The Times-Picayune 11-24-2025

RUDE REMINDER

Saints placekicker Blake Grupe, left, reacts after missingafield goalduring Sunday’sgame againstthe FalconsinNew Orleans. Because of abye week,the Saints gave their fans two wholeweeks to enjoy avictory over the Carolina Panthers on Nov.9,but the rival Atlanta Falconsprovideda splash of cold wateronSunday at Caesars Superdome, reminding Saints fans that thehome team just isn’tvery good. The final score was 24-10, anditcame complete with theSaints turning the ball over early,missing two field goals and failing to score twice from the1-yard line. By the time the game ended, there washardly anyone left to boo.

Louisianaseessurge in immigrants’lawsuits

Some challengelegality of theirdetentions

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

As President Donald Trump’sadministration aggressively pursues its mass deportation campaign, the numberofimmigrants challenging the legality of their detention at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in Louisiana —a statethathas become amajor detention

hub in recentyears —has surged. In the roughly 10 monthsbefore Trump took office in January,23habeas petitions —atype of lawsuit thatclaims aperson is beingillegally detained —were filed in federal courts in the state.

Between Trump’sJan. 20 inauguration and Nov.1,thatnumbersoared,with at least 95 Louisiana ICE detainees challenging their detention here,areviewof federal court records found.

Among the petitioners are aPakistani manwith an American wife and kids who took awrong turn after visiting Niagara

Falls andended up at the Canadian border, wherehewas detained; aUkrainian truck driver who was detained when he made a delivery at amilitary base in Texas; and a Russian who opposed the war in Ukraine andspent ayear anda half in detention while his asylum claim was processed. The lawsuits illustrate how theTrump administration’spush to detain and deport immigrants in record numbersissweeping up many people whopreviouslywould not have been targeted. And critics argue

ä See DETENTIONS, page 5A

Budget,jail staffing will challenge Woodfork

Newsheriff’s deputies will be needed formentalhealthwing

BY JOSEPH CRANNEY Staff writer

Michelle Woodfork hasfive monthsbefore she’ll take office as the next Orleans Parish sheriff, but she’salreadystaring down huge challenges of thejob,including concerns about howshe’llafford to staffa newmental health wingatthe troubled parish jail Construction on the$92 million wing is more than 85% complete, and the so-called Phase III facility is scheduled to open afew months after Woodfork’sinaugurationin May. With thecity’sbudget in shambles, however,Woodfork does notknowhow OPSO will have enough money to staffthe facility,which could require hiring as many as 80 new deputies. The sheriff’sbudget is likely in line foracut as City Hall faces a$160 million deficit, though it’snot clear yet how much money Woodfork stands to lose. Outgoing Mayor LaToya Cantrell’sadministration calledfor a20% reduction, but that figure could change in Mayorelect Helena Moreno’sown budgetproposal, expected to be released this week.

at risk of being homeless again

Feds forcing parishes to shrink permanent housing programs

BY SOPHIEKASAKOVE Staff writer

Anew federal policy could spur widespread evictionsofformerlyhomeless peopleacross Louisiana, disrupting yearslongefforts in New Orleansand elsewhere to closeencampments and permanently house the state’smost vulnerable.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development this month issued new rulesthat will redirect much of the tens of millions of dollars in grantsthathavebeenusedtopermanently house formerly homeless people in Louisiana The state’sshare of those grants totaled $93 millionlast year,but next year parishes must shrink permanent housing programs in favor of temporary housing and otherassistance, and they could see their overall awards decrease.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Airlines cancel flights to Venezuela amid tensions

CARACAS International airlines increasingly canceledflights to Venezuela on Sunday after the U.S. FederalAviation Administration warnedpilotsto use caution when flying in the country’s airspace because of worsening security and heightened military activity

Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Airlines Association in Venezuela, told The Associated Press that six carriers have indefinitely suspended flights: TAP, LATAM, Avianca, Iberia,Gol and Caribbean. Turkish Airlinessuspended flights from Nov. 24 to 28 Colombian PresidentGustavo Petro wrote Sunday on Xthat “there must be regular flights to all Latin Americancountries and from Latin America and the world.”

“Countries are not blocked, because blocking countries means blocking people, and that is a crime against humanity,” Petro added.

On Friday,the FAAwarned pilots that unspecified threats “could pose apotential risk to aircraft at all altitudes” as well planes taking off and landing in the country and even aircraft on the ground.

The warning came as the Trump administration has ramped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

Houthi courtsentences

17 people to death

CAIRO— AHouthi-controlled court in Yemen’scapital convicted 17 people of spying for foreign governments and sentenced them to death in the latest development in ayearslong Houthi crackdownonlocal staff from foreign agencies.

The Specialized Criminal Court in Sanaa handeddown the verdict on Saturday,according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency

The people convictedwere part of “espionage cells within aspy network affiliated with the American, Israeli and Saudi intelligence,” said the court, which handed down adeath sentence by firing squad in public.

The court also sentenced aman and awoman to 10 years in prison, while another defendant was acquitted.

Saturday’sverdict can be appealed, said Abdulbasit Ghazi, a lawyer representing some of the defendants who were convicted.

The defendants were accused of “spying with foreigncountries in astate of enmity with Yemen during the 2024-2025 period,” SABA reported.

Prosecutors said the defendants collaborated with intelligence officers from Saudi Arabia, Britain and the United States, as well as Israel’sMossad intelligence service, SABA reported.

Woman in 2014 Slender Man stabbingismissing MADISON, Wis. AWisconsin woman who admitted to nearly stabbing aclassmate to death in 2014 to please the online horror character Slender Man is missing after she cut off an electronic monitoring device and left a group home, authorities said Sunday Madison police issued an alert Sunday for Morgan Geyser now 23,saying she was last seen around 8p.m. Saturdaywith an adult acquaintance.

“If you see Geyser,please call 911,” the alert said, addingthat she had cut off a“Department of Corrections monitoring bracelet.”

Geyser was placed in agroup home this year after being granted conditional releasefrom the Winnebago Mental Health Institute. She was sent to the psychiatric institute in 2018 after pleading guilty to attempted firstdegreeintentionalhomicide in a deal with prosecutors to avoid prison.

Geyser’sattorney,Tony Cotton, said Sunday that he did not know what happened with his client and urged Geyser to turn herself in.

“It’sinher best interestfor her to turn herself in immediately and not continue with thiscourse of action,” Cotton saidin an Instagram video post where he addressed Geyser directly at times. “Wedon’tknow any of the facts aboutwhat happened or who might have assisted her.”

U.S.,Kyivreportprogressintalks

Scantdetails emerge on talks to endRussia’s warinUkraine

BY MARK CARLSON, KATIE MARIE DAVIES and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

GENEVA TopU.S. and Ukrainian officials said Sundaythey’dmadeprogress toward ending the RussiaUkraine warbut provided scantdetails after discussing theAmerican proposal to achievepeace that has sparked concerns among many of Washington’s European allies that the plan is too conciliatory to Moscow

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said high-stakes talks in Geneva were “very worthwhile” and constituted the mostproductive day in “a very long time.”

“I feel very optimistic that wecan getsomething done,” Rubio said.

But he offered very little information on whatwas discussed. He also downplayed aThursday deadline set by President DonaldTrump for Ukraine to respond to the plan, saying simply thatofficials want to see fighting stop as soon as possible and that officials couldkeepnegotiating Monday and beyond. He saidthat higher-level officialsmay eventually have to get involved.

“Thisisavery delicate moment,” Rubio said of what still needed to be worked out. “Some of it is semantics, or language. Others requirehigher-level decisionsand consulta-

tions. Others, Ithink, just need more time to work through.”

The 28-point blueprint drawn up by theU.S. to end the nearly four-year war hassparkedalarmin Kyiv and European capitals.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country could face astark choicebetween standing up for its sovereign rightsand preserving the American supportit needs.

The Ukrainian leader has vowed that his people “will always defend” theirhome.

The proposalacquiesces to many Russian demands thatZelenskyy has categorically rejected on dozens of occasions, including giving up large pieces of territory

In asubsequent statement Sunday night,the White House said the Ukrainian delegation “affirmed that all of their principal concerns —securityguarantees, long-term economic

development, infrastructure protection, freedom of navigation, and political sovereignty —were thoroughly addressed during the meeting.”

It addedthatthe Ukrainians “expressed appreciation for thestructured approach taken to incorporate theirfeedback intoeach component of the emerging settlement framework.”

The White House said changesmadetothe proposal now reflect “their national interests” and provide “credible andenforceable mechanisms to safeguard Ukraine’ssecurity in both the near and long term.”

Butlanguage of such positive steps came only after concerns about the original, Trump-endorsed deal intensified. Abipartisan group of U.S. senators said Rubio told them Saturday thatthe plan had originated withRussia and was actually a“wishlist”for Moscow rather than aserious push

for peace.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that he’d spoken to Trump and made clearthere were some parts of the plans key European nationscould agreeonbut others where they could not.

“I told himthatweare fully in linewith Ukraine, thatthe sovereignty of this countrymustnot be jeopardized,” Merz said in an interview with DW Rubio called the U.S. proposal a“living breathing document” that would continue changing. He also made, clear though, that any final product —once it’s ready—will still have to be presented to Moscow: “obviously,the Russians get avote here.”

Thehead of the Ukrainian delegation, presidentialchiefofstaff Andrii Yermak, said of the talks, “Wehavemadeverygood progress and are moving forward to ajust and last-

ing peace,” he said. The rosy assessment of what was discussed defied Trump himself. Before talks began, the president blasted Ukraine fora lack of gratitude forU.S.military assistance while shyingawayfromcriticizing Russia.

Trump has set aThursdaydeadline forUkraine to respond to the planbut also suggested it could slide if there was proof of real progress. He also said that the plan was not his final offer —without offering further details on whatthatmeant.

“UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS, AND EUROPE CONTINUES TO BUYOIL FROM RUSSIA,” Trump posted on hissocial mediasiteSundaymorning After Trump’spost, Zelenskyy cheered U.S.-ledefforts on security while also stressing that “the crux of the entire diplomatic situation is that it was Russia, and only Russia, that started this war.

“Ukraine is grateful to the United States, to every American heart, and personallytoPresident Trump,” Zelenskyy wrote in apost on Telegram, adding, “Wethank everyone in Europe.”

“It is important not to forgetthe main goal –tostop Russia’swar and prevent it from ever igniting again,” he added. Before convening with U.S. officials, Yermak and his team also metwithnational securityadvisers fromthe U.K.,Franceand Germany.The allieshave ralliedaround Kyiv in a push to revise the plan.

Israel says it killed senior Hezbollahofficial

Forces launch firststrike in months on Beirut

BY FADI TAWIL and KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press

HARETHREIK,Lebanon— Israel on Sundaystruck Lebanon’scapital for the first time since June, saying it killed Hezbollah’s chief of staff Haytham Tabtabaiand warning the Iranbacked militant group not to rearm andrebuild ayear aftertheir latest war.

Thestrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed fivepeopleand wounded25 others, Lebanon’sHealth Ministry said.

Hezbollah confirmed Tabtabai’sdeath. Earlier it said the strike, launched almost exactly ayearafter a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war,threatened an escalation of attacks— just days before Pope Leo XIV

is scheduled to visit Lebanononhis first foreigntrip.

“Wewill continue to act forcefully to prevent any threat to theresidents of the north andthe state of Israel,” Israeli Defense MinisterIsrael Katz said.

The military instructed residentsinnorthern Israel near the Lebanese bordertocontinue with daily routines, indicating that it did notanticipate amilitary response from Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ac-

cusedTabtabaiofleading Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm.

Israeli airstrikes over southern Lebanon have intensified in recent weeks whileIsrael andthe United States have pressured Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.Israel assertsthat the group is trying to rebuild its military capabilities. The Lebanesegovernment, which supports disarming Hezbollah,has denied those claims. It also says troopshave deployed to thesouth but that its cash-

MamdanistandsbyTrump criticism despitefriendlyWashingtonmeeting

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON New York City Mayor-elect Zohran

Mamdani didn’t back down in an interview that aired Sunday from past criticism thatPresident Donald Trump acted like adespotand afascist after asurprisinglyfriendly White House meetingbetween thetwo men. Thenewlyelected democratic socialist andthe Republicanpresident have fiercelycriticizedeach other in the past. Trump called Mamdani a“100% CommunistLunatic” in a social media post following the incoming mayor’s election victory,and Mamdani hassaidTrump

wasattackingdemocracy

Yetthe two political foils emerged smiling after the meetingFriday and spoke of shared goals.

Pressed about his past criticism during a“Meet thePress” interview conducted Saturday,Mamdani said his views remained unchanged.

“Everything that I’ve saidinthe past, Icontinue to believe,” Mamdani said.

“And that’sthe thing that Ithink is important in our politics,isthat we don’tshy away from wherewehave disagreements, but we understand whatitisthat brings us to thattable, because I’m not coming into the Oval Office to make a point or makeastand. I’m

coming in there to deliver for New Yorkers.”

Trump had brushed aside Mamdani’scriticisms Friday andeven jumped in on his defense several times. When areporter asked if Mamdani stood by his comments that Trumpisa fascist, Trumpinterjected before Mamdanicouldfully answer the question.

“That’sOK. Youcan just sayyes.OK?”Trump said. “It’seasier.It’seasier than explaining it.I don’t mind.” Asked aboutthe fascist criticism on “Meet the Press,” Mamdani said, “That’s something that I’ve said in the past.Isay it today.”

strapped army needs more resources.

Hezbollah has not attacked Israel since the ceasefire began. In December, it fireda couple of rockets that landed on open territory near an Israeli military base and called it a“warning.”

Tabtabai had been the apparent successor of Ibrahim Aqil, who was killed in September 2024 in Israeli attacks that wiped out much of Hezbollah’ssenior leadership, including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah. Tabtabai also had ledHezbollah’seliteRadwan Unit. In 2016, the U.S. designated him as aterrorist, calling him amilitary leader who led Hezbollah’sspecial forces in Syria andYemen,and it offered up to $5 millionfor information about him.

Pope callsfor releaseofkidnapped students,teachers

Some pupils escapedafter Saturday attack

BY CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria— Fifty of the 303 schoolchildren abducted from aCatholic school in north-central Nigeria’sNiger state have escaped captivity and are now with theirfamilies, the school authoritysaid Sunday,asthe pope called for the immediate release of those still missing.

The schoolchildren, aged between 10 and 18, escaped individually between Friday and Saturday,accordingto theMostRev.Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairofthe Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and the proprietor of the school.

Atotal of 253 schoolchildren and 12 teachers are still being held by the kidnappers, Yohanna said in astatement.

“Wewere able toascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents,” he added.

Meanwhile, 38 worshipperskidnappedduring a deadly church attack in central Nigeria’s Kwarastate have regained their freedom, Kwara Gov.AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said in astatement.

Gunmen had attacked the Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara’sEruku town on Tuesday,killing two peopleand takingothers hostage. Nigeria’sPresident Bola Tinubu, in aseparatestatement,attributed the freedom of the worshippers to “the efforts of security agencies” without giving furtherdetails

Nigeria has been reeling from aspate of attacks in the past weeks, raising tension in the West African nation grappling with widespread insecurity

Five officers werealso killedinNigeria’snortheast region after gunmen am-

People stand Saturdaynear adisplayofnewspapers on the street of Lagos withheadlines on

schoolchildren and staff of the St.

and SecondarySchool in Papiri,

bushed atactical team responding to afarmer-herder conflict,police said on Sunday. Twoother policeofficers sufferedinjuries.

The ambush occurred on Saturday in Sabon Sara village located in theDarazo

area of Bauchi state,police spokesperson Ahmed Muhammed Wakilsaid in a statement.

The Nigerstate pupils and students wereseized together with their teachers by gunmen who attacked the

St. Mary’sSchool, aCatholic institution in Niger state’s remote Papiri community on Friday

No group has yetclaimed responsibility for the abductions and Nigerian authorities have not shared any update on rescue efforts. It was not immediately clear where the Niger state children were being heldorhow they managed to return home.

TheNiger stateschool is located near amajor road linking the towns of Yelwa and Mokwa, and is in aregion of Nigeria where armed gangs often operate out of vast forests that connect differentstates andconflict hot spots.

“As muchaswereceive the return of these 50 children that escaped with some sigh of relief, Iurge you all to continue in your prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims,” Yohanna said.

PopeLeo XIV calledfor the immediate release of

the schoolchildren and staff of theschool, saying at the end of amass in St.Peter’s square on Sunday that he was “deeply saddened” by the incident.

“I feel great sorrow,especially forthe manygirls and boys who have been abducted and for their anguished families,” the pontiff said. “I makeaheartfeltappeal forthe immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate andtimely decisionstoensure theirrelease.” School kidnappings have come to define insecurity in Africa’smost populous nation, and armed gangsoften see schools as “strategic” targets to drawmoreattention. At least1,500 students havebeenseized in Nigeria since the famous kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls more than adecade ago, and many of the children were released only after ransoms were paid.

Bolsonarosays‘hallucinations’led himtoviolate anklemonitoring

BRAZIL

BY GERALD IMRAY, MOGOMOTSI MAGOME and MICHELLE GUMEDE Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG The Group of 20 summit in South Africa ended Sunday with the glaring absence of the United States —the next country to lead the bloc —after the Trump administrationboycotted the two days of talks involving leaders of the world’srichest andtop developing economies.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared thesummit in Johannesburg closed by banging awooden gavel on ablock like ajudge would, in aG20 tradition. The gavel would normally be handed over to the leader of the next country to hold therotating presidency,but no U.S. official was there to receive it.

The world’sbiggest economy boycotted asummit meant to bring rich and developing nations together over President Donald Trump’sclaims that South Africa is violently persecuting its Afrikaner white minority The White House said it intended in alast-minute decision for an official from its embassy in SouthAfrica to attend the G20 handover But South Africa refused that, saying it was an insult for Ramaphosa to handover to ajunior embassy official. In the end, no U.S. delegation was accredited for the summit, accordingtothe South African Foreign Ministry.

South Africa said the handover would happen later,possibly at its foreign ministry.Trump has said the U.S. will hold next year’s summit at his golf club in Doral, Florida.

“This gavelofthis G20 summitformallycloses this summit and now moves on to thenext president of the G20, which is the United States, where we shall see each other again next year,” Ramaphosa saidasheclosed thesummit, making no reference to the U.S. absencein his speech.

The first G20 summit in Africa also broke with tradition on Saturday by issuing aleaders’ declaration on the opening day of thetalks, when declarations usually comeatthe end of the summit.

The declaration was significant in that it cameinthe face of oppositionfrom the U.S., which has for months beencritical of aSouth African agenda for the group thatlargely focused on climate change and global wealth inequality —focuses the Trump administrationderided. Argentina said it also opposed the declaration after ArgentinePresident Javier Milei— aTrump ally— also skippedthe summit.

OtherG20 nations, including China, Russia, France, Germany,the U.K.,Japan and Canada, backed the declaration,which called for more global attention on issues that specifically affect poor countries, such as the need for financial help for their recovery effortsafter climate-related disasters, finding ways to ease their debt levels and supporting their transition to climatefriendlygreenenergy sources.

“SouthAfricahas used this presidency to placethe priorities of Africaand the Global Southfirmly at the heart of theG20 agenda,” Ramaphosa said After his speech, Rama-

phosa was hugged and congratulatedbyother leaders for hosting asummit largely overshadowed by the U.S. boycott, and he was heard in ahot-mic moment that was not meanttobebroadcast saying: “It was not easy.”

SouthAfrica championed its G20 declaration as avictory for thesummitand for international cooperation in the face of theTrump administration’s“America First foreign policy. However, G20 declarations are general agreements by member countriesthat aren’tbinding, and their long-termimpact has been questioned.

Also, while the declaration includedmanyofSouth Africa’spriorities, some concrete proposals didn’tmake the document. There was no mention of anew international panelonwealth inequality, similar to theUnited Nations-appointed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which South Africa and othershad called for

The G20was formed in 1999 in response to theAsian financial crisis and is made up of 19 rich and developing economies, theEuropean Union and the African Union, but some have questioned its effectiveness in helping solve the most prominent global crises, like the RussiaUkraine war andtensionsin the Middle East

The122-pointJohannesburg declaration made just one reference to Ukraine in ageneral call for an end to global conflictsand the summitappeared to have made no difference to the nearly four-year war,even as leadersorhigh-level delegations from all the major European nations,the EU and Russia sat in the same room for the G20 gathering.

BY MAURICIO SAVARESE and LUCAS DUMPHREYS Associated Press

BRASILIA, Brazil On his first full day in jail, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told ajudge on Sunday he had violated his ankle monitoring theday before at his housearrest because of anervous breakdown and hallucinations caused by a change in his medication. Supreme Court JusticeAlexandredeMoraes ordered the 70-year-old leader’s preemptivejailing Saturday for he is considered aflight risk. Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 yearsinprison in September for attempting acoup to

remain in the presidency after his 2022 electoral defeat.

“(Bolsonaro) said he had ‘hallucinations’that there wassomewire tap in the ankle monitoring, so he tried to uncover it,” assistantjudge Luciana Sorrentino said,as reported in aSupremeCourt documentpublishedonSundayshortly after heronline meeting withthe former president.

Sorrentino addedthat Bolsonaro told her he “did not remember having abreakdown of this magnitude in another occasion,” and speculated it might have

been caused by achange in his medicationlast week. He once againdenied that he intended to escape.

The document also says Bolsonaro also told the judge he hadn’t been sleeping well and was feeling “a certain paranoia”that stimulated his curiosity into opening the ankle monitoring device.

“(Bolsonaro) said he was with his daughter,his elder brother and an aide at hishouse andnone of them saw what he was doing to the ankle monitoring,” the document says. “He said he startedtotouch it late at night and stopped around midnight.”

ChicagoDHS crackdownleaveslawsuits, probes,anxiety

Residentswrestle with aftermath of immigrationaction

BY SOPHIA TAREEN and CHRISTINEFERNANDO Associated Press

CHICAGO Chicago has entered what many consider anew uneasy phase of aTrumpadministration immigrationcrackdown that has already led to thousandsofarrests.

While aU.S. Border Patrolcommander known for leading intense and controversial surges moved on to North Carolina, federalagents are still arresting immigrants across the nation’sthird-largest city and suburbs.

Agrowing number of lawsuits stemming from the crackdownare winding through the courts. Authorities are investigating agents’ actions, including afatalshooting. Activists say they are not letting theirguarddownincasethings ramp up again, while many residents in theDemocratic stronghold where fewwelcomedthe crackdown remain anxious.

“I feel asense of paranoiaover when theymight be back,” said SantaniSilva, an employee at a vintage store in the predominantly Mexican neighborhood of Pilsen “People are still afraid.”

For more than two months, the Chicago area was the focus of an aggressive operation ledbyGregoryBovino,aBorder Patrol commander behind similar efforts in Los Angeles and soon Louisiana Armed and masked agents used

Andrea

backafter federal

unmarked SUVsand helicopters throughout the city of 2.7 million andits suburbs to target suspected criminals and immigration violators. Arrests often ledtointense standoffs with bystanders, from wealthyneighborhoods to workingclass suburbs. While theintensity has dieddown in the week sinceBovino left,reports of arrests still popup. Activists tracking immigration agents said they confirmed142 dailysightings at the height of the operation last month. The number is now roughly six aday

“It’snot over,” said Brandon Lee with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “I don’t think it will be over.”

Bearing the bruntofthe operation has been Broadview, aChicago

suburb of roughly 8,000 people that has housed aU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center for years

Protests outside the facility have grown increasinglytense as federal agentsused chemical agents that area neighborsfelt. Broadview police also launched three criminal investigations into federal agents’ tactics Community leaderstookthe unusualstep of declaring acivil emergency last week, after Bovino left thearea, and moving public meetings online.

Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson said thecommunity has faced bombthreats, death threats and violent protests becauseofthe crackdown.

“I will not allow threats of vio-

lence or intimidation to disrupt the essential functions of our government,” Thompsonsaid.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has touted more than 3,000 arrests, but the agency has provided details on only afew cases whereimmigrants without legal permissiontolive in the country alsohad acriminal history

TheTrump administrationtakes to social media to post photos of supposedviolent criminals apprehended in immigration operations, but thefederal government’sown data paints adifferent picture.

Of 614immigrants arrestedand detained in recent months around Chicago, only 16, less than 3%, had criminal records representing a “high public safety risk,”accordingtofederal government data submittedtothe court as part of a2022 consentdecreeabout ICEarrests Those records includeddomestic battery and drunken driving.

Ajudge in the cases said hundreds of immigrant detainees qualify to be released on bond, though an appeals court has paused their release. Attorneys say many more cases will follow as they get details from the governmentabout arrests.

“None of this has quite added up,” said Ed Yohnka with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which has been involved in several lawsuits. “What was this all about?

Whatdid this serve?Whatdid any of this do?”

The number of lawsuits triggered by thecrackdown is growing, including on agents’ use of force and conditions at the Broadview center In recentdays,clergymembers filed alawsuit againstthe Trump

administration, alleging they were being blocked from ministering inside afacility

Federal prosecutors have also repeatedly dropped charges against protesters andotherbystanders, including dismissing charges against awoman who was shot several times by aBorder Patrol agent last month.

Meanwhile, federal agents are also under investigation in connection withthe death of asuburban man fatally shot by ICEagents during atraffic stop. Mexico’s president has called for athorough investigation, while ICEhas said it did not use excessive force.

An autopsyreport,obtained recently by The Associated Press, showed Silverio VillegasGonzález diedofa gunshot wound firedat “close range” to hisneck. Thedeath wasdeclared ahomicide.

In October,the body of the 38-year-old father whospent two decades in theU.S.was buriedin the western Mexicostate of Michoacan.

Many of the once bustling business corridors in the Chicago area’s largely immigrant communities thathad quieteddown were seeing abuzz againwith some street vendors slowlyreturning to their usual posts.

Andrea Melendez,the owner of Pink Flores Bakery andCafe, said she has seen an increase in sales this week after struggling for months.

“As anew business, Iwas abit scared when we saw sales drop,” she said. “But this weekI’m feeling abit more hope that things mayget better.”

Changesatcybersecurity agency sparkmidterm worries

BY STEVE KARNOWSKI and JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS Sinceitwas created in 2018, the federal government’scybersecurity agency has helped warn state and local election officials about potential threats from foreign governments, showed officials how to protect polling places from attacks and gamed out how to respond to the unexpected, such as an Election Day bomb threat or sudden disinformation campaign

The agency was largely absent from that space for elections this month in several states, apotential preview for the 2026 midterms. Shifting priorities of the Trump administration, staffing reductions and budget cuts have many election officials concerned about how engagedthe Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will be next year, when control of Congress will be at stake in those elections. Some officials say they have begun scrambling to fill the anticipated gaps

“Wedonot have asense of whether we canrely on CISA for these services as we approach abig election yearin 2026,”saidMinnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat who until recently

led the bipartisan National Association of Secretaries of State

The association’sleaders senta letter to Homeland SecuritySecretary Kristi Noem in Februaryasking hertopreservethe cybersecurity agency’score election functions. Noem, whose departmentoversees the agency,repliedthe following month that it was reviewing its “funding,products, services, and positions” related to election security and that itsserviceswould remain availabletoelection officials.

Simonsaidsecretaries of state arestill waiting to hear about the agency’splans.

“I regret to say that months later, the letterremains very timely and relevant,”he said CISA, as theagency is known, wasformedunder thefirstTrump administration to helpsafeguard the nation’scritical infrastructure, from dams andpower plants to electionsystems. It has been undergoing amajor transformationsince President Donald Trump’ssecond term beganinJanuary.

Public records suggestthat roughly 1,000 CISA employees have lost theirjobs over thepast years. The Republican administration inMarch cut $10 million from two cybersecurity initiatives, includingone dedicatedto helpingstate andlocal elec-

tionofficials.

That was afew weeks after CISAannounced it was conducting areview of its election-related work,and more than adozen staffers whohaveworked on elections were placed on administrative leave. The FBIalso disbanded atask force on foreign influence operations, including those thattarget U.S. elections

CISA is still without an official director.Trump’snomination of Sean Plankey,a cybersecurity expert in the first Trumpadministration, has stalled in theSenate.

CISAofficials didnot answerquestions seekingspecifics about the agency’srole in the recently completed elections, itsplans for the 2026 election cycle or staffinglevels. They said the agency remains ready to help protect election infrastructure

“Under the leadership of PresidentTrump andSecretary Noem, CISA is laser-focused on securing America’s critical infrastructure and strengtheningcyber resilience across thegovernment andindustry,” said Marci McCarthy,CISA’s director of public affairs.

She saidCISA would announce itsfutureorganizational plans “at theappropriatetime.”

Christine Serrano Glass-

ner, CISA’s chief external affairs officer,said the agency’sexperts areready to provide election guidance if asked.

“Inthe eventofdisruptions or threats to critical infrastructure, whether Election Day-related or not, CISA swiftly coordinates withthe Office of Emergency Management andthe appropriatefederal, stateand local authorities,” she said in a statement.

California’stop election security agencies said CISAhas playeda “criticalrole” since 2018 but providedlittle, if any,help for the state’s Nov.4 special election, when voters approved aredrawn congressional redistricting map

“Overthe past year,CISA’s capacitytosupport elections has been significantly diminished,” the California secre-

tary of state’soffice said in a statementtoThe Associated Press. “The agency has experienced major reductions in staffing, funding, and missionfocus —including the elimination of personnel dedicated specifically to election security and foreign influence mitigation.”

“This shift has left election officials nationwide without the critical federalpartnership theyhaverelied on for several election cycles,” according to the office.

CISA alerted California officials in September that it wouldnolonger participate in ataskforce that brought together federal, state and local agencies to support county election offices. California election officials and the governor’sOffice of Emergency Services did whatthey could to fillthe gaps andplanfor

various security scenarios. In Orange County,California, the registrar of voters, BobPage, saidinanemail that the state offices and other county departments “steppedup” to support his office “to fill the void left by CISA’s absence.”

Neighboring Los Angeles County had adifferent experience. Theregistrar’s office, which oversees elections, said it continuesto get arange of cybersecurity services from CISA, includingthreat intelligence, network monitoring andsecurity testing of its equipment, although local jurisdictions nowhavetocover thecosts of someservices that had been federally funded. Some other states that held elections this month also said they did nothavecoordination with CISA. Mississippi’ssecretary of state,who headsthe national association that sent the letter to Noem,did not directly respond to arequest forcomment, but his office confirmed that CISA was not involved in the state’srecent elections. In Pennsylvania, which held anationally watched retention election forthree state Supreme Court justices, the Department of State said it is also reliedmore on itsown partnerstoensure the electionswere secure.

Christmastreeretailers find lots to like at Pennsylvania auction

BYMARK SCOLFORO Associated Press

MIFFLINBURG,Pa Christmas went on the auction block this week in Pennsylvania farm country, andthere was no shortage of bidders.

About 50,000 Christmas trees and enough wreaths, crafts andother seasonal items to fill an airplane hangarwerebought andsoldby lots and on consignment at the annualtwo-day event put on at the Buffalo Valley ProduceAuctioninMifflinburg.

Buyers from across the Northeastand mid-Atlantic were there to supply garden stores, corner lots and other retailoutlets forthe coming rush of customers eagerto bringhome atree—most commonly aFraser fir —or to deck the halls with miles of greenery Bundled-up buyers were out in chilly temperatures to hear auctioneers hawk boxesofornaments, bunches of winterberry,cotton branches, icicle lights, grave blankets,red bows andtree stands. It wasnearlyeverything youwould need for Christmas except thefood and the presents. Americans’ Christmas

treebuying habitshave been evolving for many years. Thesedayshomes areless likely than in yearspastto havea tree at all, andthose that do have trees aremore likely to opt for an artificial treeover the natural type, said MarshaGraywith the Howell, Michigan-based Real Christmas Tree Board, anational trade group of Christmas tree farmers.

“The quality’s good,and it’saplace that you can pick it out yourself,” he said.

Cory Stephens was back for asecond year at the auction after his customers raved aboutthe holidaydecor he purchased there last year for A.A. Co. Farm, Lawn &Garden, his store athreehour drive away in Pasadena, Maryland. He spent nearly $5,000 on Thursday “It’sincredible, it’schanged our whole world,” Stephens said. “Ifyou knowwhat you’re lookingfor,it’svery hard to beat the quality.” RyanMarshall spent about $8,000 on variousdecorations for resale at Ward’sBerry Farm in Sharon, Massachusetts. Among his purchases werethreeskids of wreaths at $29 per wreath —and he expected to double hismoney.

A spokesperson for Moreno’s transition team declined to share ahead of time how much the mayor-elect plans to propose spending for OPSO

“We don’t know exactly what will happen,” Woodfork said in a recent interview

“We’re waiting just like everybody else to see exactly how much our budget is going to be cut.”

A 30-year New Orleans Police Department officer and former interim superintendent, Woodfork upended outgoing Sheriff Susan Hutson’s bid for a second term in the October election. But she won’t have much of a honeymoon in office.

OPSO is still reeling from the escape of 10 detainees earlier this year which exposed widespread security vulnerabilities at the jail. Hutson has said all of the jail’s locks need replacing, a project she’s suggested would cost around $12 million.

since the escape. A spokesperson didn’t respond to a question about the jail’s locks last week. The jailbreak led to a monthslong search that spanned multiple states, and all 10 escapees have since been captured. Still, Woodfork maintains that her seven-month transition is off to a good start. She met with Hutson in-person shortly after the election, where both parties agreed to make the transition “smooth and seamless,” Woodfork said. Woodfork toured the jail in early November, too.

It’s unclear how far along that project is. OPSO said in August that two of the jail’s 24 pods received lock upgrades

DETENTIONS

Continued from page 1A

it shows how those efforts are sometimes crossing legal lines.

“Any insinuation that the Trump administration is detaining people illegally is another smear peddled by the media,” Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said in a statement.

McLaughlin argues the spike in habeas petitions is a natural result of increased detention and deportations.

“President Trump and Secretary Noem are now enforcing the law and arresting illegal aliens who have no right to be in our country and reversed Biden’s catch and release policy,” McLaughlin continued, referring to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “We are applying the law as written. If a judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period.”

Meanwhile, immigration attorneys said the Trump administration’s fierce deportation tactics, which include a push to send immigrants to third countries, and recent decisions from the Board of Immigration Appeals have set the stage for a surge in habeas petitions.

Louisiana has the second most ICE detainees behind Texas. ICE has nine holding facilities in the state, which advocates say house over 7,000 detainees. It also has a staging area by an airfield in Alexandria that has become a hub for deportation flights.

In records filed with the habeas petitions, Louisiana detainees expressed frustration with ICE for failing to provide answers about when they will be released

As co-chairs of her transition committee, Woodfork hired New Orleans lawyer Stephen Gelé, accountant Sean Bruno, former Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul and Ayame Dinkler, former chief administrative officer for LCMC Health. They will each draw on their experiences in finance, health care and the law to help prepare for OPSO’s top-line issues, Woodfork said. Among the challenges she will have to navigate: the looming budget cuts and managing the jail’s federal consent decree.

or deported, making their detention feel indefinite. In some cases, they begged to be sent to another country because they did not want to remain in ICE custody

“I gonna go crazy and die in here,” an Afghan contractor who worked with the U.S. military and fled the country after the Taliban retook power wrote in a September letter filed in court. “please Release me or deport me to Latin American countries instead of Afghanistan.”

As of Nov 20, the man, who said he was detained in May 2024 and ordered removed in late January, remained in custody in Louisiana, according to ICE’s detainee locator

A push for removals

ICE has detained four Sudanese men for months after they won court orders blocking their deportations because they were at risk of persecution, the men’s habeas petitions say Sudan is in the middle of a civil war, and images of genocide there have recently shocked the world

The men were detained in August 2024, according to their petitions, which show judges blocked their removal orders within the first few months of the Trump administration The government has not appealed those orders, according to the Executive Office of Immigration Review’s case database.

Their cases are an example of a pattern immigration advocates say is becoming more common under Trump: ICE is less frequently releasing people who are under final removal orders but cannot be deported to their home countries, often as the government tries to send them to third countries.

Though third country deportations occasionally occurred before Trump took

While a federal judge recently ended a 12-year consent decree for the New Orleans Police Department, the jail remains under federal oversight. And the jail’s compliance with that 2013 settlement, which mandates dozens of reforms, dipped under Hutson.

“We want to make sure we address each and every issue at the sheriff’s office,” Woodfork said.

Cuts coming

Woodfork said she plans to follow through on a campaign promise to conduct what she calls a “forensic audit” of OPSO’s operations.

Thatwillincludeananalysis of the department’s spending to “make sure we’re cutting the fat where we need to,” Woodfork said. She pledged integrity on the campaign trail after Hutson’s term was marked by allegations that the sheriff misspent public money

Woodfork said it’s too early to say if she’ll make any replacements atop OPSO’s administration, which Hutson reshaped through a number of notable hires. They included bringing on a new secondin-command, Chief of Corrections Jeworski “Jay” Mallett, and creating the position of

office, his administration is pursuing them far more aggressively

“ICE is detaining all these people that have won their cases, won protection to not be deported to a certain country, and then they’re like, ‘Let’s try to send them to a third country,’ ” said Jeremy Jong, an immigration attorney based in New Orleans. “Before, those people were, for the most part, released.”

The Sudanese men, like many other habeas petitioners, are using a 2001 Supreme Court case called Zadvydas v. Davis to challenge their confinement. Though it is not a hard and fast rule, that case set a precedent that ICE cannot hold an immigrant for more than six months after a final removal order without a significant likelihood that the immigrant will be deported in the foreseeable future.

In one court filing, the Trump administration argued that the possibility of third country removal allowed them to legally detain an immigrant for longer by increasing the likelihood of his deportation. Immigrants and lawyers are fighting that notion, sometimes describing cases where people have already been rejected by multiple countries.

The Sudanese men filed petitions more than six months after they received their final, deferred removal orders. ICE has attempted to send at least two of them to third countries, court filings show

“Sir, why I’m still here? If you want to deport me which country you try on it? And if release when?” one of the men asked ICE in September through a communications form.

“Your case is in HQ for 3rd country guidance and

compliance director, a move that was cheered by consent decree monitors.

“If we’re too top-heavy, we may have to cut some of those positions,” Woodfork said, adding that she plans to review “every job description” top-to-bottom within the 800-person agency

“If people are in positions they’re not qualified for, then they can’t hold those positions,” Woodfork said.

She said she will have to get creative with staffing because of budget cuts.

“We may have to make some cuts here and there, whether it be personnel, whether it be something else that we just don’t need,” she added.

Legal battles ahead

Woodfork faces upcoming legal battles as well.

Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office has an ongoing investigation into the May jailbreak, probing for potential criminal wrongdoing on the part of OPSO’s employees. So far, only OPSO maintenance worker Sterling Williams has been arrested, accused of helping the detainees escape behind a toilet by cutting off the water Williams denied those charges and pled not guilty

assistance,” an ICE officer wrote back “Please be patient your case/response is in progress.”

ICE has denied release requests for the men, deeming them “flight risks,” according to court records.

Like many detainees who filed petitions, the men are representing themselves.

Not all the challenges filed in Louisiana have held up in court, and many remain pending In at least two cases, judges have dismissed habeas petitions as premature. Other cases have been dismissed for procedural reasons.

As of Friday, the four Sudanese men, whose habeas cases are pending, remained detained in Louisiana, according to ICE’s detainee locator

New precedents

As DHS uses the threat of detention to pressure people into giving up on their immi gration cases, a re cent Board of Im migration Appeals decision has made it even harder for some detainees to be released on bond.

Murrill also wants to end a 12-year-old settlement that prevents jail officials from helping federal immigration authorities to hold some detainees in the parish lockup past their release dates. Murrill argues the jail’s policy conflicts with a 2024 state law banning “sanctuary policies for illegal immigration.”

A federal judge ruled earlier this month that Murrill has a right to intervene in the long-standing federal case that led to the 2013 settlement, separate from the jail’s other consent decree.

Woodfork said she’ll abide by whatever the court orders in that case.

“Whatever the law is, that is exactly what I’m going to follow,” Woodfork said. “There may be people who disagree with that, but at the core of law enforcement, when you take an oath, you are taking an oath to uphold local, state and federal laws, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Staffing looms large

With its yellow construction booms visible from the interstate, Phase III is the project that looms largest for Woodfork.

Unlike Hutson, who campaigned in 2021 on defeating the construction of the mental

adding that some federal judges have disagreed with the Hurtado decision.

The Hurtado ruling is part of a flurry of BIA rulings that have generally made it more difficult for immigrants to win their cases or be released on bond, López said, describing the board as being in “lockstep” with Trump’s deportation agenda.

“The Executive Office for Immigration Review is restoring integrity to the immigration adjudication system, and Board of Immigration Appeals decisions reflect straightforward interpretations of clear statutory language,” a spokesperson for the Executive Office for Immigration Review which oversees the BIA, said in a statement.

A long wait for asylum

In the Matter of Yajure Hurtado, the board ruled that immigration judges could not hear bond requests from people who had entered the country illegally but lived here for at least two years without being apprehended.

That decision upended how bond proceedings had been conducted for 40 years, denying bond hearings to a large group of people who were previously eligible, said Homero López, the managing attorney of Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy in New Orleans.

Now, those immigrants are asking for bond through habeas petitions, he said,

Azat Garaev, a physician and former police officer, arrived at a U.S. border checkpoint in California in April 2024 to apply for asylum during President Joe Biden’s administration. He left Russia after he defied mobilization orders to join the war against Ukraine and encouraged soldiers to resist fighting in a war he considered illegal, an immigration judge later wrote.

Garaev had to leave his wife and children behind because he felt that was safer for everyone, his sister said in a letter to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

Upon his arrival in the U.S., authorities immediately detained Garaev who was left to wait for his asylum case to unfold. Two months later, a judge granted him asylum, but the government twice appealed the decision, once under the Biden administration and once under Trump.

health facility and filed legal attempts to block it as sheriff, Woodfork has consistently voiced support for Phase III. “The need is definitely there, so it’s definitely going to be a priority,” Woodfork said.

Hutson said in February that OPSO’s already understaffed department would need to add at least 43 deputies in order for Phase III to open. Ideally for security, the number of hires would be closer to 80, Hutson said Hutson never received funding for those positions, however, as her department fended off what she described as a $9 million deficit in the wake of the escape and borrowed $15 million for repairs designed to harden the jail.

Without more money, Woodfork said she would develop a strategic deployment plan to minimally staff Phase III.

“It’s being strategic and being very creative and trying to make sure everyone on the team, and I mean from the top to the bottom, are up to the task and make sure they’re ready to do this,” Woodfork said. “We have to get very creative on how we staff that particular unit.” “It’s going to be a huge challenge,” she added

Once the second appeal was dismissed, Garaev was finally released — after having spent roughly a year and a half at River Correctional Center, an ICE facility in Ferriday

“What truly breaks you is the uncertainty — not knowing what’s ahead, or how long you’ll be trapped in it. That kind of waiting eats away at you,” he said through a family member who helped translate. “I found myself sinking deeper into depression, drifting between hopelessness and anger.”

His sister requested his release numerous times, to no avail, she said. Garaev himself requested parole at least twice and was denied both times, once because ICE deemed him a “flight risk,” an ICE official said in a statement filed in the federal district court as part of Garaev’s habeas case. In a court filing Garaev argued he was not a flight risk because he had strong community ties — his sister, an American citizen and longtime Massachusetts resident, was supporting him, he wrote. Garaev’s detention was likely legal because the government is allowed to hold asylum-seekers while their cases are pending, according to López, the immigration attorney But under Trump, it is becoming more common for the DHS to appeal decisions that allow immigrants to stay in the United States, he said Garaev was released on Oct. 15 and is living in Massachusetts where his sister, an American citizen, is based. ICE did not return his passport or foreign driver’s license, his sister said, and the family has struggled to get assistance from the agency

The move is a departure from a long-standing federal approach to homelessness, called “Housing First.” President Donald Trump’s HUD argues that the Housing First program has incentivized “never-ending government dependency.”

“Our philosophy for addressing the homelessness crisis will now define success, not by dollars spent or housing units filled, but by how many people achieve long-term self-sufficiency and recovery,” said HUD Secretary Scott Turner in a statement this month.

The Louisiana Housing Corp., which manages 42% of the state’s share of the funds, didn’t return a request for comment this week. But housing advocates and officials in the New Orleans area said the change could force at least 2,630 more people back onto the streets in New Orleans and Jefferson parishes, hurting them, the city’s business climate and the lived experience of other residents and visitors.

“It would be terrible for the quality of life of every person in our community,” said Martha Kegel, the head of UNITY of Greater New Orleans, an umbrella services organization that manages the funding award for New Orleans and Jefferson parishes.

Directors of local shelters, who could receive some of the cash that had been going to landlords under the new rules, say that while shelters would benefit from more money, their success will be limited if residents can’t move out into subsidized housing.

The reduction in permanent housing options could create “bottlenecks” and “strain our operations,” said Rheneisha Robertson, director of youth shelter Covenant House New Orleans.

Permanent housing

Some 5,600 Louisiana formerly homeless residents live in housing subsidized by HUD, and about 3,400 of them live in apartments in Orleans and Jefferson parishes. The New Orleans area received $38.7 million through the program last year Last year the state spent roughly 80% of the HUD award on people’s rent payments, subsidies called “permanent supportive housing” that have no expiration date. That sort of housing is designed for people with disabilities who have experienced long-term or repeated episodes of homelessness. But under the new guidance, state and local leaders may only spend a third of the feds’ cash on that sort of housing. They must spend the rest on temporary or transitional housing, such as shelters, and on programs that provide substance use treatment and mental health services.

The new rules also decrease the portion of funds that states receive auto-

matically from 90% to 30%, meaning that parishes that don’t meet HUD’s requirements could see up to 70% of their total requested funds go to other places.

Studies have repeatedly shown that permanent supportive housing, which also allows residents to access mental health treatment, is the most effective solution for chronic homelessness. People in transitional housing, meanwhile, typically get into stable long-term housing more slowly, and are less likely to remain housed.

In 2024, New Orleans-area homeless services providers spent $21.6 million of their cash on permanent housing, and about $13 million on programs that subsidize rent temporarily, for up to one year

This year city officials and homeless services organizations expect to have to tell landlords that they can no longer cover rent payments for over 2,600 tenants

For Fields’ office, the federal cuts could come on top of cuts recommended by city officials as New Orleans battles its own financial problems, including a $160 million deficit this year and the need to repay a $125 million emergency loan by June 30, 2026. Though Mayor-elect Helena Moreno has yet to finalize her 2026 budget, Cantrell’s proposed bud-

get for next year called for slashing Fields’ budget from $3.6 million to $700,000. The City Council, which must approve a budget by Dec. 1, will take its cues from Moreno, who didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The board that governs the French Quarter and manages a sales tax that in part funds services that aid the homeless, also recently declined to renew rental subsidies in its budget, instead electing to fund behavioral health outreach workers, a handful of beds at the city’s low barrier shelter, and a housing case manager

Local officials react

A Cantrell spokesperson said the administration “is working with local and state partners to determine a path forward to continue providing services for our most vulnerable residents.”

“You’re going to see people starting to come back into homelessness at a rapid pace,” added Nathaniel Fields, the director of Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s Office of Homeless Services.

“You’re going to see mothers and children sleeping in cars. You’ll see people try to set up again under bridges.”

Fields said he separately anticipates a monthslong gap between when the current housing funding runs out and when the new, reduced pool of funds arrive,

since HUD issued its rules months later than normal this year Current funding is expected to begin expiring in January, he said. That means even people who may continue to be housed under the program could lose their housing for a time.

Council member Lesli Harris, who has helped lead the city’s housing effort, said in a statement last week that “permanent supportive housing is one of the most effective tools we have to keep people housed, reduce reliance on emergency services, and support long-term stability.”

U.S. Rep Troy Carter, DNew Orleans, also blasted the change in a recent statement, saying that the Trump administration is “putting thousands of vulnerable Americans at risk — including New Orleans residents who could lose their homes and supportive services that have helped

families get on their feet.”

‘I really do need it’

The federal government’s shift could mean more money available in New Orleans for shelter services. Many of the city’s shelters are consistently running at capacity, with 970 people sleeping in shelters on a given night.

Ed Carlson, whose agency runs the city’s Low Barrier Shelter, said that while he would welcome additional funding, the lack of existing mental health and drug treatment programs that HUD is now prioritizing would make it difficult to quickly redirect funds toward those efforts.

“If you want to do that, that’s fine, but there should be a plan of how you transition,” said Carlson.

The change could potentially mean more financial support for the city and the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority’s planned transitional homeless shel-

ter in the Tulane and Gravier area. That $8 million facility is about three years from completion and would serve between 44 and 63 people, under current plans. Residents would have private living spaces and access to social workers, job and education referrals and mental health treatment.

And it’s not as though the city’s existing effort to house residents and clear downtown homeless encampments has escaped criticism. Officials conceived the transitional shelter after acknowledging they were failing to provide proper case management and treatment services, and they in turn were causing people who had been housed to fall back into homelessness.

Local and state officials have blasted UNITY in particular for the slow pace in housing residents.

State Rep. Alonzo Knox, D-New Orleans, said that the new HUD rules “may cause more harm than help.” But he also said the city’s existing work has failed to require “participation in treatment, case management or job search.”

Elected officials’ opinions aside, at least one man who has benefited from the subsidies in the past year said he’s worried about how policy changes will affect him. Elijah Baker, who experiences mental and physical health problems, moved into his apartment in Algiers in 2024 after living on the street for three years.

“I’m just getting my medication back in and my appointments back in. And I feel good knowing that I do have a place to come at least try to get some rest, try to get my feet back on the ground,” said Baker If the subsidy was cut, he would be devastated, he said.

“I really do need it at this time in my life,” said Baker “I’d be at a loss for words and a loss for what to do.”

Email Sophie Kasakove at sophie.kasakove@ theadvocate.com.

NOLA.COM | Monday, noveMber 24, 2025 1bn

Landmark to be affordable housing

Former IBM building renovation expected to be done by summer

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Construction is underway on a project to transform a long-vacant midcentury modern landmark on Canal Street in Mid-City into affordable housing for seniors.

The $18 million Canal Crossing project will create 49 incomerestricted apartments for residents age 55 and older inside the

Report: N.O. least prepared for climate threats

Group’s metric takes economy, exposure into account

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

New Orleans might be the city least prepared for future climate and environmental changes — not just in the U.S., but globally

That’s according to a new report from First Street, a group that researches risks associated with climate change, which compared economic resilience measures with climate-related threats in 426 cities across the globe. Of those cities, New Orleans ranked last, thanks to a dwindling population, the high costs of insurance, and risks from floods, heat and hurricanes. First Street aims to help businesses and policymakers make decisions that factor in future climate risks.

“How do we understand the physical impacts of climate change to make these resilience decisions, adaptation decisions, and ultimately investment decisions?” said First Street CEO Matthew Eby “That’s really our goal here.”

Researchers looked at what First Street terms the “resilience spread” in cities around the world measured as the difference between an area’s economic productivity and its exposure to climate change-driven threats. The better the local economy, measured alongside metrics like population trends and the quality of its housing stock, the better a city is expected to be able to fare in the face of worsening environmental threats.

By that metric, a city like Johannesburg, South Africa, is expected to fare well in a future shaped by climate change, thanks to what researchers identified as a large and growing working-age population, strong consumer spending, and a diversified economy that spans services, industry and mining. While the city is expected to face moderate risks of flooding, wildfire and drought, its strong economic outlook increases the likelihood it will be able to handle future climate adversity The outlook for New Orleans is not so good. Though the city has a strategic port, located at the mouth of the Mississippi River, and has a cultural economy that is singular in the Gulf South, the researchers note that it faces already-extreme risks associated with flooding and hurricanes, which are forecast to intensify as the climate heats. The city’s population is declining, while insurance grows increasingly unaffordable as insurers weigh abandoning the market.

Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc.,

70-year-old building at 2640 Canal St., which was built for IBM and later housed local offices of the American Red Cross.

Groundbreaking took place in September and demolition of the building’s interior is underway.

The project is expected to be completed by next summer

Ryan Bates, CEO of New Orleans-based Bates Development, is behind the project, in partnership

with Georgia-based IDP Properties. It is being financed, in part, through a combination of historic and low-income housing tax credits, a loan from the city and taxexempt bonds, Bates said.

tively reused for high-end

miniums, apartments, commercial, hotel,” Bates said. “So I took

different lens on it and said, ‘Why not have these exact same nicequality, all-in-one

Bates, who is also a vice president for IDP Properties, said the property’s location along a streetcar line with several nearby grocery stores and medical centers makes it a prime location for seniors. He plans to create a complex that is akin to the kind of marketrate redevelopment that’s often the beneficiary of historic building tax credits. “A lot of properties were

WALK THAT WALK

Walkers donning creative and homemade hats strolled along the sidewalk in Uptown in celebration of St. Catherine’s Day, created in the 10th century to commemorate Catherine of Alexandria, an early Catholic martyr and the patron saint of unmarried women. St. Catherine’s Hat Parade at MacDonough Zachery Park is held the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

See more on 2B

STREET STyLE

LEFT: Participants in the St. Catherine’s Hat Parade take a group selfie with their hats during a wine break.

BELOW: Participants in the St. Catherine’s Hat Parade lead the way down the street on the way back to MacDonough Zachery Park

Church Point cowboy heads to National Finals Rodeo

BY JA’KORI MADISON

Staff writer

Waylon Bourgeois is headed toward a dream he has carried since childhood: 10 nights in Las Vegas under the brightest lights in rodeo history at the National Finals Rodeo.

Growing up in Church Point, surrounded by horses, cattle and a family that lived by the saying “Live your life to the fullest,” Bourgeois learned early what it meant to ride hard, live fast and chase his dreams with everything he had.

Guided by the do-whatyou-love principle, he never felt pressured to follow a single path, he said. His childhood memories are a mix of racing dirt bikes, playing football and baseball, and, of course, rodeo. Rodeo wasn’t just an interest but a part of his family’s tradition. His father and uncles rode bareback through high school and college, with some even competing professionally.

“Riding with Rocker and Cole really helped enhance what I already had in me,” he said. “I was physically strong, but I had to get there mentally Those guys helped me get there.” By 2024, Bourgeois had earned more than $100,000 in ProRodeo competition, a total that would have secured an NFR qualification in many past seasons. But he finished 18th, just three spots shy of the cutoff. Determined not to miss another chance, he worked harder and committed fully mentally, physically and spiritually

“I was always on a horse, doing something I love,” he said. “I love the cowboy perspective. I liked being around horses and cattle. I always knew I wanted to rodeo.”

the economic development agency for southeast Louisiana and a member of Mayor-elect Helena Moreno’s transition team, questioned First Street’s methodology and stressed New Orleans’ preparedness.

“There is no question that New Orleans needs to keep diversifying its economy and investing in flood protection,” he said. “Are they including the $15 billion we have invested in effective surge protection since Katrina? Many cities on the list, like Miami, are now more vulnerable than New Orleans.”

‘Capacity for resilience’

Amsterdam, the report finds, faces similar climate change risks. But First Street found that Amsterdam has a more robust economy and a long history of managing flood risk, which helps offset its level of climate change-driven flood risk.

New Orleans, meanwhile, depends on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the federal government to adapt to its risks.

“Amsterdam’s climate risk is almost fully mediated by its market capacity for resilience,” said Jeremy Porter, First Street’s head of climate implications. “New Orleans still has a huge spread associated with its climate risk and market impact.”

Globally, the report finds that climate risk is projected to wipe out more than $2.5 trillion in global productivity, or about 2% of today’s gross domestic product. Many of the cities that appear resilient to climate change today may look more like New Orleans does now, as climate change intensifies over the course of the 21st century First Street relied on proprietary data that the organization sells to private companies to help inform investment and policy decisions. That data has previously shown nearly twice as many properties at risk of flooding as indicated by Federal Emergency Management Agency maps, which research has found often underestimate flood risk.

But some homeowners say the data about their properties is inaccurate, and the American Flood Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based bipartisan organization on flood policy, cautioned that it should not be used for quantifying risk, regulatory decisionmaking, or as a replacement for FEMA flood maps

“We did it all,” Bourgeois said. “My dad gave us the opportunity to try whatever we wanted.” His two older brothers eventually focused on baseball and football, leaving the bareback riding lane wide open for Waylon, which he says he stepped into without hesitation.

LANDMARK

Continued from page 1B

marks the developer’s second adaptive reuse of a local landmark office building for affordable housing. In 2022, Bates Development and IDP turned the eightstory former New Orleans Federal Savings and Loan Building on Chef Menteur Highway into the Chef Tower Apartments. The project comes as another developer, David Fuselier, is planning a $50 million health and wellness complex on a long-blighted, nearby block of Canal Street, signaling renewed interest in the area.

From IBM to Red Cross

Th e four -stor y, 40,000-square-foot structure was built in 1956 for IBM, which had offices, a training center and a showroom on the bottom two

floors and leased out offices

His first real taste of bareback riding came during his sophomore year of high school at a practice rodeo in Mississippi. He slipped away to ride a few horses under the watch of his uncle and came home more hooked than ever, even though he returned with a broken wrist. It was also

upstairs. It was designed by the prolific local architectural firm Dreyfous, Sieferth & Gilbert, which was also responsible for the Louisiana State Capitol, the Jung Hotel, Charity Hospital and much of LSU’s Baton Rouge campus. After IBM vacated the property, it was purchased by Strachen Shipping Company which sold it to the American Red Cross in 2000 for $1 2 million. It was declared a local historic landmark in 2010. It has been vacant since 2020, when the Red Cross moved out. Bates and IDP purchased the property in early 2024 for $3 million, according to city records.

Architectural challenges

Bryce Risher project manager for the architect DNA Warehouse, said converting old buildings from commercial to residential uses poses an array of potential challenges. Chief

the moment he realized just how hard on the body bareback riding could be. Even the injury didn’t slow him down. “Once I got cleared, I went to my first high school rodeo,” Bourgeois said. “That was it. The rest is history.”

His determination earned him a rodeo scholarship to McNeese State University, where his talents and pas-

among them is plumbing.

Office bathrooms are usually all in one place; apartments need them in every unit.

Also, environmental remediation is often needed. In the case of the Canal Street building, that meant dealing with asbestos. Risher said to really understand what’s required to design such a conversion, the interior of a building first needs to be demolished, but that wasn’t possible in this case.

“So we kind of had to almost fly blind on a lot of stuff,” Risher said. “You do your best to go in and observe what you observe, and make some general assumptions as to the structure of the building.“

They have also had to deal with the aftermath of multiple renovations, which brought its own set of surprises.

“One of the floors had a double ceiling,” Risher said. “Instead of tearing down the old ceiling, they just put

sion continued to grow His professional career officially began in 2022, but a major turning point came when he started traveling with two of the sport’s top bareback riders: Rocker Steiner and Cole Franks in a docuseries known as “Hell on Wheels,” which followed the trio’s life on the road. The experience was eye-opening, according to Bourgeois.

a new one.”

Bates said coordinating with state and federal authorities on renovations of historic properties can be complicated, but agency officials are generally more understanding when they know it’s an affordable project.

“We have to explain to them why we can and cannot do certain things that they may want to see done, and I think once they know it could come at the cost of losing units, they actually try to get creative and help us out,” he said.

Change coming to Canal

Five blocks down Canal and across the street from Canal Crossing, Fuselier has assembled several properties and is planning to convert them into a facility that blends sports, medical and wellness services.

The local developer, who is also behind the forthcoming Trader Joe’s at Freret and Napoleon and the recently

The effort paid off. By the end of the 2025 season, Bourgeois secured 12th in the PRCA world standings, officially punching his ticket to his first National Finals Rodeo. As he prepares for the NFR, set for Dec. 4-13 in Las Vegas, Bourgeois said the feeling is equal parts excitement and purpose.

“Now I know that I’m ready and I belong,” he said. “I’ve got one thing on my mind: Go over there and win.”

Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.

completed Josephine on Napoleon venue, plans to call the complex “The Health Collective Wellness and Fitness Center.”

It will be centered on 2025 Canal St., the site of a former hotel and city office building highlighted by city officials in the “Dirty Dozen” list of most notable blighted properties. Most of the demolition and prep work has already been completed, according to Fuselier, who recently described it as a “catalytic investment.”

Located directly across the street from the VA Hospital and University Medical Center, it’s within the BioDistrict, the state-authorized economic development zone aimed at boosting science, medical and health-related private investment surrounding existing universities and hospitals on Tulane Avenue and Canal Street.

Email Jonah Meadows at Jonah.Meadows@ theadvocate.com.

“Yes, New Orleans is at risk,” said Joel Scata a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council who focuses on flood policy “But I don’t necessarily agree that it’s at risk more than New York or Miami, which both face hurricane and flood risks.” Still, the report underscores the importance of increasing investments in measures like flood protection, which will help local communities adapt to climate change, Scata said.

“Absent action, communities in these high-risk zones are going to continue to experience economic and social upheaval, regardless of the metrics that you use,” he said. “We’re not going to see climate change disappear We’re only going to be able to limit its impact. Adaptation is an absolute must at this point.”

Email Alex Lubben at alex.lubben@theadvocate. com.

Boquet, Virginia Correa, Pelayo EJefferson Garden of Memories

Boquet, Virginia

Obituaries

Boquet,Virginia Malbrough

Virginia MalbroughBo‐quetpassedawayonNo‐vember19atthe ageof91, surrounded by herfamily. She wasbornonMay 27, 1934 to Duietand Lillian Malbrough.She waspre‐ceded in deathbyJerry her husband of almost 60 years,her sonGlenn Bo‐quet, hersiblingsDuiet Jr., Gail, Brenda andLinda,and her parents. Sheissur‐vived by herthree daugh‐tersMelanie (Richard) Pace, Laurie (Lad)Dory and Tina (Pete) Fischerand her daughter-in-lawKaren Boquet. Virginia worked in her father’s sweet shop where shemet hersweet‐heart andloveofher life, Jerry,whomshe marriedin 1951. Sheattended St JosephAcademy High Schooland furtheredher education at Tulane Uni‐versity,LoyolaUniversity and OurLadyofHolyCross College.She worked as a teacher which allowedher tospend afternoonsand summers with herown fourchildren. Shetaughtat Immaculate HeartofMary, Resurrectionofour Lord and St.James Major. After her children were grown, she starteda newsuccess‐ful career as arealestate brokerand earned the GraduateRealtor Institute designation andbecame the office manageratMer‐rillLynch.Her artistic tal‐entsincludedsinging,writ‐ing andpaintingbeautiful porcelaindolls.She loved

fishingand boatingwhich she enjoyedwithJerry and her family formanyyears ather camp on Lake Catherine andcontinued to enjoy whenshe movedto Venetianisles.Her other passion wasgardening and she wasa very active memberofthe Venetian Isles Garden club.She was anexpertatgrowing or‐chids andwould oftenre‐viveorchids of herfriends Virginiagreatly enjoyed cookingand entertaining bothfamilyand friends. She hosted countless Thanksgivingdinners where shewas in charge of cookingthe turkey and manyofthe sides. Shewas known forhosting themed dinnerparties served on elaborately decoratedta‐blesand creative place settings. Shealsoloved decoratingfor everyholi‐day andhad a flairfor fashion.The twomostim‐portant things to Virginia werefamilyand friends. She oftensaid“My family ismylife!”She was blessedwith7 grandchil‐drenand willbesadly missedbyJacqueline, Nathan, Paul,Danielle, Ryan, Nicoleand Michelle She wasthenblessed even further with 12 greatgrandchildren:Dominic Sofia, Katherine, Caleb, Judah,LG, Fiona, Miles, Owen, Lillian, Allysa and Collin. Virginia wascalled Ginny andthenMaMa Ginny andtheneventually GigiorG by hergrandchil‐drenand great-grandchil‐dren. Shehad many friends inVenetianIsles andthey helpedher in so many ways. They provided meals,assistanceafter storms, transportation as needed andwonderful friendships.She consid‐eredher Venetian Isles friends “Angels on the Bayou”. Herfamilywishes tothank theseangelsfor their loving supportand for allowing hertobeable toliveinher home until the age of 91. Shehad many niecesand nephewswho wereveryspecial to her and helped care forher, especially theBoos family - Cherie,Kenny,Brett,Tri‐cia,Lorna andTammy.As Virginia’sheart weakened, her spirit of determination remained strong to the veryend!She will be re‐memberedfor herpassion for life,her joyinentertain‐ing andher strong bonds withher familyand friends.Servicesfor Vir‐ginia will be held on Tues‐day,November25, at the GardenofMemoriesFu‐neral Home at 4900 Airline Dr.,Metairie, LA 70001. Visi‐tation will beginat11:30

a.m. andwillbefollowed bymassat1:30. Interment willfollowinthe Garden of MemoriesCemetery. Feel freetowearbrightcolors tocelebrate!Tosend flow‐ers to thefamily, offeron‐linecondolences or planta treeinmemoryofVirginia, pleasevisit,www.gardeno fmemoriesmetairie.com

Correa,Pelayo Jesus

Pelayo Jesus Correa, age 98, of Brentwood, Tennessee,passed away peacefully on November 20, 2025, surrounded by his loving family

He was born in Sonson, Colombia,tothe late Elias Correa and Sara Velez. Dr. Pelayo Correa has had alongand illustrious researchcareer in the pathology, epidemiology and preventionofcancer

Dr. Correa graduated with an M.D.degree in 1949 fromthe Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia, and specialized as apathologist at the University of Emory in Atlanta. He helped found theUniversidad delValle School of Medicine (UVSM), in Cali, Colombia, and established the Pathology Department in that institution. Dr. Correa was aVisiting Scientistatthe US National CancerInstitutefrom19701973 and joinedthe faculty of Louisiana State University (LSU) Medical Center in 1974, where he was Professor of Pathology through 2005. In 1996 he was honored as a BoydProfessor,the highest academic rank in the LSUsystem. In 2005, as a result of theimpact of hurricane Katrina, Dr. Correa retired fromLSU and joinedVanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Divisionof Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Dr. Correa retired from VUMC in 2015. Dr. Correa had along

and successfulprofession-

al career, publishing over 600 articles,receiving many awardsand recognitions. In 1962, he establishedthe CancerRegistry in Cali, Colombia, thefirst and longest running population-based cancerregistry in LatinAmerica. He wasa coauthorofthe "TextodePatologia",the first LatinAmerican pathology textbook. In 1974, he was aleader in thedevelopment of the Surveillance,Epidemiology and End Results(SEER) Louisiana TumorRegistry in NewOrleans, Louisiana. Thesecancer registries continue to exist and have contributed significantly to theunderstanding of cancer epidemiology in Louisiana, Latin America and theworld. In recognition of allhis work, theUniversidad del Valle School of Medicine awardedhim thetitleof Doctor Honoris CausaEn Salud, thehighest honor awarded by UVSM. In 1992, he was therecipient of the First American Cancer Society Award on Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. He served on theNational Cancer Institute(NCI) Board of Scientific Counselorsfrom 1982-1992. He received a presidentialappointment to theNationalCancer Advisory Board(NCAB), servingfrom 1992-1998 where he contributed to strategic decisions guiding national cancer research. In 1992, he also served on theSpecial Panel on Breast Cancerofthe President's CancerPanel.In1994, he was inducted as aFellow of the American Associationfor the Advancement of Science. In 2012 he was presented theAACR Minorities in CancerResearch Jane CookeWright Lectureship Award, and in 2013 the American Gastroenterological AssociationDistinguished Achievement Award. Anothersalient award worth noting was his recent (2025) induction as a Fellowintothe American Associationfor Cancer Research (AACR)inrecognition of his illustrious workdefining thehistological stages of gastriccarcinogenesis through the "Correa Cascade". This work established thelink betweenHelicobacter pylori infectionand gastric cancer, which fundamentallyadvanced theunderstanding of thepathology, epidemiology, and preven-

tion of this disease

He will be remembered notonlyfor hisglobal reputation in cancer research, butalso forhis humble generousand deep commitment to mentoring and encouraging excellencein all hisstudents andcolleagues, in themanylives he touched andcareers he helped shape. In addition to hispassion for hisservice to themedical Community, he had an even greater passion for hisfamilywho brought himmuchjoy andlove.

In addition to his parents, Pelayo waspreceded in death by hiswife Rosario Correa;son, Gonzalo Correa;and nine brothers andsisters.

Those left to cherish Pelayo's memory are his sons, Miguel Correa and Hernan Correa (Desiree); daughter, Ana Fick(John); daughterinlaw,Lisa Correa;grandchildren Lyndon,Jason, Zachary, Jessica, Isabella, Victoria, Samantha, andChristina; and twogreat grandchildren,Lincoln andColton

TheFuneral Mass will be held on Friday, November 28, 2025, at 11am, at Holy FamilyCatholic Church.A visitation withfamilywill begin onehourprior to the

Witnessing ICE raid firsthand raises concern

My family immigrated to this countryfrom Eastern Europe to escape persecution and enjoy abetter life in aland they had never seen. Their journeywas not easy,but they worked incredibly hard peddling goods until they could own their ownstores. It’s unbelievable to think of what my great-grandparentswentthrough so my family could have afuture in this country

Many are still dreamingofcoming to America to workhard and create abetter life for their families. Meanwhile, the news around immigration enforcement in this country is sad, overwhelming and easy to tune out. Iadmit that some days Ishut out the news, stay in my bubble and focus on my life. However,that bubble burst afterIwitnessedpeople being kidnapped in broad daylight. While Iwas in the parkinglot at Lowe’sinMetairie, my friend and Isaw men aggressively shoving people to the ground, andwerealized we were witnessing an ICE raid. These supposedgovernment officials wore masks and shoved their victims into unmarked cars with Mississippi plates. Irepeatedly asked the masked men what agency they were with. They responded that they did nothave to tell me, while pulling their masks up higher

The New Orleans community cannot be OK with this. We must demand due process. Regardless of political leanings, we sharean obligation to stop people from beingsnatched off the street. History tells us that without resistance, this doesn’tend here If we say nothing and do nothing, this could soon verywellhappen to you or me. Now is the time to ask yourself what you can do to make sure your actions match your values.

ANNA HERMAN Metairie

Religiousspeech must be protected

If ateacher were to display a poster in aclassroom that says, “Thou shaltnot steal,”theywould feel thefull weight of thestate come down upon them.

If, however,they wereinstead to displayaposterthatsaid, “Don’tsteal,” no problem

The difference is the very definition of freedom.

WILLIAM M. FAULKNER Slidell

Rousse andDaltonthe rightchoices to leadLSU

Earlier this month,the LSUBoard of Supervisors made themonumental decision to hire Wade Rousseaspresident of the LSU Systemand James Dalton as executive vice presidentand chancellor of the campus in Baton Rouge. Iamconfident that these men, whoare both highly qualified and bring unique talents and skill sets to these roles, will lead Louisiana’sflagship universityto unparalleled heights.

As athree-time graduateofLSU who grew up aroundthe campus and knows what it truly means to bleed purple and gold, Iunderstand the anxietyand uncertaintythatmany of my fellow alumni and Tiger fans have felt over thepast few weeks as our institution hasseen tremendous changes

Forweeks, Ihave said that we need to let the selection process play out. LSU has been an unstoppable force for decades, and just as alargeship can endure stormy seas, our

flagship can endure through turbulent times. Now,wehave new captains at the helm, ready toguide us to places we never thought imaginable. Iwant to encourage every alumnus, student and fan toget involved with the great thingshappening at LSU and be apart of building abrighter future forthe university.

Itruly believe that with the selection of President Rousse and Executive Vice President Dalton, we have two leaders who deeply understand LSU’smission to serve thepeople of Louisiana, possess the vision to achieve long-term success and the drive to push our proud institution to winateverythingwedo.

Iamthrilled to see all that our university accomplishes —and as always, Geaux Tigers!

DIXON WALLACE MCMAKIN state representative, District68

Connecting ruralhospitals to networks should be apriority

Loyola hasno reason to shun Turning PointUSA chapter

Just as Iwas about to forgive my alma mater,Loyola University,for inviting the president of Planned Parenthood to give the address at the law school commencement a fewyears ago and presenting former Sen. Mary Landrieu an honor after she voted with Democrats on an abortion bill by sending them a donation, Iread the Oct. 29 article regarding the denial of official status of aTurning Point USAchapter at Loyola.

The newspaper reported “Loyola’sstudent government association denied astudent request to charter acampus chapter of Turning Point USA, citing alack of alignment between the Jesuit university’svalues and someof TPUSA’s positions.”

Ifind that statement without merit. Exactly what positions did the SGAhave in mind? Could they be that “God created man in his image, maleand female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) or “Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes agrave offense.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2272) and “Since it must be treated from conception as aperson, the embryo must be defended...” (ibid, 2274)? Iwould like to know what evidence there is that Charlie Kirk madeanyone uncomfortable because of his or her race.

Charlie Kirk’sTPUSA wants young people to dialogue on issues of the day.Universities should allow students to hear different sides of issues. Kirk promoted Christianity,following Jesus Christ. He encouraged young people to get married and have children. He challenged students to get involved in the issues of the day.Patriotism is avirtue he promoted. He advocated capitalism, love of our Constitution and treasuring our form of government.

Loyola University,dothe right thing, give TPUSA official status. PATRICIA ARNOLD Slidell

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

As 33 Louisianarural hospitals teeter on the brinkofclosure, patientstraveling hours for specialized care face an invisible barrier: arrivingasmedical ghosts. When rural Louisianans seek emergency cardiac care in New Orleans or cancer treatment in Baton Rouge, their complete medical histories —diagnoses, medications, dangerous drug allergies andprior treatments —sit locked in disconnectedcomputer systemsmiles away Louisiana faces the second-highest per capita rate of at-risk ruralhospitals in America. But the connectivitycrisis is even worse than theclosure crisis: Only 7ofthese 33 hospitals participate in Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs), meaning79% will have patient records trapped in disconnectedsystemswhen they close. Nearly 60% of rural hospitals nationwide cannot electronically exchange health information with outsideproviders, compared to just 15% of urban facilities.

When arural patient from Coushatta or Mamou arrives at aBaton Rouge emergency room, doctors often start from scratch, reordering expensive imaging, risking dangerous drug interactions and delaying time-

In his commentary “Anchor’s ouster speaks volumes,” columnist Will Sutton attributesMichelle Miller’sdeparture to “White conservative, Republican values having a grave impact on news media.”

However,available datasuggestsa differentexplanation. Pew Research’s2024–2025 review found that only 63% of Americans say they get their news from television even

sensitive treatments. Medical errors from incomplete patient information cause an estimated 80,000 deaths annually,with rural patientsdisproportionately affected. The solution exists. QHINs already connect thousands of health care providers nationwide, withquery volume growing 21% monthly to reach 66 million queries by March 2025.

Implementation costs run $50,000-$150,000 per facility. Through theRural Health Transformation Program,Louisianawill receive at least $500 million over five years. Connecting all 33 vulnerable hospitals would cost just $1.65 million to$4.95 million —less than 1% of available funding. New Mexico achieved 89% information exchange rates within 18 months by tyingfunding to QHIN participation.

Louisiana’srural healthequity requires morethan keeping facilities open —itdemands digital infrastructurethat works equally well for all communities.

AMY DOMANGUE

Metairie master’sinpublic health degree candidate from Harvard

occasionally,and an even smaller share regularly watch morning shows —39% of whom are age 65 or older.Overall, network news audiences have been steadily declining, suggesting that such departures are likely driven by economic factors rather than political influence.

MARTHA SMITH Mandeville

We need abetter remedy when Congress refusestowork

Kudos to Christine Dill Forrest forher letter,“Trust in government eroding —for good reason.” But she leftout akey problem of our current situation. While Congress refused to do its job, our congressmen werebeing paid. While social service budgets were going unfunded, Congress was collecting its salaries. While air travel safety was being jeopardized and our soldiers were going unpaid, Congress was getting paid to sit on its hands. Congress is supposed to be acenter of debate and compromise, and it is needed to keep the president in check.

My advice? Cut off salaries but require them to sit in their chambers until they finally decide to do the job we elected them to do. Then, fire them all. Find aseemingly honest person and vote her/him into office. If that person does not know how to do the job, fire them and find another candidate.

Thank you, Christine, forarticulating our biggest national problem LOU SOILEAU Rayne

COMMENTARY

TURKEY DAY

JoeAlford, Baton Rouge

Nice! We received 719 entriesinthisweek’sCartoon Caption Contest. From gatorbites to alligator shoes, thesewerecleverand deliciouslyfunny! Our winnersentinagreat punchline that brought it all back to Louisiana.Well played, everyone As always, when we have duplicate entries, and we always do,wepick the earliestsent in Happy Thanksgiving! Walt

MARTHA STARNES,KENNER: “This is my first Thanksgiving …iseveryone always this nervous?”

DAVID M. PRADOS,METAIRIE: “Thatmust be Turkey alaKelly,roasted and done.”

SUSAN NEWKIRK, LAFAYETTE: “I am so thankful that no one has thought of gatorduck-en yet.Amen.

THOMAS McNULTY,SLIDELL: “I don’t mean to be snappish, but Ihopethat’s notGator Bites.

GARYSTEWART,BATON ROUGE: “If that’s cousin Al in there, there’sgoing to be trouble.”

SCOTT SIMONSON, HARAHAN: “Pass me aleg…. No, your leg!”

BRAD WESTON, POLK,FLA.: “I know what you’re all thinking —how did my stuffing turnout so fabulous?”

ERNEST GREMILLION,TALLAHASSEE, FLA.: “I sure hope Troy Landry didn’t pick the main course.”

JEFFERYL.HARTZHEIM, FUQUAYVARINA, N.C.: “Just so youall know… I wore my stretchyhide.”

DAVID A. BLANCHET,LAFAYETTE: “Eat up! Ilovemyguests stuffed after Thanksgiving dinner.”

EDWARD LASCELLE, PINEVILLE: “Grampa,are those newalligator shoes you’re wearing?”

STUART CLARK, LAFAYETTE: “y’all mentionedleftovers.What the heck is a leftover?”

BOBUSSERY, NEWORLEANS: “But Ijust hadturkey,though alot rarer.”

ERIN PLAUCHÉ, NEWORLEANS: “That better not be one of my cousins in a sauce piquant under there!”

VANCE LEVESQUE, NEWORLEANS: “EveryThanksgiving, I’m so glad my tailis toobig forthe oven!!”

MARIANO HINOJOSA, BATONROUGE:

“I’m so hungry Icouldeat ahost, err, horse.

D. SABRIO, METAIRIE: “Don’tput your elbows on the table. It’sbeen aweek since my last meal.”

STEPHEN R. BARRY, NEWORLEANS: “See ya later… turkey.”

MICHELE STARNES,KENNER: “I canhelp carve, but results mayvary.”

TOMWAFER, BATONROUGE: “Pass me thefootballcoach, please.”

ANTHONY CHRISTIAN CINQUEMANO, NEWORLEANS: “you guyseat turtles too!”

MILES MURPHY (AGE 11), BATON ROUGE: “Can somebodypass me the old man?”

DEEDEMONTLUZIN, NEWORLEANS: “I gotpromoted fromthe kiddytable because theysaidy’all are more tasty.”

JIM WILLIAMSON, MANDEVILLE: “Thank youfor the turkey.Now,what are youfolks eating?”

RAYAUTREY,MORGANCITY: “OK! Iknow Ididn’t getaninvitation, but who’sgoing to makemeleave?”

CORKYWILLHITE, NEW ORLEANS: “1 stuffed turkey +6 stuffed humans =avery happygator.”

LYNN WISMAR, KENNER: “Amazing! you guyscelebrate Thanksgiving just likeus: Eatabird –makeamess –takeanap!”

Airportfeudturns into politicalwar

COLUMBIA,S.C. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina hasmade several names for herself —some of which can’t be printed —inpart by rejecting the bless-your-heart paradigm of thepolite Southern belle in favor of the congresswoman’sapparentlymore profane personality In 1999, she was the first female to graduate from The Citadel’s Corps of Cadets. She was the first femaleRepublican elected to Congress from South Carolina Polls show her in adead heat in the Republican gubernatorial primaryrace with Lt. Gov.Pamela Evette, aself-made millionaire who served twoterms alongside retiring Gov.HenryMcMaster Evette has been an unfailingly loyal supporter of President DonaldTrump —a necessity in this state —whereas Mace has run hot and cold. An Evette political ad, titled “Never Trump Nancy,” features Mace saying shedoesn’t believe Trump has afuture in the GOP.The ad also saysMace hosted afundraiser for Republican Trump critic and former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney This raises Mace’sstatus in my eyes, butshe has predictably changedher tune on Trump. Though she hascalled herself “Trump in high heels,” Trump once referred to her as “crazy Nancy Mace.” Lately,Mace has become apopular villain on social media. She can’tseem to stop immersing herself in embarrassing confrontations and highlighting them against her best interest. Last month, she becameembroiledin adispute with law enforcement officers at Charleston International Airport. Mace was running late for her flight and called ahead to request officers meet her at her silver BMW uponher arrival and escort her quicklytoher gate. A

misunderstanding apparently about the color of thecar resulted in officersnot meeting her and, in ahuff not seen since Hurricane Hugo blew through, Mace marched towardthe Transportation SecurityAdministrationcheckpoint,where she was stopped.

Video footage shows Mace talking to TSA agents as airport policeapproach her.Whatever transpired next unleashed arage in Mace thatwould get most of us arrested. “Inappropriate and profane” washow the nice officers described her behaviorintheir reports.

Mace reportedly said theofficers were “f****** incompetent,” and “this is no waytotreataf****** U.S. representative.” Mace claimed airport security would never treat Sen. TimScott, R-S.C., this way,which is true because Scott, whose disposition is so sunny Earthhas beenknowntocircle him, would never behave as Mace did. This is pureparanoia. Sure, we’retalking about South Carolina, where politicians might challenge each other to a duel— but they haven’tbeen known to recruit airport cops to hassle elected officials.

Abefuddled Scott promptly defended airportsecurityofficers. Fellow Sen. Lindsey Graham of SouthCarolina postedhis support for ScottonX,while also managing to mentionthe $40 million he hasdirected to Charleston Countyfor airportimprovements.

Macefired back, challenging the manhoodofboth senators and exclaiming that “REAL MEN PROTECT WOMEN.”

Then things started getting really weird. As of aweek ago, Mace had posted onlinemorethan 100 times in her own defense.She is now talking about adefamation suit against American Airlines

and CharlestonInternational Airport for trying to ruin her reputation. In aposton X, she even threatened South Carolina AttorneyGeneral AlanWilson, who is alsoacandidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary

Though Mace is plainly her own worst enemy,some perspective might be useful. When you’re in thepublic eye, criticismispartofthe bargain. But social media has made random,anonymous verbal mob assaultsroutine. Insults are especially nasty towardwomen. You shrug themoff, but over timethese ambushes accumulateand congeal into something globular and frightening, like an alien occupation of the psyche that taunts and nibbles away at the human host. Without astrong, healthy ego, it’s ashort trip to paranoia, self-doubt and emotional dysfunction

The easiest pathfor Mace weeks ago was asimple apology that would have won her praise and votes:“I’m sorry, Iwas out of sorts, pleaseforgive me.”

We’reall messessometimes,and most people will forgive othersgiven half a chance. Instead, Mace escalated. “They” are trying to takeher down, she insists, becauseshe’sworking for “YOU.” Mace has no idea how unhinged she sounds to the Piggly Wiggly checkout line. Honestly,Ifeel sorry for Mace. She’s solid on some issues Icareabout —animal welfare, for one —but she has acted out toomany times to be seriously consideredfor governor.Voterssee through the dramaand recognize Mace for what she is: apublic servant of worth and accomplishment, who desperately needs abreak from the pressures of public office.

Email Kathleen Parker at kathleenparker@washpost.com.

Former first lady Michelle Obama says America is not ready forafemale president. In aseries of recent interviews promoting her new book, Michelle Obama points to the losses of KamalaHarris and Hillary Clinton as evidence of what she regards as sexism Recall that similar things wereonce said about John F. Kennedy,that America was not ready foraCatholic president. More recently somesaid America wasn’t ready foraBlack president. And yet in 2008, 43% of White voters voted for Barack Obama. In 2012, it was39%. Michelle Obama’scomments continue the focus on identity politics, rather than the substance of one’sideas and policies. What difference does it make(to quote Hillary Clinton in adifferent context) about one’srace or gender? Harris lost not because she is awoman, but because somethought she could not articulate what she believed in a language they could understand. Clinton lost because somefound her “unlikeable.” Michelle Obamaisfrom amiddle-class background anyone might find admirable, even enviable. She grew up in atwo-parent home. AGoogle search notes that “After excelling in public schools, she earned a sociology and African American studies degree from Princeton University and alaw degree from Harvard Law School. She then becamealawyer in Chicago, where she met her future husband, Barack Obama, before dedicating her career to public service in roles at Chicago City Hall and the University of Chicago.”

One might think with such aresume she would be praising anation that gave her the opportunity to rise to such ahigh level. Instead, recall her comment after her husband waselected president: “For the first timeinmyadult lifetime, Iamreally proud of my country.And not just because Barack has done well, but because Ithink people are hungry forchange. And Ihave been desperate to see our country moving in that direction.”

How sad is that —for her,not forher country? She seemstohave chips on both shoulders. She is always criticizing someone or something, but to what end?

Women hold morepolitical offices in America than ever before. Someare strong and competent conservatives. Others are drowning in the sewer of identity politics. AWall Street Journal editorial quotes Seattle mayor-elect Katie Wilson: “I will appoint acabinet of exceptional leaders whose lived experiences reflect the diversity of Seattle’sBlack, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander,Latinx/ Hispanic, and People of Color communities as wellasthat of women, immigrants and refugees, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, people with disabilities, people of all faith traditions, and residents from every socioeconomic background.”

Notice the absence of any reference to capabilities or policies. This is the dead end of identity politics.

Japan recently elected the country’sfirst female primeminister,who seemspopular and competent. Being female, though, does not mean women are necessarily better at leading nations than men.The female former primeminister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has been sentenced to death in absentia (she fled to India after her ouster) by aspecial court forher role in the killing of 1,400 protesters whoparticipated in nationwide demonstrations last year

This isn’treally about gender and race. When aBlack or female Republican is running foroffice against awoman whois White, female and aDemocrat (I give you the recent election forgovernor in Virginia), liberal, Black and female Democrats mostly vote forthe White women.

ANew York Post letter writer said this about Harris: “Weare not ready to vote foracandidate whodid not winone presidential primary.Weare not ready to vote foranindividual whowas selected for the vice presidency based on identity,not qualifications. We are not ready to vote for acandidate appointed by former President Joe Biden.”

Afemale presidential candidate with the policies of the late British PrimeMinister Margaret Thatcher would likely get support from mostconservative Republicans. Iwould be among them.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditorstribpub. com.

REALITY CHECK

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough is sackedbyAtlanta Falcons defensivetackle Brandon

Saints lost 24-10.

Saints buried in avalancheofown mistakes,falltoarchrival Falcons

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

In agame they lost by 14 points, the New Orleans Saints turned four legitimate scoring chances —including two drives that reached the Atlanta Falcons’ 1-yard line —into three points. There is no way to pickapart the Saints’ ninth loss in 11 trieswithout coming back to the team burying itself under the weight of its own mistakes. Afumble on the openingdrive; two missed field goals;zerotouchdowns in three red zone opportunities. All culminating in a24-10 loss. “Red zone’sonme,” coach Kellen Moore said. “We’re not getting it done. It’sassimple as that.”

Ateam that was comingoff abye —coming on the heels of its best performance of theseason —was hoping it hadfound something to build upon andcould turn what has been arough 2025 into something thatlooked more hopeful by theend of the season. Hope was hard to find Sunday. Theresult felt likeatired story that has played out so often this season, one that left the Saints bemoaning missed opportunitiesatthe end of the game. Themistakesstarted early.Afteranimpressive three-and-out sequence by theSaints defense to start the game, New Orleanshad achance to makeastatementdrive when it

NewOrleans mighthavefound its quarterback, butoffense is still lost

The New OrleansSaints might have indeed found their quarterback in Tyler Shough. Now,ifthey could just find an offense to go with him. It certainly wasn’tpresent Sunday in theSuperdome in their 24-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints’ offensive performance against their longtime archrivals was truly offensive to watch, an effort worthy of aSchwegmann’s paper bag. With Drew Brees calling the game from the Fox Sports broadcast booth, the Saints put on an offensive display so ugly the future Hall of Famer probably couldn’trecognize it.

Jeff Duncan

How ugly was it? Let us count the ways. They ran 78 plays and failed to record asingle gain of morethan 18 yards. Their twolongest runs were by aquarterback (Shough) and receiver (Mason Tipton), 11 yards each. They didn’thave asingle run of longer than 6yards by arunning back. They converted just five of 16 third downs and only two of five fourth downs. They committed two turnovers and allowed five sacks. And if the anemic production and

See DUNCAN, page 5C

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1

Thitikul wins another $4M prize at Tour Championship

NAPLES, Fla. — Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand capped off her best year with the biggest cash prize in women’s golf, holding off an early challenge from Pajaree Anannarukarn and closing with a 4-under 68 to win the CME Group Tour Championship by four shots Sunday for another $4 million payoff.

Thitikul won for the third time this year on the LPGA Tour and one last birdie on the final hole at Tiburon Golf Club gave her the lowest scoring average in tour history

Verstappen’s 5th F1 title within reach

Norris, Piastri disqualified in Las Vegas

BY JENNA FRYER Associated Press

LAS VEGAS A fifth consecutive Formula 1 championship is within Max Verstappen’s reach following the disqualifications of contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after Saturday night’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Verstappen won the event for the second time in three years to close the gap on Norris to just 42 points with two races remaining. But three hours after the race concluded, the FIA summoned McLaren to see the stewards for failing inspection.

The measured thickness on the skid wear on the McLarens failed to meet the minimum thickness requirements Skid wear is the wear on the protective plank on the underside of the cars, and Lewis Hamilton was disqualified for the same infraction earlier this year

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the infraction stemmed from the cars bottoming out during the race at levels they did not do during practice — leading to excessive contact with the ground. Stella said the damage to both cars was “accidental” and that “the FIA noted the breach was unintentional, there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations, and mitigating circumstances also existed.”

He also apologized to Norris and Piastri.

“We apologize to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at a critical time in their championship campaigns after two strong performances from them all weekend,” Stella said. “While this outcome is extremely disappointing, we remain fully focused on the last two races of the season.”

The DQs made for a wild swing in the standings as both Norris and Piastri were stripped of all points earned in Las Vegas. Norris went from 30 points up on Piastri and 42 points up on Verstappen to just

24 points up on Verstappen and Piastri, who holds the tie-breaker for second in the standings based on his win total.

Verstappen has won the last two races in Qatar, where F1 races next week, and four of the last five at Abu Dhabi, where the season will end Dec. 7. It’s an incredible comeback for the Dutchman, who seemed out of contention over the summer Even after winning Las Vegas for the second time in three years, Verstappen wasn’t thinking about the championship.

“I mean, it’s still a big gap. But, you know, we always try to just maximize everything that we’ve got,” he said three hours before the McLarens were called to see the FIA. “ This weekend, that was first. The upcoming weekends we’ll again try to win the race. And at the end of Abu Dhabi, we’ll see where we end up.”

Verstappen was by far the biggest winner in Las Vegas, an event he hated before he’d ever turned in a lap. He won for the second time in four races, second time in three years of the Las Vegas Grand Prix

as the four-time reigning Formula 1 champion continued to claw his way back into the title picture with a Saturday night victory on the streets of Las Vegas.

His displeasure with the event has stemmed from the bright spotlight promoters place on celebrities and parties instead of the actual competition. But when it comes time to get in the car, no matter how Verstappen feels about the event, he seems to excel.

“Some people like more show added. Some people like different kinds of tracks as a fan also,” he said. “I also have my opinions about what I like. Some weekends I like more than others. I still like to be in Vegas, but I’m personally less of a showman. I’m not really into that probably But I get it, you know, it’s part of the calendar If you’re in Vegas, it needs to be like this.”

Las Vegas was the 69th victory of Verstappen’s career It was his eighth consecutive podium, F1record eighth win in the United States, and he beat points leader Norris by more than 20 seconds. Verstappen started second but

took control of the race in the very first turn when Norris made an aggressive move to cut in front of him at the start but wound up sliding wide of the turn in his McLaren.

“I let Max have a win,” Norris lamented. “Let him go. Let him have a nice race. I just braked too late. It was my (mess) up.”

Verstappen moved to the lead and George Russell darted past Norris into second.

It was the 150th career start for Norris, which tied the McLaren record with David Coulthard. He will become McLaren’s most tenured driver next week in Qatar with his 151th start.

But after his slip in the first turn, Norris found himself stuck back in third, and teammate Piastri fared no better as the Australian lost two spots on the start to drop from fifth to seventh. The two McLaren drivers have swapped the lead in the driver standings all season.

Norris finished second before the disqualification and Russell was third Russell moved to second.

‘Worst’ season continues for Hamilton

BY MARK ANDERSON Associated Press

LAS VEGAS Lewis Hamilton had every reason to feel good about the effort he put in Saturday night, but as a seven-time Formula 1 champion, his bar is too high for moral victories.

So even though he quickly moved from the back of the pack in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, even rising to fifth midway through the 50-lap race, Hamilton took little solace in finishing eighth.

It was, no matter how he got there, another loss.

“I feel terrible. Terrible,” Hamilton said. “It’s been the worst season for me ever No matter how much I try, it just keeps getting worse.” He crossed the line in 10th but gained two positions when Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified.

“Lewis had a great start from (20th position), recovering very well,” team principal Fred Vasseur said. Hamilton came into the weekend looking for answers after his hyped move from Mercedes to Ferrari fell well short of expectations in the English driver’s first season with the team.

He hasn’t won this season, nor has teammate Charles Leclerc, which drew the ire of Ferrari executive chairman John Elkann after an especially disappointing race two weeks ago when both drivers failed to finish the Brazilian Grand Prix.

“It’s important that our drivers focus on driving and talk less,”

Elkann said. Ferrari dropped from second to fourth in the constructors’ standings in Brazil, where the team remains with two events to go after Las Vegas. The series moves on to Qatar and then finishes in the United Arab Emirates.

“Now there are still two races to go and our target is still to try and win a race before the end of the season,” Vasseur said. Elkann couldn’t have been pleased by the way the Las Vegas race began for Hamilton. He qualified Friday night in 20th and last place. Hamilton wound up starting 19th after Yuki Tsunoda was found to have made modifications when none were allowed.

“That was a really disappointing qualifying session,” Hamilton

said shortly afterward. “After (practice session No. 3), I felt we had good pace in the car but the wet conditions didn’t work in our favor today Visibility was poor and we were unfortunate to be hampered by a few yellow flags, which meant I couldn’t put a proper lap together in my last three attempts.”

Hamilton’s disappointing results have even sparked speculation whether the 40-year-old should retire. With seven titles, he is tied with Michael Schumacher for the record, and Hamilton is first in victories (105) and podium appearances (202). Hamilton was especially dominant between 2017 and 2020, winning four championships in a row, the last three

seasons ending with 11 victories each.

It’s greatest-ever stuff, a conversation in which Hamilton firmly planted himself.

But then it all began to fall apart after what would have been a record eighth championship at the season-ending 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton was primed to win the race, but a series of controversial events helped hand the victory to Max Verstappen, who hasn’t let go of the title since in winning the past four Mercedes and Hamilton protested the Abu Dhabi result to no avail.

Whether that result got into his head or there were other factors at play, Hamilton hasn’t been the same since. The driver who has posted six double-digit win seasons failed to cross the finish line first in 2022 and 2023. He finally broke through with wins last year in England and Belgium but finished seventh in the standings, actually a step back from third in 2023. That also was his final season at Mercedes, and moving to Ferrari presented hopes of reigniting his career

It just hasn’t happened.

Beyond failing to win a race this year, Hamilton has not even made the top three or taken a pole position. He has just one pole over the past four years. No wonder Hamilton even on a night when he got more out of the car than expected, was still searching for answers.

“I’m trying everything Everything,” Hamilton said. “In and out of the car.”

Thitikul started with a six-shot lead over Nelly Korda, the American she replaced at No. 1 in the women’s world ranking this year

The victory assured her winning LPGA player of the year and the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average, the two biggest awards in women’s golf.

Ohtani’s bat from historic season sells for $300K LAGUNA NIGUEL Calif. — A bat used by Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani to hit five home runs during the 2024 season, when he became the first major league player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases, was sold at auction for $300,000.

The second home run ball Ohtani hit out of Dodger Stadium during his historic performance in Game 4 of this season’s National League Championship Season went for $270,000.

The items were among those sold at SCP Auctions’ fall premier sale that closed Saturday Two home run balls hit by the Dodgers in Game 7 of their World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays also sold.

Italy victorious at Davis Cup for third straight year

BOLOGNA, Italy Italy remains the king of the Davis Cup — and didn’t even need Jannik Sinner this time. Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli were the stars for the Italians without the absent Sinner, both winning their singles matches to earn an unassailable 2-0 lead over Spain in the final on Sunday

It’s a fourth Davis Cup title for Italy and a third in a row The last nation to win three straight titles was the United States, which won five on the bounce from 1968-72.

The second-ranked Sinner, who led Italy to men’s tennis biggest team trophy the past two years, opted out of playing this week, preferring to prepare for next season instead. No. 8-ranked Lorenzo Musetti wasn’t playing, either Spain was also without its star player, top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz.

Rangers, Mets agree on Semien-Nimmo trade

ARLINGTON,Texas The Texas Rangers and the Mets have agreed on a trade that would send Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien to New York in exchange for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo, who has played all 10 of his big-league seasons with the Mets, just completed the third season of the $162 million, eight-year contract he got after becoming a free agent for the first time after the 2022 season. The 32-year-old left-handed hitter is due annual salaries of $20.25 million each season through 2030.

Semien has three seasons and $72 million remaining on the $175 million, seven-year contract he signed with the Rangers in December 2021. The 35-year-old Semien won his second Gold Glove this season, even though he missed the final 51/2 weeks of the season.

Dallas Wings again win WNBA draft lottery

The Dallas Wings won the WNBA draft lottery for the second consecutive season on Sunday night.

The Wings, who drafted Paige Bueckers No. 1 last year, had a 42% chance to secure the top pick again.

“This is a integral piece, a core piece,” Dallas general manager Curt Miller said. “In recent draft classes you see what consecutive No. 1’s can do.”

Earlier this month, the Wings hired longtime college coach Jose Fernandez to lead the franchise.

“Exciting times with our young core and new facilities and new coach,” Miller said. “Great moment.”

PRO FOOTBALL

Chiefs rally from 11-point deficit to beat Colts

By The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes threw for a season-high 352 yards while rallying the Kansas City Chiefs from an 11-point deficit, their defense forced the Indianapolis Colts to go threeand-out on its final four possessions, and Harrison Butker banged through his fifth field goal of the game from 27 yards to give Kansas City a 23-20 victory that just might have kept its playoff hopes alive

“All five of our losses felt like this game, where there were plays we could make and we didn’t,” Mahomes said afterward. “You can talk about it all day, but until you prove it, it doesn’t. We proved today we could make the plays.”

Kareem Hunt ran 30 times for 104 yards and a score Rashee Rice caught eight passes for 141 yards including two important ones on the tying drive in regulation and another in OT to set up Butker’s field goal. And their defense held the league’s No. 1 offense to just 255 yards, easily the Colts’ worst output all season.

“The part I liked the best was the support the guys gave each other,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Nobody flinched Nobody was hanging their head. It wasn’t happening. They came out and they played and they did it when it counted.”

Now, the Chiefs (6-5) have some life heading into a short week. They visit Dallas on Thanksgiving Day

JAGUARS 27, CARDINALS 24: In Glendale, Arizona, Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes, Cam Little kicked a 52-yard field goal in overtime and the Jacksonville Jaguars overcame a turnover-filled performance to beat the Arizona Cardinals. Jacksonville got the ball first

in overtime and after a promising drive stalled, Little made his kick with 7:46 left. Earlier this season, he set an NFL record with a 68-yarder.

Arizona had a chance to tie or win, but Jacoby Brissett’s fourthdown heave to Xavier Weaver fell incomplete The Cardinals elected to go for it on fourth instead of attempting a 60-yard field goal.

SEAHAWKS 30, TITANS 24: In Nashville, Tennessee, Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks bounced back quite nicely from their first road loss this season.

Darnold threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns and the Seahawks beat the Tennessee Titans for their fifth win in six games.

BEARS 31, STEELERS 28: In Chicago, Caleb Williams threw for three touchdowns and Chicago beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in a matchup

of division leaders.

Aaron Rodgers, the Bears’ old nemesis, was sidelined with a broken left wrist He wore a brace when he practiced Friday but the Steelers (6-5) went with Mason Rudolph in his place and fell into a first-place tie with Baltimore in the AFC North.

PACKERS 23, VIKINGS 6: In Green Bay, Wisconsin, Emanuel Wilson always believed he could make it in the NFL even while he was breaking into the league as an undrafted free agent from Division II Fort Valley State.

Wilson rushed for a career-high 107 yards and two touchdowns while filling in for the injured Josh Jacobs to back up a dominating performance from Green Bay’s defense as the Packers trounced the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings (4-7) hadn’t finished

McCaffrey’s dual-threat ability transforms the 49ers’ offense

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif.

— The San Francisco 49ers had a productive offense under coach Kyle Shanahan for a while when the team made the big deal to acquire Christian McCaffrey from Carolina three years ago.

The addition of one of the NFL’s best dual-threat backs ever elevated that offense to another level that will be on display for the Panthers (6-5) when they face the 49ers (7-4) on Monday night for the first time since that trade in 2022.

ä

at 49ers, 7:15 P.M. MONDAy ESPN

“Just seeing how our offense has evolved since getting Christian, the things that we’ve done here the last th ree years that we ne ver did just because of the ability of Christian and what he can do in the pass game,” star tight end George Kittle said. “It’s pretty incredible. Just seeing the evolution of our offense has been really cool.” When the Niners acquired McCaffrey for four draft picks in what he described as a “bittersweet” trade in October 2022, the team was in a bit of a rut on offense, ranking 10th in the league in yards per play and 19th in scoring. San Francisco moved into the top five in both categories once McCaffrey stepped into the starting lineup in his second game, when he pulled off the rare feat of running for a touchdown, catching a TD pass and throwing for a score in a win over the Rams.

“We knew it would be exciting to get a player like him,” Shanahan said. “Since we got him, I think players evolve offenses. Always when you get certain types of players, that’s when offenses change. You always want to attack defenses and stuff and there’s only so many ways to do it, but when you get different types of players, offenses expand, and I think he’s changed our offense since he’s gotten here.” McCaffrey has done that by being at least as big of a threat as a receiver whether on routes out

of the backfield or when lined up wide or in the slot, as he is as a runner McCaffrey, the son of former NFL star receiver Ed McCaffrey, takes great pride in his receiving ability even if he never officially played wide receiver

“It was always something that I worked on my whole life,” he said.

“I always played running back. I never played receiver, but I was fortunate enough to be on teams, even in little league, where they would throw the ball to me. And so it was kind of always a natural thing and I enjoyed doing it. It was another way to get the ball in my hands.”

McCaffrey helped lead the 49ers to the NFC title game his first season. The Niners then made the Super Bowl the following year when he led the NFL with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and 21 TDs on the way to being selected AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year

His 2024 season was derailed by injuries but McCaffrey is back in good form this season, leading the NFL with 1,439 yards from scrimmage as he is on pace for another season with 1,000 yards rushing and receiving.

“A guy like Christian who is an unbelievable running back, but then he’s also a really good receiver So, who do you dedicate to him?” asked 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. “A lot of times you’re having to dedicate

a linebacker to him. I’ve said it a long time ago that it’s starting to catch up a little bit, but I felt like the evolution of the running back far outpaced the evolution of the linebacker.”

McCaffrey is one of five players ever with at least 5,000 yards rushing and receiving and has set an NFL record with 17 career games with at least one TD run and one TD catch. He leads the NFL this season with 1,439 yards from scrimmage and ranks tied for second with 11 TDs. He ranks second in the league with 74 catches, ninth with 732 yards receiving and his 80 first downs rushing and receiving are tied for the most by any player through 11 games since Arian Foster had 91 in 2010. That should put a major stress on a Carolina defense that will be without linebackers Trevin Wallace and Christian Rozeboom.

“You do have to respect the variety of routes that Christian McCaffrey can run from the backfield and split out,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said “He’s got a pretty developed route tree out there. From a run game standpoint, it’s going to require just good team fits, good team football and rallying to tackle. We know he can make moves and make miss at times, so we respect all those things, but again, it’s going to come down to our fundamental execution.”

carries.

LIONS 34, GIANTS 27: In Detroit, Jahmyr Gibbs ran for a 69-yard touchdown on the first snap of overtime and had a career-high 264 yards from scrimmage along with three scores, lifting the Detroit Lions to a much-needed win over the New York Giants.

Giants coach Mike Kafka went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 6 with his slumping team leading by three points, instead of kicking a short field goal that would have forced Detroit to score a touchdown. Winston threw an incomplete pass to Theo Johnson to end a 14-play, 86-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock.

COWBOYS 24, EAGLES 21: In Arlington, Texas, Brandon Aubrey kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired after Dak Prescott rallied Dallas from a 21-point deficit and Dallas beat Philadelphia in a mistake-filled thriller

a half with as few as 4 yards of total offense since at least 1991, which is as far back as Sportradar’s research goes on the subject.

RAVENS 23, JETS 10: In Baltimore, Maryland, Derrick Henry scored two third-quarter touchdowns and the Ravens recovered from a sleepy first half to beat the New York Jets for their fifth straight victory Baltimore has gone from 1-5 to 6-5, and Pittsburgh’s loss to Chicago left the Ravens in a firstplace tie with the Steelers in the AFC North. It wasn’t a terribly convincing performance by the Ravens, who have struggled to beat the Browns and Jets (2-9) the past two weekends. Lamar Jackson went 13 of 23 for 153 yards and didn’t look as mobile as usual after dealing with knee and ankle issues recently Henry was held to 64 yards on 21

The Cowboys (5-5-1) converted on their third tiebreaking chance of the fourth quarter to extend Prescott’s home winning streak against NFC East opponents to 19 in their first game at AT&T Stadium since the death of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.

BROWNS 24, RAIDERS 10: In Las Vegas, Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders passed for 209 yards and a touchdown in his NFL starting debut and Myles Garrett had three of Cleveland’s 10 sacks in a victory over Las Vegas, the fifth straight loss for the Raiders. The Browns (3-8) ended a threegame skid while starting their 42nd quarterback since the franchise’s return in 1999. Sanders replaced fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who’s in the concussion protocol, and ended a 17-game losing streak by Cleveland QBs making their first start.

BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

CINCINNATI Drake Maye passed for 294 yards and a touchdown Marcus Jones returned an interception 33 yards for a score and the AFC-leading New England Patriots rallied from an early 10-point deficit and extended their winning streak to nine with a 26-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday

Hunter Henry had a careerhigh 115 receiving yards, including a 28-yard TD catch, on seven receptions, for New England (102) which has won at least nine straight for the first time since 2015. But the Patriots fell behind 10-0 early in the second quarter before rallying. It was their first doubledigit deficit since the second half of their opener against Las Vegas. Andy Borregales’ 52-yard field goal, his fourth of the day, gave the Patriots a 26-20 lead with 1:51 remaining. Joe Flacco drove Cincinnati to the New England 26, but a fourthdown pass with 18 seconds remaining intended for Mike Gesicki was incomplete. Cincinnati (3-8) has dropped eight of nine since quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury

in a Week 2 win against Jacksonville. Burrow practiced this week and is expected to return for the Thanksgiving night game at Baltimore.

Ja’Marr Chase, who came in leading the league with 79 receptions, served a one-game suspension for spitting on Pittsburgh’s Jalen Ramsey last week. The Bengals also lost Tee Higgins, who suffered a concussion with 4:50 remaining. Flacco completed 19 of 37 passes for 183 yards with a touchdown to Mitchell Tinsley and interception. Chase Brown had 19 carries for 107 yards.

Geno Stone returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown for the Bengals. Evan McPherson kicked two field goals, including a team-record 63-yarder on the last play of the first half.

Maye completed 22 of 35 passes, including his TD throw to Henry who had his third career 100yard receiving game — during the second quarter that got the Patriots within 10-7. New England then took the lead on the Bengals’ ensuing series when Jones jumped Flacco’s pass attempt in the flat intended for Tajh Brooks and easily scored It was the second pick-6 of Jones’ career with both coming

FALCONS 24, SAINTS 10

Former TE Graham honored at game

Tipton 3-22, Kamara 2-4, Pettis 1-14, Stoll 1-7. PUNT RETURNS—Atlanta, Agnew 1-5. New Orleans, Pettis 3-10. KICKOFF RETURNS—Atlanta, Agnew 2-74, Drummond 1-25. New Orleans, Tipton 1-75, Pettis 2-48. TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS—Atlanta, Alford 9-1-0, Elliss 7-2-0, Deablo 6-2-0, Bates 6-1-0, Hughes 6-0-0, Watts 5-1-0, Terrell 3-0-0, Dorlus 2-2-1.5, Onyemata 2-1-0, Street 1-4-0, Floyd 1-2-0, Pearce 1-1-1.5, Orhorhoro 1-0-1, Walker 1-0-1, R.Harrison 1-0-0, L.London 1-0-0, Ebiketie 0-1-0. New Orleans, D.Davis 6-5-0, Taylor 5-1-0, Sanker 4-3-0, Reid 3-4-0, Stalbird 2-1-1, Jordan 2-0-1, McKinstry 2-0-0, Rumph 2-0-0, C.Young 1-3-1, Stutsman 1-2-0, Bresee 1-1-0, Werner 1-1-0, Godchaux 1-0-0 Riley 1-0-0, Shepherd 0-2-0, Bullard 0-1-0, Granderson 0-1-0, Williams 0-1-0. INTERCEPTIONS—Atlanta, Watts 1-0. New Orleans, Reid 1-49. MISSED FIELD GOALS—New Orleans, Grupe 47, Grupe 38. OFFICIALS—Referee Brad Rogers, Ump Bryan Neale, HL Patrick Turner, LJ Kevin Codey FJ Joe Blubaugh, SJ David Meslow, BJ Greg Yette, Replay Denise Crudup.

took over at its 42-yard line for its first drive.

The second play of that drive was designed to be a play-action pass, with quarterback Tyler Shough faking a handoff to Alvin Kamara. Shough never had a chance to throw the ball; his fake glancing off Kamara’s elbow, jarring the ball free. The Falcons recovered in good enough field position to kick a field goal after gaining just 1 yard in the next three plays.

“It was a fluke deal,” Shough said. “It sucks. I wasn’t trying to give him (the ball). It’s on me at the end of the day; I’ve got to make sure I can hang onto that.”

Even then, New Orleans was poised to brush off the mistake, as Mason Tipton took the ensuing kickoff and raced down the left sideline 75 yards, advancing the ball to Atlanta’s 16-yard line and delighting the home crowd

That is where the warts started to show The first play, a direct snap to Taysom Hill, was snuffed out for no gain.

Falcons defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus beat Cesar Ruiz to sack Shough for a 7-yard loss on second down. Shough’s third-down screen to Alvin Kamara went for just 2 yards. The Saints sent Blake Grupe out for a 38-yard field goal, and he pushed it wide to the right of the up-

BY LUKE JOHNSON AND MATTHEW PARAS Staff writers

Just like old times, moments before kickoff, Jimmy Graham raised a fist in the air and got the New Orleans Saints fans into a frenzy right before kickoff against the Atlanta Falcons by leading the Who Dat Chant.

Graham, who was honored as the team’s Legend of the Game Sunday and served as guest captain, always relishes a chance to come back to the place that he will always consider home.

“I became a man in this city,” Graham said. “I grew in this city I learned football in this city. Everything I have in my life, truly, is because of the New Orleans Saints and this city.” Graham spoke to reporters a couple of hours before the game. He walked into the team’s press room, just across the hall from his old locker room, alongside team owner Gayle Benson, team president Dennis Lauscha general manager Mickey Loomis and senior vice president of football operations Khai Harley And one other, of course: Drew Brees was there for Graham, too.

Graham became emotional when asked what it meant to him to have Brees who served as

rights, the first of his two misses on the day Grupe has now missed eight field goals in 11 games this season.

“It’s a frustrating one,” Moore said when asked about Grupe’s misses. “Obviously, the biggest and most important thing is we’ve got to go through this whole process to understand how this happened today.”

Especially frustrating, because as the Saints offense struggled to find its footing, the defense was giving it a chance. Chase Young and Cam Jordan had sacks. Atlanta’s first three possessions gained 11 net yards. Atlanta went on one extended drive, ending in a Kirk Cousins touchdown pass to David Sills, but on the next possession, Justin Reid answered it by plucking a tipped pass out of the air and racing 49 yards for a touchdown to make it a 10-7 game.

New Orleans just had to get something going offensively Atlanta kicked another field goal with 1:56 remaining in the first half, and New Orleans had an opportunity to wrest control of the game because it was getting the opening kick of the second half.

But this has been a season of what-ifs.

The two-minute drill started off well. Shough connected on his first four passes, going for 6, 8, 16 and 6 yards to push New Orleans inside the Falcons’ 30-yard line. But, after an incompletion, Shough felt backside pressure on third-and-4 and made an ineffective flip toward

the color commentator for Sunday’s Saints-Falcons game on the FOX broadcast — in the room.

“Drew is like a brother to me, and I always wish I had more time with him, because of what could have happened,” Graham said.

There was a time Brees and Graham formed one of the NFL’s most lethal duos. One of the NFL’s most precise and prolific passers had the ultimate matchup machine at his disposal, a 6-foot-7 former basketball player who quickly established himself as one of the NFL’s premier pass catchers.

When Graham wrapped up his second season, his star was already fully realized: 99 catches, 1,310 yards, 11 touchdowns. It was the start of one of the greatest four-year runs by any tight end in NFL history, before a contract dispute dissolved the relationship between Graham and the Saints for eight seasons.

It’s funny for Graham to think about that now that his playing career is done. He arrived to the Saints as an extremely raw prospect who effectively had to learn how to play the game after spending only one season as a college football player at the University of Miami.

He chuckled, recalling the first time he stepped into a huddle with Brees and the rest of the Saints’

collection of impressive talent.

“And he said something that sounded like Spanish to me, and he said it so quickly,” Graham said. “I just looked at him in his eyes like a deer, because I had no idea about these rules, no idea about these words. And he tells me, ‘Just do a 10-yard out and get open.’ I did, and he threw me the ball.”

Kamara leaves early

With 2:25 remaining in the first quarter Alvin Kamara caught a short pass near the sideline and went down awkwardly when his former teammate, Falcons linebacker Kaden Ellis, wrapped him up in a tackle.

Kamara went into the blue injury tent on the Saints sideline for an evaluation and briefly looked OK, standing on the Saints’ sideline with his helmet on. But he never returned to the game.

The Saints running back exited during the first half to the locker room for further evaluation, and as the second half began, he was officially ruled out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury

Kamara finished the game with three carries for 11 yards and two catches for 4 yards.

New Orleans went into the game with only two active running

Devin Neal for an incomplete pass. Grupe trotted onto the field hoping to cut the deficit to 3 points, but he missed — again, pushing it right and Atlanta snuck in a field goal drive before halftime for a 16-7 lead.

To open the second half, the Saints looked like they found some life offensively They covered 74 yards in 14 plays, eating up more than seven minutes of game clock. They leaned heavily on the run game and found themselves with first-and-goal at the 8. On third-and-goal from the 2, Shough had a “run-pass-run” option, in which he could have handed the ball off, thrown it, or run it himself if the pass was not there. Atlanta covered up his receiver,

so he took off but stumbled and was stopped. Moore kept the offense on the field on fourth-and-goal and turned to Hill. The Saints tried to go against their tendencies, having Hill roll right as if it were a quarterback sweep, only to pass the ball over the defense’s head. But Atlanta was ready for it. Hill’s pass was deflected, and even if it was clean, there was nobody to throw to. Again, the defense had the offense’s back, forcing a three-andout. And again, the offense came up short.

Taking over at their own 41, the Saints slogged through a 15-play drive that needed two fourth-down

backs — Kamara and rookie Devin Neal. Neal handled the majority of the workload for the remainder of the game, {span style=”boxsizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;”}while Taysom{/span} Hill pitched in with a few running back snaps.

No Fuaga

Taliese Fuaga practiced twice on a limited basis in the lead-up to Sunday’s game as he looked to return from an ankle injury

But ultimately he couldn’t go. Fuaga, the Saints’ normal starting right tackle, missed his second straight game because of the ailment, and the Saints will have to wait another week to see if he can make his return to the field.

Without Fuaga, the Saints again started Asim Richards — the swing tackle that they acquired from the Dallas Cowboys in late August. Fuaga entered the weekend listed as questionable Coach Kellen Moore said Friday that the team would have to see how Fuaga would respond closer to the game. The 2024 first-round pick has missed a total of three games this season. In addition to his ankle issue, Fuaga dealt with a knee and back injury that kept him out of a Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

conversions to once again make it deep in Atlanta territory Shough came close to breaking the seal with a first-down scramble but was tackled inches shy of the goal line. A second-down run by Hill was stuffed for no gain. On third-andgoal from the 1, they went back to the well with Hill again.

This time the play never got off — at least not in any functional way Lined up in the shotgun, Hill could not corral a high snap from center Luke Fortner He was able to pick the ball up and avoid the turnover, but was penalized for intentional grounding after throwing the ball away This time, at least, Grupe made the chip-shot field goal on fourth down.

“I wish I could have that one back, secure the snap and get into the end zone,” Hill said. “... That was a disappointing play At the end of the day, it was a disappointing game.”

The dam eventually broke for the Saints defense, and Cousins effectively put the game on ice after the Saints’ last failure at the 1-yard line. He converted a second-and-23 with a dump-off to Bijan Robinson that turned into a 32-yard gain, then found former Tulane

FALCONS24, SAINTS 10

1FOOL’S GOLD (AND BLACK)

Remembertwo weeks agowhen theSaints went to Carolinaand gotawin? Thenyou looked at the remaining schedule and sawa slate of winnable games and thought the Saints may just go on arun and winfour or five of their lastseven games. Well, think again. It’s probablynot happening The Saints reverted back to their old ways Sunday and looked likethat dreadful team that yousaw formost of the first 10 weeks of the season. When the season is overand we look back at thegame inCharlotte, we’ll see that game was an outlier and not the daythe Saints turned the corner

2

NO ‘O’

Kellen Moorewas hired because he was supposed to be an offensiveguru.It was hardtotell Sunday by theway theSaintsstruggled when theyhad the ball.The Saints’lone touchdowncame from thedefense when Justin Reid returned an interceptionfor ascore in the second quarter.It’stoo badthe offense didn’t do its share of thelifting.The playcallingwas questionableattimes (likethe Taysom Hill pass on fourth-and-goal fromthe 1) Theexecution wasn’t great either (bad snap on third-andgoal fromthe 1).Tyler Shough’snumbers (30 of 43, 243 yards, 1interception) were OK, but none of it matters when the team doesn’t reach the endzone

3

JUST FOR KICKS

Blake Grupe had anotherrough day. Grupe missedwhat should have been achip-shot 38-yard fieldgoal in the firstquarter and then a47-yard fieldgoal in the final minuteofthe first half Both were wide right. He ended up making a33-yarder in the fourth quartertoend his drought.For theseason, Grupehas made 18 of 26 fieldgoals (69%). Before Sunday, Grupe seemed to have gottenback on track after aslowstart. He had made sevenofhis last eight coming into Sunday. But his missescost theSaints six points. It wouldn’t hurttogivepractice-squad kicker Charlie Smyth ashot.

Kickingmiscues adding up

Saints’faith in kicker Grupeisn’t paying off

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

If Sunday was hislast time in the home lockerroomatthe Caesars Superdome, Blake Grupe spent his final few moments literally packing hisbag

To be precise, the New Orleans Saints kicker loaded items into asuitcase. The frustration on his face —fresh off missing two kicks in a24-10 loss to the AtlantaFalcons —was evident. Across the hall, his coachdidn’t rule outthe possibility of Grupe losinghis job.And as that was happening,Grupe turned around once he was finished at his locker to speak with reporters.

Is he worried about getting cut?

“I mean, what’sthat going to do for me?”Grupe said, shaking hishead. “There’snothing that is going to positively impact myself. Why wouldI think about that?”

It would be only natural if hedid The Saints willtake ahard look at whether akicking change needs to be made after Grupe sailed two of his three attemptswide right against the Falcons. Grupe missed from distances of 38 and 47 yards thatshouldbeautomatic for his profession. But the problem for Grupe and theSaints thisseason is that the kicker has hardly been that. Grupe’srough outing Sunday now puts him at 18 of 26 on theyear No kicker has missed more field goals than Grupe this season Throughout Grupe’sstruggles, the Saints had generally stayed patient. But coach Kellen Moore’stone shifted afterthe latestmeltdown

“It’sanimportant thing we’llhave to evaluate,” Moore said.

This was the risk the Saints faced when the team chose to stick with Grupe as long as they did. Thelonger NewOrleans stuck by him, the longer itrisked Grupe’sproblems costing them agame. Yes, on point margin alone, Grupe’s missed kicks did not coverthe totaldeficit of Sunday’sloss.But theyundoubtedly swung the tenor of theSaints’loss —nomatter how much quarterback Tyler Shough and Grupe’sotherteammates tried to deflect the blame. Shough saidthe missed kicksare “really on us as an offense,” because theSaints failed to convert in the red zone. And while he has apoint —New Orleans went 0-for-3 inside the 20 and

DUNCAN

Continued from page1C

shoddy situationaloffense weren’t badenough, their red-zoneoffense was even worse. In three trips inside the Falcons’ 15-yardline, including consecutive drives to the Atlanta 1-yard line to startthe second half, theSaintsmanaged to comeaway with atotal of three points.During the twomaddening sequences that ended at the Falcons’ goal line, theSaints ran nine plays from inside theFalcons’ 8 and failed to gain more than 3yards on any of them.

“It’sfrustrating,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “We’re not getting it done.Ultimately, it’sonme. It’s as simple as that.” Indeed, of all the rookies on the Saints roster,the first-year head coach might be performing the worst of the bunch.

Some of Moore’splay calls made you scratch your head andremember that he is still learning on thejob. And unfortunately for Moore, he doesn’t have Saquon Barkley or Justin Herbert or Ceedee Lamb around to bail him out of abad call like hedid at his previous coaching stops. Losing

badlyneeded touchdowns —the Saints wouldhave been tied at halftime if both attemptshad been good. Andifthe Saints had been even with the Falcons instead of constantly having to chase, that wouldlikely have affected how both coachingstaffs called the game.

Grupe’ssecond miss, his47-yarder, was especially deflating. The Saints hadapromising drive stall out just before halftime, and after Grupe’swoes, the Falconsused the final52seconds of thequarter to tack on another field goal,takinga16-7 lead.

“I have no idea what it’slike to be a kicker,” defensive end Cam Jordan said.

“I assume it’sa mindset thing. When you have agreat kicker and he starts missing, I’ve seen it happen multiple times. I understand (there’s) amental aspect to it all, one Ican’t relate to. Ijust expect them …just to do their jobs.

“When ateammate is in arut or something like it, you can’tdoanything but uplift them. Youhave to find away as ateammateorasateam to figure out

veteran running back Alvin Kamara to aknee injury midway through the first half didn’thelp matters, but the Saintsand Moore have tobebetter, especially in the game’skey situations like thirddown andred zone.

“Certainly,we’d like to feel like we can score from the 1-yard line, even thoughthat’satough yard to gain down there,” said veteran utility back TaysomHill, who was forced into emergency duty at running back after Kamara went down. “Nobody feels goodabout this game. It’s Week 12, and we should have it figured out by now. On this day, having an inexperienced rookie quarterback was well downthe listofSaints’ problems.

Shough’schallenge against an attacking Falcons defense that enteredthe game ranked second in the leagueinsacks was already difficult enough. But the Saints’ shoddy overall execution, inconsistent blocking and circumspect play-calling only exacerbated things for Shough, who was making just his third NFL start.

He botched an exchangewith Kamaraand lost afumble on his second snap of the game, gifting an early field goaltothe Falcons. He ended the day by throwing thethird interception of hisnascentcareer

how to get yourself out of ahole.”

At hislocker,however,Grupe wasinsistentthathis struggles hadnot been the result of his mentality.Hesaid he feelshis preparation is great, including howhegoes aboutcorrecting his mistakes. And that process has led to results —inpractice.Grupe missed only onekickintraining camp—ona day it was raining —and he has seeminglybeen just as accurate during the week in the regular season. But his accuracy isn’ttranslating to games.

“I oweittoliterally everybody to be better,” Grupe said. “But Idon’thave a lot of answers right now.”

If theSaintsreplace him,itremains to be seenwhether they would sign someoneoff thestreet or turn to Charlie Smyth —the Ireland native who hasspent the last two seasons on the team’spracticesquad. Askedabout Smyth, Mooresaidhe’sina “developmental role” and added he’dbepartof theevaluation process.

In between theturnovers, there were enough decent moments to give Saintsfans hope that Shough can be theguy theteam builds around going forward. Butinthe end, his 30-of-43, 243-yard passing effort wasn’tnearly

There’salso no guarantee, of course, that the Saints will cut Grupe this week.The team’s brass has stuck by the 27-year-old ever since he beat out WilLutz during training camp in 2023. Coaches have cautioned that teams can releasekickers toosoon,only to see them thrive elsewhere.

Ironically,that’shappening with Lutz in Denver. The Broncos and Lutz reportedly agreed to athree-year extension Friday.Lutz has made 88.6% of his field-goal attempts over histhree seasons in Denver,including 17 of 20 in 2025. But Grupe hasn’thad the same level of consistency.Instead, the Saints have clung to hope that the third-year player could turn acorner Days earlier,Saintsspecial-teams coordinator Phil Galiano knocked on the wooden lectern in front of him during his news conference when it was pointed out that Grupe had made his last eight field goal attempts.

Knocking on wood might nothave been enough to save Grupe’sjob.

good enough to overcome the rest of the team’s offensive inefficiencies.

“Not good enough,” Moore said of the overall offensive performance. “It waschoppy.…There will be better days, certainly.”

With anew head coach, new quarterback and new offensive scheme, growing pains wereexpected from the Saints offense this season. But it’sbeen an even bigger struggle than anyone expected.

The 10-point scoring output marked the sixth consecutive gameinwhich the Saints failed to break the 20-point mark. Their highest scoring output was26points against the New York Giants on Oct. 5, and that effort was accomplished thanks to adefensive touchdown.

The impotent offense forces the Saints into aperpetual gameofcatchup. The Falcons gamewas the seventh timein11contests that the Saints failed to lead forasingle minute.

“Itwas adisappointing day,” Hill said. “Wehad plenty of opportunities, and we didn’tcapitalize. It’s ahard thing to swallow at this point.”

It is indeed. It’s an even harder thing to watch.

Email JeffDuncanat jduncan@theadvocate.com.

Oregon is back in the top

BY ERIC OLSON AP college football writer

Oregon returned to the top five of The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Sunday, five Atlantic Coast Conference teams were ranked for the second time this season and Georgia Tech took the biggest fall after its second loss in three games.

Ohio State, Indiana and Texas

A&M remained the top three teams for a sixth straight week, and Georgia was No. 4 for the second week in a row Oregon jumped over idle Mississippi to No. 5, its highest ranking since it was No. 3 in the Oct. 5 poll. The Ducks strengthened their College Football Playoff resume with a 15-point victory over then-No. 16 Southern California, extending their winning streak to five games. Mississippi was followed by Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama.

Ohio State is No. 1 for a 13th straight week going into its game at No 15 Michigan. The Buckeyes received 58 first-place votes and were 53 points ahead of Indiana, which was listed first on seven voters’ ballots. Texas A&M got the remaining firstplace vote. Miami, which beat Virginia Tech by 17 points on the road, moved up a spot to No. 13 and was the highest-ranked of five ACC teams. Virginia climbed two spots to No. 17. Georgia Tech, beaten 42-28 at home by Pittsburgh, dropped eight rungs to No. 23. Pittsburgh, which has three losses, was one spot behind the twoloss Yellow Jackets. No. 25 SMU re-entered the poll for the first time since Sept. 2. No. 20 James Madison of the Sun Belt Conference remained the highest-ranked Group of Five

team in the AP poll. The Dukes, up one spot from a week ago, came from behind to beat Washington State 24-20. No. 21 North Texas of the American Conference was one spot ahead of Tulane. The Green Wave were the only Group of Five team in the CFP selection committee’s rankings last week, at No. 24.

Rivalry week awaits

After a relatively calm Week 13, rivalry week awaits and offers the final opportunity for contenders to make a case for the CFP.

Texas A&M and Georgia look to punch their tickets to Atlanta for the SEC championship game

with wins against in-state foes Texas and Georgia Tech.

In the Big Ten, Michigan hosts No. 1 Ohio State. A win by the Wolverines could be enough for them to earn an at-large bid, but it’s a feat no team has accomplished this season. Virginia aims to clinch an ACC Championship game appearance with a win against Virginia Tech, and SMU hopes for the same outcome against Cal. The door opens if either team loses, and eyes will turn to Miami vs. Pitt.

Michigan benefits from USC’s loss

Michigan beat Maryland 45-20 this week, while USC dropped 42-27 to Oregon.

Tulane nearly a lock to host American Conference title tilt

BY GUERRY SMITH

Contributing writer

Nothing happened Saturday to prevent Tulane from hosting the American Conference championship game for the third time in four years and appearing in the title tilt for an unprecedented fourth consecutive season.

The Green Wave, which routed Temple 37-13 in Philadelphia, will have its position affirmed Tuesday night when the latest College Football Playoff rankings are released, barring an unlikely reversal in the selection committee’s thinking. Tulane (9-2, 6-1) entered Saturday at No. 24, while North Texas and Navy, the two teams tied with the Wave on top of the league standings, were unranked.

With head-to-head results inapplicable since Tulane did not face North Texas or Navy, the highestranked team on Tuesday will take the second tiebreaker that determines the host, as long as it wins its finale. The Wave gets home date with Charlotte (1-10, 0-7), which has lost all seven of its conference games by double digits and the past four by at least 21 points

Although Tulane coach Jon Sumrall has refused to look ahead, focusing only on the next opponent, he admitted the significance of the Wave’s position on Saturday night.

“It’s a huge deal,” he said. “Playing in the (championship) game is huge. This is a competitive league. This league, top to bottom, is probably more challenging than it was when I came into it a year ago. Everybody’s elevated what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.”

It is hard to envision a rationale that would drop Tulane below North Texas (10-1, 6-1), which erased an early 14-0 deficit by scoring touchdowns on eight of its final nine series in a 56-24 rout of Rice. The Mean Green, which closes with a home game against Temple on Friday afternoon, won no comparison points with the Wave, which did not play the Owls. Also helping Tulane was East Carolina’s 58-24 blowout loss at Texas-San Antonio, which makes the worst blemish on the Wave’s resume — a 48-26 loss at the same venue — look better by comparison TexasSan Antonio has not dropped a home conference game since 2019 and has outscored its three opponents at the Alamodome 167-63 this season. East

LAURENCE KESTERSON

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By

Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall talks to players before a game against Temple on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Carolina (7-4, 5-2) entered Saturday tied at the top of the American in the loss column.

“The Alamodome has got real voodoo,” Sumrall said. “I don’t know what’s going on.”

Northwestern’s and Duke’s close victories on Saturday against Minnesota and North Carolina, respectively, provided another boost for the Wave. Both teams became bowl eligible, and selection committee chair Hunter Yurachek cited Tulane’s wins over the two Power Four schools as a reason why it was the only Group of Five team in the top 25 last Tuesday

If Tulane being the host for the title game is almost assured, North Texas is in nearly as good a position to be the Wave’s opponent. The Mean Green can clinch at least a tie for first by beating Temple, which has lost three in a row, and could enter the CFP rankings on Tuesday after No. 21 Illinois, No. 22 Missouri and No. 23 Houston all lost Saturday

Even if North Texas is left out of the top 25, it holds a huge advantage over Navy in the four computer rankings that serve as the third tiebreaker The Midshipmen, who were idle on Saturday, can get to 7-1

by winning at Memphis on Thursday but would finish third in a threeway tiebreaker with the Wave and Mean Green. Their only viable path to the championship game is having one of the two to lose as heavy favorites this weekend. If Navy and North Texas lose, South Florida (8-3, 5-2) can reenter the picture. The Bulls, who host Rice on Saturday trail North Texas in the computer tiebreaker that would decide a three-way tiebreaker with Navy but are close enough that they could surpass the Mean Green if both finish 6-2.

Got that? Maybe not, but for Tulane, all that matters at the moment is beating Charlotte.

“We’re playing with a purpose,” Retzlaff said.

Poll time

Tulane rose two spots to No. 22 in the Associated Press poll and to No. 23 in the coaches’ poll, trailing James Madison by two spots and North Texas by one in both.

Good thing for the Wave the polls have no bearing on the CFP rankings for American championship game host purposes or the top Group of Five champion that will get an automatic bid to the 12-team playoff.

The combination helped move the Wolverines up a notch to fourth in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon. USC fell to fifth. Michigan also moved up three spots in the AP Top 25, coming in at No. 15. The Wolverines await rival Ohio State. A win against the reigning National Champions and playoff front-runners could carry an under-the-radar Michigan team to the College Football Playoff.

Michigan has won their past four against the Buckeyes.

Utah drops to No. 14

Utah fell one spot in the rankings to No. 14 after narrowly escaping an upset loss to Kansas

State on Saturday night. The Utes scored two touchdowns and notched an interception in the final three minutes of the game to overcome a 10-point deficit and win it 51-47.

Utah was the second team out of the 12-team CFP bracket in Tuesday’s rankings. The committee ranked the Utes No. 12, but the projected fourth and fifth highest-ranked conference winners Miami and Tulane — took over the No. 11 and 12 seeds.

Five ACC teams crack the rankings Five ACC teams are featured in the AP Top 25 this week, which added SMU and Pitt to the rankings.

At No. 13, Miami holds the the ACC’s top spot, while Virginia trails at No. 17. Georgia Tech fell to No 23, Pitt ranks No. 24 and SMU rounds out the rankings at No. 25. Wins by SMU and Pitt knocked Houston and Missouri out of the rankings Missouri lost to Oklahoma and Houston dropped to TCU.

The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS Defending national champion North Dakota State will lead a record-tying six teams from the Missouri Valley Football Conference into the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The MVFC champion Bison (12-0) on Sunday were named the No. 1 seed in the 24-team playoffs and will be making their 16th consecutive appearance. The field is made up of 11 automatically qualifying conference champions and 13 at-large selections. The first round begins Saturday with unseeded teams paired with teams seeded 9-16 primarily according to geographical proximity The championship game is Jan. 5 at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. North Dakota State has won 10 of the last 14 FCS titles. The Bison beat St. Thomas-Minnesota 62-7 on Saturday to extend their winning streak to 16 games.

Montana State (10-2), the runner-up to NDSU last year, earned the No. 2 seed after beating rival Montana 31-28 to clinch the Big

Sky Conference championship.

Montana (11-1) is the No. 3 seed.

Tarleton State (11-1) of the United Athletic Conference is the No. 4 seed.

Patriot League champion Lehigh (12-0) is No. 5, Southern champion Mercer (9-2) is No. 6, Southland champion Stephen F Austin (10-2) is No. 7 and the Big Sky’s UC Davis (8-3) is No. 8. The top eight seeds receive a first-round bye and will play their second-round game at home.

The Ivy League is participating in the playoffs for the first time. Yale, which defeated Harvard 4528 for the Ivy title, earned the automatic bid and the Crimson are in as an at-large team. First-round games: Illinois State (8-4) at Southeastern Louisiana (9-3); Central Connecticut State (8-4) at Rhode Island (10-2); Harvard (9-1) at Villanova (9-2); North Dakota (7-5) at Tennessee Tech (11-1); New Hampshire (8-4) at South Dakota State (8-4); Drake (8-3) at South Dakota (8-4); Lamar (8-4) at Abilene

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Top teams flock to Players Era tournament

BY MARK ANDERSON Associated Press

LAS VEGAS The Players Era

boldly announced its intentions last year to be the premier earlyseason college basketball tournament destination, guaranteeing at least $1 million in name, image and likeness money to each of the eight participating teams Now in its second year the Players Era that begins Monday is undeniably the place to be, having blown by the Maui Invitational and other such events with a field loaded with teams that could be playing deep into March.

Half of the 18-team field is in The Associated Press poll, including No. 2 Houston and No. 7 Michigan. The inaugural women’s field is smaller in numbers, but three of the four schools — No. 2 South Carolina, No. 3 UCLA and No. 4 Texas — are in the top four of the AP Top 25.

“You look at the teams in this field, and it’s high level everywhere you turn,” Michigan men’s coach Dusty May said. “Every night is a challenge. Testing ourselves early to see where we are will be rewarding.”

The Houston men’s team is back for the second year in a row, and the Cougars’ decision to play in last year’s inaugural event persuaded other teams to commit. Houston went on to play for the national championship, coming within a possession of cutting down the nets.

Why are the Cougars back in Las Vegas? It’s pretty simple.

“They’re giving us $1 million,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “That’s why we’re there, and I would say that’s why all the teams are there. We didn’t sign up for this to have a tournament where we could play each other We signed up for this because they’re giving us $1 million. If they decided to put a court down at some vacant lot and they’d give us $1 million, I’d go play there, too.

“It saves us from having to go ask somebody else for the money There is a thing called donor fatigue.”

For organizers, the key was backing up their promises that they could pay the teams while at the same time not breaking the bank. They won’t release financial details, but event co-founder and former AND1 CEO Seth Berger said organizers “are really happy with” where the tournament stands from a financial standpoint.

AP PHOTO By RyAN SUN

Michigan forward yaxel Lendeborg reacts after the team’s win against Middle Tennessee on Wednesday in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“I think the most important thing that the teams had to know from last year that, one, Players Era could operate a first-class event and we did,” Berger said. “The second thing was the promises that we made to the athletes that we were

going to bring guaranteed NIL opportunities and actually fulfill the obligations and pay the kids for the NIL activations were going to be true.”

He said not only have teams bought in, but so have their sup-

Williams, Brumbaugh lift Tulane past Boston College

Williams scores career-high 32 for Green Wave

By The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Curtis Williams scored a careerhigh 32 points, Rowan Brumbaugh added 27 points, and Tulane beat Boston College 93-90 in overtime on Sunday night in the consolation game at the Charleston Classic.

Brumbaugh dribbled into the paint and then

kicked it out to Williams for a 3-pointer that gave the Green Wave a 90-87 lead with 2:34 left in the game.

Chase Forte answered with a 3 before Williams made a layup to give Tulane a 92-90 lead with 1:08 to play

Donald Hand scored 26 points for Boston College (3-4) Chase Forte made 5 of 8 from 3-point range and finished with 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Fred Payne added 15 points Payne missed a potential tying half-court heave at the buzzer Boden Kapke hit a 3-pointer from the logo that

made it 86-all with 2.5 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

Williams grabbed nine rebounds and made 12 of 18 from the field, 4 of 8 from 3-point range and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. Brumbaugh finished with seven rebounds and five assists.

Hand scored six points in a 10-2 run to close the first half that gave Boston College its first lead of the game at 40-39. Hand was fouled on a 3-point shot at the buzzer and made all three free throws to cap the spurt.

porters, with ticket sales seven times higher than last year

“They’re insanely amazing,” Berger said. “I literally am not overstating it.”

The Maui Invitational was for many years the prime destination for such events, and there would have been a time in the not-toodistant past that a team wouldn’t have dreamed of backing out.

But that’s what UNLV did in February The Runnin’ Rebels went from playing in paradise to staying home on “the ninth island,” a title given to Las Vegas because of the heavy influx of Hawaiians.

Teams certainly don’t go to Maui for the money It often is a net loss for those making the trip, but the payoff is the tropical experience and competing in a field full of ranked teams. This year, No. 25 N.C. State is ranked in this year’s eight-team field that begins play Monday, and Southern California is the only other team even receiving votes. Attempts to reach an official at the Maui Invitational for comment were unsuccessful.

Like Maui, Las Vegas can sell the atmosphere to teams as well as the money and the strength of the field.

“Man, I’m super excited,” Michigan preseason All-American Yaxel Lendeborg said. “Just being able to play in Vegas in general is amazing. It’s like playing in New York.” Las Vegas will use two venues MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena — that are about a five-minute drive apart on the Strip.

The men’s part of the event begins with prescheduled games Monday and Tuesday On Wednesday, the championship and thirdplace game will take place, with other teams competing in consolation games that day and on Thanksgiving.

The women play two semifinals Wednesday with the title and consolation games on Thursday “I think everybody looked at this week when it came out and went, ‘Whoa, what an opportunity,’ ” UCLA women’s coach Cori Close said “I don’t have to work very hard to motivate (her players).”

Third-ranked UCLA women cruise in a rout of Southern

BY BETH HARRIS Associated Press

LOS ANGELES Angela Dugalic scored 20 points to lead four players in double figures and No. 3 UCLA routed Southern 88-37 on Sunday

The Bruins (6-0) tuned up for their second trip to Las Vegas in two weeks. They swept ranked North Carolina and South Florida in the WBCA Challenge last time This week, they’ll face No. 4 Texas and play either No. 2 South Carolina or Duke in their other game.

Kiki Rice added 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Lauren Betts had 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and six rebounds and Lena Bilic hit four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points and six rebounds.

DeMya Porter scored eight points to lead Southern (1-4) in its second visit to Pauley Pavilion this year The Jaguars lost to the Bruins by 38 points in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March, with UCLA advancing to the Final Four

The Bruins led 49-9 at halftime after shutting out the Jaguars 27-0 in the second quarter. It was UCLA’s first scoreless

quarter since Dec. 5, 2021, against San Jose State Their defense forced the Jaguars into missing all of their 13 shots while committing five turnovers and grabbing just four rebounds.

In one sequence, Betts blocked a shot, Gabriela Jaquez stole the ball and Dugalic hit a 3-pointer, one of the four that she and Bilic combined to make in the second.

UCLA outscored Southern 39-0 starting at the end of the first and ending early in the third. That’s when Jaylia Reed stopped the drought with a 3-pointer her team’s second of the game.

Southern managed 12 points in the third, when Dugalic scored UCLA’s final seven points for a 72-21 lead going into the fourth. The teams each scored 16 points in the fourth, when the Bruins’ lead reached 57 points.

Up next

Southern: Visits Washington on Tuesday night in the middle game of its Western swing.

UCLA: Plays No. 4 Texas on Wednesday at the Players Era Women’s Championship in Las Vegas.

Valimaki holds on for 1st PGA Tour title

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

ST SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Sami Vali-

maki became Finland’s first PGA Tour winner on Sunday when he closed with a 4-under 66 for a oneshot victory in the RSM Classic, the final event of the year, which saw hopes rise and fall over the final hour at Sea Island Valimaki, who had two runnerup finishes over the past two seasons, used putter from below the green on the 16th and then holed an 18-foot putt putt. He was steady over the closing holes even as the wind abruptly changed direction with a little more force late in the day Far more dramatic was everything going on in front of him.

The top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings — down from 125 players in previous years — have full PGA Tour cards for a 2026 season when the fields will be smaller Ricky Castillo shot 28 on the front nine and closed with a 62, and when he finished, it looked like that would be enough for him to move from No. 135 inside the top 100. But then Max McGreevy holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 63, moving him into second place alone.

That bumped Castillo down to No. 102 by fewer than 10 points

Right after McGreevy holed his putt, Lee Hodges had a 10foot birdie attempt that narrowly

missed and cost him a chance to move into the top 100 The par for a 66 left him at No. 101 in the FedEx Cup standings by about two points. When the RSM Classic ended, the players at Nos. 95 to 100 going into the final event were unchanged.

And there was Valimaki, a twotime winner on the European tour who was runner-up two weeks ago in Mexico. Now he has a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and is assured of playing the first two $20 million signature events of

2026 by finishing at No. 51 in the FedEx Cup. “It has been a long road, of course,” Valimaki said. “I feel like it’s a really tough year even when I kind of played decent golf, and then to keep pushing and find some

SCOREBOARD

good grooves in the last few tournaments, it feels amazing.”

McGreevy, who already had his card locked up, moved up to No. 60 to also qualify for a pair of signature events to start next year His finish bumped Jordan Spieth, who did not play this fall, from the 60th spot, meaning Spieth will need sponsor exemptions for Pebble Beach and Riviera.

McGreevyplayed with freedom knowing he didn’t have to worry about playing for his card.

“I never felt that nervous,” he said. “I felt like I was playing to win. Luckily, my best golf came out at the end of the year.”

Nico Echavarria shot 65 to tie for fourth and moved into that No. 5160 slot for signature events on the West Coast.

Sam Stevens made a hole-in-one on the third hole with a 9-iron over a bunker to a front pin and wound up with a 63 to join an 11-way tie for seventh place. He already was set for all the signature events. On his mind at No. 48 in the world ranking was staying in the top 50 at year’s end to earn a spot in the Masters.

It’s too close to call, as it is for Johnny Keefer, the Korn Ferry Tour player of the year who came into the week at No. 50. Both were in that big tie for seventh and figure to move up a few spots, with tournaments still to be held in Australia and South Africa the rest of the year

state schedule Saturday’s games Oklahoma State 95, Nicholls 81 Morehead State 83, UL-Monroe 80 Sunday’s games East Tennessee State 97, UL-Monroe 55 Tulane 93, Boston College 90, OT McNeese 92, George Washington 86 Monday’s games

Arizona 28 NCAA 2025 FCS Playoff glance First Round Saturday, November 29 Southeastern La. vs. Illinois St., noon Rhode Island vs. Central Conn. St., 11 a.m. Villanova vs. Harvard, 11 a.m. Tennessee Tech vs. North Dakota, noon Youngstown St. vs. Yale, 11 a.m. Abilene Christian vs. Lamar University, noon South Dakota vs. Drake, noon South Dakota St. vs. New Hampshire, noon Second Round Saturday, December 6 North Dakota St. vs Southeastern La.-Illinois St.-winner, noon UC Davis vs. Rhode Island-Central Conn. St.-winner, 2 p.m. Lehigh vs. Villanova-Harvard-winner, 11 a.m. Tarleton St. vs. Tennessee Tech-North Dakota-winner, noon Montana St. vs. Youngstown St.-Yale-winner, 1 p.m. SFA vs. Abilene Christian-Lamar Universitywinner, noon Mercer vs. South Dakota-Drake-winner, 11 a.m. Montana vs. South Dakota St.-New Hampshire-winner, 1 p.m. Quarterfinals North Dakota St.-Southeastern La.-Illinois St.-winner vs. UC Davis-Rhode Island-Central Conn. St.-winner, TBA Lehigh-Villanova-Harvard-winner vs. Tarleton St.-Tennessee Tech-North Dakotawinner, TBA Montana St.-Youngstown St.-Yale-winner vs. SFA-Abilene Christian-Lamar Universitywinner, TBA Mercer-South Dakota-Drake-winner vs. Montana-South Dakota St.-New Hampshirewinner, TBA Semifinals North Dakota St.-Southeastern La.-Illinois St.-UC Davis-Rhode Island-Central Conn. St.-winner vs. Lehigh-Villanova-HarvardTarleton St.-Tennessee Tech-North Dakotawinner, TBA Montana St.-Youngstown St.-Yale-SFAAbilene Christian-Lamar University-winner vs. Mercer-South Dakota-Drake-MontanaSouth Dakota St.-New Hampshire-winner, TBA Championship Monday,

-18 Andrew Novak 61a-65b-70a-68a—264 18 J.T. Poston 65a-65b-68a-66a—264 18 Sam Stevens 67a-67b-67a-63a—264 -18 Mac Meissner 67b-66a-66a-66a—265 17

66b-65a-69a-65a—265 -17

65b-66a-69a-65a—265 -17

68b-62a-67a-69a—266 16 Ben Martin 66b-69a-68a-63a—266 -16 William Mouw 69a-65b-64a-68a—266 16 Ryan Palmer 69b-64a-68a-65a—266 16 Byeong Hun An 68b-67a-67a-65a—267 -15

Buckley 66a-64b-70a-67a—267 15 Trey Mullinax 65a-68b-70a-64a—267 -15 Henrik Norlander 65a-67b-71a-64a—267 -15

61a-69b-69a-68a—267 15

69b-62a-68a-68a—267 -15

Sigg 66a-62b-72a-67a—267 15

62b-71a-66a-68a—267 -15

71b-62a-70a-65a—268 14

67b-68a-71a-63a—269 13 Chan Kim 66b-68a-69a-66a—269 -13 Chris Kirk 70b-64a-68a-67a—269 13 N. N. Moller 65a-69b-67a-68a—269 -13 M. Riedel 64b-67a-72a-67a—270 12 Auto racing F1 Gran Premio de Mexico results Sunday At Hermanos Rodriguez Racetrack Mexico City Lap length: 4.00 kilometers (Start position in parentheses)

1. (1) Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren, 71 laps, 1:37:58.574, 25 points. 2. (2) Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 71, +30.324 seconds, 18. 3. (5) Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing, 71, +31.049, 15. 4. (9) Oliver Bearman, England, Haas, 71, +40.955, 12. 5. (7) Oscar Piastri, Australia, McLaren, 71, +42.065, 10. 6. (6) A. Kimi Antonelli, Italy, Merc., 71, +47.837, 8. 7. (4) George Russell, Great Britain, Mercedes, 71, +50.287, 6. 8. (3) Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Ferrari, 71, +56.446, 4. 9. (11) Esteban Ocon, France, Haas, 71, +75.464, 2. 10. (16) G Bortoleto, Brazil, KICK Sauber, 71, +76.863, 1. 11. (10) Y. Tsunoda, Japan, R. Bull Rac., 71, +79.048. 12. (17) A. Albon, Thailand, Williams, 70, 1L. 13. (8) I. Hadjar, France, Racing Bulls, 70, 1L. 14. (19) L. Stroll, Canada, Aston Martin, 70, 1L. 15. (18) Pierre Gasly, France, Alpine, 70, 1L. 16. (20) F. Colapinto, Argentina, Alpine, 70, 1L. 17. (12) Carlos Sainz Jr., Spain, Williams, did not finish, 67. 18. (14) Fernando Alonso, Spain, Aston Martin, did not finish, 34. 19. (13) Nico Hulkenberg, Germany, KICK Sauber, did not finish, 25. 20. (15) Liam Lawson, New Zealand, Racing Bulls, did not finish, 5. Driver Standings 1. L. Norris, G. Britain, McLaren, 357 points. 2. Oscar Piastri,

LIVING

Howcan Imusterasense of gratitude as acaregiveramidthe arduous journey of Alzheimer’sdisease?

Slime, Battleship and TrivialPursuit join theToy Hall of Fame

BY CAROLYNTHOMPSON Associated Press

Slime, that gooey, sticky and often-homemade plaything, was enshrined intothe National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursdayalong withperennial bestselling games Battleship andTrivial Pursuit

Each year,the Hall of Fame recognizestoys that have inspired creativeplayacross generations, cullingits finalists fromamong thousands of nominees sent in online Voting by thepublic and apanel of expertsdecides which playthings willbeinducted.

Milton Bradley’sBattleship, a strategy game that challenges players to strikeanopponent’s warships, and Trivial Pursuit, which tests players’ knowledge in categories like geography and sports, have each sold morethan 100 million copies over several

BY JONATHAN J. COOPER and DARLENE SUPERVILLE

decades,accordingtothe Hall of Fame.

Battleship started as apenciland-paper game in the1930s, but it was Milton Bradley’s1967 plastic editionwith fold-up stations and model ships that becameahit with the public. Its popularity crested when Universal Pictures and Hasbro, which nowownsMilton Bradley,released the 2012 movie, “Battleship,” looselybased on the game.Battleship was also among

thefirst board games tobecomputerized in 1979, according to the Hall of Fame, and now thereare numerous electronic versions. TrivialPursuitlets players compete aloneorinteams as they maneuver around aboardanswering trivia questions in exchange for wedges in agame piece. Canadian journalists Chris Haney and Scott Abbott came up with thegamein

ä See HALLOFFAME, page 2D

For some caregivers, it is difficult to invoke gratitude, to have athankful spirit during the journey of Alzheimer’s disease with aloved one. And, combined with the seemingly endless disasters and devastations, and things knownand unknowntous, these life’s difficulties pull us into often disordered lives and makeit nearly impossible to see how we’re supposed to have feelings of gratefulness as Thanksgiving nears. It is normal to have some form of guilt or shamefor not feeling the emotion of thankfulness. The day-to-day responsibilities of caring fora loved one with Alzheimer’sare overwhelming and stressful, and feelings of gratitude, most often, are the last thoughts on the caregiver’smind at the end of the day

Acknowledging and journaling these feelings will help the emotions flow and also help in identifying the areas that need healing. Additionally,writing, naming and embracing all these emotions can bring new perspectives, and the caregiver might see many aspects of his or her situations that are blessings —ones to be thankful for Hope and gratitude can spring through the recognition of these blessings in addition to providing the endurance and encouragement through the worst of caregiving times. Great blessings are often released through acceptance; acceptance of the loved one’s disease and its progression and acceptance that lifewill never be the same, though still purposeful, nonetheless.

Finding particular meaning in caring forthat loved one with Alzheimer’sand then appreciating the personal growth that comes from being strong in the wake of this difficult journey can help the caregiver on the road to feeling grateful and offering thanks foreach momentofthe day with his or her loved one. Discoverthat gratitude happens in the joy of the present moment. Yes, life is not the same, but have you noticed your loved one’ssmile lately? Have you cherished that touch, aglimmer in the eyes, the spontaneous laughter,orperhaps a familiar melody sung together?

Finding those small moments of joy in everyday living and meaningful activities can create new relationships with family members and friends and generate alasting bond between the caregiver and the care receiver.And those moments that seemed so completely insignificant afew months ago can suddenly become simple joys. Little things can emerge that offer hope and aspirit of gratefulness.

In this season of Thanksgiving, amid great challenges with the Alzheimer’sjourney,and other lifedifficulties, we can

Speech-languagetherapyhelpful forreceptive aphasia

Dear Doctors: Isuffered astroke about ayear ago and havecompleted outpatient rehab. Ihave been having aproblem understanding speakers at an event. Ihear the sounds but can’tunderstand all the words. Do you know if this is common? Is there any therapy or exercises that can help?

Dear reader: Thecondition you have described is known as receptive aphasia. Also called Wernicke’saphasia, it affects the ability to comprehend, and sometimesto produce, spoken or writtenlanguage. Receptive aphasia is estimated to occur in between 20% and 40% of people whohave sufferedanischemic stroke. This is astroke in which aclot, air bubble or fragment of debris slows or blocks blood flow to thebrain. Other possible causes include non-stroke brain injuries and cer-

Dr.Elizabeth Ko Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

tain neurologicaldisorders, but these are less common. Receptive aphasia can develop when an interruptionofblood flow damagestissues in aspecificarea of the brain. Known as Wernicke’sarea, it is located toward the back of the left side of thebrain,near the auditory cortex.This region is key to helping us process andunderstand spoken and written language.

Wernicke’sarea is essentially the

brain’stranslation center,where therandom sounds of speech are decoded and transformed into meaningful language. People livingwith receptive aphasia may benefit from aform of treatment known as speechlanguage therapy.It’sdesigned to help improve or regain theability to understand and use spoken and written language. This form of rehab works by retraining the brain through exercises that focus on language drills, repetition, question-and-answer practice and guided conversation. Therapists often incorporate drawings, photos,videos and other visual aids. The goal is to improve comprehension and strengthen communication skills.

While speech-language therapy can be effective, the results are highly individual. Outcomes de-

Difficultiescooking forone

Dear Heloise: Iam102 years of age and live by myself. Cooking for one is difficult. Ihave containersthat hold aserving of mac and cheese, sliced roastand gravy,meat sauce, etc. One pound of ground meat pats out to five or six patties. Iplace them on acookie sheet to freeze, then put them in abaggie for future use. I spreadhamburger buns on sheet, and when they’re individually frozen, Ireturn them to the bag and put them back in the freezer.One cup of cooked rice can be divided into serving amounts and placed in appropriate-sized baggies. These are just afew ways to have ready-to-warm-andserve meals. Itruly save

money and leftoverfood to my advantage. Thanks for your informative column. Ruth B.,via email

Supportyourlocal libraries

don’tlike cooking,but one of us needs to do it,and it’s easier for me. My husband does many other household and outside jobs that Ido not do.

pend on the location of abrain injury and the extent of damage to thetissues of Wernicke’sarea.

The person’sage, as well as their overall health, can also influence success. So can the frequency and intensity of the therapy.Studies show this therapy is mosteffectivewhen practiced intensively, between 20 and 50 hours total.

That includes sessions with a therapist and practice at home.

And, as with anyrecovery process, support is important from family,friends and health care professionals. People whohave someoneinvested in their recovery,even clinical staff, tend to makemore progress than those who try to do it alone.

To engage in this type of therapy,you’ll want to workwith aspeech-language pathologist. They will assess your condition,

design apersonalized treatment plan, oversee your sessions and track your progress. Speech-language therapy has been shownto be effective even when delivered remotely.Soifyou can’tfind an experienced therapist nearby,you can explore virtual options. Receptive aphasia can have aprofound effect on quality of life, but with skilled therapy and steady support, manypeople makemeaningful progress. We hope you’re able to connect with atherapist who’sthe right fit for you.

Send yourquestions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite 1450, Los Angeles CA, 90024.

FOMO in Englishclass

Dear Heloise: The Friends of theSpringfieldGreene County Library in Missouri hastwo major book sales each year When Iwas there for thelast one, they had about20local yearbooks that were set outfor purchase. People need to check in with and support theirlocal libraries, or we are going to lose them. —Ann, via email

Cookingfor two

Dear Heloise: My husband is aceliac and avegetarian. Iamneither of those things,soIhave tocook separate meals for us. I

HALL OF FAME

Continued from page1D

1979 and eventually sold the rights to Hasbro. Frequently updated, specialty versions have emerged for young players, baby boomers and other segments and an online daily quiz keeps players engaged, chief curator Chris Bensch said.

Slime’sappeal is more about squish than skill It was introduced commercially in 1976 and has beenmanufactured under various brand names, but it is even more accessible as a do-it-yourself project. The internet offers avariety of recipes using ingredients like baking soda, glue and contact lens solution.

“Though slime continues to carry icky connotations to slugs and swamps —all part of the fun forsome —the

ROCKWELL

Continued from page1D

“I can’ttell you how personally thrilled Iamthat the White House Historical Association preserved this piece of White House history,” said Anita McBride, who sits on the association’s board of directors.

The White House Historical Association’swinning bid was $5.8 million. Its total cost to reclaim the art, including the buyer’spremium paid to the auction house,was $7.25million

The price tag is by far the most ever paid by the association, which holds avast collection of art, furniture and other items as part of itsmission to help the White House collectand display artifacts that represent American his-

GRATITUDE

Continued from page1D

focus on the blessings of being acare giverand acare receiver,for it is reciprocal at best. Perhaps American poet Maya Angelousums up gratitude best in one of her

To solve theproblem of having to makeseparate meals andmydisliking to cook, Icook my meals and makethem intoTVdinners. Iusually keep about seven different kinds of meals in thefreezer for myself. This way,Ican have what Ilike quickly and not have to be cooking all the time. Icook one or two recipes for him each week. Ialways keep atray of fresh, cutup vegetables and fruits available. It works for us. Thanks for your column. I read it every day —Carol B., via email

Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

ATrivialPursuitgameis displayedatthe ToyFair in New york’s Javits Center in 2023.

toy offers meaningful play,” curator Michelle ParnettDwyer said, adding that it’s also used forstress relief andbuilding motor skills.

Thehonorees will beon permanent displayatthe Hall of Fame inside The Strong National Museum of Play inRochester,New York.

tory and culture. BeforeFriday, the most the association had paidfor an artifact was $1.5 million for“The Builders,” by African American artist Jacob Lawrence, in 2007, McBride said. Thatwork depictshardworking men in orange,red andbrowntones, and hangs in the White House Green Room

The sketches are Rockwell’sonlyknown collection of four interrelatedpaintings thatheconceived to tell a story,according to Heritage Auctions, the Dallas-based auctionhouse that soldthem Theseries was created in 1943 andpublished in the SaturdayEvening Post. Theassociation will share more “about thefuture of this significant andhistoric work,” its president, Stewart McLaurin, said in astatement

This year’s inducteeswere voted in over other nominees including the games Catan and Connect Four, the Spirographdrawing device, the “StarWars” lightsaber, Furby andTickleMeElmo. They also beat outclassics including scooters,cornhole and snow

“Welook forward to utilizing this acquisition to teach White House history for generations to come,” he said.

Matthew Costello, the association’schiefeducation officer,told The Associated Press in atelephone interview this week that officials haddiscussedputting the sketches on display at The People’sHouse:AWhite House Experience. The association opened the interactive White House education center in September 2024.

The White House Historical Association wascreated in 1961 by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy to help preserve themuseum quality of theinterior of theWhite House andeducate thepublic. It is anonprofit, nonpartisanorganization that receives no government funding.

many quotes: “The ship of my life mayormay not be sailingoncalmand amiable seas. Thechallenging days ofmyexistence may or may not bebrightand promising. Stormyorsunny days,glorious orlonely nights, Imaintain an attitudeofgratitude.IfI insist on beingpessimistic, there is always tomorrow.TodayI am blessed.”

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts“The Memory Whisperer.” Emailher at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

Dear Miss Manners: Iama high school senior who usually sitswith my friend Oliver in English class. I’veknown him for about a year and we get along very well and hang out outside of school since we only have one class together

We don’tactually talk much in this class. I’venoticed he has difficultyfocusing so he can’tbedistracted from his schoolwork and our usual shared activities aren’treally something to be doing in class. Inoticed today that the table behind where Oliver and Isit has about five people and they were having apretty amazing conversation for mostofclass. Icould hear them making somevery witty remarks about the current assignmentand they talked alot about TV shows Ienjoy I’d like to ask theteacher

if Ican movetothe fun table but Idonot want Oliver to feel like Iwant to avoid him or don’t enjoy his company, he’sjust abit boring in comparison. How should Itell Oliver about my decision without him forming anxiety over it? Also Idon’t want him to feel leftout as only one other person sits at our current table and she doesn’treally talk to either of us.

Gentle reader: As arule, Miss Manners considers herself an advocate for any Gentle Reader whohas sought her advice. Not,of course, if the intention of the query is to justifyrudeness or to be combative. But yours is neither Rather,itisthe laudable intention of preventing your pleasure from resulting in another’sdesolation. So far, Miss Manners is with you. But hold on a minute. Your complaint about Oliver is that he doesn’t talk in class much. He concentrates on the subject matter.Soitwould be alot morefun to join the hilarious group that isn’tpaying attention. And you are appealing to agrown-up to help you? How about applying someofthat sensitivity to others? Youmight begin with the teacher —who, frankly,should have broken up that table of wits; then the students whoare interested in the subject; and perhaps your own parents, whotrusted that you were in school to learn.

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

Family debateswhether dadtreated kids differently

Dear Harriette: My younger brother and Igrew up in thesame house but had very different experiences with our father.Askids, Ialways felt like Dad was harder on me. He was quick to criticize and slow to show affection while my brother seemed toget the best part of him Now that we’re adults, Ithought we could finally talk about it,but every time Ibring it up, my brother shutsdown or getsdefensive. He insists I’m exaggerating, defends our father’sbehavior and sometimes even turns it back on me, saying I’m being “too sensitive” or “still

ByThe Associated Press

holding agrudge.”

My brother seemsunwilling to understand my point of view.I’m not trying to tear downour dad, but Ifeel so isolated. Even my dad insists that he treated us the same—no exceptions. How do Imake peace with the fact that my own family may never acknowledge my feelings in this way? —Split Decision Dear Split Decision: Your family is stuck in its way of being. They cannot see beyond the moment and are not willing, at least right now,toconsider your perspective. That’sOK. Find somebody else to talk to —namely atherapist.

TODAYINHISTORY

Today is Monday, Nov.24, the 328th day of 2025. There are 37 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Nov.24, 1963, Jack Ruby shot and mortally wounded Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy,inascene captured on live television.

Also on this date:

In 1859, Britishnaturalist Charles Darwin published “Onthe Origin of Species,” which explained his theory of evolution by meansof natural selection.

In 1865, Mississippi becamethe first Southern state to enact laws that came to be known as “Black Codes” aimed at limiting the rightsofnewly freed Blacks;other states of the former Confederacy soon followed. In 1971, ahijacker call-

ing himself “Dan Cooper” (but whobecame popularly knownas“D.B. Cooper”) parachuted from aNorthwest Orient Airlines 727 over the Pacific Northwest after receiving $200,000 in ransom;his fate remains unknown.

In 1974, the bone fragments of a3.2 million-yearold hominid were discovered by scientists in Ethiopia; the skeletal remains were nicknamed“Lucy.”

In 2014, it was announced that agrand jury in St. Louis County,Missouri, had decided against indicting Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown; the decision enraged protesters who set fire to buildings and cars and looted businesses in the area where Brown had been fatally shot.

In 2021, three White men were convicted of murder in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery,the Black man

Youare at the perfect point in your lifetotalk about your past and present with aprofessional whocan help you process your feelings and experiences. This is how you can free yourself from whatever pain you are holding onto. That doesn’tmean that you will resolve how you were treated as achild with your brother.Your family maynever be able to see whatyou are saying or talk about the past, but you can and should evaluate your life, process your experiences and develop healthy ways to live today,regardless of how they behave.

Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com.

whowas running through aGeorgia subdivision in February 2020 when they chased and shot him In 2023, Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering Black man George Floyd, was stabbed by another inmate and seriously injured at afederal prison in Arizona. He was subsequently transferred to another prison.

Today’sbirthdays: Basketball HallofFamer Oscar Robertson is 87. Former NFLCommissioner Paul Tagliabue is 85. Rock drummer Pete Best is 84. ActorcomedianBilly Connolly is 83. BasketballHallof Famer andformer Detroit mayor DaveBing is

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Make domestic adjustments that offer freedom to pursue exciting avenues. It's OK to be different and to take the road less traveled. Be true to yourself.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Proceed with a passionate and positive attitude, and you will gain momentum, support and a chance to demonstrate your potential. Someone you encounter will interest you personally.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Pay attention to money, expiration dates and keeping your personal documents current. Be good to yourself, live within your means and enjoy life's simple pleasures.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Get in the game, share your thoughts and engage in your community. Do all the above with a positiveattitudeandasmileonyourface,and something good will transpire.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Think twice before you react to something. Situations may not be as they appear. Offering support and a positive response will help you navigate your way to the truth and justice.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) The sky is the limit when you put your mind to achievingyourgoals.Partnershipsandcreative pursuits look promising and enriching. A change will spark your interest.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Listen, absorb and change what's necessary to keep the peace and to ensure you get to finish

what you start. How you navigate your way through situations will determine your success.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Interacting will play a crucial role in determining how muchyouaccomplishandhowmuchhelp you receive. Utilize your charm, knowledge and networking skills to enhance your confidence and foster leadership.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Immerse yourself in events that challenge you in positive ways.Leavenotimeorroomforself-pity. Trust your instincts and act on them. VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Speak up and deal with unfinished business. Social or networking events can lead to opportunities and a deeper understanding of who you are and how to achieve your goals. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Keep your head down, your heart protected and your mind on what you want to achieve. Trust your ability to adapt quickly, your intuition to pick up on unsavory interactions and your innate charm to counteract negativity.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Letting your leadershipqualitiesshinewillencourage opportunities. Partnerships look promising. Education will lead to increased income.

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 numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Saturday’s PuzzleAnswer

By PHILLIP ALDER

Trey Parkerand Matt Stone, the cocreators of “SouthPark,”wrote thisline for that show: “Sometimes what’s right isn’t as important as what’sprofitable.”

At the bridge table,usually what is right will be profitable. In this deal, Southisinfour spades. West leads the heart queen. Howshould declarer plan the play? DidWest have amoreprofitablelead?

Note South’s two-heartrebid. Do not miss the opportunity to show amajor. North rebid two spades because he had a maximumminimum;ifSouthwasstrong enough to bid athird time, North’s hand would be worth game. Then, when South didcontinue with three diamonds, North mentioned his heart feature.

South starts with five losers: two heartsand three diamonds. He has nine winners: sixspades, twohearts andone club. There are various chances for a 10thtrick: hearts might be 3-3, but that is unlikely, especially given the opening lead; or East might have thediamond ace-king. (Even if diamonds are3-3, declarer will probablyloseone heart and three diamonds.) More profitable, though,istorememberthatanytimeyou can get aruff in theshorter trump hand, it is probably the right lineofplay.

Declarer should take the first trick on theboard, discardadiamond on the club ace, and continue with another heart. If

wuzzles

Eastcould ruff, South would probably fail. Here, though, East follows. Declarer winswithhis ace and leads another heart.

When back in hishand, South ruffs his last heart withdummy’s spade queen. Then he should silently thank Westfor not finding atrump lead.

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Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAy’s WoRD LuXuRIEs: LUK-shuh-rees: Indulgences.

sAtuRDAy’s WoRD —WonDERs

Average mark13words Time limit 20 minutes Can you find 17 or morewords in LUXURIES? wend

dowser drew drone drown drowse endow redo rend resod resow resown rode rose rowed send senor sewn snore snow snowed sonde sone sore sowed sower sown sword swore sworn

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a

WiShinG Well