for our commercial ride-hailing service.”

Waymo’s self-driving taxis have been operating in the United States for years, and currently serve the cities of Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin, Texas. This year, the company made its first moves to expand internationally by teaming up with local partners in Japan for testing, though no launch date has been set for commercial service there.

Smucker sues Trader Joe’s over sandwiches

The J.M. Smucker Co. is suing Trader Joe’s, alleging the grocery chain’s new frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are too similar to Smucker’s Uncrustables in their design and packaging.

In the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in federal court in Ohio, Smucker said the round, crustless sandwiches Trader Joe’s sells have the same pielike crimp markings on their edges that Uncrustables do. Smucker said the design violates its trademarks

Smucker also asserted that the boxes Trader Joe’s PB&J sandwiches come in violate the Orrville, Ohio-based company’s trademarks because they are the same blue color it uses for the lettering on “Uncrustables” packages.

Trader Joe’s boxes also show a sandwich with a bite mark taken out of it, which is similar to the Uncrustables design, Smucker said.

“Smucker does not take issue with others in the marketplace selling prepackaged, frozen, thaw-and-eat crustless sandwiches. But it cannot allow others to use Smucker’s valuable intellectual property to make such sales,” the company said in its lawsuit.

Smucker is seeking restitution from Trader Joe’s. It also wants a judge to require Trader Joe’s to deliver all products and packaging to Smucker to be destroyed

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN and ANDREA VULCANO Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is looking to provide an additional $20 billion in financing for Argentina through a mix of financing from sovereign funds and the private sector

That would come on top of the $20 billion credit swap line that the U.S. Treasury pledged to Argentine President Javier Milei and his government this month to bolster the South American nation’s col-

lapsing currency

“We are working on a $20 billion facility that would complement our swap line, with private banks and sovereign funds that, I believe, would be more focused on the debt market,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters Wednesday He called it “a private-sector solution” and said “many banks are interested in it and many sovereign funds have expressed interest.”

At a White House meeting Tuesday with Milei, Republican President Donald Trump said his administration wanted to help “our

neighbors” with the aid package, but he also suggested that the money could be pulled if Milei’s party did not prevail in the Oct. 26 midterm elections.

“If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina,” Trump said.

The Argentine peso weakened slightly Wednesday after Trump’s comments. The peso depreciated about 0.7%, with the dollar the currency Argentines rely on to save — trading at 1,395 pesos, compared with 1,385 pesos the previous day

In Argentina, the opposition’s criticism was swift.

Former President Cristina Fernández, who is under house arrest after a corruption conviction, wrote on social media: “Trump to Milei in the United States: ‘Our agreements depend on who wins election.’ Argentines you already know what to do!”

Martín Lousteau, president of the centrist Radical Civic Union, said “Trump doesn’t want to help a country — he only wants to save Milei,” and that “nothing good can come of this.”

BY RIO YAMAT AP airlines and travel reporter

A startling message came over the radio from an air traffic control tower near Los Angeles less than a week into the federal government shutdown: “The tower is closed due to staffing.”

Without enough air traffic controllers to guide planes into and out of Hollywood Burbank Airport, the tower went dark for almost six hours on Oct. 6, leaving pilots to coordinate their movements among themselves. Flight delays averaged two-and-a-half hours in one of the first visible signs that the shutdown was already taking a toll on the nation’s aviation system.

Since the shutdown began Oct. 1, the Federal Aviation Administration has reported controller shortages in cities across the U.S., from airports in Boston and Philadelphia, to control centers in Atlanta and Houston. Flight delays have spread to airports in Nashville, Dallas, Newark and more.

And already there has been an increase in unscheduled absences among security screeners at some airports. The union representing Transportation Security Administration employees says the absences haven’t yet caused major disruptions, but it warned longer lines at security checkpoints could soon become a reality after workers received their final paychecks over the weekend.

Experts and union leaders say the disruptions are a stark reminder that the aviation system is already stretched too thin by chronic understaffing and outdated technology. They warn the cracks in the system could rapidly deepen the longer the shutdown drags on and critical aviation workers are without their regular paychecks.

“It’s like having a drought the year after you had a drought,” Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group, told The Associated Press.

Problems have persisted for years

These concerns aren’t new. In 2019 the aviation system buckled under the weight of a 35-day government shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — during President Donald Trump’s first term.

Around the three-week mark, air traffic controllers, many of them working up to 60 hours a week, sued the government over their missed paychecks. One terminal at the Miami International Airport was forced to close because security screeners were calling out sick in large numbers. Some even quit altogether

“Here we are so many years later and the problems have not been addressed,” said aviation attorney Ricardo Martinez-Cid, a Florida Bar-certified expert on aviation law who regularly represents crash victims.

“Now we’re in a worse position when we had been put on notice. We had the opportunity to address it.”

Since then, the country has faced repeated warnings. In January, a midair crash over the Potomac River involving a commercial jet and a military helicopter killed 67 people.

A Transportation Security Administration worker guides travelers at a security checkpoint in Denver International Airport on Thursday.

A series of equipment failures and radar outages this year also highlighted the need for upgrades.

Controller shortage at a ‘critical’ point

Before the latest shutdown, both the FAA and TSA were already dealing with staffing shortages. That includes a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers.

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, has said staffing levels have reached a “critical” point, the lowest in decades. The shortage is so severe that even a few air traffic controllers missing work can disrupt operations at already understaffed facilities.

“And on top of that,” he said, “they’re working with unreliable equipment.”

The shutdown began just as the FAA was starting to make some progress on addressing the shortage of controllers and modernizing the outdated equipment they rely on that keeps disrupting flights when it malfunctions

The agency says it topped its goal of hiring 2,000 controllers this year after streamlining the application process at its academy in Oklahoma City, but it will take years still to eliminate the shortage. And it had just begun looking for companies to help oversee a $12.5 billion effort to overhaul its aging and complex technology systems.

Now, the shutdown is delaying those longneeded efforts. And union leaders say the staffing shortages may be worse by the time the government reopens.

Shutdown could increase gaps in staffing

Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees chapter representing TSA workers, expressed concern that the shutdown could drive even more security screeners to leave

the agency, especially given the uncertainty that the workers already have faced this year That includes the Trump administration’s attempts to revoke their collective bargaining rights.

Daniels, meanwhile, warned it could stoke fear among newer controllers and trainees who might reconsider the career entirely to avoid working in future shutdowns.

It’s a long-standing concern. In 2019, after the 35-day shutdown ended, a congressional committee hearing dug into the impacts on air travel.

“All of these air traffic controllers and aviation safety professionals were used as pawns in a political fight that had nothing to do with aviation. This is wrong and must not be allowed to happen again,” warned the union leader representing air traffic controllers at the time.

At the hearing, there were also bipartisan calls for reform to keep the FAA funded “without interruption, even when the rest of the government shuts down,” as one lawmaker put it Stories were shared of controllers and TSA agents taking on extra jobs to pay rent, mortgage and other bills despite working longer shifts to fill the gaps in staffing. Lawmakers and industry officials who testified agreed: The shutdown made the aviation system less safe.

“We implore all involved, please heed not only our warnings but the entire stakeholder community’s warnings. This vicious budgetary cycle of stops and starts with little to no stability or predictably has simply got to stop,” said Nick Calio, then-president and CEO of Airlines for America, an industry trade group representing airlines including Delta, United and Southwest.

Associated Press transportation reporter Josh Funk contributed to this report.

BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN Associated Press

A group including BlackRock, Nvidia and Microsoft is buying Aligned Data Centers in an approximately $40 billion deal in an effort to expand next-generation cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure. The acquisition comes amid a flurry of deals in recent months involving top AI developers that are flooding the booming AI sector with resources and money, and addressing resources — such as electricity and infrastructure — needed to support such technology. Last week it was revealed that

semiconductor maker AMD will supply its chips to artificial intelligence company OpenAI as part of an agreement to team up on building AI infrastructure. OpenAI will also get the option to buy as much as a 10% stake in AMD, according to a joint statement announcing the deal The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026. Last month, OpenAI and Nvidia announced a $100 billion partnership that will add at least 10 gigawatts of data center computing power

Aligned’s portfolio includes 50 campuses and more than 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity, including assets under de-

velopment, mostly located across the U.S. and in Latin America. Aligned, which is privately held, will continue to be led by CEO Andrew Schaap and keep its headquarters in Dallas.

One of the sellers, Macquarie Asset Management, initially invested in Aligned in 2018. Ben Way, head of Macquarie Asset Management, said in a statement, “The scaling of Aligned Data Centers from two locations to 50 in seven years is representative of our approach to working with great companies and teams to support their rapid growth and deliver positive impact.” The transaction is the first deal for the investment consortium,

which is named the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership. The consortium has an initial target of mobilizing and deploying $30 billion of equity capital, with the potential of reaching $100 billion including debt.

“AIP is positioned to meet the growing demand for the infrastructure required as AI continues to reshape the global economy,” BlackRock Chairman and CEO and AIP Chairman Larry Fink said in a statement “This partnership is bringing together leading companies and mobilizing private capital to accelerate AI innovation and drive global economic growth and productivity.”