The Acadiana Advocate 10-23-2025

Lawmakers hoping for speedy special session

Everybody wants to just get in and get out. I think we’ll be done by

Moving April closed primary date sole focus of Legislature

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

The way Republicans tell it, the special session that begins Thursday afternoon is not complicated and, ideally, it won’t last very long.

“Everybody wants to just get in and get out,” said Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter RPort Allen, who will be carrying legislation that is likely to be the sole focus at the Capitol “I think we’ll be done by Nov 1.” The plan? Push Louisiana’s new closed

primary elections in April back one month and hold them in May instead, to buy time for a potential Supreme Court decision that could allow Louisiana to draw a new congressional election map.

The session will be “pretty straightforward,” said Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, who is spearheading the effort in the House.

“We’re just looking to push the election dates back 30 days,” he said.

The plan may appear simple, but the reason for the change — and what could happen next is anything but.

The U.S. Supreme Court last week heard arguments in a major voting rights case stemming from Louisiana. The justices’ eventual ruling could lead to major changes to the Voting Rights Act, a Civil Rights Movement era law aimed at increasing Black political representation.

It could also alter how race can be used as a factor when drawing voting maps.

Louisiana’s congressional map is the

ä See SESSION, page 5A

Landry

BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer

Gov Jeff Landry told attendees of the Americas LNG Summit & Exhibition that Louisiana is beating out Texas in liquefied natural gas exports.

“If Louisiana was a country, it would hold the largest amount of LNG exports in the world, so we’re beating Texas; that’s important,” Landry said. “I know there’s a lot

ä See LANDRY, page 5A

Hamas attack trial will be

Federal charges brought against al-Muhtadi

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

A federal trial will be held in Lafayette for Mayhmoud al-Muhtadi, a resident of the city since June, who pleaded not guilty Wednesday to falsifying a visa application and conspiring to support a foreign terrorist organization, namely Hamas. He is accused of being a member of a terrorist group and participating in the deadly Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel that left over a 1,000 people dead and sparked a two-year conflict.

Al-Muhtadi was in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana in Lafayette on Wednesday afternoon before Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst, where he pleaded not guilty to two charges handed up Friday afternoon by a grand jury

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Nickel said al-Muhtadi will not be deported to Israel, although it is a possible penalty if he is found guilty Nickel also said al-Muhtadi’s trial will take place in federal court in Lafayette. If convicted, Whitehurst said, al-Muhtadi could face consequences including up to life in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, supervised release for life and a $100 special assessment for the charge of conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. She said for the second charge of visa fraud, al-Muhtadi could face up to 10 years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, supervised release for up to three years and a $100 special assessment.

Al-Muhtadi was ordered detained until his trial.

U.S. District Judge David Joseph will schedule the trial date.

Federal officials on Wednesday filed a motion asking the court to designate Aleksandr Kurtov as the classified information security officer for this case per the Classified Information Procedures Act. They also requested seven alternate officers.

They also filed a motion asking Joseph to set a pretrial conference as early as

ä See TRIAL, page 5A

U.S. announces Russia sanctions

Two oil companies targeted over refusal to end ‘senseless war’

BY SUSIE BLANN and FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced new sanctions Wednesday against Russia’s two biggest oil companies and blasted Moscow’s refusal to end its “senseless war” as U.S.-led efforts to end the war floundered and the Ukrainian president sought more foreign military help. The sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil, as well as dozens of subsidiaries, followed months of bipartisan pressure on President Donald Trump to hit Russia with harder sanctions on its oil industry

“Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” Bessent said in a statement. Given Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Hegseth changes policy on congressional contact

WASHINGTON Leaders at the Pentagon have significantly altered how military officials will speak with Congress after a pair of new memos issued last week

In an Oct. 15 memo, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his deputy, Steve Feinberg, ordered Pentagon officials including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — to obtain permission from the department’s main legislative affairs office before they have any communication with Capitol Hill.

The memo was issued the same day the vast majority of Pentagon reporters exited the building rather than agree to the Defense Department’s new restrictions on their work, and it appears to be part of a broader effort by Hegseth to exert tighter control over what the department communicates to the outside world.

According to the memo, a copy of which was authenticated by a Pentagon official, “unauthorized engagements with Congress by (Pentagon) personnel acting in their official capacity, no matter how well-intentioned, may undermine Department-wide priorities critical to achieving our legislative objectives.”

Sean Parnell, the top Pentagon spokesman, called the move a “pragmatic step” that’s part of an effort “to improve accuracy and responsiveness in communicating with the Congress to facilitate increased transparency.”

Previously, individual agencies and military branches within the Pentagon were able to manage their own communications with Congress

A second memo issued Oct. 17, directed a “working group to further define the guidance on legislative engagements.”

The memos were first reported by the website Breaking Defense.

U of Va. strikes deal to pause DOJ investigations

WASHINGTON The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday announced an agreement with the University of Virginia to pause Trump administration civil rights investigations

The Charlottesville campus became a target of President Donald Trump’s administration in April when the Justice Department began reviewing the university’s admissions and financial aid processes. Officials accused its president of failing to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices Trump has called unlawful.

The mounting pressure prompted James Ryan to announce his resignation as university president in June, saying the stakes were too high for others on campus if he opted to “fight the federal government in order to save my job.”

Under the agreement, the university will abide by department guidance for not engaging in “unlawful racial discrimination” and will provide relevant information and data to the department on a quarterly basis through 2028, the department said.

Scotland wants $35M for Trump, Vance visits

Scotland’s finance secretary is asking the United Kingdom for a $35 million reimbursement following visits from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Secretary Shona Robison said in a letter that Scotland incurred “substantial operational and financial burdens” that impacted public services as a result of those visits. That included the deployment of 4,000 total officers when Trump visited the country in July followed by Vance’s stay in August, according to the Independent.

Trump spent four days in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire, where he owns golf courses Vance spent nearly the same amount of time in Ayrshire and golfed on the president’s greens at Trump Turnberry The visits reportedly cost roughly $26.7 million and $8 million, respectively

The U.K. said Trump and Vance’s visits didn’t constitute “UK Government business,” which puts Scotland on the hook for security expenses Scotland contends the visits were “diplomatically significant” and require compensation.

Order barring Guard in Ill. extended

BY JASON MEISNER Chicago Tribune (TNS)

CHICAGO A federal judge in Chicago on Wednesday indefinitely extended her restraining order barring President Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Illinois as both sides await a U.S Supreme Court ruling that could upend the case.

At a status hearing before U.S. District Judge April Perry, lawyers for the Trump administration said they were asking to extend the restraining order, which technically expires Thursday, until there’s a final judgment on the merits of the case, which could take months.

But that extension comes with a caveat: The Supreme Court could decide any day to grant Trump’s request to stay Perry’s order, which would effectively allow the president to deploy troops as he pleases while the case is appealed.

Christopher Wells, a lawyer for the Illinois attorney general’s office, said his team agreed to the

indefinite extension, but wanted to make it clear on the record that it was Trump’s lawyers who proposed it, saying they were “very concerned about possible gamesmanship in other courts and how what’s happening here is going to be portrayed.”

In the event the Supreme Court ruling “alters the status quo,” Wells said, the state will be seeking either an expedited injunction hearing or a quick trial on the merits, either of which could happen as soon as next month and would involve live witnesses testifying in court Perry agreed and said her order extending the restraining order would be entered Thursday She also ordered both sides to confer within 10 days and come back with a plan for expedited discovery Department of Justice attorney Jody Lowenstein told the judge the same legal team defending this case has a trial over similar issues starting in Oregon next week, so any scheduling conflicts would have to be worked out.

Perry’s temporary restraining order barring National Guard troop deployment in Illinois was issued Oct. 9.

In its filing last week asking the Supreme Court to issue a stay on Perry’s order the Trump administration called it part of a “disturbing and recurring pattern” that “improperly impinges on the President’s authority and needlessly endangers federal personnel and property.”

It asked that President Donald Trump be allowed to deploy some 700 troops in Illinois — 300 from the Illinois National Guard and another 400 federalized out of Texas earlier this month.

In the 46-page response, the state said it would be inappropriate for the high court to get involved at this stage in the proceedings, where a district court’s decision has yet to be decided on appeal.

The filing also said lawyers for Trump offered “no meaningful response” to the factual basis for U.S. District Judge April Perry’s Oct. 9

More than 40 killed when multiple vehicles collide

BY RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda Two buses and two other vehicles crashed early Wednesday on a highway in western Uganda, killing at least 46 people, police said, in one of the worst motor accidents in the East African country in recent years.

Police initially gave the death toll as 63 in a statement sent to reporters, but later revised it to 46, saying in another statement that some people found unconscious at the crash scene were actually still alive. “At the time of the crash, several victims were found unconscious, and some may have been mistakenly included in the initial fatality count,” the statement said.

Several others were injured in the crash that happened after midnight local time on the highway to Gulu, a major city in northern Uganda.

Two bus drivers going in opposite directions attempted to overtake other vehicles and collided near the town of Kiryandongo, according to police.

“In the process, both buses met headon during the overtaking maneuvers,” the police statement said.

Fatal road crashes are common in

Uganda and elsewhere in East Africa, where roads are often narrow Police usually blame such accidents on speeding drivers. In August, a bus carrying mourners back home from a funeral in southwestern Kenya overturned and plunged into a ditch, killing at least 25 people and injuring several others

The death toll in the latest crash in Uganda is uncommonly high, said Irene Nakasiita, a Red Cross spokeswoman who described victims left bleeding with broken limbs. She said the images from the scene were too gruesome to share.

“The magnitude of this incident is so big,” Nakasiita said.

While accident victims can expect to get help from onlookers and other first responders who rush to crash sites, “at night even bystanders are not there,” she said.

Most of the injured people are receiving treatment at a government hospital nearby

In Uganda, 5,144 people were killed in road crashes in 2024. That number rose from 4,806 in 2023 and 4,534 in 2022, according to official police figures, which show a worrisome rise in the total number of those killed or injured in road crashes in recent years.

Maine Senate candidate says tattoo with Nazi symbol has been covered

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine — His U.S. Senate campaign under fire, Maine Democrat Graham Platner said Wednesday that a tattoo on his chest has been covered to no longer reflect an image widely recognized as a Nazi symbol. The first-time political candidate said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007, when he was in his 20s and in the Marine Corps. It happened during a night of drinking while he was on leave in Croatia, he said, adding he was unaware until recently that the image has been associated with Nazi police. Platner, in an Associ-

ated Press interview, said that while his campaign initially said he would remove the tattoo, he chose to cover it up with another tattoo due to the limited options where he lives in rural Maine. “Going to a tattoo removal place is going to take a while,” he said “I wanted this thing off my body.”

The initial tattoo image resembled a specific symbol of Hitler’s paramilitary Schutzstaffel, or SS, which was responsible for the systematic murders of millions of Jews and others in Europe during World War II. Platner didn’t offer details about the new tattoo, but offered to send the AP a photo later Wednesday The oyster farmer is

mounting a progressive campaign against Republican Susan Collins. Platner said he had never been questioned about the tattoo’s connections to Nazi symbols in the 20 years he has had it. Questions about the tattoo come after the recent discovery of Platner’s now-deleted online statements that included dismissing military sexual assaults, questioning Black patrons’ gratuity habits and criticizing police officers and rural Americans. Platner has apologized for those comments, saying they were made after he left the Army in 2012, when he was struggling with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression.

temporary restraining order, adding that declarations submitted by a series of immigration officials outlining purported violence against agents and out-of-control protests simply did not hold water

“In fact, applicants do not even attempt to rebut that much of the activity the declarants complained about was constitutionally protected,” the state response stated.

The Supreme Court fight is playing out on an unusually fast track, with Trump appealing just a day after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to grant a stay to Perry’s order, ruling her findings were not “clearly erroneous” and that “the facts do not justify” Trump’s actions in Illinois.

The three-judge appellate panel unanimously agreed with Perry that, even giving the president “great deference” when it comes to his power to call up the military, there was no evidence that he needed troops to help enforce immigration law or quell any kind of organized rebellion.

Report: N. Korea has stolen billions in cryptocurrency

BY DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press

WASHINGTON North Korean hackers have pilfered billions of dollars by breaking into cryptocurrency exchanges and creating fake identities to get remote tech jobs at foreign companies, according to an international report on North Korea’s cyber capabilities. Officials in Pyongyang orchestrated the clandestine work to finance research and development of nuclear arms, the authors of the 138-page report found. The review was published by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a group that includes the U.S. and 10 allies and was set up last year to observe North Korea’s compliance with U.N. sanctions.

North Korea also has used cryptocurrency to launder money and make military purchases to evade international sanctions tied to its nuclear program, the report said. It detailed how hackers

working for North Korea have targeted foreign businesses and organizations with malware designed to disrupt networks and steal sensitive data.

Unlike China, Russia and Iran, North Korea has focused much of its cyber capabilities to fund its government, using cyberattacks and fake workers to steal and defraud companies and organizations elsewhere in the world.

Aided in part by allies in Russia and China, North Korea’s cyber actions have “been directly linked to the destruction of physical computer equipment, endangerment of human lives, private citizens’ loss of assets and property, and funding for the DPRK’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,” the report said.

Earlier this year, hackers linked to North Korea carried out one of the largest crypto heists ever, stealing $1.5 billion worth of ethereum from Bybit.

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GOPmoderates pressleaders on taxcredits

BY SANDHYARAMAN and JESSIE HELLMANN CQ-Roll Call (TNS)

WASHINGTON Thirteenmoderate House Republicans are urging party leadership to find apath toward extending enhanced expiring health care tax credits once the government reopens.

“Let us be clear: significant reformsare neededto make these credits more fiscally responsible and ensure they are going to the Americans who need them most,” the Republican group wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson R-Benton, on Tuesday.“Our Conference and President Trump have been clear that we will not take healthcare away from families who depend on it. This is our opportunitytodemonstrate that commitment through action.”

The enhanced credits, which expire Dec. 31, are at the center of the government shutdown —Democratsare demanding they be extended before they vote to reopen the government, while Republicansare refusing to negotiate until the government reopens.

ASSOCIATED

Fromleft,Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark.; Rep. Lisa McClain,

MikeJohnson, R-Benton; Rep. Michael Simpson, R-Idaho; and House

Scalise, R-Jefferson, hold anewsconference Wednesday at the CapitolinWashington during Day22ofthe government shutdown.

Three weeksintothe shutdown, bothparties appear dug in.

Millions of Americanswho relyonthe marketplace insurance subsidies live in red states, and their premiums are set to skyrocket.

The tax creditswere first enacted in the 2010 health care law.In2021, the thenDemocratic-controlledCongress lifted incomecaps on thetax credits and made the financial assistance more generous.

While many Republicans blame that lawfor rising healthinsurance costs, others are floatingchanges to the tax credits they say are needed if they’re to agree to extend them. That includes reinstating income limits on

the credits, capping eligibility to current recipients, tacking on minimum premiumsfor all incomelevels and restricting marketplace plans from covering certain services.

Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., oneofthe letter’ssignatories, has positioned herself as finding amiddle ground on theissue andisthe lead Republican on abill to extend the enhanced tax credits for one year without any changes to its structure.

During atown hall event last week, Kiggans responded to aconstituentquestion about whatwould happen after one year.She said that is still unclear “I wish Ihad afull-fledged defined answer Icould give you. Idon’thavethe actual plan in place,”Kiggans said in an audio recording reviewed by CQ RollCall. “But Iknowthatnothing here in Washington happens fast and that this is avery complicated issue.”

“And if we don’tsit down and start talking about it, it’s not going to end well,” Kiggans continued. “Wecan’t do nothing aboutthese tax credits thatexpire at the end

of December.Weneed to do something.” Open enrollmentbegins Nov.1for states that use the healthcare.gov marketplace. Insurers have saidthe enhanced taxcredits can still be extended after that date, although it wouldbemore of aliftfor them.

Vice President JD Vance and Johnson have both signaled that Republicans have an alternate health plan.

“Wedohaveaplan, actually,” Vance said on Newsmax last week. Those plans have mostly revolvedaround health savings accounts, association health plans and price transparency

“We’ve got pages and pages and pages of ideas on how to reform health care. You can’trip Obamacare out at the roots. It’stoo deeply ingrained now,”Johnson said last weekonCNBC.

President Donald Trump, who had lunch with Senate Republicansatthe White House Tuesday,showed no interest in negotiating with Democrats about the health care tax credits until the shutdown is over.“We will not be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs,” Trumpsaid.

BY GARYD.ROBERTSON Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. North Carolina’sRepublican legislative leaders completed their remappingofthe state’sU.S House districts on Wednesday,intent on picking up one more seat for President Donald Trump’spush to retain GOP controlofCongress in next year’smidterm elections.

The boundaries approved by the state House aim to thwart the reelection of Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis, an African American who currently represents more than 20 northeastern counties in what’sbeen the

state’sonlyswing seat.The state Senate alreadyapproved the plan in asimilar party-line vote Tuesday Republicans hold majorities in bothGeneral Assembly chambers, and DemocraticGov.Josh Steincannot veto redistricting maps understate law. So theGOP’s lines can now be implemented unlessanticipated litigation by Democrats or voting rightsadvocatesstops them. Candidate filing for 2026 is scheduled to begin Dec. 1.

Republican lawmakers made crystal clear that their proposed changes answer Trump’s call for GOP-led states to secure more seats forthe partynationwide, so

that Congress can continue advancing his agenda. Democratshave responded with rival moves in blue states. Apresident’sparty historically loses seats in midterm elections, andDemocrats currentlyneed just three more seatstoflip House control.

“The newcongressional map improves Republican political strengthineastern North Carolina and will bring in an additional Republican seat to North Carolina’scongressional delegation,” GOP Rep. Brenden Jones said during adebate thatRepublicans cut off after about an hour Black Democratic state

Ore. senatorspeaksfor more than 22 hourstoprotest Trump

BY MARYCLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON Led by Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, Democrats seized the Senate floor on Wednesday to protest President Donald Trump’spresidency amid the government shutdown and push for Republicansto negotiate with them on expiring health subsidies.

Merkley spoke for more than 22 hours, pausingfor lengthy questions from other Democratic senators. His speech wasone of the longest in Senate history just short of asimilar speech in April by Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey.Booker,who was also protesting Trump, broke the record with a speechthat lasted longer than 25 hours, surpassinga 1957 speech by Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina filibusteringthe advance of the Civil Rights Act.

Authoritarianism is not aroundthe corner,Merkley saidashewrappeduphis speech around 5p.m. ET,“it is here right now.”

The senator’stalk-a-thon came as Democratshave forced the government shutdown over their demands to extend government health care subsidies, and as Republicans have refused to negotiate overthe expiring tax credits untilDemocrats vote to reopenthe government. Democrats have voted 12 times to keep it closed most recently Wednesday evening— andthe twosides have made little progresstoward aresolution.

Merkley said during his speech that Republicans were the ones shutting down thegovernment “tocontinue the strategy of slashing Americans’ health care” after passing cutstoMedicaid and other programs over the summer

He used several hours of his speech to describe what he said were Trump’sauthoritarian moves, including attacks on the press and policies that Democratssay are enriching billionaires at the expenseof regular people.Hesaidthat Trump’splanistoreplace a government “by andfor the people with agovernment by and for the powerful.”

Merkley alsobroke his own personal record for afloor speech, which was more than 15 hours in 2017 to protest Trump’sthennomination of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Like Booker,Merkley’s speech wasnot afilibuster, which is meant to halt or delay the advance of aspecific piece of legislation.

By holding the floor open all night, Merkleyforced Senatefloor staff, security and other support workers who are currently unpaid to work overtime hours.

U.S. government hits $38T in debt

BYFATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON In the midst of afederal government shutdown, the U.S. government’sgross national debt surpassed $38trillion Wednesday,arecord number that highlights the accelerating accumulation of debt on America’sbalance sheet

It’salso the fastest accumulation of atrillion dollars in debt outside of the COVID-19 pandemic —the U.S. hit $37 trillion in gross national debt in August this year. The $38 trillion update is found in the latest Treasury Department report, which logsthe nation’sdaily finances. Kent Smetters of theUniversity of Pennsylvania’s Penn WhartonBudget Model, who served in President

George W. Bush’sTreasury Department, told The Associated Press that agrowing debt load over time leads ultimatelytohigherinflation,eroding Americans’ purchasing power The Government Accountability Office outlines some of theimpacts ofrising governmentdebtonAmericans —including higherborrowingcosts forthings like mortgages and cars, lower wages from businesses having less money available to invest,and more expensive goods andservices.

“I think alot of people want to know that their kids and grandkids are going to be in good, decent shape in the future —that they will be able to afford ahouse,” Smetters said.“That additional inflation compounds” and erodes consumers’ purchasingpower,hesaid

The Trump administration saysits policies are helping to slow government spending and will shrink the nation’smassive deficit. A newanalysis by Treasury Departmentofficialsstates that from April to September,the cumulative deficit totaled $468 billion.

The Joint Economic Committee estimates that thetotal national debt hasgrown by $69,713.82 per second for thepast year

Michael Peterson, chair andCEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, saidin astatementthat “reaching $38 trillion in debt during agovernmentshutdown is thelatest troubling sign that lawmakers are not meeting their basic fiscal duties.”

The U.S. hit $34 trillion in debt in January 2024, $35 trillioninJuly 2024 and $36 trillion in November 2024.

Rep. Gloristine Brown accused mapmakers of purposefully diluting Black votes in her region.

“You are silencing Black voices and are going against the will of your constituents,” saidBrown. “North Carolinaisatestingground for thenew era of Jim Crow laws.”

By exchanging several counties in Davis’current district withanother coastal district, Republicans have calculated based on election data thatthey can increase their dominance from holding 10 of thestate’s14House seatsto11, in astate where Trumpgot 51% of thepopular vote in 2024 and state-

wide elections are often close.

Davis is one of North Carolina’s three Black representatives. Mapcriticsargue this latest GOP mapshould be challengedasanillegal racial gerrymander in adistrict that has included several majority Black counties, electing African Americans to theU.S.House continuously since 1992.

“It is morally reprehensibleand legallyindefensible —and it will be challenged in court,” former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who heads the national Democratic Party’sredistricting efforts, said in anewsrelease.

Republicans countered that theredrawing was based not on race but on gainingpolitical advantage, an allowable aim basedon recent federal and state court decisions.

Based on recent arguments before the U.S. SupremeCourtina Louisiana redistricting case, the Democrats may lose this line of attack. Amajority of justices appears willing to neuter akey feature of the Voting Rights Act that has protected political boundaries created to help Black and Latino residents elect favored candidates, who have tended to be Democrats.

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crux of the Supreme Court case

The state has four majority-White districts that elected White Republican representatives,and two majority-Blackdistricts thatelected Black Democrats.

Agroup of White voters has asked the Supreme Court to declare the map unconstitutional, arguing that race should not be used as afactor to draw district lines. If the justices agree with thatviewpoint, it could create an opportunity to draw anew congressional mapwith only one majority-Black district —ornone at all.

But it is difficult to predict when the nation’shighest court will issue an opinion and what exactly the decision willsay Republicansinthe stateLegislature say pushing back the April primary will buy lawmakers extra time to make changes before next year’s elections, should aSupreme Court ruling come down this year

“We’re hoping that theSupreme Court comes back witha rulingbefore Christmas,”Kleinpetersaid.

“The whole country is waiting on this case. And when the Supreme Court decides to rule on this case,

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fund the Kremlin’swar machine.”

Bessent said the Treasury Department was prepared to take further action if necessary to support Trump’seffort to end the war “Weencourage our alliestojoin us in and adhere to these sanctions.”

Bessent made the commentsas NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was in Washington for talks with Trump. The military alliance hasbeencoordinating deliveries of weapons to Ukraine, many of them purchased from theUnited States by Canada and European countries.

The announcement came after Russian drones and missiles blasted sites across Ukraine,killing at least six people, includingawoman and her two young daughters.

The attack came in waves from Tuesdaynight into Wednesdayand targeted at least eightUkrainian cities, as well as avillage in the region of the capital, Kyiv,where astrike set fire to ahouse in which themother and her 6-month-old and 12-year-olddaughters were staying, regionalhead Mykola Kalashnyk said.

At least 29 people, including five children, were woundedinKyiv,

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of Texans out there, alot of Texans who are from Louisiana originally,but Ithink thatLouisianahas really found away to diversify its economy,built upon the traditional industries that have been here in Louisiana, like oil and gas.”

Landry wasfeatured in a “fireside chat” moderated by French Cole Strategies

Principal Jason French on Tuesday during the Americas LNG Summit &Exhibitionat L’Auberge Casino and Resort. The summit started Sunday withagolf tournament and featured exhibits and speak-

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possible to discuss relevant legal and procedural frameworks aimed at protecting classified information relevant to the case.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Alexandria O’Donnell, in an affidavit released last week, provided details on prosecutors’ case against al-Muhtadi. Theaffidavit, she wrote, was based on her personal knowledge, information

it’sgonna affect everybody in the rest of thecountry.”

Beaullieu said some attorneysinvolved inthe case believe“there’s averybig chance” thehigh court will rule before Jan. 1.

“It allows us to have any kind of flexibility neededtomake adjustmentsbased on their ruling,” he said.

Republicansare lookingfor extra time because voting preparations begin monthsinadvance, and courts in legaldisputeshavebeen wary of changes as an election datedraws closer.More time leading up to the primary could give theLegislature abetter chance at changing Louisiana’scongressionalmap.

Right now,closed party primaries formajor races like U.S. House and Senate and somemunicipal primary races are set for April18. Asubsequent election is scheduledonMay 30 formunicipal general races and, if needed,arunoff for the closed party primary contests.

Those elections would be pushed back to May 16 and June 27, according to legislation filed Wednesday. Instead of mid-January,qualifying for the races would happen Feb. 11-13.

Lawmakers are implementing

that planusing two separate bills: One contains races forelected office, and another bill contains proposed constitutional amendments, of which there are five scheduled for avote in April.

Kleinpeter said putting the constitutional amendmentsina separatebill appears to be “the safest thing to do”shouldsomeonefile alawsuit over theballot propositions.

Senate Bill 1and Senate Bill 2 are scheduled for apublic hearing in committee at 3p.m. Thursday

Kleinpeter said he expects his bill will pass theSenate on Saturday and be taken up in aHouse committee Monday

Both Kleinpeter and Beaullieu said thattospeed up debate, they plan to run an identical set of bills in the Senate and the House at the sametime.

The sessionshould be focused exclusively on the proposal to change the spring election dates, the bill sponsors said.

Senate PresidentCameron Henry,R-Metairie, echoed that sentiment: “All we’re doing is moving dates.”

Republicans hold supermajoritiesinbothchambersofthe Legislature and are likely to face little friction in achievingtheir goal. Butnot everyone is on board with

Firefighters put out a fire after Russian drones hit acity kindergarten duringanair attack in Kharkiv,Ukraine, on Wednesday

which appearedtobethe main target, authorities said. Russian drones also hit akindergarten in Kharkiv,Ukraine’ssecond-largest city,later Wednesday when children were in the building, MayorIhor Terekhov said. Oneperson waskilled andsix were hurt, but no children were physically harmed, he said UkrainianPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy said many of the children were in shock.Hesaid the attack targeted 10 separate regions:

ers Monday and Tuesday

When Landry took the stage on Tuesday,hestarted by saying that he believes LNG has “reset the energy table.”

“It creates national and global security because we’re abletomove that energysafely andeffectively across theglobe,” Landry said.“They say, ‘All roads lead toRome.’All pipelines lead to Louisiana, andbecause of that, it positions Louisianafor agreat opportunitytolead the nation in LNG exports, and that’s what excites me.”

However,Landry said that it’sdisappointing to see environmental activist organizations funded by the Bloomberg Foundation and other

from other law enforcementagents, location information, recorded telephone communications,email and social media communications, numerous witness interviews and information provided by Israel. Evidence, she wrote, shows al-Muhtadi’sphone used acellphonetower located near Kibbutz Kfar Aza in Israel, “the location of ahorrifying massacre by Hamas andits supporters.”Officials said al-Mahtadi, who was livinginGaza, heard about the attack,armed himself,gathered others and crossed into

theplan.

“I’mcertainly opposed to it,” said Rep. EdmondJordan,D-Baton Rouge, who chairs the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus and led an unsuccessful legalfight seeking to force Attorney General Liz Murrill to defend the current congressional map.

Jordan said the idea underpinning the delayed election is to create theopportunity to redraw the congressional mapwith one or two fewer majority-Black districts and to ultimately dilutethe voting strength of minorities in Louisiana.

“Any move is amovetowarddiluting minorityvoting strength,” he said of thespecial session.

The districts of U.S. Reps. Troy Carter,D-New Orleans, and Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, would be mostvulnerable if the Legislature does eventually get the chance to redraw Louisiana’scongressional map.

Carter contends that Louisiana’s current map is “consistent with thedemographics of the state.”

“I’d remind our colleaguesthat these were mapsthat were drawn andpassed by them, and I’d encourage them to hold the lineand to maintain these two seats that are demonstrative of the demographic shifts in the state of Louisiana,”hesaid.

fusal to budge from his conditions for asettlement after Ukraineoffered aceasefire and direct peace talks.

Trump said Tuesday that his plan for aswift meeting with Putin was on hold because he didn’twant it to be a“waste of time.” European leaders accused Putin of stalling.

Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Trump’sproposal to freeze the conflict where it stands on the frontline “wasa good compromise” —a step that could pave the way for negotiations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the planned summit requires careful preparation, suggesting that laying thegroundwork could be protracted. “Noone wants to waste time: neither President Trump norPresidentPutin,” he said.

But Carter said his primary concern is aboutthe broaderimplicationsofthe SupremeCourt’s decision. “I’m more concernedaboutthe overall picture of not just Louisiana, but the entire country,” he said. “The Voting Rights Actthat was passedin1965 was needed then, and it’sneeded today.”

Both congressmen say the special session is premature, given the difficulty of predicting how the SupremeCourt will act.

“The Legislature’sputting the cart before the horse, but the Legislaturehas theright to do what it’s planning on doing,” Fields said.

SarahBrannon, an ACLUattorneyonthe legalteam thatrepresented agroupofBlack litigants involvedinthe Louisiana case,said thechances theSupreme Court upholds the current congressional map “are small.”

“Thatmeansthat(Senate Bill 8) probably is notgoing to survive this U.S. Supreme Court proceeding, that they are going to strike it down,” Brannon said, referring to thebill containing the current map

But Brannonsaiditis“not at all clear”whattheywill decide,and when they will issue an opinion.

“It’satotal unknownastowhat they will do,” she said.

More international economic sanctions on Russia arelikely to be discussed Thursday at an EU summit in Brussels. On Friday, ameeting of the Coalition of the Willing—agroupof35countries that support Ukraine —istotake place in London.

Zelenskyy credited Trump’s remarks that he was considering supplying Tomahawk missilesto Ukraine forPutin’swillingness to meet.The American president latersaidhewas wary of tapping into the U.S. supply of Tomahawks over concerns about available stocks.

Kyiv,Odesa,Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy and Sumy Russia fired405 strike anddecoydronesand 28 missiles, mainly targeting Kyiv,Ukraine’sair force said. Trump’sefforts to endthe war that started with Russia’s all-out invasion of itsneighbor morethan three years ago have failed to gain traction. Trumphas repeatedly expressed frustration withPutin’sre-

outside groups trying to stop energy exporting.

Environmental groups, workforces who rely on the Gulf andsome area residentsopposeLNG facilities because of the potential for spills andpollution. Some activists also oppose LNG growth and investment because they believe it detracts from larger efforts to transition away from fossil fuels andgrow the renewable energy sector

“It’sjust so disappointing to see people that would waste so much money to basically keep people in the darkand in thecold and out of economic prosperity,” Landrysaid. “But what you have seen is atremendous amount of money that be-

Israel to assist Hamas.

Al-Muhtadi is alsoaccusedofproviding falseinformation on his U.S. visa application, saying he had no involvement withaparamilitary organization,connection to Hamas,military training or participation in a terrorist attack.

He enteredthe U.S. in September 2024 through DallasFortWorth International Airport, where hisphoto was taken. He lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, fora time but was living in Lafayette and working at alocal restaurant by June.

In what appeared to be apublic reminder of Russian atomic arsenals, Putin on Wednesday directed drills of the country’sstrategic nuclear forces.

Zelenskyy urged the European Union, theUnited States and the GroupofSeven industrialized nations to forceRussiatothe negotiating table. Pressure can be applied on Moscow “only through sanctions, long-range (missile) capabilities and coordinated diplomacy among all our partners,” he said.

comes pouredinto areas when these typesofprojects start tohave an opportunity to be placed in an area.”

He compared the funding of efforts againstLNG development to “feeding a tiger” that would then come back to bite.

“I thinkit’stime forus

Russia has not madesignificant progress on thebattlefield,where awar of attrition has taken a high tollonRussianinfantry and Ukraine is shortofmanpower military analysts say.Both sides have invested in long-range strike capabilities to hit rear areas.

TheUkrainian army’sgeneral staffsaid its forces struck achemical plant Tuesday night in Russia’s Bryansk region using Britishmadeair-launched Storm Shadow missiles. The plant is an important part of theRussian military andindustrial complex, producing gunpowder,explosives, missilefuel and ammunition, it said. Russian officialsinthe region confirmedanattack butdid not mention the plant.

to go on the offense and to tell people the story,”

Landry said. “Wedon’tdo that enough. We don’tgoout there and explain to the Joe Q. Public howimportantthis is and what’sthe economic benefits that it creates.”

The three-dayevent was set to see morethan 2,000 attendees from more than 50 countries, along with 100 regional andinternational exhibitors and 150 speakers, according to anews release from the event organizers. Email Courtney Pedersen at courtney.pedersen@ theadvocate.com.

BY KONSTANTINTOROPIN

Associated Press

WASHINGTON The U.S. military launched its eighth strike against an alleged drug-carryingvessel, killing two people in thewaters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday,marking an expansionofthe Trump administration’s campaign against drug trafficking in South America.

The attack Tuesday night was a departure from the seven previous U.S. strikesthat hadtargeted vessels in the Caribbean.Hegseth said on social media that thelatest strike killed two people, bringing the death toll to at least 34 from at-

tacksthat began last month

Thestrike representsanexpansion of the military’stargeting area as well as ashift to thewaters off SouthAmerica where much of the cocaine from the world’s largest producers is smuggled. Hegseth’spost also draws adirect comparison between the war on terrorismthat the U.S. declared after theSept. 11, 2001, attacks andthe Trump administration’s crackdown “Just as Al Qaeda waged war on ourhomeland,these cartels are waging war on our border and our people,”Hegseth said, adding “there will be no refuge or forgiveness —onlyjustice.”

RepublicanPresidentDonald

Trumphas justified the strikesby asserting thatthe United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” withdrug cartels and proclaiming thecriminal organizations unlawful combatants,relying on the same legalauthority used by President GeorgeW.Bush’sadministration when it declared a war on terrorism.

In abrief video Hegseth posted Wednesday, asmall boat,halffilled with brown packages, is seen movingalong thewater.Several seconds intothe video, theboat explodesand is seen floating motionless on the water in flames.

The U.S. militaryhas built up an unusually large forceinthe Caribbean Sea and the watersoff

U.S. strikesalleged drug-carryingboatinPacific

the coast of Venezuela since this summer,raising speculation that Trumpcould try to topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S.

In hisposts on the strikes, Trump hasrepeatedly argued that illegal narcotics and the drug fentanyl carried by the vessels have been poisoning Americans.

While the bulk of American overdose deaths arefromfentanyl, the drug is transported by land from Mexico. Venezuela is amajor drug transit zone, but the eastern Pacific Ocean,not theCaribbean,isthe primaryareafor smuggling cocaine.

Colombiaand Peru, countries with coastlinesonthe easternPa-

cific, are the world’stop cocaine producers. Wedged between them is Ecuador,whose world-class ports and myriadmaritimeshipping containers filledwithbananas have become the perfect vehicle fordrugtraffickers to move their product.

The administration has sidestepped prosecuting anyofthe occupants of thealleged drugrunningvessels afterreturning twosurvivorsofanearlier strike to theirhome countries of Ecuador and Colombia.

Ecuadorian officialslater said they released the man that was returned, saying that they had no evidence he committed acrimein their country

ACLU callsfor removing pregnant womenfromdetention

BY SARA CLINE and VALERIE GONZALEZ Associated Press

BATONROUGE Womentaken into custody by U.S. immigration agents while pregnant say they received inadequate care in aletter Wednesday that calls on the Trump administration to stop holdingexpectant mothers in federal detention facilities.

Theletter to U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement is part of abroader campaigninrecent months by Democrats and immigrant rights groups to draw attention to what they sayisthe mistreatment of pregnant detainees.

The Department of Homeland Securityhas defended itscare, saying pregnant detaineesget reg-

ular prenatal visits, mental health services, nutritionalsupport and accommodations “aligned with community standardsofcare.”

In addition, Homeland Security Department AssistantSecretary TriciaMcLaughlin saidinawritten statementWednesday that such detentionsare “rare” and involve “elevated oversight and review.”

Theagency didn’t provide figures on thenumber of pregnant women in detention,anumber Democrats have sought for months.

The letter sent by theAmerican Civil Liberties Union cites accounts from pregnant womenwho saythey were shackled whilebeing transported, placed in solitaryconfinement formultiple days and given insufficient food and water while detained in Louisianaand Georgia.

The ACLU said that over the past five months it has met withmore than adozen females who were pregnant while in ICE custody including some who had amiscarriagewhiledetained.The women reported “gravely troubling experiences,” the letter states, including lack of translation during medical encountersand medical neglect

In an interview with The Associated Press, one of the women said shewas kept in handcuffs while beingtransported to Louisiana— ajourney that lasted five hours and spanned two plane rides.The woman,who hassincebeen released from custody and given birth, spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of facing retaliation during her ongoing case.

An officer told her he considered

takingoff the handcuffs but worried she wouldescape. “How am I going to escape if I’m pregnant?” thewoman said she responded. She said she felt as if she’d been kidnapped and experienced dizziness, nausea andvaginal bleeding. During her time in detention, she said pregnant women werenot offered special diets and described thefood as horrible.She alleged that detainees had to “beg” forwater and toilet paper

“Proper care for pregnancy is a basic human right, regardless of whether you are incarcerated or not andregardless of your immigration status,” said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, aCalifornia Democrat. She signedontoaDemocratic Women’sCaucus letter to DHS officials in July sharing concerns

about the “treatment of women” and demanding answers —including howmanyhavegivenbirth while detained.

ICEguidelinesalready saythat agents “should notdetain, arrest, or take into custody foranadministrative violation of the immigration laws” people “known to be pregnant, postpartum or nursing,” based on apolicy sent to the AP by DHS. But the document does state that such people may be detained and held in custody under “exceptional circumstances” or if their release is prohibited by law

Thepolicy also prohibits using restraints on pregnant detainees, but here too there are exceptions —including if there is aserious threat that the detainee will hurt herself or others.

Louvre director acknowledges failureafter jewelheist;resignation offerrejected

time since one of thehighest-profile museum thefts of the century stunned the world with its audacity and scale. In testimony to the French Senate, Louvre direct or La ure nc e desCars said that the museum had ashortage of securitycameras outside

the monument and other “weaknesses” exposedby Sunday’stheft Underheavypressure over aheist that stained France’s globalimage, she testified to aSenate committee that she submitted her resignation, but that the culture ministerrefused to acceptit. “Today we are experiencing aterrible failure at theLouvre,which Itake my share of responsibility in,” she said. The thieves slipped in and

out,making off witheight pieces from France’sCrown Jewels.

Thetheft —steps away from the“Mona Lisa” and valued at morethan $100 million —has put embattled President Emmanuel Macron, Culture Minister Rachida Dati, desCarsand others under new scrutiny It comes just monthsafter employees went on strike, warningofchronicunderstaffing and not enough resources for protection, with

too few eyes on too many rooms.

“Wedid notdetectthe arrival of the thieves soon enough,” des Cars said.

She said that the museum’s alarms had worked properly, but that it currently doesn’t have full videosurveillance of the perimeter outside the museum,though there is a plan to provide full coverage of all the Louvre’sfacades. Threedayson, thejewels remain missing and the thieves are still at large.

“For aplace like theLouvre, it’sunfathomable,” said Amanda Lee, 36, an art teacher from Chicago. “I heard it took under four minutes. Howisthat possible here, with no policeinsight?” Others were unperturbed. ClaireMartin, a41-yearoldFrenchlawyer from Versaillesvisiting with her twochildren during aschool holiday,said: “Wetold the kids it’sahistory lesson. We came for the art. The police can deal with the thieves.”

Historic performance

ABOVE: ‘A Tribute to D.L. Mendard’ is performed by Terry Huval, from left, John Trahan and Larry Menard at the 15th annual New

Hebert appoints himself to Cajundome Commission

Former UL leader

Savoie pulled from appointment

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

University of Louisiana at Lafayette interim President Jaimie Hebert has appointed himself to the Cajundome Commission.

Beneath the Balconies on Sunday. The event was a series of theatrical presentations and musical performances from the balconies of New Iberia’s historic district. Iberia Preservation Alliance, Beneath the Balconies and Main Street New Iberia hosted the event. BELOW LEFT: Cynthia Ardoin and J.P. Duhe dance and sing along with The Hands of Time band at the Shadows-on-the-Teche on Sunday BELOW RIGHT: John Anthony performs ‘Motown Magic’ at the Shadows-on-the-Teche balcony on Sunday ä See HEBERT, page 4B

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

The race has officially

The expected Tuesday announcement comes after a last-minute switch two weeks ago that would have seen the university’s former president, Joseph Savoie, appointed to the position indefinitely Savoie was pulled due to a tradition that the UL president holds a position on the commission, Eric Maron, a university spokesperson, previously wrote in a statement.

As president, Savoie held a position So did predecessor Ray P. Authement.

“Though (Hebert) initially intended to reappoint Dr Savoie to the commission, interim president Dr Jaimie Hebert decided, upon further reflection, to continue that tradition,” Maron wrote.

Hebert will instead only hold the position for four years, as laid out in the law that created the commission.

City Council member

Kenneth Boudreaux questioned Savoie’s indefinite position at an Oct. 7 council meeting. At the time, it was unclear whether Hebert would give himself the same. The commission controls and operates the Cajundome, a property owned by the university. UL’s president must appoint two members. Savoie’s appointment would have been less than three months after he stepped down from the UL position he had held for 17 years. Savoie continues to serve the university as president emeritus

Winn-Dixie plans to sell Louisiana stores

Brookshire to rebrand stores as Super 1

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

Winn-Dixies. The Aldi stores are about half the size of a standard Winn-Dixie and don’t have amenities such as fresh meat and seafood departments. But the limited inventory allows them to offer lower prices on groceries. So far, five Winn-Dixies have been converted to Aldi stores: in Gonzales, Zachary, Metairie, Gretna and Amite. Earlier this year, Aldi announced it was selling back about 170 stores to a group of private investors that includes the president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers. That group said it will operate as The Winn-Dixie Co. beginning in early 2026.

Email Timothy Boone at tboone@ theadvocate.com.

OUR VIEWS

Calcasieu’s courtrecords policy leaves citizens in thedark

In Calcasieu Parish, when residentsofneighborhoods scarred by violence want to know what’shappening as an alleged perpetrator faces justice, they can’talways easily access records about the case. That’s because in Calcasieu, alone among the 64 parishes inthisstate, the clerk of court’s office requires ajudge’s ordertorelease records related to violent crime. In other parishes,any citizen canget courtrecords by simply requestingthem,perhaps payingasmall feefor copies.

First, it’shard to see how theCalcasieuParish Clerk of Court’spolicy,onits face, isn’ta violation of state open records law,whichrequires “guaranteed access to public records unless alaw specifically and unequivocallyprovides otherwise.” Lawyers and advocatessay that it’s likely also aviolation of open courtsand public records provisions in the state Constitution, nottomention the First Amendment of the U.S Constitution Secondly,ascriminal defense lawyers told this newspaper’sMegan Wyatt, it is an extra burden as they try to vigorously defend their clients. It slows down cases bycreating unnecessary work for lawyers andjudges, theysaid.

While those considerationsare significant, it’s the impact on the publicthatmost concerns us Wyatt heard from residents whoweretrying to find out why charges of attempted seconddegree murder werereduced after ashooting in Westlake. With court recordshidden,theyhad only speculation to go on.

Lack of transparency undermines confidence in the justice system. Even if everything is aboveboard, the public has noway of beingsure of that without the ability to view records related to court decisions

The Calcasieu ParishClerk of Court Lynn Jones, who has served in thepost for21years, said the policy is designed to protectvictims and juveniles, but there are alreadyprovisions that allow for the redaction of informationrelated to sex crimes and the identities of youths accused of crimes Jones also said that he had consultedwith other jurisdictions, where clerksofcourt said the policy was allowable. Wyatt’s reporting found no evidence of that. Bethany Smith, who has overseen criminalrecords for26years, said the policyhad predatedher tenure. Apparently,no onehad ever successfully challenged it.

We urge Attorney General Liz Murrill, who has shown herself achampion of open meetings laws recently,toclarify to Jones andothers exactly what public records law requires.

The newspaperbegan lookinginto theissue after requesting publicrecordsfor months. Wyatt is part of the paper’snewly expandedcoverage in the southwestern part of thestate.And this story points to how so many of ourcities and towns need more robust journalism. Calcasieu is no backwater; hometoLake Charles, it’s the seventh most populous parish in thestate Its citizens deserve to know that thecriminal justice system their tax dollars pay forisworking for them, same as anywhere else

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 and phone 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.

Isthere away to break impasseinWashington?

What are theparties arguing about in Washington?

n Premiumassistance: At thetime of COVID, Congress enacted atax credit for people who have their insurance through theAffordable Care Act. To attract enough votes, this tax credit was limited to three years and will expire on Dec. 1. There is general agreementthat if thetax credit expires, those individuals will find their premiumstoincrease substantially,causing manyofthem to go without any health insurance. The Democrats want to enact alaw making the tax credit permanent. The Democrats attempted to enact such aprovision numerous times prior,but Republicans did not agree.

n Provisionsinthe BigBeautiful Bill: While very complex, theBBB changes the rules regarding the eligibilityofpeople on Medicaid/Medicare. Someofthe rules. While theDemocrats tried to eliminatethese provisions in theBBB, the Republicans included them. Andhere is the rub.

The Democrats insist that the premium assistance be made permanent and theprovisions in theBBB that affect Medicaid and Medicare be eliminated.

The Republicans insist that they are willing to negotiate the premium assistance and the elimination of the Medicaid and Medicare limitations but will not do so while the shutdown continues.

The Democrats simply do not trust theRepublicans to negotiate in good faith if there is no pressure exerted by theshutdown.

Iwould propose that the Democrats agree to open up thegovernment for a three-week period. During that period, since thegovernmentwill be open, the Republicans would be pressured to negotiateingood faith. If an agreement is not reached, the government will be shut down again. If aside does not negotiateingood faith, that side will own the shutdown with its attendant political costs.

PAUL BARRON NewOrleans

Pell Grantexpansion will buildhealthcareworkforce

Educational opportunities sometimes don’talign with our nation’s workforce needs —especially in healthcare. In addition to ashortage of nurses and doctors, there are also gaps in theallied health workforce that are essential to high-qualitypatientcare and system efficiency

That’swhy I’mencouraged by Congress’ recent expansion of Pell Grant eligibility to include skills-based credentialing programs, which include certification programs for patient care technicians, EKG technicians, phlebotomytechnicians and more. The traditional federal Pell Grant helps low-incomestudentsafford tuition at colleges and universities, but

this expanded workforce program would extend eligibility to people with ahigh school diploma or aGED to enroll in high-quality, short-term training certification programs. These grants help learners from allwalks of life gain critical skills for starting acareer in these desperately needed roles, without incurring debt.

Iwant to thank Sen. Bill Cassidy for his leadership and steadfast support for workforce Pell expansion. This investmentwill help build amore skilled and resilient health care workforce, one allied health career credential at atime.

CLAIRE JECKLIN

CEO, TheNew Orleans Career Center

Bias againstDonaldTrump evidentinwordchoice

The opening sentence in an article published Sept.27states,“Trump’s unprecedented retribution campaign against his perceived political enemies reached new heights…” Perceived? New heights? Not even close. For eight years, theAmerican people have watched Russiagate, two impeachments, four civil business trials,

araid on aformer president’shome and numerous associates indicted on very flimsy charges.Unprecedented?

The Associated Press journalist lives in an echo chamber.His choice of words speaks volumes to obtuseness and bias.

JOHN S. WHITE Harahan

Publishing letter that demonized Democrats stokes divisions

Iwas dismayed thenewspaper publishedWadePerrin’sletter on Oct. 2, titled “Democrats can’t distance themselvesfrom consequences of hateful rhetoric.” Publishing aletter characterizing an entire political party as “evil andgodless” is irresponsible The handful of people who celebrate such violenceare indeed evil, but they do notrepresentthe entire Democratic Party.This extreme, hateful rhetoric comes from fringe elements, notthe parties. Iknowmost Republicansreject thenotion that allDemocrats are evil. Crucially,the people of Louisiana knowbetter than to followthe hateful cues of distanttalking heads. In our communities, standing side-by-side on theparaderoute at MardiGras, tailgating before aSaintsgame, or pitching in to help aneighborafter a hurricane, we treat each other with respect. Ihave morefaith in theinherentdecency of ourneighbors across Jefferson Parish andNew Orleansto prioritize human connection over political animosity As alifelong Democrat who publicly condemned this violence, Iwantto emphasize that while Ivehemently disagreed withCharlie Kirk’spolitics, disagreement is notadeath sentence, andviolence hasabsolutelynoplace in ourdemocracy.Wordsand arguments are thebattlefieldofdemocracy,not bullets andbloodshed For thesakeofour state andshared civic health,the newspaperand allof us,have amoral obligation to promote civilityand decency,not divisionand hatred.Let us committoapoliticsthat persuades, not destroys.

BARRYS.RANSHI Democratic State Central Committee representative, District79B

Callaisplaintiffsshow exactlywhy race matters

Using race, specifically and laughably,the self-described “non-Black” plaintiffs in the Callais case argued before the Supreme Court clearly care only about their race. Our country,always struggling for equal opportunity,now has astate attorney general fighting against that very ideal when it applies to any group except “non-Black” people. Righting awrong is never wrong, especially when the wrong hasbeen written into laws and practiced for many decades.

MARK GONZALEZ

NewOrleans

COMMENTARY

Trumpis wrongtodeployNationalGuard

President Donald Trump is wrong to deploythe National Guard in Chicago

That’swhat nine retired national military chiefs, including twowithmajor Louisiana connections andRepublican pedigrees, told the SupremeCourt on Monday They are correct.

Thirty years ago,indeed 15 years ago, almost every conservativeorRepublican in America would have agreedwith the military chiefs and disagreed with the president trying to use the troops that way.Now that Trump is calling the shots, though, the Republican hierarchyhas abandoned itsvalues in favor of vassalage to its White House lord

surrection or awidespread violation of civil rights. By mostrational standards,those circumstances do not applyinChicago or other cities to which Trumpissending Guard troops to counteract ordinary crime and potential protests,rather than against armed insurrection or in response to anatural or accidental disaster

Quin Hillyer

The chiefs are all either former secretaries of the Army and Navy or retired four-star admirals andgenerals. They include Sean O’Keefe, scion of a century-long Louisiana political dynasty,who headedthe Navy andNASAand served as apopular chancellor of LSU; and Thad Allen, the national Coast Guard Commandant who earned praise for his handling of the aftermaths of both Hurricane Katrina andthe BP oil spill. Both were appointees of Republican presidents.

The chiefs this week jointly filed a friend-of-the-court brief askingthe Supreme Court to keep in place atemporary blockage of Trump’sdeployment of the Guard. They made rather cursory,but still apt, legal argumentsthat Trump is violating the long-standing Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibitsusing national military personnel for domestic law enforcement. They made much more comprehensive, and quite instructive, arguments for why the principles of Posse Comitatus are wise and why ignoringitis dangerous.

Posse Comitatus applies against domestic military use withoutagovernor’s request except in very narrow circumstances, such as an armed in-

WHO-DAT CANDY

Traditionally,conservatives, becauseoftheir antipathy to centralized federal power and their libertarian instincts on gunownership, have been theones mostsupportive of the Posse Comitatus Act. During the presidencies of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, conservatives saw Posse Comitatus as akey bulwark against government abuse. They especially feared that aliberal president would use the military to force “progressive” social nostrumsdown their throats.

Note that they didn’tsay their support for Posse Comitatus depended on thenature of the president’sintentions: They said therule against domestic use of themilitary stemmed from fundamentalprinciples all presidentsshould obey

Those supposedly fundamental principles, alas, seem to disappear when the target of the troops is the woke Left rather than the traditionalist Right. Apparently,their objections weren’treally principlesatall, but merely tactics.

In contrast, true conservatives continuetobelieve theprinciples should still apply and that the law as written should not so readily bow to apresident’s desires.

Apart from all that, though, the brief filedbyO’Keefe, Allen and their compatriots explains quitecogently why PosseComitatus, in very practical terms, is important. They say using troops for domestic law enforcement is dangerous forthe citizenryand, crucially,bad for the armed services themselves.

On thelatter point, thechiefs write that Trump’suse of the military this way “diverts them from their primary mission, which is totrain and to be ready tofight and win the nation’swars and protect communities after disasters. Accordingly,such assignments come at the expense of local, state, and national safety,aswell as troop morale.”

On theformer point, they write that “active-duty National Guard personnel are neither intended nor specifically trained to conduct domestic law enforcement operations.” They then provide several strong examples of how that lack of training “poses adanger to thesafety of the troops and the public.” These dangers arise because of differing standards for use of force, along with unfamiliarity with de-escalation techniques and the proper ways of “conducting criminal investigations.”

O’Keefe, Allen and theother chiefs also sayTrumpisusing thetroops in ways that risk “the politicization of the military,”while also potentially putting themilitary on the wrong side of basic constitutional rights. For example, Trumpspecifically ordered federalization of the National Guard not in response to any specific violence, but “where protests against [Federal]functions[were] occurring or are likely to occur.”

As thechiefs note, protestsalone “are constitutionally protected speech deserving of the highest protection,not intimidation by the military.”

Again, for decades these are theargumentsconservatives have made. The arguments are well rooted in American law and tradition. Today’sRepublicans are wrong to support Trumpwhen he tramples these principles with his show of militarized might not against foreign enemies, but against American citizens.

Email QuinHillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

OK, folks. Here’saslightly differentcreativecaption challenge. Instead of filling in awordballoon, this time come up with thefunniest SLOGAN for this candy barto describe howyou feel aboutthe Saintsseason so far. Remember to keep your slogans shortsotheycan fitinto the area designated on the wrapper.(Roughly15-20 words will work). Be witty,funny,crazy, absurdorsnarky —just try to keep it clean.There’snolimit on the numberofentries. The winningpunchlineslogan will be lettered ontothe candy wrapper andrun on Monday in our print editionsand online. In addition,the winner willreceivea signed printof the cartoon along with acool winner’s T-shirt! Some honorable mentions will alsobelisted. To enter, email entries to cartooncontest@theadvocate.com. Don’t forget! Allentries must include your name, home address andphone number.Cell numbers arebest. The deadline is Thursdayatmidnight. Goodluck. —Walt

Thetravestybehindrare-earths mining

In the 1960s, the conservativeintellectual James Burnham wroteabook arguing that the decline of Western civilization was aself-imposed choice. The volume, famously called “Suicide of the West,” desperatelyneedstobe updated with an epilogue about theU.S. dependence on China forthe mining andprocessing of rare earths, which ranks as one of themost fantastically stupid and selfdamaging strategicmisstepsof our time.

China is exploiting its advantage in trade talks withthe U.S., restricting the supply of rare earths to gain leverage. Afocus of President Donald Trump’sjust-concluded meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forging an agreement to jointly invest in criticalminerals projects. There has to be more where that comes from. TheU.S must push on all fronts to address a truly dangerous strategic vulnerability

These materials arecrucial for the manufacture of cars, smartphones, drones, medical devices and, most importantly,high-tech weapons. Something like 800 pounds of rare earths go into making an F-35. Between 2019 and 2022,the Government Accountability Office notes, the U.S. imported more than 95% of the rare earths we consumed, overwhelmingly from China. It’d be one thing if we had such areliance on Norway or Canada, allied nations with which we have noprospect

of amilitary conflict (theoccasional presidential ribbing about annexation aside). Instead, of course, China is an adversary bent on surpassing theUnited States as aglobal power and is the country we are mostly likely to fight against in apotentially ruinous war In the1930s, Imperial Japan imported 80% of its oil from the United Statesatthe sametime it was, insanely,onacollision course with theUnited States. We are repeating this dynamic, except —for no good reason —inthe role of resource-starved Japan.

It’salittle like King Harold requiring the goodwill of Normandytosupply his men with shields in 1066, or Lord Nelson needing French materials to build his shipsofthe line in 1798. It wasn’t so long ago, back in 1991, that the United States was thebiggest supplier of rare earths. Then, China undertook aconcerted, very successful effort to steal themining and processingofrare earths out from under us.

As areport in The Wall Street Journal relates, it restricted foreign involvement in mining in China. It handed out tax rebates to goose production. It bought akey U.S. rare-earths business andshipped its equipment to China. In due time, it squeezed out theU.S. rareearths industry and has maneuvered to maintain its dominance since.

It’sbeen industrial policy as highly consequential geo-politics. There is no alternativebut answering in kind, which the Trump administration, to its

Federal judiciary nominee drawsfire, deservedly so

President Donald Trump’slatest federal nominee,Louisiana Supreme Court Associate JusticeWill Crain, demonstrates his administration’scontinuing effort reshape more of the judiciary in its image

credit, is doing now

According to Secretary of Treasury ScottBessent, theadministration will establish aprice floor for the rareearths industry.The defense departmenthas taken an equity stake in our largest rare-earths miner,with more such moves anticipated.Public-private cooperation of the sort that characterized Trump’sOperation Warp Speed is necessary,aswell as the relaxation of permittingand environmental restrictions.

It will takeusyears to make up lost ground, but withenough resources and staying power,this is asolvable problem. Friendly countries have ample supplies of rare earths. It is the processing, over which China has anearmonopoly,that is trickier;itrequires specialized know-how,and it takes considerable time to build facilities. Still, we aren’ttalking about atechnical or logistical challenge on par with, say, theManhattan Project.

Of all the elements of our post-Cold Warvacation from history,when defense spending, geography and supply chains weren’tconsidered so important anymore, the outsourcing of the rareearths industry to China was the most improvident. If nothing else, China’sbrandishing of its rare-earths weapon in the fight over trade is acautionary signal for what might come during amore momentousconflict. We can’tsay we weren’twarned.

Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry

Trump nominated Crain on Mondaytobeafederal judge basedinNew Orleans. His nomination went before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesdaymorning, just two days later.

This is notnormal. Usually,it takesweeksbefore anominee hasa judiciary committee hearing. Thenittakes more time before acommitteevote. Then, if approved by the committee, it takesmoretime before the full Senate considers the nomination.

Why is the president rushing this nomination through?

There arethreevacancies on the federal benchinthe Eastern DistrictofLouisiana. If the U.S. Senate confirms Crain’snomination, he would fill oneofthem.

There’s reason to believe he would become oneofthe most conservative judges on the federal bench. Based on his record of his past rulings, thatconcerns anumber of court watchers.

In onecase, Louisiana’sSupreme Court vacated alife sentence because of ineffective counsel, whenitfound thatthe attorneyfailed to provide mitigating evidence. Crain said so what, issuing adissent.

The nation’sSupreme Court decidedthat unanimous jury verdicts arerequiredunder the Sixth andFourteenth amendments, and the state Supreme Court hadtoconsiderwhether thatdecisionappliedretroactively.Our court decideditdid not, andCrain agreed with the decision.

Igive Crain props for voting with the Louisiana Supreme Court majority to create asecond, majority-Black Supreme Court district. But Iamconcernedabout him sitting in a lifetime judicialjob.

Sen. ChuckGrassley, R-Iowa,chairs the judiciarycommittee.Among the other senators in the Republicanmajority is our own Sen. John Kennedy Ididn’texpect Kennedy and his colleagues to press hard on the Crain nomination. Iexpected themtotoss softballs and questions thatanticipate challenges to his conservative judicialrecord. That’swhat they did. Some Democratic senators brought the fire, raising specific questions about Crain’sjudicial actions andhis cozyrelationship with gasand oil companies.

WilliamC.Snowden, alaw professorat the Loyola University NewOrleans College of Law, told me that there is adeep concern aboutelevating Crain to alifetime federal judicialrole“because of his record on the bench” andbecause he hasfrequently mixed his “personalbeliefs andvalues” with the law. In asocial media post attributed to the president, Trump said Crain “has proven he has the Wisdomand Courage requiredtoput our Constitution, FIRST.Now,morethan ever,we need Judgeswho will hold violent criminals accountable,enforce the Rule of Law,and protect ourInalienable rights.”

SnowdensaidTrump’s“glowing endorsement” is obviously intended “to upset the people theywanttoupset,” those who work for amoreeven-handed and just judicial system.

Christine ChenZinner,the federal research andadvocacy director with the Alliance for Justice, said sincemostcases don’tmakeitto the U.S. Supreme Court, it’simportant which federal justices aredeciding the cases the high court doesn’thear.The Alliance is interestedin“fair-minded” federal judges, not those with “extreme views” like Crain.

Like Chenand Snowden, I’m hoping the judiciarycommittee,and the entire Senate if the nomination moves thatfar,seriously consider the impact of having someone like Crain on the federal bench.

Canthe Crain nomination be stopped?

“I don’tthink so,” Snowden said with asigh, notinthis political environment.

Still, sometimeswedon’texpect to win fights thatshould be waged, but it’simportant to bring to light issues that the masses should careabout, so awinning fight canbefought later.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@theadvocate. com.

Senate committeequestions La.court picks

federal prosecutor for more than two decades, said in his courtroom experience he has absorbed thatgood federal judges approach litigants with fairness and dignity

oil industry,” Kennedy said.

Crainanswered: “The only pocket Ilive in is the rule of law ”

“That’s certainly been my experience,” Kennedy responded.

on public corruption, organized crime, drug enforcement prosecutions, money laundering, white-collar crimeand asset forfeitures.

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Twonominees forthe Louisiana federal bench, including state Supreme Court Justice Will Crain, testified Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee on why they should be confirmed to lifetime appointments.

In addition to Crain, who was nominated to sit in theEastern District headquartered in New Orleans former acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, AlexanderC.Van Hook was questioned by senatorstobecome afederal judge in the district that sits in Lafayette, Shreveport, Monroe and Alexandria.

The panel’s questioning focused on Crain, as Van Hook sat quietly beside him, and for the most part was relatively noncontroversial

Republican Sen.Ashley Moody,ofFlorida,asked how best to shore up trust in the judiciary.

U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy,R-Madisonville, chaired much of the hearing for Crainand VanHook. He and Sen. BillCassidy,R-Baton Rouge,recommended candidatesfor President Donald Trump to nominate.

“I look at judgment,” Kennedy said. “I try to pick lawyers that everyone in the community will look at andgo, ‘Well, youknow, I don’tknow him that well, but man, you know,he’sa lawyer’slawyer.’”

“As ajurist, Justice Crain has presided over and authored hundreds of judicial opinions,” said Judiciary ChairSen.Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. “Mr.Van Hook has extensive courtroom experience, litigating hundreds of cases and trying 18 cases to verdict before ajury.He also clearly has the experience to make afine judge.” VanHook, who has been a

Crainanswered: “I’m afirmbeliever that one of the ways that we do that is to fairly andimpartially applythe ruleoflaw There should be some predictability.”

Theonlyintense questioning came from Democratic Sen. MazieHirono, of Hawaii, when she challenged Crainabout campaign contributionsfrom litigants with legal actions before theLouisiana SupremeCourt.Unlikemany states, Louisiana electsits judges, but rulesforbid judges from directly solicitingcampaign contributions

She noted that Crainappeared sympathetic to oil andgas argumentsasa judge and that the Louisiana system gives the appearance of partiality.

Crainagreed to theappearance but said he doesn’t know who contributed to his three judicial campaigns thatfunction was handled by aseparate committee —and that he always acted impartially

“The rules that we put in place have tried to inoculate ourselves as much as possible,” he said.

Kennedy reiterated the electoral process and prohibitionsinLouisiana’ssystem of choosing judges.

“Oneofmy colleagues suggested that you live in theleft front pocket of the

Crain grew up in Bogalusa andwas an aidetolegendarystate Sen. B.B. “Sixty” Rayburn, D-Bogalusa, who was amajor force in Louisiana politics in the1970sand 1980s.

Crain graduated from LSU in 1983 with an accounting degree, then received his juris doctorate in 1986 from LSUPaul M. Hebert Law Center

He joined the law firm of Jones Fussell LLP,based in Covington, wherehesaid he learned theimportance of focusing on details during his 23 years as aprivate lawyer

In 2009, Crain was elected as judge in the northshore’s 22nd Judicial District,then was elected to the state’s 1st Circuit Court of Appeal, before running andwinning aseat on the Louisiana SupremeCourt in 2019.

VanHook received hisundergraduatedegree in 1993 from Centenary College in Shreveport. He gothis law degreefrom the Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1997.

He clerked for 5th U.S. Circuit Court Appeals Chief Judge HenryA.Politz, who satinShreveport andwas an appointee of former President Jimmy Carter.Van Hook then clerked for U.S District Chief Judge Tom Stagg, anominee of former President Richard Nixon who alsosat in Shreveport

VanHook met hiswife, Tricia, whileclerkingfor Stagg, whose seathewill assume if confirmed, though it was most recently held by Judge Elizabeth Foote, who took senior status in 2022 and sat in Shreveport.

VanHookworked for a short time in the executive counsel’soffice for Republican Gov.MikeFoster.For the past quartercentury, he was an assistant U.S. attorney for theWestern District of Louisiana focusing

BUC-EE’S

Continued from page 1B

The Lafayette store, however, will likely come after that is done. Company officials have not respondedto questions about its timeline, but its website indicates a 2028 opening. No building permits have beenapproved by Lafayette Consolidated Government, but crews have resumed working on thesiteat the corner of Louisiana Avenue and Interstate 10 in preparation for construction. When Buc-ee’sacquired land in December, it indi-

HEBERT

Continued from page1B

In early October,Savoie transitioned to afaculty position in UL’s College of Education, according to UL System President and CEO

Rick Gallot. Following asix-monthsabbatical,Savoiewould move into afull-time tenured faculty position at thecollege in the fall of 2026. Savoie would receive his $510,000 annual salary until the new year Specifics on his new salary weren’tdisclosed, only that he would earn the average

of thetop three facultysalaries in theCollegeofEducation Financialconcerns have surroundedSavoie’s resignation.

Hebert, shortly after his appointment as interim president, reported the universityhad runinto a$25 million funding deficit. He subsequently announced the eliminationofsix positions. He also saidthe Office of Sustainability and Community Engagement has been closed and the Office of Communications and Marketing and the Office of Auxiliary Services have been restructuredinaneffort to reduce costs.

VanHook was madethe district’schief federal law enforcementofficer as acting U.S.attorneyinJanuary Trumpnominated Van Hooktothe federal bench soon after tapping Zachary A. KellerasU.S.attorney on Sept. 15.

After fielding questions from the SenateJudiciary Committee, the two nominees were asked to respond to written questions by Oct. 29. The committee will then vote on whether to recommend that thefullSenate vote to confirm the nominees.

The process is moving quickly for Crain and Van Hook —Trump nominated them in late September comparedwithLouisiana nominations earlier this year

Democratic senatorshad opposed many of the candidates nominated for federal trial and appellate courts as too doctrinaire andheldup the confirmations of all the judicial candidates, including those from Louisiana who nobody publicly criticized.

“Some of the nominees the Democrats were furiousabout. Butthese two weren’tthatcontroversial,” said Carl Tobias,aUniversityofRichmond law professor who follows judicial nominations.

Louisianahas four judicial nominationsthatare vacant —three in New Orleans, which is alot for a state, he added.

“I thought they got off easy.Theydidn’treally get thatmany difficult questions,” Tobias said. “I don’t see anyred flags. Iwould expect theyget confirmed this year.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

WebreJr.,Preston La Chapelle de Martin &Castille of Lafayette at 1:30pm Obituaries

LaGroneDickerson,Allie Fedelia

Allie Fedelia LaGrone Dickerson wasbornonJuly 14, 1935 and had apermanent address changeon October17, 2025 at 90 years old.

Allie was born in Deadwood, Texas to farmersand Pastor Jeff David AndOleat LaGrone.She marriedLarryDickerson, whom she had known her whole life,in1956. Allie andLarrymoved to Baton Rouge so Larry couldfinish collegeatLSU andthen moved to NewOrleans wheretheywelcomedtheir son, Mason, in 1958. From there,theymoved to Lafayette whereshe lived untilher death

Allie hadmany beautiful qualities. Shewas an incredibleartist, capturing thebeauty of East Texas andSouth Louisianaon canvas.

Shewas afaithfulwoman of prayer andshe and Larry helped build many churches andsupported many evangelists andmissionaries over their69 years of marriage.

Shehad awonderful sense of humor and loved to laugh.She wasanexcellent cook andher home wasa beautiful example of herlove for antiques and estate sales.

Sheloved herfamilythe most. Sheissurvived by herhusbandLarry, her son, Mason, herdaughterin-law Colleen, grandchildren Allyson andHalley (Nathan)Hulsman, and her great granddaughters Juliette,and Genevieve Theseall broughther the most joy.

cated constructiononthe $82 millionproject would begin early 2025 and the store would open in the second quarter of 2026. Buc-ee’sopeneda store in PassChristian, Mississippi, in June.

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.

Hebert said additional facultyand staff cutswill follow

Email Stephen Marcantel at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY

TUESDAY,OCT.21, 2025

PICK 3: 5-2-8

PICK 4: 2-5-0-5

PICK 5: 7-9-3-4-3

MEGA MILLIONS: 2-18-27-34-59

MEGA BALL: 18 Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

UL women’s basketball exhibitions gain value this season

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

In the past, one could argue whether exhibition college basketball games were important in the big picture.

For the 2025-26 UL women’s basketball team, the 6 p.m. Thursday contest against LSU-Alexandria might be one of the most important exhibition games in program history Not a single player who was with the program a year ago has returned. For most of the offseason, it appeared 6-foot2 center Charlotte Carvalho would return after missing all of last season with a knee injury but coach Garry Broadhead confirmed Monday she elected not to come back after obstacles prevented an easy return from her homeland in Senegal.

“It’s a little different than in the past,” Brodhead said. “Actually, I’m kind of excited about it because it reminds me of my first year here.”

In addition to a brand-new roster, Brodhead still is waiting to fill out his coaching staff. Temeka Johnson has joined him as an associate head coach and Kacie Cryer has moved over from director of operations to recruiting coordinator

But two spots have yet to be filled and the season opener is Nov 3 against Bowling Green at home.

PHOTO By UL ATHLETICS

transfer Jazmyne Jackson has emerged

Cajuns

BY KEVIN FOOTE

The UL running game didn’t have a lot of fun two weeks ago in a road loss to James Madison. In that game, the Ragin’ Cajuns rushed for only 45 yards. The Dukes vaunted defense played a big role in that, but it also didn’t help that leading rushing Zylan Perry was out for that game. Perry’s return for last week’s homecoming game didn’t produce a win over Southern Miss, but it helped elevate the UL rushing attack to the tune of 217 yards.

“I

period of time is what we’ve been working on.” It appeared to work. Perry rushed for 55 yards on 13 carries.

Numbers say LSU receivers dropping passes at alarming rate

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

LSU’s last chance to steal a win from Vanderbilt fizzled out when its offense couldn’t convert a manageable third down late in the fourth quarter

The Tigers needed 8 yards. Though Garrett Nussmeier faced pressure from the right side, he managed to fire a pass to an open receiver Barion Brown had the separation. He just needed to adjust to a slightly underthrown ball and make the catch for what should have been a 10-yard gain. But the pass flew through his hands and bounced off of the turf instead, forcing LSU to punt It was the Tigers’ second and final drop of the day Their offense never got the ball back.

“When you look at the body of work,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said, “it hasn’t been a group that has been sloppy and dropping the football and has caused us to come up short against Ole Miss and Vanderbilt

“But having said that, it’s certainly something that we want to be flawless at.”

LSU could move the ball last season It finished 2024 ranked 25th among FBS teams in total offense (432 yards per game) and 35th in yards per play (6.19).

But the No. 20 Tigers (5-2) have taken a sizable step backward.

They will enter their matchup with No. 3 Texas A&M on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC) ranked 83rd in total offense (367) and 64th in yards per play (5.79). They’re not turning red-zone trips into touchdowns. They’re not running the ball efficiently They’re not completing enough passes downfield, and, crucially, they’re dropping too many passes.

Only one SEC team has more drops this season than LSU, according to Pro Football Focus data, and just two have dropped a higher percentage of their offense’s pass attempts.

In 2024, LSU receivers dropped just 4.3% (23) of the offense’s 534 total passes.

Through the first seven games of 2025, the Tigers

Running back to see more playing time following the loss of Miller to an

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Throughout the year, Devin Neal will take what he calls a “phone cleanse.” The rookie running back for the New Orleans Saints gets off social media. He won’t answer his phone unless it’s an emergency, or his parents and coaches are trying to reach him. He’ll avoid the device as much as possible to help clear his mind. But after the biggest play of his young career, Neal just so happened not to be participating in one of these cleanses. And even if he had been, the near-constant buzz from his device would have been too hard to ignore anyway

“It was a lot of people, man,” Neal said. The people in his life wanted to talk about the block. In Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears, Neal stood on the right side of quarterback Spencer Rattler when he noticed an unblocked Jaquan Brisker

flying in off a blitz. In a split second, Neal turned to lower his body and boom! The 22-year-old collided with the Bears safety to push him off course, allowing Rattler to step into the pocket and avoid the hit.

“He’s one of the smarter guys — rookiewise, running back-wise — that I’ve been around,” Rattler said of Neal. “He’s really intelligent.”

“That’s my responsibility, especially in that protection,” Neal said.

Neal’s responsibilities will increase after last weekend. The Saints lost backup running back Kendre Miller to a seasonending ACL injury, which puts Neal next in line to see playing time behind Alvin Kamara. Neal said he’s ready for the moment. Though he wasn’t drafted until the sixth round in April, Neal had a productive college career He became Kansas’ all-time leading rusher in part because he was the first Jayhawk to rush for more than 1,000 yards in three straight seasons. The Saints liked Neal for his blocking,

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

6:30 p.m. South Alabama at Georgia St. ESPN2

MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY

6p.m. WesternMichiganatMichigan BTN

WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER

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6:30a.m. DP WorldTour:The GenesisGolf

Living up to thehype

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Carencro High School coach GavinPeters isn’tone to overhype his players. But when it comes to quarterback Carson Gurzi, Peters can’thelp himself.

Gurzi has been spectacular thisseasonfor theBears (5-2, 4-0 District 3-5A)

“Hehas the ability to be as good as anyone whohas ever played the quarterback position in the state,” said Peters, whose team visits Sulphur at 7p.m. Thursday

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound sophomorehas completed 100 of 156 passes for 1,888 yards and 20 touchdowns with just two interceptions Gurzi’spassing yardageisthe most in the Acadiana area and ranksthird in thestate behind Evangel Christian’sPeyton Houston (2,480), an LSU commitment,and Dunham five-star quarterback Elijah Haven (1,944)

“The first time Imet Carson, Iknewhe had achance to be really good,” Peters said “When you look at his mechanics,the way he throws the football and how he moves in the pocket, you could see he was something special. He could be agenerationaltalent on the field, off the field and in the classroom.” Gurzi doesn’tshy away from thelofty expectations placed on him.

“Pressureisa privilege,” said Gurzi, who broke the Bears’ single-game passing record with 412 yards in a63-7 win against Lafayette High. “The role that Iwant to be inhas alot of pressure. That comes withit.” Peters cites Gurzi’swork ethicand commitment to the game among the reasonsfor his success.

“The intangibles such as height,weight, length and speed are things that God gives you,” Peters said. “But what makesyou special is what you bring to the table. Effort toughness, discipline, commitmentand pride are important. Carson isanunbelievable champion in all of those areas.”

Gurzi, who has a3.8 GPA, credits theoffseason work and individual growth by his teammates for his success.

“There has been alot of keys to helping me succeed. Everyone else has developed,” Gurzi said. “In the offseason, the whole offense put in aton of work.Myreceivers and running backs worked on the route trees, plays and concepts in the offseason and the offensive line has really stepped itupinthe runand passinggame. Everyone is better than they were last year ” As afreshman, Gurzi completed 42 of 84 passes for 493 yardswith sixtouchdowns and nine interceptions. He said he’snot surprised by his sudden success this season.

“Absolutelynot,” he said.“Iexpectthis from myself. I’m still not happy with where Iamatright now.Iwant to be No. 1inevery single category there is.Iwant to be thebest. Iwant to lead my team to adistrictchampionship and astate championship.”

That desire separates Gurzi from the rest, Peters said.

“Carson checks all of the boxes exceptfor the athleticism part,” Peters said,“and he is workinghis tailoff to become more fluidand skilled in how he moves. He has thearm talent, the IQ, poise and composure. The kid has been flat-out phenomenal and I’mgladheis part of our program.”

Gurzi, who also plays baseball and hastaken an interest in golf, said heisn’tconcerned about becoming overconfident.

“I know where Icame from,” Gurzi said. “I wasn’t alwaysatthe topofthe line whenguys were being picked. Iknowmyground point, so it is easy for me to stay humble. Thejob is not done. If we winagame, thenext time I want to win the game and score more

“Ifwego8-2 andwin the districtchampionship, next yearIwant to go undefeated and win the district championship. There is no point where I’m going to be satisfied.”

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Former TeurlingsCatholic coach Dane Charpentier is returning to the campus Friday to play the Rebels as the East Ascension offensivecoordinator.Kickoff is set for 7p.m.

Back on familiar turf

East Ascension’sCharpentier returnstotakeonTeurlings

It was agame neither Dane Charpentier nor East Ascension coach Brock Matherne wanted to schedule.

“We’re pretty good friends in the coaching circles,” Charpentier said. “You look for the other people with the same (open) datearound the state. We’reall calling the same people and they were all telling us no.”

It was play each other or absorb an open date. As a result, Teurlings signed a two-year contract with East Ascension. The Rebels won the first meeting 28-14 last year in Gonzales.

Thesecond game takes place Friday in Lafayette, but boy,has alot changed since then.

As part of some sweeping changes at his alma mater Charpentier resigned as the Rebels coach in January to become theoffensive coordinator underhis buddy MatherneatEast Ascension.

Three monthslater,Teurlings graduate Dennis Skains left Cecilia to join his friends at East Ascension as well.

Before it was all over, Matherne had six new assistant coaches with rootsat Cecilia and Teurlings.

Longtime Teurlings coach and Cecilia assistant Sonny Charpentier, formerTeurlings graduate and defensive coordinator BradTaylor, Teurlings graduate andCecilia offensive line coach Myles Melanconand former Cecilia wide receivers coach Landon Lalande were also suddenly wearing blue and yellow.

“When Icame here, Ididn’t knowany of those guys were going to come or not,” said Dane Charpentier,who coached under Skains at Cecilia before being the named the Rebels’ coach. “It wasn’t abig package deal. Imade the jump in January.Iwas ready to start over on my

He’salso enjoyed the perks of not being ahead coach.

Commanders’ Daniels out; veteran Mariota to start WASHINGTON Quarterback JaydenDaniels will miss the Washington Commanders’ game at the Kansas City Chiefs because of an injuredright hamstring and Marcus Mariota will start in his place, aperson with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday Washington (3-4) has lost two games in arow heading into the contest at Kansas City (4-3). Daniels, aformer LSU star,had an MRI exam aday after leaving in the third quarter of Washington’s44-22 loss at the NFC EastrivalDallasCowboys on Sunday. He grabbedatthe back of his right legwhile limpingoff thefieldafter getting sacked and fumbling. Daniels,the AP NFL Offensive Rookieofthe Year last season, alreadyhas missedtwo games this season because of an injury to his left knee, on which he’sbeen wearing abrace.

Giants hire Tennessee coachVitello as manager

The San Francisco Giants are hiring Tennessee coach Tony Vitello as their new manager forhis first pro coaching job.

It’sabold gamble on acoach with no pro experience by San Francisco executive Buster Posey

The 47-year-old Vitello is making the jumpafter spending his entire career at the college level. Vitello guidedthe Vols to theirfirstNCAA title last year

Vitello has guided the Volunteers to regularsuccess in theSoutheastern Conferencesincebeing hiredinJune 2017.Inaddition to theNCAA titlelastyear aresix regional appearances, five super regionalberthsand threeCollege World Series trips.

Kevin Foote

own. It was kind of aleap of faith. My wife looked at me sideways for awhile.

“But she and the kids have settled in pretty good. My family couldn’thave been treated any better coming here.”

While thetransition has gone smoothly,Charpentier and friends will be visiting somefamiliar confines Friday against the undefeated Rebels.

“I’ve been at Teurlings in someway,shape or form since Iwas 4,” Charpentier said. “So yes, there’sstill a lot of people over there that I care alot about. It’ll be good to see those people.”

On thefootball side of things, thenew coaching staff has elevated the Spartansfrom back-to-back 3-7 seasons to5-2 this year

“It’s been awesome,” Charpentier said. “Asthe weeks go by,we’re getting better and better buy-in, especially from theolder kids, in what we’re trying to do.”

East Ascension is coming off a49-48 barnburner win at archrival St. Amant.

“I got to takepart in theSt. Amant-EastAscension rivalry,which is really special,” Charpentier said. “It’slike Breaux Bridge-Cecilia with about 10,000 more people. “I’ve now been able totake part in Breaux Bridge-Cecilia, Teurlings-St.Thomas More and now East Ascension-St.Amantrivalries. Until now,you don’tknow how big adeal St. Amant-East Ascension is.”

“Awyeah,” he laughed. “Dennisand Ijust sit at our desk and makefun of Brock all the time when he has to do head coach stuff.Wejust do what assistants coaches do and Brock’sgot the headaches.”

Things have gone wellfor bothsides so farthis season.

Former Teurlings linebacker Michael Courville replaced Charpentier and has the Rebels at 7-0.

“Things happen forareason,”Charpentier said. “This is areally fortunate place for me to land.”

Game of theweek

In aseason filled with blowouts, it’stimefor an oldfashioned nail-biter between two top teams. We may finally get that when Acadiana travels to meet Southside.

The Rams have won four straight, while the Sharks have won six in arow.Acadiana and Southside make up two-thirds of the topcontenders forthe District3-5Atitle

The other is Carencro, which plays Southside next Thursday,before finishing with Acadiana in Week 10.

Sneaky-goodmatchup

Neither Northside nor Comeaux have legitimate chances of winning adistrict title, but there aren’tmany moresuccessful reclamation projects in the area than the Vikings andSpartans. Both have had had lean seasons of late, but Northside stands at 5-2 and Comeaux is 4-3 after ending a33-game losing streak in Week 2. Winning seasons would be huge for both programsand winning this gameisthe key to achieve such agoal.

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

Week 8schedule

Florida baseballcoach O’Sullivan taking leave

Florida baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivanwill takea leave of absence to address personal matters effectiveimmediately,the school said Wednesday Associate head coach ChuckJeroloman will take over O’Sullivan’s dutiesonaninterim basis.

O’Sullivan is theprogram’salltime wins leader with a756-371 (.671) record in 18 seasons. He has led the Gators to 17 NCAA regionals, nine College World Series appearances, six Southeastern Conference championships and the 2017 national title. In August, theNCAADivisionI Baseball Committee issued apublic reprimand to O’Sullivan for aggressive behaviorand profanity-laced language directed at site administratorsfor the regional in Conway, South Carolina, in June.

Water-deprived PGA Tour

stop in Maui canceled

ThePGA Tour is canceling its season opener at TheSentry instead of finding areplacement course for water-deprivedKapaluaonMaui, the firsttimea tournament has been canceled sincethe COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The Sony Open in Honolulu will be the first tournament of 2026 on Jan. 15-18, the latest start to ayear since the PGATour wasformed in 1969.

Thetour and Wisconsin-based Sentry Insurance had contemplated other courses to stage the $20 million signature event for PGA Tour winners andthose fromthe top 50 in the FedEx Cup. Instead, they chose not to play it at all.

NFL analystSanchez’s trial date setfor Dec. 11 INDIANAPOLIS An Indianapolis judgeonWednesday confirmed Dec. 11 as the trial date for Fox Sports analyst and former NFL player Mark Sanchez,who’s chargedwithattacking and seriously injuring atruck driver outside ahotelinwhatprosecutors say was adispute over aparkingplace. Thepretrialconferencelasted only about 21/2 minutes. Sanchez, who wasmore seriously hurt in the confrontation, was not required to be present and did not enter aplea. Most of those dates were set earlier,but they’re all subject to change. DeLaney said Sanchez’s recovery process is ongoing and mayimpact the schedule. Prosecutors expressed doubt afterward that Dec. 11 is arealistic trial date. Defense attorneys left without taking questions from reporters.

have 16 drops on their 245 pass attempts — a rate of 6.5%

That number might be low, according to ESPN data. Early in LSU’s loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday, wide receiver Zavion Thomas let one of Nussmeier’s throws slip through his hands, prompting the game’s ABC broadcast to say the Tigers receivers had dropped 17 passes this season — a total that was tied for the eighth-most in the country

Had Thomas secured that catch, LSU would have picked up at least 6 yards on the 10th play of its first drive — a second and 13 from Vanderbilt’s 31-yard line. Instead, on third down, Nussmeier burned a timeout before firing incomplete to covered tight end Trey’Dez Green from a collapsing pocket.

LSU settled for a 48-yard field goal on fourth down.

The drop was a miscue, made more costly because the Tigers possessed the ball for only 23 minutes of game time.

“And that’s what this game came down to,” Kelly said Monday “I mentioned it many times. It’s like playing a triple-option team. You don’t get many possessions. We had five possessions going into the fourth quarter and

so when you have limited possessions, those errors are magnified by 10.”

Nine LSU receivers have dropped a pass this season, per PFF Four have multiple drops, including Brown, tight end Bauer Sharp and wide receiver Aaron Anderson with three apiece. Those mistakes if repeated once again can have an outsized effect on LSU’s chances of winning.

Only 15 FBS teams have a greater time-of-possession average than Texas A&M, which possesses the ball for more than 32 minutes per game and rushes for nearly 200 yards per game.

Quarterback Marcel Reed is one of six SEC quarterbacks with more than 200 yards rushing on the season, and he ran for three touchdowns last year in the Aggies’ home win over LSU.

“Those kids catch the ball every day — in the morning, afternoon at practice,” Kelly said “We want to be better in everything we do, whether it’s a drop here or there or not playing with low pads or tackling. I think those are all the fundamentals that we go to work on every single day, including catching the football.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

UL

Continued from page 1C

“That made it different in the offseason,” he said. “Even for the players themselves, a lot of times new players will go to the veteran players to ask how things work. You didn’t have that And with all the coaching changes, it was actually just coach Kacie and me here this summer.”

So what kind of team will the Cajuns have this season? Everyone will start to find out along with the coaches themselves with the first of two exhibition games. The second one is set for Monday against Mississippi College.

“I think we’ve got to see some of that (defending) and offensively, can we score?” Brodhead said.

“That’s going to be the big things. Can we put those kids in great position to get good shots?”

The good news is a leader has emerged in Georgia Southern senior transfer Jazmyne Jackson

“She’s just like the big-time face of our program already,” Brodhead said. “She’s just a very, very good player, but she’s also the first one on the court and the last one to leave. She’s putting a lot of time in and can really shoot the ball.

“As a person, she’s just so per-

CAJUNS

Continued from page 1C

“He (Perry) always shows up,” Bergeron said. “He’s a very very bright running back who does his job and is very professional. I was extremely proud of how he handled the situations he was in.”

The Franklin High product is still the team’s leading rusher with 466 yards and five touchdowns on 72 carries. He was complemented by teammate Bill Davis adding 62 yards on 14 tries. Each back got 37 snaps in the game.

UL coach Michael Desormeaux suggested the Southern Miss game might have been the best one of the season for Davis.

“I would agree,” Bergeron said “I think the James Madison game was not his best, and he’ll tell you the same thing. We challenged him to play to his strength and his strength is power He’s a bigger back and he’s tough to tackle when his shoulders are going north and south.

Olave among key players to miss practice for Saints

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Three key New Orleans Saints players did not participate in Wednesday’s practice ahead of the team’s Week 8 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Wide receiver Chris Olave (ankle), defensive back Alontae Taylor (personal) and defensive end ChaseYoung (illness) were all absent from practice. Another starter, tight end Juwan Johnson, was limited with a neck injury and wore a red noncontact jersey Olave briefly left last week’s game against the Chicago Bears, but he never went to the blue injury tent on the sideline and later re-entered the game. He’s coming off his best performance of the season, catching five passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Alvin Kamara (ankle) also was a limited participant in practice. Kamara suffered his ankle injury in the Saints’ win against the New York Giants and has now appeared on the injury report for three consecutive weeks.

Defensive tackle John Ridgeway (shoulder) was a full participant in practice, and coach Kellen Moore said he will be added to the active roster this week. Ridgeway opened the season on injured reserve, and Wednesday was the deadline for the Saints to activate him.

On the Buccaneers’ side, a whopping 11 players did not participate in practice, though Wednesday was just a walk-through after Tampa Bay played Monday night against the Detroit Lions.

Among the nonparticipants for the Buccaneers were star rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka (hamstring), wide receiver Chris Godwin (fibula), running back Bucky Irving (foot/ shoulder), pass rusher Haason Reddick (ankle/knee), safety Antoine Winfield (toe) and linebacker Lavonte David (knee/rib).

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday that both Irving and Godwin would not play against the Saints.

Philip Rivers, Jason Witten, Frank Gore, LeSean McCoy, Greg Olsen and Maurkice Pouncey

Of the group, Brees certainly has the best shot at earning a gold jacket in his first opportunity

Only Tom Brady threw for more yards or touchdowns than Brees, who finished his career with 80,358 yards passing and 571 touchdowns.

Brees has four of the top eight individual seasons by passing yards in NFL history, was the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV and led the Saints to a 142-86 record in his 15 years as the franchise quarterback.

Brees is not the only player with Saints or New Orleans connections on the list. Former All-Pro guard and current member of the Saints coaching staff Jahri Evans also made the cut, as did former New Orleans players Lorenzo Neal and Olin Kreutz, and New Orleans native Reggie Wayne

out the clock. Earlier this summer, during an appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was asked whether he regretted anything about the play

“I hate the Saints. Absolutely not, no,” Mayfield said. “We were making the playoffs. It’s a situation where you take a knee, go to the playoffs. But we decided to throw it on first and 10 just to get Mike the 1,000 yards.”

Asked about that comment by Tampa Bay media corps this week, Mayfield doubled down, suggesting the Saints played dirty against the Buccaneers.

“It hasn’t exactly been clean play from their part when we play them,” Mayfield said. “It’s a physical game, it is what it is You expect it, division rival. Not much else to say besides the fact that I don’t like them.”

sonable. Her teammates love her.”

Brodhead also has been impressed with 6-foot-3 junior Tulane transfer Lily Ba.

“Lily is another one who’s connected,” he said. “She’s working hard, too. Those two have definitely stepped up.”

Much like Brodhead’s first season at UL in 2012-13, he’ll be counting on multiple freshmen to help with the scoring load.

That includes Imani Daniel of John Curtis Arianna Patterson from Walker High and Amijah Price of Woodlawn in Baton Rouge.

“Price can create for herself,”

Brodhead said “She’s just got to learn on the defensive side.

There’s no doubt the freshmen are coming along good. They’re starting to kind of get to understand it a little bit more. I think when the lights come on, that’s when the ones who can really play show up.”

Until that youth movement gets more experience, UL could count heavily on Southern Miss junior transfer Mikaylah Manley

“This exhibition game is going to be really important,” Brodhead said. “Honestly, the preconference season is going to be extremely important.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

Brees advances

Saints legend Drew Brees is one step closer to being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility

Brees was one of 52 modernera players to advance to the next round of the Hall of Fame’s voting process. He is one of eight players to advance this far in his first year of eligibility, joining Larry Fitzgerald,

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

but they liked what he can do as a runner too.

“Great vision, good cut,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “He’s got a good balance to him. He just had a good feel for the run game.”

To this point, Neal’s workload had been relatively limited. Any chance he had in pushing for more playing time was derailed in training camp when a hamstring injury sidelined him for two weeks. By the time he returned, Miller had solidified the No. 2 job.

But Neal said even when he was injured, he was still prepared. He sat in meetings and learned the playbook From a physical stand-

“We try to tell him to be decisive, see what you see and trust what you see. Then hit it and just go.”

UL is averaging 189.6 yards rushing per game this season, and that’s with an offensive line bat-

Mayfield: ‘I hate the Saints’

In Week 18 last season, the last time the Saints and Buccaneers played, Tampa Bay called a pass play in the closing seconds of a 2719 win in order to push receiver Mike Evans to his eighth consecutive 1,000-yard season. The play was not without some minor controversy, as the Buccaneers were in position to kneel

point, Neal said he wasn’t too hampered by the injury upon his return. He felt winded in his preseason debut, he said, but then felt “perfectly fine” after that.

From there, Neal was part of a numbers crunch. He played seven offensive snaps in New Orleans’ opener but was a healthy scratch over the next four games. He got back in the lineup to play special teams in a Week 6 loss to the New England Patriots and then played again the following week against the Bears.

In Chicago, Neal again played seven offensive snaps. He needed only one to make an impact.

On his block of Brisker, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the play was that it came from an unscouted look. The Bears ran that type of Brisker blitz for the first

tling injuries and position changes.

“I really don’t think that’s had a big impact on us,” Bergeron said. “(Offensive line coach Steve) Farmer does such a good job in the spring and the summer of rotating guys continuously so our backs get to work various (O-line) setups.”

Those backs at their best is what the Cajuns need in Saturday’s 6 p.m. road game against the Troy Trojans, who are tied for first place in the Sun Belt West race at 5-2 and 3-0.

The Trojans are giving up 173.7 yards rushing a game so far this season.

“They do a great job of mixing up the front and chopping up the front,” Bergeron said “That makes it hard to square up and get double teams on them, which is a credit to those guys as coaches.”

While all the focus right now is on beating Troy, Bergeron said he remains ecstatic about the future of the running back room.

True freshman Darrell Smith made his collegiate debut at James Madison on Oct. 11.

“He handled it like I thought he would,” Bergeron said. “Dar-

Mayfield has produced at an MVP level for Tampa Bay this season, throwing for 13 touchdowns against just two interceptions while leading the Buccaneers to a 5-2 record. He’s had the Saints’ number since signing with the Buccaneers before the 2023 season, going 3-1 against them.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

time to try and catch New Orleans off guard, but Neal processed the sequence fast enough to make the adjustment.

“That showed up in the college film from Devin, which was a little bit of an impressive aspect (of his game),” Moore said. “His ability to protect, we felt like that would give him a head start compared to a lot of guys coming from college, where protection necessarily isn’t part of their tools.”

That head start has put Neal in a position in which the Saints now are counting on him, but Neal said he’s more than prepared for his opportunity

He just might have to turn his phone off first.

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

rell comes from a pretty big high school program. Darrell has played in a few state championships. He had a significant role in it as a sophomore. So he’s been in big-pressure situations starting at a young age, and he didn’t bat an eye. It’s because of the way he approaches every day

“His competitive spirit is through the roof. He wants to win. I’m excited about him in the future.” If health allows, the Cajuns want Smith to play in just four games this season to maintain his redshirt season.

Bergeron is also encouraged by what redshirt freshman Steven Blanco (22-126, 1 TD) has achieved this season.

“He’s been such an unselfish football player,” Bergeron said of Blanco. “I mean, he’s such a great teammate. I think he was as excited when Darrell played as Darrell was.

“Everything we ask him to do, he does it as hard and with as much effort as he possibly can.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

STMvolleyballhandles Teurlingsinheavyweight tilt

BY MIKE COPPAGE

Contributing writer

It’scircled on both team’scalendars every year

Prep volleyballbehemoths

St. ThomasMore and Teurlings Catholic met for the only time this seasonatSTM in aDistrict 4-II matchup on Tuesday Beforethe match,Rebelscoach TerryHebert said it wouldtakea nearly flawless game coupled with some mistakes by the Cougars for his team to win. Teurlings Catholic won the first set, but the Cougars rallied to take the next three for a 19-25, 25-14,25-19, 25-20 victory

“You’re going to see it in the gym tonight,” STM coach Jessica Burke said of the rivalry.“It’sprobably themostpacked game where the community rallies around it. Itry to notmake it abig deal for my players.”

The Rebels (19-10, 5-1), No. 8in Division II, erased a4-0 deficit in the first set.Seniorsetter Anna Claire Hebert (21 digs, 29 assists, three kills) served on four straight winning points to tie it, and she dished out twoofher four acesin the set.

“Wehave to make sure webrush offour errors andunderstand they’re part of the game,” Burke said.

“Sometimes balls are going to fall in the cornersand perimeter,and that’sOK. Ithought we didagood jobofnot lettingthings botherus.”

No. 1STM (28-5, 6-0) got themo-

St.Thomas More’sAbbyStrother,left, and Clare Thomson compete during the Cougars’ four-set win over arch rivalTeurlings Catholic on Tuesday.

mentum in the second set when libero Eleanor Guidry scored akill, arareoccurrence foradefensive player that Burke had only seen

happen once on the high school level.

“Eleanor is extremely offensive,” Burke said. “If you give her

an easy dump, she’ll punish you for it. HerIQissuper-high. She understands the game at ahigh level. She’s pretty phenomenal.”

Guidry finished with 23 digs, threeassists andanace forthe Cougars, who never trailed again in thethird setafter taking a1514 lead on an error by the Rebels. Six Cougars collected at least five kills, led by Morgan Dunn and Virginia Blanchard (eight each).

“MarissaBilledeaux really lit it up in the first couple of sets,” Burke said of the sophomore who hadsix kills. “She dida really good job. Everyone did agreat job. It wasagood, balanced effort.”

Defensively,Audrey Wheeler and Blanchard totaled15and 18 digs, respectively.Dunn, Wheeler andMarvelPotier(sevenkills) each served two aces. Abby Strother andMallory Franklin finished with five kills apiece.

STM’ssetters,Wheeler and Clare Thomson, totaled 16 and 22 assists, respectively.Thomson, a sophomore, added nine digs.

“Mysetters both didareally good job,”Burke said. “It was nice to see us step up in the second, third and fourth sets.”

Olivia Hebert led the Rebels with 14 kills and also chipped in 12 digs. AvaHebert added eight kills and four digs. Carsyn Fontenot had 30 digs, and Hannah Bergeron chipped in 12.

“We’restill struggling to find some offensive continuity,” coach Hebert said. “I wish we were putting balls away alittle sooner and moreeffectively,but we’re working on it.”

3-1

3-0

Mary,3-0

3-1

St. Martinville def. Abbeville, 3-0 Westminster def. SacredHeart-GC 3-0 Ascension Episcopal def. Glencoe Charter, 3-0 ESAdef. Highland Baptist, 3-0 Sulphurdef. Carencro, 3-0 Church Pointdef. Northwest, 3-0

Iota def. Rayne, 3-1 North Vermilion def. Beau Chene, 3-0 David Thibodaux def. Cecilia, 3-2 Opelousas Catholic def. North Central, 3-0 St. Edmund def. Elton, 3-0 Westminster-Lafayette def. Vermilion Catholic,3-0

Houma Christian def. Delcambre,3-0 Lafayette Renaissancedef. Eunice, 3-0 Marksville def. Port Barre,3-0 Thursday’s matches Southside at Comeaux, St. Thomas MoreatBeau Chene, Ascension Episcopal at VermilionCatholic,

Westminster-Lafayette at ESA, Catholic-NI at Acadiana Renaissance, DelcambreatCenterville, Lafayette Christian at Catholic-PC, Lafayette RenaissanceatPort Barre, St Martinville at NotreDame,Church PointatIowa, Lake CharlesPrepat Northside, Opelousas at Pineville

Breaux Bridge at David Thibodaux, Southside at Comeaux, North Vermilion at Teurlings,Acadiana at New Iberia,Barbe at Carencro, Sulphur at Lafayette,Highland Baptist at Glencoe, Elton at North Central,Sacred Heart-GC at Northside Christian.

SCOREBOARD

Major Scores, schedule Tuesday’s games SOUTH KennesawState

Florida International 26 Western Kentucky 28, Louisiana Tech 27, OT Wednesday’s games EAST Middle Tennessee (1-5)atDelaware (3-3),n FARWEST Missouri St. (3-3)atNew Mexico St. (3-3), n Thursday’s game SOUTH South Alabama (1-6)atGeorgia St. (1-6), 6:30 p.m. Major League Baseball Postseason Glance WORLD SERIES (Best-of-7) (FOX) LosAngeles vs.Toronto Friday: at Toronto, 7p.m. Saturday: at Toronto, 7p.m. Monday: at LosAngeles,7p.m. Tuesday: at LosAngeles,7 p.m.

x-Wednesday, Oct. 29:atLos Angeles,7 p.m.

x-Friday, Oct. 31: at Toronto, 7p.m.

Cutcook time, notflavor, by using handytip

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)

Ilike teriyaki pork, but it usually needs time for the meat tomarinate in the sauce. Using astore-bought teriyaki sauceand this easycooking method,I was able to have this meal ready in less than 10 minutes.

The steamed Chinese noodles are partially cooked and take only aminute to cook in boiling water.They areavailable in most supermarkets. If difficult to find, use any type of thin pastaand follow package cooking instructions.

Teriyaki GlazedPork Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer ¾pound

1. Cutporktenderloin into ½-inchslices andpress them to about ¼ inch thickwith theflat side of aspatula.

2. Heat amedium-sizenonstick skillet overmedium-high heat andspray with vegetable oil spray

3. Add pork and saute2minutes per side. Add the teriyaki sauce and snow peas to the skillet. Mix well. Continue to cook,spooningthe sauce over pork slices as they cook. Ameat thermometer should read 145 F.

4. Divide in half and place ontwo dinner plates. Sprinkle sliced scallions and sesame seeds on top.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 275calories (27 percent from fat), 8.2 gfat (1.7 gsaturated, 3.6 gmonounsaturated), 108 mg cholesterol, 39.4 gprotein, 9.9 gcarbohydrates, 2.4 gfiber,416 mg sodium.

Chinese Noodles

Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer

¼pound fresh or steamed Chinese noodles 2teaspoons sesame oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1, Fillamedium-size pot three quarters full of water and bring to aboil over high heat.

2. Add noodles to boilingwater.Cook1 minute or accordingtopackageinstructions.

3. Drain, return to pot and add oil and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Divide in half and place on the dinner plates with the pork.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 251calories (19 percent from fat), 5.4 gfat (0.8 gsaturated, 1.9 gmonounsaturated), no cholesterol, 7.4 gprotein, 42.6 gcarbohydrates, 1.8gfiber,3mgsodium.

BY BETH DOOLEY

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

The classic BLTisasourceofdelight, comfort and sustenance. Thecombination of sweet-tart tomato, crisp-rich bacon, crunchylettuce and lush mayo defines a great sandwich with universal appeal. The BLTwas the first meal Ilearned to make formyself with my cousin Jack after surfing at the New Jersey shore. Sometimesinour fierce, sunburned hungers,

aSicilianfrittedda and lemoncookies bring theflavorfor fall ä See BRIGHT, page 6C Baconmakes everything better,even this sandwich

thought that it would be fun to mix it up at thetable alittle bit. We still want easy dishes, but there is no reason not to also make them innovative and tasty Familiar doesn’thave to be boring. Sweet potatoes are delicious and nutritious. An elegant and easy dish to makewith regular potatoes is Sweet Potatoes Anna. Ithought that such a simple preparation would allow the sweet potato flavor to shine through. It is also avisually lovely dish. Give it atry now.You may like it enough to serve it as the traditional sweet potatocontribution to your Thanksgiving table. Frittedda is one of my

ä See BACON, page 6C

thingiscompletelydistributed throughout the mixture.Add this mixture to the wet ingredients 1 3 at atime, being careful to fully incorporate thedry ingredients. Do not overmix. This step can be done by hand.

5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate foratleast an hour

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Please the butterand sugartogether in abowl of an electric mixer and cream together on medium speed. This should take 5minutes or until the mixture lightensin color.Add the lemon zest and mix for 30 additional seconds.

6. Useacookie scoop to scoop out dough. Roll each cookie ball in the sugar on the plate and then placethe ball on asiliconemat on acookiesheet.Theyshould be 2-3 inches apart. Place the cookie sheet into the preheated oven. Cook for12minutes. The cookies should be golden on the edges. Remove from the oven andallowtorest for5 minutes. Then remove them from the silicone mat with aspatula and allow to cool on awire rack.

7. If you have many pans to bake, be sure to place the waiting dough back into the refrigerator while cookies are baking.

Therecan only be one‘Nonna’ around

Dear Miss Manners: My ex-husband and Ihave been divorcedfor over 20 years. We see each other at familyfunctions and are very cordial and polite with each other,as is his girlfriend, who also attends these events. Neither of us has remarried. He has been in arelationship with this female for many years, but they don’tlive together

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

When our sons had their first babies, my ex wantedthe family to refer to his girlfriend as Nonna (“grandmother”). Our sons

By The Associated Press

immediately shut that idea down, stating that their children already have agrandmother,and thatthey would refer to the girlfriend by her first name. This was out of respect for me, and also to avoid confusing the children. Butrecently,while visiting oneofmysons, my daughter-in-law and Iwere having aconversation about my 9-year-old grandson. She was relaying something that my grandson had said about hisgrandfather’sgirlfriend, and referred to heras“Nonna.”

TODAYINHISTORY

the country,ending theuprising on Nov.4

Today is Thursday,Oct. 23, the 296th day of 2025. There are 69 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Oct. 23, 1983, 241 U.S. service members, most of them Marines, were killed in asuicide truck-bombing at theU.S.Marine Corps barracks at Beirut International Airport in Lebanon, while anear-simultaneousattack on French barracks in Beirut killed 58 paratroopers.

Also on this date:

In 1915, an estimated 25,000 women marched on FifthAvenue in NewYorkCity in support of women’ssuffrage.

In 1942, during World WarII, Britain launched amajor offensive against Axis forces at El Alamein in Egypt, resultinginan Allied forces victory In 1944, the Battle of Leyte Gulf began; the largestnaval battle of World WarIIresulted in amajor Allied victory against Japanese forces, paving theway for the retaking of the Philippines. In 1956, astudent-sparked revolt against Hungary’sCommunist rule began; as the revolution spread, Soviet forces entered

In 1987, the U.S.Senate rejected theSupreme Court nomination of Robert H. Bork, 58-42. In 1989, 23 people were killed in an explosionataPhillips Petroleum chemical complex in Pasadena,Texas In 1995,a Houston jury convicted Yolanda Saldivarofmurdering Tejano singing star Selena; Saldivarwas sentencedtolife in prison with the possibilityofparoleand remains in prison.

In 2001, Applereleased the iPod. An estimated 450 million iPod devicesweresold before the line was discontinuedin2022.

Today’sbirthdays: Film director Philip Kaufman is 89. Advocate and humanitarian Graça Machel is 80. Filmdirector Ang Lee is 71. Jazz singer Dianne Reeves is 69. Country singer Dwight Yoakam is 69. Activist and philanthropist Martin Luther King IIIis68. Author and commentator Michael Eric Dyson is 67. Film directorSam Raimi is 66. Comedic musician “Weird Al” Yankovicis66. Rock musician Robert Trujillo (Metallica) is 61. Racing driver and paracyclist Alex Zanardi is 59. CNN medical reporter Dr.Sanjay Gupta is 56.

Strips of crispybaconsizzle on

Bacon, Brie and Pear Baguette Sandwich

Serves4to6.Recipe is from BethDooley.The baguette makesa sturdy base forthese rich, flavorful ingredients; toastedsourdough sliceswillalsoworkwell. We’ve added asmear of orange marmalade forsweettang, butthat’soptional. Slice thesandwich into halves or quarters for appetizers. They’ll hold up for aday when made ahead andcovered.

1(18-inch to 24-inch) baguette,sliced on the diagonal 1to2tablespoons orangemarmalade, optional 4to6ounces brie cheese, slicedthin 1largepear,peeled, cored and sliced thin 8slices cooked bacon (see Cooking Tip)

1. Toast the baguette slices. Spread each slice with the marmalade.

Immediately,Iasked, “Is he referring to her as Nonna now?” He never had before, nor had anyone else in thefamily.She replied, “Yes.” Iimmediately said that Iwas not comfortable withthat, and that it really bothered me. The girlfriend can be thesubstitute Nonna after Idie (which I’m not planning on doing anytimesoon).

Am Iwrong in feeling that my grandchildren already have a grandmother,and that the title should not be shared withtheir grandfather’sgirlfriend?

Gentlereader: How you feel about

it is not Miss Manners’ department. Nor is basic biology,though she cannot help noticing that even if you were not divorced, your grandchildren would have had to grapple with the“confusion” of having two grandmothers, assuming their mothers’ mothers were still alive. Etiquette can comment on some of the terms being used (or misused).Your ex-husband and his girlfriend are outside of normal usage in applying “grandmother” to anonresident nonrelative just as you are outside of normal usage in applying “cordial” to a

relationship with someone you refer to as “this female.”

Had your ex remarried, his then-wifecould have claim to the title of grandmother.But even without that, you have no right to dictate what the grandchildren call anyone other than yourself

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

Serves 4to6

3to4medium sweet potatoes

1cup buttermilk

1stick butter,melted

Saltand pepper to taste

½cup grated Parmesan cheese or 4 ounces goat cheese

1. Butter atart pan that is 9inches across with aremovable bottom. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

2. Slice the sweet potatoes into circles on amandolin. (If you do nothaveamandolin,you can cut the sweet potatoes into very thin slices or use apotato peeler to cut

Serves 4to6

¼cup extravirgin olive oil

4or5scallions, chopped, white and green parts

5clovesgarlic, minced

Sweet Potatoes Anna

thin slices. Trytomakethe slices uniform.(Ijust wash my sweet potatoes. Youmay decide to peel them. That is up to you.)

3. As you accumulate apile of potato slices, toss them in abowl with thebuttermilk. Keep slicinguntil you have sliced all the sweet potatoes. (Ifyou feel that you need more buttermilk, addsometothe bowl.)

4. Take the prepared pan and placethe first sliceasclose to the edge of the pan as possible, laying it flat. Overlap the slices into concentric circles from the outside to the center.You may need to place asliceinthe middle of the pan.

With apastry brush, brush butter on the slices. Sprinkle lightly with saltand pepper. Continue to layer the potatoes this way until all the potato slices are used. (Ifyou have too many slices for the pan, you’ll find that they makeexcellent fried potato chips.)

5. Sprinkle the top of the dish with Parmesan cheese or break up the goat cheese into half-inch pieces and dot the top with them

6. Bake for 30 minutes. If the cheeseisnot browned, add5 minutes and keep checking until the top is slightly crisp and the cheese is browned.

2. On half of thebaguette slices, arrange the brie on one of the sides spread with marmalade, then placethe slicedpearonthe brie, and place the bacon on top of thebrie. 3. Place theremaining baguette slices, marmalade side down, on top of thebacon. Cut and serve.

BACON

Continued from page5C

we’d swap out the bacon for potato chips. We’d slice thick our grandmother’sgarden tomatoes, add iceberg lettuce, and spread Hellman’sonpuffy white bread, then chase it all down with a frosty bottle of Coke. Now that we’re past tomato season, the quest is on for a sandwich with autumn appeal. Start with great bread with slices you’d like to enjoy on their own. Toasting can improve the flavor and texture if it’sindanger of becoming soggy.Choose ingredients with contrasting textures and tastes. How about sharp cheddar cheese, bacon and snappy apples griddled to agolden fare-thee-well? Or funky brie,

COOKINGTIP: The best way to cook baconisinthe oven(lessspatter and cleanup).Preheatthe oven to 400 Fand line abakingsheet with enough aluminum foilto hang overthe sides of the pan. Arrangethe baconslices over the aluminum foil sothey do not touch.Bakeuntil crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the sheet panand using tongs, lift thebacon to set on apaper-towel lined plate to drain.

bacon and mellow sweet pear on atoasted baguette?

Thethrough line for any great sandwich is bacon —savory and chewy with just enough crunch. Come winter,I’lllean into slices of cooked beets and bacon with aswipeofchevre on multigrain breadorslices of roast butternut squash andbacon with adrizzle of hot honey on rye.

Alittle well-cooked bacon does awholelot of good.Look for bacon with fat evenly distributed through eachstrip. Thick sliceshold uptocooking and won’tcrumble as youbuild the sandwich. Among thedifferent cookingmethods, Iprefer sheetpanbaking foreasycleanup especially when multiple slices areinvolved (see thecooking tip above).

Salty andsucculent, bacon is thesecret to theperfect handheldmeal.

8ounces frozen or fresh shelledpeas (defrosted and drained)

8ounces frozen or fresh babyfavabeans (or babylimas, defrosted and drained)

12-16 ounces frozen artichokehearts or bottoms (defrosted and drained)

Fennel fronds (ordillormint), roughly chopped to make1cup (you can use a combination)

Saltand pepper Zest of 2lemons Juice of 2lemons

2tablespoons applecider vinegar

1⁄8 cup chopped capers for garnish

1. Addthe olive oil to the pan and heat over medium until it shimmers. Add thescallions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for4 minutes. Add the peas,fava beans and artichokes. Cook for 10 minutes

BRIGHT

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favorite Sicilian dishes, and there are certainly Sicilian influences everywhere in New Orleans. The salad is traditionally made in the springtimewhen fresh baby fava beans are available. Butartichokes, beans and peas freeze very well, without aloss of texture. So Isuggest that you use frozen vegetables tomake a frittedda that will wake up your taste buds, at the sametime as it is easy to prepare. My mother used to makeitfor me, starting withraw artichokes as aspecial treat when Iwas

2. Add half of theherbs, salt, pepper and zest and stir.Add the lemonjuice.Cook for5 minutes. Addthe apple cider vinegar.Cook for3 minutes moreoruntil the liquidisalmost evaporated. Stir to

growing up. This dish reminds me of her,but without the hard work. Youcan choose to use frozen artichoke hearts or bottoms. Just makesure that you defrost and drain theartichoke before you cook it. It is agood idea to defrost and drain the peas and the baby favas, too. If you cannot find either fresh or frozen favas, baby limas make agood substitute. Use good olive oil, not just any vegetable oil. This dish can elevate thewhole table. These lemon cookies are very lemony.That flavor is intensified by juice and zest. Even if you aren’thungry anymore, the intense flavor of lemon is awelcome freshness at the end of a meal.

keep from sticking. Serveasaside dish garnished with the remaining fresh, chopped herbs and capers. This dish is particularly delicious served tossed into pearl couscous.

Besides dessert, these cookies makeagreat snack. Keepthem in an airtight container,but don’t expect they will last long. They are good to add to apacked school lunch or forasnack with acup of coffee at work. Youcan vary them by using limes or oranges instead. Ireally like them with blood oranges. Let me know how they turn out. Ilove to hear from you.

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

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Pay attention to domestic issues and make changes to offset any negativityyou face at home. Learn from past mistakes and turn a wrong into aright. Honesty is the way to victory andnew beginnings.

scoRPIo(oct. 24-nov. 22) Give alittle, take alittle,and watch your life turn into amasterpiece. Don't deny yourself stardom when it's your turn to shine. Take achance on yourself, instead of buying into someone else's dreams, hopes andwishes.

sAGIttARIus (nov.23-Dec. 21) Achange of heart can alter your perspective regarding shared expenses or how you earn your living. Listen attentively, and you'll gaininsight into how to handle matters.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take better care of yourselfphysically.Pace yourself and avoid excess. The help you offer others must not be excessive andshould getyou something in return. Take your time; apremature decision will fall short.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep your thoughts and intentions to yourself. Someone will pry into your life, background or qualifications. It's best to isolate yourself if you want to get things done.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Take the initiativeand makeplans to socialize, participate andlearnall you can. Put your best foot forward,learn as you go and make things happen. Invest time and money in yourself and your future.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) The help you offer others will position you for advancement. Dealing with legal, institutional or secret matters will put your mind at ease andbring youone step closer to your goal.

tAuRus (April 20-May20) Abig move will lead to achange in direction or a chance to try somethingnew andexciting. It's up to you to seek out opportunities and pursue the goals that excite you the most.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Turnyour ideas into something tangible. Join interest groups, and you'll connect with someone who can help youexpand your dreams. Let your charm lead the way. cAncER (June 21-July22) Apply for anew position. Diversify how you utilize your skills, experience and knowledge, and you will discover new opportunities that can help you make more money. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Take greater interest in what'sgoing on behind closed doors. Pay attention to domesticissues and partnerships. Make your way forward with love and compassion.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept.22) It's all in how youapproachothers. Communication is the key to getting things done on time and perfectly. Resolve and establish financial matters,contractsand investments.

Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is notbasedonscientific fact ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

FAMILYCIrCUS

CroSSwordS

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placingpuzzle basedona9x9 grid with several given numbers The objectistoplace the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

TimeS CroSSword

By PHILLIP ALDER

Sydney J. Harris,aformer journalist in Chicago, said, “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remainthe same butget better.”

You are often faced with adilemma at the bridge table. Perhaps, should you winthistrickorloseit?That’sonereason whyweloveandhatethisgame.Theway out of adilemma, of course, is to analyze logically. In this deal, South blasts into sixspades.AfterWestleadsthediamond king, what shoulddeclarer do?

North’stwo-no-trump responseover West’s takeout doubleguaranteed four or morespadesand at least game-invitational values: 10-plus support points and eight or fewer losers. South’ssensible leap to thesmall slam kept the defenders in the dark. Note that aclub lead would have defeated six spades, anda slow, tortuous auctionmight havehighlighted that.

Southisfaced with two losers: one heart and one club. Buthecan get home by putting the opponent with the heart ace in adilemma. Which opponent will that be?

Based on the bidding, it is more likely to be Westthan East.

Declarer must ruff the opening lead in his hand. Then he draws trumps and leadshis heart five. What does West do?

If he wins with his ace, South has 12 tricksviasevenspades,threehearts,one diamond and one club. Alternatively, if West plays low, declarer wins with dummy’s jack anddiscards his heart king on the diamond ace. Thenheclaims, conceding one club and ruffinghis other two clubs on the board.

©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

game

InstRuctIons:

toDAy’sWoRD LoBByInG: LOB-ee-ing: Conducting activitiesaimed at influencing public officials

today’s thought “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it:except the Lord keepthe city, the watchman wakesbut in vain.” Psalms 127:1

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Stocks and gold sink; meme stocks swerve

NEW YORK U.S. stocksand the price of gold fell on Wednesday, as momentum on Wall Street reverses.

The S&P 500 sank 0.5%, though it’sstill within 1% of its all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 334 points, or 0.7%, from its record set the day before, while the Nasdaq compositefell 0.9%.

Netflix helped drag the market lower after delivering a weaker profit for the latest quarterthan analysts expected. The pressure is on the video streamer and on companies broadly to deliver solid growth in profits. That would counter criticism that their stock prices shot toohigh following a35% romp for the S&P 500 from a low in April.

Netflix’sstock came into the day withajump of 39.3%for theyearsofar,morethandouble theS&P 500’sgain, before it dropped 10.1% on Wednesday AT&T fell 1.9% after deliveringaprofit that onlymatched analysts’expectations, while Texas Instruments sank 5.6% after its profit fell just short of forecasts.

On thewinning side of Wall Street wasIntuitive Surgical, which sellsrobotic-assisted surgical systems. It jumped 13.9%after reporting better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Boston Scientific climbed 4% after likewisetopping analysts’profit expectations.

Capital One Financialrose 1.5%, and Western Alliance Bancorp climbed3.2% following theirown profit updates thatbeat analysts’ expectations.

Walmartpauses offers on H-1B visa prospects

Walmart Inc. has paused offers to candidates requiring H-1Bvisas, people familiar with the matter said, the latest example of how the Trump administration’s$100,000 visa fees aredisrupting workforces.

The current guideline primarily impacts Walmart’s corporate employees, said the people, who asked not tobe identifieddiscussing private information.

The Trump administration last monthslapped a$100,000 fee on new H-1B applications in abid to overhaul the visa programand curb overuse. The movehas reverberated across technology and otherindustries that employ thousands of such visa holders.

Walmart is the largestuser of H-1B visasamongmajor retail chains,employing an estimated 2,390 H-1B visa holders, accordingtogovernment data. That represents asmall fraction of itstotalU.S. workforce of about 1.6 million. While it’samong major employers of H-1B recipients, it’s dwarfed by Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp., Meta PlatformsInc. and other tech giants thatrelymoreheavily on thegroup.

Meta cutting 600 AI jobs but hiringfor lab MENLO PARK,Calif. Meta Platforms is cutting roughly 600 artificial intelligence jobseven as it continues to hire more workers for its superintelligencelab, the companyconfirmed on Wednesday Axios first reported the cuts, which will affect Meta’s FundamentalAIResearch, or FAIR unit, as well as productrelated AI and AI infrastructure units

Meta has taken adifferent approach to AI than manyof its rivals, releasing its flagship Llama system for free asan open-source productthat enables people to use and modify some of its key components. Metasays more than abillion people use its AI products each month,but it’salso widely seen as laggingbehind competitors such as OpenAI and Googlein encouraging consumer use of large language models, also known as LLMs.

BUSINESS

THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business

Reddit sues AI entities

Perplexity andothers stoleusercomments, companysays

BY MATT O’BRIEN AP technologywriter

Socialmedia platform Reddit

sued theartificial intelligence company Perplexity AI andthree other entitiesonWednesday,alleging their involvement in an “industrial-scale,unlawful” economyto “scrape” the commentsofmillions of Reddit users for commercial gain.

Reddit’slawsuit in aNew York federal court takes aim at San Francisco-based Perplexity,maker of an AI chatbot and “answer engine” that competes withGoogle,ChatGPTand others in online search.

Alsonamed inthe lawsuit are

Lithuanian data-scraping company

Oxylabs UAB, aweb domain called AWMProxy that Reddit describes as a“former Russian botnet,” andTexas-based startup SerpApi, which lists Perplexity as acustomer on itswebsite.

It’s the second suchlawsuit from Reddit sinceitsued another major AI company,Anthropic, in June.

But thelawsuit filed Wednesday is different in the way that it confrontsnot just an AI company but thelesser-known services theAI industry relies on to acquire online writings needed to trainAIchatbots.

“Scrapers bypass technological protections to steal data, then sell it to clients hungry for training material.Reddit is aprime target because it’sone of the largestand most dynamiccollections of human conversation ever created,” said Ben Lee, Reddit’schieflegal

Twopaidworkers will be available, despite government shutdown

BY JOSH FUNK Associated Press

The Agriculture Departmentwill reopen about 2,100 county offices all across thecountry Thursday despite the ongoing government shutdown to help farmersand ranchers get access to $3 billion of aid from existingprograms.

TheUSDAsaideachFarmServiceAgency office will have two workers whowillbepaid even though thegovernmentremainsshut down. Theseoffices help farmersapply for farm loans, crop insurance, disaster aid and other programs. Thousands of other federal employees like air trafficcontrollers are working without pay during theshutdown.

AUSDA spokesperson said this move reflects President Donald Trump’scommitment to helping farmers and ranchers, who are traditionally someofhis strongest supporters. Recently,some of them have been unhappy with Trump’slatest moves although hissupport remains strong across rural America.

Just this week, ranchers were unhappy with Trump’sidea to import morebeef from Argentina becausethat could hurttheir profits, andearlier this month soybean farmers complained that a$20 billion aid package for Argentina allowed that country to sell soybeanstoChina. Farmers are also still waiting on details ofan aidpackageTrump promised to helpthemsurvive his trade war withChina,but that aid has been put on hold because of theshutdown “President Trump will notlet theradical left Democrat shutdown impact critical USDA services while harvest is underway across the country,”the USDA spokesmansaid.

AWhite House official said the administration is using funds from theCommodity Credit Corporation, aUSDAagencythat addresses agricultural prices.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because theadministration’splans were not yet publicized.

Republicans like Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Iowa Sen. ChuckGrassley and North Dakota Sen. JohnHoevenalong with farm groupslike the National Corn Growers Association andIllinois Soybean Association praised the move while Democratsaccused the administration of using farmersaspoliticalpawns in theshutdownfight. Both parties have been unable to reach an agreement to fundthe government and end the shutdown

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press

Beyond Meat’ssharesbriefly sizzled Wednesday before heading back down again. Theplant-based meatcompany’s shares more than doubled early Wednesdaybeforeclosing at $3.58 per share,which was down 1%.

Still, it was asurprising comeback for astock that was trading at an all-timelow of 50 centsper share late last week. Investors cheeredBeyond Meat’s announcement Tuesday that it’s increasingthe availabil-

officer,inastatement Wednesday

The lawsuit accusesthe companies of unfair competition and unjust enrichment and alleges that some of them violated U.S. copyright laws.

Perplexity said it hasnot yetreceived the lawsuit but “will always fight vigorously for users’ rights to freely and fairly access public knowledge.”

SerpApi’scustomersuccess director,Ryan Schafer,said in an email: “Westrongly disagree with Reddit’sallegationsand intendto vigorously defend ourselvesin court.”

Oxylabssaidina statement it was “shocked anddisappointed” and “will not hesitate to defend itself againstthese allegations.”

AWMProxy could not immediately be reached for comment.

Scrapingfor publicly available online data is acommonpractice

usedbybusinessesand researchers but Reddit compares the companies it is suing to “would-be bank robbers” whocan’tget into the bank vault, so they break into the armored truck instead.The lawsuit alleges they are evading Reddit’s own anti-scraping measures while also “circumventing Google’s controlsand scraping Reddit content directlyfromGoogle’ssearchengine results.” Along withdigitizedbooksand newsarticles, websites such as Wikipedia andRedditare deep troves of written materials that can helpteach an AI assistantthe patterns of human language. Reddit has previously entered licensing agreements with Google, OpenAI andother companies that arepayingtobeable to traintheir AI systems on the public commentary of Reddit’smore than 100 million daily users.

that began Oct. 1.

Thune said reopening these offices,like he has been urging theadministration to do, will give farmers access to critical services in the midst of harvest season.

“Like manyhardworking Americans, producers in SouthDakota and across the country— who work tirelessly to provide highqualityfood for our nation —are being hurt by SenateDemocrats’ reckless government shutdown,” Thune said.

Kenneth Hartman Jr., whoischairman of theCornGrowersAssociation, said this is acrucialtime because farmers aregetting ready to place orders for next year’s seed

and fertilizer right now as well as settling up with the bankersfor this year’s operating loans. And farmers aregrappling with soaring costs.

“Because of the inflation factor,the farm economyisreallyinacriticalsituation here So anything that the farmers can get when it comes to support from the farm programs from thefarmbilloflastyear,weneedtoget that open and get that money out to them,” said Hartman, who is in the middle of harvesting his crop near Waterloo, Illinois.

The House Agriculture Committee Democrats said on Xthat this showsthatTrump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins “could have supported farmers all along, but youchose nottobecause you’d rather use farmers’ pain to score cheap political points while increasing thecost of living forordinary Americans by making food and health care moreexpensive.”

Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, who is the ranking Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, said the administration should have done this sooner to ensure that farmers can get the help they need.

“I am glad the administration is finally doing right by America’sfarmers by partially opening FSAoffices,though Iquestionwhy the administration waited so long and made this decision only after putting farmers through three weeks of uncertainty,” Craig said.

ityofsomeofits products at U.S Walmart stores. Beyond Meat said that its chickenpieces, Korean BBQ-stylesteak and burger sixpacks will nowbeeasier to findin morethan 2,000 Walmart stores. Beyond Meat also launched a direct-to-consumer website this week,whichwill try to build buzz by offering limitedreleasesofnew products.

But perhaps the biggest driver of interest in Beyond Meat is RoundhillInvestments, whichadded Beyond Meat to its Meme Stock ETF,orexchange-traded fund, on Monday.The fund consists solely

of meme stocks, which are stocks that gain popularity and trading volumebased on social media hype rather than acompany’sfinancial performance. Investors have been sporadically turning to meme stocksthroughout2025 in an effort to find bargains amid averypricey stock market. The stocks are often the target of “short sellers,” or investorsbetting against the stock.

Beyond Meat was the darling of theplant-basedmeat industry when it went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange in 2019. But in recentyears theElSegun-

do,California-basedcompanyhas been strugglingwithweakdemand for its burgers, sausages, tenders andotherproducts. Beyond Meat’s net revenue was down 15% in the first six months of this year

Beyond Meat’sstock price cratered last weekafter the company announced the expiration of lockup restrictions on some