The Acadiana Advocate 01-29-2026

A FESTIVE START

Washington Mardi Gras — a party with a purpose — kicks off despite some travel snags

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Despite icy streets and slippery sidewalks, Louisiana folks streamed into the Washington Hilton — the state’s 65th parish for now — as the 77th edition of the Washington Mardi Gras got underway Wednesday

The traditional kickoff for the four days of festivities hit a weather-related snag as Carnival officials reacted

to delayed flights and continued cleanup from the winter storm that hit earlier in the week.

But, at a slightly later time than planned, the traditional toast to this year’s Washington Mardi Gras King Gray Stream and Queen Sarah Heebe took place at the home of France’s ambassador to the United States, Laurent Bili.

“It’s good to see you,” said U.S House Speaker Mike Johnson, referring to the travel woes. “It’s so cold.

Traffic is such a delight. It’s like we’re in Baton Rouge.” In lighthearted remarks in which he occasionally went into his wellknown imitation of President Donald Trump, Johnson paid tribute to the long-standing friendship between France and the U.S. — Louisiana in particular Johnson, who is from Benton, mentioned the portraits of the Marquis de

ä See FESTIVE, page 9A

Civil Service Board reinstates demoted police captain after five-hour hearing

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

Impeachment filings against Youngsville Police Chief JP Broussard were brought before the Youngsville Municipal Police Civil Service Board during a Tuesday hearing that lasted more than five hours.

The hearing was called to determine whether disciplinary action Broussard took against Youngsville police Capt. John Davison was appropriate. The board ultimately ruled it was not and ordered Davison reinstated to his former rank.

Davison, who had served as a captain for more than a decade, had been demoted to patrol officer following an incident in which Broussard said Davison “cussed him out” during a phone call. Davison did not dispute that he used foul language but said it was not directed at Broussard.

During the hearing, Davison’s attorney alleged Broussard perjured himself in his description of a separate internal investigation similar to Davison’s case.

That investigation involved Sgt. Louvenia Landry, who filed a complaint against a subordinate, Officer Mallory Gary, for using foul language. Broussard testified Gary received verbal counseling, while Davison was demoted three ranks and placed on 90 days of unpaid leave.

Broussard said the two cases were different, asserting Landry had harassed Gary before the incident. He later acknowledged that his handling of Davison’s discipline violated the Louisiana statute commonly referred to as the Police Officers Bill of Rights.

Davison’s attorney countered that Broussard’s explanation conflicted with earlier testimony in which Broussard denied any investigation occurred. Broussard said the discrepancy stemmed from the time lapse between when the complaint was filed and when he received it. Davison’s counsel then submitted impeachment filings to the board.

Influential Lafayette restaurateur Charlie Goodson dies at 81

BY JOANNA BROWN and ADAM DAIGLE

Staff writers

Charlie Goodson, one of Lafayette’s best-known restaurateurs, has died after a battle with esophageal cancer. The 81-year-old died at home in Lafayette on Wednesday Goodson, considered a lion of the Louisiana restaurant industry, started in the 1970s with Judge Roy Bean’s Saloon, which he later transformed with partners into Café Vermilionville. He founded Charley G’s in 1985, and in 1990 opened Hub City Diner with partners Pat Mould and George Graham. In 2013, Goodson made waves in the Lafayette restaurant scene again

with the Southern Hospitality Kitchens restaurant group, started with Marc Krampe and Jody Ferguson. The group operates restaurants Charley G’s, Social Southern Table & Bar, Marcello’s Lafayette, Pete’s and The Tap Room. One of Goodson’s friends, Marla Rose Dubois, confirmed his death. She said Goodson had been the best man at her wedding, and that his community of friends is deeply distraught at his passing. Goodson had been a main player in the restaurant industry in Lafayette for years, dating back to his days operating Judge Roy Bean’s Saloon in what would later become Café Ver-

milionville along Pinhook Road in the 1970s. He was named Restaurateur of the Year in 2017 by the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association and had been honored by the Acadiana Restaurant Association as Restaurateur of the Year in 1987, 1988 and 1994.

Goodson also served on the board of the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission that hired Executive Director and CEO Ben Berthelot. He was also the founder of Eat Lafayette, an annual promotional event and celebration of the treasure trove of local home-owned restaurants.

Goodson was a mentor to other

Small plane crashes in rural area of Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia A small plane crashed Wednesday in a rural area of Norte de Santander province in northeast Colombia, killing all 15 people on board including a member of congress, authorities said.

Satena, the state-owned airline that operated the flight, said local officials in the community of Curasica notified authorities about where the plane had gone down and a rescue team was deployed to “assess the condition of the passengers.”

Colombia’s Transportation Ministry later released a statement saying that “once the aircraft was located on site, authorities regrettably confirmed that there were no survivors.”

The aircraft, which has a registration number of HK4709, took off at 11:42 a.m. from the airport in Cúcuta, the department’s capital, bound for Ocaña, a municipality surrounded by mountains, on a flight that typically lasts about 40 minutes

The aircraft’s final contact with air traffic control came minutes after takeoff, according to a statement released by Satena Officials did not provide a cause for the crash, but said there would be an investigation Winter weather impedes investigation into crash

PORTLAND, Maine

The federal investigation into the crash of a private jet that killed six people at Bangor International Airport has been hampered by extreme weather, the airport’s director said Wednesday including deep snow that has blanketed the scene and covered the burned wreckage.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration joined state and local authorities at the scene, and recovered the cockpit voice and data recorders for analysis. The state medical examiner’s office also was there, to remove the bodies of the victims and formally identify them.

The Paris-bound luxury jet had stopped to refuel amid light snow, mild winds and near-zero temperatures as a massive storm began to reach Bangor, Maine, Sunday night. Another plane had just aborted takeoff, radioing to the tower that they chose not to fly because visibility wasn’t great and they would need more deicing.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 had gone through a standard deicing process before proceeding to the runway, airport director Jose Saavedra said. The airport hasn’t answered questions about exactly what time the plane was treated and how long the treatment was expected to be good for If the calculated holdover time on a de-icing treatment expires, a pilot is expected to go back for another treatment.

Bessent warns Carney against picking a fight

WASHINGTON Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday warned Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that his recent public comments against U.S. trade policy could backfire going into the formal review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trade deal that protects Canada from the heaviest impacts of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Carney used a high-profile speech last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to condemn economic coercion by great powers on smaller countries and since then he has as since sparred with Trump and Bessent about related trade issues. Trump on Saturday threatened to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Canada over a trade deal Carney is pursuing with Beijing.

“I would not pick a fight going into USMCA to score some cheap political points either you’re working for your own political career or you’re working for the Canadian people,” Bessent said during a CNBC interview

“I’ve seen what happens when a technocrat tries to pivot and become a politician,” Bessent added, in a reference to Carney’s background as a central banker “It never really works out well.”

Miss. mobilizes 135 snowplows

Frozen conditions caused huge traffic jams

BY SOPHIE BATES, RUSS BYNUM and JEFF MARTIN Associated Press

Conditions were growing more dire in parts of the South still reeling from subfreezing temperatures and widespread power outages as vehicles got stranded for hours on major highways and officials warned Wednesday that people stuck at home were running out of food, medicine and other essentials.

Mississippi dispatched 135 snowplows and National Guard troops equipped with wreckers to sections of Interstates 55 and 22 gridlocked by vehicles abandoned in the state’s ice-stricken northern region. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses remained without power as cold daytime temperatures sunk below freezing overnight in a region unaccustomed and ill-equipped for such weather Cars and semitrucks trying to navigate the frozen highways single-file began getting stuck Tuesday. No injuries were reported, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety said. But one driver told The Associated Press she feared she might freeze to death on I-22 when her car sat idle for more than 14 hours

“I just thought that we were going to die there,” said Samantha Lewis, 78, who got stuck on a road trip with a friend.

“There was nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to save us.”

The growing misery and anxiety comes amid what Mississippi officials say is the state’s worst winter storm in more than 30 years.

Roughly 30,500 homes and businesses remained without power Wednesday, the vast majority of them in Tennessee and Mississippi. At least 50 people have died across the U.S. in states afflicted by the dangerous cold.

In Hardin County, Tennessee, at the

Mississippi state line, many people remain trapped in homes without electricity because of roads made impassable by ice and fallen trees, said LaRae Sliger, the county’s emergency management director

Sliger said people who were prepared to manage a couple of days without power can’t go much longer without help.

“They’re cold, they don’t have power they don’t have heat, they’re out of propane, they’re out of wood, they’re out of kerosene for their kerosene heaters,” she said. “They have no food, they have no additional fuel for their alternative heating sources, so they’re needing out.”

In northeast Mississippi, emergency managers in Alcorn County were also receiving “calls of desperation” from people running out of food, water, medication and other supplies, said Evan Gibens, the emergency agency’s director He said dispatchers who have been sleeping at work since Friday have fielded more than 2,000 calls.

“We are doing everything we possibly can,” said Gibens, noting 200 people were staying at a local arena being used as a warming shelter More than 100,000 outages remained in Nashville, where downed trees and snapped power lines blocked access to some areas. Utility workers will need at least the weekend, if not longer, to finish restoring power, said Brent Baker, a Nashville Electric Service vice president.

Lewis said she and a friend, Catherine Muldoon, were driving through Mississippi on a trip from Florida to Oklahoma when they got stuck on I-22 at about noon Tuesday Cars and trucks were backed up in a single lane that was partly cleared. They spent more than half a day stranded, Lewis said, turning on the car for 15 minutes to warm up and then shutting it off for 45 minutes to conserve fuel. Finally at about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, they followed a pickup truck on one of the icecovered, traffic-free lanes and reached a gas station.

U.S. in talks with Denmark, Greenland on Arctic security

BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Technical talks between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland over hatching an Arctic security deal are now underway, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland agreed to create a working group aimed at addressing differences with the U.S during a Washington meeting earlier this month with Vice President JD Vance and Rubio.

The group was created after President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for the U.S. to take over Greenland, a Danish territory, in the name of countering threats from Russia and China — calls that Greenland, Denmark and European allies forcefully rejected.

“It begins today and it will be a regular process,” Rubio said of the working group, as he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “We’re going to try to do it in a way that isn’t like a media circus every time these conversations happen, because we think that creates more flexibility on both sides to arrive at a positive outcome.”

The Danish Foreign Ministry said Wednesday’s talks focused on “how we can address U.S. concerns about security in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the Kingdom.” Red lines refers to the sovereignty of Greenland.

Trump’s renewed threats in recent weeks to annex Greenland, which is a semiautonomous territory of a NATO ally, has roiled U.S.-European relations.

Trump this month announced he would slap new tariffs on Denmark and seven other European countries that opposed his takeover calls, only to abruptly drop his threats after a “framework” for a deal over access to the mineral-rich island was reached, with NATO SecretaryGeneral Mark Rutte’s help. Few details of the agreement have emerged.

Trump also announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week that he would take off the table the possibility of using American military force to acquire Greenland.

The president backed off his tariff threats and softened his language after Wall Street suffered its biggest losses in months over concerns that Trump’s Greenland ambitions could spur a trade war and fundamentally rupture NATO Rubio on Wednesday appeared eager to downplay Trump’s rift with Europe over Greenland. “We’ve got a little bit of work to do, but I think we’re going to wind up in a good place, and I think you’ll hear the same from our colleagues in Europe very shortly,” Rubio said.

Rubio during Wednesday’s hearing also had a pointed exchange with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., about Trump repeatedly referring to Greenland as Iceland while at Davos. “Yeah, he meant to say Greenland, but I think we’re all familiar with presidents that have verbal stumbles,” Rubio said in responding to Kaine’s questions about Trump’s flub — taking a veiled dig at former President Joe Biden. “We’ve had presidents like that before. Some made a lot more than this one.”

Chance of shutdown grows as Democrats demand changes to ICE

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON As a partial government shutdown looms at week’s end, Senate Minorty Leader Chuck Schumer has laid out a list of demands for the Department of Homeland Security, including an enforceable code of conduct for federal agents conducting immigration arrests and a requirement that they identify themselves to the public.

Republicans will need Democratic votes to keep the government open when funding runs at midnight Friday But Democrats have pledged to block a spending bill for the department, hoping to pressure the GOP and President Donald Trump for major change at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies as the country reels from the deaths of two people at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.

Democratic senators met on Wednesday before a crucial Thursday vote on whether to move forward with the spending legislation that funds DHS and a swath of other government agencies. Schumer said Democrats are asking the White House to “end roving patrols” in cities, coordinate with local law enforcement on immigration arrests, spell out an enforceable code of conduct so agents are held accountable when they violate rules, and require that agents have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in law enforcement.

The Democratic caucus is united in those “commonsense reforms” and that the burden is on Republicans to accept them, the New York Democrat said.

“This is not law and order,” Schumer said, referring to the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement surge across the country “This is chaos.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has

said he was waiting for Democrats to outline their what they want and he suggested that they need to be talking to the White House. It was unclear how seriously the White House was engaged and whether the two sides could agree on anything that would appease Democrats who are irate after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti and Renee Good this month. With no evident negotiations underway, a partial shutdown appeared increasingly likely starting Saturday Sen. Chris Murphy, DConn., said Democrats have been looking at changes that will “unite the caucus, and I think unite the country,” including ending the “roving patrols” that Democrats say are terrorizing Americans around the country Republicans say any changes to the spending will need to be passed by the House to prevent a shutdown, and the House is not in legislative session this week. Despite some conversations among Democrats, Republicans and the White House, it was unclear whether there could be a resolution in time to avoid a partial shutdown. The House passed the six remaining funding bills last week and sent them to the Senate as a package, and that makes it difficult to strip out the homeland security portion as Democrats are demanding. Republicans could break the package apart with the consent of all 100 senators, which would be complicated, or through a series of votes that would extend past the Friday deadline. House Republicans have made clear they do not want any changes to the bill they have passed. In a letter to Trump on Tuesday, the House Freedom Caucus wrote that its members stand with the president and ICE. “The package will not come back through the House without funding for the Department of Homeland Security,” according to the letter

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Trumpsignals interest in easing tensions

Butlittlechange seen on thestreets

BY STEVE KARNOWSKI, JACK BROOK and GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS President Donald Trump seemedtosignal awillingness to ease tensions in Minneapolisaftera second deadly shooting by federal immigration agents, but there was little evidence Wednesday of any significant changes following weeks of harsh rhetoric and clashes with protesters. Thestrain wasevident when Trump made aleadership change by sending his top borderadviser to Minnesota to take chargeofthe immigration crackdown. That was followed by seemingly conciliatory remarks aboutthe Democratic governor and mayor Trump said he and Gov.Tim Walz, whomhecriticized for weeks, were on “a similar wavelength” following aphone call After aconversation with Mayor Jacob Frey,the president praised the discussion and declared that “lots of progress is being made.” But on city streets, there were few signs of ashift. Immigration enforcement operations and confrontationswithactivistscontinued Wednesday in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Agroup of protesters blew whistles and pointed out federal officers in avehicleona north Minneapolis street. When theofficers’ vehicle moved, asmall convoy of activists followed in their cars for afew blocks until the officers stopped again.

Associated Press journalists were in the neighborhood covering the enforcement actions. When the journalists got out of theircar to document the encounter, officers with the federal Bureau of Prisons pushed one of them, threatened them with arrest and told themto getbackintheir cardespitethe reporters identifying themselves as media.

Officers from multiple federal agencieshavebeeninvolvedin the enforcementoperations. From their car,the AP journalists saw at least one person being pepper

sprayed and one detained, though it was unclear if thatpersonwas the target of the operation or aprotester.Agents also broke car windows.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is visiting Minnesota, said 16 people were arrested Wednesday on charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement in the state. She said morearrests were expected “NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law,” Bondi said in asocial media post.

Messages seeking comment were left with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol.

Immigrants ‘still very worried’

Many immigrant families are still fearfulofleaving their homes, andLatino businessesare stillclosed, said Daniel Hernandez, who owns theMinneapolis

grocery storeColonial Market. He also runs apopularFacebook page geared towardinforming the Hispanic community in the Twin Cities.

While ColonialMarket is open, all but one of the dozen immigrantrun businesses that rented space inside to sell clothes, jewelry and toys have closed sincelateDecember, andnonehas plans to reopen, Hernandez said. “The reality is the community is still very worried and afraid,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez referenced Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino,who helped lead the administration’scrackdown in the Twin Cities andwho hasreportedlybeen assigned elsewhere.

Bovino “was removed, but the tacticssofar are stillthe same,” Hernandez said. “Nobody now is trusting the government with those changes.”

The federal enforcement extend-

ed to the city’sEcuadorian consulate, where afederal law enforcement officer tried to enter before being blocked by employees.

Meanwhile,Trump said in asocial media post that the mayor was “PLAYING WITH FIRE” by not participating in the enforcement efforts.

Veteranvisits sidewalk memorial Elsewhere on Wednesday,DonnieMcMillanplacedacardboard sign reading “In remembrance of my angel” at the makeshift memorial whereAlex Pretti wasshot.

The Vietnam veteran, 71, knelt to payhis respects and saluted to honor thenurse whom he said he remembered seeing during his frequentvisits to the Veterans Affairs hospital where Pretti worked.

“I feel like I’ve lost an angel right here,” McMillan said, pointing to thegrowing sidewalkmemorial covered in flowers, candles and

signs.

“This is not the way we should operate,” McMillan said. “I respect everybody,but Irespect my angelmore, andnow he’s no longer with us.”

Also Wednesday,the Department of Homeland Security said two federal agents involved in Pretti’s death have been on leave since Saturday,when the shooting happened. Omar sprayedwithsubstance In other developments, aman confronted Democratic Rep.Ilhan Omar during atown-hall meeting and sprayed her with a strong-smelling substanceasshe denounced the administration. He wastackledand identified by police as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak,who hasa criminal recordand hadmadeonline posts supportive of Trump.

Minnesota court records show Kazmierczak was convicted of auto theft in 1989 and has multiple arrests fordriving under the influence, alongwitha slew of traffic offenses. It wasnot immediately clear if he had an attorney In social media posts, Kazmierczak described himself as aformer networkengineer who lives in Minneapolis andhad made comments critical of former President Joe Biden, referring to Democrats as “angry and liars.” He was jailedona preliminary third-degree assault charge, police said.

After theattack,there was a strong, vinegarlikesmell in the room, according to an AP journalist whowas there. Authorities have not publicly identified the substance, whichwas squirted from asyringe containing alight-brown liquid. Omar continuedspeaking for about 25 minutes afterthe man wasushered out by security,saying she would not be intimidated. Afterthe event, shesaid she was unharmed.

The administration was also being challenged in court. Federal courts wereweighing adecision on alawsuit seeking to pause the crackdown, as well as an order for thehead of ICE to appear personally to address what ajudge said were failures to grant due process forcertain immigrants.

Report:Troop deploymentstoU.S.citiescost$496M

Estimate does not includeNew Orleans

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON TheTrump administration’shigh-profile deployment of federal troops to six U.S. cities has cost taxpayers roughly $496 million through the end of December,and continued deployment could cost over $1 billion forthe rest of the year, according to new

data from the nonpartisan CongressionalBudgetOffice. President Donald Trumphas justified sending National Guard troops into U.S. cities as part of an effort to combat crime and support local law enforcement. Critics of themove argue the deployments undermine state and local authority andexceedthe president’s authority under theConstitution.

TheCBO published thenew data estimating the costs associated with thefederal deployments of National Guard and active-duty

Marines after arequest from Sen. Jeff Merkley,D-Ore., who is the rankingmember on the Senate Budget Committee.

“The American people deserve to knowhow manyhundreds of millions of their hard-earned dollars have been and are being wasted on Trump’s reckless andhaphazard deployment of National Guard troops to Portland and cities across the country,” Merkley said in a statement about the CBO report Factored into the estimates are troop deploymentstoChicago,

Memphis, Portland, as well as Los AngelesinJune, when protesters took to the streets in response to ablitz of immigration arrests. The CBOsaid continued deployments to those cities would costabout $93 million per month.

Theestimateexcludesthe military’s December deployment to New Orleans.

For further possible deployments downthe road, the CBO estimatesdeploying 1,000 National Guard personnel to aU.S. city in 2026 would cost $18 million to $21

million per month, depending on the local cost of living. National Guard troopsare expected to remain deployed in Washington throughout 2026, according to amemoreviewed by The Associated Press earlier this month. The troop deployments have provoked legal challenges from local leaders,and some have been successful. ACalifornia federaljudge in January ruledthatthe Trump administration“willfully”broke federal law by sending National Guard units to the Los Angeles area.

BY ZOË JACKSON Minnesota Star Tribune

Gov.Tim Walz is facing criticism fromthe U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for comparing theexperience of Minnesota children living throughthe state’s chaotic federal immigration enforcement surge with that of Anne Frank’sexperience hiding from Nazi Germans. His comment came during anews conference Sunday following federal agents’ fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis nurse.

“Wehave got childrenin Minnesota hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside.

Many ofusgrewupreading thatstoryofAnne Frank,” he said. “Somebody’s going to write that children’s story aboutMinnesota.”

Walz taught high school social studies before he becameapolitician.

On Monday,the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum rebuked Walz’scomment on social media.

“Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because shewas Jewish.Leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable,” themuseum said in apost on X. “Despite tensionsin Minneapolis,

exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as antisemitism surges.”

The UnitedStates Holocaust Memorial Council is theboard that oversees themuseum. It consists of 55 members appointedby the president of theUnited States, as wellasahandful of members from the Senate andthe House of Representativesand threeexofficio membersfrom thedepartments of Education, Interior and State.

Observers, protestersand Minneapolis residents have compared the frequent sightings of caravansofmasked federalagentsoncity streets

Trumpfeels badabout Pretti,‘worse’ about Good becauseher parentswere‘Trumpfans’

BYJESSICA SCHLADEBECK

Newyork Daily News (TNS)

President Donald Trump admitted he feels “terrible” about the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, butsaidhe’swas more upset about Good because her parents are “tremendous Trump people.”

Trump made the comment Tuesday on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show” while addressing the unrest in Minneapolis, where both Good and Pretti were fatally shot

by federalagentsthismonth.

“Bottom line,itwas terrible,” he said when asked aboutPretti’sdeath

“Both of them were terrible; the other was terrible too,” Trump continued,referring to Good as well.

“AndI’m not sure about his parents, butIknowher parents were big Trump fans, makesmefeelbad anyway.But Iguess you could say even worse, they were tremendous Trumppeople, Trump fans.” Thepresident went on to

speculatethat Good “was maybe radicalized, maybe not.”

“I don’tknow,but Ihate to see it,” he said.

Trump learned thatGood’s father, TimothyGanger, was a“big supporter” during an interviewwith “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil on Jan. 13. The sitdown camenearly aweek after Good was fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross in aresidential neighborhood.

to that of Nazi police forces during theHolocaust. It’s a common refrainonsigns at protests. Earlierthis month, influentialpodcaster and President DonaldTrump supporter Joe Rogan comparedthe federalagentsto

theGestapo,the secret police of Nazi Germany

Aspokesperson for Walz said thegovernor’s comment“came from aplace of concern for what’shappening in Minnesota.”

“As asocial studies teach-

er,the governor taught his students aboutthe Holocaust. Thegovernor knows learning about and teaching that history is an important part of ensuring it never happens again,” the statementsaid.

Groundswell grows for Noem to go

Bipartisan demand for secretary to resign or be impeached

BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent

WASHINGTON A groundswell of voices have come to the same conclusion: Kristi Noem must go.

From Democratic Party leaders to the nation’s leading advocacy organizations to even the most centrist lawmakers in Congress, the calls are mounting for the Homeland Security secretary to step aside after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two people who protested deportation policy At a defining moment in her tenure, few Republicans are rising to Noem’s defense.

“The country is disgusted by what the Department of Homeland Security has done,” top House Democratic Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California said in a joint statement.

“Kristi Noem should be fired immediately,” the Democrats said, “or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.”

‘She should be out of a job’

What started as sharp criticism of the Homeland Security secretary, and a longshot move by Democratic lawmakers signing onto impeachment legislation in the Republican-controlled House, has morphed into an inflection point for Noem, who has been the highprofile face of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement regime.

Noem’s brash leadership style and remarks in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good — in which she suggested Pretti “attacked” officers and portrayed the events leading up to Good’s shooting an “act of domestic terrorism” have been seen as doing irreparable damage, as events on the ground disputed her account. Her alliance with Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino, who was recalled from the Minnesota operation Monday as border czar Tom Homan took the lead, has left her isolated on Capitol Hill.

A“What she’s done in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

“I think the President needs to look at who he has in place as a secretary of Homeland Security,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “It probably is time for her to step down.”

Trump stands by Noem

President Donald Trump defended Noem on Wednesday at multiple junctures, strongly indicating her job does not appear to be in immediate jeopardy.

Asked by reporters as he left the White House on Tuesday for a trip to Iowa whether Noem is going to step down, Trump had a one-word answer: “No.”

Pressed later during an interview on Fox News if he had confidence in Noem, the president said, “I do.”

“Who closed up the border? She did,” Trump said, “with Tom Homan, with the whole group. I mean, they’ve closed up the border The border is a tremendous success.”

As Democrats in Congress threaten to shut down the government as they demand restrictions on Trump’s mass deportation agenda, Noem’s future at the department faces serious questions and concerns.

The Republican leadership of the

House and Senate committees that oversee Homeland Security have demanded that department officials appear before their panels to answer for the operations that have stunned the nation with their sheer force — including images of children, including a 5-year-old, being plucked from families

“Obviously this is an inflection point and an opportunity to evaluate and to really assess the policies and procedures and how they are being implemented and put into practice,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, where Noem had been the state’s House representative and governor before joining the administration.

Asked about his own confidence in Noem’s leadership, Thune said, “That’s the president’s judgment call to make.”

The fight over funding

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that DHS enforces the laws from Congress, and if lawmakers don’t like those laws, they should change them.

“Too many politicians would rather defend criminals and attack the men and women who are enforcing our laws,” McLaughlin said. “It’s time they focus on protecting the American people, the work this Department is doing every day under Secretary Noem’s

leadership.”

The ability of Congress to restrict Homeland Security funding is limited, in large part because the GOP majority already essentially doubled department funding under Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts law

On the job for a year, Noem has clashed at times with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as Republicans and Democrats have sought greater oversight and accounting of the department’s spending and operations.

Noem has kept a low profile since the Saturday news conference following Pretti’s death though she appeared Sunday on Fox News. She doubled down in that interview on criticism of Minnesota officials, but also expressed compassion for Pretti’s family

“It grieves me to think about what his family is going through but it also grieves me what’s happening to these law enforcement officers every day out in the streets with the violence they face,” she said.

Impeachments more common

Impeachment, once a far-flung tool brandished against administration officials, has become increasingly commonplace.

Two years ago, the Republicanled House impeached another Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, in protest over the then-Biden administration’s border security and immigration policies that allowed millions of immigrants and asylum-seekers to enter the U.S. The Senate dismissed the charges.

On Tuesday, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said if the Republican chairman of the panel, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, does not launch an impeachment probe, he would.

Raskin said he would work with the top Democrats on the Homeland Security and Oversight committees to immediately launch an impeachment inquiry related to the Minnesota deaths and other “lawlessness and corruption that may involve treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

More than 160 House Democrats have signed on to an impeachment resolution from Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill.

Officers confront protesters in Texas

BY VALERIE GONZALEZ, ERIC GAY and BILL BARROW Associated Press

DILLEY,Texas — Texas state police deployed chemical irritants toward protesters Wednesday outside a federal detention facility where a Democratic congressman met with a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas met with the family at the South Texas Family Residential Center, where outside a large group of protesters gathered in support of hundreds of detainees being held at the facility Protesters banged drums, chanted and carried signs that included “Children are not criminals!”

As protesters moved closer to the facility in the small town of Dilley, Texas state police officers arrived on a school bus and shouted instructions for the crowd to move back. Some of the officers then deployed pepper balls, dispersing the crowd. Castro later posted a picture on social media of his visit with 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias.

“I demanded his release and told him how much his family, his school, and our country loves him and is praying for him,” Castro posted on social media. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took the boy and his father into custody Jan. 20 in Minneapolis. A federal judge on Monday issued a temporary order prohibiting the Trump administration from removing Ramos and Arias from the U.S. as their detention is challenged.

Castro accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a recent video of running a “lawless” immigration enforcement operation that is effectively a “bounty hunter organization.”

Growing together forover 115 years

Thisstory is brought to you by ExxonMobil

lothas changed since ExxonMobil’s BatonRougeRefinery wasfounded in 1909, with arefiningcapacity of ~1,800 barrels of oil per day. The Baton RougeComplexnow stands as oneofthe largest refining and petrochemical complexes in the world, processingchemical products and more than 500,000 barrels of oil perday.Through theeffortsoftheir 6,000 team membersinBatonRouge,the Complex supplies marketsacrossthe United Statesand beyond with products that make modern life possible.

Louisianahas changed too. Louisiana’s richnatural resources,strong, skilled workforce, robust transportation infrastructureand diverse manufacturingand industrial capacityhavelaunched the state intoaleague of its own.

Butone thing hasn’tchanged: ExxonMobil’s115+ year presence in Louisiana continues to create benefits forLouisiana’speopleand economy.

And there’smoretocome. ExxonMobil andLouisiana areatthe forefrontofinnovation,developing solutions to some of today’stoughest problems. Throughthe development of its LowCarbon Solutionsbusinessthatprioritizes emissions reductioninaddition to meetingenergydemand ExxonMobil lookstobuildevenmoreeconomicopportunitiesand communityrelationships acrossLouisiana

Powering life, reducing emissions

ExxonMobil’sLouisiana operations are akey supplier of the fuels and chemicalproducts thatmakemodern lifepossible, suchasdiesel, performance lubricants,lightweight carparts, diapersand syntheticrubber. Their pipelinecompanytransports theseproducts to the manufacturers and consumers that rely on them Theseefforts support local jobs,U.S.energysupply, and continued economicgrowthfor Louisiana parishesand the state

Through its LowCarbonSolutionsbusiness,ExxonMobil seekstoposition Louisiana as not onlyagloballeader in energy and heavy industry, butalsoasaleaderindecarbonization.The carbon-intensive facilities in Louisiana thatfuel modernlifeprovidethe statewithunparalleled opportunities to integrateemissions-reduction technologiessuch as carbon captureand storage (CCS) with traditional energy and heavy industry

Economic driver,workforceleader

ExxonMobil is proud to be amajor contributor helpingto driveLouisiana’seconomy forward. As the largest taxpayer in EastBatonRougeparish andone of thelargest taxpay-

ersinthe state, ExxonMobil contributed morethan $460 million across 2022-2024tolocal,parish andstate governmentsand supported morethan$16 billion in economic output in GreaterBaton Rougealone,according to an economicimpact study

Andasanemployerofmorethan 6,000 employees andcontractorswho call Louisiana home, ExxonMobilcontributes over$450 million inannual payrollandmakes substantial contributionsto workforce training initiatives

Generations of local familieshavebenefittedfrom ExxonMobil’sfocus on building lifelong careers and training the next generation forsuccessinthe field. Since 2012, ExxonMobil has collaboratedwith Baton RougeCommunityCollegetosponsor the North BatonRougeIndustrialTraining Initiative(NBRITI),providing free,fast-tracked crafttraining to ~600 nearby residents for jobs with local industry.

Thesebenefits arepoised to grow as ExxonMobil continues to invest in Louisiana’s critical energy infrastructure.Louisiana’sunique geologyand leadership in CCS investments have already helped the state attractbillions of dollarsinpotentialnew projects from data centers,steel manufacturers, LNG producers and othersthatrepresent nearly 17,000 newjobsand $76billion in newinvestmentas of 2025. Through its LowCarbon Solutions business, ExxonMobil is supportingthe growth andmodernization of Louisiana’s manufacturing and oiland gasindustries with technologies likeCCS —helping to ensurethosejobsand investmentdollarsstayinLouisiana

Leadership in safety

ExxonMobil demonstratesanunwaveringcommitment tosafety, prioritizing the wellbeing of its workforce and the communities where it operates. The companyhas earned

the American Chemistry Council’sResponsible Care Companyofthe Year award multiple times,aswell as the American Petroleum Institute’sDistinguished Pipeline SafetyAward forthe last three years. ExxonMobil regularly engages with first responderstokeep them informed about operations and to discussand train in emergency responseplans.Their pipeline companyoffersspecialized CO2 safety training forlocal firedepartments across the state and has trained morethan 134 Louisiana first responderstodate In 2025, theylaunched the Louisiana Emergency Training Program with the Louisiana State Fire Marshal and River Parishes CommunityCollege.The program is the nation’sonly program of its kind, which deliversclassroom instruction and free, hands-on emergency responseand field training focused on CO2 and liquid pipeline incidents,further strengthening the state’s emergency preparedness

Louisiana Loyal With morethan acentury of Louisiana loyalty, ExxonMobil has long operated with the commitmenttogivewhere theylive. ExxonMobil has ahistory of creating lasting relationships in the communities it calls homeand supporting whatmatters most to their neighbors.

From scholarships and jobtraining to emergency responsesupport,charitable contributions and volunteerism ExxonMobil is committedtosupporting Louisiana communities.In2024alone, the companyinvested$2.5million in education, workforce development, safety and coastal restoration in Louisiana

In addition to thesestatewideinvestments,ExxonMobil seekstoensurecommunityinvestments aretailoredtothe needsofindividual communities.Theycollaboratewith stakeholdersand residents to ensurepriorities align and investments create real and lasting value.

Generational impact

ExxonMobil has made generational investments in Louisiana,setting the foundation todaytocreate opportunities fortomorrow.ExxonMobil’sLow Carbon Solutions business–which focuses on carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and Mobil™ Lithium –isjust one example of howExxonMobil continues to invest in Louisiana with proventechnologies thatenhance the state’s energy infrastructure, prioritizeenergy securityand protect and grow industry jobs

ExxonMobil’scontinued investmentinLouisiana ensures our industrial sector will remain competitiveat a global scale, our state leads energy innovation, and our residents and communities thrivefor decades to come.

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Stocks hold near high while dollar stabilizes NEWYORK Few ripples washed through Wall Street Wednesday after the Federal Reserve decided to hold its main interest rate steady, just like investors expected.

The U.S. stock and bond markets each remained at a virtual standstill, while the U.S. dollar stabilized following its sharp recent slide. Some of the strongest action remained in the gold market, where the metal’s price jumped to another record

Seagate Technology jumped 19.1% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the seller of hard drives and other data-storage products reported a bigger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Dave Mosley cited demand driven by artificial-intelligence applications, among other things. Nvidia, the stock that’s become the poster child of the AI boom, climbed 1.6% and was the strongest single force lifting the S&P 500. It also benefited from an encouraging report from ASML, whose machinery helps make chips.

CEO Christophe Fouquet said customers have been notably more encouraged about “the sustainability” of AI demand. That helped allay concerns that the AI frenzy has gone overboard and created a potential bubble that may burst.

Amazon cuts about 16,000 corporate jobs

Amazon is slashing about 16,000 corporate jobs in the second round of mass layoffs for the ecommerce company in three months.

The tech giant has said it plans to use generative artificial intelligence to replace corporate workers. It has also been reducing a workforce that swelled during the pandemic.

Beth Galetti, a senior vice president at Amazon, said in a blog post Wednesday that the company has been “reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy.”

The company did not say what business units would be impacted, or where the job cuts would occur

The latest reductions follow a round of job cuts in October, when Amazon said it was laying off 14,000 workers While some Amazon units completed those “organizational changes” in October, others did not finish until now, Galetti said.

Tesla plunges to lowest level since pandemic

NEW YORK Tesla’s annual profit plunged to its lowest level since the pandemic five years ago as it ceded the title of the world’s biggest electric vehicle maker to a Chinese rival and boycotts hammered sales.

The EV company run by Elon Musk reported Wednesday that net income last year dropped 46% to $3.8 billion. It was the second year in a row with a steep drop in profit. The decline came despite the introduction of cheaper models and Musk’s promise to remain laser-focused on the company after a foray into U.S politics.

Meta posts strong Q4 results as costs soar

Meta’s fourth-quarter results jumped past Wall Street’s expectations thanks to solid advertising revenue, sending shares higher in after-hours trading Wednesday

The company earned $22.77 billion, or $8.88 per share, in the October-December quarter That’s up 9% from $20.84 billion, or $8.02 per share, in the same period a year earlier Revenue grew 24% to $59.89 billion from $48.39 billion.

Meta’s expenses, which the company already warned will be significantly higher this year, grew 40% to $35.15 billion For the current quarter Meta is forecasting revenue in the range of $53.5 billion to $56.5 billion. Meta had 78,865 employees at the end of the year an increase of 6% from a year earlier.

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve pushed the pause button on its interest rate cuts Wednesday, leaving its key rate unchanged at about 3.6% after lowering it three times last year

Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference that the economy’s outlook “has clearly improved since the last meeting” in December, a development that

should boost hiring over time. The central bank in a statement said there were signs the job market is stabilizing.

With the economy growing at a healthy pace and the unemployment rate appearing to level off, Fed officials likely see little reason to rush any further rate cuts. While most policymakers do expect to reduce borrowing costs further this year, many want to see evidence that stubbornly-elevated inflation is moving closer to the central bank’s target of 2%. According to the Fed’s preferred measure, inflation was 2.8% in November, slightly higher than a year ago.

Two officials dissented from the decision, with Governors Stephen Miran and Christopher Waller preferring another quarter-point reduction.

President Donald Trump appointed Miran in September, and he had dissented at the three previous meetings in favor of a half-point cut. Waller is under consideration by the White House to replace Powell, whose term ends in May The Fed’s decision to stand pat will likely fuel further criticism from Trump, who has relentlessly

assailed Powell for not sharply cutting short-term rates. A reduction in the Fed’s key rate tends to lower borrowing costs for things like mortgages, car loans, and business borrowing, though those rates are also influenced by market forces. A key issue facing the Fed is how long it will remain on hold. The rate-setting committee remains split between those officials opposed to further cuts until inflation comes down, and those who want to lower rates to further support hiring.

BY DAVID KLEPPER and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration soon will allow Venezuela to sell oil now subject to U.S. sanctions, with the revenue initially dedicated to basic government services such as policing and health care and subject to Washington’s oversight, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday

The United States will retain control in the short term to ensure the oil revenue is used to stabilize Venezuela, Rubio said at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. He noted that the interim leaders of the South American country will submit “a budget” every month of what they need funded.

“The funds from that (oil sales) will be deposited into an account that we will have oversight over,” Rubio said, adding that the U.S. Treasury would control the process. Venezuela, he said, “will spend that money for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.”

Rubio offered new insight into how the U.S. is planning to handle the sale of tens of millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela, which has the largest proven reserves of crude in the world, and oversee where the money flows. After the U.S. raid that captured then-

President Nicolás Maduro this month, the U.S is working to influence the next steps in the South American country through its vast oil resources.

The U.S. will not subsidize oil industry investments in Venezuela, Rubio said, and is only overseeing the sale of sanctioned petroleum as an “interim step.”

“This is simply a way to divide revenue so that there isn’t systemic collapse while we work through this recovery and transition,” Rubio said.

Democrats and some Republicans on the committee pressed Rubio for more details about President Donald Trump’s plans for Venezuela’s oil. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., asked for assurances from Rubio that the sale of Venezuelan oil will be fair and open, not rigged to benefit oil companies allied with Trump.

“You are taking their oil at gunpoint, you are holding and selling that oil you’re deciding how and for what purposes that money is going to be used in a country of 30 million people,” Murphy said. “I think a lot of us believe that that is destined for failure.”

Under Maduro, Rubio said Venezuela’s oil industry benefited the country’s corrupt leaders and countries such as China, which

avoid having the proceeds seized by American creditors and because of other legal complications that stem from the U.S. not considering Maduro’s government legitimate, Rubio said.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have already been set aside and as much as $3 billion more is anticipated, he said.

“It’s an account that belongs to Venezuela, but it has U.S. sanctions as a blocking mechanism,” Rubio said. “We only control the dispersal of the money we don’t control the actual money.”

Earlier this month, acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez said cash from oil sales would flow into two sovereign wealth funds: one to support crisis-stricken health services and a second to bolster public infrastructure, including the electric grid.

The country’s hospitals are so poorly equipped that patients are asked to provide supplies needed for their care, from syringes to surgical screws. They also must pay for lab and imaging tests at private hospitals.

purchased Venezuelan oil at a discount. Now Venezuela’s interim leaders are assisting the U.S. in seizing illegal oil shipments, he said.

The U.S. will give Venezuela’s current leaders instructions on how the money can and cannot be spent and conduct audits to ensure it is used as intended, Rubio said. He said Venezuela could use the money to pay for policing or to buy medicine. The fund was initially set up in Qatar to

On Tuesday during a televised event to announce the revamping of various health care facilities, Rodríguez said her government and the U.S. administration “have established respectful and courteous channels of communication” since Maduro was captured.

Neither Rodríguez nor her government’s press office commented on Rubio’s remarks Wednesday

BY JONEL ALECCIA Associated Press

Two suppliers provided dried milk powder that could be a culprit in the outbreak of botulism tied to ByHeart infant formula that has sickened dozens of babies, The Associated Press has learned. Organic whole milk powder that tested positive for the type of bacteria that causes botulism was made from milk provided by Organic West Milk Inc., a California company and processed at a Dairy Farmers of America plant in Fallon, Nevada, company officials said. The source of the contamination, however is not yet known. Both companies and the U.S. Food and

Drug Administration emphasized that the investigation into the unprecedented outbreak that has sickened 51 babies in 19 states is ongoing.

Bill Van Ryn, an owner of Organic West Milk, said he learned last week that a sample of his company’s milk powder collected by the FDA had tested positive for the germ that causes botulism.

But that doesn’t mean his product is the source of the outbreak, Van Ryn stressed.

“Nothing has been proven about our milk yet,” he said, adding: “Something happened in the process of converting the milk to powder and then in converting it to baby formula.” Organic West, which supplies

milk from 55 farmers, didn’t sell organic whole milk powder to any infant formula maker besides ByHeart, Van Ryn said. The milk company has halted sales of the powder used in any product intended for babies and children until more is known about the source of the outbreak, he added. Powdered milk is made by pasteurizing liquid milk, concentrating it through evaporation and spraying it into a hot chamber, which causes the water to evaporate and leave behind fine, dry milk particles.

The Dairy Farmers of America is a global dairy cooperative Its plant in Nevada processes about 1.5 million pounds of raw milk daily into 250,000 pounds of whole

milk powder

The Dairy Farmers of America said in a statement that Organic West was the source of milk for the sample that FDA collected that tested positive for botulism bacteria.

The milk was processed into powder that met all required tests, the company said. Organic West subsequently sold the milk powder to ByHeart.

FDA officials said on Jan. 23 that a sample of organic whole milk powder collected from a supplier had tested positive for the botulism bacteria, though the agency didn’t identify the supplier Tests showed that sample was a genetic match to a sample taken from a finished can of ByHeart formula.

FBI searches Georgia elections office

Warrant seeks records tied to 2020 election

BY KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press

ATLANTA The FBI on Wednesday searched the election office of a Georgia county that has been central to right-wing conspiracy theories over President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, acting just one week after the Republican leader predicted prosecutions over a contest he has baselessly insisted was tainted by widespread fraud.

The search at Fulton County’s main election facility in Union City sought records related to the 2020 election, county spokesperson Jessica Corbitt-Dominguez said. It appeared to be the most public step by law enforcement to pursue Trump’s claims of a stolen election, grievances rejected time and again by courts and state and federal officials, who found no evidence of fraud that would have altered the outcome.

It also unfolds against the backdrop of FBI and Justice

Department efforts to investigate perceived political enemies of Trump, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Trump has for years focused on Fulton, Georgia’s most populous county and a Democratic stronghold, as a key example of what he claims went wrong in the 2020 election. His pressure campaign there culminated in a sweeping state indictment accusing him and 18 others of illegally trying to overturn the vote. FBI agents secured an

area around the large warehouse building that houses the county elections hub with yellow tape and could be seen loading boxes from the building into trucks. FBI spokesperson Jenna Sellitto confirmed that the boxes contained ballots. Among the 2020 election documents sought are ballots, tabulator tapes from the scanners used to tally the ballots, electronic ballot images and voter rolls.

An FBI spokesperson said agents were “executing a court authorized law enforcement action” at the

county’s main election office in Union City, just south of Atlanta. The spokesperson declined to provide any further information, citing an ongoing matter

Corbitt-Dominguez said a warrant “sought a number of records related to 2020 elections,” but declined to comment further because the search was still underway

The Justice Department had no immediate comment. Trump has long insisted that the 2020 election was stolen even though judges across the country and his own attorney general said they found no evidence of widespread fault that tipped the contest in Democrat Joe Biden’s favor

The president has made Georgia, one of the battleground states he lost in 2020, a central target for his complaints about the election and memorably pushed its secretary of state to help find” enough votes to overturn the contest.

Last week, in reference to the 2020 election, he asserted that “people will soon be prosecuted for what they did.” It was not clear what in particular he was referring to.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in August 2023 obtained an indictment against Trump and 18 others, accusing them of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally try to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. That case was dismissed in November after courts barred Willis and her office from pursuing it because of an “appearance of impropriety” stemming from a romantic relationship she had with a prosecutor she had hired to lead the case.

The FBI last week moved to replace its top agent in Atlanta, Paul W. Brown, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a nonpublic personnel decision. It was not immediately clear why the move, which was not publicized by the FBI, was made.

The Department of Justice last month sued the clerk of the Fulton County superior and magistrate courts in federal court seeking access to documents from the 2020 election in the county The lawsuit said the department sent a letter to the clerk, Che Alexander, but that she had failed to produce the re-

quested documents. Alexander has filed a motion to dismiss the suit. The Justice Department complaint says that the purpose of its request was “ascertaining Georgia’s compliance with various federal election laws.” It also says the attorney general is trying to help the State Election Board with its “transparency efforts under Georgia law.”

A three-person conservative majority on the State Election Board has repeatedly sought to reopen a case alleging wrongdoing by Fulton County during the 2020 election. It passed a resolution in July seeking assistance from the U.S attorney general to access voting materials.

The state board sent subpoenas to the county board for various election documents last year and again on Oct. 6. The October subpoena requested “all used and void ballots, stubs of all ballots, signature envelopes, and corresponding envelope digital files from the 2020 General Election in Fulton County.” A fight over the state board’s efforts to enforce the 2024 subpoena is currently tied up in court.

EPA wants to roll back ‘good neighbor’ rule on smokestacks

BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration on Wednesday took a step toward rolling back a rule that limits smokestack emissions that burden downwind areas in neighboring states

The so-called “good neighbor” rule is one of dozens of regulations that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin has targeted for reconsideration or repeal. The Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that the EPA could not enforce the rule, which is intended to block coal-fired power plants and other industrial sites from adding significantly to air pollution across state lines.

The EPA said Wednesday it is proposing to approve plans by eight states to regulate ozone air pollution as they see fit. If finalized, the states “would no longer need to worry about another ‘Good Neighbor Plan’” subject to approval by the federal government, the agency said.

The affected states are Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico and Tennessee Under President Joe Biden, the EPA disapproved or proposed disapproval of ozone plans submitted by all those states. The state-specific plans did not sufficiently control ozone emissions that travel across state lines, the Biden-era agency said. Zeldin said Wednesday

that under President Donald Trump, the EPA is committed to advancing what Zeldin called “cooperative federalism” that allows states to decide for themselves how to attain air pollution goals.

“Today, we are taking an important step to undo a Biden administration rule that treated our state partners unfairly,” Zeldin said in a statement. If finalized, the EPA plan will ensure that “these states will be able to advance cleaner air now for their communities, instead of waiting for overly burdensome federal requirements years from now,” he said.

Zeldin criticized what he said was the Biden-era agency’s “heavy-handed, one-sizefits-all, federal mandate” to

address air pollution from smog-forming ozone.

Under the proposal announced Wednesday, “EPA finds that the eight (state plans) have adequate data demonstrating these states are not interfering with ozone attainment” required by National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the agency said. The action also indicates EPA’s intent to withdraw proposed error corrections for state plans submitted by Iowa and Kansas.

In the near future, EPA intends to take a separate

action to address “interstate transport” obligations for the remaining states covered in the final, Biden-era “Good Neighbor Plan,” the agency said.

Environmental groups said the EPA proposal would reward states for being bad neighbors. Air pollution from heavily industrialized Midwestern states such as Indiana and Ohio frequently reaches East Coast states such as Connecticut and Delaware.

“Once again, Donald Trump and Lee Zeldin are choosing to protect aging,

dirty and expensive coal plants and other industrial polluters over strong federal clean air protections that address interstate pollution problems,” said Zachary Fabish, a Sierra Club lawyer “Letting states off the hook while their pollution continues harming air quality in neighboring states is dangerous,” Fabish said, and will make “Americans sicker and pay more for energy while doing so.” EPA will accept public comment for at least 30 days after the rule is published in the Federal Register

BY OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va A Brazilian

au pair testified on Wednesday that she turned against her former lover in a sprawling double homicide scheme involving his wife because she “wanted the truth to come out.” For more than a year, Juliana Peres Magalhães did not speak with officials about the 2023 killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan, or about Brendan Banfield’s alleged involvement But days before her own criminal trial, the former au pair changed her mind.

Now Brendan Banfield is

facing a trial in the aggravated murder of his wife and Ryan, and Magalhães’ testimony has become a key component of officials’ case. Banfield, who has pleaded not guilty, could face life in prison if convicted. The way prosecutors tell it, Banfield and Magalhães lured Ryan to their house. The two then shot him, staging the scene to look as though Ryan had been predator stabbing Christine Banfield.

“I just couldn’t keep it to myself, the feeling of shame and guilt and sadness,” she said in court of the ruse. Magalhães is central to that argument. In a Fairfax, Virginia court, the former

au pair testified that she and Banfield had created an account in Christine Banfield’s name on a social media platform for people interested in sexual fetishes. There, Ryan connected with the account, and the users made plans to meet for a sexual encounter involving a knife.

In court this week, she described Banfield’s plan to kill his wife and spend the rest of his days with Magalhães, with whom he had an affair She testified to the months he had spent plotting their scheme, and the steps he took to manufacture their alibis.

Magalhães will be sentenced at the conclusion of Banfield’s trial.

Lafayette and George Washington on the House floor,notingthat when he accompanies Louisiana students on tours there, theyoften point to Lafayette’sand remark that he’s“named after my city

The annual retreat attracts hundreds of Louisiana movers and shakers who attend every year to make connections and talk business while showing offthe state’s culture. Despite the travel woes, only a handful of this year’sguestscanceled, Hilton employees said After checking in, manycollected drinks, greeted friends and traded tales of long and harrowing journeys. Muted background music was replaced by loud Louisiana tunes.

On Capitol Hill, Louisiana’scongressional delegation spent much of the day meeting with those who came for the event.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,D-New Orleans, talked about an array of issues with business leaders and elected officials while munching on king cake in his office “Washington Mardi Gras is a party witha purpose and achance to move projects along,” Carter said. “I was grateful to kick off the week with good friends,good food and important conversations.”

U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields,D-Baton Rouge, said after his office’sopen house that he spent time talking about topics ranging from education to infrastructure needs to “ensuring that federal resources are brought back to the communities that need it most.”

“It is those conversations that shape how Irepresent District 6,” he said Perhaps themostsought-after invitation for Wednesday night was for aparty put on by Cheniere Energy.The Houston-based producerofliquefied natural gas sent emails Wednesday morning to tell invitees tobecareful when they arrive at the NationalPortrait

Gallery

“While some festiveproduction elements may be limited due to weather andstaffingconditions, thecelebration will continue as scheduled,” the email read.

“Pleaseuse caution when traveling, as streets remainicy,and snow has been pushed to thesides of many roadways.”

Areception hosted by theBaton

CHIEF

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The board was asked to determine whether Broussard misused his authority to retaliate against Davison.

Testimony showed the dispute between Broussard andDavison began when an arrest warrant was issued for former Youngsville police Officer Eric Segura, who is now employedbythe Carencro Police Department, on charges includingaggravated assault.

Davison advised OfficerVictor Guidry to seek the warrantafter reviewing body camera footage.

GOODSON

Continued from page1A

restaurant owners and anyonein the industry,Berthelot said. He could often be foundvolunteeringatevents while serving up his popular gumbo

“Charlie was one of the best peopleIever met,” he said. “Hewas willing to sit down with them and help them with their restaurant andgive them advice. He was a tremendous mentor to alot of peo-

Broussard testified he believed Davisonhad “a vendetta”against Segura and said he met with District Attorney Don Landry,Commissioner AndreDoguetand Carencro Police Chief David Anderson to discussthe matter

“My thinking wasthataggravated assaultwas not appropriate,” Broussard said. “He never reached for aweapon.”

Broussardtestified that, based on advice he said he received from Landry and Doguet, he sought to recall the warrant so theLouisianaState Police could conduct an investigation.

However,bythatpoint the warrant had already been signed by a judge. DeputyChief Gabe Thompson testified Broussard did not

ple, including myself. I’ve called him so many times over theyears just for advice fordifferent items we had goingon.”

Goodson had also been president of the Acadiana chapter of the Louisiana Restaurant Association as well as the group’sstate board.

Charley G’swas known in the industry for its customer service, said Randy Daniel, Acadiana chapter president.

Daniel recalled his first visit to Charley G’sinthe early 2000s while workingasregional manager for Outback Steakhouse and

have theauthoritytorevoke it.

Thompson also testified Broussard told him he felt pressured by Anderson to recall the warrant. Broussard sought advice from Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy Timmy Picard,aformer colleague from the Lafayette Parish Marshal’sOffice. Picard testified Broussard told himDavison burst intohis office, leading Picardtoinitially believe the matter involvedinsubordination

“I only found out it was over a telephone call after all this blew up,”Picardsaid. Followingthe phone call between Broussard and Davison, Broussard fileda complaint against Davison. According to sworn testimony,

how he and other executives came “toshow an example of what true customer service was,” he said.

“He set thestandard here in Lafayette of what arestaurant that’s community-involvedshouldbe,” said Daniel, who owns the La Pizzeria chain. “I think of all the restaurantsthat we have that come andgoinLafayette, and his is generational now. Theymanaged to stay relevant andkeep their customers happy,and Ithink that all goes back to how Charlie personally ran the restaurant.”

It was at that oldCafé Vermil-

Rouge-based Franciscan MissionariesofOur Lady, whichruns10 hospitals in Louisiana andMississippi, was also set to go on as scheduled in Waldorf-Astoria’s Lincoln Library,saidRyan Cross, FMOL’s government affairs director,ashewas changing planes Wednesday on his waytoD.C. Severalfundraisers have been scheduled forthe WaldorfAsto-

riaonPennsylvania Avenue.Gov

Jeff Landry,Attorney General Liz Murrill and U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-BatonRouge,are throwingcocktailparties and dinners forcampaign contributors to write checks. Washington Mardi Gras is organized and overseen by the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians as away for local andstate electedofficials to visit casually with business executives, tradeassociation officials and public interest functionaries, alongwiththe congressionaldelegation and federal bureaucrats.

Theretreat is paid forbytickets, donations and dues. The Louisiana EthicsBoardallows local andstate elected officials to tap their campaign fundstocover airline flights, hotelrooms, Mardi Gras tickets and expenses. Getting to the event this year was achallenge.

The 8to9inches of snow covered by sleet and frozen rainthat fell Sunday and Monday created a slippery,cement-like covering that hasresisted cleanup. Schools and manyoffices in the Washington area remained closed Wednesday andpublic transportationoperated on apartial schedule.

Many of the direct flights from Louisiana to oneofthe threeWashingtonairports were canceled Wednesday morning. That left travelers hurriedly rearranging flights.

Mardi Gras participants flying through Atlanta or Houston airports wereable to arrive,albeit a little later than originally planned. But travelers rerouted through Dallas-Fort Worth got caught up among the 502 delayed or 234 canceled flights on Wednesday Stephanie Gracecontributedto this report.

ABOVE: Apile of snowgreets festivalqueens from across Louisiana as theyarriveinWashington, D.C., for the Washington MardiGras on Wednesday. LEFT: Queen Sarah Heebe, left, and her mother,Jennifer,center,stand nexttoSaints owner GayleBenson at Wednesday’skickoff to Washington Mardi Gras.

Broussard also presided over the investigation and imposed discipline.

Davison was demoted from captain to patrol officer, placed on 90 days of unpaid leave, stripped of his equipment and denied access to thedepartment building.

“If he’sonleave, then whydoes he need to accessthe building?” Broussard testified.

Davison’sattorney argued the speed and severity of the punishment stood in contrast to other disciplinary cases.

Speaking on theissue,Thompson testified additional complaints submitted around the same time had not yet been resolved.

Several Youngsville Police Departmentemployees testified they

ionville site where Pat Mould said he first connected withGoodson Mould interviewed forthe positionassous chef but didn’tget the job.

Twoweeks later,they called him back and offered himthe job after theinitial hire didn’twork out, anditwas the start of adecadeslong relationship with Goodson.

The two opened Charley G’sand teamed up with George Graham to open the 1950s-themed Hub City Diner

But it was Charley G’s, Mould recalled, that made adifference.

believed Broussard exceeded his authority.Thompsonand acting Captain Jason Brown openly expressed concerns during their testimony Undercross-examination, Broussard appeared to struggle to recall department general orders and had difficulty defining aggravated assault.

Pitre described Broussard as a competent colleague during their time at the Lafayette ParishMarshal’sOffice but criticized his leadership as police chief.

“There have been lots of questions he’sasked that indicated that he didn’tunderstand what this job entailed,” Picard said. “He has not been agood chief to the citizens of Youngsville.”

The motivation at the timewas to target local diners and offered a unique twist on local favorites including the duckgumbo —and dining atmosphere.

“The open kitchen —that was the first open kitchen in Lafayette, maybe even Louisiana,” Mould said. “At the endofthe day,you’ve got to deliver good food and good service, and that’s what Charlie was good at. He was open to input from everybody, and Ithink that madehim abetter restaurateur.The industry lost an icon today.”

Cold snap

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

It’s been a cold few days in south Louisiana, with winter temperatures coming to the region as crawfish farmers begin to harvest their fields. On Sunday night temperatures fell to 23 degrees in the Lafayette area, causing schools and businesses to close on Monday based on the extreme cold warning Cold weather is expected to remain through the week and fall back to subfreezing by Friday night, meaning that at least in the Acadiana region winter is here to stay — for a few days at least. The community of Carencro has canceled its Mardi Gras parade on Saturday in response.

Winter Storm Fern came at a delicate time for Louisiana crawfish farmers, who are starting to harvest their crops for the 2026 season. According to LSU AgCenter crawfish extension agent

Todd Fontenot, this cold snap will not significantly delay the crawfish season, which he described in December as an “optimistic” one. “It will slow them down for several days, but I don’t see any long-term effects,” said Fontenot. “If we turn cold again by the weekend, it will delay a little bit longer.”

Fontenot explained that cold can trigger the crawfish’s molting cycle. When a lot of crawfish are molting at the same time following a cold spell, they are extremely still and vulnerable to harm. They are not attracted to bait while molting, and Fontenot said that catches will be lower during this period.

“It’s still early in the season,” he said. “A lot of producers are just starting to see what’s out there, so we don’t have a complete view yet, but a lot of indicators did point to a good season, even if we’re a little behind ‘normal’ right now.”

Pat’s Downtown to close after 30 years in business

Staff report

Pat’s Downtown will close this week after the owner announced he is retiring from the restaurant industry Owner Patrick Dupuis made the announcement on Facebook on Saturday evening, indicating the longtime eatery at 107 E. Main St. will have its last day of business on Friday Pamplona, which is located nearby at 631 Jefferson St., will move into the space to begin serving lunches, he said.

“After 30 unforgettable years, I’ve made the hard but heartfelt decision to retire from the restaurant industry,” he wrote. “This journey

wouldn’t have been possible without the steady commitment of my loyal employees, some who have worked with me for 20-plus years It also wouldn’t have been possible without my family parents, siblings and friends who have all contributed to the legacy that is Pat’s Downtown.”

The restaurant, which at one time had a second location on Kaliste Saloom Road, has been a popular destination in downtown Lafayette, known for its Cajun staples such as po-boys and gumbo, and often hosted events and political gatherings. It had to close for six months during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 after Dupuises’ parents were hospitalized with the virus.

Lafayette Travel president, CEO wins prestigious award

Ben Berthelot honored for state tourism advocacy

said. “This recognition truly belongs to the incredible team at Lafayette Travel, our board of commissioners and our elected officials who consistently support the work we do.” LTA also announced its 21 Louey Awards, which go to

Former school director booked

Gautreaux faces 11 charges in forged bids case

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

The former Lafayette Parish school system construction and maintenance director who is facing charges related to an investigation into possibly forged construction bids, was booked into the Lafayette Correctional Center and released on Monday Robert Gautreaux is facing 11 charges, including filing a false public record, injuring public records and obstruction of justice. Gautreaux was first arrested in August and charged with one count each of injuring public records and filing false public records after an investigation by the Lafayette Police Department. He was later indicted by a grand jury on additional charges, which required him to be reprocessed. Gautreaux was released on $25,000 bail, according to jail records. The 46-year-old is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb 10, which is when he’ll be able to enter an official plea before 15th Judicial Court Judge Andre Doguet.

Gautreaux has since been removed from his position as director and is working as a teacher at the district’s career center

The school district said it was made aware in May of allegations by the state licensing board, which was investigating a complaint against a contractor working with the system.

Sean Beavers, deputy director of enforcement with the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, in a May 21 letter to Superintendent Francis Touchet, said the

Francisco

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

An Avoyelles Parish man who carjacked and killed a Lafayette Parish woman in 2022 to escape prosecution on an attempted murder charge was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison. Brandon Francisco entered a plea deal with federal prosecutors in November on a single count of carjacking, agreeing to a term of life in prison. Prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty or other offenses related to this case.

A November 2024 federal indictment charged Francisco with carjacking, using a firearm during commission of a crime involving violence, possession of a

and

As mercury drops, take necessary precautionsto protectyourself

Frigid temperatures and WinterStorm Fern have wrought havoc across ourstate in thepast several days, forcing power outages and road closures andleading to severaldeaths. North and central Louisianagot hit hardover the weekend and into Monday,withtemperaturesand wind chills reaching as lowas15degrees in some areas.

And with temperatures this weekend predicted to dip even lower, we join with Gov. Jeff Landry and other state leaders in urging our fellow Louisianans to takethe cold weather seriously and take everynecessary precaution. Much like the familiar hurricane prep, cold weather measures can help minimize discomfort and even save alife. Many of thosetipsare listed at getagameplan.org, thestate’shelpful site for weatherpreparedness.

At the top of the lististoensure you arewell suppliedwithfood, waterand medicines.And if you have medical equipment or other critical devices that requires power,makesure you have abackup source of electricity. And if there’ssnow or ice, please stayoff the roads if at all possible.

In the case of aloss of power,take carewhen operating agenerator.Portable generators should only be powered on when theyare more than 20 feet from an inhabited building.The generators can be lifesavers, but theyalso release carbon monoxide, acolorless, odorless gas that, if it reaches sufficientconcentration, cankill, as happened thispast week to aDeSoto Parish manwho died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Similar adviceholds for space heaters, which can be fire hazards if placed too close to walls or other combustible materials. If youare using aspace heater,please make sure it has3 feet of space on every side andalso has atip-switch that shuts it off if it fallsover.

And once you have made all your preparations for the cold, we urge everyonetocheck on your relatives and neighbors,especially theelderly or infirm. Cold weather may not seem as threatening as hurricanes, torrential rainsortornadoes,all weather phenomena with which we areall too familiar.But it stillmust betaken seriously The pastweek’sweather has beenblamedfor deaths in Louisiana from hypothermia,acar crashand othercauses

That’swhy we hope that Louisianans will heed these warnings and reachout if help is needed State and local officialshaveopened dozens of warming shelters aroundthe state.These are essential resources in place for residents if needed.

Cold weather,ice and snow giveusopportunities to do things we normally do not do:Build snowmen, walkthrough winter-wonderland landscapes or gazeatice-covered ponds.But when it comes to safety,weknowweinthe Bayou State candowhat we do best —carefor eachother

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

In La., medicalcarefor elderly focusesonprofit,not patients

Imoved to Louisiana several months ago withamedical condition thatwas managed very well in Washington state. Aftermoving to Louisiana, Ihave had nothing but problemsreceiving proper treatment.

In Seattle,about 10 doctors managed my care (majorback issues) and determinedmedication was best solution for my age (74) not procedures. The quality of life was priority,not procedures (surgery).

To me,the doctors here know that prescribing medication makes themno money while procedures do. Anyone can research pain management for the elderly,sometimes medication is the best option and monitored properly.Speaking to other elderly patients, it appears in this state thatdoctors are OKwiththe elderly suffering for the remaining time

theyhave on Earthratherthan prescribing pain medication.

“God forbid the elderlyget addicted for their last days, weeks, months or ayear or two. They suffered like hell every day and night,but they werenot addicted. We (doctors) did good.Additionally we don’thave thestate government on our behinds going after our license. Patientssuffer,but we (doctors) are OK.”

The state law getting between doctors and patientsneeds clarification. The quality of life remaining should be priority. One additional note: Procedures cost patientsmore money compared to medication. Iknow other peopleare dealing with this issue— parents and grandparents across thestate.

MICHAEL DUFF NewOrleans

Speculationabout refineries seemscraven

The jury is not still out on Venezuelan oil. The U.S. attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of its president and his wife were ablatant violation of international law.Assuch, it is also aviolation of the U.S.Constitution, which commits us to adhere to international law.Itisshocking to see the newspaper celebrating what is, in reality, stealing.You arepraising the possibilityofLouisiana oil refineries benefiting from stolen oil! Have we really gotten so low?

Your newspaper needs to denounce theTrumpadministration for violat-

ing the Constitution’swar powers clause that gives Congress, and only Congress, theabilitytodeclare war. It should be announced as aviolation of theUnited Nations charter,ofwhich we were aprominent author and promoter,which declares aggression a violation of international law.Have we really becomeatotally lawless nation? Oh,right. That’sexactly what we did in Iraq. Didn’tPresident Donald Trumpdenounce that war?

JEANNE M. WOODS professor emerita. Loyola University CollegeofLaw

Newspaper’scomicsadd bright spot to each day

Ijust had to finally let you know: Ilove me some comics. “Frank and Ernest,” “For Better or Worse,” “Doonesbury,” “Curtis,” “Baby Blues” and all the rest you enrich me with.Every morning, you bring my dearest friends to regale me withtheir musings of the day.I am so pleased to join my funniest and so insightful, comical buddies for breakfast Iread themall. If Ihave learned anything about humans, Ihave learned it from them.

Good times, small triumphs and life’s constant small obstacles are there to ponder,smile or just nod my head in recognition. There is beauty,truth anda loving acceptance of allthatlife brings us captured in the comics. So again, Isay thank youfor bringing me the absolutely best friends any man (atany age) could ask for. HUBERT SMITH Kenner

GreenlandgrabhighlightsJeffLandry’shypocrisy

Perhaps Gov.Jeff Landryshould hang acopy of Louisiana’sTen Commandmentsposterinhis office. He could thenponder the Eighth Commandment,inparticular,which speaks

to his role in Donald Trump’sschemeto seize Greenland. Thou shalt not steal.

DAVID HAUG St. Rose

Acadian immigrants knew sting of discrimination

My maternal grandparents were Cajun.

Letter writer Morgan Landry’s argument is not clarification. It is sentimentality masquerading as judgment. Landry celebrates Cajuns as having been “welcomed with open arms,” then weaponizes that romance to imply today’simmigrants are less lawful, less deserving, less human. That movecollapses under law and history Start with the law Landry sidesteps. Congress could not be clearer: Anoncitizen whoisphysically present or whoarrives may apply for asylum whether or not at adesignated port of entry and regardless of status. That is black-letter law,not avibe.

Nowtothe history Landry airbrushes. Spanish Louisiana did not “welcome” Acadians out of benevolence. The Crownneeded settlers to secure territory and blunt British power,soitrelocated Acadians and subsidized them with land, tools, livestock and rations. That wasutility,not virtue. The irony is rich. Landry praises open arms in the past while demanding aclenched fist today,asifsuffering becomes respectable only after centuries of genealogy Louisiana’srecord of “welcome” is anything but tender.After NewOrleans Police Chief David Hennessy’s killing, Mayor Joseph A. Shakspeare publicly vilified Italians as criminal and filthy,stoking hysteria that culminated in 1891 when amob lynched 11 Italian immigrants at the Orleans Parish Prison, the largest mass lynching in American history Cajuns themselves weretargets of American nativism.InRoach v. Dresser Industries, the plaintiff sued because he was Cajun, and the federal court held that Cajuns constitute aprotected class based on ethnic and national origin. And here’sthe part that does not fither narrative: The suit wasbrought under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. History is not apermission slip for cruelty.Itisawarning.

BARRYRANSHI NewOrleans

Scaliseshouldshowhis grace, cool rhetoric on Minn.killing

Some news events are so tragic that they require avery humane response rather than partisan talking points.

TwoofLouisiana’smostprominent delegates to Congress had markedly different reactions last weekend to federal agents’ inexcusable killing of video protester Alex Prettiin Minnesota. Sen.Bill Cassidy’s humane response was much, much better than the ultra-partisan rhetoric of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Scalise is awonderful congressman, deservedly popular withhis constituents —but in this circumstance, requiring balancedand unifying leadership, he whiffed.

mode against Democratic officials in the state, and then againstlocal protesters. Then he made aclaim, which he repeated four more times, that ICE has arrested 416,000 criminals in the last year,with him insisting thelast three times that these were 416,000 “violent,criminal” immigrants.

On CBS’ “Face the Nation,”host Margaret Brennan began an interview with Scalise by putting on screenCassidy’sstatement about the Minnesota situation: “The eventsin Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing. The credibility of ICEand DHS are at stake. There must be afull joint federal and state investigation. We can trust the American people with the truth.”

Every word of Cassidy’sstatement (except for conflating Border Patrol with ICE) was on target.And with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem alleging, 100% dishonestly,that Pretti “arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement,” and withBorder Patrol commander Gregory Bovino mendaciously saying Pretti wanted to “massacre law enforcement,” the department’scredibility is indisputably in free fall.

YetScalise immediately began his answer by defending ICE’scredibility and then, after an anodyne expression of “feel[ing] sorry about what happened in Minneapolis,” he immediately went into partisan attack

(As an aside, Scaliseseems to be making acommon misstatement, conflating “violent”detainees with the number with any criminal record at all.

TheNew York Times reports that only 7% of ICE’sdetainees, or less than 40,000, have violent convictions on their record.It’salso worthnoting that about half of all ICE“arrests” involve people already in jails,but who ICE just moves into the deportation queue —soit’snot like ICE is emptying them from terrorized city streets.

Most importantly,Scalise again and again blamed all therecent conflagrations on the “failed leaders” in Minnesota, yet could find only three short phrases to “lament what happened” with the killings. Still, it was all the local leaders’ faults for “ratcheting up the rhetoric.”

Scalise is right about the locals’ bad rhetoric, but he offered not aword of heartfelt sympathy for Pretti. Not a single suggestion that Noem, Bovino, President Donald Trump and top aide Stephen Miller tone down their rhetoric falsely accusing dead people of being “domestic terrorists” and “assassins.”

Not asingle suggestion that anything the federal agents have done is wrong, notwithstanding thedozens of videos showing agents acting abusively We’ve all seen them: The young woman with arms at her side offering

zero physical threat to oneICE agent, pepper-sprayed directly in her face by another.The man already pinned helplessonthe ground by two agents, gratuitously sprayed by another.The nonviolent preacher shot from above with apepper ball. The disabled U.S. citizen dragged viciously from her car,then mistreated for hours, despiteexplaining shewas on the way to her doctor Andsosickeningly on, and on, and on. It is not just possible but quiteeasy to supportthe mission of removing illegal immigrants, strongly oppose sanctuary cities and vociferously urge harsh penalties for “protesters” who endanger innocents, yet still recognizethat DHStactics and the actual practices by many agents are procedurally improper,needlessly aggressive bordering on brutal, illegal or actually unconstitutional and, often, outlandishly dangerous. Meanwhile, not asingle agent last Saturday had reason to believe Pretti posed any threat at allbefore at least sixofthem pepper sprayed him (for running to aidawoman the agents had assaulted), pushed him roughly to theground, and literally began pummeling his head withametal canister, all before they even had aclue he had aholstered gun on his back hip.

Why Donald Trump is failing

Donald Trumphas called 2025 “the greatest first year” of any president, but amajority of Americans strongly disagree: In the latest CNNpoll, 58% describe that year as a“failure.”

To hardcore MAGAloyalists, the president can do no wrong. But rabid Red Hats account foronly about 35% of Americans. And since Trumpreceived almost 50% of the popular vote, that meansabout 15% of his backers were not true believers, and they are the ones whoare slipping away

Surely anational leader should be able to spare afew words of sympathyand acall for ICE to deescalate and for Noem to stop lying. With the nation on edge, it’stime for restraint and human feeling, not for partisan talking points. Scalisehas shown in the past he can act with grace and dignity.This time, he didn’t. Congressand thenation need him to rediscover his better angels.

Email QuinHillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

Does Americahavethe resolve to deport illegalbordercrossers?

The United States experienced amass incursion of illegal border crossersinthe years 2021 to 2025. Estimates vary,but in that period at least 9million people entered the U.S. illegally.Rather than turn them back, former President Joe Biden allowed most to stay,with little or no vetting. Administration officials denied that there was aproblem, periodically declaring the border “closed” when in fact 200,000 to 300,000were crossing illegally each month. When officials conceded that there was aproblem, Democrats argued that only sweeping immigration legislation would solve it.

Of course,all that changed with the election of President Donald Trump. Without any new legislation, the new administration cut border incursions to nearly zero. But the question remained: What about the 9million or more who had recently entered the U.S. illegally? Would the Trump administration allowthem to remain in the country? That is the question at the heart of the current rebellion against federal authority in Minneapolis. Yes, some Trump administration officials have explained that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents are simply goingafter “the worst of the worst.”

are here illegally and have committed crimes,” while 54% support“deporting allimmigrants whoare hereillegally.” Going back to January2025, an Ipsos/Axios poll found that 66% supported “deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally.”

federal immigration enforcement, for alot of the problems in Minneapolis. “What we see all over the country saveafew sanctuary cities like Minneapolis,iswesee cooperation and support,” Blanchesaid.

Byron York Quin Hillyer

The questionwas made urgent by the madinflux of the Biden years. Illegalborder crossers moved into U.S. cities, straining resources, budgets andcommunities’ ability to deal with them, both financially and socially.The flood of migrants also raised afundamentalquestions of justice: Should people who enter the United States illegally be given legal status? All of them? Andwhat about people who went through the time-consuming processto come tothe United States legally?

Thereare immigration activists in this country whowould answer those questions: Yes, yes and too bad. They are tirelessly working to liberalize every immigration law they can. Any administrationthatseekstodeport large numbers of illegal immigrants must contend with them.

“Wedeport 10 times the number of illegal aliens out of Texas than we do out of Minneapolis. Why do we hear nothing out of Texas about any of the same problems that we have in Minneapolis?I’ll tell you why.Because in Texas,wehave thecooperation and supportoflocal law enforcement so that we can do these operationssafely,keeping U.S. citizens and others protected and safe. That is not what we have in Minneapolis.”

But what about the illegal border crosserswho have notcommitted any additional crimes since entering the United States? Many polls have shown that majorities support deportingthem, too.

ANew York Times/Siena poll in September 2025 found that 54% strongly or somewhat support “deporting immigrants living in the United States illegally back to their home countries.” AHarvard-Harris poll in December 2025 asked the question two ways. It found that 80% support “deporting immigrantswho

Speaking about Minneapolis, the writer Mickey Kaus said, “The local protesters do not want the illegals deported, period. Even if theICE force was incredibly well trained, wore white gloves, and followed WaldorfAstoriarules of etiquette, if they are effective, local dissenterswill press forward with resistance until it produces confrontations and some violence. That’s the way it worked in the antiwar movement Iwas apart of ...”

Thatiscertainly theway it is working in Minneapolis. The question for immigrationactivists is whether they can set off similar struggles around the country.On“Meet the Press” Sunday,deputyattorney general Todd Blanche blamed sanctuary jurisdictions,inwhich Democratic local and state governments forbid local law enforcement from cooperating with

Onekey question now is: Can the forces resisting federal law enforcement in Minneapolis nationalizethe struggle? Boosted by thefuror over immigration enforcement personnel’skillings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, plus theagency’sgeneral reputation for heavy-handedness,the resistance has made huge progress. President Trumphas expressed unhappinesswitheventsand is acting in response to the voices from his own side telling him to toneICE down. Still, keep in mind the activists’ goal. They don’twant ICE to deport illegal immigrantsinasafe, smooth and efficient way.They want to stop the deportations.

Andafter themass illegal crossings of the Biden years, that is the compelling issue: Will theU.S. end up allowing the illegal crossers to stay?Doing so will create an enormous incentive for future illegal crossers.

Andthen, what is to stop another mass incursion thenext time aDemocratic president, under pressure from his party’s activist groups, opens the border again?

Email Byron York at byork@washingtonexaminer.com.

The single biggest reason Trump wonasecond term was economic discontent with the Biden administration, and it’sthe single biggest reason so manyvoters are now disillusioned. In the CNNsurvey,55% say Trump’spolicies have actually madethings worse and almost two-thirds say he has not done enough to reduce their cost of living. Even among Republicans, reports the AP only 16% say Trumphas helped “a lot” in making things moreaffordable.

That’sanold story.Two new developments are also eroding Trump’ssupport, and the first is immigration —traditionally one of his strongest issues. Since he first entered politics, Trumphas madefear of foreigners amajor rallying cry “Build the wall!” “Send them home!” —and in the last campaign, his ads were filled with scary images of unknown, undocumented migrants swarming across the southern border

They were“others”: easy to demonize and dehumanize. They had no voice and no identity,and Trumpand his media managers could control what voters knew and felt about them.

Once in office, Trumpdoubled down, promoting and publicizing ICEraids around the country, sure they could help him politically.“It wasa show,atheatrical operation,” writes columnist Kate Andrewsinthe Washington Post, “almost certainly designed to attract as much attention as possible.”

But Trumpmiscalculated, and his show backfired. The ICEagents were not patrolling the border anymore, but the streets of American cities. In theirmilitary gear,wearing masks andbrandishingweapons, they looked menacing, not reassuring. Their targets were not faceless hordes but real people with jobs and families, friends and neighbors.

“We’veseen aslow dripping downwardofconfidenceinICE [and] the person running it, and then Minneapolis happens,” said TimMalloy,apolling analyst with Quinnipiac.

What happened wasthe shooting, on aresidential Minneapolis street, of Renee Nicole Good, a White 37-year-old mother of three. Just seconds before her death, cellphone videos captured her smiling at an ICEagent approaching her car and saying, “I’m not mad at you.”

The administration tried to brand her as adomestic terrorist whohad caused her own demise by driving at the agent. But the videos —seen by morethan 80% of Americans —told adifferent story

Good simply did not look like aterrorist. Plus, independent newsorganizations analyzed the cellphone footage and concluded that it “contradicted” the official line. Even Joe Rogan, the popular conservative podcaster whoendorsed Trump, denounced ICE’s“Gestapo” tactics and said, “It’s very ugly to watch someone shoot aU.S. citizen, especially awoman, in the face.” Trumphad lost control of the narrative, and public opinion turned against him.InaCBS poll, 61% called ICE’sactions “too tough.” Regarding immigration roundups, 52% said they madethem feel “less safe,” while only 31% felt “more safe.” To 54%, Good’sshooting was“not justified,” while 28% approved.

Trumphas madeasecond, larger miscalculation as well. He barely mentions affordability,discounting it as a“hoax” while kidnapping the Venezuelan president, lusting after the Nobel Peace Prize and demolishing the White House. He seems farmore interested in Greenland —about 1,800 miles north of Maine —than Greenville, North Carolina, or Greenville, Texas, or any of the other 30 or so Greenvilles scattered around the country As aresult, reports CNN, just 36% —the loyal MAGAbase —now say he has the right priorities, downfrom 45% ayear ago. Only one-third of Americans agree that Trump“cares about people like them,” which is “the worst rating of his political career.”

Things could change before the midterm elections. The economy could improve and the mood could brighten. Democrats could blow their current advantage on immigration and resurrect someform of “defund the police,” one of the most disastrous political slogans ever.But if so many Americans still think of Trumpasa“failure” next November,they will take it out on his party Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@gmail.com

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

For Kyte Aymond, the rumbling started in the summer of 2024. Windows, cabinets and doors in his Plaquemine City home began rattling. It was intermittent, but sometimes up to a week straight, forcing countless sleepless nights “It pierces your head,” Aymond said. “It’s not really loud when you’re outside. But when you get on the porch, you begin to hear it really intensely.”

After talking with his neighbors most sandwiched between Railroad Street and the Mississippi River in the downtown historic district Aymond realized they were all dealing with the same thing. What seemed like low-frequency vibrations were affecting their sleep, knocking over picture frames and even sinking some of their homes’ foundations.

A schoolteacher and chair of the Plaquemine Historic Board, Aymond took the lead, pressing thenPlaquemine Mayor Ed Reeves, Sheriff Brett Stassi, council members and Parish President Chris Daigle for answers. The vibrations began the same year that VLS Environmental Solutions, a private-equity-owned company specializing in waste management and marine services, began cleaning barges directly across the Mississippi River at Plaquemine Point in St. Gabriel Flares from its thermal oxidizers glowed visibly from Plaquemine levees across the river Residents eyed a possible suspect.

GAUTREAUX

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owners of two companies that supposedly submitted bids for an August 2024 Charles Burke Elementary School drainage project said they did not submit the bids The licensing board uncovered the alleged forged bids while investigating a complaint against Bosco Oilfield Services in Maurice which allegedly submitted the lowest bid and was hired for the $74,500 drainage pipe replacement.

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transportation to him and they exchanged contact information.

Around March 8, 2022, Francisco asked Goodie for a ride to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he had friends.

Investigators believe he was attempting to flee Louisiana to avoid going to court on an attempted murder charge in Rapides Parish Goodie allegedly told Francisco she couldn’t take him to Missouri because she had two minor children to care for, but agreed on a rate for her to drive him to Houston instead.

In the early morning hours of March 9, 2022, the document says they met in Lafay-

BERTHELOT

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outstanding individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to promoting and enhancing Louisiana tourism. Winners were:

n Outstanding Convention and Visitors Bureau/Tourist Commission of the Year (budget up to $499,999): Washington Parish Tourism Commission n Outstanding Convention and Visitors Bureau/Tourist Commission of the Year (budget from $500,000 to $999,999): Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism n Outstanding Convention and Visitors Bureau/Tourist Commission of the Year

(budget from $1 million and above): New Orleans & Company n Tourism Campaign of the Year (budget up to $29,999):

Answers remain elusive nearly two years after the first complaints began. Residents aired their frustration publicly for the first time at an Iberville Parish Council meeting Jan. 20.

“I lived in an old house, very solid, 100 years old,” said Les Ann Kirkland, who recently moved out of Plaquemine “It never shook until those people came there.”

“I want to know who is going to fix my house,” said another resident.

At the meeting, VLS Regional Vice President Wade Grundmeyer said the company is committed to being a “good neighbor,” and pointed to a $1 million investment to fix the problem. But the source of the shaking remains a mystery, with some doubting whether VLS is solely to blame.

“We spent a lot of money to try and figure it out,” said Grundmeyer who declined an interview after the meeting. “Are we aware of exactly what’s happening? No. Are we aware of when it’s happening? There is no exact science to it, which is frustrating.”

Officials investigate complaints

Council Vice Chair Raheem Pierce of the 6th District estimates that around 30 residents have contacted him about the vibrations.

“I’m glad for the corporate partners,” he said. “But we have people we represent every day who are not happy.”

Daigle and other leaders have visited residents’ homes to witness the phenomenon themselves.

“We have seen the concerns; we have heard the concerns,” Daigle said in an interview “If you go on one or two front porches, you can actually hear some type of humming.”

Daigle said he met with the

The owner of Clements Construction in Lafayette, Beavers wrote, which according to school system documents bid on the project, “adamantly stated that he did not submit a bid proposal for that project.”

The owner of the third company that allegedly bid on the project, Siema Construction of Scott, also told a state investigator his company applied earlier in the year for system jobs but did not submit this particular bid. He noted that the bid submission format for the drainage project differed from the bids he previously

ette and traveled to Houston, arriving around 6 a.m. They allegedly checked into a hotel for a few hours and headed back toward Louisiana on Interstate 10. Goodie, the document states, stopped in Lake Charles to meet a friend who said she had a gun with her, which she carried for protection, and someone else was in the vehicle.

She and Francisco continued east toward Iowa, when both their cellphone activity stopped for about 51 minutes. The factual basis document signed by Francisco, his public defender attorney and an assistant U.S Attorney says Francisco took Goodie’s gun, shot her several times, disposed of her body and fled in her car First Francisco fled to

Experience Ruston Small Markets Can Pull Big Strings n Tourism Campaign of the Year (budget up to $29,999): Explore Alexandria Pineville — The Community Heart Project n Tourism Campaign of the Year (budget of $30,000 and above): Visit The Northshore — Shore To Be Campaign n Tourism Campaign of the Year (budget of $30,000 and above): Visit Jefferson Parish — In To Be Out

n Attraction of the Year: Global Wildlife Center

n Attraction of the Year: Old State Capitol n Accommodation of the Year: Camp Margaritaville Breaux Bridge

n Bed and Breakfast of the Year: The Stockade n Festival of the Year: Ouachita Riverfest n Event of the Year: Smoke & Barrel

n Restaurateurs of the Year: John Besh & Octavio Mantilla

Army Corps of Engineers in 2024 over concerns about the vibrations’ effects on the levees. He said they determined the structures were not in danger and stopped investigating the issue In January 2025, Clint Moore, director of the Iberville Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, submitted a complaint to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, citing multiple reports of vibrations believed to be caused by VLS flaring, and asked if the company was operating under the permissions of their permit.

According to LDEQ records, Grundmeyer told an investigator over the phone that the noise “was the result of permitted flaring during barge-cleaning operations,” and that the company was “working to install padding, which should reduce such noise.” The agency closed the investigation a week later

Daigle said he has met with VLS since 2024, at times joined by Stassi, the Plaquemine mayor, Pierce and District 8 council member Hunter S. Markins.

“Not to say that they took 100% blame, but they did recognize that they may be part of the cause,” Daigle said.

According to both Grundmeyer and the company website, VLS’s Plaquemine facility extracts residual fuel and vapors out of the tanks of barges that transport liquefied petroleum gas. Those vapors route to a thermal oxidizer, burning off volatile organic compounds and other waste to meet environmental standards, before release into the atmosphere.

One resident who works in the oil and gas industry claimed at the meeting that the thermal oxidizing process was causing “air-cavitation,” when the rapid formation

submitted to the system for other work.

The school system launched an investigation that it eventually handed over to the Lafayette Police Department. Police arrested Gautreaux in August and charged him with injuring public records and filing false public records.

Touchet did not provide a comment on the indictment, but a spokesperson provided the following statement:

“The Lafayette Parish School System is aware that an LPSS employee was indicted by a grand jury today The indictments stem from

Bedford, Texas, spending the night of March 9, 2022.

The next morning he drove toward Missouri, arriving on the night of March 10, 2022, at a friend’s house.

Francisco was arrested March 25, 2022, in St. Joseph, Missouri. Agents found he had Goodie’s 9 mm gun and the key fob to her SUV

Goodie’s vehicle was found by the St. Joseph Police Department on March 31 backed in and somewhat hidden behind a residence.

The Texas license plate had been removed and a front windshield sunshade blocked the view inside the vehicle.

Police found a large amount of blood on the front passenger floorboard and two bullet holes in the SUV Goodie’s body has not been found.

n Restaurateur of the Year: Eric Avery n Major Event of the Year: 2025 USBC Open Championships n Rising Star of the Year: Tara Morvant n Will Mangham Tourism Lifetime Achievement: Anne Klenke

n Victor Profis Travel Media: Adrienne Hennis Advance Travel & Tourism

n Louisiana Spirit Award: Violet Peters.

LOTTERY

TUESDAY, JAN. 27, 2026

and collapse of vapor bubbles release intense, random vibrations.

While it was just a theory, in July, VLS secured a permit to relocate the oxidizer from its river barge to shore, according to Daigle. It was a few weeks after Aymond and his wife sued the company, seeking a permanent injunction to halt operations. Their lawsuit remains ongoing.

The $1 million transition began in November before VLS resumed operations in December Aymond said the vibrations stopped during the brief transition period, but resumed shortly after Christmas.

“All of a sudden, it was the same old stuff,” he said.

“It seemed like it was going fine, then we started getting complaints again,” Grundmeyer said. 100% to blame?

Grundmeyer told the council he had received complaints even when the facility was shut down He added that Iberville Parish residents on the same side of the river — some within a quartermile of VLS have never reported vibrations. Grundmeyer, Daigle and Markins all suggested other possible causes, such as heavy barge traffic or nearby industrial facilities. Residents even report being told the vibrations come from trucks or rush hour on Church and Eden streets.

“He’s the new guy, so he’s going to get 100% of the blame,” Markins said of Grundmeyer “Is he 100% to blame? Probably not but I’m telling you now when they start running, the vibrations come.”

“I noticed the foundations my patio, it’s just all cracking up. The noise is just terrible,” said Rebecca Vince, a resident living on Church Street. “I’ve been here

allegations related to fraudulent quotes and the deletion of documents in 2025. At this time, the district is reviewing the official charges and conferring with legal counsel. Because this is an active legal matter LPSS will have no further comment at this time.”

In December, Touchet

21 years, I know it’s not the trucks passing.”

Grundmeyer explained to the council that VLS often faces barge backlogs along the Mississippi, with vessels waiting for tank cleaning That can lead to flaring for weeks at a time, he said Aymond, though not an expert, can see the backups from the levees and believes most vibrations coincide with those periods.

“They turn that baby up to get through it as fast as possible,” he said. “We don’t want to stop a business. But if you can’t keep it at a certain volume because you’re worried you’re not going to get through enough work, that’s not our problem.”

Parish weighs next steps

So far, the picture remains murky about how to stop the vibrations — or even identify their source.

“We don’t have any data, we don’t have any physical evidence to prove it’s them,” Daigle said. It also is unclear just how many residents are affected, as no surveys have been issued.

“We need some sort of process to get to the bottom of it,” council President Steve Smith said. “Right now, we have no process.”

Meanwhile, Aymond’s wife has recently given birth, and the couple sleeps with their newborn in the back of the house, furthest from the river, to avoid potential health issues from vibrations. When it gets particularly bad, his wife often travels to sleep at her parent’s house in St. Francisville, and he is contemplating moving there permanently

“It should not have taken this long for nothing to be communicated to the council,” he said. “It should not have taken this long to have any meaningful change at all.”

said the district did its due diligence in investigating possibly forged construction bids and that it was an isolated incident.

The Police Departement sent the Attorney General’s Office its investigative files, department spokesperson Sgt. Robin Green said in December She said LPD sharing its investigative files does not mean the Attorney General’s Office will investigate and she also could not confirm if the Attorney General’s Office had opened an investigation. Contact Ashley White at ashley.white@theadvocate. com.

SPORTS

Loomis says Saints want LB Davisback in 2026

BY MATTHEWPARAS Staff writer

MOBILE, Ala. After Demario Davis teased he could test the market in free agency this spring, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday that he wantsthe linebacker to return to the team next season. Davis’ contractdoesn’texpireuntil March, but the 37-year-old indicated that he was leaving his options open during aconversation with FanDuel’sKay Adams.Loomis said he hadn’twatchedthe interview, but he had heard about the remarks.

“Yeah, we love Demario,” Loomis said Wednesday.“Iwanthim back.Ihope he’s back, but we’ll get throughthat.” Davis carried a$6.5 million base salary in 2025 and is coming off aseason in which he recorded acareer highintackles. Davis, who has been with the franchise since2018, told reporters late last season thathewanted to play next season andwasn’tworried about his contract, notingthe issue “always worked itself out.” Davis’ contractisset to void this offseason, though he’llcarry a$14 millioncap hit on the Saints’ books because of various restructures over theyears ifhe doesn’tagree to anew deal.

Aday earlier,DavistoldAdams thathe was “coming back to the NFL,” butwas far from definitive that he’dbeback with the Saints.

“How that plays out, we shall see,”Davis said. “I’m just trying to rideitout.I’m good

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

If the UL Ragin’ Cajunsare going to get offtoa good start to theirSun Belt weekend, their defensewill have to step up to the challenge.

Red-hot Georgia State will enter the Cajundome for a7 p.m. Thursday battle. The Panthers (9-12, 6-3 Sun Belt) have surged into second placeinthe Sun Belt standings with four straight victories.

The Cajuns (5-16, 3-6) will try to corral one of the league’s premier scorers in JelaniHamilton, who is the reigningSun Belt player of the week.Hamiltonscored 38 points in the Panthers’ 82-81 winover Arkansas State on Saturday,and he averaged 30.5 points, 5.0 rebounds,2.5 steals and 1.5 blocked shots in his two games Hamilton is the second-leading scorerin the Sun Belt at 22.0 ppginleague games and 19.4 ppg for the season.

“Hamiltonisa reallygood player,” UL coachQuannas Whitesaid. “He’ssupertalented. It’sasuper talented team. He can shoot the ball, and he can shoot it from deep. He canscore at all three levels,but Ithink our guys get up for that.” In addition to shooting 38.9% from

PA EN NG

BY MATTHEWPARAS Staff writer

MOBILE, Ala. GarrettNussmeier had no plans of shuttingdown his season after he was benched last November againstAlabama. The LSU quarterback saidheunderstood the decision and expected things to “go back to normal” the next week.

Butthat Tuesday,asNussmeier went to throwa frontsideshallow —asimple 8-yard route —the 23-year-old bent over in pain. He had reinjured the abdominal injury that had plaguedhim throughout the season. And though he spent the rest of the week rehabbing to get ready for the next game, Nussmeier cametoarealization: Ican’tdothis.

“Atthat point,Iknew if Ican’tthrow afrontside shallow,I’m noteffective,” Nussmeier saidWednesday, re-

ä Georgia State at UL 7P.M.THURSDAy,ESPN+

3-pointland, Hamilton is the league’ssecond-leadingfree-throw shooter a92.2%.

That brings up another big obstaclefor the Cajuns. Georgia State makes 78.5% of its free throws as ateam, ranking No.9 nationally in that critical category

“They’ve gota really good shooting team,” White said. “Weneed to getback in transition.This is areally good offensive team. We’ve got to makesure we take away what they’re really good at. That’s what part of our game plan is and making them attack thebasketball.

“You know,westill want to keep theball in front of us, and we don’twant to give up aclear lane to drive and get to thebasket or get fouled.” The other double-digit scorer for Georgia State is Micah Tucker (11.6pts, 2.0 rebs).

UL did effectively defend theSun Belt’s leading scorer ChazeHarrisofSouth Alabama, limiting the 22 ppg scorer to 12 points on Dec. 31 and 18 pointsonJan. 17.

callingthe moment publiclyfor the firsttime. “I can’t help my team win. From there, it wasn’treally adecision Iwas able to maketonot play

“It was forced upon me.”

Months later, Nussmeieradmittedhe’sstillnot 100% healthy. He said surgery forthe ailment wasconsidered, but as of now,Nussmeier doesn’tbelieve it is needed.

Instead,hehas focusedonretraining “from theground up.” After playing mostofthe year hurt, Nussmeier said he picked up “so many” badhabits when adjusting to the injury.His play suffered as aresult, creating afascinating dynamic as he participates in the Senior Bowl this week.

Last fall, Nussmeier enteredthe college season viewed as oneofthe nation’stop prospects, with the potential

LSUwomen’sbasketball stars

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

U women’sbasketball far as its three stars or arough shooting forthe Tigers to win tseason t’s less true now. In t games, LSU has ved moreoffensive ction from theone ner,threetransfers hreefreshmenwho f contributorsaround onand Mikaylah Wilencoach Kim Mulkey herefrain she repeatmber and December. hnow,” Mulkey said

s (19-2, 5-2SEC) liketo use it again when 7 p.m. Thursday (SEC rbacksare winless in istough, but the last n that LSU should win

On TV

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

4p.m. Samford at Furman CBSSN

6p.m. Liberty at Middle TennesseeCBSSN

6p.m. Colorado at Iowa State FS1

7p.m. FAUatMemphis ESPN2

7p.m. Penn St. at NorthwesternPEACOCK

8p.m. UNC-WilmingtonatTowson CBSSN

8p.m. Presbyterian at High PointESPNU

8p.m.Washington at Illinois FS1

10 p.m. Hawaii at UC Irvine ESPNU WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

4p.m. Stonehill at Fairleigh Dickinson ESPNU

5p.m. N.C. State at BostonCollege ACC

5p.m. Michigan State at Purdue BTN

5p.m. Kansas at TCU ESPN

5:30 p.m. Alabama at Georgia SEC

6p.m. Michigan at Indiana PEACOCK

6p.m. QuinnipiacatFairfield ESPNU

7p.m. DukeatMiami ACC

7p.m. WisconsinatOhioState BTN

7p.m. Louisville at Stanford ESPN

8p.m. Iowa at SouthernCal PEACOCK

8p.m. South Carolina at AuburnSEC

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

1:30 p.m. Senior Bowl practice ESPNU/NFLN

4p.m. Senior Bowl practice ESPNews/NFLN MEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL

9p.m. Ohio State at UCLA BTN GOLF

10:30 a.m.LPGA: TourneyofChampions Golf

11 a.m.PGA: Farmers Insurance Open ESPN

2p.m. PGA: Farmers Insurance Golf

2:30 a.m. DP World: BahrainChamp. ^Golf NBA

6p.m.Milwaukee at Washington PRIME

8:30 p.m.Oklahoma City at MinnesotaPRIME MEN’S SOCCER

11:15 a.m. Al Hilal at Al Qadsiah FS2

1:55 p.m. Red Bull Salzburg at Aston Villa CBSSN WOMEN’S SOCCER

1:50 p.m.Guatemala vs. St.Lucia FS2

3:50 p.m.Cuba vs.Anguilla FS2

5:50 p.m.Aruba vs.Guyana FS2 TENNIS

7a.m.WTA:Australian Open semis *Tennis

2p.m.WTA:Australian Open semis *ESPN2

9:30 p.m.ATP: AustralianOpen semis ESPN

2:30 a.m. ATP: AustralianOpen semis ^ESPN

*taped; ^Friday

Cajuns picked thirdinSun Belt

League’s dominant programalsohas no playersonpreseason

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

It’ssomething that would have seemed nearly impossible in any other year of this century: The UL Ragin’ Cajuns don’thave aplayer represented on the Sun Belt Conference’spreseason softball team.

The Cajuns are picked to finish third in the Sun Belt with 109 total points, just behind runner-up UL-Monroe with 113 points according to the league’s coaches.

Receiving eight of the 12 firstplace votes, Texas State is the preseason favorite with 138 points, while Coastal Carolina (fourth) and Marshall (fifth) roundout the top five.

The Warhawks are the only topfive team that didn’treceive a first-place vote.

UL is coming offa29-25 season that included a14-10 SBC finish in coach Alyson Habetz’sinaugural campaign. TheCajunstiedfor third place with UL-Monroe behind league champion TexasState and runner-up Marshall.

The Cajuns have been thedominant program since the Sun Belt begansponsoring softball in 2000. In that span, UL has won the league 22 times, finishedsecond twice and third twice.

Not having aplayer on the preseason team isn’tatotal shock as UL will likely have new starters at four positions. The only returning Cajun honored as afirst- or second-team honoree in 2025is first baseman Emily Smith.

The reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year,Smith batted .362 with

neither Sage Hoover norLexie Delbrey pitched last season.

Reed leaving LIVGolf, can return to PGA Tour in Sept

SAN DIEGO Patrick Reed is the secondmajor champion to leave Saudi-funded LIVGolf, announcing Wednesdayhewill spendthe rest of the year on the European tour with an eye on returning to the PGA Tour as early as September His decision, just threedaysafter he wonthe Dubai Desert Classic, comes the sameweek that five-time major champion Brooks Koepka returnstothe PGATourat Torrey Pines.

“I’m atraditionalistatheart,and Iwas born to play on the PGA Tour, which is where my story began with my wife, Justine,” said Reed, who led University High of Baton Rouge to twostate golf titles. “I am very fortunate for the opportunities that have comemyway and grateful for the life we have created.”

Ex-champ Fury coming out of retirement to fight

LONDON Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will comeout of retirement to face Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.

The highly anticipated fight was confirmedonWednesday. No venue has yet been announced. Fury retiredlastyear,after losing forasecond time to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024. Before histwo boutswith Usyk, theBritish boxer was unbeaten in 35 fights, winning 34 and drawing one. Fury had announced on Jan. 4 that he would be coming out of retirement.

Two-timeworld champion Fury ended the reign of Wladimir Klitschkowitha pointswin in 2015 that saw him crowned Super WBA, IBFand WBO title-holder

Jets hire former Dolphins assistant Duker as DC

Preseason poll TheSunBeltpreseasonsoftballpollwith teams,first-placevotesinparenthesisand totalpoints.

Sr. 1B Aiyana Coleman, TexasState, Sr 1B Georgia Hood, Coastal Carolina, Jr. 2B Morgan Brown, UL-Monroe, So. 2B Makayla McClain, App State, Sr 3B Olivia Branstetter,South Alabama, Jr. 3B Cali Legzdin, James Madison, So. SS Grace Barrett, App State, Jr OF Meagan Brown, UL-Monroe, Jr. OF Hannah Christian,SouthernMiss, So. OF Diamond Leslie,Marshall, So. OF Brooklin Lippert, UL-Monroe, Jr. DP Payton List, James Madison, Jr. PlayerofYear: Aiyana Coleman, TexasState Pitcher of Year: Madison Azua, TexasState

Thenextmostlikelycandidate for an all-conference preseason pick was shortstop Cecilia Vasquez,who batted .276 with three homersand 31 RBIslast season.

Appalachian State’sGrace Barrettgot thenod at shortstop after hitting .313 with five homers and 34 RBIs in 2025.

12 homers and 43 RBIs lastseason. But the preseason Sun Belt Playerofthe Year is Texas State’s Aiyana Coleman,who also plays first base, and she gotthe nodover Smith.

Coleman hit .421 last season with 17 homers and 55 RBIs Mallory Wheeler,UL’stop pitcher from last season,transferred While thetop endofthis year’s staffisexpected to be improved,

Another reason Texas State was picked to finish firstispreseason Pitcher of theYear Madison Azua, who was 20-8 last season with a 2.76 ERA and 187 strikeouts in 170 innings.

UL will start the season at 3:30 p.m. Feb.6 against Tulsa to kickoff the 40thLouisiana Classic.

Djokovic ‘lucky’after opponent retires

Serbiangreat back in semifinals after Musettiforcedtoexit matchwithleg injury

BYJOHN PYE AP sportswriter

MELBOURNE, Australia After a walkover and an in-matchretirement, 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic will meet two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals. Djokovic dropped the first two sets of his quarterfinal 6-4, 6-3 Wednesday to fifth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti butwas up abreak in the third when the 23-year-old Italian retired with an injured right leg. The 38-year-old Djokovic admitted he was “lucky this time.” It wasn’treallythe way Djokovic wanted to cap yet another record —his 103rdwin at Melbourne Park, one better than Roger Federer’sprevious all-time mark—but he accepted anyroute through.

Sinner was all businessina6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over eighth-seeded Ben Shelton in anightmatch to extend his streak to 19 at Melbourne Park.

Sinner conceded he waslucky to still be in the tournament, too, after struggling with cramps and staggering in his third-round match until the roof wasclosed and he went back on court reinvigorated.

The top four seeds havereached the final four in the men’sdraw,

ASS0CIATED PRESS PHOTO By DITAALANGKARA

Lorenzo Musetti, left, of Italy shakes handswith NovakDjokovic of Serbia after Musettiretired from their Australian Open quarterfinal on WednesdayinMelbourne, Australia. Musetti had wonthe first twosets.

with No. 1Carlos Alcaraz and No. 3Alexander Zverev set to meet in theother semifinal.

Pegula,Rybakinaadvance

After three previouslosses in Australian Open quarterfinals, Jessica Peguladefeated Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6 (1) on Wednesday to advance to the final four at Melbourne Park for the first time. It marked Pegula’s14th winin her past 15 matches against fellow Americans, continuing her strong runofdomestic dominance.

In the earlier quarterfinal at Rod Laver Arena, Elena Rybakina defeated IgaSwiatek 7-5, 6-1 to prevent the Polish player from completing acareer Grand Slam of singles titles. Pegula meets Rybakina in one semifinal on Thursday,while top-

ranked Aryna Sabalenka will play Elina Svitolina in theother The 31-year-old Pegula alsobeat Madison Keys, another American and the reigning champion, in her previousmatch to advancetothe quarterfinals. Pegula is looking for herfirst Grand Slam titlewhile Rybakina is after her second after winning Wimbledon in 2022.

Djokovic’s dramatic win

Djokovic was twosetsdown, slowed by aserious blister on his foot andalreadythinking about his flight home when fifth-seeded Musetti called it quits.

Musetti needed amedical timeout fortreatment on hisupper right leg after beingbroken in thethird gameofthe thirdset. He played on for almost twogames

but couldn’tcontinue.

After serving adouble-fault in the fifth game to give Djokovic a breakpoint chance, Musetti wiped ahandacrosshis face, walked towardthe net and removed his headband before exchanging a handshake andquick hug.

“I honestlyhave no words to describe how I’m feeling right now andhow tough it is for me with this injury in this moment,” Musetti said.

“I continued to play because I was playing really,really,really well, but Iwas feeling that the pain was increasing and the problem was not going away.”

Djokovicsaidhefeltfor Musetti.

“It happened to me afew times. But being in the quarters of a Grand Slam, two sets to love up and being in fullcontrol —Imean, so unfortunate,”Djokovicsaid “He should have been awinner today.”

Musetti was also forced to retire from the French Open semifinals last year withasimilarinjury against eventual champion Alcaraz.

“I feel really sorryfor him,” Djokovic said. “Hewas afar better player.I wasonmyway home tonight.”

Late in the second set, Djokovic conceded apoint after telling the chair umpirehis racket frame had touched—barely and inaudibly —the ball before it wentout.He soon lost that gameand the set.

Thesituationappearedtoget more dire forDjokovicwhenhe needed amedical timeoutafter the second set forthe blister on theball of his right foot.

The NewYork Jets hired former Miami Dolphins assistant coach BrianDukerastheir defensive coordinator on Wednesday Duker spent the past two seasons as theDolphins’ passing game coordinator andsecondary coach. He was the ninth and last knowncandidate to interviewfor the Jets’ vacancy,and had avideo meeting with coach Aaron Glenn on Tuesday

The 36-year-old Duker has never been aplay-caller and it’sexpected that Glenn could take alarger role in leading the defense. Glenn was Detroit’sdefensive coordinator for four seasons before being hired as head coach by New York last year and has familiarity with Duker

Ala. judgerecuses himself in Bediako’seligibility suit

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. The judge in Alabama center CharlesBediako’s eligibilitylawsuit against the NCAA hasrecused himself from the case.

TuscaloosaCircuit Court Judge James Roberts filed the order Wednesday,according to court documents.

The case wasreassigned to Judge Daniel Pruet, an Alabama graduate who is overseeing the murder case involving former Crimson Tide playerDarius Miles.

TheNCAAfileda motion for recusal Tuesday,noting Roberts’ donations to the university as well as public perception that his relationship with Alabama athletics could alter his judgment in the case. Roberts was listed as adonor on the Crimson Tide Foundation’s website.

Rockets’ Adams out for year afterankle surgery

HOUSTON— Houston’sSteven Adams will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his left ankle,the Rockets announced Wednesday Adamshad been outsince suffering what coachIme Udoka called a“severely sprained ankle” on Jan. 18 against the Pelicans. The 6-foot-11, 265-pound center from NewZealand appeared in 32 games with 11 startsthisseasonfor the Rockets. He ranked second on theteam by averaging8.6 rebounds andwas scoring5.8 pointsper game. The Rockets acquired the 32-year-old Adamsfrom Memphis in February 2024. He didn’tplay that season while recovering from knee surgery. Last season,heaveraged 3.9 points and 5.6 reboundsin 58 games. He played for the Pelicans in the 2020-221 season.

CAJUNS

Continued from page 1C

“Experience is the best teacher,” White said. “You have to make them uncomfortable, and sometimes by making the other team uncomfortable you have to be OK with being uncomfortable.” Both teams have been good defensively in league play, with the Cajuns No. 2 in scoring defense at 68.5 ppg and Georgia State third at 70.3 ppg. The Cajuns have displayed progress on offense with Dorian Finister (13.9 pts, 4.8 rebs) typically leading the way. Jaxon Olvera (11.4 pts, 3.4 rebs) has been on a roller-coaster ride in January, while sophomore guard De’Vion Lavergne (8.0 pts, 3.5 rebs, 2.8 assists) has settled in nicely as the new point guard.

“De’Vion goes on the road and had seven assists with no turn-

overs,” White said “These guys are still young and developing. A lot of our guys are young. Patience you have to be patient. This program is going to continue to elevate, but these guys need time.”

Rebounding could be a key for the Cajuns with Georgia State averaging 35.8 rebounds a game compared to 29.9 for UL.

“I don’t think they’re quite the offensive rebounding team that Troy is, but Georgia State is really good offensively,” White said.

“They can really shoot it.”

While Georgia State is on fire, UL is coming off a 72-58 road loss to Appalachian State.

“I thought we played well for about 30, 32 minutes, but we didn’t finish,” White said. “I thought we got stagnant again in the second half. The shot selection wasn’t very good.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

surging offense that’s dangerous from 3-point land and at the free-throw line.

LSU

Continued from page 1C

its sixth straight contest with relative ease, whether Johnson and Williams have big nights or not “I’ve enjoyed watching, especially (Johnson) and (Williams),” Mulkey said, “make their teammates better Because they could shoot it 20 or 25 times every game, but that doesn’t make us better, and they enjoy it now because they see production.”

Johnson and Williams are both shooting and scoring far less often than they did in SEC play last season, yet the Tigers have managed to put up points at a higher clip than they did a year ago Through seven games, LSU has the league’s second-best scoring average (81 points per game) in SEC games.

Johnson and Williams aren’t the only offensive threats The Tigers now have a point guard who can hit outside shots consistently, a reserve guard who can finish difficult layups at the end of her own fastbreak chances, and a few frontcourt players who’ve shown they can score around the rim. As a result, LSU is starting to share the scoring responsibilities more than it did in previous seasons.

In 2025 league play, Johnson, Williams and Aneesah Morrow were responsible for 63% of LSU’s field-goal attempts and 66% of its points. They each scored more than 17 ppg. Kailyn Gilbert — then a junior guard who was playing the role MiLaysia Fulwiley has assumed this season — was the only other contributor who took more than five

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

with whatever happens.” Davis has often said that he wants to finish his career with New Orleans, the team that helped him take off after stints with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. Davis and the Saints last agreed on a new contract on March 11, 2024, when they struck a twoyear, $17.25 million extension that tacked on an extra year to Davis’ existing contract and increased his guaranteed money Hill space The New Orleans Saints are giving Taysom Hill space to determine whether to retire, Loomis said. Hill has not said whether he wants to

Belichick’s HOF snub creates storm of criticism around NFL

BY ROB MAADDI AP pro football writer

Bill Belichick won six Lombardi Trophies as a head coach with the Patriots, two as an assistant with the Giants and has more Super Bowl rings than anyone in NFL history

Yet somehow he’s not a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer Belichick didn’t get the required votes in his first year of eligibility, according to a report from ESPN on Tuesday that cited four unidentified sources. Belichick needed 40 votes from the 50-person panel of media members and other Hall of Famers.

News of the snub stunned players, coaches, fans and anyone who has watched football.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes called it “insane.”

NBA superstar LeBron James said it’s “impossible, egregious, and quite frankly disrespectful.”

If Belichick’s resume isn’t worthy of a gold jacket and bronze statue, what constitutes a Hall of Fame career?

“Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me, I strongly believe Bill Belichick’s record and body of work speak for themselves,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday Kraft and Belichick are two of five finalists among coaches, contributors and senior players who last appeared in a game in 2000 or earlier Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood are the players.

mittee meeting that selected him to advance to the full 50-member selection body Salguero then presented Belichick to the full selector’s committee in a meeting Jan. 13. He is among the voters who selected Belichick and are urging the others to reveal themselves.

gate” scandal kept Belichick out of the Hall. There is no morality or character criteria for voters to consider Belichick was implicated in a sign-stealing scheme during the 2007 season and was fined $500,000 after New England was caught filming defensive signals from the New York Jets during a game.

shots per game.

Now the Tigers have seven players who are attempting more than five field goals per contest.

LSU’s three leading shot-takers

— Johnson, Williams and Fulwiley are responsible for only half of its field-goal tries.

Just seven league matchups have come and gone, and seven different Tigers have at least one 10-point game. Six have at least one 15-point game. Four have at least one 20-point game.

Last season, Gilbert was the only contributor not named Johnson, Williams or Morrow to score more than 20 points. She hit that mark in two of the 16 regularseason league contests.

Jada Richard already has matched that feat during her breakout sophomore season.

She’s scored 20 points in two of the Tigers’ last three games.

Mulkey seems to have settled on a nine-player rotation — the same size as the one she used last season. The difference is that seven of the players who cracked that group this season are chipping in more than five points per game. Last year, only four contributors had that scoring average Johnson, Williams, Morrow and Gilbert.

“I would think that’s part of our identity,” Mulkey said. “Who are you going to stop?

“So many kids are caught up into scoring averages and scoring the ball. Our team is really good when nobody cares about that.

Because you’re gonna all play You’re gonna all be recognized.”

Not just the two or three stars most responsible for LSU’s national title chase.

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.

Between one and three of those finalists will be inducted into the Hall along with between three and five modern-era players from a group of 15 finalists.

The Hall of Fame declined to comment before its Class of 2026 is announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco on Feb. 5. Several voters immediately revealed they voted for Belichick and some called for those who didn’t to publicly say it. Armando Salguero, OutKick’s senior NFL writer and Hall of Fame voter, was the one who presented Belichick in the Hall’s subcom-

NUSSMEIER

to be the first overall pick in the draft.

This week, he has to show that he’s worthy of being drafted at all.

“Not the best,” Nussmeier said when asked how he evaluated his play last season. “There were things, obviously, that I take full ownership in and the areas that I needed to be better at. Unfortunately, some new things happened because of what I went through with the injury (It was) frustrating, for sure.

“I don’t blame anybody for the frustrations I wanted to be the best. I wanted to lead us to a national championship. I wanted to win the Heisman. And those were all the things I dreamed about doing. So not being able to do them, I understand why people were frustrated because I was frustrated myself.”

Despite the lackluster campaign, Nussmeier didn’t sound like someone who regretted passing up the NFL draft last year when his stock was much higher He said return-

“They should identify themselves as the people who kept Belichick out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year,” Salguero wrote in his column. “I am saying that here, and would say as much to their face. Their votes sunk Belichick’s chances and embarrassed the Hall of Fame in the process.

“They make all selectors look bad, and they shouldn’t hide behind their minority vote to protect themselves at the expense of the wider group. I know it’s a wider group because I’ve spoken with a lot of selectors since our meeting, and they agreed with my vote for Belichick.” Salguero, who is a longtime voter for the AP All-Pro team and the AP NFL awards, said the “Spy-

“Spygate was the reason several selectors could not bring themselves to vote for Belichick, because they felt it sullied his records,” Salguero wrote.

In his presentation, Salguero said he pointed out that Belichick had a higher winning percentage (.693 to .580) after “Spygate” and won three Super Bowls and six conference titles. He had 14 double-digit win seasons and won more regular-season games after “Spygate” than 22 of the 28 coaches in the Hall of Fame. The process for selection changed in 2025. The 50 voters now each pick three of the five and between one to three make it if they get at least 40 votes. A new rule also made coaches eligible one year after retiring instead of five.

Superdome as he threw a touchdown and set an NFL record by becoming the first player in the Super Bowl era

with at least 1,000 receiving, passing and rushing yards. “I’m giving him some space, but we’ll touch base with him soon,” Loomis said “But it’s hard to have these conversations right after the season. You want that emotion to go out of it, and give guys time and space to not feel like they’re pres-

sured to make decisions.

“And we’ve got time.” Hill also suffered a shoulder injury in New Orleans’ seasonending loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but Loomis said Wednesday that it wasn’t “real significant.” Hill played in 13 games, rushing for only 114 yards and a touch-

ing to LSU last year was an “easy choice” and that he took the responsibility of wearing No 18 seriously

He said even with the injury, he “wouldn’t take any of it back” because he was willing to do whatever it took to play every Saturday He said he believes the adversity will make him a better player in the long run. Even now there are parts of Nussmeier’s injury that remain a mystery He declined to get into specifics about it, though he indicated that he and LSU officials went from believing the ailment was a core injury to an abdomen. He said the injury, which he called “weird” and rare, wasn’t LSU’s fault and praised his medical team for taking great care of him.

As part of his rehab work, Nussmeier said he has focused on using his body to rotate through his pass-

down on 52 carries. He also caught 11 passes for 91 yards.

Double Nussmeiers

Garrett Nussmeier knows his father, Doug, is at the Senior Bowl this week, but he wasn’t sure whether he was there in his capacity as a father or his role as the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints.

“I guess technically, a little bit of both,” Garrett said with a laugh. The LSU quarterback, auditioning in front of NFL teams to be drafted later this spring, said he doesn’t know how he and his father will approach the possibility of Garrett getting interviewed by the Saints.

And neither does the black and gold.

Loomis said Wednesday that this is the first time in his lengthy executive career that he’s had a coach on staff with a son in the NFL draft It has happened previously in the NFL famously with the Dallas Cowboys taking running back Deuce Vaughn in 2023, with his dad serving as a scout — but this is new territory for the Saints.

“Yeah, I don’t know we’ll see,” Loomis said with a chuckle. “But

es — something he couldn’t always do last season. The rust has been evident at times. Nussmeier didn’t particularly appear sharp in Tuesday’s practice, his first of the week. His first drop back in team drills, for instance, led to the ball being knocked out of his hand after Illinois defensive end Gabe Jacas won quickly off the edge.

But Nussmeier has entered the week with an open mind. His father, Doug — the offensive coordinator for the Saints — has given him advice on how to navigate this process.

Nussmeier, though, said he’s not out to “prove” anything at the Senior Bowl. He said he just wants to show that he belongs at the next level and show that “Garrett Nussmeier is enough.”

He’ll get an opportunity this week as a quarterback for the American Team coached by Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas and other Saints assistants.

“A healthy, confident Garrett Nussmeier is a good player,” he said.

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

look, Garrett’s a really good player and thought of really well. Obviously, we think a lot of Doug. So yeah, that’ll be interesting.”

Loomis said it won’t be as dramatic as asking Doug Nussmeier to leave the room when discussing Garrett, but he acknowledged the unique situation.

“We want to help the Nussmeier family, period,” Loomis said.

The Saints may not be in the market for a starting quarterback after drafting Tyler Shough last spring, but it remains to be seen whether they dip into the market for a new backup. Loomis has said the team has not discussed trading Spencer Rattler, but teammate Chris Olave strongly said after the season that Rattler deserved another opportunity to be a starter in the NFL. The team also did not agree to a futures contract with Jake Haener and saw fourthstringer Hunter Dekkers sign with the UFL. Garrett Nussmeier is trying to restore his stock after a down season at LSU, which was mightily affected by an abdominal injury

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

Northside girls give district hopes a boost

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Coming into the season, the Northside girls basketball team liked its chances of contending for the District 4-4A championship.

In fact, some people viewed the Vikings as the favorites. But after losing the district opener to Teurlings Catholic a week ago, the Vikings knew if they were going to remain in contention for the district title, they had to defeat the North Vermilion Patriots.

Although they nearly saw a 19-point lead erased, the Vikings prevailed 49-44 over the Patriots on Tuesday

“I’m absolutely excited to pull out this win, especially considering we fell short Friday (against Teurlings),” Vikings coach Erin Rogers said. “We had a game plan, and we stuck to the game plan. We stuck to what we know we can do.”

Facing a Patriots team that was without one of its top players in Stevie Brasseaux, the Vikings’ defensive pressure and physicality inside were too much for North Vermilion through the first three quarters.

“I knew without Stevie being here that the girls would be a little rattled,” Patriots coach Jack Leblanc said. “She’s our leader, our toughness and she’s our inside. She’s leading us in scoring and rebounding, so when you come here and play a team like Northside, and you lose someone who is averaging 15 (points) and 15 (rebounds), it’s tough.”

The Vikings, who improved to 13-7 overall and 1-1 in district, were led by Jamaria Senegal and

Alaya Harris. Senegal finished with a game-high 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Harris recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Vikings also benefitted from solid contributions from role players Skilyn Joseph and Reagan Angelle. Joseph had seven points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block,

while Angelle had four points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals.

“Skilyn came off the bench and did exactly what we needed her to do,” Rogers said “We always

say when you come off the bench, you need to play just as hard as the people who are starting. By playing hard and rebounding, she finished it off for us.”

Northside, who led 26-18 at halftime, broke the game open by outscoring the Patriots 19-8 in the third quarter to take a 45-26 advantage. But the Patriots, who were challenged by Leblanc, made a game of it by outscoring the Vikings 15-0 to pull within 45-41 with less than a minute remaining.

But that’s as close as the Patriots could get as the Vikings closed the game out with four free throws to secure the win.

“It’s a huge win because we needed it for a boost of confidence,” Rogers said. “Everyone was pretty down about the game on Friday But I’ve told them that if we play just as hard as we’ve played Friday, we can continue to win.”

Offensively, the Patriots (202, 1-1) were led by Ashante’ Rose, Chloe Leblanc and Kensie Marceaux Rose finished with a team-high 12 points, five rebounds and four steals, while Leblanc and Marceaux each scored 10 points. Reagan Semien was fourth on the Patriots with nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.

“Northside is a top-10 team,” Leblanc said “They were probably picked to win this district. I know they were beaten by Teurlings in a nailbiter, but they return all five starters from last year We knew they were going to be good.”

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

1;

16.

1,

1, Charbonnet 3, Cook 2,

4. Total Fouls

STM

PREP REPORT

Vermilion 63, Morgan City 40 MORGAN CITY (40) T. Junifer 25, M. Mayfield 3, T. Carbins 6, T. Dural 6. NORTH VERMILION (63) Jayvin Gage 10, Zarian Gage 13 RJ Conway 6, Jose Sotomayor 9, Eli Dubois 4, Carson Dubois 3, Mason Dauterive 10, Jaxon Frederick 2, Brendan David 6. Morgan City 6 10 9 15 — 40 North Vermilion 20 17 12 14 63 3-pointers – NV: J. Gage 1, Z. Gage 1, Sotomayor 1, C. Dubois 1, Dauterive 1; MC: Junifer 5, Mayfield 1, Dural 1. Total Fouls – NV 6, MC 7 Girls basketball Acadiana 76, Carencro 56 Sulphur 39, Lafayette High 32 Southside 55, New Iberia 54 David Thibodaux 38, Rayne 28 Northside 49, North Vermilion 44 Teurlings 56, St. Thomas More 44 St. Martinville 67, Erath 16

Midland 75, Lafayette Renaissance 18 Ascension Episcopal 36, Highland Baptist 34 Westminster-Lafayette 38, Gueydan 22 Acadiana 76, Carencro 56

CARENCRO (56) Maycie Brousard 9, Cassidy Jones 28, Kna’aueria Benjamin 10, Tyanna George 3, Jaylie Reed 6.

Totals: 17 (4) 10-18.

ACADIANA (76) Brooklyn White 26, Jayla Carmouche 19, Tamyriah Scott 2, Izzy Ledet 20, Destini Fondong 9. Totals: 30 (2) 10-15. Carencro 14 11 16 15 — 56 Acadiana 16 22 20 18 76 3-pointers – ACAD: Carmouche 2; CAR: Jones 3, Benjamin 1. Total Fouls – ACAD 19, CAR 17. Southside 55, New Iberia 54 SOUTHSIDE (55) Mariah Moore 9, Layla Breland 15, Lola Dimas 7, Annaleaigh Horton 5,

SCOREBOARD

Nikola Mektic,

(4), United

and

(2),

Kristina Mladenovic and

Guinard, France, def.

and Luisa Stefani (2), Brazil,

6, Peavy 0-5 0-0 0, Missi 4-4 1-4 9, Alvarado 3-7 0-0 8, Fears 3-9 0-0 7. Totals 34-99 17-22 95. OKLAHOMA CITY (104) Jay.Williams 1-8 2-2 4, Wiggins 4-11 3-4 13, Holmgren 8-14 3-3 20, Dort 4-12 0-0 12, Gilgeous-Alexander 8-22 13-14 29, Dieng 2-5 0-0 4, K.Williams 1-2 0-0 3, Carlson 1-2 0-0 2 Barnhizer 0-0 0-0 0, Joe 6-11 0-0 17. Totals 35-87 21-23 104. New Orleans 14 32 23 26 — 95 Oklahoma City 17 31 31 25 104 3-Point Goals—New Orleans 10-40 (Bey 3-6, Matkovic 2-2, Alvarado 2-6, Fears 1-3, Jones 1-9, Murphy III 1-11, Peavy 0-3), Oklahoma City 13-38 (Joe 5-10, Dort 4-9, Wiggins 2-6, K.Williams 1-1, Holmgren 1-3, Carlson 0-1, Dieng 0-2, Gilgeous-Alexander 0-3, Jay.Williams 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds— New Orleans 54 (Bey 13), Oklahoma City 53 (Holmgren 14). Assists—New Orleans 25 (Bey, Jones, Murphy III 5), Oklahoma City 25 (Jay.Williams 5). Total Fouls—New Orleans 21, Oklahoma City 15. A—18,203 (18,203) Pro tennis Australian Open results Wednesday At Melbourne Park Melbourne, Australia Purse: AUD111,500,000 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Men’s Singles Quarterfinals Novak Djokovic (4), Serbia, def. Lorenzo Musetti (5), Italy, 4-6, 3-6, 3-1, ret. Jannik Sinner (2), Italy, def. Ben Shelton (8), United States, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Women’s Singles Quarterfinals Elena Rybakina (5), Kazakhstan, def. Iga Swiatek (2), Poland, 7-5, 6-1. Jessica Pegula (6), United States, def. Amanda Anisimova (4), United States, 6-2, 7-6 (1). Men’s Doubles Quarterfinals Christian Harrison, United States, and Neal Skupski (6), Britain, def. Patrik Rikl and Petr Nouza, Czechia, 6-2, 6-3. Luke Johnson, Britain, and Jan Zielinski, Poland, def. Mate Pavic, Croatia, and Marcelo Arevalo (4), El Salvador, 7-6 (5), 6-2. Marcel Granollers, Spain, and Horacio Zeballos (3), Argentina, def. Rafael Matos and Orlando Luz, Brazil, 6-3, 6-4.

Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals Zhang Shuai, China, and Elise Mertens (4) Belgium, def. Eri Hozumi, Japan, and FangHsien Wu, Taiwan, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Aleksandra Krunic, Serbia, and Anna Danilina (7), Kazakhstan, def. Taylor Townsend, United States, and Katerina Siniakova (1), Czechia, 6-2, 3-6, 6-0. Gabriela Dabrowski, Canada, and Luisa Stefani (5), Brazil, def. Hsieh Su-wei, Taiwan, and Jelena Ostapenko (3), Latvia, 6-1, 7-6 (5). Vera Zvonareva, Russia, and Ena Shibahara, Japan, def. Kimberly Birrell and Talia Gibson, Australia, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-5. Mixed Doubles Semifinals John Peers and Olivia Gadecki, Australia, def.

Joel Dahmen, 80.36%. 3 (tie), Michael Block and Andrew Putnam, 78.57%. 5, Si Woo Kim, 77.68%. 6 (tie), Blades Brown and Adam Scott, 76.79%. 8, Kensei Hirata, 76.53%. 9, 5 tied with 76.19%. Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%.

Total Driving 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 10. 2, Blades Brown, 27. 3, David Ford, 38. 4, Corey Conners, 40. 5, Jesper Svensson, 45. 6, Taylor Moore, 46. 7, Collin Morikawa, 47. 8, Min Woo Lee, 52. 9, Karl Vilips, 54. 10, Adam Scott, 60. SG-Putting 1, Jason Day, 2.914. 2, Sami Valimaki, 2.637. 3, Alex Noren, 2.369. 4, Davis Riley, 2.337. 5, Kevin Roy, 1.738. 6, Matt Kuchar, 1.732. 7, Stephan Jaeger, 1.695. 8, Sam Ryder, 1.651. 9, Lee Hodges, 1.633. 10, Michael Kim, 1.573. Birdie Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 8. 2 (tie), Jason Day and Andrew Putnam, 6.75. 4 (tie), Wyndham Clark, David

BY LINDA GASSENHEIMER

CRANK UP THE HEAT LIVING

Staff report

When cold weather arrives in Louisiana, it seems like everyone in the state pulls out their gumbo pots and starts stirring the roux. Aside from gumbo, the warmest and coziest dishes always do the trick to combat the winter blues. Here are some favorites to try at home.

ä See RECIPES, page 6C

4.

6.

Oneword: Headphones

Dear Miss Manners: Strangers want to make small talk with me while waiting in grocery checkout lines, at bus stops, at the bank during flights, etc. Idonot want to make friends with strangers every time Istep outside my house. When this happens, Ican’tbring myself to tell these people, “I’m sorry, but Idon’treally want to talk,” because it is considered rude. Iattempt to drop gentle hints that Iwant to be left alone, through body language and short answers to their questions, but most of these people seem to be immune to hints.

Once on anine-hour flight, I was seated next to atalker, andIcraned my neck the other way for theentire nine hoursinorder toavoid catchingtheir eye, which would have led to along conversation First, theobvious question:How can I let these well-meaningfolksknow,without beingrude, that I do not wish to have a conversation?

Easy RotisserieChicken Broth

3cloves of garlic Salt

So, Iamforced to think up innovative ways to avoid talking while being careful not to hurt their feelings For instance, in order to avoid achatty lady who wants to become my friend at my regular bus stop, Igotoanother stop that is slightly out of my way

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday

Jan. 29, the 29th day of 2026. There are 336 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

Thesecondpart of my question is more philosophical than practical. Why is it not considered rude to engagemeinconversation against my will, butitIS consideredrude totellpeopleyou don’t wanttotalk? Whyistheir desire to talk to me morevalidthanmy wishnot to talk to them?Is there an etiquette rule that says Imust suffer instead of them?

Gentle reader: Ourideas about rules and laws are inevitably shaped by major ones likethe TenCommandmentsand the Bill of

TODAYINHISTORY

Rights, which are short and pithy.But as aspecies, we don’tlike to read (or take) instructions. Even the big rules are understood to include fine print,like killing in self-defense or not shouting “fire” in acrowded theater Yes, it is impolitenot to respond when spoken to. Butitisalso impolite to engage someone in conversation against that person’s inclination.

Miss Manners assures you that you are not being impolite if, after one or two short responses, you find somethingtodothat won’t give you astiff neck and instead say,“Excuse me, I’m going to return to my book now.” Or “mythoughts.”

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

1plain rotisserie chicken (meat removed and saved for another meal)

1onion, quartered 3carrots, sliced 2celeryribs, sliced

1teaspoon black peppercorns 2bay leaves 4quarts of water

1. In alarge stock pot, combine all of the ingredients and cover with water

2. Bring thepot to aboil, then reduceheat and let the stock simmer on low for about 2hours.

3. Turn off the heat, and let the stock cool. Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain stock and set aside to use forsoup.

Albondigas

My mother-in-law’salbondigas recipe is, like her,very flexible and forgiving. It is also theperfect cold-weather treat. When Imake it, rarely do Imeasureanything, but for those who need exactness, Iwill do my best to get the albondigas recipe downprecisely —though it is important to note that it’sadish that you can easily adjust to suit your family’stastes. Recipe by Jan Risher,astaught to her by Maria Luisa Saldano Arrendondo de Naudin.

Serves 6-8. RecipeisbyConnyHibbeler Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

On Jan. 29, 2002, in his first State of the Union address,President George W. Bush said terrorists were still threatening America —and warned of “an axis of evil” consisting of North Korea, Iran and Iraq. Also on this date: In 1891, following the death of her brother Kalakaua, Lili‘uokalani was sworn in as the firstand only queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom. (Her reign would end two years later when the Hawaiian monarchy was abolished following aU.S. military-supported coup d’état.)

In 1936, the first five inductees of baseball’sHall of Fame —TyCobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner,Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson —were elected in Cooperstown, New York In 1979, President Jimmy Carter formally welcomed

Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaopingtothe White House, following theestablishment of full diplomatic relations.

In 1995, theSan Francisco 49ers became the first team in NFL history to win five Super Bowl titles, beating the San DiegoChargers,4926, in Super Bowl XXIX. In 1998, abomb rocked an abortion clinic in Birmingham,Alabama, killing asecurity guard and critically injuringanurse. (The bomber,Eric Rudolph, also admitted to carryingout the deadly bombingatthe 1996 Atlanta Olympics and other attacksand is serving multiple lifesentences.)

In 2013, the Justice Departmentended its criminal probe of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disasterand Gulf of Mexico oil spill, with aU.S. judge agreeing to let London-based oil giantBPPLC plead guilty to manslaughter charges for thedeathsof11rig workers and pay arecord $4 billion in penalties. In 2017, six people were killed in ashootingata

Quebec City mosque during evening prayers. (Alexandre Bissonnette, whowas arrested nearby,pleaded guiltytomurder and attempted murder charges and drew alife prison sentence.)

In 2025, amidair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft as the jet was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. At least28bodies were pulled from theicy Potomac River Today’sbirthdays: Feminist author Germaine Greer is 87. Actor Katharine Rossis 86. Actor TomSelleck is 81. R&B singer Charlie Wilson is 73. TV host and media mogul Oprah Winfrey is 72. Olympic diving gold medalist Greg Louganis is 66. Football Hall of Famer Andre Reed is 62. Hockey Hall of Famer Dominik Hašek is 61. Actor-director Edward Burns is 58. Actor Sara Gilbert is 51. Pop-rock singer Adam Lambert is 44. Actor Jakob Davies is 23.

Cauliflower ‘Steaks’ With White Bean Pureeand Chimichurri

Serves

or more to taste FOR BEAN PUREE:

2(14-ounce) cansgreat northern or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained Juice of 1½ lemons

1largegarlicclove, minced

2tablespoons nutritional yeast Salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare the chimichurri. In blender or foodproces-

Continued from page5C

plant-forward recipe is another winner for brassica lovers. Instead of breaking the white head into florets or boiling and mashing it like you would potatoes, I slicedthe cauliflower into thick “steaks.” Then, after seasoning the slabs with salt, pepper and smoked paprika, Ifried it in butter with minced garlic until it

sor,combine parsley, cilantro, shallots,garlic, ¼cup oliveoil, vinegar,oregano, black pepper,red pepper flakes and salt. Process until the ingredients are minced andcombined, adding more olive oil until you reach the desired consistency.Season to taste with moresalt or pepper,asdesired, then transfer to asmall bowl (Sauce should be more like salad dressing than pesto.)

2. Prepare beans. Place beans into ablender with the juice of1½ lemons, 1 minced garlic clove, nutritional yeast and agenerous pinch ofsaltand pepper. Blend,addingalittle bitof water at atime, untilyou get acreamyconsistency.Ifyou like, add alittle garlic powder or whitemisofor extra oomph

3. Chop2 or 3thick flat steaks out of themiddleof thecauliflower by slicing from the stalkuptothe top. Save the floretsthatfalloff for another recipe or addto apan with alittle salt, pepper,paprika and olive oil andstir-fry until brownand

crispy to serve on top of the finished dish.

4. Preheat oven to 400 F.

5. Season steaks withsalt pepper and paprika on both sides.

6. Add buttertoalarge cast-ironorotherovenproof pan(mine measured 12 inches)and heat over medium-high heat.

7. When butter is sizzling, add cauliflower slices and garlic and allow tocook for about5minutesuntil you getagood sear on oneside of the steaks. (You will want to press it down withaspatula.) Then flip andcook the othersideuntil seared and golden brown.

8. Place pan in preheated oven and roast until thecauliflower is tender and deeply golden brown, about 20 minutes. (You will be able to easily pierce it with afork.)

9. To serve, spoon ½cup bean pureeinto the middle of aplateand spread it in acircle withaspatula. Place cauliflower steakontop,drizzle withchimichurri and scatter over thefried reserved cauliflower bits,ifusing.

was crispyonbothsides. The steaks then went into ahot oven and were slowroasteduntil they were tenderenough to be pierced with afork. The coup de maître? After plating the cauliflower on aswoosh of lemony white beanpuree, Itopped it with abright and herbaceous (and garlicky) chimichurri made with fresh parsley and cilantro If eatingmoreveggies is a newyear’sgoal, Isucceeded brilliantly with this dish and you can, too! When choosing cauliflower,look for creamy white heads thatfeel heavy,with tightly packed florets.There shouldn’tbeany black spots on the curds —that’s asign the veggie is getting old and on aroad to being tossed (though you can still eat it if you cut the spots off) Youcan useany mix of

8-10 cups of chicken broth

1wholeonion

1.5 pounds good hamburger meat

¾cup to 1cup uncooked shortgrain rice

Jalapeños to taste (I sometimes use one, as the Rotel provides enough heat for me,but my husband prefers more.)

1bunch cilantro

1can Rotel or 2cups chopped tomatoes

1. Startwith alarge pot. Add8to10cups of chicken broth (make your own, buy or use bouillon) and awhole onion.

2. Mix 1.5 pounds of good hamburger meat (or ground chuck) in abowl withuncooked rice. Mix together with your hands.

Albondigasisatraditional Mexicanmeatball soup.

3. Once the meat and rice are mixed, turn on thepot of broth on medium heat.

Immediately start making meatballs with the beef/rice mixture(aboutthe size of

Cassoulet

125-ounce bottlewine —rosé or drywhite, divided 8ounces pancetta or thick bacon, chopped 1small onion, chopped ½stalk celery, chopped 1clove garlic, chopped 10 ounces cherry tomatoes (optionally chopped, see step No. 7)

¼cup fresh parsley,chopped 1tablespoon (approximately 7leaves) fresh basil, torn, or 1 teaspoon dried basil 1carrot, chopped 1 8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 8 teaspoon nutmeg 1teaspoon liquid aminos or soy sauce 1sprig fresh thyme or 1 8 teaspoon dried thyme 315-ounce cans cannellini beans (or other white bean such as great northern), rinsed and drained 12.8-ounce jar duck rillettes or duck confit, divided (optional) 1tablespoon canned mutton,or other chopped braised meatlike pork or beef ¼to1cup chicken stock ½to1cup breadcrumbs 1to3teaspoons olive oil Coarse kosher salt and pepper to taste

1. Pour yourself aglass of wine or other beverage of your choice to enjoy while cooking.

2. Renderthe pancetta in asaute pan over low heat.

3. Add¼cup wine topancetta andlet braiseonlow heat for 5minutes.

4. Removepancetta with a slotted spoon; set aside.

5. Saute onions in thepancetta grease over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

6. Add celery,garlic, tomatoes, carrot, parsley,basil, thyme, cloves, nutmeg, liquidaminos and asplash of wine to the pan. Cover, turn heat to low, andlet cook 5-10 minutes.

golf balls or slightly smaller). Place each meatball in the broth.

4. Cook as slowlyaspossible. If broth comes to a boil, turn down to low,cover and cook on low for 10 more minutes.

5. The meatballs will start floating as they’re cooked.(If youcook it too fast, themeatballs and rice will break up andcome apart. It’s still delicious, just not as pretty.)

6. Then, Iprefer to add one can of roasted tomato mild Rotel(though youcan chop tomatoes and add jalapeños to your taste).

7. Cook about 10-15 more minutes. Then add abunch of fresh cilantro, chopped. Turn off theburner.Serve and enjoy

7. Remove pan from heat and use an immersion blender or potato masher to puree the tomatoes. To reduce the potential messiness of this step,tomatoes can be chopped before adding them to the pan in step

6. Let the mixture rest.

8. Divide beans into three bowls. In first bowl, mixin half the pancetta. In second bowl,mix in 1tablespoon duck, if using. In third bowl, mix in muttonorother chopped braised meat

9. Stir remaining pancetta and duck into the vegetable mixresting in the pan.

10. Add one bowlofbean-

meat mixture to the pan at atime, stirring between additions.

11. Cover and let simmer on medium-high foratleast 15 to 20 minutes.Consistency should be somewhere between asoupand astew Adjust consistency with chicken stock if necessary

12. Remove from heat and let rest at least 5minutes. Before serving, top withbreadcrumbs anda generous drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper fortexture and taste. 13. Serve with abaguette and asimple green salad.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Let your emotions take over; follow your heart Embrace life and love, and strive to make happiness your objective. Someoneyou encounter willcapture your attention.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Be reasonable; if youlet your emotions or ego get in the way commonsense or reason, you will end up in anegative situation. Take time to focus on personal growth and happiness.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Be honest with yourself. Assess situationsfrom every angle and consider your part in whatever transpires. Do your part;afriendly demeanor, gesture or kind word will help keep the peace.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Keep your thoughtsand planstoyourself. Offering too much information will leave you vulnerable. Considershifting your priorities and using your skills more aggressively.

GEMINI(May 21-June 20) Revisit your plans before you initiate achange. The legwork you do beforehand will determine how well things turn out. Use your strengths andtalk your way forward.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Expansive ideas will spark opportunities if you talktosomeoneina position of authority. Invest in your physical well-being andsharpenyourskills to maintain your edge

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Don't let ego step in and take the reins. If you think you knoweverything, you'll get ataste of

what it's like to find out you don't. It's best to keep an open mind,ask questionsand listencarefully

VIRGO(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Stop worrying about what others thinkordoand pay more attention to how you can achieve personal gratification. Take control and head down thepaththat helps you find aniche and enjoy your life LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Distanceyourself from moody individualswho tend to exaggerateand manipulate situations.Attend eventsthat areconducive to hooking up with peoplewho inspire you and spark your imagination.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Go over every detail with care, and you'll save yourself money,timeand effort in establishing new goals. Don't count on others to honor promises or to work for little return.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take advantage of an opportunity to share your thoughts and intentions and to display some of your finer qualities. Remove barriers swiftly and carry on with your business.

CAPRICORN(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Look for opportunities and go after what you want. Change begins with you and the moves you make. Communicate, eliminateand move forward with afinetuned agenda.

Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placingpuzzle basedona9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squaressothat each row,eachcolumn and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

BY PHILLIPALDER

Inyesterday’scolumn,Idescribedhow

PeterFredin from Sweden analyzed an auction to deduce the look of theother three hands, then drove into alaydown slam that was missedbyhis opponents in ateam match Today, hereismyfavoritecallof2013. It happened too late for theInternational Bridge Press Association awards, but Istill want to give it the recognitionit deserves It was originally described by Marek Wojcicki,formanyyearsthecoachofthe Polish open team. The deal aroseduring October’s Cavendish Invitational Pairs in Monaco.

Look at only theWesthand, which was held by Bartosz Chmurski. With neither side vulnerable,your partner opens three clubs (some 5-9 high-card points with six strongorseven respectable clubs)and Southovercalls three hearts. Whatwould youhave done? What do you thinkChmurskidid?

At two tables at least, Westpsyched with three spades. However, one East could nottakeajoke. After North-South reached sevenhearts, East sacrificed in seven spades. Thiswas doubled and down 12for minus 3,200!

Most players bid some number of clubs,but 17 of the 29 pairs reached agrand slam. (Seven no-trumpwas reached twice, seven hearts 13 times, andseven diamonds twice.) Chmurski didbest of all. He doubled three hearts forpenalty!Heplanned to runtoclubs if North redoubled, but North thoughtlessly passed. Threehearts doubled and madewith four overtrickswas worth only930,notevenasgoodasasmallslam with an overtrick. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

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

Previousanswers:

InstRuctIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour or more letters. 2. Wordsthat acquire four letters 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 words are not allowed.

toDAY’s WoRD MARGIns: MAR-jins: The outside limits or edges of something.

Average mark 18 words

Time limit 35 minutes

Can you find 26 or morewords in MARGINS?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD —ALREADY