The Acadiana Advocate 10-29-2025

Island suffersheavy flooding andwinddamage HU RRI CA NE ME LI

Category5 storm slamsintoJamaica

BY JOHN MYERS JR. and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press

KINGSTON,Jamaica Heavyfloodwaters swept acrosssouthwestern Jamaica, winds tore roofsoff buildings and boulders tumbled onto roadsTuesday asHurricane Melissa came ashore as acatastrophic Category 5storm,one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.

Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported as Melissa hit with 185 mph winds near NewHope, with officials cautioning thatthe cleanup and damageassessment could be slow

“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Prime MinisterAndrew Holness said. “The question now is the speedofrecovery That’sthe challenge.”

Floodwaters trappedatleast three families in their homes in the community of Black River in western Jamaica, and crews were unable to helpthem because of dangerous conditions, said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chair of Jamaica’sDisaster Risk

StateBond Commissionto consider measure

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

Gov.JeffLandry on Tuesday

urged state leaders to reject cashstrapped New Orleans’request for

Management Council. “Roofs were flying off,” he said. “Weare hoping and praying that thesituation will ease so that some attempt canbemadetoget to those persons.”

He notedthat extensive damage was reported in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which hesaid “is underwater.”

McKenziesaid there are no confirmed reports of deathsand stressed thatitwas too early to talk aboutthe extentofthe damage because thehurricane —the strongesttohit the island since recordkeeping began174 years ago —was still pummeling the country Rohan Brown, of Jamaica’sMeteorological Service, warned that as Melissa moves offthe coast, its counterclockwise rotation will bring aheavy stormsurge to northernJamaica through the night. The storm is headed toward Cuba, where it was expected to makelandfall as amajor hurricane early Wednesday

Nearly15,000 people werein shelters in Jamaica andsome 540,000 customers, or 77%, were

ä See JAMAICA, page 6A

a$125 million bailout and called for astate administrator to managethe city’sfinances, prompting city leaderstoscramble to convince the state to chart adifferent course.

The city needs the approval of theState Bond Commission —which is scheduled to meet Thursday— to sell $125 million in short-term revenuebonds, essentially payday loans for distressed

PHOTO

ä Louisiana newlyweds Stone Town and LexiPerkins traveled to Jamaica fortheir honeymoon but found themselves trapped on the island as Hurricane Melissa cameashore on Tuesday. Page 6A ä Fewstorms have formed in the Caribbean and Gulfthishurricane season. Page 9A

governments. Officials hopedto usethe money to make payroll through the end of the year,after Mayor LaToya Cantrell’sadministration saidlast week that delays in federal grant paymentsthreatened thecity’scashflow.The city is also looking for waystopluga $160 million budget deficit.

ButLandry in asocial media post Tuesday came out against theproposal and urgedRepublican lead-

No plan in place forfindingnew UL president

Boardtaking ‘strategic approach,’ spokesperson says

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

Nearly three months after University of Louisiana at Lafayette President Joseph Savoie stepped down from his position, there is still no plan to search for his replacement. There are no next steps, nor is there afinalized timeline for finding apermanent leader for the school, aspokesperson for the University of Louisiana system, which oversees UL and seven other schools, told The Acadiana Advocate in an email.

“The University of Louisiana System is taking astrategic approach to ensure

UL Lafayette’snext campus leader begins under the best conditions for long-term success,” aspokesperson said. “Interim President JaimieHebert and histeamare providing steady leadership and addressing key priorities, positioning the university forcontinuedstrength and stability.Details about future leadership plans will be shared publicly once finalized.”

It’sadeparture from the process other colleges in the University of Louisiana system have have used to conduct presidential searches in the past fewyears. At the University of Louisiana at Monroe,President Ron Barry stepped down in January.OnFeb. 6, the UL system announced the school’s presidential search committee membersand

ä See PRESIDENT, page 4A

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Achange in the Lafayette Mardi Gras parade route announced Monday has raised questions and concerns from some in the community,including City Council memberKenneth Boudreaux.

Mayor-President Monique Bouletannounced in anews release that the Mardi Gras parade route followed by all

krewes will shift back to an olderroute useddecades agothatprimarily includes Jefferson Street and Johnston Street. For many years, theparades rolledthroughthe heart of the city along JeffersonStreet. But for at least the past 20 years, the routeavoidedJefferson Street. The new route eliminates

ä See KREWES, page 4A

ers in the state Legislature to join him.Healso suggested appointing afiscal administrator to oversee thecity’sfinances.

The state committeeresponsible for making thatrecommendation is holding an emergency meeting Wednesday

“It is imperative that (New Orleans) address its financial matters promptly,”the governor said on X. He added that the Legislature’s

Republicans, manyofwhom serve on the state Bond Commission, should “denythe city’srequest to accumulate debt on the backs of its citizens.”

Landry’ssocialmedia post kicked off a48-hour sprint among NewOrleans’ political leaders to convincestate officials that they’re capable of managing the city’s

11 killed in plane crash

flying tourists to Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya A plane crash killed 11 people, mostly foreign tourists, in Kenya’s coastal region of Kwale early Tuesday while they were en route to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in heavy rain.

The airline, Mombasa Air Safari, said in a statement that eight Hungarian and two German passengers were on board, and the Kenyan pilot was also killed. The plane crashed in a hilly, forested area about 25 miles from the Diani airstrip, authorities said.

The airline did not confirm what time the aircraft departed Diani, saying the pilot failed to communicate upon departure and that the airport control tower tried to reach him for 30 minutes before the plane was located.

Investigating agencies were looking into the cause of the crash Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told The Associated Press. Authorities initially said the crash happened at 5:30 a.m. but the transport minister in a statement gave the time as 8:35 a.m.

The aircraft burst into flames, leaving charred wreckage, officials said. Witnesses said they heard a loud bang and found unrecognizable human remains at the scene.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on social media that the foreign ministry had been in contact with Kenyan authorities.

Flight diverted after two teens stabbed with fork

BOSTON A man from India stabbed two teenagers with a fork, slapped a female passenger and a crew member and mimicked shooting himself during an international flight, authorities said.

The Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany, on Saturday was diverted to Boston, where the Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, 28, was arrested and charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a 17-year-old passenger awoke to find Usiripalli standing over him. Usiripalli stabbed at the teen’s clavicle with a fork and then stabbed another 17-year-old boy in the head, causing a laceration, prosecutors allege. The first teen, who wasn’t injured because he was wearing a thick sweatshirt, told investigators he had exchanged pleasantries with the man seated next to him during boarding but otherwise had not interacted with him, according to the criminal complaint ‘Fawlty Towers’ actress Scales dies at 93

LONDON Actor Prunella Scales, best known as acidtongued Sybil Fawlty in the classic British sitcom “Fawlty Towers,” has died, her children said Tuesday She was 93 and had lived with dementia for many years.

Scales’ sons, Samuel and Joseph West, said she died “peacefully at home in London” on Monday

“Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home,” her sons said. “She was watching ‘Fawlty Towers’ the day before she died.”

Scales’ career included early roles in a 1952 television version of “Pride and Prejudice” and the 1954 film comedy “Hobson’s Choice,” followed by her TV breakthrough starring opposite Richard Briers in “Marriage Lines,” a popular 1960s sitcom about a newlywed couple. In “Fawlty Towers” she played the exasperated wife of hapless Basil Fawlty, played by John Cleese, whose efforts to run a seaside hotel inevitably escalated into chaos. Only 12 episodes were made, in 1975 and 1979 but it is regularly cited as one of the funniest sitcoms of all time. Cleese remembered Scales as “a really wonderful comic actress” and “a very sweet lady.”

Scales also starred as the small-town social powerhouse Elizabeth Mapp in “Mapp & Lucia,” a 1985 TV adaptation of E.F Benson’s 1930s series of comic novels.

Ceasefire in Gaza is tested

Israel, Hamas exchange fire and blame

BY WAFAA SHURAFA and RENATA BRITO Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Israeli army launched a barrage of attacks in Gaza on Tuesday as tensions with Hamas grew two weeks into a fragile ceasefire, and the militant group responded by saying it would delay handing over the body of a hostage. At least seven Palestinians were killed, health officials said The flare-up of violence presented one of the biggest tests so far for the truce and had international mediators scrambling to prevent it from collapsing U.S. Vice President JD Vance attempted to play down the fighting, saying he expected “skirmishes” to quickly die down.

The order from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch “powerful strikes” came after an Israeli official said its forces were fired upon in southern Gaza and after Hamas handed over body parts on Monday that Israel said were the partial remains of a hostage recovered earlier in the war Netanyahu called the return of these body parts a “clear violation” of the ceasefire agreement, which requires Hamas to return the remaining hostages in Gaza as soon as possible. Israeli officials also accused Hamas of staging the discovery of these remains on Monday, sharing a 14-minute edited video captured by a military drone in Gaza.

Israel notified the United States before launching the strikes on Tuesday, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

In Gaza City, at least two Palestinians were killed by strikes, according to Rami Mhanna, the managing director of Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken. In Khan Younis, an Israeli strike on a vehicle killed five Palestinians, including two children, according to Ahmed al-Farra, the head of pediatrics at Nasser hospital, where the bodies were taken.

Earlier in the day, Israeli troops were shot at in the southern city of Rafah and returned fire, according to an Israeli military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because there hasn’t been an official announcement yet.

In a statement, Hamas denied involvement in the gunfire in Rafah

and reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire. “The violent strikes carried out by Israel across the Strip is a blatant violation of the ceasefire deal,” said the group, calling on mediators to pressure Israel to stop.

The U.S. vice president expressed confidence that the ceasefire would hold. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be little skirmishes here and there,” Vance told reporters on Capitol Hill.

The ceasefire that began on Oct. 10 has largely held despite at least two previous flare-ups in violence.

On Oct. 19, Israel said two Israeli soldiers were killed by Hamas fire. Israel responded with a series of strikes that killed over 40 Palestinians, according to local health officials. And over the weekend, Israel carried out an airstrike against what it said were Islamic Jihad militants planning an attack, wounding several people.

There are still 13 bodies of hostages in Gaza. Hamas said Tuesday it had recovered the body of a hostage, but after Israel announced the plans to strike Gaza, Hamas said in a statement it would delay the handover

An AP videographer in Khan Younis witnessed Tuesday what appeared to be a white body bag being carried out from a tunnel by several men, including some masked militants, and then transported into an ambulance. It was not immediately clear what was in the bag.

The slow return of hostages’ bodies is posing a challenge to implementing the next stages of the ceasefire, which will address even knottier issues, such as the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international security force in Gaza and deciding who will govern the territory

Hamas has said it is struggling to locate the bodies amid the vast destruction in Gaza, while Israel has accused the militant group of purposely delaying their return.

Over the weekend, Egypt deployed a team of experts and heavy equipment to help search for the bodies of the remaining hostages.

An Arab official involved in negotiating the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas said talks were underway with both sides to try to prevent the truce from collapsing. “Both sides violated the agreement, but there was no significant breach,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter

The official said violations included delays in handing over bodies, the limited scaleup of aid delivery, and “minor skirmishes” on the line that separates Israeli troops from the rest of Gaza.

Johnson says ‘no path’ for Trump third term

Trump repeatedly raising idea

BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s musings about a potential third-term bid for the White House have run up against at least one obstacle: House Speaker Mike Johnson. Johnson, the Republican leader who has built his career by drawing closer to Trump, said they have discussed the issue, but

the speaker held the line against a Constitution-bending third term.

“I don’t see a path for that,” Johnson said Tuesday at his daily news conference at the Capitol, on day 28 of the federal government shutdown.

Johnson said he thinks Trump understands the situation: “He and I have talked about the constric-

tions of the Constitution.”

The speaker described how the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment does not allow for a third presidential term and changing that, with a new amendment, would be a cumbersome, decade-long process tow in over states and votes in Congress.

“But I can tell you that we are not going to take our foot off the gas pedal,” he said “We’re going to deliver for the American people, and we’ve got a great run ahead of us — we’re going to have four strong years.”

The speaker’s remarks

U.S. launches strikes on 4 alleged drug-running boats

14 killed in eastern Pacific, officials say

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the U.S. military has carried out strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean on four boats accused of carrying drugs, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor in the deadliest single day since the Trump administration began its divisive campaign against drug trafficking in the waters off South America

It was the first time multiple strikes were announced in a single day as the pace of the attacks has escalated. The nearly two-month campaign and U.S. military buildup have strained ties with allies in the region and opened speculation that the moves are aimed at ousting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the U.S has accused of narcoterrorism.

A statement provided by a Pentagon official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss the operation, said the strikes were conducted Monday off the coast of

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S military carried out strikes on four boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean accused of carrying drugs.

Colombia.

Following one attack on a boat, the military spotted a person in the water clinging to some wreckage. The military passed the survivor’s precise location to the U.S. Coast Guard and a Mexican military aircraft that was operating in the area, the official said.

However, the Mexican navy says it is searching about 400 miles southwest of the Pacific city of Acapulco, suggesting the possibility that the strike may have taken place far away from Colombia and closer to Mexico’s coast It wasn’t immediately clear exactly where the strike took place, and the Pentagon did not give more details.

Hegseth said Mexican search and rescue authorities “assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue” of the sole survivor but didn’t say if that person

was successfully rescued or would stay in Mexico’s custody or be handed over to the U.S.

Mexico’s navy still was attempting a search and rescue operation, the military said in a statement Tuesday a day after the strikes occurred. The American attacks drew renewed criticism from the regional ally

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her daily news conference that she asked the foreign affairs secretary and the navy to meet with the U.S. ambassador in Mexico to discuss the issue because “we do not agree with these attacks.”

“We want all international treaties to be respected,” she said.

The strikes also have strained ties with other historic allies like Colombia, a country whose intelligence is crucial to American antinarcotics operations in the region. In an escalating clash between the Republican U.S. president and Colombia’s first leftist leader, the Trump administration imposed sanctions Friday on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family and a member of his government over accusations of involvement in the global drug trade. Petro vehemently denies the allegations.

come as Trump, just 10 months in office in his second term, is testing the powers of the presidency in new and often jarring ways and repeatedly has raised the idea of trying to stay in power at the White House.

Hats blazing “Trump 2028” are passed out as souvenir keepsakes to lawmakers and others visiting the White House, and Trump’s former 2016 campaign manager-turned-podcaster Stephen Bannon has revived the idea of a third Trump term.

Trump told reporters Monday on Air Force One on his trip to Japan that he’d love to run again.

“I would love to do it,” the president said.

Trump went on to say that his Republican Party has great options for the next presidential election — in Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, who was traveling with him, and Vice President JD Vance, who visited with senators at the Capitol on Tuesday

“All I can tell you is we have a great group of people,” Trump said.

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Vance says he thinks troops can still be paid

Pressure builds as shutdown continues

BY KEVIN FREKING and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday he believes U.S. military members will be paid at the end of the week, though he did not specify how the Trump administration will reconfigure funding as pain from the second-longest shutdown spreads nationwide.

The funding fight in Washington gained new urgency this week as millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance, more federal workers miss their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports snarl travel plans.

“We do think that we can continue paying the troops, at least for now,” Vance told reporters after lunch with Senate Republicans at the Capitol. “We’ve got food stamp benefits that are set to run out in a week. We’re trying to keep as much open as possible. We just need the Democrats to actually help us out.”

The vice president reaffirmed Republicans’ strategy of trying to pick off a handful of Senate Democrats to vote for stopgap funding to reopen the government. But nearly a month into the shutdown, it hasn’t worked. Just before Vance’s visit, a Senate vote on legislation to reopen the government failed for the 13th time.

The strain is building on Democratic lawmakers to end the impasse. That was magnified by the nation’s largest federal employee union, which on Monday

called on Congress to immediately pass a funding bill and ensure workers receive full pay Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the two political parties have made their point.

“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship,” said Kelley, whose union carries considerable political weight with Democratic lawmakers.

Still, Democratic senators, including those representing states with many federal workers, did not appear ready to back down. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said he was insisting on commitments from the White House to prevent the administration from mass firing more workers. Democrats also want Congress to extend subsidies for health plans under the Affordable Care Act

“We’ve got to get a deal with Donald Trump,” Kaine said.

But shutdowns grow more painful the longer they go. Soon, with closures lasting a fourth full week as of Tuesday, millions of Americans are likely to experience the

difficulties firsthand.

“This week, more than any other week, the consequences become impossible to ignore,” said Rep. Lisa McClain, chair of the House Republican Conference.

The nation’s 1.3 million active duty service members were at risk of missing a paycheck on Friday. Earlier this month, the Trump administration ensured they were paid by shifting $8 billion from military research and development funds to make payroll. Vance did not say Tuesday how the Department of Defense will cover troop pay this time.

Larger still, the Trump administration says funding will run out Friday for the food assistance program that is relied upon by 42 million Americans to supplement their grocery bills. The administration has rejected the use of more than $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits flowing into November And it says states won’t be reimbursed if they temporarily cover the cost of benefits next month.

Vance said that reconfiguring funds for those programs was like “trying to fit a square peg into a round hole with the budget.”

BY JANIE HAR Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO A federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday indefinitely barred the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the government shutdown, saying that labor unions were likely to prevail on their claims that the cuts were arbitrary and politically motivated.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out She had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the job cuts that was set to expire Wednesday Illston, who was nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton, has said she

believes the evidence will ultimately show the mass firings were illegal and in excess of authority

Federal agencies are enjoined from issuing layoff notices or acting on notices issued since the government shut down Oct. 1. Illston said that her order does not apply to notices sent before the shutdown.

The Republican administration has slashed jobs in education, health and other areas it says are favored by Democrats.

The administration has also said it will not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November

The American Federation of Government Employees and other labor unions have sued to stop the “reductions in force” layoffs, saying the firings were an abuse of power designed to punish workers and pressure Congress.

“President Trump is using the government shutdown as a pretense to illegally fire thousands of federal workers — specifically those employees carrying out programs and policies that the administration finds objectionable,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley, in a statement thanking the court. The White House referred a request for comment to the Office of Management and Budget, which did not immediately respond.

KREWES

Continued from page1A

Congress Street; Lafayette Street by the public library,Parc Putnam and thefederal courthouse; and Vermilion Street past the firedepartment’sadministration building and Parc Sans Souci. Parades will still start at “Pontiac Point,” the intersection of Surrey Street and Simcoe Street, travel down Jefferson Boulevard across Evangeline Thruway before turning onto North Chestnut Street, then onto West Second Street

That’s wherethe routewill change. Instead of proceeding to Congress Street and passing in front of the library and federal courthouse, nowthe paradeswill turn left from Second Streetto East Cypress Street and then turn right onto Jefferson Street

“The return of Lafayette’sMardi Gras route to its original downtown location marksa meaningful moment for our community,” Mayor-PresidentMonique Boulet said in the news release.“It hon-

ors our city’sdeep cultural roots while promoting continued economic growth and providing a family-friendly celebration that welcomes everyone to share in the joyand traditions that make Lafayette so special.”

Boudreaux, whorepresentsthe area being eliminated from the new parade route, said Tuesday he and the council werenot consulted before thechange was announced. He heardonthe streets thatthe administration wasconsidering

aroute change,Boudreauxsaid.

Afterherequested adiscussion item be added to the Nov.4council agenda and city employees involved in researching the change were asked to attend the meeting, Boudreaux said the administration

suddenly issued the newsrelease. It’s unclear whythe Boulet administration decidedtomakethe change. It could be nostalgia, as people recall parades from their childhoodsrolling past former downtownstores like Abdalla’s andGreenwood Shoes. It could also be abenefit to downtownbars and restaurants along Jefferson Street.

But today’sJefferson Street, Boudreaux noted, is not the same as it was20or30years ago before the Streetscape program added brick sidewalks and landscaping that includes cypress trees. He andsome commenters on social media question whether someof the larger floats used today can maneuver tighter turns.

Acity Police Department representative worked with local krewes to test thenew route by having them drive the floats along Jefferson Street, chief communications officer Jamie Boudreaux said Monday.The floats had no trouble with the route, she said. The council meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 705 W. University Ave.

financeswithout outside interference, that asimilar fiscal crisis won’treemerge in the future and that ashort-terminfusionofcash is the best route to fixing the city’s budget woes.

Mayor-elect Helena Moreno,who is currently serving as City Council vice president, said she called Landry after he published the post and detailed measures the council plans to take to provide oversight of the bond proceeds and create efficiencies in next year’sbudget

“I think we started working toward amore workable path,” Moreno said.

Both Moreno and council President JP Morrell are planning to travel to Baton Rouge on Wednesdaytoask thestate’s FiscalReview Committee not to recommendthat New Orleans receive afiscal administrator.They also plan to appear before the State BondCommission on Thursday

The City Council is scheduled to hold aspecialmeeting Wednesday at which they will introduce acharter amendmentthatwould

PRESIDENT

Continued from page1A

announced an initialmeeting that was held in March.

Carrie Castille was named theschool’s10th president on May 19.

In May 2024, NorthwesternStateUniversity President Marcus Jones announced he was leaving the school to take aposition with the UL system. Asearch committee was formed by June 14, 2024.

Jimmy Genovese was selected as the college’s21st president on July 18, 2024. Part of the delay in finding areplacement might be the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’sdire financial situation.

The college has been grappling with a$25 million structural budgetdeficit that interim President Jaimie Hebert announced at the end of September.Since that

require the mayor to get approval fromthe council to move money around or spend in excess of the budget, Morrellsaid. The item,if approved, would likely appear on theballot fornextyear’smidterm election,hesaid

The council is also planning to introduce aresolutioninviting LouisianaLegislativeAuditor Michael Waguespack —who city leaders called on last month to examine thecity’sbudget deficit —towork with thecity’sInspector General on adeeper diveinto city spending from 2022 to thepresent. Waguespack chairs the Fiscal Review Committee.

“Theconcernsaround financial responsibility,they’re warranted, Morrell said. “But give us the opportunitytoright this shipina way that’ssolventand puts thecity in a proper stance.”

It’s not clear how New Orleans would close its short-termfunding gap if the Bond Commission decidestoreject theirrequest to issue emergency bonds. Cantrell’s administration did not respond to a request forcomment Tuesday

But Morrell said discussions are already underway with Cantrell’s finance department in theevent that New Orleans’ requestisde-

nied, including furloughing city workers and steeper cuts to city services. Still, he said, there’s “no easy solution.”

“If theBondCommission declinestogive us the money,it would devastate thecityofNew Orleans,”Morrell said, adding that he’d expect major conventions scheduled two to threeyears out to pull out of New Orleans and a “complete desertion” of cityworkerswho couldn’tstomach adisruption in payroll.

“It will lead to the absoluteundermining of the city of New Orleans as adestinationfor any major event,” he added.

Morrell, whochaired the state Senate’stax committee during his tenure in the Legislature, said the loss of tourismdollarswould also “devastate the state’sbottom line.”

The state collects a5-centsales tax in New Orleans andmost of the city’shotel and motel tax revenue.

The first hurdlefor New Orleans’ political leaders will be convincingthe Fiscal Review Committee to forgo recommending the appointment of fiscal administrator Landry in his social media post Tuesdayurged thecommittee which includes Treasurer John Fleming andAttorney General

Liz Murrillortheir designees, and Waguespack —to“utilize all necessary measures to thoroughly review thecity’sfiscal affairs and, if deemed necessary,appoint afiscal administrator.”

If the committee’smembers reach aunanimous agreementthat NewOrleans isn’tfinancially stable, as definedinstate statute, the attorney general would then file amotioninOrleans Civil District Court giving the city the opportunitytoshow cause forwhy afiscal administrator shouldn’tbeappointed. In February,astate judge appointed afiscal administrator to oversee the city of Bogalusa’sfinances upon the committee’srecommendation.

Murrill last week toldAxiosNew Orleans thatshe was considering taking over thecity’s finances under anewly amended law and in astatement Monday said Moreno hadpledged to workwiththe legislative auditor,“which Isupport andhave encouraged her to do.”

Waguespacksaid Tuesdaythat the committee will take into consideration the fact thatMoreno will take over as mayor in January Fleming, whoalso chairs the Bond Commission, saidinatextmessage said he is in discussion with

the governor, state Legislature and “the NOLAadministrationtoplan and coordinate assistance on the NOLA budget shortfalls.”

The next hurdle will be convincing the 14 members of the State Bond Commission,all of whom are Republicans, to give New Orleans permission to sell revenue bonds.

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser,a commission member,said he’sinNew York Cityand won’tbeatThursday’smeeting in Baton Rouge, but said in an interview that he’d have a“hard timevoting forit” given what he described as the city’srecord of wasteful spending.

Aspokesperson forSecretary of State Nancy Landry echoed those concernsina statement, adding that as of Tuesday afternoon, none of New Orleans’ elected officials had reached out to their office.

“Based on NewOrleans’sgross mismanagement of their finances, Secretary Landry has serious concerns about the city’srequest fora short-term loan.She will be seeking an answer from the city’srepresentativesatThursday’sBond Commission meeting,” the statementsaid.

Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.

announcement, the university has laid off 57 peopleand vacatedanother 19 positions throughretirements, resignations, reassignments and position eliminations. Hebert has placed thebulk of the blamefor the deficit on adecrease in full-time undergraduateenrollment in recent years Savoie, theuniversity’s longtime president, inJuly stepped down from hisrole afternearlytwo decades leading the university Savoie’sdecision to step down had likely been in the works forweeks and came on the heels of the departure of theuniversity’slongtime vice presidentfor administration and finance, Jerry Luke LeBlanc. Savoie metJuly2 in his officewith Mark Romero,the chair of the UL systemBoard of Supervisors, andULsystem President Rick Gallot. While all threeconfirmed at thetime that the meeting had taken place, they all denied

that Savoie wasleaving the university when areporter reached out that day

His term was not set to enduntil June 30, 2026, according to aJan. 27 letter of appointment that noted arecent satisfactory evaluation by theULsystem board.

Savoie’scompensation packageincludedanannual salary of $510,500, housing on theULcampus andthe use of avehicle or avehicleallowance of $1,000 per month

He’ll earn thatsalary through the endofthe year He’ll take asix-month sabbatical beforemoving into afull-time tenured faculty position in UL’s College of Education. Details about his new salaryhave not yet been disclosed, buthewillearn the average of the top three faculty salaries for that college.

Email Ashley Whiteat ashley.white@theadvocate. com.

La.newlyweds caught in hurricane’spath

Couple strugglesto leaveJamaicanresort

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

TwoLouisiana newlyweds who traveled to Jamaica for their honeymoon were trapped on the island’snorth shore Tuesday as HurricaneMelissa made landfall as aCategory 5storm.

High school sweethearts Stone Town, 21,and Lexi Perkins, 20, were married at abarn in Clinton on Oct. 18.

Less than aweek later,after days spent meeting localsand enjoying Jamaica’s beaches, the couple were calling familyfromtheir room at their resort and trying to get aflight off the island.

“They told us the airports are in distress; there’snoway for the planes to land or to fly out,” Town said, speaking over ashaky phone connection just before noon Tuesday

JAMAICA

without power,officials said. ColinBogle,aMercyCorps adviser,saidmost familieswere sheltering in place despite thegovernment orderingevacuations in flood-prone communities. He was sheltering with his grandmother in Portmore, where everything went dark after aloud explosion

“The noise is relentless,” he said “People areanxious andjusttrying to hold on until the storm passes.”

On Tuesday evening, Melissa had top sustained winds of 145 mph and was moving north-northeast at 8mph as its center moved into the Caribbean Sea,according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane was centered about15miles east of Montego Bay,Jamaica, and about 200 miles southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba. Its 185 mph winds and 892 millibars of central pressure tied two records for the strongest Atlantic storm at landfall. The pressure— the key measurement meteorologists use —tied 1935’sLabor Day hurricane in Florida. The wind speed tied the 1935 hurricane and 2019’sHurricane Dorian, said hurricane scientists Phil Klotzbach, of Colorado StateUniversity,and Brian McNoldy,ofthe University of Miami.

“It’sbeen aremarkable,just a beast of astorm,” Klotzbach told The Associated Press. With alife-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet expected,

At thesame time, Hurricane Melissa wasmaking landfall on Jamaica’ssouthern coast.

Hurricane Melissa carried wind speeds reaching 185 mph, according to news reports. In addition to being the strongest storm to ever strike Jamaica,itisone of the strongeststormsinthe historyof theAtlanticBasin. After roaring over Jamaica, the stormwas expectedtoreach Cuba by Wednesdaymorning.

Sevenpeople have already died as aresult of thestorm, according to reports.

Town’sand Perkins’ vacationwas only meant to last throughSunday.But as storm fears gathered throughout the week, their original flightshome were canceled.

“Wetried booking flightsfor Friday,and they were all taken. There was no way for ustoget aflight,”

Town said.“We’ve been trying to arrange some private flights to get outofhere, but it’snot looking good.”

Thecouple’sresort is on the

northern shore of theisland, and they have been told by Jamaicans that themountains usually work to break up winds.Still, Stone and Perkins areanxious to get home and seetheir 1-year-old daughter, Emerson.

Perkins saidshe began to cry when she realizedthe storm was going to keep them on the island.

“Our daughter is not even 11/2 years oldyet,” Perkinssaid,“so Iwas hesitant about leaving her already.And then for them to tell us that we weren’tgoing to be able to leave for at leastanother week, Iwas like ‘OK, Idon’t wanttodo this.I’m ready to go home.’

Thetwo were moved from their ground-floor room to oneonthe third floor,tohopefully avoid flooding. While Town described thebuilding as “upona cliff,” he said the water’sedge was probably only100 yards from wherethey are staying

Contacted just before5 p.m Tuesday, Town said that the storm’s eye had passed over their

resort andthatwinds andflooding had both increasedsince the start of the day.Hesaid floodwaterhad reached into some of the rooms.

Food and water have been provided by the resort, and internet and television access have remained mostlyconnected. Town said employees have kept them up to date and been very supportive.

The resorthadn’tlost power yet and has backup generators, Town said.

Amber Williams, Town’s mother, said she was abletospeak with the couple earlier this morning.

“It’s ascary situation; they don’t know what’stocome,” Williams said. “They’re justpraying and asking everyone for prayers. It’s just unknown.”

The resort has other American familieswho arealso trapped, Town said, as wellasafew British touristswho tell him they have no experience with severe storms and are very scared. Town said that earlierinthe

officials wereconcerned about hospitals along the coast. McKenziesaidfourmainhospitals were damaged, with the storm knocking out powertoone of them, forcingofficials to evacuate 75 patients.

Oneman called aradio station saying he urgentlyneeded to help awoman in westernJamaicawho hadgoneinto laborasthe storm neared landfall. The show’shost pleadedwith listeners to let him know thesafest hospital before an obstetrician called in to provide detailed directions on how to deliver ababy,ifnecessary

In Kingston, officials warned residents of the surrounding area

to watch outfor crocodiles that might be displaced from their habitatsbyflooding.

McKenziesaid thegovernment was prepared for rescues immediatelyafter thestorm passes through: “Wehave boats, helicopters, you nameit.”

The storm was already blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, includingthree in Jamaica, three in Haiti andone in the Dominican Republic, where another person remainsmissing. Tuesday evening, officials huddled in meetings to determine how best to clear the debris after thestormand launch thedistribution of emergency reliefsupplies

to avoid bottlenecksatJamaica’s ports, said Richard Thompson, acting general director forJamaica’s emergency management office.

Officials have said they hope to reopen the island’sairports by Thursday U.N. agencies anddozens of nonprofitshad food, medicine and otheressential suppliespositioned as they awaitedadistribution rush after the storm.

Melissa was expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba early Wednesday.Upto20inches of rain was forecast in areas, along with a significant storm surgealong the coast. In atelevised address to the na-

week most of the localswerenot very concerned, telling the newlyweds not to worry about evacuating. ButMondaynight things changed, Perkins said, with locals telling her that on ascale of one to 10, their worries wereata10.

“I asked, ‘Are you worried about you here, the resort, or theisland in general?’ Theywere like‘the island in general, our families,’ ” Perkins said.

The pair are stressed and anxious, but say they are grateful for their friends, families andchurch at home, whoare supplying them with prayers.

“If anything, keep sending prayers,” Town said. “Keep sending love and support.”

“Especially forthe people of the island,” Perkins added. “Obviously, we pray that we’re safeand everything will be fine withthe storm, but the island will have devastating effects forthem.”

Email Quinn Coffmanatquinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

tion Tuesday,Cuban President MiguelDíaz-Canelurgedthe population not to underestimate the power of the storm,“the strongest ever to hit national territory.”

In the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba, people streamed into thehomeof83-year-old Eduviges Figueroaatthe foot of the Sierra Maestra mountains to seek shelter after fleeing their homes in remoteareas by bus, truck and even horse-drawncarts.

“We’re helpingasbest we can,” she said. “Now I’mcooking foreveryone.”

People in Santiago de Cuba, the island’ssecond-largest city with more than 1millioninhabitants, spent Tuesday frantically preparing. Few people were on the streets, while state television showed Cubans in rural areas rounding up animals and protecting crops.

Diamon Mendoza, 36, did not hide her concern aboutthe unavoidable storm “May Godhave mercy on us, because it’scoming with alot of strength,” Mendoza said. “Anything can happen.”

Authorities in eastern Holguín province prepared to evacuate morethan 200,000 people Tuesday and evacuated asimilar number of people earlier from the town of Banes.

Reports on social media and state television showedblue andwhite buses ferrying evacuees to shelter earlyTuesday.Familiesclutched babies and belongings and elderly people steadied themselves with canes as they disembarked.

BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

PayPal, UPS send stocks to more record highs

The U.S. stock market pushed further into record heights on Tuesday

The S&P 500 added 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 161 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8% All three indexes set all-time highs for a third straight day. Moves were also relatively modest in the bond market as Wall Street waits for a few events that could shake things up. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve will announce its latest move on interest rates, while some of the stock market’s most influential companies will report how much profit they made during the summer On Thursday, President Donald Trump will meet China’s leader Xi Jinping.

United Parcel Service rallied 8% after delivering stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

UPS also gave a forecast for revenue in the all-important holiday shipping season that was slightly above analysts’ expectations.

PayPal climbed 3.9% after saying it made a bigger profit during the summer than analysts expected. It also said it plans to pay its shareholders a dividend every three months, while announcing a deal where internet users will be able to pay for purchases through OpenAI’s ChatGPT Consumer confidence dips modestly in October

WASHINGTON — Consumer confidence weakened slightly in October as Americans remain anxious about their future financial prospects. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell by 1 point to 94.6 in October from an upwardly revised September reading of 95.6. Economists were expecting the reading to come in unchanged from the previous month. One year ago, the reading was 109.5.

A measure of Americans’ shortterm expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market dipped by 2.9 points to 71.5, remaining well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead.

However, consumers’ assessments of their current economic situation rose 1.8 points to 129.3. Write-in responses to the survey showed that prices and inflation remained consumers’ biggest concern. Mentions of tariffs declined again this month but remain elevated, according to the Conference Board.

UnitedHealth tops

3Q forecasts

UnitedHealth has returned to better-than-expected growth after starting the year swamped by medical costs and then withdrawing its forecast for 2025.

Leaders of the health care giant said Tuesday that care use is now climbing at rates they expected, and the company envisions annual growth next year that accelerates in 2027. In the meantime, UnitedHealth is going through a transition year, resetting health insurance prices and trimming unprofitable parts of that business

That includes cuts to its individual health insurance enrollment and losing about 1 million customers from its Medicare Advantage business. That provides privately run versions of the government’s coverage program mainly for people age 65 and over

With 8.4 million customers, UnitedHealth is the nation’s largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans. The company said Tuesday that it now expects adjusted earnings this year of at least $16.25 per share. That tops analyst forecasts of $16.21 per share, according to FactSet.

UnitedHealth started 2025 with expectations of making as much as $30 a share. But the company later cut and then withdrew its forecast. In May, former CEO Andrew Witty abruptly left the company UnitedHealth Group Inc. runs one of the nation’s largest health insurance and pharmacy benefits management businesses Its Optum business also provides care and technology support.

THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business

Amazon cuts 14,000 corporate jobs

Spending on artificial intelligence accelerates

BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN Associated Press

Amazon will cut about 14,000 corporate jobs as the online retail giant ramps up spending on artificial intelligence while cutting costs elsewhere.

Teams and individuals impacted by the job cuts will be notified on Tuesday Most workers will be given 90 days to look for a new position internally, Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology at Amazon, wrote in a letter to employees on Tuesday Those who can’t find a new role at the company or who opt not to look for one will be provided transitional support including severance pay, outplacement services and health insurance benefits.

Amazon has about 350,000 corporate employees and a total workforce of approximately 1.56 million. The cuts announced Tuesday amount to about a 4% reduction in its corporate workforce.

In June, CEO Andy Jassy, who has aggressively sought to cut costs since becoming CEO in 2021, said that he anticipated generative AI would reduce Amazon’s corporate workforce in the next few years.

Jassy said at the time that Amazon had more than 1,000 generative AI services and applications in progress or built, but that figure was a “small fraction” of what it plans to build.

Amazon has announced plans to invest $10 billion in building a campus in North Carolina to expand its

cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure. Since 2024 started Amazon has committed to about $10 billion apiece to data center projects in Mississippi, Indiana, Ohio and North Carolina as it builds up its infrastructure to try to keep up with other tech giants making leaps in AI. Amazon is competing with OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta and others. In a conference call with industry analysts in May, Jassy said that the potential for growth in the company’s AWS business is massive. “If you believe your mission is to make customers’ lives easier and better every day, and you believe that every customer experience will be reinvented with AI, you’re going to invest very aggressively

Flight delays may spread amid stress

Air traffic controllers going without pay during shutdown

BY JOSH FUNK

AP transportation writer

Air traffic controllers missed their paychecks Tuesday because of the ongoing government shutdown, and that has Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the head of the controllers’ union concerned that flight delays could multiply as increasingly stressed-out controllers call out sick.

Recent absences have led to a number of isolated delays around the country because the Federal Aviation Administration was already extremely short on controllers prior to the shutdown. The FAA restricts the number of flights landing and taking off at an airport anytime there is a shortage of controllers to ensure safety

major airports nationwide have still been on time this month.

Though a two-hour-long staffing-related ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport made national news on Sunday, a major thunderstorm in Dallas that day had a bigger impact on flights when only about 44% of flights were on time.

Cirium said 72% of the flights out of LAX were still on time Sunday

But Duffy and the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association Nick Daniels have continued to emphasize the pressure that controllers are feeling. They say the problems are likely to only get worse the longer the shutdown continues.

cause of their frustration with the situation and because controllers need the time off to work second jobs instead of continuing to work six days a week like many of them routinely do.

Duffy has said that controllers could be fired if they abuse their sick time, but the vast majority of them have continued to show up for work every day

Air traffic controller Joe Segretto, who works at a regional radar facility that directs planes in and out of airports in the New York area, said morale is suffering as controllers worry more about money

“The pressure is real,” Segretto said. “We have people trying to keep these airplanes safe. We have trainees — that are trying to learn a new job that is very fast-paced, very stressful, very complex — now having to worry about how they’re going to pay bills.”

in AI, and that’s what we’re doing. You can see that in the 1,000-plus AI applications we’re building across Amazon. You can see that with our next generation of Alexa, named Alexa+,” he said.

Amazon’s workforce doubled during the pandemic as millions stayed home and boosted online spending. In the following years, big tech and retail companies cut thousands of jobs to bring spending back in line.

The cuts announced Tuesday suggests Amazon is still trying to get the size of its workforce right and it may not be over It was the biggest culling at Amazon since 2023, when the company cut 27,000 jobs. Those cuts came in waves, with 9,000 jobs trimmed in March of that year, and another 18,000 employees two months later Amazon has not said if more job cuts are on the way

OpenAI may move forward with new business structure

BY MATT O’BRIEN and THALIA BEATY Associated Press writers

OpenAI said Tuesday it has reorganized its ownership structure and converted its business into a public benefit corporation after two crucial regulators, the Delaware and California attorneys general, said they would not oppose the plan. The restructuring paves the way for the ChatGPT maker to more easily profit off its artificial intelligence technology even as it remains technically under the control of a nonprofit.

OpenAI

CEO Sam Altman said in a call Tuesday that “the most likely path” for the newly formed business is that it becomes publicly traded on the stock market, “given the capital needs that we’ll have and sort of the size of the company,” though a Wall Street debut was not a part of the announcements detailed Tuesday Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings and California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in separate statements that they would not object to the restructuring, seemingly bringing to an end more than a year of negotiations and announcements about the future of OpenAI’s governance and the power that for-profit investors and its nonprofit board will have over the organization’s technology

The company also said it has signed a new agreement with its longtime backer Microsoft that gives the software giant a roughly 27% stake in OpenAI’s new for-profit corporation but changes some of the details of their close partnership. Microsoft’s $135 billion stake will be just ahead of the OpenAI nonprofit’s $130 billion stake in the for-profit company

The attorneys general of Delaware, where OpenAI is incorporated, and California, where it is headquartered, had both spent months investigating the proposed changes.

“We will be keeping a close eye on OpenAI to ensure ongoing adherence to its charitable mission and the protection of the safety of all Californians,” said Bonta. OpenAI said it completed its restructuring “after nearly a year of engaging in constructive dialogue” with the offices in both states.

There’s no way to predict when or where delays might happen because even a small number of absences can disrupt operations at times. Sometimes the delays are only 30 minutes, but some airports have reported delays more than two hours long and some have even had to stop all flights temporarily

So far, most of the delays have been isolated and temporary Aviation analytics firm Cirium said that normally about 20% of all flights are delayed more than 15 minutes for a variety of reasons

The data Cirium tracks shows there has not been a dramatic increase in the total number of delays overall since the shutdown began on Oct. 1. Nearly 80% of the flights at a sample of 14

“Air traffic controllers have to have 100% of focus 100% of the time,” Daniels said Tuesday at a news conference alongside Duffy at LaGuardia Airport in New York “And I’m watching air traffic controllers going to work. I’m getting the stories. They’re worried about paying for medicine for their daughter I got a message from a controller that said, ‘I’m running out of money And if she doesn’t get the medicine she needs, she dies. That’s the end.’”

Controllers gathered outside 20 airports nationwide Tuesday to hand out leaflets urging an end to the shutdown as soon as possible. Worrying about how to pay their bills is driving some to take second jobs to make ends meet.

The number of controllers calling in sick has increased during the shutdown both be-

Duffy said the shutdown is also making it harder for the government to reduce the longstanding shortage of about 3,000 controllers. He said that some students have dropped out of the air traffic controller academy in Oklahoma City, and younger controllers who are still training to do the job might abandon the career because they can’t afford to go without pay

“This shutdown is making it harder for me to accomplish those goals,” Duffy said.

The longer the shutdown continues pressure will continue to build on Congress to reach an agreement to reopen the government. During the 35-day shutdown in President Donald Trump’s first term, the disruptions to flights across the country contributed to the end of that disruption. But so far, Democrats and Republicans have shown little sign of reaching a deal to fund the government.

“OpenAI has completed its recapitalization, simplifying its corporate structure,” said a blog post Tuesday from Bret Taylor, the chair of OpenAI’s board of directors “The nonprofit remains in control of the for-profit, and now has a direct path to major resources before AGI arrives.” AGI stands for artificial general intelligence, which OpenAI defines as “highly autonomous systems that outperform humans at most economically valuable work.” OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit in 2015 with a mission to safely build AGI for humanity’s benefit. It later started a for-profit arm. Microsoft invested its first $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019, and the two companies formed an agreement that made Microsoft the exclusive provider of the computing power needed to build OpenAI’s costly technology It was a lifeline for the startup research lab, which is now valued at $500 billion but continues to lose more money than it makes. In turn, Microsoft heavily used the technology behind ChatGPT to enhance its own AI products

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

With wind speeds that reached awhopping 185 mph by Tuesday morning and rain bands that could flood the Caribbean with feet of water,Hurricane Melissa likely will go down as the most devastating Atlantic stormof2025and among the strongest ever to hitJamaica’sshores.

But when Melissaformed last week, it made historyin another way: It was the first named storm of theyear to make it into the Caribbean Sea, where, despitewarmer than average water,things have beeneerily quiet this hurricane season.

Only two named storms, Melissa and Tropical Storm Barry,have tracked through the Caribbean or the Gulf so far this year, less than half the historical average, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

From 1991 to 2020, Klotzbach said the Atlantic produced an average of about sixnamed storms that tracked through the Caribbean or Gulf each season, whether they were “homegrown” storms or systems that started astropical waves farther east in the Atlantic. Last season produced nearly twice the average, with 11 named storms that either formed overor tracked through the Caribbean or Gulf.

State Climatologist Jay Grymes said it’snot unheard of for an Atlantic season to end having produced just one or two storms in the Gulf, and this year’smerciful lack of activity in the region canbeattributedto acouple of obvious environmental factors—and others that are not so obvious.

But Grymes said the past 25 years have been brutal for Louisiana in terms of tropical activity, the busiestonrecord forthe Bayou State since recordkeeping began in the 1850s. That, he said, more than anything has made this year feel abnormal.

“Wehave become hypersensitive in the centralGulf

Coast. And it’snot just the last coupleofyears, it’sthe last two decades.”Grymes said. “It’smore about psyche thanitisabout the atmosphere sometimes.”

Theyearofthe fish storm

Still, the atmosphere has certainly played its role this season, too.

Despitenear-record-high sea-surface temperaturesin the Gulf and temperatures hovering around themid-to upper 80s in theCaribbean, Grymes said warm water is justone of many criteria neededtofueltropical storm formation and growth

“The real driver for storms is the atmosphere,” he said Avast majority of this year’s13named storms started as seeds west of Africa and then curved away from the U.S., most avoidingdirect hits to land, frequently called afish storm This is thanks to what meteorologists call the”Azores high,” asemipermanent ridge of high pressure over aportionofthe Atlantic Ocean that steers tropical systems.

Grymes said the highpressure ridge expands and contractsin acycle throughout theyear,and its phases are known by two names:

theBermuda and Azores high.

In itsexpanded, Bermuda phase, theridge stretches so far west across theAtlantic that it sometimes reaches the U.S.EastCoast or Gulf, creating abarrier that forces tropical systems to move low along its rim.That can result in thekindoflongtrack storms that start near Africa andgoontocomplete the morethan 3,000-mile trek across the ocean and into theGulf.

ButGrymes said theridge hasbeen in its contracted, Azores phasefor much of this season, allowing systems to turn north well before reaching the U.S.

Little homegrown Dry air that hampers storm formation contributed to alull in activityinthe tropical Atlantic late this summer at what is normally considered peakseason, Grymes said.

It’slikely that similar conditionshaveprevented systems from bubbling up on their own in the Caribbean and Gulf, too.Grymes said acertain set of factors warm water,amechanism thatcan createa cluster of storms, an environment conducivetostrengthening —need to coincide for a

system toget astormtopop up on its own in the Gulf. For whatever reason, those things just haven’tcome together so far this year “There’snoreal clear explanation,” he said.“But

even homegrown storms often have atropical that’s come in fromthe east and then that wave starts to get organized.”

Jill Trepanier,a professor and hurricane researcher at

LSU, agreed, saying dry air and wind shear have posed a persistent problemfor systems brewing in the warm waters of the Caribbean and Gulf this year

ButTrepanieralso said itstypical forhomegrown formations in the Caribbean andGulf to pickuplater in the season, generally by September,asconditions across the restofthe Atlantic grow increasingly hostile to storm formation.

While water temperatures have usually droppedand wind shear hasintensified throughout much of the Atlantic by this timeofyear, parts of the Gulf and Caribbean are ready to burn.

“And so Melissaisa good example of that,” Trepanier said.

Echoing Grymes’ point, Trepanier said this year likely feels stranger than it is to many Louisianans in comparison to recent, hyperactive seasons.

“I find that thelastfew years have been so dramatic in thelandfalling signature of major events, so muchof that has madeeverybody kind of keyed up,” shesaid, “like, ‘Oh, every year will be like this now.’”

Email KaseyBubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

Acadiana Forecast

Landry may furlough some state workers

Federal shutdown impacts Louisiana funding

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Gov Jeff Landry raised the possibility of furloughing state employees in an executive order Tuesday, blaming the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Landry’s order states “due to the lapse in federal funding, the furlough of some employees whose positions are supported by federal funds is expected.” Specifically, Landry ordered the Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Workforce Commission to identify which units and tasks are supported by federal funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and begin State Civil Service procedures to furlough those employees

Plan to delay La. elections nears passage

Republicans advance bills to shift primaries

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana Republicans are one step away from delaying the state’s primary elections next year, batting away accusations from Democrats that they are setting the stage to get rid of majority-Black voting districts as part of a nationwide GOP push to gain more seats in Congress In a party-line vote, the House and Governmental Affairs Committee during a Tuesday meeting advanced two bills that would move party primary elections from April to May

“There is a push from the president of the United States to get more Republicans in seats in Congress,” said state Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, D-Baton Rouge. “It looks like we are aligning ourselves to assist by making sure that we have something in place to quickly and I heard that used a couple times — come in and draw maps.”

Regardless of whether Republicans want to admit it, Marcelle said, the hope underlying the ongoing special session is that the U.S. Supreme Court will strike down or undermine the Voting Rights Act, a federal law that for decades has governed how race can be used as a factor in redistricting.

She said any move toward reducing Black representation in Congress is “racist” and “unconscionable.”

Rep. Mike Johnson, a Pineville Republican who has played a key role on Louisiana redistricting matters for the state Legislature, disputed that idea.

“There’s no nefarious purpose behind this,” said Johnson, the No. 2 Republican in the Louisiana House. “We’re simply giving the time in hopes that the court will rule so that we can still have legal maps.”

Both Johnson and Marcelle were referring to an impending decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Louisiana v Callais, a case that deals with whether race can be used as a factor to draw congressional districts. Some think there’s a chance the high court will rule on the case this year, which could create an opportunity for Louisiana to draw a new congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Others say it’s impossible to predict when an opinion will come down or what it will say And still others expect a decision to come in summer, at which point it would likely be too late for Louisiana to draw a new map.

“All we’re doing is pushing election dates back,” Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, the bill sponsor, assured his colleagues during the meeting, reiterating a message he’s hewed to

Those plans include warning employees and submitting plans to State Civil Service Director Byron P. Decoteau Jr for consideration. Civil Service had not received those plans as of Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson said.

Just how many employees would be sent home is unknown.

Officials with the Louisiana Health Department and the Loui-

siana Workforce Commission did not respond to repeated questions. The Governor’s Office did not respond to requests for additional information.

SNAP, which is paid mostly by the federal government and administered by the state, provided food stamps for an estimated 792,769 Louisiana residents in October, according to Landry

Landry already has issued an order preparing the state to cover the costs for the first few

days of November And the state House voted to allow state money to be used — about $150 million — while the federal government is shut down.

Landry also ordered the Department of Administration to find a way for the furloughed employees to keep their health care policies and to compile a list of resources available to the employees.

Half the nation’s states and the

Leaps & bounds

ABOVE: Jerry Underwood updates a frog-themed mural on one of the Interstate 10 overpass embankments on Tuesday in Rayne. He and about three dozen other volunteers with various community groups and organizations are working to improve and update the many frog murals around the city, which is nicknamed the Frog Capital of the World

RIGHT: Cyndi Barousse paints flowers on a frog-themed mural on the outer wall of Pressed Dry Cleaners.

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

For years, oil and gas companies have argued that litigation seeking to have the industry pay for historic environmental damage to Louisiana’s coast and groundwater has been a deal-killer for new drilling, creating financial risks that have scared off operators and stymied new jobs. But one of the chief architects of lawsuits filed by Louisiana parishes against the oil companies is contending that the opposite

La. musician brings Irish tunes to radio Tony Davoren launches Celtic music program

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

in

Delta in the 1930s. “Sinners” introduced an ancient Irish vampire to a world of blues and folk spirituals, creating toe-tapping scenes that show the power that music has to call people together Acadiana musician and Celtic Bayou Festival co-founder Tony Davoren (who

and

OUR VIEWS

As UL tackles financial woes, transparency required

The University of LouisianaatLafayette is undeniably atop economic driver in our community.The students, professors andsupport staff contribute to Acadiana in myriad ways. That’s why it was distressing to see theuniversity was forced to lay off 51 people and eliminate19positionslastweekinits effort to address a$25 millionstructural deficit

Interim President Jaimie Hebert said the decision followed aftercarefulconsiderationofthe university’sneeds going forward, and we have no doubtthatisthe case. The cuts come after six positions were eliminated inSeptember.Asa result, the Office of Sustainabilityand Community Engagement has been closed,and theOffice of Communications and Marketing andthe Office of Auxiliary Serviceswere restructured.

Hebert also ordered most divisions to reduce operational expenses by 10%. But,hesaid that academic affairs will be required to reduce expensesbyonly 5%, to preventthe cuts from harming the university’score missionofinstruction.

Hebert wasnamed interim presidentinJuly, after former President Joe Savoieannounced he would retire early.Savoie now serves as president emeritus. JerryLuke LeBlanc,UL’svice president of finance and administration, who resigned in May,was replaced byEdwin Litolff. The shake-ups occurred around the time that the depths of the financial crisis facing UL becameclearer.The Louisiana LegislativeAuditor in the spring reported problems in theuniversity’sfinancial operations, andanother auditput the athletic department’sdeficit at $12.6million. Thecost-cutting measures institutedthus far have reduced the structural deficit by $20 million, with $5 millionlefttobedealt with,Hebert said. But he did not detail all of thesteps the universityhas taken to rein in costs.

Hebert has held town hall meetings with stakeholders about the university’sfinances, and he has been available to answerquestions. As this process moves forward, we encouragethe utmost transparencyinhow decisions on cuts are made. We know thatsome tough choices lie ahead. The communitydeserves to know not only what’sgoingonbut alsohow we got here. The university should presentanhonest accounting of the decisions that landed it in such financial straits.

If there is one bright spot,it’sthat theuniversity enrolled its largest freshman class ever this fall, with 3,214 new first-time students arriving on campus. Itsenrollment decline in recent yearswas one of thefactors leadingtodeficits, university officials said, but we hopethatisbeginning to change.

We are glad to see UL Lafayette doing the hard work of setting priorities toget its financial house in order.And once the situationhas stabilized, we hope universityofficials can look at how to set UL Lafayetteonapathfor success in the future. These new freshmen,and indeed all of Acadiana, depend on it

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

YOUR VIEWS

Clearly, Sen. Bill Cassidy is unable to face reality

Iwas saddened to seeSen. Bill Cassidy’sletter of desperation to the newspaper Obviously,hestill can’tface the realitythat his political career as asenator for Louisiana is over.He crossed President Donald Trumpby doing something that rarely occurs nowadays in thepolitical arena; He voted his conscience by supporting the impeachment of Trumpduring his first term. For that, he was censured by the LouisianaRepublican Party andimmediately put on Trump’soutcasts’ list In alast feeble attempt to mend fences with Donald Trump, Cassidy jeopardized the entire medical care of the U.S. by his approval of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., asnake oil salesman with no medical training, as secretary

of the Health and Human Services Department. It is also evident from this recent action that Cassidy obviously learned from his past mistake by not voting his conscience again. Cassidy did do alot forLouisiana, especially in comparison to our other Louisianacongressional members, but theonly issue that really matters is that he crossed Trump, and Trump never forgets. This is quite evident by thevigorous retribution campaign he is presently championing against his perceived adversaries of the past. AndCassidy is on that list. Hopefully, he will continue toserveLouisiana by reverting to his previouscareer as a gastroenterologist

JIM ANDERSON Ponchatoula

Hate thepolicy, notICE agents and Guardtroopsthatcarry them out

ICE agents and theNational Guard are thenew Vietnam veterans. The recent political landscape in theUnited States has becomeincreasingly polarized, with thedebatesurrounding immigration policy as an example.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and theNational Guard, under administrative direction, enforce immigration law and often face strong criticism from multiple groups. These groups view theimmigration debateasa symbol of oppression and moral decline, similar to how theVietnam war was viewed during the1970s. The current political hatred toward

ICE and theGuard is the samethat Vietnam veterans encountered upon returning homefromthe war. Vietnam veterans nor ICEagents northe Guard control the political landscape.

Veterans and governmentagents are obligated to enforce the policies of our elected officials. Judgments of these groups are misplaced and should be redirected towhere it belongs: our elected officials. Write, call or vote out your politicians but do not blamethe men andwomen who must conduct their policies.

DANNY DICKSON Gretna

Misinformation helpsthose whoseekvaccines

Heading intofluseason, I’m up to dateonmyvaccinations.

While gettingthe shots, Irealized a side benefit from thesuperb leadership of Gov.Jeff Landry,Louisiana Surgeon General RalphAbraham and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy: There is virtually no wait to get your vaccines. These gentlemen —alawyer,aveterinarian and aphysician —have successfully squelched demand for vaccinations in Louisiana. Back in theday,when flu, pneu-

monia, COVID, shingles, RSV and measles used to be problematic, there were wait lines. Now you can just score that miracle drug, ivermectin, without aprescription if you get any symptoms. If these politicos can reduce the lines at grocery stores and the airport, perhaps by spreading someadditional misinformation, they could achieve even more.

DAVE WHIDDON NewOrleans

Protests putlie to idea that Trump acts likea king

It amazes me when the leftopens its mouth to complain about President Donald Trumpbeing aking. Do they not know that if he werea king, they would not be to protest his being aking? They would all be rounded up, arrested, sent into exile or worse. But once again, the Democrats never let facts and truth stand in their way.

JAMES MUNN Zachary

Lawmakersshoulddo theright thing, with or withoutVotingRightsAct

I’mamother of eight children who cares deeply about the Louisiana they will inherit. Iwant them to grow up in astate where democracy works foreveryone, not just for those in power.That begins with fair representation.

Nearly 60 years ago, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed to protect the rights of Black Americans whohad long been excluded from shaping their own futures. From the days of poll taxes to the drawn-out fights forfair mapsthat still continue today,Louisiana’shistory is part of that story.Wehave seen how systemscan bend to protect political interests while ignoring the people those systemsare meant to serve.

Our legislators now have both a moral and constitutional duty to uphold fair representation. This special session must not be used to silence or sideline Black voters. Whether lawmakers act now or delay action forlater,they must ensure that any process moving forward centers the voices of the communities mostaffected.

If lawmakers no longer stand by Senate Bill 8orexpect the Supreme Court to overturn it, their responsibility remains the same: to pass mapsthat reflect the real diversity of this state and honor the equal citizenship of all its people.

Fairness meanstransparency,inclusion and respect forcommunity voices. My children deserve to live in aLouisiana that keeps that promise.

When ICEcamefor aU.S. citizenand Army veteran

George Will

One Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent’sknee wasonhis neck, another’swas grinding his back. Drenched with tear gas andpepper spray,George Retes might have wished that his 137 pounds were back in Kirkuk, Iraq, one of his Army deployments. Herewith, aglimpse of your tax dollarsatwork Born 26 yearsago in Ventura,California, where his motherwas born,heenlisted after highschooland calls the Army “the best job ever,” adding,“I love the infantry.” He marrieda woman he deployed with, thereby acquiring a stepson, soon adaughter,and areason to leave the Army: to avoidlong absences from his children.

He loves Ventura (“The beach is my life”), where he landed ajob with asecurity firm protecting an agriculture plant, which he approached by car mid-afternoon on July 10. ICE agents wearing gas masks —indicators of their dispositions —were blocking entry,herecounts, saying the plant was not operating. This was not the last ICElie. The ICEmenwere presumably looking for undocumented immigrants. Retes’sdriver’slicense, which he says the ICEmennever asked to see, identifies himas“VeteranArmy.” His license plate includes “DV”: disabled veteran. While ICE’swarriors weretryingand ultimately succeeding in smashing his driver’s-side window (the better to pepper spray him), they apparently did not notice his rear window’s “Iraq Combat Veteran” sticker Amid atorrent of shoutedand contradictory ICEmen commands, and after he asked for an agent’sbadge number, he says, Retes was draggedfrom his car,his wrists were zip-tiedbehind his back, and he wasseated onthe roadside ground for four hours. He was taken to aNavybase, where he was strip-searched,then ontoincarceration in Los Angeles, he says, handcuffs having replaced the zip ties. Nocharges had been made against him, but amouth swab collected his DNAwithout hisconsent. He says his requests foralawyer and for ashower to ease the discomforts of tear gas and pepper sprayresidues, were ignored. After three days, during which he missed his daughter’sthird birthday,anagent told him the charges against him had been dropped. What

charges?” he recalls asking. Silence When, twomonths later,Retes publishedanewspaper op-ed about his experience,ICE suddenly claimed Retes had beenresistingits agents.Video from a Los Angelestelevision station’shelicopter monitoring ICE’soperation seems to refute theagency’sfabrication.

An anonymous spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, dismissed Retes’s accountas “garbage.” Not much of an argument,but evidence of the milieu andmentality thatproduces ICEmen like those Retes met In today’shiring binge, ICE recruiting adsask:“Which way,American man?” Testosterone is the not-very-sub subtext. Recruits will “defend thehomeland,” “recaptureour national identity,”stymie an “invasion,” halt “culturaldecline”and even save“civilization.”

Something uncivilized is indeed happening. Whatjobs,ifany,are recruits leaving for the glory of donning battle gearand masks (hiding what from whom?) and roaming U.S. communities, throwing theirweight around and throwing unarmed people to the ground?

Retes had neverbeen east of Texas before coming to Washington recently He and an Institute for Justice attorney (Anya Bidwell, born in Kyrgyzstan, reared in Ukraine, serious about liberty), visited congressional offices urging legislators tofacilitateholding federal

officials accountable. Reteswantstoadd the italicized five words to an existing statute: “Every person who, under color of any statute…ofthe United States or of any State…subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen …tothe deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured…” Trying to interest today’s legislators in legislating is, however,difficult.Furthermore, Republicans who control the supposed legislative branch are reluctant to risk seeming lessferocious than ICE’s make-believe warriors areregarding the supposedly uncivilizedinour midst. A1971 Supreme Court ruling opened the door for holding abusive federal agentsaccountable for constitutional violations. Subsequent cases, however, have almost closed thedoor.This might explain ICE agents’ auraofimpunity when abusing Retes for days. How many appalling incidentsare occurring during today’s tsunami of sometimes lawless“law enforcement?” ICE might not know and, if it does, might not speak truthfully Retes, who laughs easily and often, is ebullient,not angry. He is merely miffed about the difficulty of holding accountable those whosebehaviorsbesmirch the reputation of the nation he served Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

Toxicfemininityand theriseofcancelculture

Over the last decade, we’vetalked a lot about toxic masculinity. We’ve spent much less time discussing what toxic femininity looks like.

Conservative writer Helen Andrews has stepped in to fill that gap. The social science literature on men and women suggeststhat, on average, we differ psychologically and physically.There are tall, disputatious women (I’m one of them) and short, empathic men, but on average, women are still shorter than men. We’realso more empathetic, more averse to risk and conflict, and more likely to prioritizefeelings and relationships over abstract rules

might even call it “toxic femininity.”

(My phrase,not hers.)Since that phrase will probably raise some hackles, let me explain:anall-out reputational attack that seems to come from everywhere at once and nowhere in particular It’sadynamic that will be familiartoanyone who has attended an all-girls camp.

D.C. case shows values of Trump’s crime crackdown

District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Kendra Briggs wasquite understanding with the 15-year-old who had pepper-sprayed a manwhile afriend pummeled him, andwhile others in her group tried to steal his car.The young perpetrator has had adifficult life, Briggs noted. “I know you are not unfamiliar to trauma,” the judge said. “I don’tdisagree that the trauma you’ve already suffered in life is kind of how you ended up on UStreet that day.” Apicture of the victim, sitting on the ground, shirtless, bloody, ribs broken, had gone viral on the internet. The reason for that wasthat he wasEdward Coristine, ayoung Trump administration staffer who hadreceived attention for his work on the DOGE project. President Donald Trump himself posted the photo. “Crime in Washington, DC is totally out of control,” Trump wrote. “Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16 years old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent citizens, at the same time knowing that they will almost immediately be released.” The Coristine attack was oneof the reasons Trump began the ongoing crime crackdown in Washington.

AMetropolitan Police report of the attack noted that “ten juveniles” surrounded Coristine’scar.Awoman who waswith Coristine managed to get inside the car and lockthe doors, while Coristine stayed outside to try to fend off the attackers. When police noticed whatwas happening, they jumped outoftheir own cars to approach, and the attackers scattered. Officers were able to catch two of them —the 15-year-old girl, who did the pepper spraying, and a15-year-old boy,who did the beating.

Recently,the girl pleaded guilty to one count of simple assault. Briggs took note of the girl’sdifficult life —“the trauma you’ve already suffered in life is kind of howyou ended up on UStreet that day.”

The 15-year-old boy got an even betterdeal. Briggs sentenced him to 12 months’ probation even though he pleaded guilty to four counts —attempted robbery and simple assault on Coristine and “felony assault and robbery at anearby gas station shortly before,” in the words of aWashington Post account.

ega

McArdle M n

It would be surprising if that didn’t make for some fireworks as women flooded into male-dominated institutions. In her recent essayfor Compact magazine, Andrews argues thisculture clash is perhaps the conflict of our time, explaining the excesses of the “GreatAwokening” and the intensity of its cancel culture. “Cancel culture,” she writes, “is simply what womendo whenever there areenoughofthem ina given organization or field.” Andrews views all this rather apocalyptically,suggesting thefeminine style threatens civilization itself because female modes of interaction, however excellent in their own way,“are not well suited to accomplishingthe goals of many major institutions.” Shefears courts will abandon the rule of law in favor of nurturing everyone’sfeelings, that journalismand academia will strive to conceal unpleasant truths and that business will lose its“swashbuckling spirit.” This has, predictably, triggered pushback. Cancel culture, for example, does feel like female-style aggression —one

The right has its cancellations, too, often led by men,as when Vice President JD Vance suggested his followerscall the employers of anyone who celebrated Charlie Kirk’sassassination.The conservative, male-led version isn’tanimprovement,but it is abit of achange —most strikingly,because it hasaleader.The classic “Great Awokening” cancellations involved mobilizinga group againstsome target while fadinginto the background, sheltering behind anonymouscomplaints (rememberthe list of bad media men that circulated during the #MeToo movement?) or mass petitions. Womenlean more left than men, which mightexplain why they have proliferated in progressive spaces. Other explanationsinclude the left’sgrowing insistence on the primacy of subjective feelingsand “lived experience,” and its elevation of microaggressions into major causes of action. Ithink civilization will survive all right, though Iconcede that the progressivecancellationswere in some waysmore damaging than their current conservative counterpart, not because they were progressive, but because they were leaderless. The ability to fade into the mob lowers thepersonal risk of launching an attack, which meansyou get more of them. Also, when no one is in charge, there are no rules for targetingand no waytohalt the attack. Unlike Vancegoing after his ideo-

logical opponents, progressives often launched friendly-fire assaults on leftleaning institutions, from the Poetry Foundation to The New York Times. No one was trying to bog left-wing advocacy organizations in an endless cycle of infighting, but unfortunately that also meantnoone had thepower to stop it. This was amanagement problem, not asocial crisis. Traditionally maledominated institutions had manyways to control male-type aggression and fewer mechanisms to curb female-style excesses. They were thus unprepared when social media opened up vast possibilities for anonymous, indirect, manyon-oneattacks.Eventually,theyadapted andstopped treatingevery social media storm as aDefcon 1emergency Things might be somewhat less muddledifweacknowledge the reality of male-female differences and remember that thosedifferences are manageable. Most traits aren’tgood or bad in themselves; they’re just more or less useful depending on the degreeand thecontext. Extreme risk aversion is a splendid qualityinabank regulator,and acrippling handicap in an entrepreneur We don’tneed to protect institutional integrityfrom theinsufficiencies of women so much as craft institutions that maximize the complementary strengths of both men and women —while also minimizing our respective weaknesses. If you’re tempted to say that’s impossible, remember that men and women have been cooperating for avery long time. We managed to propagatethe species for hundreds of thousands of years, under very difficult conditions. I’m quiteconfident that if we put our heads together,wecan also build better institutionsfor the coming century MeganMcArdle in on X, @asymmetricinfo.

The two no-jail sentences were the work of the judge but also of local prosecutors, who, the Post reported, “had not asked the judge to commit either teen.” Those local prosecutors are not the hard-on-crime federal prosecutors in the district under U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro that you have probably read about. In this case, the Washington Post said, “the judge’ssentence in each case reflectedprosecutors’ requests.”

As it turned out, everything Trump predicted turned out to be correct. The perpetrators —atleast the two out of 10 who were caught —were indeed 15 years old. And they were immediately released and will notserve any time, including the boy who had committed assault and robbery shortly before attacking Coristine.

Not surprisingly,Trump called Briggs’ decision “terrible” and said she “should be ashamed.” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, while noting Pirro’sefforts in the federal office, said, “One of the big issues in D.C. is these juveniles. They just get aslap on the wrist. Theysay you need rehabilitation, not incarceration. This administration has acompletely different philosophy.Weneed law and order,period. If you commit acrime, you’re going to face consequences. If you commit aviolent crime, you are going to see jail time.”

In the big picture, the case shows that it is agood thing that Trump decided to highlight the issue of crime. It eats away at the quality of life in cities around the country.Ithas led to aridiculous criminal-processing system, like in the district, that essentially helps direct asteady flow of new offenders into society.And it makes amockery of the idea of justice. Trump should receive credit for any effort to break up that system.

Email Byron York at byork@washingtonexaminer.com.

LANDRY

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District of Columbiafiled alawsuit Tuesday seeking acourt order to require the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which funds SNAP,totap acontingency

OIL

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needs.”

“Nobody’sfighting oil companies to come in and be responsible and put the jobs back, butthey will not come unless somebody takes responsibility for the mess that’sinour coast,” he added. “So whenthese lawsuits are over,Ithink it’sgoing to be an economic boom in the state of Louisiana.”

Carmouche’sfirm, Talbot, Carmouche &Marcello, has played acentral role not only in the 42 coastal damage lawsuits but also socalled “legacy” cases over onshore soiland groundwatercontamination and abandoned infrastructure from past drilling.

Carmouche told the Press Club that the coastal suits are tryingtohold accountable companies that left behind oil infrastructure, dug damaging canals or dumped highly saline produced water and other contaminated exploration waste into unlined pits that, he alleges, played apart in destroying Louisiana’s swamps and marshesand broke the law

After coastal protections were adopted in 1980, companies wererequired to get state permits that forced them to restore the damage they caused to coastal lands, including backfilling dredged canals, he said. Only companies that didn’t correct their actions after 1980 have been sued, he said. Ninety-nine percent of the defendants didn’t even get the required permits, he said.

“Theyignored thelaw,” Carmouche said.

‘Money grab’?

The chief trade group for drillers, the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, argues that the wave of coastal suits has had a measurable impact on Louisiana offshore and inland drilling. It points to state data showingrevenues and production levels from state leases on inland and offshore waters have fallen off to nearly nothing since

DELAY

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throughout the several days of the session.

“Thishas nothingtodo with moving party lines or any kind of redistricting at all,” he said of the legislation. Kleinpeter,R-Port Allen, said he expects the Legislature to eventually follow whatever guidance the Supreme Court provides with respect to redistricting —whether the high court determines Louisiana’scurrent congressional map is constitutional or unconstitutional. Legislative Black Caucus ChairRep.EdmondJordan, D-Baton Rouge, told his colleagues the ongoing special session focused on delaying the April primary is a“pretext.”

“Weknow what this is,” Jordan said in an interview after the meeting. “The whole reason is to set up an opportunity to change these maps and redrawthese maps so that we would not have two minority repre-

2025

fund and allow the temporary continuationof food stamps. Louisiana wasnot partofthe lawsuit. Roughly42millionlowincome Americanswill lose their food stamp benefitswhen regular appropriationsdry up on Saturday Adoptingthe talking points of congressional Re-

publicans, Landry blamed Senate Democrats for not goingalongwitha Republican House-passed resolution thatwould continue government operations while finishingupappropriations for the fiscal year thatbegan Oct.1.Without Senate approval, which requires five Democratsto go along, thegovernment has no authorization to spend money Johnson, who sent the House home in September, says no negotiations can happen until the Democratsagree to reopen government. Democrats contend that Republicansrefuse to ne-

gotiate an extension of taxcredits used by lowincomeworkersand small businesses to help pay premiums forhealth insuranceonthe Affordable Care Actmarketplace. Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate. com.

Oldoil wells can be found throughout Louisiana’scoastal waters. Oil and gascompanies have argued that litigation seeking tohavethe industrypay for historic environmental damage to Louisiana’scoast andgroundwater has been a deal-killer for newdrilling,creating financial risks that have scared off operators and stymied newjobs.

the first suits were filed in 2013.

“With the stigma of legacy lawsuits already taintingLouisiana’sreputation, it didn’ttake long for the wordtoget outtothe investmentworldthat any company filing dredging permits would be namedin coastal suits,” Mike Moncla,president of LOGA, saidinastatement. “This decimatedinvestment in our state’sinland waters.”

Other analyses pointto acombination of factors contributingtothe decline in onshore drilling,includingdemand, price and the cost of extraction,among others.

In the firstofthe coastal cases to go to trial, Carmouche’sfirm wona$745 million jury verdict in Aprilover coastal damage caused by Chevronthrough its predecessor,Texaco, in Plaquemines Parish.

Jurors held Chevron responsiblefor Texaco’s dumping of4.2 billiongallons of briny,contaminated producedwater in parish marshes, finding theactionsbore 25% of the responsibility for coastal ero-

sentatives in Congress in the next election cycle.” The Legislatureisexpected to pass theGOP-backed plan Wednesday and end its special session, whichwas called by Gov.JeffLandry for the sole purpose of delayingthe Aprilprimary one month. Should it pass, no election would be held in April. Instead, an election would be held on May 16 for closed partyprimaries for U.S.

sion in the parish.

Attempting to dispute claims that the coastal suitsare a“money grab” for plaintiffs’ attorneys, Carmouche saidall of the Plaqueminesaward would go towardfinancing the state’scoastal restoration plan. Anyattorneys’ fees andcosts would have to be awarded by ajudge on top of the verdict.

But uncertainty remains over the legal battle, and thenation’shighest court will soon weigh in SupremeCourt showdown

In June, the U.S.Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments over whether the case —and at least 10 other coastal lawsuits —should be tried in federal court because the oil and gas activity in question was tied to federal wartime needs during WorldWar II.

Plaintiffs have disputed thatthis connection is sufficient to force the change of courtsand have prevailed three times previously,including arulingbeforethe U.S. 5thCircuit Court of Appeals thatallowed the Plaquemines trialtopro-

House andSenate races. Open primaries for some municipal races andstatewide votesfor fiveconstitutional amendments would also be held that day Possible runoffs for the U.S.House and Senate closed party primaries would be pushedback to June 27, along with municipal general elections.

Email AlysePfeilatalyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.

ceed.

Carmouchespeculated Monday that thehigh court mayhave agreed to consider theissuebecause of a differentrulinginanother appellate court. He expects oral arguments in Washington,D.C., in Januarywitha potential ruling in Marchor April.

While the Trumpadministration has recentlysided withChevron, state Attorney General Liz Murrill has been an ardent backer of parishes andrecently saidthe Plaquemines verdict resultedfrom aclearcut case of legal violations about which Texaco repeatedly lied to state regulators. Gov.Jeff Landry hasalso supportedthe litigation.

“It’snot like they didn’t make decisions,” Carmouche added about the many defendants, “that put them in the position they are in today.”

Whatever promise Carmouche arguesthe coastal suits may bringinthe fu-

ture,Moncla, LOGA’s president, said the suits have had an effect on the present, decimating the inland drilling industry,costing property owners value and the state royalty andseverance taxrevenues.

Moncla offered the example of his family’scompany,MonclaMarine, the largestofthe nichebarge companies that worked over inland wells. The companyemployed more than 250 peoplebut had to file for bankruptcy and liquidate its assets, including its valuable barge fleet, for less than 15% of its value

“These lawsuits demolishedanentire service sectorthatwill neverrecover, sent thousands of Louisianans to seek employment elsewhere, and to date have cost the state well over a billion in revenues,” Monclasaid.

David J. Mitchellcan be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

understanding of traditional and contemporary Celtic sounds to KRVS, Acadiana’spublicradio station basedout of theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette. His show,“Welcome Kind Stranger,” premiered Oct. 26 andwill airfrom 5p.m. to 6p.m.each Sunday on KRVS 88.7 FM.

“I’m so in love with all of thegreat bands coming out of Ireland andthe U.K. right now,” he said. “There’sjust so much good music,and I think it’sa heydayofmusic for Ireland in particular.” Theshow functionsas Davoren’scurated playlist, spanning the Celtic world of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Scandinavia,the U.S. and Canada. He adds context andhistory to each set, bringing the listener deeper into amusical heritage that profoundlyimpacted Acadian musical traditions.

“I want to educate people about Celtic musicand its origins, why certain pieces of music andsongs are special,” Davoren said. “Here’s this new stuff that’scoming out,but also,let’slook at this oldstuff thatthese guys are following in the tradition.

“You know, there’s ariver of music outthere that’s been around sincerecording has been around. And I’m just trying to show people that, instead of listing to allthe same things.” Davoren’sshow beefs up KRVS’s local programming lineup as thestation grapples with significant loss of revenue afterCongressrescinded funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting this summer. According to Davoren “Welcome KindStranger” is the first Irish music show to premiere on public radio since NPR ended its globally popularCelticmusic program “Thistle &Shamrock”lastyear “My idea wastodosomething with alittle bit more modern take on Celtic music, and maybe reach outsideofthe area to awider audience anddrawsome funding or sponsorship,” he said.“Rather than sitting and doing nothing and watching my beloved radio stationdisappear.”

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

EDUCATION TheTerrebonneParishSchool Board seeksanoutstanding Superintendent of Schoolstoleadits public school sys‐temofthirty(30) schoolsand more than 14,579 students.Applications for thepositionmay be obtained on the District’s website(www.tpsd.org) and arecurrently beingaccepted.

1-7-5-0

Parish School System DavidThibodaux STEM Magnet AcademyGym Addition 805 TeurlingsDrive Lafayette,Louisiana 70501 LPSS BID#22-26

Project Description: The workconsistsofprovid‐ing allequipment,labor and material necessary for theconstructionof a new onestory approxi‐mately10,225 sf gymna‐siumaddition. It is furtherunderstood and agreed that thework under this contract shall b pleted within i

FRANK WILSON, LSU interim coach

Head ‘caretaker’

Interimcoach Wilson promises LSUwill finish what it started

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Frank Wilson has been working toward this moment for nearlythree decades.

First as agraduate assistant at Nicholls and now as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at LSU, Wilson’scareer —spanning from the time he was aheadcoach at Texas-San Antonio and McNeese State and to two stints coaching at LSU —prepared him for Sunday’sshockingnews.

LSU coachBrian Kelly was fired, and Wilson was tabbed to replace him as the interim coach.

“I’m apart of thefiberofthis state.

(I am) extremely humbled, extremely honored to be given this opportunity,”

Wilson said Tuesday during anews conference. “It’ssomething that you would dream of, something that you don’t know if it would ever come true.”

Wilson insists that this moment isn’t abouthim. He walked up to thepodium Tuesday discussing what had happened in practice.

There was no mention of theopportunity bestowed upon him until reporters started firing questions.

“This opportunity is so much bigger than me,” Wilson said. “I just happen to be thecaretaker at this momentfor this wonderful institutionthatweso

love. It’sour flagship state university We have tremendous pride in it.”

Thecircumstances underwhich Wilsonistakingoverare farfromideal Kelly’s firing was theresultofadisappointing 5-3start to aseason many expected would endina CollegeFootball Playoff appearance.

Three defeats in fourgames, however,sealed LSU’s playoff fate. The final losscame Saturday againstTexas A&M, a49-25 drubbing in Tiger Stadium that was the straw that broke thecamel’s back on Kelly’stime in Baton Rouge.

With its playoff dreamsdashed and its coach gone,LSU is still locked into finishing the season strong, Wilson said.

“When in atimethat’sperilous as this,

ä See WILSON, page 3C

Shoughto startversus L.A. Rams

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Aquarterback change is coming for the Saints.

RookieTyler Shough will start Sunday against theLos Angeles Rams, according to aleague source. Shough willreplace Spencer Rattler in the starting lineup. TheNFL Networkwas thefirstto report the news. Saints coach Kellen Moore declined to name astarter Monday after the Saints dropped to 1-7 with a23-3 loss to Tampa Bay,saying the staff wasgoing to decide after dissecting the game

film.

“Wejust got done closingthe book on thisTampaBay game,” Moore said. “We’ll now begin really starting here soon our plan of action on L.A., and we’ll makea decision shortly and just go down that path to maximize as many reps and opportunities as we can moving forward.”

The move was expectedafter what transpired againstTampa Bay Shough saw his most extensive

playing time in place of an ineffective Rattler duringthe second half of theTampa Bay loss Before Sunday’sgame, Shough had been on the fieldonly oneoffensive series late in ablowout loss to Seattle. He threw two incompletionsasthe Saintswentthreeand out. Butagainstthe Buccaneers, Shough attempted 30 passes in the final 18 minutes, leading four drives. Moore saidafter thegame he turned to Shough in search of aspark, andithad less to do with Rattler’sperformance than that of theoffense as awhole.

Now theSaintshavedecided to see what their rookie can do in a

starting role. NewOrleans selected Shough with theNo. 40 pick in thesecond round of this year’sdraft.Atthe time, he joined ateam that included veteran Derek Carr as well as Rattler and2023 draft pick Jake Haener Carr retired in theweeks followingthe draft, in part because of ashoulder injury that did not becomepublic until April and likely would have cost him most, if not all, of the 2025 season. His retirement created avoid at themost important position on the roster Shough, Rattler and Haener

If Tigers don’t hire Sumrall, they’llsee him soon enough

Jon Sumrall is aformer linebacker,soit was no surprise that he saw the blitz coming Tuesday

As reporters assembled forhis weekly news conference, the Tulane coach —the hottest young coaching prospect in college football —anticipated the questions about his candidacy forseveral vacant major college jobs and attacked them like he was rushing the Agap.

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Asked about his candidacy forthe vacant LSU job, Sumrall deftly audibled to talk about Texas-San Antonio, the Green Wave’s upcoming opponent Thursdaynight in anationally televised game on ESPN.

“I knowyou all have gotajob to do to ask me that question, and I’ve gotajob to do, and it’stocoach the Tulane football team,” Sumrall said, avein pulsing in the side of his thick neck. “The coaching carousel is not even athought because we’re in the midseason phase. UTSA has100% of my focus right now.”

Sumrall’spassion is understandable. He’s been down this road before. Only ayear ago, he wasone of the leading candidates forthe North Carolina job that eventually went to Bill Belichick. He’s been the apple of Kentucky fans’ eyes since he left the schoolfour years ago as an assistant to take overthe programatTroy.It’snosurprise whenhis name pops up atop the list of leading candidates at places such as Florida, Penn State, UCLA and LSU.

“I’ve dealt with (coaching speculation) every year as ahead coach,” he said. “I understand it comes with the territory.I get those questions becausewe’re having success.” And Sumrall knows the questions won’t go away anytime soon. It’s the reality of the business when you’re as spectacularly successful as he’s been at aGroup of Five

Alot goes into analyzing UL’s rushing performance in Saturday’s35-23 loss at Troy The Ragin’ Cajuns rushed for 184 yards, just 5yards under their season average. Considering the offense is playing without eight offensive linemen that figured to play big roles this season, that’sapretty good effort, right?

Yesand no. UL had anet gain of 184 yards on plays that weren’t pass plays. Butwitha little deeper digging, it’s more complicated. Of those 184 yards, 139 of them came from sophomore quarterbackLunch Winfield on 23 carries.

UL running backs Zylan Perry Bill Davis andSteven Blanco combined for45yards on 19 carries. That cameagainst aTroy defense ranked second to last in the Sun Belt by giving up 218.2 yards rushing per game. The first reaction is attributing that to the beaten-up offensive line, which is partially correct.

“Really extra hats,” Winfield said about moredefenders close to theline of scrimmage. The lack of aconsistent passing

gamealso hurts the rushing attack, but it goes deeper than that.

Film study revealed whatcoach Michael Desormeauxmentioned in his postgamecomments —the blocking issues went beyond the offensive line.

“I mean, we had at least three or four runs where we getthe ball to theedge andwedon’tblock the trap corner,which is something we worked on all week,” Desormeauxsaid. “Well, that’s on the receivers, and it was different guys that are supposed to get there andblock the trap corner andget therunning back to the safety that’s12yards off the ball.

“I thought we had some stuff that we got it to thefreehat,and we didn’texecute in certain situations.”

There weren’tmany surprises, which added to the frustration.

“Weknew they were going to do alot of thatstuff,” Desormeaux said. “Weknew wherethe ball was going to go.Wejust didn’texecuteout there at timesand that’s part of it. At receiver,ifyou catch

2

WORLD SERIES

Dodgers win 18-inning thriller

L.A. matched feat from 7 years earlier

BY RONALD BLUM Associated Press

LOS ANGELES The World Series Late Show was so good the Dodgers produced a sequel: The Late, Late Sho. Seven years and one day after outlasting the Boston Red Sox over 18 innings in Game 3, Los Angeles did it again, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 Monday night on Freddie Freeman’s 18th-inning home run off Brendon Little to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven matchup Dodgers rookie reliever Justin Wrobleski, having gotten five outs in the sixth and seventh innings, was astonished at what he saw

“I look up at the scoreboard, and the innings that I pitch are no longer on the scoreboard,” he said. “That’s probably the craziest thing.” Shohei Ohtani, used to a dual life as a batter and pitcher, had what amounted to a double game at the plate. He homered twice and doubled twice in the first four-extrabase-hit World Series game since Frank Isbell in 1906. He then walked five times, four of them intentionally — three times with no one on base. He tied the record of reaching base nine times. He even stayed in the game after being stricken by a leg cramp while he was caught stealing in the ninth inning.

“And he’s got to pitch in like, I don’t know, 12 hours, 13 hours,” Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw marveled.

A night to remember saw 609 pitches thrown over 6 hours, 39 minutes. Forty-four players appeared, including 19 pitchers. The Dodgers outhit the Blue Jays 1615 in a game that included a 10-inning double shutout — no runs were scored from innings eight through 17. Los Angeles went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 18 runners, and Toronto was 2 for 12 with RISP with 19 left on base.

“It takes everybody to win a World Series,” said the Dodgers’ Max Muncy, who hit the winning 18th-inning homer against Nathan Eovaldi in 2018 — the only LA win

ä Blue Jays at Dodgers, Game 5

in that series. In an array of defensive gems, right fielder Addison Barger cut down Freeman at the plate with a 98.5 mph missile, Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero threw out Teoscar Hernández at third with an 87.6 mph rocket, Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman gunned down Isiah Kiner-Falefa from short right field and Hernández relayed to Edman to throw out Davis Schneider at the plate.

“Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy game,” Toronto starter Max Scherzer said.

Kershaw helps bullpen

Sandy Koufax, a three-time World Series champion two months shy of his 90th birthday stayed until the end.

A three-time Cy Young Award winner who plans to retire after the World Series, Kershaw came out of the bullpen with the bases loaded in the 12th inning to Fun’s

“We Are Young,” in what the 37-year-old left-hander thought was his first extra-innings outing

at any level. Nathan Lukes fouled off Kershaw’s second full-count pitch, a 91.9 mph offering that was his fastest since July 31, 2024, then grounded to second.

“I throw gas now,” Kershaw said, laughing. Kershaw had “51” written on his cap like other Dodgers relievers in a tribute to Alex Vesia, who is missing the World Series because of what the team said was a “deeply personal family matter.”

“I was warming up for like four innings,” Kershaw said. “That’s bullpen life. I’m learning.”

Los Angeles set a World Series record by using 10 pitchers. Will Klein got the win with 72 pitches over four scoreless innings, both double his previous big league highs. He stranded runners at second and third in the top of the 18th by striking out Tyler Heineman.

“There were times when you’re starting to feel down and you feel your legs aren’t there or your arm’s not there, and you just got to be like, ‘well, who else is going to come save me?’” Klein said. “So I had to dig deep, do it myself.”

Game 1 starter Blake Snell was unavailable. Yoshinobu Yamamoto approached manager Dave

Roberts and pitching coach Mark

Prior volunteering to relieve, two days after throwing 105 pitches to win Game 2 in his second consecutive complete game. Yamamoto was warming up while Klein pitched the 18th.

“He was in the next inning,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He would have gone as long as we needed. He would have been the last guy.”

Rojas was ready to pitch

Second baseman Miguel Rojas, who made four mop-up pitching appearances during the season, entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 13th and realized a few innings later he might be called on to pitch on 115 days’ rest and become the first position player to take the mound in a World Series.

Rojas threw 120 big-league pitches over the past three seasons and mentally readied his arsenal, which ranged from 36.6 mph to 69.8 mph during this year’s outings.

“I was the only one who had done it before and feel like I had the best chance to kind of get outs if I needed to be out there for the boys,” he said.

Ohtani encourages kids to follow his two-way footsteps

BY RONALD BLUM Associated Press

LOS ANGELES Of the 20,000-plus players to appear in Major League Baseball, only one has been an AllStar as a pitcher and batter Shohei Ohtani is unique, with a skillset and drive that haven’t been duplicated in 150 years.

“It’s aweing,” Dodgers teammate Freddie Freeman said. “Sometimes you just like to make sure it’s not a machine under there.” Ohtani showcased his unique two-way talent when he starts World Series Game 4 on the mound for Los Angeles against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. The start came about 17 hours after he finished one of the greatest games in World Series history, tying an MLB record by reaching base nine times, including two homers and four extrabase hits, in an 18-inning classic that ended on Freddie Freeman’s homer Ohtani hopes he is setting an example of what is possible and doesn’t remain unique.

what could have been if he had remained on the mound.

“If I kept pitching, my arm would have blown out, I promise you,” he said. “My elbow was hurting in high school.”

Giants receiver Nabers has surgery on torn ACL

Former LSU receiver Malik Nabers had surgery Tuesday to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, the New York Giants said, adding that their top receiver will begin his rehabilitation process upon his discharge from the hospital Wednesday Nabers went under the knife roughly a month after getting injured while trying to make a catch during a home game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Beyond that, he’s out for the rest of the season and a timeline for when Nabers might resume football activities was not immediately clear

It’s the second surgery in three days for a key Giants player after rookie running back Cam Skattebo’s to repair a dislocated right ankle. Skattebo had the operation Sunday night.

Pacers sign slam dunk champ McClung to deal

The Indiana Pacers signed guard Mac McClung on Tuesday after a rash of early season injuries. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

McClung won each of the past three NBA Slam Dunk contests. He’s spent most of his career in the G-League. The 6-foot-2, 26-year-old has averaged 5.5 points in six career NBA games with the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic. He played college basketball at Georgetown and Texas Tech. Indiana opened the season last week without two-time All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is expected to miss the season following Achilles surgery in June. Backup point guard T.J. McConnell injured his hamstring and was ruled out of at least the first 10 games.

Norrie knocks Alcaraz out of Paris Masters

Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz looked out of rhythm in his 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss to unseeded Cameron Norrie in the second round of the Paris Masters on Tuesday

The six-time Grand Slam winner even had an animated discussion with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after losing the second set.

“I’m really disappointed about my level,” Alcaraz said. “I didn’t feel well today A lot of mistakes.”

Norrie sealed the victory on his second match point with a strong first serve that Alcaraz returned long. It was Norrie’s first career win against a No. 1-ranked player Alcaraz made 54 unforced errors and won only 64% of his first-serve points as he slipped to a third loss in eight matches against Norrie. It was their first meeting indoors.

Trump granddaughter gets exemption for LPGA event

President Donald Trump’s granddaughter will be taking a detour on her way to playing college golf at the University of Miami as Kai Trump will make her LPGA Tour debut next month.

Kai Trump received a sponsor exemption Tuesday to play in The Annika at Pelican Golf Club on Nov 13-16, the penultimate event on the LPGA schedule that typically has one of the strongest fields of the year outside of the majors. Trump, the eldest daughter of Donald Trump Jr., is a senior at The Benjamin School in Palm Beach County who has committed to play for the Miami Hurricanes next year She competes in amateur events nationally with the American Junior Golf Association.

Michigan football, Moore drop appeals with NCAA

“Man, we got to be careful because not everybody is Shohei Ohtani. Not everybody’s 6-4 (actually 6-3), however much he weighs, throws 100 (mph) and hits like that. There’s only one man that can do that,” Betts said. College baseball has an award for best two-play player, named after John Olerud, an All-American first baseman and pitcher at Washington State in the 1980s. He became an All-Star first baseman during a 17-season big league career but never pitched professionally Olerud Award winners include Brendan McKay Spencer Schwellenbach and Paul Skenes,

“I like to encourage kids who are trying the two-way to do it as long as possible, as long as they’re allowed to, as much as their talent level could take them,” he said through a translator Teammates with an up-close view of Ohtani aren’t sure anyone else could do what he does Los Angeles shortstop Mookie Betts, an eight-time All-Star who has excelled in the infield and outfield, says desire isn’t enough to create a two-way player

who hit 24 homers with 81 RBIs in 100 games at Air Force in 2021 and 2022. His two-way career ended when he transferred to LSU for 2023.

“They stopped putting me in BP groups,” Skenes said. “I went to LSU and I stopped catching, but I was hitting still. And I wanted to keep hitting as long as I could, but the upside on the mound, I think, was a lot better than upside hitting. So kind of gave it up, and I wasn’t too broken up about it because we had the opportunity to win the national championship, and we ended up doing it. So I think it was worth it.” Freeman was once a two-way player at El Modena High School. He doesn’t think about

Ohtani at age 31 has a .282 average with 280 homers and 669 RBIs in eight major league seasons — more career home runs than Hall of Famers Joe Morgan, Derek Jeter and Paul Molitor And Ohtani is 39-20 with a 3.00 ERA on the mound with 670 strikeouts in 528 2⁄3 innings, limited to 100 starts because he didn’t pitch in 2019 and 2024 following elbow operations. In Game 4 of the NL Championship Series against Milwaukee, he pitched six scoreless innings, striking out the side in the first, and hit three homers. Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred called it “probably the greatest game of all time.”Don’t expect another super human soon. The forces of the 30 big league organizations discourage two-way players.

“We don’t even see too many switch-hitters,” said New York Yankees special assistant Omar Minaya, a former general manager of the New York Mets and Montreal Expos. “Relievers are one inning, starters are starters, right-handed hitters are righthanded hitters, left-handed hitters are left-handed hitters. The game has evolved into a specialty sport, meaning that it discourages versatility in how you play the game.”

The University of Michigan and football coach Sherrone Moore have dropped their appeal against NCAA penalties stemming from a sign-stealing operation.

Michigan was fined tens of millions of dollars, and Moore was suspended for a third game by the NCAA in August as punishment for a sprawling scandal that has loomed over the Wolverines for two years, including during their run to the national title in the 2023 season. The 21st-ranked Wolverines (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) host Purdue (2-6, 0-5) on Saturday Moore withdrew his appeal on Sept. 29 after serving the school’s self-imposed, two-game suspension. He will also be suspended for the 2026 season-opening game. The school withdrew its appeal on Oct. 6.

UL playingatNorth Texasfor toughexhibition

Cajuns preparing for opener at Ball State

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

It may be unconventional, but it’s part of the preparation processfor his UL Ragin’ Cajuns.

On Wednesday,first-year coach

Quannas White will take his team to meet NorthTexasina7 p.m. exhibition game at the Super Pit in Denton, Texas.

Division Iteams usually play NAIA or Division II competition in preseason exhibition games, but White chose adifferent path.

“I wanted to make surewecould go on theroad,” Whitesaid. “Our firstgame is at Ball State (on Monday) and that’sonthe road. So I think this was really good of us to do to go on the roadfor an exhibition game to prepare us forthe next game.”

The exhibition is part of atwoyeardeal, so the MeanGreen return the visit to the Cajundome next season.

White expectsittobeabig chal-

lenge. Last season, NorthTexas

finished 27-9 overalland 14-4inthe American Conference.

The Mean Green was 17-1in home gamesunder coach Ross Hodge, who is now the coach at West Virginia.The newcoach is Daniyal Robinson, who led Cleveland State to three straight 20-win seasons.

“It’sagood challenge for our guys to go onthe road, see what we’ve got and get us ready for Ball State,”White said

White’s team played aprivate scrimmage against another Division Iteam last week without five players.

SeanElkinton, a6-foot-8 Louisiana Tech transferwho missed the scrimmage, is expected to return in afew weeks, but theothers will be game-timedecisions,White said.

Other players missing the scrimmage included Todd Jones,Joshua Lewisand KarrisBilal.

“I was impressedwith the toughness of theguysthatplayed, White said.

White has noted the progress from Lewis, afreshman from

Tampa, Florida.

“From June until now,he’smade some really bigjumps offensively —being able to get his shot offfaster,”White said of Lewis. “The kidloves to be in thegym. He’s really receptive to learning. He’s pickedupthe defense pretty quickly.”

White said North Central standoutDe’VionLavergne,a sophomore transferfromPurdue-Fort Wayne, has progressed well.

“He is areally,really good kid,” White said. “He’s offensively skilled. He can score the ball at allthree levels.The guywho he reminds me of is from right there in Lafayette we had at Houston named Corey Davis.

“Corey was ahigh-level two-way player—hedeveloped into that and De’Vion is the same. He’sa guy right nowwho can fillitup. He can shoot it from 3and he has agood midrange game, so he can help us from an offensive standpoint,while he continues to get better defensively.”

Oklahoma State transfer Jamyron Kellerisexpectedtobethe point guard.

gets past aSouthernMiss defender on Oct. 18 at OurLadyofLourdes Stadium. Winfield rushed for 139 yards last week in alossatTroy.

Continued from page1C

five balls in agame, that’s aheck of aday.The other50snaps that youplay,you better do something without the ball.”

It’simpressive Winfield managed 139 yardsrushing with so much of the focus on stopping him. How did UL pull that off?

“You had the runningbacks in the mix as blockers is really what we were doing,” Desormeaux said.

“There ain’tmanyrunning backs that arelikethatnow,you know There’snot many running backs that are that selfless, where, you know, Bill and Zand Steven, didn’t matter who… we were creating some explosives.

“Most running backs, when you askthemtogoblock forsomebody else, they’re going turn their nose up at it, they’re going to pout,and those guys just go out thereand blockand throwitupinthere and do whatthey do, anything they can to try to help us create some offense.”

This week, UL faces aSouth Alabamateam ranked 11th in rushing defense at 189 yards alloweda game.

“I think we had someplays that were alittlebit unique for(Winfield) and the way that we did it,” Desormeauxsaid. “But again,it comesdowntothe runningbacks executed extremelywellinthe block and scheming. LikeI said, we gotthem where we needed to getthe ball to.”

Email KevinFooteatkfoote@ theadvocate.com.

for the

“He is developing into aleader,” White said of the junior.“We’ll get him there. He’scoachable, so I know he’ll be developing into that. I’m on him every single day.What he brings to the team is great experience, having played twoyears in the Big 12. He’stough, he’sgritty

DUNCAN

Continued from page1C

program like Tulane. Green Wave fans are notgoing to like it, but it’sonly amatter of timeuntil aschool comes along with an offerhecan’trefuse. It’s not amatter of if he is hired away but when.

He’salready attracted the interest of Florida, Penn State and UCLA, according to industry sources, and would be among the leading candidates, if not the favorite, forboth the Auburn and Kentucky jobs if either open up. SomeVegas oddsmakers have installed Sumrall as the favorite to land the coaching job at LSU, which openedSundaywhenBrian Kellywas firedafter threeplus seasons in Baton Rouge. ESPN listed him No. 2onits list of top candidates forthe Tigers’ gig behind Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. Sumrall makes alot sense for LSU. He owns asterling.791 winning percentage in three-plus seasons as ahead coach, and he won two Sun Belt championships in two years at Troy.Inhis first season at Tulane, he made the American Conference title game. He hasthe Wave at 6-1 this season despite losing 17 starters fromlast year’steam, including quarterback Darian Mensah (Duke) and star running back Makhi Hughes(Oregon) to the transferportal.

In coaching circles, Sumrall is viewed as the complete package, ashrewd in-game tactician, apassionate recruiter with an expert eye forpersonnel, and a charismatic leader and culturebuilder As former Troy head coach Neal Brown told The Athletic, “Whatever ‘it’is, Jon Sumrall has it.”

The question is notwhether Sumrall would be agood hire for LSU. Of course, he would. Aformer Kentucky linebacker and Huntsville, Alabama, na-

and loves the gameofbasketball.

“He’sreally improved his shooting. Ithink he canbeone of the better defendersacrossthe country,but timewill tell.”

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

tive, he hasfollowed, played and coached in the Southeastern Conference formost of his career

He is arguably more qualified than Ryan Day or Kirby Smart were when they were hiredat Ohio State and Georgia, respectively.Ditto the hottest young head coaches in the land, Marcus Freeman and Dan Lanning, both of whom hadnohead coaching experience before takingover at Notre Dame and Oregon, respectively

The better question is whether LSU would consider hiring Sumrall in the first place.

LSU hashired 27 coaches in the 121-year history of its football program. In that time, it has neverhired one fromTulane, its onetime SEC rival located just 90 miles to the south.

If school officials are smart, they won’tworry about optics or historical precedents.

Sumrall is the hottest coach in college football forareason. He is young, innovative and energetic. He instills an undeniable toughness and swagger into the teams he coaches. He knows how to hire good coaches and manage astaff. His players love him and playtheir tails offfor him. In short, he is everything Kelly was not.

Sumrall would be adifferent kind of hire forLSU athletic director Scott Woodward, assuming he is actually allowed to make the decision. Woodward hasatrack record of hiring provencommodities rather than ascending types such as Sumrall.

“If I’m the executiveproducer of afilm, and Ican getPaul Newman and Robert Redford, hell, yeah, I’m going to do it,”heonce said.

Sumrall might notbealeading man yet, but rest assured, he is on the fast track to becoming one. If LSU doesn’thire Sumrall, the Tigers are going to be going against him very soon.

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan @theadvocate.com.

Continued frompage1C

entered trainingcamp in acompetition for the starting job. New Orleans whittledthe competition down to Shough and Rattler,and Rattler won the jobwith his steady performance and commandofthe offense. Though the Saints were not winning games, Rattler performed admirably to start the season. He compiled a91.9 passer rating through the first six weeks while throwing six touchdownsagainst one interception. New Orleans was 1-5, but with theexception of the Seattle loss, theSaints were competitive in every game against some of the NFL’s better teams. But Rattler’splay declinedin recent weeks, as the second-year quarterback reverted to some of his worst tendencies from his rookie season. He turned the ball over four times in aloss to the Bears, fumbling on the Saints’ second offensive play andthrowingthree interceptions. Against the Buccaneers, he lost afumble on the opening drive and then threw apoor interception that was returned for atouchdown. He also took seven sacks while just three of the18drivesheled over the past two weeks resulted in points.

New Orleans inserted Shough into thelineupafteraseries in which the Saints committed two holding penaltiesand adelay of gamenear their own goal line. Shough did notfaremuch betteragainst the Buccaneers, completing 17 of 30 attempts for 128 yards with a53.2 rating. ButNew Orleans now will getanopportunity to seewhathecan do when given afull week to prepareasthe starter

His first start will come against achallenging opponent. The Rams are comingoff of an open date and have oneofthe mosteffective pass rushes in the NFL, ranking second

in the league with 26 sacks. This is probably notgoing to be aone-game experiment.Moore said after the gamethat he did not wanttoput his players in aposition where they were flip-flopping in the startinglineup.

“I love Spence. Ilove Tyler.I love these guys to death,” Moore said after the game. “These are never easy things. They are really, really challenging, because Iknow what each of these guys putsinto it every single day. Butwe’re just trying to find aformula that works to our advantage.”

Staff writer Matthew Paras contributed to this report.

WILSON

Continued from page1C

you batten downthe hatches, you go shoulder to shoulder,you go back to back, and you stand firm with one another,” Wilsonsaid, “and to the commitment of what your intentionswerefrom thebeginning.”

Wilson’sfirst game as interim coach won’tbeaneasy one. LSU travels to Tuscaloosa to face No. 4Alabama on Nov.8,and it will makethe trip with not just anew coach but also anew offensive coordinator LSUfired offensive coordinator and quarterbackscoach Joe Sloan on Monday,promoting tight

ends coach and run gamecoordinator Alex Atkins to the position.

But even with all of the changes, Wilson saidhis team is ready to answerthe call, noting that no players have opted out of playing the rest of the year

The difficulties of the last 72 hours, he said, have brought the team closer together

“We’ve taken up the slack for thosewho maynot have been as strong as others to be supportive of oneanotherduring this time,” Wilson said.

“And so Ithink it’satestament of our student-athletes and our coaching staff in this university, in this community.The biggest thing forusistostayclose, stay together,and let’sfinish what we’ve started.”

100+ years of LSUFootball history in ahardcoverbook

the

Scary good

Get ready for Halloween in Lafayette with spine-tingling drinks and spooky treats

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Whether you’re looking for on-theme cookies for your office bash, or delicious cocktails celebrating the spookiest weekend of the year these Lafayette shops and restaurants have you covered.

Get your Halloween orders in now, because the holiday is Friday — meaning a week full of classroom and office parties, followed by a night of trick-or-treating and a weekend devoted to spooky pursuits There are Halloween-themed events taking place across Acadiana through the end of the month, featuring fright trails, pumpkin patches and trunk-or-treat celebrations.

If you’re looking to pick up Halloween party treats this week, or want to try some of Lafayette’s most exciting cocktails, check out these local bars and bakeries for suitably scary, and tasty, cakes, cookies and beverages.

Halloween treats in Lafayette

Several of Lafayette’s most storied bakeries are working overtime turning out Halloweeninspired baked goods that are as cute as they are sweet There’s

PROVIDED PHOTO Halloween treats are available to order at Poupart’s Bakery in Lafayette.

delectable ghost-shaped cookies from Poupart Bakery, whimsical cupcakes from Keller’s in Youngsville, and candy-themed macarons and fudge at Bonne Vie Macarons all ready to craft your Halloween event from their kitchens. These Acadiana bakeries are taking Halloween catering orders. Call ahead to ask about availability: n Keller’s Bakery of Youngsville, 627 Lafayette St., Youngsville n Poupart Bakery, 1902 W. Pin-

hook Road, Lafayette n Bonne Vie Macarons, 105 St. Landry St., Lafayette.

Spooky Halloween libations Mercy Kitchen and Pamplona Tapas Bar in Lafayette are both known for going all out with decorations and specialty cocktails during Halloween (costumes also encouraged.) Pamplona’s Nightmare

BY GRETCHEN McKAY

Like the regular version, they can be customized with different toppings and add-ins. For instance, I used shredded Mexican blend cheese made with a mix of cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack and asadero cheeses, but you could easily swap in Oaxaca or only use cheddar And if you don’t care for sour cream or want to stretch your toppings beyond salsa? After baking, you could scatter chopped white onions on top of the tacos, or drizzle on some crema. Sliced radishes and avocado also make excellent garnishes.

Because they’re so crunchy and the toppings go on top instead of inside the shell, you’ll want to eat these tacos over a plate to catch anything that might fall. That said, my son scarfed down three in a row while sitting on his porch swing without so much as a napkin. They’re that tasty I paired the tacos with a very simple (and fresh) pico de gallo. A corn salad completed the meal.

Halloween treats are available to order at Bonne Vie Macarons in Lafayette.

HALLOWEEN

Continued from page 5C

on Jefferson Street Halloween popup event brings crowds to the restaurant all month long, with reservations selling out fast If you haven’t booked a table this Halloween, check Pamplona’s reservation site for last-minute cancellations

There’s is a nonrefundable

$5 booking fee per person, with the money going to support Lafayette arts and culture organizations

are on

Crispy Oven Chorizo and Potato Tacos

Makes 8 tacos. Recipe is from Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette.

FOR TACOS:

2. Prepare tacos: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it sizzles, add diced potatoes and shallot to the pan and cook until the potatoes are lightly browned and easily pierced with a fork, about 7-8 minutes.

3. Add chorizo to a pan and cook until meat is brown and crispy, 5-7 minutes,

stay folded.

7. Return pan to oven and bake until lightly browned, toasted and crisp around the edges, 15-18 minutes.

8. While tacos are baking, prepare the salsa. In a medium bowl, combine diced tomatoes, chopped onion and chopped cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

9. When tacos are finished, remove to a plate and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Their Halloween cocktails run the gamut from sparkling and upbeat (try “I’m a Mouse, Duh,” an effervescent butterfly pea-infused vodka with honey, lemon and sparkling rosé) or full and spicy, such as the “Zombie” — a three-rum concoction with lime, grapefruit, cinnamon and absinthe, with falernum, a spiced liqueur

place at the bar, which gives you a great view of the action at this trendy south Lafayette spot.)

Mercy Kitchen also draws a crowd during October, offering delightfully kitschy Halloween vibes and drinks to match. Their reservation list is only slightly less frenzied during spooky season, so call ahead (or hope for a

Pamplona Tapas Bar is located at 631 Jefferson St., Lafayette, and Mercy Kitchen is at 1312 Verot School Road, Lafayette.

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

instincts were correct.

The server brought a basket of chips and a small bowl of salsa to start. It feels silly to hype up free chips and salsa, but the salsa was exceptionally good. Very fresh and very flavorful.

By The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 29, the 302nd day of 2025. There are 63 days left in the year

Today in history:

On Oct. 29, 1929, ‘Black Tuesday’ descended on the New York Stock Exchange. Stock prices collapsed amid panicked selling, $14 billion in value was lost, and thousands of investors were wiped out, triggering America’s Great Depression.

Also on this date:

In 1922, Benito Mussolini, the founder of fascism, is appointed Italian prime minister by King Victor Emmanuel III. (He was dismissed by Emmanuel in 1943 after the Allied invasion of Italy and was executed by partisans in 1945).

In 1940, a blindfolded Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson drew the first number — 158 — from a glass bowl in America’s first peacetime military draft.

In 1956, the Suez Crisis began as Israel invaded Egypt to seize control of

the vital waterway, backed by France and Britain, after its nationalization by Egypt. (Their forces eventually withdrew after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration refused to back the effort and threatened sanctions).

In 1960, a chartered plane carrying the California Polytechnic State University football team crashed on takeoff from Toledo, Ohio, killing 22 of 48 people on board.

In 1998, Sen. John Glenn, at age 77, returned to space aboard the shuttle Discovery retracing the trail he had blazed as the first American to orbit the Earth in the Friendship 7 Mercury space capsule in 1962.

In 2012, Superstorm Sandy slammed ashore in New Jersey and slowly marched inland, devastating coastal communities and causing widespread power outages; the storm and its aftermath were blamed for at least 182 deaths in the U.S.

In 2018, a Boeing 737 MAX operated by the Indonesian airline Lion

Air crashed after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board. (Five months later, an Ethiopian Airlines Max crashed after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board; the 737 MAX was grounded worldwide, and a flight-control system was implicated in

the first half of the sandwich and put the other half in the refrigerator for lunch the next day An hour later, on the phone with a friend, I asked out loud, “Should I have that other half of my sandwich?” I sure did. If you have a favorite Cuban sandwich in the city email me at lauren.cheramie@theadvocate.com

— Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator

Al Pastor tacos n La Mexicana, 7034 Siegen Lane, Baton Rouge

Tacos sounded good for a quick weekday lunch break, and now looking back my

I ordered two al pastor tacos and two beef barbacoa tacos, and both were good, but the al pastor was particularly delicious. The meat was tender and juicy The server also brought a bowl of lime wedges and a squeeze bottle of salsa verde that added a little kick.

I was three tacos deep until remembering to snap a picture of the last taco, which I devoured later that night before going out with friends.

— Maddie Scott, features reporter

communitiesacrossthenationandaroundtheworld.Whenyousupportyour localRedCross,youmakeadirectimpactinyourcommunity Poweredbygenerosity. TheRedCrossisnotagovernmentagency.Wearea501(c)(3) nonprofitthatreliesonthepowerofvolunteersandthegenerosity ofdonorstocarryoutourhumanitarianmission. RedCrosssupportersprovideabeaconofhope.Fromhelping duringdisasters,toprovidinglifesavingtrainingandsupporting militarycommunities,theRedCrossistherewhenhelpcan’twait.

sCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Express your needs. It's time to implement positive lifestyle changes. It's up to you to create the life that suits you. Travel, educating yourself and new beginnings are in the stars.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Buildtoward a brighter future. Let go of what has no meaning for you and gravitate toward what excites you and makes you happy. It's time to invest in yourself, your dreams and what fills your heart with passion.

CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Rethink your motives and intentions, and how the choices and actions you take will influence others. How you handle matters will determine your success. Do what's right.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Make health or fitness a goal, and you won't be disappointedbytheresults.Self-improvement, personal growth and financial gains are on the rise.

PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Keep your plans to yourself until you have everything in place. Check into the legalities and protocols necessary to get your ideas and goals up and running.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Send a message with your actions. Change what you don't like and keep moving forward. Utilize your intelligence, conduct thorough research and adapt to meet your specific needs.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Update timesensitive documents and schedules that require attention. Spend more time at

home taking care of repairs or moving things around to make your space flow better.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Take advantage of any opportunity you get to learn something new. Put your best foot forward, but don't feel pressured to exaggerate to make a lasting impression; truth matters.

CAnCER (June 21-July 22) Avoid overspending on entertainment or when trying to impress someone. You are best off investing in yourself rather than letting money slip through your fingers.

LEo (July 23-Aug 22) You'll devise a unique plan to help a cause or people searching for solutions. Your kindness will offer hope and help you recognize what you can do to make a difference in your community.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Invest in your space or your future. Make changes for the right reason, not because you are bored.Maintainfocusanddiscipline,and say no if someone crosses a line or asks for too much.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) You are ready to undertake an adventure. Ensure you are following a path dedicated to your advancement or something you are passionate about. You'll get higher returns investing in yourself and your happiness.

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

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

Thomas Fuller,anEnglish curate, author and historian who died in 1661, said, “Ifthou arta master,besometimes blind; if aservant,sometimes deaf.” If thou art abridge player, be never deaf nor blind. Listen carefully to the auction and watchclosely everycard played.

In today’s deal,South did not draw the logical conclusion from the auction. Look at hishand. He dealt and opened onespade,Westovercalledoneno-trump (strong), and North responded three diamonds. After East passed, whatshould Southhave done? West’s choice of overcall would not have appealed to everyone. It described the hand strength, but hidher five-card major.

North’sthree-diamond response described her hand well —agood long suit and nothing else. (With astrong hand, shewould have doubled for penalty.)South had no extravalues and no good fit for diamonds, so he shouldhave passed, reaching acontract that could have been made.

Three no-trump, though, had no chance. West, thinking that herpartner had no points, led the heart two, which was theoretically fourth-highest. She purposely falsecarded.

South, thinking Westhad thespade ace and queen, won with his heart jack, played adiamond to dummy’sjack, and ledaclub to his queen. West wonand continued with the heartnine. South wonand played another diamond, but West took her ace and cashed her three heart tricks. East discouraged in spades, and South also pitched twospades.Then West accurately exited with aclub, leaving South stuck in his hand. Thecontract went downfour.

©2025 by NEA,Inc., dist. By

Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles

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

Previous answers:

word game

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

ToDAy’s WoRD RETAIn: rih-TANE: To keep in possession or use.

Average mark 18 words

Timelimit 35 minutes

Can you find 29 or morewords in RETAIN?

yEsTERDAy’s WoRD —AnALyZED

adze analyze nyala lade laden lady land lane laze lazy lead lean lend zany zeal elan eland dale daze deal dean delay deny