The Acadiana Advocate 10-30-2025

Election delay approved

As session ends, big redistricting battles could be on horizon

Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, speaks during a news conference alongside House Speaker Phillip DeVillier

at the State Capitol on Wednesday after the end of the special session.

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

The Louisiana Legislature concluded business and left the Capitol on Wednesday, and when it next returns, lawmakers could be stepping into a bitter partisan fight over Loui-

siana’s congressional map. All eyes are now on the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, a potentially watershed voting-rights and redistricting case, which could come as early as this year or as late as next summer During a special session

ä Virginia Democrats advance redistricting amendment. PAGE 6A

that ended Wednesday, the GOP-controlled Legislature approved a plan to delay Louisiana’s new closed party pri-

mary elections for U.S. House and Senate by one month from April to May Republican leaders said they want the extra month to see if a Supreme Court decision in the Callais case comes down be-

ä See ELECTION, page 5A

Landry: La. will cover most food stamp benefits

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Louisiana’s state government will pay to ensure most federal food stamp recipients continue to receive money for groceries if the shutdown in Washington, D.C., continues, Gov Jeff Landry announced Wednesday

ä LSU FOOTBALL: Landry says AD Woodward isn’t picking the next coach PAGE 1B

But 53,000 ablebodied adults are unlikely to be covered under the state’s plan, which prioritizes the elderly, people with disabilities and households with children.

“Our priorities are very specific. We are going to protect the most vulnerable population in Louisiana, which is our kids, our elderly and the disabled,” Landry said. “We’re going to lead the nation in the way we take care of people.” Landry encouraged those the state doesn’t cover to look for work at louisianaworks.net and to lean on food banks. He called on Louisianans with the means to help stock food banks to step up to fill the gap.

ä See BENEFITS, page 5A

on Wednesday.

BROUSSARD CITY COUNCIL

Sidewalk for school access planned

Billeaud Elementary set for rapid growth in Lafayette Parish

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

Students at Lafayette Parish’s fastest-growing elementary school will soon have a new way to commute to school.

The Broussard City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday evening that authorizes a sidewalk to be constructed near Martial Billeaud Elementary School. Completion of the sidewalk is expected to facilitate safe pedestrian access for students who live in the nearby Ambassador Commons and Paige Place neighborhoods. The sidewalks, which will be built along Fairfield Drive and Marteau Road, are estimated to cost $300,000, with the Lafayette Parish school system agreeing to contribute $150,000 to the project, according to Broussard Mayor Ray Bourque.

Billeaud Elementary is projected to see the largest increase in enrollment in LPSS between 2023 and 2027, according to estimates released following the 2022-23 school year Billeaud’s enrollment is expected to have a student population of more than 1,300 by 2027, a figure more than twice as large as the number of students enrolled in the year 2020.

The council additionally heard a presentation on a proposed plan to shift the maintenance of city facilities into a dedicated subdepartment under the city’s Public Works department. Broussard currently outsources most maintenance work, with each department being responsible for arranging repairs. Bourque says that under the new plan, the city will be able to more efficiently control its buildings and save money by not relying on contractors.

“If the police department has a leaky faucet, they shouldn’t have to worry about contacting a private firm. That’s not a good use of resources. The goal here is to save money and have a better product,” Bourque said. A formal proposal instituting the change is likely in the coming months.

ICE detainee at Angola sent to Laos, despite citizenship claims

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has sent a 44-year-old Louisiana Lockup detainee, who a judge has said has a “substantial

claim” to being an American citizen, to Laos, where he is in custody, according to the Louisiana American Civil Liberties Union. Because of that claim, Judge Shelly Dick of the Middle District Court of Louisiana issued a temporary order on Oct. 23 blocking the government from sending Chanthila Souvannarath out of the country But the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, says it sent Souvannara-

th to Laos before the order came down.

Souvannarath, who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, received lawful permanent residence in the United States as a baby, Dick wrote in her court decision.

tive citizenship and has been a U.S. citizen since childhood, according to the order

Agency violated La. judge’s order, ACLU says ä See DETAINEE, page 5A

Souvannarath said that, because his father became a naturalized citizen, and because he entered his father’s sole custody at 13, he met the requirements for deriva-

The order says the government is “immediately prohibited from removing” Souvannarath from the United States or from the jurisdiction of the Middle District, which covers the Baton Rouge region.

“This is what happens when you disappear people to notorious, isolated prisons under the guise of ‘civil’ detention you end up

wrongfully deporting individuals with strong claims to U.S. citizenship,” Sarah Gillman, director of Strategic U.S. Litigation at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, said in a statement. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that “there was no mistake,” and that Souvannarath was removed before Dick’s order was issued. The

Sheriff says N.C. man killed 4 of his children

SMITHFIELD N.C. The North Carolina man accused of killing four of his children after human remains were found inside the trunk of a vehicle at their home appears to have spread the slayings over several months, a sheriff said Wednesday

Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, was charged Tuesday with four counts of murder The sheriff’s office said investigators believe Dickens killed three of his biological children, ages 6, 9 and 10, as well as his 18-yearold stepchild.

Dickens had contacted Johnston County 911 late Monday and said he had killed his children. He told deputies that arrived at his home on the outskirts of Zebulon about 25 miles east of Raleigh — that four of his children were deceased and had been placed inside the vehicle parked in his garage, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said.

Sheriff Steve Bizzell said Dickens killed his 6-year-old child in May, the 9-year-old in August, the 10-year-old in late August or early September, and the 18-year-old in September

Some neighbors said Tuesday that they didn’t remember seeing the family, especially after Dickens’ wife, Stephanie Rae Jones Dickens, died in April 2024. Authorities had determined she died from complications from a miscarriage, and doctors ruled her death as natural, Bizzell said.

Asked how the children’s deaths were concealed for so long, sheriff’s Capt. Don Pate said the family members “were just very secluded” and that Dickens’ extended family was not welcome to visit.

Judge says Greenpeace must pay $345 million

BISMARCK,N.D A North Dakota judge has ordered Greenpeace to pay damages of $345 million, reducing an earlier jury award after it found the environmental group and related entities were liable for defamation and other claims brought by a pipeline company in connection with protests of an oil pipeline nearly a decade ago

The award is roughly half the $667 million that a jury previously had awarded to the company, Dallas-based Energy Transfer and subsidiary Dakota Access.

State District Judge James Gion granted and denied Greenpeace requests to rule in its favor on various claims before recalculating the damages.

Energy Transfer said it intends to appeal the verdict “as we firmly believe that the original jury findings and damages awards for conspiracy and defamation are lawful and just.”

The lawsuit stems from protests nearly a decade ago against the Dakota Access oil pipeline and its crossing of the Missouri River near the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation. The case would go next to the North Dakota Supreme Court.

In March, a nine-person jury found Netherlands-based Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA and funding arm Greenpeace Fund Inc. liable for defamation and other claims brought by Energy Transfer

The jury found Greenpeace USA liable on all counts, including conspiracy, trespass, nuisance and tortious interference with business relations. The other two entities were found liable for some of the total claims.

Microsoft deploys a fix to Azure cloud service

NEW YORK Microsoft has deployed a fix to address an outage of their Azure cloud portal that left users unable to access Office 365, Minecraft and other services.

The tech company wrote on its Azure status page that a configuration change to its Azure infrastructure caused the outage, and that its fix is being rolled out. Microsoft acknowledged issues with its Azure Front Door, a global content and application delivery network, service on its status page and social media accounts.

On Downdetector, a website that tracks online outages, users reported issues throughout the day with Office 365, Minecraft, XBox Live, Copilot, Costco, Starbucks, and many other services.

Israel’s military says ceasefire is back on

BY WAFAA SHURAFA and JOSH BOAK Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Israel’s military said Wednesday that the ceasefire was back on in Gaza after it carried out heavy airstrikes overnight across the Palestinian territory that killed 104 people, including 66 women and children, according to local health officials.

The strikes marked the most serious challenge to the tenuous truce to date.

The bombardment pointed to Israel’s readiness to strike hard at what it says are Hamas violations of the ceasefire deal. Meanwhile the militant group denies it is responsible and blames Israel for violations.

After it announced the restoration of the ceasefire, the Israeli military said it carried out another airstrike in northern Gaza, targeting what it called a site where weapons were being stored for an imminent attack

The latest violence puts new strains on American pressure to keep the ceasefire on track. U.S. President Donald Trump defended Israel’s strikes but also insisted the escalation won’t wreck the truce.

Israel said its overnight strikes were in retaliation for the shooting and killing of an Israeli soldier in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said Hamas violated provisions in the deal concerning the handover of remains of hostages.

Hamas denied any involvement in the deadly shooting and, in turn, accused Israel of “a blatant violation of the ceasefire deal.” It also said it would delay handing over the body of another hostage to Israel because of the strikes.

The strikes across Gaza in the early hours Wednesday pounded buildings and tent camps housing displaced families

Ambulances and small trucks carrying bodies crowded hospital entrances. In Deir al-Balah, bodies were wheeled in on stretchers or carried on mattresses.

One man walked into a hospital carrying the body of a young child.

“They burned children while they were asleep,” Haneen Mteir, whose sister and nephews were killed in a strike, shouted at the morgue in at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis.

The Israeli military said in a statement Wednesday that it struck dozens of Hamas targets, including individuals, observation posts, weapons depots, mortar firing positions and tunnels.

It said it hit a number of senior Hamas fighters, including 21 commanders of various levels. It said they included militants involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamasled attack on Israel that started the war, including Nukhba company commander Hatem Maher Mousa Qudra, who led the attack on the Ein Hashlosha Kibbutz, the statement said.

An Israeli military official said Wednesday that the soldier in Rafah, identified as Master Sgt Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37, was killed by “enemy fire” that targeted his vehicle on Tuesday Hamas insisted it was not involved in the Rafah gunfire.

Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by handing over body parts this week that Israel said were partial remains of a hostage recovered earlier in the war Israeli officials also accused Hamas of staging the discovery of some of the remains Monday, sharing a 14-minute, edited video from a military drone Hamas replied in kind on Wednesday, saying the Israeli strikes reveal “a clear Israeli intention to undermine the ceasefire agreement and impose new realities by force.”

Jurors convict Ill. deputy of killing Sonya Massey

Black woman called to report suspected prowler

BY JOHN O’CONNOR Associated Press

PEORIA, Ill. — A jury on Wednesday convicted an Illinois sheriff’s deputy of second-degree murder, a lesser charge, in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 to report a suspected prowler Sean Grayson could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison or even probation.

The jury did not convict him of first-degree murder, a crime that carries a sentence of 45 years to life.

Massey’s supporters were angered by the result Her father, James Wilburn, called it a “miscarriage of justice.”

Grayson and another deputy arrived at Massey’s home in Springfield early on July 6, 2024, after she reported a prowler

He shot the 36-year-old woman after confronting her about how she was handling a pot of hot water on the stove.

Grayson and his attorneys argued that he fired his gun in fear that Massey would scald him with hot water Grayson, 31, was charged with firstdegree murder, but the jury was given the option of considering second-degree murder which can apply when a defendant faces a “serious provocation” or believes their action is justified even if that belief is unreasonable.

State’s Attorney John Milhiser declined to comment as he left the courtroom. He was repeatedly praised by Massey’s supporters for pursuing a trial that was moved 75 miles north to the Peoria County courthouse because of intense publicity in Springfield.

Defense attorney Daniel Fultz declined

comment after the verdict.

“While we believe Grayson’s actions deserved a first-degree conviction, today’s verdict is still a measure of justice for Sonya Massey,” the family’s attorneys, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, said after the seven-day trial.

Body camera video recorded by another Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy at the scene, Dawson Farley, was a key part of the prosecution’s case. It showed Massey, who struggled with mental health issues telling the officers “Don’t hurt me,” and repeating, “Please God.”

When the deputies entered the house, Grayson saw the pot on the stove and ordered Massey to move it. Massey jumped up to retrieve the pot, and she and Grayson joked about how he said he was backing off from the “hot, steaming water.” Massey then replied “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Both Grayson and Farley drew their pistols and yelled at Massey to put the pot down Grayson told investigators he thought her “rebuke” meant she intended to kill him and, in the following commotion, fired three shots, striking Massey just below the eye.

Farley testified that Massey didn’t say or do anything that caused him to view her as a threat. But under cross-examination, he acknowledged that he initially reported to investigators that he feared for his safety because of the hot water Farley did not fire his weapon and was not charged.

Grayson, who was subsequently fired, testified in his own defense. He told jurors he noticed the bottom of the pot was red and he believed Massey planned to throw the water at him. He said Massey’s words felt like a threat and that he drew his gun because officers are trained to use force to get compliance.

Pope condemns antisemitism, vows to fight it

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

ROME Pope Leo XIV acknowledged Wednesday that there had been misunderstandings and conflicts with Jews over Israel’s war in Gaza. But he strongly confirmed the Catholic Church’s condemnation of antisemitism and commitment to fighting it as part of Christians’ Gospel-mandated friendship with the Jewish people.

At a time of rising antisemitism stemming from Israel’s war, Leo adopted as his own the Vatican’s official position abhorring antisemitism as he marked the 60th anniversary of a landmark Vatican document that revolutionized the Catholic Church’s relations with Jews.

Leo dedicated his Wednesday general audience to the anniversary of the “Nostra Aetate” declaration, speaking to a crowd that included several Jewish leaders and representatives of other religions who had come to Rome this week to participate in anniversary celebrations.

In the text, “Nostra Aetate,” Latin for “In Our Time,” the Catholic Church deplored antisemitism in every form and repudiated the “deicide” charge that blamed Jews as a people for Christ’s death.

The idea of Jewish collective guilt for the crucifixion had fueled antisemitism for centuries. The Vatican crafted the document repudiating it as the church reckoned with the role traditional Christian teaching had played in the Holocaust.

Leo quoted the document as saying the Catholic Church decries “hatred, persecutions, displays of antisemitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone” and noted that all his predecessors since then had clearly condemned antisemitism.

“And so I, too, confirm that the church does not tolerate antisemitism and

fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself,” he said.

“We cannot deny that there have been misunderstandings, difficulties and conflicts in this period, but these have never prevented the dialogue from continuing,” he added. “Even today, we must not allow political circumstances and the injustices of some to divert us from friendship, especially since we have achieved so much so far.”

This year’s anniversary comes amid a surge in antisemitism linked to Israel’s military actions in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. In the United States alone, the Anti-Defamation League says the number of antisemitic incidents reached a record high last year, with 58% of the 9,354 incidents related to Israel, notably chants, speeches and signs at rallies protesting Israeli policies.

The war has similarly strained the Vatican’s relations with the Jewish community Pope Francis repeatedly angered Jewish and Israeli leaders with comments they perceived as drawing a moral equivalence between the Hamas attacks and Israel’s military actions. Francis did meet with relatives of hostages taken by Hamas and called repeatedly for them to be returned. But he called for an investigation to determine if Israel’s attacks in Gaza constitute genocide and said Israel’s military response was disproportionate. Leo didn’t minimize the strain when he met with Jewish leaders and faith leaders who attended his installation as pope in May In greeting the Jewish leaders present, he recalled Christians’ special relationship with Jews.

“Even in these difficult times, marked by conflicts and misunderstandings, it is necessary to continue the momentum of this precious dialogue of ours,” Leo said in May

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HURRICANE MELISSA

Dozens dead in trail of destruction

BY ARIEL FERNÁNDEZ, ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ, JOHN MYERS JR. and EVENS SANON Associated Press

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba Hurri-

cane Melissa left at least dozens

dead and widespread destruction

across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica, where roofless homes, toppled utility poles and water-logged furniture dominated the landscape

Wednesday

A landslide blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz in Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth parish, where the streets were reduced to mud pits. Residents swept water from homes as they tried to salvage belongings Wind ripped off part of the roof at a high school that serves as a public shelter.

“I never see anything like this before in all my years living here,”

resident Jennifer Small said

The extent of the damage from the Category 5 hurricane was unclear Wednesday as widespread power outages and dangerous conditions persisted.

“It is too early for us to say definitively,” said Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s education minister

Melissa made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica with top winds of 185 mph, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, before weakening and moving on to Cuba, but even countries outside the direct path of the massive storm felt its devastating effects.

At least 23 people have died across Haiti and 13 are missing, Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency said in a statement, revising the death toll downward. Twenty of those reported dead and 10 of the missing are from the southern coastal town of Petit-Goâve, where flooding collapsed dozens of homes. The number of dead and missing in Haiti often fluctuate in the early days after major natural

U.N.

Residents stand on the wreckage of a house destroyed by Hurricane

Wednesday.

disasters.

In Cuba, officials reported collapsed houses, blocked mountain roads and roofs blown off buildings Wednesday, with the heaviest destruction concentrated in the southwest and northwest. Authorities said about 735,000 people remained in shelters

“That was hell. All night long, it was terrible,” said Reinaldo Charon in Santiago de Cuba. The 52-year-old was one of the few people venturing out Wednesday, covered by a plastic sheet in the intermittent rain.

Jamaica’s rush to assess damage

In Jamaica, more than 25,000 people were packed into shelters

Wednesday and more streamed in throughout the day after the storm ripped roofs off their homes and left them temporarily homeless.

Dixon said 77% of the island was without power

The outages complicated assessing the damage because of “a total communication blackout” in areas, Richard Thompson, acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, told the Nationwide News Network radio station.

“Recovery will take time, but the government is fully mobilized,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a statement. “Relief supplies are being prepared, and we

overwhelmingly condemns U.S.

BY FARNOUSH AMIRI and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to condemn the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba for a 33rd year Yet the vote, taken as Hurricane Melissa tore through the island nation, softened Washington’s isolation on a long-standing issue in the Caribbean while new friction grows around the American military buildup there. The vote was 165-7, with 12 abstentions. Last year, it was 187-2, with “no” votes from the United States and Israel and one abstention. This year, countries including Argentina, Ukraine and Hungary also opposed the measure. Such resolutions are not legally binding but reflect world opinion.

“The United States government is satisfied to see so many countries send the regime a message that the international community will no longer tolerate” its activities, Ambassador Jeff Bartos said, after he expressed concern for Cuba and other countries in the storm’s path.

In an interview with The

BY ROB GILLIES Associated Press

TORONTO The leader of Canada’s most populous province on Wednesday said the U.S. ambassador to Canada should apologize to Ontario’s representative in Washington after the ambassador reportedly shouted profanely at him about the province’s anti-tariff ad. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Ambassador Pete Hoekstra owes David Paterson an apology for an “absolutely unacceptable” tirade that Ford said is “unbecoming for an ambassador.”

An official familiar with the matter confirmed that Hoekstra shouted at Paterson during a reception hosted by the Canadian American Business Council in Ot-

Associated Press on Monday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said the U.S. mounted a pressure campaign to influence the vote.

Rodríguez said his government had heard from other countries, mainly in Europe, that the State Department was encouraging them to vote against the resolution. The department did not respond to requests for comment, and Bartos did not address the claim after Rodríguez repeated it Wednesday in the assembly Before the vote, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, described the annual exercise as “political theater” by Cuba to “cast itself as the victim of aggression while plainly describing itself as ‘the enemy of the United States.’”

“I would suggest that our member states stop appeasing the regime with their votes and instead use this vote to send the world a message,” Waltz said during debate Tuesday He said the vote also could signal to Cuba not to “blame all of its economic problems on the United States.”

In a taste of the sour relations between the countries, Rodríguez formally interrupted Waltz’s remarks with

a “point of order” to complain that they were “uncivilized, crude and gross.”

“Mr Waltz, this is the United Nations General Assembly It is not a Signal chat. Nor is it the House of Representatives,” the Cuban envoy said.

“I am well aware of the location in which we are speaking. And this is also not a communist illegitimate legislature in Havana,” Waltz responded.

Waltz, a former Republican congressman served as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser earlier this year before unintentionally adding a journalist to a private Signal chat used to discuss sensitive military plans. Waltz has insisted the chat met government cybersecurity standards.

Rodríguez, in the interview, said, “We cannot underestimate the importance, the impact, of the powerful message year after year by the General Assembly, which is the most democratic, representative body of the international community.” The resolution, he added, “is not binding, but it is powerful.”

The U.S. objects to the description of the economic restrictions as a blockade.

The embargo was imposed

tawa on Monday night The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter

“Pete, you’ve got to call Dave up and apologize. It’s simple,” Ford told journalists, adding: “I get it. You’re ticked off. But call the guy up, because you’re a good guy.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy declined comment.

Ontario’s television ad criticizes President Donald Trump’s tariffs by citing a speech by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan The ad infuriated Trump, who said he plans to raise tariffs on imports of Canadian goods by an extra 10%. Trump said the ad misrepresented the position of

Reagan, a two-term president and a beloved figure in the Republican Party But Reagan was wary of tariffs and used much of the 1987 address featured in Ontario’s ad to spell out the case against tariffs.

“The intention wasn’t to go poke the president in the eye,” Ford said. “My intention was to get a conversation going.”

Ford said Hoekstra should understand why Canadians are upset.

“You have someone attacking your province, attacking your country, constantly saying its the 51st state, trying

“What

are doing everything possible to restore normalcy quickly.”

Officials in Black River, Jamaica, a coastal town of approximately 5,000 people in the southwestern part of the island, pleaded for aid at a news conference Wednesday

“Catastrophic is a mild term based on what we are observing,”

Mayor Richard Solomon said. Solomon said the local rescue infrastructure had been demolished by the storm. The hospital, police units and emergency services were inundated by floods and unable to conduct emergency operations. The storm also destroyed the facility where relief supplies were being stored. The United States is sending res-

cue and response teams to assist in recovery efforts in the Caribbean, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X. He said government officials were coordinating with leadership in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

St. Elizabeth Police Superintendent Coleridge Minto told Nationwide News Network on Wednesday that authorities have found at least four bodies in southwest Jamaica. One death was reported in the west when a tree fell on a baby, state minister Abka Fitz-Henley told Nationwide News Network. Before landfall, Melissa had already been blamed for three deaths in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.

Cuba rides out the storm People in the eastern Cuban province of Santiago de Cuba began clearing debris around the collapsed walls of their homes Wednesday after Melissa made landfall in the region hours earlier

“Life is what matters,” Alexis Ramos, a 54-year-old fisherman said as he surveyed his destroyed home and shielded himself from the intermittent rain with a yellow raincoat. “Repairing this costs money, a lot of money.”

Local media showed images of the Juan Bruno Zayas Clinical Hospital with severe damage: glass scattered across the floor, waiting rooms in ruins and masonry walls crumpled on the ground.

“It has been a very complex early morning,” President Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on X. “As soon as conditions allow, we will begin the recovery We are ready.” Authorities in the Bahamas were evacuating dozens of people from the archipelago’s southeast corner Wednesday ahead of Melissa’s arrival.

embargo on Cuba for 33rd year

fore Christmas, and if necessary, use that guidance to draw anew congressional mapahead of the spring primary Democrats said the electiondate change is afirst step toward eliminating one or two of Louisiana’s majority-Black congressionaldistricts, which elected two Democrats. At every turn of thesix-day special session, they protested the delay of primary dates, presaging what is likely to be acontentious battle over anew congressional map —but only if the court rules in time.

On the final day of the session, akey Republican lawmaker said that, if an opinion doesn’t come before January,discussions could take place about tossingLouisiana’sclosed primary and returning to the familiarjungleprimary

Rep. Beau Beaullieu, chairman of the committee that handles redistricting and voting matters, said it’spossible someone wouldpropose repealing the spring closed primary in favor of returning to an open primary, whichwouldbe held in fall.

“If we don’thear back from the Supreme Court, Ithink more people are going to be asking that question,” Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, said in an interview,referring to whether lawmakers will begin discussing areturn to afallopen

BENEFITS

Continued from page1A

“We’re going to start to talk about filling our food banks,because, again, what we’re doing today is not sustainable,”hesaid Bruce Greenstein, secretary of the LouisianaDepartment of Health, said officials would finalize their policies in the coming days. Landry said guidance forbeneficiaries would be issued within 24 hours.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program providesmonthly money to help low-income people cover the cost of groceries. Almost 800,000 Louisiana residents are on SNAP,orabout 17% of the state’spopulation. Funding forSNAPisset to expire as part of the federal government shutdown.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it is out of money for theprogram.But twodozenstates

DETAINEE

Continued from page1A

statement said he lost his green cardafter aconviction for assault and unlawful possession of afirearm and was ordered removed in 2006, but “tried aHail Mary attempttoremainin ourcountrybyclaiming he was aU.S. citizen.”

“I know it’sshocking to the media —but criminal illegal aliens lie all thetime,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the statement.

On Tuesday,lawyers for Souvannarathfiled amotion asking thecourt to order the government to bring Souvannarath back to the United States.

ICE did not answer questions about the date of Souvannarath’sflight or provide acopy of his 2006removal order Wednesday

Souvannarath’sremoval comes amid President Donald Trump’spush for mass detentions and deportations of immigrants As part of that push, the administrationhas been transferring ICE detainees to countries where they were not born.

primary.

Buthealsosaid if the Supreme Court doesn’trule until summer, Louisiana may have to stick with its current congressional map.

Legal observers across thepolitical spectrum believe the Callais decision couldhavemajor consequencesfor theVoting RightsAct.

That civil rights era law aims to prohibit racial discrimination in voting and in redistricting, and fordecades it’s been thebasis for legalchallenges that claim that redistricting plans unfairly dilute the votingpower of minorities.

AVoting Rights Act lawsuit led the Legislature in 2024 to draw the current voting map, in which two of Louisiana’s six congressional districts are majority-Black. Those districts arerepresented by CongressmenTroy Carter,D-New Orleans, andCleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge.

Louisiana’spopulation is roughly one-third African American Agroup of Whitevoters sued over thenew map, however,arguingtheir rights were being infringed underthe U.S.Constitution,whichprohibitsracial discrimination in voting.

The Supreme Court is now weighing whether the creation of thesecondmajority-Black district under the VotingRightsAct is unconstitutional.

“When it comes to doingthings that give fairand equitable maps to African Americans, we delay and we kick the can down the road,” Legislative Black Caucus

whosay the government has thefunds to continue paying for SNAP and is illegally withholding them, have sued President Donald Trump’sadministration.

Meanwhile, Congresshas not been abletopass abill authorizing funding for most of thefederal government

With no authorization to spend money,national parks have closed, many grant programs have shuttered andmany federal employees have been furloughed or are working without pay

Around1,100 people who work on the SNAP program in Louisiana are settobefurloughednext month, according to officials. The federal government pays half theirsalaries andthe state pays the other half, Landry said.

The governor said the state will use the money it saves through the furlough to helpfund the food assistance program. Askeleton crew will make sure that program functions.

Though the program will be ad-

Last week, PBSreported that theTrump administrationhad sent immigrants to at least four African countriesthrough the “third country”program —Eswatini, SouthSudan, Ghana and Rwanda.

Souvannarath has never beentoLaos, accordingto the ACLU.

“ICE just ignored afederal court order and tore yet another family apart,” Alanah Odoms, executivedirector for theACLU of Louisiana, said in arelease.“This is the deportation of someone who has strongclaims to Americancitizenship. This administration has shown it will ignore the courts, ignore the Constitution andignore the law to pursue its mass deportationagenda, evenif it means destroying thelives of American citizens.”

ICE detained Souvannarath in June andeventually took him to the Louisiana Lockup, anew ICE detention center located inside theLouisiana State Penitentiary at Angola,according to Dick’s order.Louisiana Lockup is also knownas Camp57.

On Oct. 16, Souvannarath, whowas told hewould“be placed on the next flight to Laos,” filed apetition chal-

“Weare

REP.BEAUBEAULLIEU,R-NewIberia

ChairEdmondJordan, D-Baton Rouge, said Wednesday during debateonthe House floor.“When it’s somethingthat has thepotential to dilutethe African American vote here,wewanttorush andanticipate.”

Rep. Ed LarvadainIII, D-Alexandria,saidheexpects theLegislature to convene fora special session this wintertoquickly draw newmapswith little public input once the Supreme Court rules.

“The Legislaturewill intentionally createunfair maps,” he predicted.“Therewill be no African American representation in Congress.”

“This is not right, andthisnot fair to theAfricanAmerican population,” he added.

Larvadain said that, in the midst of the 2026 midterm election cycle, Louisiana delaying the spring primaryisalso away to “help President Trump obtain more seats in Congress.”

ButBeaullieu, aco-author of the legislation, disputed those accusations.

ministered onlybythe state, SNAP beneficiarieswill be able to use thesame cards they used through SNAPtopay for groceries, Greenstein said.

Nationally,Republican and Democratic politicians continue to point fingers at one another over the impacts of theshutdown in Washington. Republicans blame Democrats for refusing to vote for a“clean” continuing resolution that would keep the government funded at its current levels.Landryhas repeatedly referred to the“Schumer Shutdown,” blaming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,D-N.Y “Any mistake that we make is ChuckSchumer’sfault,”hesaid during thenews conference.

Democrats fault Republicansfor refusing to negotiatewith them on restoring healthcare subsidies thatare settoexpire soon, potentially leavingmanyAmericans with drastically higher insurance premiums.

But the Louisiana Legislature

lenging the legality of his detentionand demanding his immediate release, according to court records. He also filed an emergency motion for astay of removal which Dick granted.

The ACLUlearned of his removal to Laos on Tuesday, aspokesperson said.

Souvannarath, whohad been living in Alabama, had awife and at least two childrenliving in Washingtonstate, thespokesperson added.

Trump officials and Gov JeffLandryhaveadvertised Camp 57 as fit for the“worst of theworst criminal illegal aliens.”

Upon itsopening, ICEreleased alist of 51 detainees whothe agency said had been convicted of murder, rape or sex offenses against children.

Souvannarath was noton that list. He has convictions from 2004 for unlawful possession of afirearm and for domestic violence-related second-degree assault in King County,Washington, according to countyrecords.

Louisiana, which holds the second-most ICE detainees behind Texas, hasbecome centraltothe Trump administration’sdeportation

“Election dates are not partisan. Election dates do not see color,” he said.“This deals with election dates and nothing else.”

He added that no one knowshow the Supreme Court will rule or what an opinion will say

“Weare not changing any of ourrules, notchanging anyof our maps, not changing any of ourprocedures. We are extending dates and providing the process to change those dates as we wait for theSupreme Court of the United States,”hesaid.

To administer the election under anew congressional map, the Secretary of State’sOfficewould need areplacement map by Jan. 13, Beaullieu said.

Primary elections in Louisiana areheldunder an open system commonly referred to as a“jungle primary.” All candidates run against each other on the same ballot regardless of party,and voters cast aballotfor anycandidate of their choosing.

Butlast year,Louisiana lawmakers,with Gov.Jeff Landry’sbacking, decided to switchtoclosed party primaries for ahandful of races, including U.S. House and Senate.

Louisiana Supreme Court, Public Service Commission and Board of Elementary and Secondary Educationraces also useclosed primaries now In aclosed system,Republican and Democraticcandidates compete only against each other in

passed abipartisan resolutionurging theLouisiana Department of Health to reallocatefunds so that SNAP recipients would continue to get money forfood.

The Senate gave final passage to House ConcurrentResolution 3on Wednesday.Itwas sponsored by House Speaker Phillip Devillier, R-Eunice, and Senate President Cameron Henry,R-Metairie.

In hisremarks about the resolution on the Senate floor,Henry listed statelawmakers from both partieswith tens of thousands of SNAP recipients in their districts.

“Tryingtoput Ds and Rs on this ain’t gonna work,” he said. “We’ll continuetofeedpeopleuntil D.C. gets organized, straight, sane whatever you wanttocall it.”

Funds for the food stamps will flowthrough theHealth Department, Henry said. If necessary, theLegislature can backfill the agency’sbudget, possiblyusing money from the state’srainy day fund, he said.

No otherHealth Department

the primary,and the party’swinner advancestothe November generalelection. Voters must also cast aballot in line with their party registration. Under the jungle primary,elections were held in fall. But the new closed primary elections are scheduled for spring —leaving less time to wait for aSupreme Court decision andpotentially redraw congressional maps.

Beaullieusaidthatifthe Legislature starts to consider reverting to afalljungle primary,itmay only be needed forthe U.S. House maps, since those districts are at issue in Louisiana v. Callais.

“We’re going to have sometough decisions to make, and I’mnot sure what the decisions are going to be,” he said.

Askedabout potentially returning to ajungle primary for U.S. House and Senate races, Senate President Cameron Henry,R-Metairie, said somesenators are open to the idea while others are not.

“The problem is, is to do that you’d have to comeback into session,” Henry said. “And Idon’t know whether members are going to come back in session again just to change moreelection dates again.”

He said that would“maybe” be more likely if the session were to coincide withdrawing maps,“but that’stoo fardown the road forus to even consider.”

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.

programswould be depleted by the government’sdecision to assist SNAP beneficiaries, Henry said.

HCR3 passed the House unanimously,and it passed the Senate 32-1.State Sen. JayMorris, R-West Monroe, cast the lone vote against it. Morris said he thought the decision set a“bad precedent.”

“Itforces us to do something for the federal gov that it should be doing itself,” Morris said.

The Legislature did not need to pass theresolutiontoauthorize the funding, according to Henry,who said Landry’sOct. 24 declaration of emergency gave thegovernor the powertoreallocatefunds as needed.

But both Henry and DeVillier called Landry last week to ask that the state government intervene as SNAP funds dried up, the governor said.

Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

efforts.

ICE hasnine regulardetention centers in thestate, which can hold over 7,000 people at any given time,

BY KEVIN FREKING and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON Republican leaders in Congress said it’s all or nothing on Wednesday as they rejected aDemocratic push to carve out funding to continue food aid for more than 40 million Americans who stand to lose it as part of the government shutdown.

Democrats have repeatedly voted against reopening the government as they demand that Republicans negotiate with them to extend expiring health care subsidies. But they pushed for expeditedapproval of legislation to continue funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,or SNAP,inthe meantime.

“It’ssimple, it’smoral, it’s urgent,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said as he called for passage of SNAP funding Wednesday Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., angrily objected to the Democratic request,calling it “a cynical attempt to provide political cover” for Democrats to continue theshutdown, now in its 29th day.“We’re not going to let them pick winners and losers,” Thune said. “It’s time to fund everybody.”

If Democrats want to prevent damage fromthe shutdown, “they can end the shutdown,” Thune said.

The increasingly pointed

Effort to fund food benefits failsinSenate

statements from lawmakers on Capitol Hill reflected growingfrustration and pressurethatisbuildingas theSNAPdeadline loomsand federal workers and military service members face missed paychecks this week. Vulnerable families could see federal money dryup soon for some other programs, as well —fromcertain Head Start preschool programs to aid for mothers to care for their newborns through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program

for Women,Infants, and Children, known as WIC.

The Department of Agriculturehas posted on its website that the SNAP benefitswill end Friday.“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” thestatementread.

Almost two dozen states have fileda lawsuit arguing that President Donald Trump’sadministration hasthe moneytocontinue thebenefitsand is legally required to do so. Schumer saidthat SNAPbenefits have never stopped during previ-

ous government shutdowns and thatTrump is “picking politics over the lives of hungry kids.”

Republican leaders, in turn,blamed Democrats. The solution, they said, was for Democratsinthe Senatetoallow forpassage of their short-term funding patch that hassofar failed 13 times in that chamber

“Things are getting really tough on the American people,”House SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Benton, said at thestart of hisdaily press

conference that has become astaple of the shutdown.

The House has been out of session since mid-September,and Johnson is resolute that he will not bring the House back until the Senate has passed abill to fund thegovernment, whichthe House did on Sept. 19.

Senate Democrats have shownnosigns publicly that they are backing away from theirinsistence that agovernment funding bill also include help for millions of Americans who purchase health insurance coverage on the exchanges establishedthrough theAffordable Care Act.

Thestandoffshows few signs of easing. Thune told reporters there’sbeen a “higher level of conversation” with Democrats this week and that talks continued between senatorsin both parties over possible health care compromises.

But the underlying dynamics of the impasse remained thesame. Thune andother Republicans are continuing to press rank-and-file Democrats to vote to reopen the government before the Senate takes up talks to extend the health coveragebenefits. That’sthe strategythat’s been in place fornearly a month.

On Tuesday,air traffic controllers missed theirpaychecks andTransportation Secretary Sean Duffy ex-

pressed concerns that flight delays could multiply as increasingly stressed-out controllers call out sick. Also on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vancetoldreporters after meeting behind closed doors withSenate Republicans that he believes U.S. military members will be paid at theend of theweek, though he did not specifyhow In apress conference, House Democrats calledon Trump to return from his trip in Asia to address the issue.

“If the president wanted to help feed hungry American children, he would,” said Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota, the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committeethat handles the food aidprogram. “I’mcalling on the president to get back from Asia and do the right thing —and the moral thing.”

As Republicans objected to the legislation to continue SNAP benefits, Democrats said they’d also support a similarbillfromRepublican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, who hasseparate legislation to immediately fund the program But Thune said Republicans won’tallow apiecemeal process. He calledon Democrats to support their bill to extend all government funding and reopen the government.

“If Democratsreally want to fund SNAPand WIC, we have abill for them,” he said.

Va.takes stepstowardredistricting in agrowing battle forHouse powerin2026

By The AssociatedPress

Democratic lawmakers in Virginia pressed ahead Wednesday withplans that could allow middecade redistrictingaspart of a growing national battle for partisan advantage in next year’scongressional elections.

Virginia’sHouse endorsed aproposed constitutional amendment that, if ultimately approved by voters,would allowlawmakers to temporarily bypass abipartisan redistricting commission and redraw congressional districts in response to similar efforts in other states. Redistrictingtypically occurs once adecade,immediately after

acensus.But President Donald Trump hopes that redistricting now can help Republicans in next year’smidterm elections hold on to theHouse, where Democrats need to gain just three seats to wincontrol andimpede Trump’sagenda. Republicans in Texas, Missouri and NorthCarolina already have revised districts at Trump’surging. So far,Californiaisthe only Democratic-led state to counter with anew congressional map, which is goingbeforevotersinaspecial electionthat concludes Tuesday Democrats hold a6-5 edge over Republicans in Virginia’s U.S. Housedelegation. Anew map could allowthem to expand that

advantage. Butitrequires amultistep processbecause avoter-approvedconstitutional amendment places redistricting in the hands of abipartisan commission.

After the2020 census, that commission deadlocked, so acourt imposed districtsthat remain in use. TheVirginia House on Wednesday voted for aproposed constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to drawnew congressional districts in response to mid-decade redistricting done in other states

To be placed on thestatewide ballot, theproposal still needs Senate approval, then wouldhavetobe approved by both chambers again in another legislative session.

“We’rehere to defend against the power grab” by Trump, Democratic state Del. Marcus Simon said. But Republican state Del. Chris Obenshain said the amendment was a“power grab” by Democrats and“afrightening attempt to resurrectaFrankenstein’smonster of gerrymandering.”Alawsuit broughtbyRepublicans contends the special session on redistricting violates the state constitution. So far, Democrats haven’tunveiledplans for how those new districtswould be shaped. Indiana Republican Gov.Mike Braun hadcalledfor aspecial session on congressional redistricting to begin next Monday

ButHouse Speaker Todd Huston said in astatement Thursday that the chamber is still working on aschedule and won’tconvene Monday. Aspokespersonfor the Indiana Senate Republican caucus said the Senate also is unlikely to be ready next week. Though national Democrats are pressing Illinois to redraw its U.S. House districts, Democrats in the stateGeneral Assembly saythey won’ttake up the topic while in sessionthis week.Theyleft open the possibility to do so later Democratshold14ofthe state’s 17 U.S. House districts, whichalready weredrawntofavor Democrats after the 2020 census.

Landry: LSU board to pick next coach

Governor criticizes AD Scott Woodward’s previous contracts

BY ALYSE PFEIL and MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Staff writers

Gov Jeff Landry said Wednesday that LSU athletic director

Scott Woodward will not select a head football coach to replace Brian Kelly

“No. I can tell you right now,

Scott Woodward is not selecting the next coach,” he said in response to a question at a news conference. “Hell, I’ll let Donald Trump select him before I let him do it.”

When asked who would hire the coach, Landry replied, “The Board of Supervisors is gonna come up with a committee, and they’re

gonna go find us a coach.”

The governor appoints members of the board. Woodward and LSU spokesperson Zach Greenwell did not immediately return a request for comment.

Landry criticized the contracts that Woodward reached with the last two football coaches that

he hired, Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M and Kelly A few years after Woodward left Texas A&M for LSU, Fisher signed a lucrative extension in 2021 as LSU searched for its next coach, a process that landed on Kelly Fisher was paid a buyout of

nearly $77 million, the highest in college football history, when he was fired in 2023. Kelly’s nearly $54 million buyout would be the second-largest in the sport’s history LSU also paid former coach Ed Orgeron a $17.1 million buyout when it fired him during the 2021 season.

“We are not going down a failed path,” Landry said “The guy that’s

ä See COACH, page 4B

Social skeletons greet passersby outside a home on Princeton Woods Drive in Lafayette on Wednesday.

NOTHIN’ BUT A GOUL TIME

Cool front bringing fall weather for Halloween

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Lafayette residents enjoyed a crisp, breezy day Wednesday and a chilly start to the mornings this week as fall weather made its appearance.

Lafayette is also expected to see highs near 64 and lows around 47 into Thursday morning, according to meteorologist Donald Jones at the National Weather Service.

“We’re looking at low temperatures in the upper 40s, mid-40s by (Thursday)

night and into Friday morning; that’ll probably be our coldest morning,” Jones said.

For families heading out for Halloween on Friday evening, the weather looks ideal according to Jones. Temperatures during trick-or-treat hours will be in the 60s. Jones recommends a light sweater, noting that the cooler air makes costumewearing much more comfortable. This is really perfect weather for

Construction begins on Youngsville Swig spot

which will become the franchise’s second location in Lafayette Parish. Lafayette’s first Swig saw its opening in July in The

skeleton is on display on Birch Drive in Lafayette on Wednesday.

Moncus Park rolls out parking efficiency tech

License plate reader to speed up exit

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

three chain restaurants opening along Milton Avenue and Savoy Road. Construction began last week on the Swig, at 3200 Milton Ave.,

OUR VIEWS

On Halloween, we open ourdoors to goblinsand ourneighbors

Editors’ note: Versions of thiseditorial haveappeared on earlierholidays.

In an age where many of us spend hours glued to our smartphones, another Halloween arrives Friday to remindusthat connecting with strangers in real life —and treating them generously —can be an exercise in possibility rather than peril.

Our other holidays, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving and Easter,advance their own forms of public outreach, but they’re primarily focused inward, into the intimacy of families. Halloween, like Louisiana’smuchbeloved Mardi Gras, is an outward affair,one grounded in the life of the street Alsolike Mardi Gras, Halloween is an improvised costume ball, one that nudges us to try on other selves. Sometimes we do so topoke fun at public figures or events that made news overthe course of the year.Often, it’sachance to display our creativity.It’sfun that can also serve apurpose. That kind of homespun theater is an exercise in empathy,reminding us that fellowship starts as an act of imagination. In considering the lives of others, we recognize the ties that bind us, regardless of race, religion or party

That kind of connection is needed more than ever these days, as manyofour youths suffer from crippling social anxietyand depression andpolitical divisions are narrowing our sense of what country and communitycan be. When we open our doors to trick-or-treaters, we see in their eager smilesthe simple faiththat sometimes life offers sweet surprises. Seeing children enjoying this long-standing ritual also brings memories of days past, when costumes were home-sewn and the treats might include apiece of fruit. And though the parties, costumes, haunted houses and decorations have gotten more elaborateasthe holiday has grown in popularity,wewould do well to remember that being agood neighbor is at the heart of this celebration. Many of us these days live behind closed doors and don’twelcome strangers who arrive unannounced. But Halloween is aday to forget our wariness and share our bounty with others.

Somemight ask why, in aworld touched by so much actual horror,weembrace Halloween as afestival of fright. But witches, goblins andeven 12-foot skeletons seem like innocent scaresinaworld where so many live under the threat of war, pestilenceand poverty.Halloween is away for us to smile through the grimness, to express the enduring resilience of the human spirit in the face of fears both real and imagined.

We welcome Halloween across south Louisiana. The days grow shorter,the evenings cooler as trick-or-treaters take up their annual prowl. But that long line of porch lightsdown our streets speaks of something sublime —our willingness to illuminatethe shadows, answering the darknessofthe hour withthe best that we can give.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

HERE

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

Whywemustnot turn away from ‘The Scourged Back’

President Donald Trump may try to sidestep this history,but we will not forget what our ancestors endured through slavery and beyond. We cannot eraseour past— we must face it,learn from it and teach it so it is never repeated. As ason of the South and aproud Black man serving Louisiana in Congress, Ispeak from the veryplace where one of America’smost powerful photographs was taken In 1863, in Baton Rouge, Union doctorsexamined an enslaved man named Peter —later called Gordon whose back carried deep scars from whippings. Photographers captured that image, known as “The Scourged Back.”

The photograph shook the nation. Published in abolitionist papers and in Harper’sWeekly on July 4, 1863, it revealed the cruelty of slavery more clearly than words could. Leaders like Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truthused it to awaken the conscience of the country

Gordon’sescape, his survival, and his later service as asoldier turned his story intoacall for freedom and

justice. This is not “divisive”history.Itis honesthistory

Recentreports of efforts to remove artifacts like “The Scourged Back” from national displays are troubling. Whether or not thisspecific image was taken down, themessage is clear: trying to hide painful truths weakens America instead of healing it.

This photograph belongs in classrooms, museums and monuments. It tells thestory of apeople who built this country,enduredits worst injustices andstill rise with faith and resilience.

As Louisiana’srepresentative, I will not be silent.Wemust teach our children —ofeveryrace —what happened, so they can lead with open eyes and better hearts.

IurgePresident Trump to make clear that America will preserve and teach itsfull history —including the hardestparts. Only then can we grow stronger as anation.

REP.TROYCARTER

U.S. representative,Louisiana’sSecond Congressional District

Investment will benefitentirearea, notjustHyundai

Arecent guest column published in The Advocatetitled “Hyundai incentives would be better spent here at home,” expresses concern over the $600 million investment dedicated to theWest BankofAscension Parish.

The column suggests that thetaxpayer money is being sent to giant corporations to be “sunk intosomeone else’spockets,” but thereality is that this investment is doing just what theauthor calls for —being spent at home.

The state of Louisiana will provide about $440 million, while the remaining $160 million will come from Ascension Parish. The majority of these funds are dedicated toimprovements to westAscension’sroad and energy infrastructure and anew sewer treatmentfacility.These upgrades will support projects likeHyundai’sLouisiana Steel Mill and ensure seamless connectivity for residents and businesses alike.

Anew River Parishes Community College training facility located in the heart of Donaldsonville will also be built

Other companies, such as Ascension Clean Energy,also have plans for development.CFIndustries will be expanding on the west bank as well. These projects will bring morethan $17 billion in new investments and thousands of high-paying jobs. These jobsare precisely the opportunities that will shape the future of our youth and improvethe quality of life for manyfamilies.

The new RPCC facility will serve as acritical link, equipping locals with theskills necessary to pursue lifechanging job opportunities. Hyundai and the other multi-billiondollar facilities investing in Ascension Parish’s River Plex Mega Park are the beginning of an economicrevitalization and opportunities forresidents in Modeste, Donaldsonville and the entire west bank. We must welcome theinvestment, opportunity,growth and the progress that will affect our future. Thank you, Louisiana and Ascension Parish.

JUANITAC.PEARLEY executivedirector,Donaldsonville Area Chamber of Commerce

Voters should be tiredofbeing

lied to by Republicans

My representatives are all Republicans.

When they claim that grocery and energy prices are waydown, they are lying.

When they say that China pays the tariffs,they are lying.

When they say that they won’t damage the White House, they are lying.

When they say that the ballroom won’tcost U.S. anything, they are lying. Do you know what it costs for maintenance, upkeep and climate control fora$300 million building? Oops, it just wentupanother $50 million, again and again.

When they say that they aren’tgoing to cut our health care, they are lying.

When they say that U.S. Immigration and CustomsEnforcement is only arresting the bad immigrants, they are lying.

When they say that their murders on the high seas are narco-terrorists, they are lying. Why would they release the survivors without prosecution?

When they say that Portland is burning or that the crime is worse in cities with Democrat mayors, they are lying.

When they shut downCongress to protect pedophiles, they are lying.

When they say they can’tafford to keep the government open but taxpayers need to spend abillion dollars on aspent, old gilded jumbo jet, instead of auctioning it off to keep the government running, they are lying. Isuppose Ishould just be grateful that Ican still afford the millions it takes so that my leader can at least enjoy his golf hobby

When they say that they will do what’sbest fortheir constituents, regardless of party,they are lying.

When they say that Donald Trump wonthe 2020 election, they are lying. It’s not debatable.

When they honor the duly prosecuted J-6ers as heroes and patriots, they are lying.

When they say that they will honor and defend the Constitution, they are lying.

Icould go on forpages, but I’m tired of it. Ithink our two-party republic needs aconservative party The GOPisaconfederacy

WILLIAM P. DARLINGTON Lafayette

UNOsailing into rightdirection with LSU

It’stime for the whole state of Louisiana to recognize the great asset it hasin the University of New Orleans. Registration opens Nov.3 for UNO’s Spring 2026 semester,perhaps the last full semester before the schoolmoves back into the Louisiana State University system. WhatLSU is getting is aPrivateer ship that waslisting dangerously,but nowisstabilized and sailing briskly in the rightdirection. The turnaround is largely due to adynamic duo, University President Kathy Johnsonand Rebecca Conwell, president/CEO ofthe UNO Beach Research and Technology Park. Saturday marksthe second anniversary of Johnson taking the university’shelm.

Before looking at what agem UNO is, let’sunderstand the direstraits into which it had fallen. Once thriving with some 17,000 students, UNO took huge hits fromHurricane Katrina in 2005 and fromstate budget cutbacks laterthat decade. Now at less than 6,000 students, UNO two years ago faced adebtof $30 million and an annual operating deficit of $15 million.

Johnson eliminated the latter by implementing numerous tough but necessary savings measures (notworth detailing here) while showing great transparency and instilling confidence in her leadership and vision. The LSU takeover of the school,overtime, should help with the back debt.

Michael Hecht, the GNOInc.president and CEO who is the secretary/treasurer of The Beach (researchpark),isa Johnson fan.

“Under Kathy’sleadership and with the support of the governor’soffice and the Legislature, UNO has cleanedup its balance sheet,” he said. “Kathy is characterized by being accessible and inclined towards partnership.” Meanwhile, The Beach is an impres-

sive facet of UNO life. With 800,000 square feetofspace on a30-acre property, TheBeach is wheremore than 30 entrepreneurial companies lease space, often for high-tech research of the sort where business and science students can learn and contribute. Beach CEO Conwell touts its “academic-industry partnerships,” and it hasgovernmentlessees as well, includingengineers for the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, biologistsfor the state Department of Energyand Natural Resources —and also theU.S.Naval Information Warfare Center at theCongressman Bob Livingston East Campus.

proportion of studentseligible for Pell Grants—meaning generally (although not always) from lower economic strata —is59%, considerably higher than the national average of 34%. YetUNO is having remarkable success with these students, and in general withstudents (Pell Grant or no) from less financially advantaged homes

‘The old girls’ network’

SusanStamberg hosted NPR’sevening news broadcast, “All Things Considered,” for 14 years, starting in 1972.

An entire feature should be dedicated (elsewhere) to all the ways UNO students are at thecuttingedge of research andentrepreneurship through The Beach: shipbuilding, wind and other energyprojects, cybersecurity, even kinetic-motion-analysis apps for exercise watches that help basketball players refine their shot-making Especially important here is that, whereas the research parkanumber of years ago hadbecome basically justa business realestate sitewithout major engagement withthe university itself, nowThe Beach is, as Hecht describesit, “an activeand constructive contributor to UNO both academically and financially ”

Hecht creditsConwell for therenewedfocus that he calls “a total changeover in themissionand constitutionofthat organization.”

“Weare obsessed withthat,” Conwell said.“We wake up everymorning thinking about the connectivitybetween the research parkand theuniversity. We have really spent alot of time thinking about how we impact student experiences.”

It is thenature of the UNO students themselves, though, along with the servicethe university provides them, that is perhaps themostremarkable thing about the college as awhole. The

An education-dataand software outfit called CollegeNET publishes the “Social Mobility Index,” which measures “the extent to which acollege or university educates moreeconomically disadvantaged students(with family incomes below the national median) at lower tuition and graduates theminto good paying jobs.”Insum, it measures the improvement in student economic conditions (regardless of race) at each college. UNOranked in the top10% in the whole country Additionally,for universityquality and effectivenessasa whole, an outfit called Intelligent.com,which does “data-driven analysis on over 2,000 colleges,” rankedUNO the 14th best“urban” college in the nation, behind prestigious UCLA and the University of Chicago but ahead of suchstalwarts as Columbia and Vanderbilt

Now,with President Johnson’simpressive stabilization work on finances and mission, along with the pending move back to theLSU system,Johnson says UNO is ready “toget back into growth mode” by emphasizing “workplace-relevant credentials.”

Also akey metric: Some 89% of all UNO studentscome from Louisiana, and nearly 70% of them stay hereto build communities rather than leaving the state as so many other top-notch young people do.

As Johnson said, “Wewill always have afocus on this region” —and on being adriverfor Louisiana’scivic and economic health.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

Aroyal assaultonthe people’s house

Whenshe diedrecently at age 87,a female friend recalledwhata difference it made to hear awoman’s voiceonthe radio.Susanwas the host, she recalled, she wasauthoritative, anditwas inspiring.

Thatmemorymight seem woefully outdated, but Stamberg, as the first womanever to host anationalnewsbroadcast, made an enormous impact. Katherine Maher, NPR’spresident, put it this way: “Susan’svoice was not only acornerstone of NPR —itwas acornerstone of American life She inspired countless journalists to believe theycould explore life andtruth, andlead with both authority and warmth.”

Herassignment almost didn’thappen.

“There were no role models for me,” she told The Seattle Times in 1999. “There were objections fromstationmanagersthatwomen’s voices were notasauthoritative.”

But the network’sprogramming chief, Bill Siemering, put heronthe air anyway.“He said two magical words to me very early on,” Stamberg recalledyearslater.“He said, ‘Be yourself.’ And what he meant was, we want to hear from —wewanttohear voices on ourair that we’d hear acrossour dinnertablesatnight or at the local grocery store. And we want ourannouncersand ouranchorpeople to sound that way,too.”

Those voices,tobereal and reliable, had to include women, and Susan was akey member of what came to be calledNPR’sFounding Mothers, asorority that included Nina Totenberg, Linda Wertheimer and my late wife, Cokie Roberts.

Their impact was felt inside NPR as well as outside Theywererolemodels and rule breakers, advocates andallies, sisters and friends. They formed an Old Girls’ Network, doing for other women what men hadalways done fortheir own.

Kathleen Parker Quin Hillyer

Notwithstanding the millions of Americans who turned out for the No Kings protests, we clearly have aking in residence at the building formerly known as the White House.Goingforward, it shall be known as The Palace. It appears the president of the UnitedStates suffers crownenvy.Or, perhaps, sheikh envy.His new,under-construction ballroom will rival that of other countrieswhere leaders are bloodline monarchs or recently enrichedoil barons. One thing is for certain: Donald Trump will out-gild and out-chandelier the Saudi king’sresidence Suffice to say,wenever should have let Trump go to Riyadh, where Trump was treated like royalty

My hunch is he began conjuring images of his own ballroom during his 2017 visit with King Salman to securea multibillion-dollar arms dealwith Saudi Arabia. The king’spalaces aredecked out with opulent chandeliers, goldtrimmed walls and marble floors, featuring parlors and throne rooms large enough to seat hundreds.I was witness to these jaw-dropping structures while traveling in 2007 with then-first lady Laura Bush. Trump’s ballroom, where he says he’ll host up to 999 people for statedinnersand royal visits, will feature similar appointments. The president has never met alilyhedidn’twant to gild, as his personal touches to the Oval Office confirm.

Construction of the $300 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which is being underwritten by donors,has caused astir like no other.Trump’searlier statement that the new structure wouldn’tinterfere with the existing people’shouse was adiamond-studded prevarication. As most have seen by now, the East Wing has been completely demolished.

“It was never thought of asbeing much,” His Majesty said of the wing that housed the first lady’s office and otherwisewas usedfor ceremonial events. “It was avery small building.” As youknow,Trump detests all things small. But then, Trump didn’tget to see Mick Jagger and B.B. King performin the East Wing, where only200 people could be seated. That sort of intimacy is gone forever.In2012, Iwas alucky attendee at the Red, White and Blues concert hosted by President Barack

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. Seateddirectlybehind the Obamas, I’d guess theperformers were maybe 10 feet away.If the president hadn’tbeen blocking me,I might have felt Jagger’ssweat as he slithered and strutted across theroombeneath alife-size portrait of George Washington. Those were the days, myfriends. Nothing like it has happened in the White House sinceTrumpmoved in. Meanwhile,it’sDay 24 of the shutdown andcounting.The Senate blocked bills to lock in back payfor federal workers While our soldiers worry about their paychecks,you’dthink thecommander in chief might delay construction of his grandiose partyhouse. All gnashing of teeth andrending of garments aside, Ifind myself not as freaked outabout theWhiteHouse makeoverassome readerswho are urging me to say something. This is just one more assault on the American psyche.One wearies. This is as Trump wouldhave it. Throw everything at the peopleuntil they can no longer muster outrage.Each objectionable action frominvading and militarizing cities to dropping bombs on small boats —merges with allthe othersintoone prolonged scream thatnoone can hear So,we’re going to have agilded warehouse onthe WhiteHouselawn that only aTrump could love,with no vestige

left of the relatively quaint East Wing wherehistory was made for morethan 100 years Trump has never stopped being Trump, and we’ve long been aware of how he has viewed theWhiteHouse. He wantsanofficial setting worthy of kings and sheikhs and, of course,his royal self. If others have found theWhite House lacking in grandeur,they may alsohave seen it as elegantly understated. We’rethe United States of America, after all, and we don’tdoostentation in the people’shouse. Showing off isn’t who we are—orwere. Onceupon atime, humilitywas,in fact,acherished national virtue and the striving for biggest and best was understood to be anouveau riche aspiration. Call me aWASP,sure, but there’s much to be said for how WarrenBuffett chooses to live amodestlifestyle compared with say,oh, nobody in particular. It’s too bad theballroom won’tbe ready in time for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’sNovember visit. Maybe he’ll make acontribution in keeping withhis $2 billion donation to Jared Kushner’s equity firm. I’m guessing King Trump, who accepted a$400 million luxury jet from Qatar, probably wouldn’tobject Kathleen Parker is on X, @kathleenparker

Iwitnessed their powerfirsthand in 1977, when Cokie andIreturned to Washington afterfouryearsinEurope,and she startedjob hunting.

Acolleague at The NewYorkTimes suggested Icontact Nina, then and now NPR’schief legalaffairs correspondent, and whenIcalled her, Nina immediately said, “Get me Cokie’s resume tomorrow.”

The men at NPR raised all sorts of objections: Cokie’s voicewas tooharsh, hername toocutesy,her family toopolitical.“What finally made the difference were herfemale allies,” Iwrote in my book about Cokie.

Robert Krulwich, one of the editors who finally hiredher,recalled: “It wasverydefinitely pressure.Theywere for herand wantedto recruit herand were notgoing to back down.” WhenIaskedNina if she wasacting outof sisterly loyalty,she replied: “Oh, absolutely,I wouldn’thavedonethat for aman.Noway.”

The Founding Mothers didn’tjust shape the culture of NPR; they changed the whole way Americansviewedwomen as sources of information andfiguresoftrust. Evenafter Cokie’s TV career blossomed on ABC, she continued to appear on NPR every week, and she once described herinteraction with the public this way: “Mencome up to men on the street and say, ‘Welike your commonsense.’ But women say, ‘Welovethe wayyou don’tlet them interrupt you, andthatyou hand it right back to them.’ Iget the feeling that the country is full of women who’ve nevergottena word in edgewise when men talk about politics.”

Jean Becker,a journalism student whenthe Founding Mothers were in their prime and who later became White House chiefofstaff underPresident George Bush 41, described their legacy this way: “Women like Cokie made me feel Icould do anything Iwanted to do.She gave us confidence.”

Amna Nawaz, nowthe co-host of the “PBS News Hour,” remembers herparents giving hera copyofCokie’s first book, “WeAre Our Mothers’ Daughter”: “She was an example for us,” recalledAmna, whose parents were immigrants from Pakistan. “It was, look at this incredible woman, look at everything she has accomplished, andlookatthe personshe is andthe work that she does andthe difference she makes. This is apath you should take.”

Just the otherday,aformer student of mine, arising staratCNN whose family also emigratedfromSouth Asia,askedifIcould introduceher to Amna, her hero. The legacy continues.

The Old Girls’ Network endures. The Founding Mothers would be delighted.

Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@gmail. com.

FinalistsrevealedinLSU presidential search

Candidates outline visionsfor university

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

One is aformer president of the University of Arizona. Anotheris an executive vice president at the University of Alabama. Thethird is aLouisiana native whobecame president of McNeese State University last year

These three men are now finalists to be the 29th president of LSU, after the school’sPresidential Search Committee winnowed down afield of five Wednesday during aday of interviews.

Dr.Robert Robbins, former University of Arizona president; James Dalton, executive vice president and provost at the University of Alabama, and current McNeese StatePresident Wade Rousse will be interviewedbythe full LSU Board of Supervisors during its Tuesday meeting, when the next president will be chosen. Before then, each candidate will spend a day at town halls across campus, engaging with students, faculty and staff.

The 20-person committee unanimously voted for Dalton, while Robbins and Rousse each received 14 votes. Interim LSUPresident MikeLee received nine votes, and Dr.Giovanni Piedimonte,former vice president of research at Tulane University,received no votes. The new president will inherit asprawling land-grant university system with around 41,700 students, 1,400 faculty and aroughly $1.1 billion endowment.

They also will be thrust into asea of important decisions.The next president will join duringthe hiring of anew football coach,following Brian Kelly’sfiring after the

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here now that wrote that contract cost Texas A&M $77 million.Right now, we’ve got a$53 million liability.Weare not doing that again.”

Negotiations withKelly are still underway,but sources said his buyout will be paid by private donors.

Kelly is owed nearly $54 million, which would be paid out in monthly installments through 2031. That could be reduced through negotiations or offset if he takes

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Tigers’49-25 loss to TexasA&M last Saturday.They also will have to navigate thesuspension of federal funding, whichhas impacted Pennington Biomedical Research Center.Thereare also plans for a new proposed 15,000-seat arena.

‘Politically savvy’

The committee asked several scripted questionsofeach candidate,including how they would help LSU gain membership into theAssociation of American Universities, establish cohesion across theuniversity systemand build trust with the student body While all touched on similar priorities,eachcandidate emphasized different mainpriorities should they be offered thejob.

Dalton discussed the importance of prioritizing students,saying LSU had “to be astudent-centric university.” Robbins emphasized prioritizing researchfunding, sayingdoubling it was an “achievable goal” at LSU. And Rousse emphasized amore business-focusedsystem,saying LSU should embrace corporate-sponsored research and thepresident needed to be “politically savvy.”

Dalton emphasizes success

Daltonsaidthe university needed to prioritize student success through academic support programs and enrollment management “If we’regoingtoadmit astudent to LSU, we’ve got to do everything that we can to make sure that they’ve gotapath out of here with adegree in their hand and aline on ajob,” hesaid

An SECschool,Alabama is a land-, sea- and space-grant university established in 1820. It had a$2.39 billion endowmentin2024, with around 42,300 students and more than 2,000 full- and part-time

faculty Until2012, LSUhad thepresident role separatefrom achancellor,who oversaw the operations of the flagship campus. Alabama had asimilar arrangement, and Dalton said he would have aconversation with the LSUboard about their preferred system

He also said the university needs to invest in graduate education, including putting money toward stipends.

“We’vegot to invest in people,” he said. “I keep coming back to that.”

Instead of aquestion, LSUboard member Lee Mallett read criticisms for several candidates so that they had achance to respond.

He asked Dalton toaddress concerns that he lacks experience managing an entire university

“Wow.False,” he said. “I runa university with the president’s guidance, of course, but I’mthe bootsonthe ground every day.”

Dalton said he assistswith student andfacultyprograms, meets with facultyevery week,watches faculty research andoversees a $1.3 billion budget.

Robbinsdiscusses research

Robbins is currently adistinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford. He emphasized how his time in Arizonaaligned wellwithLSU’sgoal, saying he doubledresearchfunding at Arizona.

“You’ve got to have aleader that expects excellence, expects to be successful, expectsfor this place to grow,” he said. “As Isaid, what Idid at Arizona:doubling research funding. That is an achievable goal here. Iwould argue it’seven more capable here thanitwas at Arizona.”

Arizonahas closesimilarities with LSU. Aland- and space-grant

university foundedin1885, it hada nearly $1.4 billion endowment with around 54,300 students and around 3,300 full- and part-timefaculty

Like Dalton, Robbins also emphasizedthe student experience and said retaining faculty depended on fostering astrong university culture.

“The fundamental unit of any university is the department,” he said. “So having good, strong leadership at the department level, and then at thedeanlevel,and thenat the provost …and obviously the president level, is going to be key to attracting new talent.”

Mallett askedRobbinstoaddress allegations of financialmismanagement during histimeat Arizona.

Robbinssaid there had been a“gross miscalculation” over theuniversity’sfinances that he wasnot aware of whenhegavea positive report to theuniversity’s board.

“There wasnever any fraud, there was neverany harm done to theuniversity in termsofinsolvency or goingout of business,” he said. “Because as soon as we figured it out, Igot into action, and we got it solved.”

Robbins said responsive measures included ahiring freeze and centralizing the humanresources process. Speaking afterMallett, LSU Faculty SenatePresident Daniel Tirone said he had spoken to one of Robbins’ colleagues, and thatperson corroborated Robbins’ version of events.

Rousse stresses business

Rousse painted abusiness-oriented vision of LSU,envisioning austerityprogramstoachieve financial stability,moreclosely intertwiningthe university’s research withprivate industry, and measuring everything from stu-

dent outcomestofaculty research.

“Corporate partnerships, in my mind, are truly the way to go,” he said. “Wecan inspire philanthropic gifts, we can inspire our alumni, we can inspire them through all the external things that we do. But theideathatweneed corporate partnerships, in my mind, is not a challenge to academic integrity or academic honesty.”

Rousse frequently referenced his private sector background, whichincluded time as apartner at Maritime Logisticsand as a staffmember of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. In July 2024, he became president of McNeese State University,which has around 6,500 students, 800full- and part-timefaculty and staffand net assets of around $98 million.

Mallett read comments of concern about Rousse’slack of experience at amajor research university,and Rousse saidhis business work would be abenefit to LSU.

“I don’trun away from my nontraditional path,” he said before discussing howCEOschangebetween leading different companies. “I simply don’tagree with thefactthat you havetocome from the research channel to lead aresearch institution.”

He presented himself as someone who would shake up the university,saying he would commit to upgrading aging buildings and ask theLSU BoardofSupervisors fora chancellortooversee theflagship university

“I’m unapologetic of who Iam. I’mproud of whoI am,” he said in hisclosing remarks. “I think the Lord put me in this spot today to offer yousomething different than the status quo.”

Email ChristopherCartwright at christopher.cartwright@ theadvocate.com.

another job in coaching, administration or media.

Landry saidLSU’snext coach would be “compensated properly,” but he suggested putting“metrics” on the contract,indicatinghewould like to see adeal with less guaranteed money andmore incentives

“I’m tired of rewardingfailure in this country,” Landry said.

“This is ridiculous. Lawyers would be disbarred for theway these agents act,” he said. “It’s really timefor the NCAAtoput on some guardrails on college sports.”

Landry went on to blast acollege athletics system in which he said influentialsports agents engineer excessivelylarge deals for coaches.

“If big billionaires wanttospend all that kind of money, no problem,” he said. “But if Igotta go find$53 million …it’snot gonna be apleasant conversation.”

Landryconfirmed Wednesday that he was involved in discussions about thecoaching change.

“Myrole is about the fiscaleffectoffiring acoach

undera terrible contract,” Landrysaid. “All Icare about is what the taxpayersare going to be on the hook for.”

Landry confirmed he hosted ameetingatthe Governor’sMansion on Sunday, the night Kelly wasfired, but said themeeting was not about whetherKelly would be pushedout “No, Ihosteda meeting at the Governor’s Mansion to talk aboutthe legalities,to talk about thecost, to talk about who pays for it, to talk about ‘what’sthe effect of it,’”hesaid. “It was ameeting to discussthe legalities of the contract.”

under is still free.

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Halloween,” he said. “Clear skies, calm winds and cool temperatures make for an ideal evening outdoors.”

The patternofcooler mornings and mild afternoons is expected to continue into the weekend, Jones added, with avery slow warm-up of “maybe 3 to 5degrees each day going into the weekend.”

acooling trend in October withaverage highs around 77 andlows near 56, meaning this weather pattern is typical for this time of year, Jones adds. It’s not going to get colder thanitisright now,”he said, “but we’re looking at highs in the mid-70s and lows in the 50s each night, and that’ll be through the middle of next week.”

While long-term parking solutions are still in theworks, park organizers point to one short-term improvement:hiringadditional parking attendants on Saturdays,whichofficials say has

already made adifference.

With seven or eight attendantsonduty, park staff can track openings in realtime and maintain faster turnover in the lots.Mondays are still free, and 30 minutes and

“Everyimprovement like this helps Moncus Park welcome morevisitors and prepare for an even greater future ahead,” park officials said in astatement.

Saturday’s forecast is expected to be highs near 73 with a30% chance of showersmainlyafter1 a.m., which could reinforce the cool weather intoSunday. Highs over the weekend are expected to stay in the low to mid-70s, with nighttime lows in the50s, which is typical for Lafayette, Jones said. The area usually sees

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Continued frompage1B parkingpasses willcontinue to work as before.

add-ons for acustomizable experience. Popular items include the “DrSpice,” which includes Dr Pepper mixed with cinnamon along with other spices, and the “Big A,” aDiet Coke mixture that includes coconut and lime.

The project was confirmed last year by franchisee Chase

Hebert, an Orlando-based businessman who also operates the Lafayette Swig location. The building’slocation lies directly next to the Whataburger that is set to open in the coming weeks, and will become thefourth location in Lafayette Parish for the popular Texas-based burger chain. There has been no set date for the building’s completion. Additionally,Marco’sPizza, an Ohio-basedchain restau-

rant with more than 1,100 locations, will open anew franchise in the strip mall at 1001 Savoy Road,near its intersection with Chemin Metairie Parkway.Marco’soffers both delivery and carryout options, and boastsa menuof

specialty pizzas thatincludes the “White Cheezy,”which substitutestomatofor agarlic sauce base. TheYoungsville location is settobecome the eighthfranchise in Louisiana and the first based in the Acadiana region.

SPORTS

‘Whatare we doing?’

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

When Jafau Delane watches football, his eyes turn to the sideline.

That’swhere Delane —a former youth football coach and the father of two sons playing at LSU andOhio State —learns about the qualityofa team.How do the players walk out to the field? Are they confident with extra pep in theirstep, or is their body language poor?

“These arejust subtlethings thatI think as players, youdon’trealize it’s be-

Other than maybe the head coach, no part of football is the source of more discussion, controversy and angstthanthe quarterback position.

ing done,” Delane said. “But when you’re excited about anything, you runtothe moment.”

When Delane watched LSU playthis season, he didn’tsee agroupofplayers who were eager for the moment. Delane, whose son Mansoor is astar seniorcornerbackwith theTigers, sawsomething else instead, especially when it was the struggling LSU offense that was trotting out to the field.

“If you go back and watch the tape, it didn’tseem like the offense was locking in and getting ready to go change the tide

ä UL at South Alabama, 2:30 P.M. SATURDAy,ESPN+

of the game,” Jafau Delane said. “And thenwhen theywould go on, if it wasn’t aTVtimeout, it was avery lackadaisical approach.”

LSUdecision-makersmust have agreed withDelane, or at the very least were concerned with the results of that bad body language.

Their worries were enough to decide Sundaynight to fire the coach responsible for all of thoseproblems and a5-3 start:BrianKelly

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

When TylerShough learned Tuesday that he was goingtobethe New Orleans Saints starting quarterback, his first call went to the person who was by his side forthe entire journey

ä Saints at Rams, 3:05 P.M. SUNDAy,FOX

His wife, Jordan Shough, was there forthe circuitous collegefootballcareer that wound from Oregon to Texas Tech andfinally Louisville.She was there to help keep doubts at bay when Shough went through multiple seasonending injuries. She was there when he went through the uncertainty of the draft process,and when he watched fromthe sidelines formuchofthe first eight games of his pro career And, as aformer college athlete herself, she was there to strike the right tone when Shough shared the exciting news.

“She was like, ‘Good. Go out there and win,’ ”Shoughsaid. “She’s notreallysatisfied and neither am I.” He is astarter,but this is astarting point. He nowholds thetitle he first let himself dream about when he wasakid wearing aBrett Favre jersey, but he also understands the reality of his situation. Shough is taking over a1-7 football team that has not performed well on offense this season.

“There’salot of work to be done,” Shough said.

The Saints are invested in Shough, having selected him 40th overall in this year’sdraft. But they’ve been content to let him develop in the relative shadows, with Shough’sonly game experience coming in garbagetime againstthe Seattle Seahawks prior to his takeover in the secondhalfoflastweek’s loss to TampaBay

But the Saintshave seenthe maturation while Shough hasoperated the scout-team offense during practice.

With the UL Ragin’ Cajuns in recent years, it’s impossible not to discuss thequarterback position because three different quarterbacks have played in each of the past four seasons because of injuries. That leads to uncomfortable decisions for the coaching staff and alot of criticism from the outside.

When Walker Howard threw

apick-six on adeflected pass in Saturday’s35-23 road loss to Troy,the frustration was palpable.

So it’stime to address where UL coach Michael Desormeaux’s quarterback plan should rank on UL’s list of concernsduring this 2-6 campaign. Isubscribe to the old saying, “If you have two quarterbacks, you have none.” No one wants astable quarterback situation more than Desormeaux.

UL enjoyed that luxury during

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The first time coach Kim Mulkey’sfifth LSUwomen’s basketball team took thefloor,it defeated Division II Mississippi College by morethan 100 points. It was just an exhibition. The real games don’tstart until Tuesday

But the tune-up still offered achancetosee howeight newcomers can help returning stars Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams lead LSUback to the FinalFour. Twotransfers started while athird came off the bench. Afreshman led the Tigers in scoring. Anda returning sophomore guard took thereins at point guard to start the game. Mulkey likes to involve every scholarshipplayer in nonconference play,then whittle her rotation down to acore of eight

ä Langston at LSU, 7P.M.THURSDAy,SECN+

or nine once LSU begins facing SEC opponents in January.Who will be apartofthat group? Let’s project the starters and key reserves ahead of the Tigers’ secondand finalexhibition game, which tipsoff at 7 p.m. Thursday (SEC Network+).

“You just want to be in that rotation of eight,” Mulkey said, “and youwant to playextended minutes and long minutes.”

Five starters

GJada Richard, GFlau’jae Johnson, G Mikaylah Williams, FAmiya Joyner, CKate Koval

Thekey questionhereiswho startsatpoint guard:Richard or MiLaysia Fulwiley? Mulkey said

It’snot aperfect setup. Shough’sjob was to give the starting defense alook at whatthe opponent might do in agiven week, meaning he’snot running his own playbook.The receivers he was throwing to werenot the ones he will work with Sunday,and the samething is true forthe offensive line.

There are benefits to it, though.

“Oneofthe best things that comes out of being ascout-team quarterback is the pockets aren’t going to be ideal,” Saints coach Kellen Mooresaid. “You’re playing against your starting defense and the goal in practice is to make the blitzesand everything look good,so you’re going to be in somechallenging, compromised situations.

“You’re going to have to force yourself to adapt and hang in there and still deliver athrow.”

Moore watched Shough develop more feel forhow to navigate muddy pockets —aknock on Shough coming out of Louisville and something he sometimes struggled with during training camp. He also noticed the rookie beginning to test his limits, pushing to seewhether he could make acertainthrowordecision. The latter part of that, Shoughsaid, was “huge.” Thescout-team repsgave him someadditional freedom to try different things that he may not have done while practicing within the structure of the typical offense.

“From atiming element, the pocket presence, ripping seams, hole shots, finding the check-downs, finding different routes, doing everything you can to manipulate defenders, it’sbeen really good to kind of test that,” Shough said. That behind-the-scenes look was enough for New Orleans to pull the trigger on the quarterback switch —one that Moore reiterated Wednesday afternoon was not going to be temporary With nine games remaining, Shough will have every chance to fail and learn without having to wonder whether his jobisinjeopardyona week-to-week basis.

“Tyler’sstarting,” Moore said. “We’re not looking back on that.”

While Spencer Rattler played well for

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HIGH SCHOOLS

7:15 p.m.Baltimore

6p.m.DallasatTampa BayTNT/TruTV TENNIS

5a.m.Paris-ATP,Jiujiang-WTATennis 10 p.m.Paris-ATP,Jiujiang-WTATennis

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

7p.m.East Ascension at DutchtownCox4

Kentucky Derby winner pulls out of Breeders’ Cup DELMAR, Calif. Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty has been scratched and will not run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturdayaftercatching afever this week, taking the favorite out of the $7 millionworld championship race.

Peters:Carencro won’tbecaught lookingahead versus

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Southside

The Carencro football coaching staffhas constantlypreached beingfocused on the task at hand. While some might be concerned aboutthe Bears looking ahead to their Week 10 matchup against Acadiana, Bears coach Gavin Peters isn’tamong them.

Peters said playing ateam like Southside in Week 9makes it easytolock in.

“Wehave no concerns at allabout overlooking Southside or looking ahead to Week 10,” Peters said. “Weare very process-oriented here, and we constantly are preaching to our kids theimportance of being where our feet are. Whether that’sinthe classroom,weight room or thefootballfield.Whereveryou are, focus on that task at hand.”

The Bears(6-2, 5-0),who host theSharks (6-2, 4-1) at 7p.m. Thursday in aDistrict 3-5A matchup, are looking to win their first league title since earning ashare of theDistrict 4-4A title in 2019 along withWestgate and St. Thomas More.

“Weknow what is at stake here this week against Southside,” Peters said. “Southside is looking to stay in the hunt for thedistrict titleand we are trying to stayatthe top of the pack and control our own destiny.”

Awin Thursday and avictory againstAcadianawouldend theirdistricttitle drought. If the Sharks win, however,Southsidewould need Carencro to defeat Acadiana to forgea three-way tie for the district crown

“Obviously it is abig game,” Peterssaid “It’sanimportant game. Every game is abig game, but this game has more importance to it. Southside is trying to force their wayinto atie for the district championship andwe’re trying to win it.”

The Bears have won all season behind an offense led by sophomore quarterback Carson Gurzi and two-way star Chantz Babineaux. Gurzi has completed 121 of 182 passes for 2,310 yards and 25 touchdowns,while throwingonly two interceptions. Babineaux leads theAcadiana area with1,021 yards receiving on 42 catches and12TDs.

“Wemight not be where we wantto be,” Peters said, “but thank God we’re notwhere we used to be.”

The Bears could have their handsfull against aphysical Southside team, which is led by running back Justin Williams (831 yards rushing on 142 carries and11TDs).

“Southside is avery physical and very competitive team,” Peters said.“They know whotheyare. They know what their identity is offensively,defensivelyand on special teams. Offensively,they want to controlthe game and on defensetheywant to suffocate you.”

LCAcontinuesrugged schedule,hosts Evangel

After Dunham eliminated LafayetteChristian 34-30 in thestate quarterfinals last season, coach Matt Standiford’sKnights began preparing for the 2025 season earlier than normal.

That extra time madethe Knightseven hungrier andit’sshowed witha7-1 season against arugged schedule that included reigning statechampions Central and Shaw, alongwithstate powers Rummel, Carencro andNotre Dame.

“I think that goes back all the way up to December last year when our kids were working out forthe first time, because they were usedtoplaying during that time,” Standiford said. “They really put in aton of work, and I thinkthat’sultimately been the difference the hunger this group has.”

While mostteams of LCA’s caliber are trying to nail down district championships in Week 9, the Knights will take on adangerous nondistrict foe Thursday in Evangel Christian, which also is 7-1 and thinking about a deep postseason run.

“This is probably moreasclose to oldschoolEvangelasthey’vebeen in recent memory,” Standiford said of the Eagles’ traditionally high-flying offense.

That old-school Evangel was amodel Lafayette Christian used to transform itsprogram into over the past decade.

TheEagles of Shreveport are led by the state’sleading passer Peyton Houston, who has thrown for 2,915 yards and 34 touchdowns with only three interceptions this season.

“I’ll go on record to saying their quarterbackisone of thebest, if not thebest quarterbackinthe entirestate,” Standiford said of thefour-star prospect currently committed to LSU.

Evangel is loaded with top weapons like Charley Abraham (59 catches for 845 yards andfive TDs), Johnny Casey (34-716, 10 TDs) and Demarkus Evans (30-661, 11 TDs)

“A lot of their touchdowns actually come on broken plays where thecoverage breaks down after four, five seconds,” Standiford said.

LCA’s defense features talented players at all three levels.

On the line, Jayden Arceneaux has the single-season school record for tackles for losses. LinebackersKaleb Simon and Jaimason Marzell “have combined for almost 150 tackles already” and UL commitment Luke Green, adefensive back, is “the quarterback of ourdefense.”

Perhaps themost impressive thingabout LCA’sstart is thedefense lost two cornerbacks to injury early in the season and the offensive line had to replace four starters.

“Our big guys up front have done atremendous job for us,” Standiford said.

Quarterback Braylon Walker has benefited from that with 1,154 yards passing and 19 TDs in addition to 719 yards rushing and seven scores.

Running back Caiden Bellard (153 carries for1,033 yards, 13 TDs) is aworkhorse back while receivers Brayden Allen (27 catches for 489 yards, eight TDs) and DraylonAugust (19-236, three TDs) are big-play threats.

The matchup withEvangel is another opportunityfor LCA to continue its improvementfrom ayear ago.

“I thinkthe biggest area of improvement is the way we finish games,” Standiford said.

“In thelast handful of years, we’ve kind of struggled with that, going allthe way back to playing (St. Thomas More) in that state championship game back in 2023. We had a lead and couldn’tfind away to get it done.

“So far this year,wefinished against Rummel (a 27-26 win), we finished against Carencro (a 41-38 victory) and we finished against Central (a 55-48 win).”

The one blemish was aseven-turnover 3113 loss at Shaw

“They threw somethings at us defensively that kind of threw us for aloop,” Standiford said.

Now the Knights’ defense is hoping to do the same to Evangel’spassing attack.

Game of theWeek

ST.THOMAS MORE AT TEURLINGS: It’s abig game every year,but it’s reallyanintriguing matchup this season.

The Rebels (8-0) have been crushing their opposition at arecord pace, while the Cougars (6-2) have fought back after an 0-2start to win six straight behind consistently good defensive play

It’sbeen abit of aguessing gamefor both offenses with the production at running backs, but that hasn’thad abig negative effect.

Game of theWeekII

SOUTHSIDE AT CARENCRO:Some weeks have morethan one elitematchup. Thursday brings us part two of the 3-5A trilogy of contender showdowns withSouthside visiting Carencro.

The Sharks lost thefirst one 17-14 last week to Acadiana. (Congratulations to both programsfor abig game producing atotal of just 31 pointsinthis area forachange).

Now we’ll see if Southside’sdefense —and moreimportantly its running game—can limit Carencro’sexplosive offense.

Othernotables

In Crowley on Friday,two teamsthat have played Lafayette Christian square off. Lafayette Renaissance lost to the Knights 48-7 and Notre Dame fell 41-7. It’ll be interesting to see how those two teams match up. Elsewhere, Comeaux has its first chance at its first winning season in 12 years against LakeCharles College Prep on Friday,while Northside has its second

TheBreeders’ Cupannounced the scratch of the country’stop 3-year-old horse on Wednesday after trainer Bill Mott told the Daily Racing Formabout thedecision he and his camp made.Motthad previously said Sovereignty not racing was apossibility Sovereignty opened as aheavy 6-5 morning line favorite in thefield of 10, which alsoincludes Derby and Belmontrunner-up and Preakness winner Journalism. The Breeders’ Cup Classicwas expected to determine the horse of theyear

Former Duke, NBA player Singler charged with assault

Former Duke and NBA player

Kyle Singlerhas been charged with assault in Oklahoma. HaskellCounty deputies say Singler and his girlfriend were staying at an Airbnb in Whitefield in eastern Oklahoma whenheallegedly tried to rape her, grabbedher and pushedher down last Thursday. Mitch Dobbs, with the Haskell County Sheriff’sOffice, told News 9the woman hadmarks on her face consistent withSingler’s handprints. Singler,37, appeared to be under the influence of narcoticsand refused to cooperate with investigators, he said.

Atoddler in the homeatthe time of theincident was deemed safe The alleged victim told deputies she shares the young child with Singler

Rozier,Billups won’t get salaries while on leave NBAguard Terry Rozier and coach Chauncey Billups will not receive their salaries while on leavefor their arrests on federal gambling-related charges, two people with knowledge of the matters told The Associated Press on Wednesday Rozier hadbeen due to receive the first installment of a$26.6millionannual salary with the Miami Heat later this week. That, and futureinstallments, will be held pending resolution of his legal case, said the people, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity If Rozier is cleared and allowed to returntothe NBA, whichplaced him on leave hours after his Oct. 23 arrest, he could receive the held payments in full, one of the sources said.

Sinner’sbid for No.1 starts with win over Bergs in Paris

PARIS JannikSinner’sbid to reclaim theNo. 1rankinggot off to a good startWednesdaywitha 6-4, 6-2 win over Zizou Bergs in thesecond round of the Paris Masters, which the Italian needs to win to knock Carlos Alcaraz off thetop spot

Sinner’s65-week reign as No.1 ended in September when Alcaraz won the U.S. Open finalagainst him for his sixth majortitle and thetop spot. But Alcaraz lost in Paris on Tuesday in the second round to unseeded Cameron Norrie, opening the door forSinner in their seesaw rivalry

Sinner had Bergs under constant pressure, forging 11 break-point chances and converting three, while not conceding abreak point of his own.

The 24-year-old Sinner plays unseeded Francisco Cerundolo in the third round.

Jets to trade CB Carter to Eagles for WR Metchie

The NewYorkJets agreed to trade cornerback Michael Carter to thePhiladelphia Eagleson Wednesdayfor wide receiverJohn Metchie, aperson with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

The Jets will also receive asixthround pick in the 2027 NFL Draft and will send aseventh-round selection in that draft to the Eagles, the person told theAPoncondition of anonymity because the teams didn’tannounce the trade. Carter, afifth-round pick in 2021 out of Duke, became the NFL’s highest-paid nickel cornerback last year when he signed athreeyear,$30.75 millionextensionafter becoming one of the best playersathis position.

PARENTS

“As a fan, we’re sitting back watching it, and you can see, what are we doing?” Delane said. “Like, the communication was horrible.”

Kelly’s tenure ended less than four years into a 10-year, $100 million contract. He left Notre Dame and arrived in Baton Rouge with grand expectations, and for good reason. He made the national championship game, reached the playoff and became the winningest coach in Notre Dame history before arriving at LSU.

But Kelly’s best season in Baton Rouge ended up being his first in 2022. LSU reached the SEC championship game and had an outside chance of cracking the four-team playoff field deep into November It was also the year he inherited the most players from the previous regime under Ed Orgeron Among those players were wide receiver Jack Bech, a sophomore who led the Tigers in receptions the year before Kelly arrived at LSU.

Bech, his mother Michelle said, had a close relationship with Orgeron.

“Coach (Orgeron) recruited him,” Michelle said. “And you know, of course, Jack was sad to see (Orgeron) leave.”

Once Kelly and his new staff took control, Bech’s relationship with them was much different, Michelle said. Kelly and his coaches had a “different” approach to the way they wanted to run the team.

“I don’t know that Jack really ever even had that much interaction with (Kelly),” she said Relative to his standout freshman campaign, Bech struggled in his only season under Kelly while playing through a stress fracture in his leg. He entered the transfer portal after the season and went to TCU, but his decision to depart LSU had nothing to do with Kelly

“Jack made a very independent decision to leave,” Michelle said. “It was about him being closer to my brother-in-law and his uncle. And it just all really worked out well for Jack.”

LSU WOMEN

Continued from page 1C

she doesn’t know, and she doesn’t think it really matters. Both will have significant roles, she said. Sometimes, they’ll even share the floor

But who will run the LSU offense at the end of close games?

For now, we’ll give the nod to Richard because, as Mulkey said after the first exhibition, the sophomore understands how to play point guard in her system, and she’s now a “completely different player” than she was as a freshman. Fulwiley is the better all-around scorer, but she’s still trying to figure out how to play that position.

Importantly, neither Richard nor Fulwiley turned the ball over in the first exhibition. Richard kept the ball moving through LSU’s halfcourt sets, while Fulwiley ignited its transition offense. Perhaps those are ways in which they can each contribute this season.

Fulwiley joined the Tigers as one of the nation’s top transfers, but Mulkey said she was not promised a spot in the starting lineup

“That’s not how it operates,” Mulkey said. “I play to win, and Jada’s gonna give her a bit of what she needs to give her to compete at that position, and man, they both bring good stuff to the table.”

First four off bench

G MiLaysia Fulwiley, G Kailyn Gilbert, F ZaKiyah Johnson, F Grace Knox Johnson impressed in the exhibition, scoring a game-high 25 points on 12-of-14 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds. She was recruited as a guard, but now she’s an under-

SHOUGH

Continued from page 1C

significant stretches of this season, the Saints offense still lagged toward the back of the NFL pack. New Orleans ranks near the bottom of the league in every major statistical category, none more important than scoring offense: Only three teams are managing less than the Saints’ 16 points per game. So while Shough said he’s gotten a positive reception from his teammates after his appointment in the starter’s seat, he acknowledged that this isn’t exactly cause for celebration.

“Obviously it’s not a fun situation,” Shough said. “We’re 1-7 right now We’ve got to go out there and play better.”

Kelly then coached through a pair of frustrating seasons in 2023 and 2024.

LSU historically had a great offense and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels at quarterback in Kelly’s second season. But a historically bad defense ended the Tigers’ hopes of reaching the playoff as LSU went 9-3 for a second consecutive year

The next year wasn’t any better for Kelly The Tigers’ record dropped to 8-4 and their improvements on defense were offset by an offense that took a step backward

“The nature and the temperature of college football is win,” Harry Berry the father of current freshman running back Harlem Berry, said. “So if you can’t do that and (win) consistently, a change is going to be made.”

LSU’s struggles weren’t because of lackluster results on the recruiting trail. The Tigers signed top-10 classes nationally heading

sized post player who looks comfortable around the rim.

If LSU wants to stagger the minutes of its two tallest, most physical post players — ensuring at least one of them is on the floor at all times then it can bump the 6-foot-2 Joyner to the bench and start Johnson next to the 6-5 Koval Johnson and Knox also can form a versatile, athletic frontcourt punch off the bench by themselves. They can both rebound and handle the ball.

Gilbert’s fit is a tricky one. LSU signed two highly rated freshmen guards, then landed Fulwiley out of the transfer portal. Will there be enough touches and shots left over for her to score in the half court like she did last season? If she can rebound and defend, then Mulkey will find room for her in the rotation.

Other contributors

G Bella Hines, G Divine Bourrage Hines is a floor-spacing guard and a long, active defender

Bourrage is a tall, lanky ballhandler — one who may need some time to develop before she can play meaningful minutes for a national title contender

Expect Hines to push for a role this season but only if she can knock down outside shots at an efficient clip and defend SEC perimeter players. They’re both high-profile recruits with bright futures. For now, they’re each expected to rotate onto the floor behind more experienced veterans.

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

Shough won’t get much of a break in his first start against the Los Angeles Rams. He will try to fix the Saints’ scoring problem against the league’s No. 3 scoring defense.

Moore shrugged off the timing of Shough’s debut against the Rams, saying “there’s no soft landing” in the NFL. If Shough is going to continue to develop as a player he’s going to have to do it in challenging circumstances.

“I’m going to make mistakes, so I’m going to do everything I can to learn from those mistakes, and then just have fun doing it,”

Shough said. “. What a great opportunity to go out there and just let it rip.”

And, as his wife reminded him, to win.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

into both seasons, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Kelly knew the importance of recruiting the state LSU signed 20 top-10 recruits from Louisiana during his time in Baton Rouge. Among those prospects was Tyree Adams, a four-star offensive lineman who became LSU’s starting left tackle this year

Tyree’s mother, Barbara, met Kelly and his wife Paqui a few times over the years and had only nice things to say about the LSU coach and his wife.

“They are amazing people,” Barbara said. “They’re very nice people.”

Another top recruit LSU landed during this period was sophomore tight end Trey’Dez Green, who has emerged as one of LSU’s top receivers this season, catching 19 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns over the Tigers’ last three games. Green arrived at LSU as the No. 1 tight end in the nation and the

FOOTE

Continued from page 1C

the Levi Lewis era under coach Billy Napier Playing the same quarterback every game for three straight seasons is the best route to go. (Incredibly I still had to respond to numerous emails from fans during those years who couldn’t wait for Lewis to graduate.)

Understandably many people now are sold on Lunch Winfield and don’t want any part of playing two quarterbacks. It’s a valid opinion, but it may not cover every base in this situation.

There are both short-term and long-term issues that complicate the matter The concern that it messes up the rhythm of the offense doesn’t seem to fit this scenario.

First of all, there’s zero evidence this offense has had any rhythm all season long that would be disrupted by one play or series.

In the Troy game, UL’s first drive was two plays, the second drive included negative plays of 2 and 6 years before a punt, and the third drive was a two-play, 1-yard TD possession after an interception return.

Rhythm wasn’t part of that equation.

The passing game under Winfield isn’t based on rhythm as much as it is off of his threat to run at any moment

While Desormeaux hasn’t waffled on Winfield being the starting quarterback, his intentions are to play Howard during a few drives per game to further his development.

No. 2 player in Louisiana. But Casondra, Green’s mother said she has met Kelly only twice, and both times were on the recruiting trail.

“I’m not sure on the relationship that he has with him, but I know he’s talked with him many of times,” Casondra said “I know he has the utmost respect for him.”

Expectations were sky-high entering the 2025 season. A trip to the playoff was a must, especially after the Tigers tripled their financial commitment on the roster and added one of the top transfer portal classes in the country

Among those top transfers was Mansoor Delane, who arrived at LSU from Virginia Tech after three years as a starter Despite Mansoor’s individual success, Jafau said he had to reach out to LSU instead of the other way around when Mansoor entered the portal. That wasn’t the case with Texas A&M, which contacted Mansoor immediately when he became a free agent.

To many, that is a crazy decision. And if we were in the middle of the Levi Lewis era, I’d agree.

But again, things are so much more complicated these days.

A few years ago, many UL fans were convinced Zeon Chriss was the future at quarterback. Like Jim Mora once said, “You think you know,” but quite often we don’t.

Even though Ben Wooldridge had played in games for parts of two seasons, how many fans truly appreciated how good he was until last season?

Simply put, the Cajuns likely don’t win 10 games last season if Chriss stayed and was the starter

No one really knows whether Winfield and/or Howard even will be at UL next season. This era is complicated. Especially now at 2-6, the sample size on both Winfield and Howard is so small, we really don’t have any idea if either is the long-term answer

Both have displayed great teamfirst attitudes since stepping on campus, and Winfield has had some shining moments in a few games. But he is currently being asked to do way way too much.

At Troy, he ran for 139 yards on 23 carries when the second-leading rusher had 21 yards. He also threw 22 passes from the pocket behind a beat-up offensive line.

Is running Winfield into the ground while he fights through two injuries like he’s Earl Campbell playing for the Houston Oilers 50 years ago really the best thing for the future of the position?

Winfield welcomes that challenge with a smile, but it’s going to be tough to keep him healthy at this rate.

And while there are turning

“They made it seem like as if they sought after Mansoor,” Jafau said. “In all actuality, we considered LSU and I reached out to some of the contacts that I had when (Mansoor’s younger brother Faheem) was being recruited, and sort of told them, ‘Hey, this is what we wanted to do.’ “ Between Faheem’s recruitment and Mansoor’s time in the portal, Jafau built stronger relationships with Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin than he has with Kelly

“One of the things that I felt, even with Lane Kiffin as much as he’s a younger guy, his personality really runs on that team as well,” Jafau said. “Dan Lanning, I know him very well. His intense attitude towards defense (results in) his teams playing very physical.

“And if you were to look at Kelly, what is that personality that he’s putting on that team? It’s not one.”

Once Mansoor arrived at LSU, he told Jafau about Kelly’s CEO approach to coaching. Kelly oversaw the operation and was “checking the boxes,” but he didn’t give the sort of one-onone instruction Mansoor thought he might receive. It was not a “hands-on experience.”

“You can’t be a CEO, in a sense, and run a college football team because they have to take on that coach’s personality,” Jafau said.

“And I’m not speaking only in correction, but it’s how you walk, it’s how you talk, it’s how you interact with people.”

Kelly’s CEO philosophy clearly didn’t work. LSU won its opening four contests this season but then lost three of its next four games before he was fired Sunday night. His termination was sudden, but the warning signs were there much earlier

“Maybe Brian Kelly got too comfortable with the idea that success was just going to happen,” Jafau said, “versus him demanding it from the players and expecting it and knowing how close it is.”

Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.

points in games, one interception on a deflected pass doesn’t account for the defense giving up 9 of 13 on third downs or the running backs rushing for 45 yards on 19 carries.

There are many more press questions surrounding this team than whether or not Howard gets a series or two each game.

Why has the safety position not been the bedrock of this defense like many expected?

Why are the two starting cornerbacks a true freshman and returning player who wasn’t even eligible until right before the season? Where would this defense be if Brent Gordon and Courtline Flowers hadn’t played so well this season?

Why has the receiving duo of Jaydon Johnson and KeDarius Wade combined for six catches and 58 yards with no touchdowns while Dale Martin and Landon Strother have combined for 165 yards and two scores on 10 catches?

Last year, the offensive line wore down. This year, the offensive line is ravaged by injuries. If it’s not just bad luck, what can be done to get the offensive line to finish relatively healthy next season?

If Trenton Chaney, Russell Babineaux and Rahji Dennis are the future of the UL receiving corps, how different will this route tree have to be to utilize their skills?

The quarterback issue is the low-hanging fruit that draws the most bites from fans.

But Howard playing one play at Troy or one series against Southern Miss should be way down the list of concerns for UL fans these days.

Wilson says Nussmeier remains starting QB

Interim coach did open possibility of Van Buren playing

BY WILSON ALEXANDER, KOKI RILEY and JASON WILLIS Staff writers

Garrett Nussmeier is still the LSU starting quarterback.

Interim coach Frank Wilson made that clear Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference, but in the wake of the firing of coach Brian Kelly and offensive coordinator Joe Sloan he suggested backup quarterback Michael Van Buren could have an increased role.

“Garrett is our starting quarterback,” Wilson said. “I think he gives us a great opportunity to be efficient with our offense I think Michael has a skill set that adds value to our football team that will be called upon that could help us win the game.”

Nussmeier has not met pre-

season expectations as the entire offense has struggled through a 5-3 start.

After throwing for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns as a first-time starter last year, Nussmeier has completed 65.9% of his passes for 1,806 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions this season.

LSU has averaged 249 yards passing per game, which ranks 47th in the country. With an inefficient offense in multiple areas, it ranks 83rd nationally in scoring at 25.5 points per game.

“There’s things that he likes and does well, and so we want to do those things for him,” Wilson said.

“We owe it to him to put him in that position. He’s a very talented quarterback. He didn’t coincidentally get to the status that he is with an inability

“So now, it’s urgent upon us to be able to identify that and gameplan around that so that he’s able to have the success that he wants, that we need and that ultimately affects the outcome of the game for our football team.”

LSU FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Wilson emphasized Tuesday that LSU will run the ball more over the last month of the regular season. After firing Sloan, the Tigers named tight ends coach and running game coordinator Alex Atkins as the interim play-caller

There also could be a role for Van Buren, a sophomore who transferred from Mississippi State after starting eight games as a freshman. Van Buren has completed 13 of 16 passes for 172 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also has run nine times for 23 yards and a touchdown.

“We haven’t finalized that in our game-planning just yet, but there’s things that he does very well that we’ll ask him to do that we may not necessarily ask Garrett to do,” Wilson said of Van Buren.

Whit Weeks trending up

Junior linebacker Whit Weeks did not practice Tuesday but is trending in the right direction when it

SCOREBOARD

East Texas A&M (2-6) at Southeastern Louisiana (6-2), 6 p.m. Northwestern St. (1-7) at McNeese St. (2-6) 6 p.m. Horse racing Breeders’ Cup odds Breeders’ Cup Classic in Del Mar, Calif. Distance: 1¼ miles on dirt for 3-year-olds and up. Purse: $7 million. Post time: 5:25 p.m. Saturday. Listed as post position, horse, trainer, jockey, odds n 1. Fierceness, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, 5-2 n 2. Baeza, John Shirreffs, Hector Berrios 10-1 n 3. Nevada Beach, Bob Baffert, Mike Smith, 20-1 n 4. Contrary Thinking, Chad Brown, Florent Geroux, 50-1 n 5. Forever Young, Yoshito Yahagi, Ryusei Sakai, 7-2 n 6. Sovereignty, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, SCRATCHED n 7. Sierra Leone, Chad Brown, Flavien Prat, 7-2 n 8. Mindframe, Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr., 6-1 n 9. Journalism, Michael McCarthy, Jose Ortiz, 5-1 n 10. Antiquarian, Todd Pletcher, Luis Saez 10-1 Pro

comes to his status for the Nov 8 game at Alabama, Wilson said. Weeks has missed LSU’s last two games with a bone bruise on his ankle. It’s the same ankle he injured during the Texas Bowl last season.

“I’m optimistic more now than ever before that the probability of him playing in this game is a reality,” Wilson said. “I don’t know that for a fact just yet. It will need to continue to trend in the right direction. But he had a very, very productive day from a rehabilitation standpoint, from a diagnostic standpoint on his status.”

Orgeron weighs in

Former LSU coach Ed Orgeron and Kelly now have something in common: They were both fired by LSU.

Orgeron discussed Kelly’s firing on ESPN’s “Unsportsmanlike” show Wednesday

“Whether or not it’s true or not, it looked from the outside Brian Kelly never embraced the state of Louisiana,” Orgeron said.

Orgeron was named the interim

coach at LSU in 2016 when the team parted ways with former coach Les Miles He impressed enough to hold onto the job and later led the Tigers to the 2019 national championship.

Orgeron was fired two years later after LSU went 11-11 in his final two seasons. He said the next head coach should do away with a Kelly policy that reportedly limited former LSU players entering the football facility

He also said the next coach should develop a better relationship with fans.

“Be nice to them when you see them. Shake their hand, take a picture. Be available,” Orgeron said “I said when I became the head coach, ‘This is for the state of Louisiana.’ And when you say that and you mean it, that means embracing the state of Louisiana.”

When asked, Orgeron said he’d be open to returning to LSU — as a head coach or assistant coach.

“I love LSU. I still got my home in Baton Rouge,” he said.

STAFF PHOTO By

UL guards Imani Daniel, left, and Amijah Price reach for a rebound against Mississippi College on Tuesday at the Cajundome. Both Daniel and Price reached double figures in UL’s 78-67 victory.

Freshman trio lifts UL to exhibition victory vs. Mississippi College

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

The UL freshman trio of Arionna Patterson, Imani Daniel and Amijah Price still have a lot to learn about college basketball.

Making that process much easier for all three is that they already knew each other very well. They were the only three double-figure scorers for the Ragin’ Cajuns in Tuesday’s 78-67 exhibition win over Mississippi College at the Cajundome.

“So we already have chemistry and then just bringing it to the team, we all love each other,” Daniel said. “We’re all friends outside of basketball. So it’s like, we really just starting to learn how to play for each other, like playing as a team and as a group, and it’s everything kind of falling into place.” They have played summer basketball together going back to the sixth grade, and the familiarity was evident Tuesday Daniel led the way with 22 points, three rebounds and two steals.

“To be honest, it’s more just about closing out, focusing on the block,” Daniel said. “I wouldn’t have as many points if it wasn’t for my team, so I’m just trying to be as open as possible.”

Price added 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go with two rebounds, three assists and five steals.

“There’s more accountability in college,” Price said. “You’ve got to work harder.” Patterson didn’t play in the first exhibition game. In fact, the former Walker High standout has practiced only twice in the preseason because of the concussion protocol.

“I’ll say the speed of the game,” Patterson said of the difference at the college level “So all the conditioning I did in the summer and before I came to college (was not enough).”

The Cajuns won the game at the

free-throw line, making 25 of 35 compared to 7 of 12 for the visiting Choctaws. Daniel made 10 of 12 attempts.

“Communication plays a big part, too,” Patterson said. “We’ve got to communicate on and off the court. When you’re on the bench and everything, even I’ve got to get better at communicating.” UL coach Garry Brodhead said that the trio recruited each other

“They (Daniel and Patterson) committed to us first, and then right after that (Price) did,” Brodhead said. “Price was kind of playing around with it, but they’re the ones that went and got here. So they’re close. They live together in an apartment.

“They have good chemistry, and I think they’ll bring a lot to the table. I really do.” Brodhead and his coaching staff are monitoring the young team’s progress, and they expect to have many mistakes to correct.

“The first quarter, we made a lot of mistakes,” Brodhead said.

“In the second quarter, we were able to adjust. Jazz (Jazmyne Jackson) and AP (Patterson) were out of practice pretty much the last 20 days, so having them back is going to help us.

“But she (Patterson) showed some good signs. She is really good. She’s probably the one that is going advance a lot because she can rebound, she can shoot from outside, she can get inside and she can pass.”

The Cajuns outrebounded Mississippi College 36-28 and forced 27 turnovers.

“Once we get better at guarding and getting in position, can we box out and rebound?” Brodhead said. “That’s going to be a big thing for us. When we play a team like Troy who likes to crash the boards, can we make that stop and get those rebounds?”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

Smart apples

Exploreour favorite fruit’s savory side

BY GRETCHEN McKAY

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

Usually,you don’thave to think too hard about what to do withthe abag or bushel of apples.

Apples are terrific out of hand,of course, and make agreat (and healthful) addition to yourchild’s lunchbox. They also travel well, makingthem an excellentcar food

Thanks to thefruit’s natural sweetness, apples lendthemselves especially well to baked goods. Youdon’t have to look too far to find any number of seasonal cakes, pies, crispsand crumbles built around apples as the star attraction.

Apples also cook down pretty easily into applesauce —with or without added sugar —and slices can be dried into chips for agood-for-you anytime snack

Yet, confining our favorite fall fruit to the dessert table is to not put afullspin on its versatility Crisp and tart apples that hold their shape while cooked, such as thepopular green Granny Smith, PinkLady and Honeycrisp, can add abrightand tangy flavortoeverything from salads to soups to gratins and curries. Thefruit’s natural sweetness and acidity also pairs well with savory,roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

And if you’re trying to get moreplants into your diet? When marinated in a tangy vinaigrette, they make asurprisingly delicious addition toacheese sandwich.

These savory recipes won’tupsetthe apple cart. Instead, they’llshine alight on the fruit’spossibilities.

FROM BODY PAINTAND FABRIC DYETOSPICES, THEANNATTO SEED

HASMANYUSES

Diversity powerhouse

BY ANNEMILNECK Contributingwriter

TBYNICOLE HVIDSTEN

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

Afriend once said there’snosuch thing as soup season —itshouldbe enjoyed year-round. As someonewho just happily ordered acup of chicken wild rice soup on a90-degree day,I agree. But when the air finally does turn crisp, it reignites the desire to cook all cozy.Dutch ovens and stockpots stay frontand center, and we start rotating in all the recipes that have been on summer hiatus. Soup is acool-weathermainstay in many kitchens. Abig batch meansnot only dinner that night, but also several lunches throughout theweek. It’saforgiving dish that encourages flavor exploration —and astellar choice when odds and ends are lurking in therefrigerator Recipe, 6C

he spice world is rich with ingredients that transform dishes through aroma and taste, and there are some spices that alsodeliver vibrant color Annatto seed is one such spice that imparts both delicious flavors and atransformative hue. Known across Latin America and theCaribbean as achiote, this tiny, brick-redseed is an oft-overlooked workhorse. Often absent in today’shome kitchens, annatto is afoundational ingredient in traditional Mexican cuisine and Indigenous cultures. Annatto seeds are harvested from the Achiote tree, native to tropical regions of Centraland South America. Widely referred to as the “lipsticktree,” Achiote trees’ annatto seeds were historically used to make body paint and fabric dye. In modern food processing, an-

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Whole annatto seed can be stored for up to twoyears in acool,dry place. Ground annatto seeds should be used within six months, as theybegin losing potency and color once ground

natto seeds became known as “poor man’ssaffron” for theseed’sability to impart theorange colortopackaged yelloworsaffronrice mixes. Theannatto seed’sflavorissimilar to paprika withslightly peppery, smokyand earthynotes andfloral

ä See ANNATTO, page 6C

Achiote Pork Tenderloin

Achiote paste (Recipe 6C)

Salt 2pork tenderloins, trimmed Vegetable or olive oil

1. Lightly salt the pork tenderloins on all sides, then rub with the achiote paste. Place in azip-top bag and refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F. When ready to cook,remove the pork tenderloin from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to take off the chill.

3. Heat aheavyskilletovermedium-high heat. Drizzle in oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Sear the pork tenderloinonall sides until golden brown.

4. Move the skillet to the oven, and roast for15-25 mins or until an internal temp of 145 F. Move from the skillet and rest the meat for 15 mins before slicing. Serve sliced for sandwiches or with aside of Mexican rice and beans.

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday, Oct. 30, the 303rd day of 2025. There are 62 days left in the year.

Today in history: On Oct. 30, 1974, Muhammad Ali, 32, knocked out George Foreman, 25, in the eighth round of a scheduled 15-round bout known as the “Rumble in the Jungle,” in Kinshasa, Congo (then Zaire), to regain his world heavyweight title.

Also on this date: In 1938, the radio play “The War of the Worlds,” starring Orson Welles, aired on the CBS Radio Network. The broadcast panicked some listeners in its portrayal of an invasion by Martians. In 1961, the Soviet Union

tested a hydrogen bomb, the “Tsar Bomba,” with a force estimated at about 50 megatons (over 3,500 times that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima). It remains the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated.

In 2005, the late Rosa Parks was the first woman to lie in honor in the U.S Capitol Rotunda; Parks became a civil rights icon by refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus to a White passenger in 1955.

In 2018, gangster James “Whitey” Bulger was found beaten to death at a federal prison in West Virginia; the 89-year-old former Boston crime boss and longtime FBI informant had been transferred there just hours earlier (Three inmates entered

plea deals and were convicted in Bulger’s killing).

Today’s birthdays: Author Robert Caro is 90. Football Hall of Fame coach Dick Vermeil is 89. Rock singer Grace Slick is 86. Songwriter Eddie Holland is 86. R&B singer Otis Williams (The Temptations) is 84. Actor Henry Winkler is 80. Broadcast journalist Andrea Mitchell is 79. Country/rock musician Timothy B. Schmit (The Eagles) is 78. Actor Harry Hamlin is 74. Country singer T. Graham Brown is 71. Actor Kevin Pollak is 68. Actor Michael Beach is 62. Musician Gavin Rossdale (Bush) is 60. Actor Nia Long is 55. Business executive and former presidential adviser Ivanka Trump is 44.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples

Serves 4. Recipe is from Gretchen McKay. Brussels sprouts can be bitter when boiled, but

in the oven to roast and wow, it’s magic! The high heat causes the

sugars to caramelize, bringing out their natural sweetness. Throwing a few apples onto the pan enhances the nutty flavor. Be sure to pull off the loose outer green leaves and trim the sprouts’ ends before cooking, and scatter them evenly on a baking tray. They’re done when the leaves are just about to char, and the innermost part of the sprout is fork-tender

Brussels sprouts, ends

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Cut Brussels sprouts in half, then place in a large bowl with apples and onions.

3. In a measuring cup, stir together olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper Drizzle over the Brussels sprouts mixture and toss with your hands until everything is thoroughly coated

4. Place the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet Make sure Brussels sprouts are

cut side down. (This ensures that they all get perfectly caramelized.)

5. Place sprigs of thyme on top of and around the veggies.

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, shaking the pan a few times as they bake, until the apples are tender, the onions are soft and the sprouts look like they are starting to char

7. Top with pecans and grated cheese, if desired and serve while hot.

Marinated Apple and Cheese Sandwich

Makes 4 sandwiches. Recipe is from foodandwine.com. Trying to eat more plants? The peppery flavor of arugula works incredibly well with sweet apples and savory cheddar in this surprisingly hearty sandwich. The vinaigrette is so simple to make and adds more flavor; I saved the leftovers to use as a dressing on salad. I made the sandwiches on toasted sunflower bread but any hearty variety works.

(such as Granny Smith) unpeeled, cored and very

1. Whisk together vinegar, oil, honey, mustard pepper and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve honey Stir in shallots and garlic. Remove from heat.

2. Place apple slices in a large, shallow, heatproof dish; pour hot vinegar mixture over apples, and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature 45 minutes, tossing occasionally Drain apples and discard vinegar mixture. (I saved it to use as a dressing.)

3. Spread a generous layer of butter on one side of each bread slice. Divide cheese, apple mixture and arugula evenly on buttered sides of four bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices, butter sides down. Serve immediately

Apple Curry

Serves 6. Recipe is from Gretchen McKay. This one-pot, lightly spiced curry pairs two favorite fall offerings: butternut squash and apples. If you desire a protein kick, add a can of cooked, drained chickpeas or 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken cut into bitesized chunks before adding the coconut milk. Chopped cashews add a rich, nutty finish.

(14-ounce)

white

Aceite de Achiote (Annatto Seed Infused Oil)

1. In a saucepan, heat the oil and seeds over low to medium heat. Cook, swirling the pot often, for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the seeds to infuse in the oil for 20 minutes.

2. Strain off the seeds and discard. Store the annatto-infused oil in a glass jar or container with a lid at room temperature. Use within three weeks.

Suggested uses: Use the oil to saute aromatics

PROVIDED PHOTO

Annatto seed imparts both delicious flavors and a transformative hue.

for a pot of beans; sizzle raw rice in a tablespoon of the infused oil before adding the cooking liquid; toss cauliflower florets in 3 tablespoons of the infused oil before roasting.

undertones. When combined with other spices and herbs like cumin, coriander and Mexican oregano, it can be used as a Tex-Mex dry rub for proteins and vegetables. Annatto’s ability to impart vibrant color makes it perfect for infusion in fat to create aceite de achiote, or annatto oil.

After steeping annatto seeds in hot oil, the seeds are strained off and the deep orange-red oil can be used to make rice, start a pot of beans, saute meat or roast vegetables.

Another use for annatto

1. Use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to grind the annatto seeds to a fine powder 2. In a bowl, combine the ground annatto seeds and all other ingredients and stir to create a paste. Use the paste on chicken, pork or beef as a marinade. Marinate the meat at least 8 hours or ideally overnight.

seeds is to create achiote paste. Blocks of achiote paste are a staple ingredient in Mexican and Central American cuisine, and it’s simple to make at home.

This flavorful paste is a combination of ground annatto seeds, coriander, cumin, oregano, cloves, garlic and an acidic ingredient like orange juice or apple cider vinegar Achiote paste is classically used to create the slow-roasted pork dish cochinita pibil and al pastor marinades. Creating an achiote paste is easy and will transform the flavor of lean proteins like chicken breasts and pork tenderloin and lead

Mum’s Loving Leek and Potato Soup

Serves 4. From “Cooking Fast and Slow” by Natalia Rudin, who writes: “It might sound like a cliché, but my mum is my superhero and her leek and potato soup heals me in more ways than I can put into words. My re-creation will never be as good as hers, but I’ve given it my best shot.” (Ten Speed Press, 2025)

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 leeks, roughly chopped ½ white onion, roughly chopped

and

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the leeks, onion, fennel seeds, nutmeg and garlic. Put the lid on and sweat them down over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut the

1. Add olive oil to a large stockpot or Dutch oven set over medium heat

2. When hot, add in onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender Add in garlic, ginger, butternut squash and apples. Cook for 3 minutes, then sprinkle with curry powder and stir to combine.

3. Pour in coconut milk and broth/water, and scrape up any bits that have gotten stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Turn

heat down to medium and simmer for at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

4. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until squash and apples are fork-tender, stirringoccasionallyandadjusting the heat as needed.

5. Remove from the heat. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

6. Serve the curry with white rice, garnished with chopped cilantro and chopped cashews.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Observe and take notes. Preparation is vital to getting what you want. A positive change comes with executing your plans flawlessly. Choose minimalism over excess and indulgence.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Set boundaries, offer honest assessments and pursue something tangible. Focus your energy on updating your surroundings to suit your situation and foster success.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Mixed emotions will drain you mentally and financially. Be wary of scams and people trying to separate you from your cash. Gather information regarding any event that may pose a risk of injury or illness.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put your emotions aside and know when to walk away. A debate will not serve a purpose and will leave you feeling distraught. Pay more attention to building your physical strength.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Upbeat talks will help you gain enthusiasm to get moving and to introduce positive change into your life. Stop letting mixed emotions hinder your ability to act.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) A little primping will go a long way. Do something that makes you feel good, boosts your confidence and gives you the nudge you need to make a move. Participate in events that are geared toward a purpose.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) You should sift through your options and decrease the

WonderWord

number of your commitments. Effective communication is essential to prevent mistakes and misinformation.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Live, love and learn, and a positive change will be unveiled. Trust your instincts and let your imagination wander. Reach out, and the result will fulfill your expectations.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Avoid jumping to conclusions or taking on too much Pace yourself and explore all options before deciding on your next step. Tone down drama and indulgence, and concentrate on self-improvement.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Look at the big picture before you make a comment or change. The impression you make and the effect you have on the people you encounter will determine what comes your way.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) It's all or nothing when dealing with domestic or workrelated matters. Stand back, absorb the atmosphere in the room and let your instincts guide you in interpreting the outcome.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Effective money management encourages you to live frugally and appreciate what you already have. Consider what you can do to update your look. Socializing will promote romance.

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

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Carl Gustav Jung said, “Knowledge restsnotupontruthalone,butuponerror also.” Howtruethatis. All bridge players makemistakes. But each hopes to learn something from those errors. Today’s deal occurred during asocial game. First, look at the auction.With which calls do youdisagree and what would you have done differently? Thereweretwo clear-cuterrors (and a few calls that were debatable). Thedefinitemistakeswere,first,North’spassing over twoclubs.She might have bid two no-trump, showing 18-20 points,because partner had promised some cards with hisone-spadebid.(Hewouldhavepassed with nothing when East responded one diamond.) Asecond possibility was anothertakeoutdouble,typicallyindicating three-cardspade supportand extra values. Also, South, over two diamonds,should have competed with two hearts. Of course, that might have got his side to four hearts, an unmakable game, instead of to fourspades, themakable game. Against two spades, West led alow club.Southranthattohisjack,tookdummy’s top trumps, playedthree rounds of diamonds,ruffing the lastinhis hand, and cashed dummy’s two club winners, discarding aheart whileEastruffed in

East shifted to theheart 10,which South strangely covered withhis king to lose three tricks in the suit and collect only one overtrick. Since West was marked with the heart ace, Southshould have ducked theheart.Westwould have won but would have been endplayed into conceding asecond overtrick.

©2025 by

NEA,Inc

dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2.

ToDAy’s WoRD DWARFIsH: DWOR-fish: Smallinstature.

Average

Timelimit

Can

heed thereforetoyourselves, and to all theflock, over the which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood.” Acts 20:28

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Chipmaker Nvidia is first $5 trillion company

Nvidia has become the first $5 trillion company, just three months after the Silicon Valley chipmaker was first to break through the $4 trillion barrier

Hitting the new benchmark puts more emphasis on the upheaval being unleashed by an artificial intelligence craze that’s widely viewed as the biggest tectonic shift in technology since Apple co-founder Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone 18 years ago. Apple rode the iPhone’s success to become the first publicly traded company to be valued at $1 trillion $2 trillion and eventually, $3 trillion Nvidia’s value is greater than the GDP of India, Japan and the United Kingdom, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Nvidia carved out an early lead in tailoring its chipsets known as graphics processing units, or GPUs, from use in powering video games to helping to train powerful AI systems, like the technology behind ChatGPT and image generators. Demand skyrocketed as more people began using AI chatbots. Tech companies scrambled for more chips to build and run them.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has downplayed concerns of a bubble bursting, saying that the generative AI chatbots that were merely “interesting” when they first took hold a few years ago are now becoming so useful that they will be profitable Alphabet posts $100B in revenue

SAN FRANCISCO Google’s corporate parent on Wednesday announced its first-ever quarter with more than $100 billion in revenue, a milestone that illustrates the unwavering power of its internet empire amid legal and competitive threats.

The news of Alphabet Inc ’s accelerating growth in revenue and profit comes on the heels of a court ruling in the U.S Justice Department’s landmark monopoly case against Google’s dominant search engine that was widely seen as a mild rebuke that wouldn’t hobble the company Alphabet performed like a powerhouse during the JulySeptember period, delivering a profit of nearly $35 billion, or $2.87 per share, a 33% increase from the same time last year Revenue rose 16% from last year to $102.3 billion. Both figures easily exceeded the analysts’ projections that steer the stock market. Google has been implanting more artificial intelligence features into both its search engine and Chrome, as well as its other products, as part of its effort to protect its turf while also expanding into new technological frontiers.

Boeing pushes 777X jet deliveries to 2027

Boeing reported mixed thirdquarter results on Wednesday, as higher aircraft deliveries and a growing backlog of orders were offset by continued certification delays for its 777X jets. CEO Kelly Ortberg said the first delivery of Boeing’s next generation of long-haul, widebody jets is now expected in 2027 instead of 2026, resulting in a $4.9 billion charge in the quarter through September But Ortberg emphasized in a call with analysts that the delays stemmed from the certification process, and not from any newly discovered technical issues. Ortberg said Boeing was making progress on stabilizing its production. The aerospace giant delivered 160 planes in the third quarter, the most quarterly deliveries since 2018 The same time last year, Boeing said it delivered 116 planes. Boeing also reported that its backlog of orders had grown to $636 billion in the third quarter. The growing backlog includes 5,900 commercial planes, with big 777X orders from Qatar Airways, which is waiting on 124 jets, and Dubai-based Emirates, which has ordered 205 of them.

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK U.S. stocks bounced around their records on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve made moves to boost the job market but also warned that more help isn’t guaranteed.

The S&P 500 finished virtually flat and edged down by less than 0.1%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 73 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.5% All

three indexes were coming off an all-time high.

Stocks had been on track for modest gains in the afternoon after the Fed cut its main interest rate for the second time this year in hopes of helping the slowing job market

But the market snapped lower after Chair Jerome Powell later warned that it “is not a foregone conclusion” that the Fed will cut again in December at its next meeting.

“That needs to be taken off the board,” Powell said.

In the meantime, the deluge continued of big U.S companies reporting how much profit they made during the summer, and the frenzy in

artificial-intelligence technology is driving growth. The pressure is on companies to deliver gains because that’s one way they can quiet criticism that their stock prices have shot too high Teradyne soared 20.5% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the company, which makes automated test equipment and advanced robotics systems, reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected CEO Greg Smith credited strength related to artificial-intelligence applications and said “AI-related test demand remains robust.”

Even Caterpillar, the company known for its construction and min-

ing equipment, is feeling a boost because of AI. It rallied 11.6% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The strongest growth came from Caterpillar’s business that provides equipment for big data centers that are powering AI On the losing end of Wall Street was Fiserv, which plunged 44% for its worst day since its stock began trading in 1986. The payments and financial technology company reported weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected,

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring, even as inflation stays elevated.

But Fed Chair Jerome Powell also cautioned that further rate cuts weren’t guaranteed, citing the government shutdown’s interruption of economic reports and sharp divisions among 19 Fed officials who participate in the central bank’s interest-rate deliberations.

Speaking to reporters after the Fed announced its rate decision, Powell said there were “strongly differing views about how to proceed in December” at its next meeting and a further reduction in the benchmark rate is not “a foregone conclusion — far from it.”

Wednesday’s quarter-point cut brings the Fed’s key rate down to about 3.9%, from about 4.1%. The central bank had cranked its rate to roughly 5.3% in 2023 and 2024 to combat the biggest inflation spike in four decades before implementing three cuts last year Lower rates could, over time, reduce borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and

BY QUEENIE WONG Los

Angeles Times (TNS)

Character.AI, a platform for creating and chatting with artificial intelligence chatbots, plans to start blocking minors from having “open-ended” conversations with its virtual characters. The major change comes as the Menlo Park, Calif. company and other AI leaders face more scrutiny from parents, child safety groups and politicians about whether chatbots are harming the mental health of teens. Character.AI said in a blog post

credit cards, as well as for business loans.

The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without the economic signposts it typically relies on from the government, including monthly reports on jobs, inflation and consumer spending, which have been suspended because of the government shutdown.

Financial markets largely expected another rate reduction in December, and stock prices dropped after Powell’s comments, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average closing slightly lower

“Powell poured cold water on the idea that the Fed was on autopilot for a December cut,” said Gennadiy Goldberg, head of U.S rates strategy at TD Securities. “Instead they’ll have to wait for economic data to confirm that a rate cut is actually needed.”

Powell was asked about the impact of the government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1 and has interrupted the distribution of economic data. Powell said the Fed does have access to some data that give it “a picture of what’s going on.” He added that, “If there were a significant or material change in the

economy, one way or another, I think we’d pick that up through this.”

But the Fed chair did acknowledge that the limited data could cause officials to proceed more cautiously heading into its next meeting in mid-December

On Wednesday the Fed also said it would stop reducing the size of its massive securities holdings, which it accumulated during the pandemic and after the 2008-09 Great Recession.

The change, to take effect Dec. 1, could over time slightly reduce longer-term interest rates on things like mortgages but won’t have much impact on consumer borrowing costs.

Jeffrey Schmid, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, voted against the move because he preferred no change to the Fed’s rate. Schmid has previously expressed concern that inflation remains too high.

Fed governor Stephen Miran dissented for the second straight meeting in favor of a halfpoint cut. Miran was appointed by President Donald Trump just before the central bank’s last meeting in September

Trump has repeatedly attacked Powell for not reducing borrowing costs more quickly

Wednesday that it is working on a new experience that will allow teens under 18 to create videos, stories and streams with characters. However, as the company makes this transition, it will limit chats for minors to two hours per day, and that will “ramp down” before Nov 25. “We do not take this step of removing open-ended Character chat lightly but we do think that it’s the right thing to do given the questions that have been raised about how teens do, and should, interact with this new technology,” the company said in a statement.

The decision shows how technology companies are responding to mental health concerns as more parents sue the platforms follow-

ing the deaths of their children. Last year several parents sued Character.AI over allegations that the chatbots caused their children to harm themselves and others.

The lawsuits accused the company of releasing the platform before making sure it was safe to use. Character.AI said it takes teen safety seriously and outlined steps it took to moderate inappropriate content. The company’s rules prohibit the promotion, glorification and encouragement of suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.

Following the deaths of their teens, parents have urged lawmakers to do more to protect young people as chatbots grow in popularity While teens are using chatbots for schoolwork, enter-

tainment and more, some are also conversing with virtual characters for companionship or advice. Character.AI has more than 20 million monthly active users and more than 10 million characters on its platforms. Some of the characters are fictional, while others are based on real people.

Megan Garcia, a Florida mom who sued Character.AI last year, alleges the company failed to notify her or offer help to her son who expressed suicidal thoughts to chatbots on the app.

Her son, Sewell Setzer III, died by suicide after chatting with a chatbot named after Daenerys Targaryen, a character from the fantasy television and book series “Game of Thrones.”