The Advocate 02-25-2026

‘WE’RE WINNING SO MUCH’

TrumpdeliversState of theUnion amid signsofrising economic anxietyand hispopularitywithvotersindecline

President Donald Trumpdelivers the State of theUnion addresstoajoint session of Congress

at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.

BY WILL WEISSERT and MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump declared during Tuesday’s marathon State of the Union that “we’rewinning so much,” saying he’d sparked ajobs and manufacturing boom at homewhile imposing a new world order abroad —hoping that offering along list of his accomplishments can counter approval ratings that have been falling.

His main objective was convincing increasingly wary Americans that the economy is stronger than many believe, and that they should vote for more of the same by backing Republicans during November’smidterm elections. In the process, he shat-

tered his own record, going longer than the 100-minutespeech he gave before ajoint session of Congress last year

Trump tried at pointstoappeal to bipartisan patriotic sentiments, introducing aseriesofsurprise guests that included U.S. militaryheroes; a former political prisoner released after his administration toppled Venezuelan PresidentNicolás Maduro; andthe Olympicgold-medal-winning U.S. men’shockey team.

“Ourcountry is winning again. In fact, we’re winning so much that we really don’tknowwhattodoabout it. People are askingme, ‘Please, please, please, Mister President, we’re winning toomuch. We can’t take it anymore,’ ”Trump saidbefore introducing theteam.

The hockey players, wearing their medals and sweatersthat said “USA” in large letters, drewabipartisan standing ovation. Trumppointedto theDemocratic side of the chamber and quipped, “That’sthe first time I’ve ever seen them get up.” In another made-for-TVmoment, Trump announced he would be awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’shighest civilian honor, to the hockey team’sgoaltender,ConnorHellebuyck. Trump made asimilar surprise announcement in 2020,bestowing theaward on conservative radiohostRush Limbaugh during thespeech. Trump championed his immigration crackdownsand hispushto

ä See WINNING, page 3A

Auditfinds problems in HealthyBR Investigation

probes 2022 federalgrants

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

Letlow’s

Ad targetsissue amid race forSenateseat

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,who President Donald Trump has endorsed to be Louisiana’s next senator,did not follow afederallaw that required her to report 210 individual stock trades over thepasttwo years, according to adocument she filed with Congress last month. In 100 of those trades,Letlow,RBaton Rouge, reportedthe transactions more thanayearlate, ac-

cordingtothe stock trading report —known as thePeriodic Transaction Report —thatshe filed on Jan. 13, 2026. In all, thetrades involved stocks worth anywhere from $225,000 to $3,185,000. Members of Congress providea rangeofthe valuefor each trade.

Asuper PACsupporting U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-BatonRouge, is broadcasting TV and radioads attacking Letlow’sfailure to report thetrades on time. Under a2012 law passed by Congress known as the STOCKAct, Letlow and all members of Congress have to report individual

ELECTION 2026

U.S. SENATE

stock tradeswithin 45 days of the transaction.

Butthe report she filed last monthshows that sheviolatedfederal law by failing to do so in those 210 transactions. That was asignificant number, said Kedric Payne,the senior director of ethics at the Campaign Legal Center,anonprofit in Washington, D.C.

“The public has to have confidence that thedecisions of their elected officials are based on pro-

ABaton Rouge government initiative under investigation often failed to properly bid contracts, justifyits expenses or comply with basic federal rules governing half the $1 million in grant money that helped fund it, a2022 audit found. Independent auditorsreviewed theMayor’s Healthy City Initiative,orHealthy BR, months before federal investigators issuedsubpoenas about the program and its sub-initiative, Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR.

“Mayor’sHealthy City Initiative did not comply, in all material respects,with thecompliance requirements.”

The nonprofit is governed by its own boardand coordinates violence prevention and public healthy programsinpartnership with the city-parish. The audit scrutinized $1 millioninfederal grants issued that year.Itfound morethan half were noncompliant, prompting an “adverse opinion” —the mostsevere audit response possible —pointing to alack of internal controlsand unreliable financial statements.

“Mayor’sHealthy City Initiative did not comply

Landry seeks fundsfor fortified roofs from insurer

Governor wantsLWCCto commit excess reserves BY SAM

KARLIN Staff writer

Gov.Jeff Landry is asking thestate-created Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corp. to use itsbalance sheet to help payfor strongerroofs forhomeowners in abid to alleviate ahomeownersinsurancecrisis that has proved an enduring political problem

Landry,ina letter to LWCC’sleadership dated Monday, notedthatthe nonprofit companyhas sizable reserves and is in astrong financial position. He said unaffordable property insuranceis threatening the state’seconomy,and asked LWCC to commit“aportion of itsexcess reserves” to

ä See ROOFS, page 7A

tecting the public interest and not theirfinancial interest,”Payne said. “The onlyway to do that is have accurate reporting of the members’ financial interests.”

Matt Smith,aspokesperson for Letlow, didnot disputethe stock trading violations. But he said Merrill Lynch, her broker,handled thetransactionswithout her input and that she self-reported her failure to report them on time.

“Congresswoman Letlow did notdirect, approve,orhave prior knowledge of any trades,” Smith said. “They were executed

ä See LETLOW, page 4A

U.S.

R-Baton Rouge, speaks on Feb.13after qualifying to runfor the U.S. Senate

2 Missouri sheriff’s deputies fatally shot

A man with a long criminal history fatally shot a Missouri sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop and then killed a second deputy in a gunbattle hours later as the deputy tried to save two wounded officers, authorities said Tuesday

“We will be honoring them for a lifetime,” Christian County Sheriff Brad Cole said at a news conference in praise of the slain men.

Cole said the suspect, 45-yearold Richard Dean Bird, also was killed. Bird’s death came just after hours after he was charged in a burglary case — the latest in a string of criminal misconduct cases that included a conviction for shooting at Kansas law enforcement more than a decade ago.

Cole said it all started just before 4 p.m. Monday with a traffic stop south of Highlandville in southwest Missouri. He said Deputy Gabriel Ramirez was found dead in the roadway afterward.

NYC officers pelted with snowballs during fight

NEW YORK New York City police are investigating after officers were pelted with snowballs while responding to a massive snowball fight at Washington Square Park in Manhattan

A video of the fracas shows two uniformed officers pacing a walkway in the park Monday as snowballs fly at them from all directions, hitting the officers and covering them in snow

The officers, growing visibly frustrated, shoved at least two people to the ground as snowballs continued to whizz by. At one point, a person runs up behind an officer and mushes some snow onto his head. One of the officers can be seen rubbing his eye toward the end of the video. In a statement Tuesday, the New York Police Department said multiple uniformed officers were struck in the face with snowballs and were “removed by EMS in stable condition” to a nearby hospital, but did not disclose additional information on their injuries.

Jessica Tisch, the city’s police commissioner called the behavior “disgraceful” and criminal” and said the department is investigating. Police have released images of two people the department is searching for in connection with the incident, asking for the public’s help to identify them.

Ex-Los Angeles fire chief sues the city over firing

LOS ANGELES The former Los Angeles fire chief has filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging that her ouster was part of an orchestrated effort to smear her conduct and decision-making so Mayor Karen Bass could avoid accountability for the most destructive wildfire in LA history Bass sacked Kristin Crowley a month after the January 2025 Palisades Fire, and her dismissal was followed by finger-pointing between the ex-chief and City Hall over the blaze’s devastation and the fire department’s funding. In March of that year, Crowley lost an appeal to the City Council to win back her job. Crowley’s lawsuit filed last week alleges that Bass spread misinformation to protect the mayor’s political reputation following the fire.

The mayor’s office said the lawsuit has no merit.

Severe floods in Brazil kill at least 25

JUIZ DE FORA, Brazil Severe floods in southeastern Brazil have killed at least 25 people and left dozens missing in the state of Minas Gerais, officials said Tuesday Meteorologists warned more rain is expected in the region in the next few days.

The torrential rains began Monday in the cities of Juiz de Fora and Uba, about 192 miles north of Rio de Janeiro, forcing about 440 residents to evacuate their homes.

Minas Gerais’ fire department says it is searching for 43 people who went missing since late Monday. A video shared by the department

flooded streets in Juiz de Fora and Uba, where a river veered off its course

Northeast digs out from brutal snowstorm

Weather disrupted flights, canceled school

BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ and MIKE CATALINI Associated Press

NEW YORK Millions across the northeastern United States on Tuesday contended with treks to school and work as they dug out from a major and in some areas record-breaking — storm that blanketed the region with snow, canceled flights, disrupted transit and downed power lines.

Even as the snow moved north Tuesday, giving way to sunshine in parts of the region, the National Weather Service warned another storm originating in the Great Lakes was right around the corner, though it’s not forecast to be nearly as severe.

Many large school districts remained closed, including in Boston and Hartford, Connecticut. But in New York City, more than 900,000 students in the nation’s largest public school system had a regular day, Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared, inviting kids to pelt him with snowballs over his decision.

Many students and their caregivers seemed open to taking the mayor up on that idea, as they scrambled over mountainous snow banks and dodged salt spreaders

during the morning drop-off.

“We’re walking on thin ice here. One more day would’ve been fine,” said Danielle Obloj, the parent of a Brooklyn fifth grader “They should never have let these kids come back to school.”

Nearly 1 in 6 teachers called out sick Tuesday the first day back after the blizzard and a midwinter break, city officials said.

Mamdani, a Democrat, and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels noted that families rely on inperson school for education and many other things, including parents’ ability to go to work. The officials also maintained that it would have been complicated to roll out remote learning at the end of a midwinter break.

Others hailed the city’s efforts at snow-clearing.

“It was much better than last time — an easy commute, no problems whatsoever,” said Raul Garcia, as he exited a cab with his three school-age children. “We thought it was going to be really bad walking, but looking at the streets, they’re so clean.”

Preliminary attendance data shows 63% of the roughly 900,000 students came in, Samuels said. City data show the average atten-

dance rate for the last school year was about 90%. Mamdani said about 12,000 of the school system’s 78,800 teachers called out sick. The city called in more than 5,000 substitutes Philadelphia switched to online learning Monday and Tuesday, while districts on Long Island and elsewhere in the New York suburbs canceled school again Tuesday Monday’s storm that meteorologists are calling the strongest in a decade dumped more than 2 feet of snow in parts of the Northeast. More than 3 feet fell in Rhode Island — surpassing snow totals from the historic Blizzard of 1978 that struck the Northeast, the National Weather Service said. By Tuesday morning, roads began to reopen, mass transportation came back online in some cities and power had returned for some of the hundreds of thousands who had lost electricity in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware and Rhode Island. More than 100,000 remained without power in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, which operates essentially on a single circuit, according to Douglas Foley, president of electric operations for the utility Eversource.

Iranians worry over buildup of U.S. military

Last-chance round of negotiations nears

BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — As the United States assembles its greatest military firepower in decades in the Middle East, Iranians are warily awaiting the next round of talks with the U.S. in Geneva this week negotiations that many see as a last chance for their ruling theocracy to strike a deal with U.S President Donald Trump. Some say the situation feels hopeless. Battered by decades of sanctions, heightened by Trump’s 2018 decision to withdraw from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers, Iranians also just suffered through the bloodiest crackdown on dissent in the country’s modern history In January, security forces killed thousands of people and detained tens of thousands more. Still, Iran heads into the Thursday talks “with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal — in the shortest possible time,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted Tuesday on X.

As Iranians await the outcome of the Geneva negotiations, many fear the outbreak of a war that could surpass Iran’s bloody 1980s conflict with Iraq.

That conflict sparked a patriotic response from Iranian volunteers. But now the prospects of a war with the U.S. have riven a population that includes hard-line supporters of the theocracy and those who feel Iran is splitting at the seams.

“Every morning when I get up, my brain is full of chaos,” said Sepideh Bafarani, a 29-year-old woman who works

in a women’s clothing store. “It’s a possible war and an ongoing bad economic situation.”

Rasool Razzaghi, a 54-year-old resident in the capital, Tehran, shared similar concerns ahead of the talks.

“I predict that if both sides really mean what they are saying, a war will start,” he said.

For weeks, Trump has talked about an “armada” now largely in place off the coast of Iran, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. He has also sent the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, from the Caribbean toward the Mideast.

Overall, at least 16 U.S. Navy ships will be assembled, according to a U.S. Navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military movements. That’s comparable to Operation Desert Fox in 1998, when American and British forces bombed Iraq for four days over Saddam Hussein’s refusal to comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions about weapons inspections.

Reward raised to $1M in search for Guthrie

BY JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

“Today” show host Savannah Guthrie said her family is now offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, who went missing from her Arizona home more than three weeks ago.

Savannah Guthrie said Tuesday that her family is still holding out for a miracle and hopes her mother will be found alive, but she also acknowledged that they realize it might be too late.

“She may already be gone,” Savannah Guthrie said in an Instagram post. “She may already have gone home to the Lord that she loves and is dancing in heaven.”

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her home just outside Tucson, Arizona, on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the next day. Authorities believe she was kidnapped and the FBI released surveillance videos of a masked man who was outside Guthrie’s front door on the night she vanished.

Drops of her blood were found onthefrontporch,butauthorities haven’t publicly revealed much evidence. Since the first days of her disappearance, authorities have expressed concern about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs vital daily medicine. Savannah Guthrie said her family needs to know where her mother is no matter what happened

“Someone out there knows something that can bring her home,” she said

Several hundred people are working the Guthrie investigation, and more than 20,000 tips have been received, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office has said. The FBI and other agencies are assisting The porch camera footage released two weeks ago, which showed a man wearing a backpack and gloves outside Nancy Guthrie’s house, gave investigators their first major break. But it also has fueled intense speculation

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preserve widespread tariffs that the Supreme Court just struck down. He drew applause only from Democrats while describing the high court’s overturning his policies, which he called “an unfortunate ruling” while insisting “everything was working well” before it came down.

The president vowed to plow ahead, using “alternative” laws to impose the taxes on imports and telling lawmakers, “Congressional action will not be necessary.” He also made a bold prediction, suggesting that some day tariffs would “substantially replace” the modern income tax system. Trump argued that the tariffs are paid by foreign countries despite evidence that the costs are borne by American consumers and businesses.

“It’s saving our country,” Trump said of tariffs.

The Supreme Court justices in attendance were the same who came to Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress last March: Chief Justice John Roberts, as well as Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan. Trump greeted the justices after previously slamming Coney Barrett for siding with the majority against his tariffs, despite him appointing her to the high court in his first term.

Democrats also stood for Trump vowing to crack down on insider trading by lawmakers, prompting Trump to offer, “I’m very impressed.” Not everybody applauded, though. Rep. Mark Takano, a California Democrat, yelled, How about you first!” Rep Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat, called out, “You’re the most corrupt president!”

When some heckling continued, Trump proclaimed, “You should be ashamed of yourselves.” Later he pointed at Democrats and proclaimed, “These people are crazy,” adding, “Democrats are destroying our country.”

Democratic Rep. Al Green was escorted from the chamber after he unfurled a sign of protest that read “Black People Aren’t Apes!” The sign appeared to be a reference to a racist video the president posted that depicted former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as primates in a jungle. Green was

also removed during Trump’s address last year

Before he began speaking, Senate Democrats blocked a bill to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security, pressing for new limits on immigration enforcement that Republicans have opposed In response, Trump invited lawmakers from both parties to “protect American citizens, not illegal aliens” and championed proposals to limit mail-in ballots and tighten voter identification rules. He then devoted large swaths of his speech to warning about the dangers of immigrants and bestowed the Purple Heart on Andrew Wolfe, a National Guard member who was shot while deployed on the streets of the nation’s capital and made his first public appearance since then during the speech Trump didn’t say that much about efforts to bring down the cost of living — despite polling showing that his handling of the economy and kitchen table issues have increasingly become a liability. Such concerns about the high

costs of living helped propel Democratic wins around the country on Election Day last November

There also are persistent fears that tariffs stoking higher prices could eventually hurt the economy and job creation Economic growth slowed in the last three months of last year It is potentially politically perilous ahead of November elections that could deliver congressional wins to Democrats, just as 2018’s blue wave created a strong check to his administration during his first term.

On Tuesday, Trump blamed his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, along with Democratic lawmakers in the chamber, saying they were responsible for rising prices and health care costs, two issues his political opponents have repeatedly raised against him.

“You caused that problem,” Trump said of affordability concerns He added a moment later, “They knew their statements were a dirty rotten lie.” As is typical, Trump also had some notable off-script moments. Referencing prescription drug

prices, Trump said, “So in my first year of the second term should be my third term — but strange things happen,” prompting at least one chant in the chamber of “Four more years!”

The president also put forward a new plan to give a modest boost to help some Americans save for retirement if they do not have a retirement account through their workplace in which their employer matches contributions to the fund.

Starting next year, he said, his administration would let those Americans access the same retirement accounts as federal workers and would match their contribution up to $1,000. Trump did not offer details about how he would put the program in place and did not indicate if he would ask Congress to pass the program and fund it.

The president also announced that tech companies involved in artificial intelligence are agreeing to pay higher electricity rates in areas where their data centers are located. Data centers tend to use large volumes of electricity, poten-

tially increasing the cost of power to other consumers in the area.

Trump’s address came as two U.S. aircraft carriers have been dispatched to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran. Trump said, “My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy.”

“But one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror — which they are, by far — to have a nuclear weapon,” he added.

The president also recounted U.S. airstrikes last summer that pounded Tehran’s nuclear capabilities, and lauded the raid that ousted Maduro in Venezuela — as well as his administration’s brokering of a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

Less mentioned was Trump’s having strained U.S. military alliances with NATO, thanks to his push to seize Greenland from Denmark and his failure to take a harder line with Russian President Vladimir Putin in seeking an end to its war in Ukraine. Tuesday marked the fourth anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war

independently by athirdparty firm with discretionary authority over amanaged account. Thiswas a delayedreporting issue under the STOCK Act and not insider trading.”

SmithsaidLetlow would not make herself available for an interview.Headded that her officewould not make available her Merrill Lynch broker and does not have documentation showing that Letlow entrusted herindividual stock trading decisions with the firm. Letlow’sexplanation that thefault lies withMerrill Lynch is no excuse, said Brian Baird, who as aDemocratic congressman from Washington state sponsored the original legislationthat became the STOCK Act “You can’tsay,‘Ishouldbe entrusted with the authoritybyvoters to decidetax rates and send kids to war’ but not be able to tell your broker that you’re obliged to follow the rules of the Stock Act,” said Baird, who left Congress in 2011.“If you’re amember of Congress, take responsibility.”

Baird noted that the STOCK Act does not absolve members who put the blame on afinancial adviser —the onus for timely reporting falls to the members Baird added that Republicans watered down thebill to limit the fine for aviolation to only $200 but said public exposure of members who fail to report trades serves as adeterrent.

Letlow representsthe

challenge Cassidy in the May 16 Republican primary StateTreasurer John Flemingisalso competing in the GOPprimary. Three little-known Democratsare runninginthe Democratic Party primary on May16.

Letlow’s failure to file the stock tradesontime was first reportedbyNOTUS, a Washington, D.C., website that coverspolitics. Cassidy’sreports do not showthat he has traded stockssince 2012.

Butthey do show thathis wife, Laura, has bought and sold stocksand hasmet the 45-day window in every instance but one. Inthat case, shemade 15 tradesonDec. 7, 2018, buthe didn’treport them until Aug. 7, 2019.

Cassidy’scampaign noted it was an isolated incident.

Fleming served in the House from 2009-17. Hedid notreport buying or selling stocks.

Fleming declined to comment on Letlow’sstock trades but noted he voted for the 2012 STOCK Act In Letlow’sJan.13Periodic Transaction Report, she reportedthatshe madeher first trade on May 1, 2024, and was particularlyactive over athree-day period beginning on Oct. 23 that year. She continued to make trades in 2024 and throughout2025.

Amongthe stocks she bought or sold were Alcoa, Abbott Laboratories,Apple, Amazon, AT&T,JPMorgan, CVS, Philip Morris andWarnerBrothers.

Letlow has access to awide range of information as a member of the House. She sits on two House commit-

“BillCassidy knows he can’tdefend his record, so he’sresorting to desperate, false attacks to distract from what Louisiana voters haven’t forgotten:hevoted to impeach President Trump, and he’sbeen out of step with our party ever since.”

REP.JULIA LETLOW, R-Baton Rouge

national security, theState Departmentand international lending and finance institutions. Letlow joined other Republicans in opposing amendmentsoffered by Democrats.One sought to increase funding for the United NationsPopulation Fund, while another sought to prohibit theState Departmentfrom hosting eventsat propertyowned by Trump.

Within twodays, Letlow traded 16 stocks —including Boeing, Goldman Sachs, Taiwan Semiconductor and Visa —that were worth anywhere from $16,016 to $240,000.

Smithreiterated that Letlow did not personally authorize thetrades.

Smith said Letlow began theprocess of reporting the individual stock trades by hiring the Washington law firm of Dickinson Wright last year to review them

That ledher to self-report her violations on Oct. 25 to theHouse Committee on Ethics, Smith said.

On Feb.3,the committee’s director of financialdisclosure sent aletter to Letlow saying thecommittee had agreed to herrequestto waive the $200 latefiling penalty.

Smith added thatLetlow has instituted strong controls to ensure that Merrill Lynch informs her of individual stock trades to timely report them.

Public pressure has been building on Congresstoaddressconcerns that lawmakersare buying andselling stocks armed withinside information they obtainwhile carrying outtheir workin Washington.

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from the Bossier Parish suburb of Benton, is supporting abill that is advancinginthe House. It would prohibit legislators frombuying individual stocks. But they could continue to own existing stocks

and sell them with 7to14 days of notice.

Smith said Letlow supports the measure, known as the Stock Insider Trading Act.

So does Cassidy,according to his campaign.

Many Democratsand someRepublicans say the measure doesn’tgofar enough andsupportacompeting measure thatwould prohibit the trading of stocks in mostinstances.

Payne said that is the best approach.

He called the Stock Insider Trading Act a“bad bill,” saying, “A ban is needed to stopmembersfromtrading stock in individualcompanies. That’sthe only way to eliminate the perception thatconflicts of interest with these stock trades.”

Letlow’sfailure to report the individual stock transactions hasalreadybecome an issue in the Senate campaign. Apro-Cassidysuper PAC, the Louisiana Freedom Fund, cited the NOTUSarticle to attack her in aTVand

radio ad campaign.

In astatement, Letlow put the blameonCassidy forthe ad, even though super PACs by lawcannotcoordinate their activitieswith candidate campaigns.

“Bill Cassidy knows he can’tdefend his record, so he’s resorting to desperate, false attackstodistract fromwhatLouisiana voters haven’tforgotten: he voted to impeach President Trump, and he’sbeen out of step withour partyever since,” Letlow said. Forhis part, Cassidy said in astatement: “Elected officials have access to information the public doesn’t. They shouldn’tbeallowed to cash in on it by trading stocks with that information.” NickAlbares, aDemocrat running forSenate, said he favors the complete prohibition.

“Insidertrading is wrong, it is illegal and as aU.S. senator,Iwould work to pass legislationtoban stock trading by members of Congress,” he said in astatement.

BY GENE JOHNSON Associated Press

SEATTLE Aman fatally stabbed

four people in Washingtonstate on Tuesday morning as sheriff’s deputies were on their way to hand him adomestic violence protection order,authorities said. The suspectdied after being shot by an arriving deputy The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said deputiesinitially responded at 8:40 a.m. to reports that a32-year-old man wasviolating a no-contactorder at ahome on the

AUDIT

Continued from page1A

in allmaterialrespects, with the compliancerequirements,” said auditors from Kolder,Slaven &Company, the firm who conducted the required annual audit.

In total, auditors characterized 54% of the federal grant money the initiative spent on contracts or services that year as noncompliant with federal rules.

Auditors found two areasof particular concern: the Community Development Block Grant —abroad system of federal funding designed to give cities more flexibility over how the money is spent —and the COVID-19 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, which were created under the American RescuePlan Act to help respond to the pandemic.

The audit reviewed 30 of the125 transactions that used the blockgrantfunding in 2022, finding problemsin 28 of them. They found more than $205,000 in contracts awarded without required price quotes, duplicate reimbursementsand sponsorships or donations that were not allowed under federal rules. Theyalso found payments to contractors helping put on community events lacked sufficient documentation to

Key Peninsula, northwest of Tacoma. They obtaineda copy of the order,learned it was not valid because it hadnot been servedonthe manand headed to theaddress to provide it to him.

While they were en route, at about 9:30 a.m., additional reports cameinthat the man was stabbing peopleoutsidethe home, thesheriff’s office said.The first deputy arrived within about three minutes and shot the suspect, who was pronounced deadatthe scene,according to Officer Shelbie Boyd,a spokesperson for thePierce Coun-

justifywhether the expenses were reasonable or even allowable.

In one case cited, a$5,000 payment for 11 hotel rooms foraconference had no supporting documentation and alsolacked justification for whythe trip waswarranted foreach attendee, auditors said With the COVID-19 recoverygrant, auditors found that 72% of themoney $262,952 —spent wasnot in compliance with federal guidelines. Records show the money was used for professionalservice contracts that ranged from $10,000to $250,000 forviolence prevention programs related to Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR. In response to theauditors’ negative findings in 2022, the nonprofit blamed rapidgrowthand avacancy at the program’s director role for the subpar financial controls, as well as missing or delayeddocumentation from contractors.

“Instances did occur in whichthe vendor was unable to provide thespecific documentation requiredby thegrant in therequired timeframe,” the initiative’s staff wrote in 2023.

Many of the issuesauditors found in 2022 were fixed in following years.

Hope Hickersonwas hired as executive director of the Mayor’s Healthy City Initia-

ty Force Investigation Team. Three of thestabbing victims were dead at thesceneand another diedwhile beingtaken to a hospital.

Pierce Countycourt records show thata woman who lived at the address last May obtained aone-year protection order against her32-yearoldson.Shewrotethathehadmental health andsubstance abuse issues, hadpreviouslypushedher,andmore recentlyhad threatened her by saying that her“grave hasbeen already dug up.” The son had been “threatening

tive in 2023. Jazzika Matthewsoversaw theinitiative’sSafe, Hopeful, Healthy BR program Matthews declined to commentMonday.Hickerson could not be reached for comment.

Because of concernsrelated to financial practices prior to him takingoffice, Mayor-President Sid Edwardsannounced earlier this month that the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’soffice would be reviewing all city-parish finances

Edwards’office declined to commentwhen asked whether the legislative auditor’sreview would include thenonprofit’spast finances.

Asubpoena issued to city hall by afederalgrand jury in 2024 targeted anumber of contracts and programs like Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR connected to the Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative,according to sources who have viewed thedocument.

Federal investigators askedthe city-parish for documentsrelated to some contractors who received funds throughthe nonprofit, sources say,including some companies that have recently been indicted as aresult of theLouisianaAttorney General’sOffice investigation.

Broad Innovation Marketing Firm wasawarded severalcontracts between 2022 and 2024 for work on

me, abusing me both mentally and emotionally.Doing witchcraft/ occult behavior and doing rituals in my home,” the womanwrote. “Damaging personal belongings. Hurting my cat. Iamanelderly disabled woman and he is taking advantage of me and my health.”

The records showthatthe son hadnotice of ahearing before the issuanceofthe restraining order but did not appear for it. The protective orderrequiredhim not to possess dangerous weapons;to stay 1,000feetfrom his mother, hervehicle andher address, which

neighborhood canvassing, community outreach and data collection related to violenceinBaton Rouge, accordingtodocuments obtained via records request Broadsubcontractedwith another company, Supreme Solutions, to help manage thework. Sources say fed-

they had shared; and to comply with apreviously prescribed mental health treatment plan, including medication. It wasnot immediately clear why the attacker had not previously been served with the protection order.Typically in Washington state, someone whoobtains such an order can request that law enforcement deliver it to the subject of the order or hire aprivate investigator or “processserver”to do so. Not knowing the location of thesubject of the restraining order can delay that.

eral investigators are scrutinizing both companies, as wellasahandful of others paid through the healthy city initiative.

Owners of Broad and Supremewere indicted in January for allegedly conspiring to commit theft of taxpayerdollars andcontractor

fraud via contracts with the Capital Area Transit System. The attorney general’s transit system investigation stems from abroader federal probe into corruption in Baton Rouge government, as the FBI turned-overpreviously collected documents to state prosecutors.

help pay for fortified roofs, particularly for homeowners covered by Citizens, the insurer of last resort.

“LWCC was created to solve a market failure through state enabled action,” he wrote, referring to the Legislature’s creation of the nonprofit in the 1990s to stabilize a tumultuous workers’ compensation sector. “It now possesses the financial capacity, flexibility and institutional credibility to help solve another.”

Landry didn’t specify how much in funding he wants LWCC to dedicate to fortified roofs, or where exactly the money would go. But the Louisiana Department of Insurance spends about $30 million a year on grants to homeowners to help put fortified roofs on their homes, which typically lead to lower home insurance costs.

It’s also not clear whether the LWCC board can legally send money to fortified roofs, or whether it would require a new law

LWCC Chief Strategy Officer Seth Irby said Tuesday the company is reviewing the request.

LWCC is a private, mutual workers’ compensation company owned by our 18,000+ policyholders, which are businesses across the state,” he said in an email “We take our fiduciary responsibility to policyholders ri

shows that only about 20% of homeowners who registered in lotteries for the program received a grant

The LWCC is run by a board of directors that include Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, state lawmakers, and several members appointed by the governor Boysie Bollinger, a business owner and donor to Landry and other politicians, is also a member A spokesperson for Temple did not respond to a message Tuesday Financials filed with regulators show the LWCC has been strong enough financially to deliver significant fits t it li yholde

insurer But as premiums kept rising, he pushed last year for a controversial law to allow Temple to reject rate hikes by insurers, something Temple vowed he wouldn’t use.

In his letter to LWCC, Landry said that while LWCC is not a state agency, “its existence is inseparable from deliberate state action.” He said LWCC has accumulated “extraordinary financial strength” since its inception because of the Legislature’s actions.

“When families cannot insure their homes at a reasonable cost, workers relocate, employers struggle to attract and retain talent, nd

a series of hurricanes

La. child welfare agency recruiting foster parents

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana is one of the first states to join a President Donald Trump administration pilot program aimed at increasing the number of families available to care for foster children.

The federal initiative is called A Home for Every Child and seeks to have a foster home-to-child ratio greater than 1-to-1 in every state, meaning there would be at least one home available for every child in need of foster care.

Currently Louisiana has about 48 homes to every 100 foster children.

“The goal of our initiative is to have homes waiting on kids, not kids waiting on homes,” said Alex Adams, assistant secretary at the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Adams, who joined Gov Jeff Landry on Tuesday at the State Capitol to announce the program, said the federal government puts too many conditions on the money it gives to states for children and family services.

“Too much of that has been paperwork, busy work that has not statistically moved the needle on child welfare outcomes,” Adams said. He said that, rather than requiring states to comply with dozens of metrics to get money for child welfare and foster care, those in the pilot program will report monthly on a single measure: The ratio of foster homes relative to the number of foster children.

The more relaxed reporting requirements will take effect this summer, Adams

said. Along with Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma have also signed on Landry said Louisiana is partnering with the Trump administration to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy

The effort goes handin-hand “with President Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s commitment to improving the outcomes for children and youth in or at risk of entering foster care,” Landry said

The president signed an executive order in November aimed at improving foster care across the country, increasing collaboration between state agencies and private-sector and nonprofit groups, and growing partnerships with faith-based organizations.

“If we are going to increase the number of homes per children, the faith-based partnerships are going to be so important Louisiana’s been a leader in that,” Adams said Tuesday.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services serves 4,328 children in foster care, and there are 2,073 certified foster homes, a ratio of 48 homes to every 100 children, Secretary Rebecca Harris said at the news conference Tuesday The national average is 57

homes for every 100 children, she said.

The agency plans to certify 1,100 new foster homes and reactivate 200 foster homes by Dec. 31, and it will work to prevent more children from entering the foster system and increase the number of children living in permanent homes, Harris said.

“We’re streamlining kinship certification, strengthening foster recruitment and retention, eliminating the unnecessary bureaucracy, improving technology and tracking all of our progress with clear measures,” she said.

Harris said working closely with local communities, reducing the red tape for foster certification, and increasing support for foster parents including higher reimbursement rates for expenses — are part of that plan.

Harris and Landry “are certainly moving in a positive direction to help increase the homes for foster children and the support they give to foster parents, which is so vitally important,” said Luke Allen, interim CEO and COO of Methodist Children’s Home, which trains and supports a statewide net-

work of therapeutic foster care families and works closely with Children and Family Services.

Ensuring the agency has enough resources to provide support to foster par-

ents and that foster parents get adequate financial reimbursement will help reduce the gaps in foster care, Allen said.

Streamlining the process of recruiting and certifying foster parents will also help close the gap, he said.

The Department of Children and Family Services expects to increase reimbursement rates for foster parents beginning in the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, Harris said in an interview Tuesday

Reimbursement goes to foster parents to cover room and board, clothing and other basic necessities Rates vary based on geographic region and medical needs, for example.

“What we’re looking at right now it would be above a $5 per day increase,” Harris said.

The agency is also launch-

ing a new program called Care Connections, effectively a reorganization of the agency’s foster care functions.

Previously, recruitment, training, licensing and matching children with families all happened in different parts of the agency All of those functions eventually will be coordinated under one umbrella.

Another new initiative, the Community Pathways Network, will bring together a variety of community supports for foster parents, including mentoring, parenting and caregiver classes, respite care, legal services and help with social services benefits, among others, Harris said.

“We owe it to the foster parents to make sure that we rally around them,” Harris said.

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Houserejects aircraft locatorbill

Legislationaimed to preventmidair collisions

BY JOSH FUNK AP transportation writer

TheHouse failed to approve abill Tuesdaythat was crafted after last year’s tragic midair collision near Washington, D.C., to require all aircraft flyingaround busy airports to have key locator systems to prevent such crashes. The collision of an airliner and an Army helicopter killed 67 people in January 2025.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending such Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systemsto be installed since 2008. The bill that already passedthe Senate would have required aircraft to be equipped with a system that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. The complemen-

tary ADS-B Outsystem that broadcastsanaircraft’slocationisalreadyrequired

The families of the victims who died when an American Airlines jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter strongly supported the measure, and anumber of them watched the vote fromthe House gallery.But the Airlines for American trade group, the militaryand themajor general aviation groups that representbusiness jetsand small planeowners backed acompeting and more comprehensive House bill that was just introduced last week.

TimLilley,whose sonSam was the first officer on the airliner, said he’s really disappointed, but he and the other families will continue to press for meaningful reforms. And he hopes that will happen before the next tragedy “We’re going to end up back here having the same conversation becauseofanother midair (collision)iswhat’s goingto happen. Hopefully

—fingers crossed —that doesn’t,” Lilleysaid.

Underthe special process that wasusedtofast-track the bill, the ROTOR Actneeded to receive more thantwo-thirds support to pass the House. It received 264 votes, but 133 other representatives voted against it. ROTOR stands for “Rotorcraft Operations Transparency andOversight Reform.”

HouseSpeaker Mike Johnson,R-Benton, toldThe Associated Press that theSenateand theHouse will work together to get an aviation safety bill done.“We’re committedtoit,” he said.

AndHouse Transportation &Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves said the House bill could be marked up in committee as soon as next week.Thatbill is designed to address all 50 of the recommendations the NTSB made, not just thelocator technology,but NTSBChair Jennifer Homendy has said theHousebill falls short of accomplishing that.

Courtquestions shifting EPA reasonsfor killingcontracts

BY MICHAEL PHILLIS Associated Press

WASHINGTON Afederal appeals court on Tuesday grilledboth theTrump administration andthe nonprofits picked to run a $20 billion “green bank” program over the termination of their contacts, questioning whether federal officials made up reasons to blockthe program and whether the nonprofits weredemanding access to money thatwasn’ttechnically theirs to control.

The judgesonthe U.S. Court of Appeals forthe District of Columbia Circuit are considering the fate of theGreenhouse Gas ReductionFund, a congressionally-authorized Bidenadministration-era program aimed at sparking clean energy invest-

ments that the Trumpadministration hastargeted for cancellation.

Both sidescame in for sharp questioning during three hours of oralarguments.

Thejudges questioned theTrump administration’s allegations of mismanagement andfraud by the nonprofits, which federal officialsdid notsubstantiate in earliercourt filings.

Theyalsoquestioned whether the nonprofits could use anyofthe money afterCongress last year repealed part of alaw that establishedthe green bank.

The full appeals court agreed to rehear the case after athree-judge panel in Septembersaid theTrump administration hadbroad power to cancel contracts without facing allegations in federal district court

that it broke the law and violated the Constitution by allegedly terminating contracts arbitrarily and refusing to spend money Congress appropriated. It’srare for the full court to rehear cases, aprocess reserved forthe mostimportant. An attorney for the Environmental Protection Agencywas questioned over what one judge said were shifting reasons for canceling grants for Climate United Fund and other nonprofits. First in February 2025, the government froze the funds without detailed explanation and alleged waste and fraud, then shiftedtogeneral concerns thatthere wasn’tenough EPAoversight over the program, according to the questioning.

TexasRep.Gonzalesresists callstoresignoverallegations

BY JOHN HANNA and JUAN LOZANO Associated Press

HOUSTON U.S.Rep.Tony Gonzales of Texasresisted growingcalls Tuesday from fellow congressional Republicans to resign over areportofanallegedaffair with aformerstaffer who later died after sheset herselfonfire.

Rep.Thomas Massie of Kentucky joined Reps Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Nancy Mace of South Carolina in demanding that Gonzales step down immediately.Gonzales is in atough race in Texas’ Republican primary on March3,facing achallenger he narrowlydefeat-

ed in a2024 GOP runoff. He told reporters he will notresign.Aresignation would leave Republicans with a217-214 majority until March, when the first of three special elections to fill vacancies is set in Georgia.

“There will be opportunities for all of the details and facts to come out,” he said. “Whatyou’ve seen is notall the facts.”

House Speaker Mike Johnsonsaidhewould talk to Gonzales on Tuesday Johnson said Monday that the accusations against Gonzales “must be taken seriously,” but he added, “in every case like this, youhavetoallowthe investigation to play out and all the facts to come out.”

“If the accusation of something is going to be thelitmusfor someone being able to continue to serve in the House,alot of people would have to resign or be removed or expelledfromCongress,” Johnsonsaid. Meanwhile,Mace announced thatshe has introduced aresolutiontoforce theHouse EthicsCommission to publicly release its reports and records of allegationsofsexualharassment against members of Congress. Gonzalessaidina social media post last week that he was being blackmailed and then suggestedinanother post Sunday that he is the target of “coordinated political attacks.”

Zelenskyy: Putinhas

‘not broken’Ukrainians

Countrymarks

4years sinceRussia’s all-outinvasion

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared Tuesday that Russia has not“broken Ukrainians” nor triumphed in its war,four years after an invasion that has severely tested the resolve of Kyiv andits allies and fueled European fears about the scale of Moscow’sambitions.

In ashow of support, more than adozen senior European officials headed to the Ukrainian capital to mark the grim anniversary of the conflict, which has killedtensof thousands of people, upended life for millions of Ukrainians, and createdinstabilityfar beyond its borders. Zelenskyy said his countryhas

withstood the onslaught by Russia’s bigger and better equipped army, which over the past year of fighting captured just 0.79% of Ukraine’s territory,according to theInstitute for theStudy of War, aWashingtonbasedthink tank.Russia now holds nearly20% of Ukraine.

“Looking back at thebeginning of the invasionand reflecting on today,we have every right to say: We have defended our independence, we have notlost our statehood,” Zelenskyy said on social media, adding that Russian President VladimirPutin has“not achieved hisgoals.”

“He hasnot broken Ukrainians; he has notwon this war,” Zelenskyy said

Despite the showofdefiance, Ukraine has struggled to hold off Russia’sonslaught, andthe warhas brought widespread hardship for Ukrainian civilians.Russia’saerial attackshavedevastated families and denied civilians power and running water

Putin made no mention of the anniversary nordid he sayhow the warwas goingwhenhespoke at a meetinginMoscow of topofficials of the Federal Security Service, or FSB, on Tuesday

However,hetoldthemthatthe threat of UkrainianattacksonRussiansoil has grown. Ukraine has increasingly deployedlong-range dronesthatithas developedto strike oil refineries, fuel depotsand military logistics hubs more than 600miles inside Russia.

As the war of attrition enters its fifth year,aU.S.-led diplomatic push to end the largest conflict on the continent since WorldWar II appearsno closer to apeace deal. Negotiations are stuckonwhat happens to the Donbas, eastern Ukraine’sindustrial heartland that Russian forces mostlyoccupy but have failed to seizecompletely,and the terms of apostwarsecurity arrangementthatKyivisdemanding to deterany future Russianinvasion.

BY JAMEY KEATEN

Associated Press

GENEVA— Lebanon’sForeign Minister Youssef Rajji on Tuesday urged the Iran-backedmilitant group Hezbollah not to get involved in anyfighting between theUnited States and Iran, expressing concerns about anew possible conflict with Israel.

Rajjitoldjournalists in Geneva thatLebanese officials had been warned that in the event of another Israel-Hezbollah war, Israel would strike harderagainst civilianinfrastructureacrossLebanon than in the previous round of fighting.

The appeal comes amidgrowing concerns thatthe U.S. might carry outnew strikesagainst Iran.Iran held annual military drills with Russia on Thursday as asecond U.S. aircraft carrier drew closer to the Middle East.

The U.S. and Iran have signaled theyare prepared for war if talks on Tehran’snuclear program fizzle out

Rajjisaid Lebanese authorities had appealed to Hezbollah, which hasfought several wars with Israel,most recently in 2024,not to respond in any way that could trigger “bad situations” for Lebanese

civilians.

“Lebanon has received signs that the Israelis could strike civilianinfrastructure andmaybe the airport” in Beirut, Rajji said in Geneva, where he was attending aHuman Rights Council session.

During the last Israel-Hezbollah war,in2024, the airport was not hit and remained operational throughout the conflict. In a monthlong war between the two in 2006, Israel struck the Beirut airport. Many Lebanese civilians have been killed, wounded or displaced in previous rounds of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Hezbollahlaunchedrockets into Israel aday after the militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, triggering thewar in Gaza.After months of low-level fighting, the conflictescalated into afull-scale warinSeptember 2024, when Israel launched bombardment that killed muchofHezbollah’sleadership, followed by aground invasion, severely weakening HezbollahbeforeaU.S.brokeredceasefire nominally halted the fighting. Israel has continued to launchnear daily strikesinLebanon since the November 2024 ceasefire, whichitsays aim to stop Hezbollah from rebuilding.

Judge rejects motion to disqualify prosecutors

Defense alleges con

flict

of interest in Charlie Kirk case

BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY

— A Utah judge on Tuesday declined to disqualify the local county attorney’s office from prosecuting the accused shooter in Charlie Kirk’s killing after the defense argued there was a conflict of interest because a prosecutor’s daughter was present when Kirk was shot.

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty against Tyler Robinson, 22, who is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.

Robinson’s attorneys urged the judge to remove the Utah County Attorney’s Office because they allowed a deputy county attorney to work on the case despite knowing that his adult daughter was in the audience when Kirk was shot.

The defense also argued in court documents that prosecutors were quick to announce their intent to seek the death penalty, which they said was evidence of “strong emotional reactions” that merited disqualifying the entire team.

State District Judge Tony Graf

ruled Tuesday that there is “not a significant risk” that Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander’s loyalty to his daughter will affect his work or interfere with Robinson’s rights.

“Prosecutors need not be immune to the emotional response of others to prosecute a case,” Graf said.

An estimated 3,000 people were at the outdoor rally to hear Kirk when he was struck while taking questions. A co-founder of Turning Point USA, Kirk helped mobilize young people to vote for President Donald Trump.

Grunander’s daughter, whose identity has not been disclosed

to news media covering the case, testified in court that she did not record video of the shooting or the aftermath. She was looking at the crowd and did not learn until after she ran to safety that it was Kirk who had been shot, she told the court earlier this month.

Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray testified this month that he thought about seeking the death penalty before an arrest had been made in the case, and his colleague’s daughter in no way influenced the decision.

Graf found that the daughter’s presence did not factor into Gray’s decision.

BY LINDSEY BAHR AP film writer

Robert Carradine, the youngest of his prolific Hollywood family and whose biggest hit was the 1984 comedy “Revenge of the Nerds,” has died at 71.

In a Tuesday statement, his family said he lived with bipolar disorder for two decades.

His brother told Deadline that Carradine died by suicide.

“We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” Keith Carradine said. “It is an illness that got the best of him, and I want to celebrate him for his struggle with it, and celebrate his beautiful soul. He was profoundly gifted, and we will miss him every day.”

Known for both his film and television work, Robert Carradine worked steadily in the industry for over 40 years. Though he collaborated with some of the most respected directors of the day, he never gained the worldwide recognition of his more famous siblings Keith Carradine (also the father of Martha Plimpton) and half-brother David Carradine, who died in 2009.

Robert Carradine, a Los Angeles native and son to character actor John Carradine, was introduced to audiences with roles on the television series “Bonanza” in 1971 and in the John Wayne Western “The Cowboys” in 1972.

Robert Carradine’s biggest hit would come in 1984 with the off-color comedy “Revenge of the Nerds,” in which he played head nerd Lewis Skolnick, with his abrupt, infectious and guttural laugh.

He reprised the role for the big-

screen sequel and two made-fortelevision follow-ups, and continued to pay homage to the beloved character with a guest role on the series “Robot Chicken” and as a cohost (with “Revenge of the Nerds” co-star Curtis Armstrong) of the pop culture competition show “King of the Nerds,” which aired for three seasons. In the late 1980s and 1990s, according to the family statement, Carradine realized his racing ambitions and was a driver for Lotus. In the 2000s, Carradine gained small-screen success in The Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire” as the eponymous character’s father “It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend,” Hilary Duff, who played Lizzie McGuire, wrote on Instagram. “There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents. I’ll be forever grateful for that. I’m deeply sad to

U.S. military boards third oil tanker in Indian Ocean

BY BEN FINLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON

U.S. military forces boarded a third sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean Sea in an effort to target illicit oil connected to Venezuela, the Pentagon said Tuesday

An organization that tracks ship movements said the vessel was the only tanker left to pursue after more than a dozen fled the coast of Venezuela following the capture of the South American country’s authoritarian then-president, Nicolás Maduro.

U.S. Southern Command said in a post on X that U.S. forces boarded the Bertha overnight, conducting “a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding.”

“The vessel was operating in defiance of President Trump’s es-

The boarding is the 10th interdiction of an oil tanker conducted by the Trump administration since it began targeting vessels connected to Venezuela in December The others were seized in the Caribbean or North Atlantic.

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Judge rules in RiverPlex case

Group has to release records connected to public funds

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

A judge ruled the Ascension Economic Development Corporation is required to turn over public records related to economic development projects in the RiverPlex MegaPark.

Although Judge Steven Tureau, of the 23rd Judicial District Court, partially granted the groups’ writ of mandamus following a hearing in Gonzales on Monday afternoon, further litigation is likely to emerge from the decision. Center for Constitutional Rights

Brought by the Donaldsonvillebased Rural Roots Louisiana and New Orleans-based Louisiana Bucket Brigade advocacy groups, the case concerned whether certain agency records are subject to public records requests.

Ex-CATS official, contractor plead not guilty

2 indicted on multiple corruption charges

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER

Staff writer

Former Capital Area Transit System Chief Administrative Officer Pearlina Thomas and contractor Jarian “Jay” Colar pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from the Attorney General’s Office’s sweeping investigation into alleged corruption in Baton Rouge government.

A special grand jury indicted Thomas and Colar last month, each on multiple felony charges Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office says Thomas fraudulently awarded a $50,000 transit system contract to Colar’s company Supreme Solutions LLC with the help of sitting East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council member Cleve Dunn Jr Checks were then cut to Dunn’s company Core Group LLC, investigators say Dunn was indicted two weeks after the Jan. 14 indictments of Thomas and Colar. He faces nine counts, including multiple conspiracy charges bribery, theft, money laundering and others.

State business filings show Dunn was the original owner of Supreme Solutions. The company was put into Colar’s name shortly after his transit contract began.

Colar’s attorney, John McLindon, said he feels strongly his client will not be found guilty

“It’s very early in the case. I have not seen any of the evidence,” McLindon said. “But based on what I know from my own investigation, I’m very confident that Mr Colar will be acquitted.” Thomas’ attorney, Richard Richtofen, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Commissioner Jermaine Guillory set a June 8 motion date for both defendants. Two other contractors also face charges in the case.

Husband and wife Terral “TJ” Jackson and Erica Jackson, operators of Broad Innovation Marketing Firm, were both indicted on conspiracy to commit theft and theft of $25,000 or more. Broad Innovation Marketing Firm received contracts for city-parish work on multiple instances. On at least one occasion, Supreme Solutions served as a subcontractor with Broad for an agreement with the quasi-governmental nonprofit known as the Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative or Healthy BR around 2021 and 2022. Murrill has repeatedly said she expects more indictments to come. The attorney general’s corruption case began with an investigation by the FBI. Federal investigators in 2024 issued a subpoena for documents related to the healthy city initiative, according

attorney Pam Spees, who represents the two plaintiff organizations, called the ruling “really important” because it determined the Ascension Economic Development Corporation is subject to public records law

“It’s an important day because we got clarity We got a ruling that says they are subject to it,” she said. “What that means in terms of the records they have to produce is going to be something that we have to determine down the road.”

for us because there are no documents responsive to this request,” Jacob said. She declined to comment after the hearing, citing the request of her client.

Attorney Kayla Jacob, who represents the agency and its president and CEO Kate MacArthur, said during the hearing that there were no responsive documents to the request. She reiterated this after the decision, when Tureau asked if the records request needed a time frame attached. “A timeline would not be an issue

Founded in 2005, Ascension Economic Development Corporation was created by the parish, the Ascension Chamber of Commerce and city of Gonzales. The organization works to attract investment to the region, and the Ascension

Like a big pizza pie

Man pleads guilty to Easter party killing

BR pregnant mother was fatally shot days before due date

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

A man who fired at a Baton Rouge mother who was nine months pregnant, killing her and her unborn child, pleaded guilty to charges tied to the April 2023 homicide on Tuesday Kerisha Johnson was picking her teenage daughter up from an Easter Party in the 1000 block of North Carrollton Avenue when Torey Latrell Campbell and another man opened fire on her vehicle, according to prosecutors Johnson, 36, died in the hail of bullets She was five days away from giving birth to her third daughter, McKenzie. Medical examiners who performed her autopsy determined the unborn child died from intrauterine fetal demise due to Johnson’s fatal injuries. Campbell was in the midst of his trial Tuesday when he opted

to accept a plea deal that would spare him the possibility of a life sentence. Attorneys were selecting a panel of jurors to determine his fate on seconddegree murder and first-degree feticide charges. The 21-year-old Baton Rouge man confessed to a reduced charge of manslaughter and pleaded guilty as charged to the count of feticide. He’ll be sentenced a total of 30 years on the pair of convictions, according to the plea deal.

District Judge Louise Hines set him to be sentenced at 2 p.m. Friday Campbell was one of five men indicted on the murder and feticide charges stemming from Johnson’s death. Marques Kevon Porch, 22, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in October 2024 and Hines deferred his prison sentence, instead placing him on two years of probation. Gregory Parker Jr., 22, also accepted a plea deal for illegal carrying of weapons that same day and Hines ordered him to spend six months in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

During an April 29 hearing,

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

The real estate arm of Guaranty Corporation bought a 4.8acre parcel of land on Burbank Drive for $1.65 million, a site that could eventually become the headquarters for the radio and marketing business. Guaranty Real Estate Management Co. LLC bought the land at 7611 Burbank, next to the Court to Table pickleball facility, in a deal that was filed last week. The seller was J C Burbanq LLC. Flynn Foster Guaranty president and CEO, said the deal gives his company options. Earlier this month, the East Baton Rouge Planning Commission gave Guaranty permission to build a 120-foot radio tower and a 25,000-square-foot building on the site.

“It’s a good piece of property, and we do have that approved,” Foster said.

But Foster said there are no full plans to move Guaranty’s headquarters from its home at 929 Government St. “It’s a long process and we’ve been in

Police seek BR maningroup home rape

Police are looking for a manwho allegedlyforcibly raped awomanliving in a group home for people with mental disabilities, accordingtoan arrest warrant from the Baton Rouge Police Department. Kelvin Dwaine Spears, 47, of Baton Rouge, is wanted in connection with second-degree rape. Police were dispatchedto Woman’sHospital on Feb. 14 in responsetoasexual assault where the victim gave her statementofwhat happened. The victim said shesuffered from amental disability and lived in asupervised group home for adult women with mental health conditions. Around 11 p.m. that night, the victim went to the outside laundry room to wash her clothes. She saw Spears pull up in awhite MercedesBenz and park in front of the residence. She recognized Spears as someone who drove other residents to the store often, according to the arrest warrant. Spears entered thelaun-

JUDGE

Continued from page1B

Parish Council allocated more than $1.2 million to the organization between 2022 and the end of 2025. The use of those taxpayer funds underlies the lawsuit.

State law requires that all economicdevelopment corporations receiving more than $10,000 in public funds must maintain books and records related to the receipt and use of such funds and make those availableas publicdocuments. In aNov.19records request to the agency,the two organizations asked for documents concerning the developmentof the RiverPlex MegaPark. This included cooperative endeavor agreementsand all communications with agents or employees of Hyundai Steel, CF Industries,AscensionCleanEnergy,Louisiana Economic

GUILTY

Continued from page1B

Desmond Robinson,22, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to seconddegree murder, and Hines imposed afive-year prison stint.

Campbell’splea on Tuesday left 21-year-oldDerrickDewayne Curry as the lone defendant. Curry was set to stand trial along with Campbell this week, according to court records. But his trial was delayed until later this year

Prosecutors said Curry and Campbellwere the two gunmen who fired the fateful shots at Johnson.

Baton Rouge detectives said the men mistook Johnson’s white car for another vehicle that drovepastthe partyearlier in the evening. Someone inside that car fired agunshot into the air.

Video footage from the residential block showed a

dry room smelling strongly of marijuana and alcohol andappeared intoxicated before sexuallyassaulting her. The victim told Spears to leaveimmediately,that no menwere allowed at thehome, and she would face eviction if aman was found inside, but he physically overpoweredher, according to the arrest warrant.

The victim told policeshe did not consent at any point during the rape.

Afterthe incident,Spears fledthe scene in his car.The victim immediately reported the assault to the house manager,and she was taken to the hospital

Asexual assault forensic examination was conducted and was consistent with rape,the warrant states.

Accordingtovideo surveillance footage, Spears entered the room at 11:02 p.m. and left at 11:16 p.m.

Theinvestigation is ongoing.

Officials:Gun found in student’sbag

Astudent at Doyle ElementarySchoolwas sent home Tuesday morning, afteranunloadedgun was found in their book sack.

Development and any government officials

The RiverPlex MegaPark is arural sectionon theparish’swest bank that officials have earmarked as afuture industrial area larger than Manhattan. The companies mentioned in the records requestplan to construct large facilities in the area, althoughmany residents wholive there are opposed to it. Reception is more positive in Donaldsonville, whereleaders and residentshope it will bring much-neededjobs Court documents show MacArthur rejectedthe request,statingthat theagency wasnot subjecttopublic records law.The organizations disputed her opinion, citing aLouisiana Supreme Courtdecision that said the Public Records Act applied to private agencies fulfilling public functions.

Attorney Richard Passler, representingthe Ascension Economic Development Corporation, argued ina

dark-colored Honda parked acrossthe street from the party shortlybeforethe shooting. Occupantswere standing aroundthe Honda socializing with another group of people parked next to themin asilver Nissan sedan. The men crouched down as Johnson’svehicle drove up the street towardthem. They could be seen raising firearms, pointing and firing them at hercar Thewoman tried to drive away,but she andher full-term fetuswereboth struck andkilled,police said.

“Right as she pulled up to theparty,Torey Campbell fired the first shotand continued to shoot,” Assistant DistrictAttorney Tiara Jones said during Tuesday’splea hearing. She toldthe judge that even after Johnson put her car intoreverse, Campbell climbed into the backseat of Robinson’scar and fired more bullets out of the backwindow

Thechild’sparenthad called the school to alert staff, according to Livingston Parish Public Schools

The parent called before classes started. School officials took the gun and removed the student from class before themorning bell rang, theschool system saidinanews release.

“The student is no longer on campus, and the school’s employees andstudents are proceeding with their normal schedule,”the statement said.

The school systemsaid thatofficers with theLivingston Parish Sheriff’s Office andLivingstonpolice are investigating Manaccused of lighting man on fire AWalker manwas arrested for allegedly lighting another man on fire after adisagreement, causing the victim to be severely burned acrosshis entire body

James Page, 40, was arrested Tuesday morning for aggravated second-degreebattery in connection with afirethatseverely burned BrandonDuncan of Walker, according to the Sheriff’s Office

Jan. 22 opposition to the writ thatthe state lawonly requires the production of records involvingpublic funds, but that thosewere notthe records requested by thegroups.

“AEDChas notallocated or expended any public funds towards theRiverPlex MegaPark project” in relation to the companies and groups named in the request,Passlerwrote.

CEOquestioned

The organizations disputed that claim in courton Monday. Spees said sheintended to call MacArthur to the stand to ask what proportion of thefunds from the parish wereusedinthe Ascension Economic Development Corporation’s work with the RiverPlex MegaPark By doing so, sheargued it wouldallowthe court to determine what records were applicable underthe state law.

“We’re very curious to

Investigatorscollected several shell casings from thescene and linked Campbell to a9mmsemiautomatic pistol thatwas used in the shooting, Jones said. Campbell maintainedhis innocence during the hearing on Tuesday,but told the judgehewas takingthe plea deal in hisbestinterest in largepart becauseof the trialevidence prosecutors plannedtouse against him, which he said included “17 witnesses saying my name.”

The negotiatedagreementnearly broke down after Campbell’sattorneyaskedthe judgetoallow him to remain out on bail until 1p.m. Wednesday so he could visit his grandmother in aBaton Rouge nursing home before turninghimself in to authorities to begin his sentence

“This makes me so uncomfortable because you’vejust pled to somethingthat’sawful,”Hines said while considering the

According to social media posts from Duncan’sfamily he hassevere burns across his body from his legs to hisface. Photos of Duncan in the hospital show his entire facewrapped in gauze. The family made multiple posts on Facebook over the weekend,calling for Page’s arrest Livingston Parish Sheriff’sOffice deputies were dispatchedtoBuckCarroll Road in Walker on Wednesday afterareport involving adisturbance with a manwith burnwounds,the Sheriff’s Office said.

Livingston Parish Sheriff JasonArd said that upon arrival, they found aman with burns to the front of his body.Hesaid that through their investigation, they learned there was a disagreement between the manand an acquaintance.

“Bothgave conflicting stories. One says it happenedfor no good reason. Anothertells us it involves unwanted sexual advances. Once theincident happened, both the man with the burn wounds and the acquaintance ran to separate neighbors’homes to contact 911,” Ardsaidafter the arrest Duncan remains hospital-

hear on the record how it is that somehow …nothing they’ve done in the RiverPlex MegaPark relates to that funding,”she said, referencing the more than $1.2 millionallocated to the agency Jacob called the testimony sought from MacArthur “irrelevant” and argued the groups didn’t requestfinancial records,whichshe said were the types of records covered by the law.

“Whatplaintiffsare tryingtodoistakeatwo-part analysis …and they’re trying to combine it into one, shesaid.

MacArthur was never calledtothe stand, and Tureau appeared skeptical of Spees’ argument. Twice, he questioned whether Rural Roots Louisiana and the Louisiana BucketBrigade were subject to similar public recordsrequests because theyare nonprofits Spees said theycould be subject to such requirements if they received

request. “Thevictims here were completely innocent bystanders. So the situation here was publicly dangerous.”

Rob Ray,one of Campbell’spublic defenders, reminded the judge that Johnson was driving acar that was the same make and model as theone that had been involved in the shooting near the party earlier that evening. He said that when thevictim slowly approached in her car,the defendants thought it was athreat.

“It wasn’ta random person they weretrying to shootat,”Ray argued.

ized as of Tuesday,according to the Sheriff’s Office. Drowned body ID’d, no foul play suspected

Awoman who drowned in aBREC conservation area offHooperRoadonFriday has been identified as 35-year-old Emily Cain, the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’sOffice confirmed.

Cain wasrescuedfroma pond at the Blackwater Conservation Area, where she hadbeenswimmingbefore dawn alongwith aman.

When firefighters with the Central Fire Department responded, Cain had been retrieved from the water by her companion but was unresponsive.The pair was found on an island in the pond.

Cain later died at alocal hospital.

Aspokesperson with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office said charges forthe man found with Cain are not being considered

It’sunclearifthe death was accidental, and toxicologyresults are still pending from the Coroner’sOffice, but the Sheriff’s Office confirmed foulplayis not suspected.

public fundsthrough government agreements while acting as “an instrumentality” of the government, referencing theLouisiana Supreme Court Case. She argued that the agency fulfilled such arole, citing its creation by government bodies Afterthe hearing, Louisiana Bucket Brigade Director Anne Rolfes questioned where the parish funds were being spent by the agency “The RiverPlex MegaPark is themajor industrial project in the parish, and AEDC is the body that handles industrial expansion in the parish. What AEDC would have us believe today in courtisthat they arenot spending any of the public money on the RiverPlex MegaPark,” she said. “I will saythat is abit hard to believe that out of their entirebudget, they’re not spending any of their budget, not any of it, on the RiverPlex MegaPark.”

“But it was,”Hines,the judge, told him before remanding Campbell to the Parish Prison.

Email Matt Bruceatmatt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

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to multiple sourceswith directknowledge of the investigation. Among other records, the subpoenarequestedrecords relatedtobothBroad InnovationMarketing Firm andSupreme Solutions, as well as other companies that were contracted to do work for the nonprofit and its sub-initiative Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR. Thomas faces 11 counts: n Conspiracy to commit theftof$25,000 or more n Twocounts of theft of $25,000 or more n Conspiracy to commit bribery n Bribery n Conspiracy to commit money laundering n Money laundering n Public contract fraud n Illegal splitting of profits or fees

n Malfeasance in office

n Illegal use of public funds forcampaign. Colar faces eight counts: n Conspiracy to commit theftof$25,000 or more n Theft of $25,000 or more n Conspiracy to commit bribery

n Bribery

n Conspiracy to commit money laundering

n Money laundering n Public contract fraud

n Illegal splitting of profits or fees.

Email Patrick SloanTurner at patrick.sloanturner@theadvocate. com.

BUSINESS

BRIEFS

U.S. stocks rise after reminder of AI’s upsides

NEWYORK U.S. stocks rose Tuesday after getting a reminder that the artificial-intelligence boom may also have an upside.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% and recovered nearly three-quarters of its sharp drop from the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 370 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%.

Advanced Micro Devices helped lead the market and rallied 8.8% after announcing a multiyear deal where it will supply chips to Meta Platforms to help power its AI ambitions. Under the agreement, Meta also got the right to buy up to 160 million shares of AMD stock for 1 cent each, depending in part on how many chips Meta ultimately buys It’s a reminder of the excitement that built in recent years about the billions of dollars pouring into AI, which could remake the world and create a more productive economy It also helped produce a sharp turnaround from the prior day, when worries about the potential downsides of AI shook Wall Street, particularly companies and industries that investors fear could be made obsolete. Industries as far flung as software, trucking logistics and financial services have recently seen investors suddenly and aggressively punish them for potentially being under threat.

IBM rose 2.7% to recover some of its 13.1% drop from Monday, which was its worst since 2000.

The pain has also filtered out to the private-equity industry, with fears building that loans it made to software companies dependent on recurring revenue may have less of a chance of getting repaid. Blue Owl Capital rose 2.8% to trim its loss for the young year so far to 28.2%.

Warner Bros. gets new offer from Paramount

NEW YORK Warner Bros. Discovery says it’s reviewing a new takeover offer from Paramount, but it continues to recommend a competing proposal from Netflix to its shareholders in the meantime

Warner disclosed Tuesday that it had received a revised offer from Paramount after a sevenday window to renew talks with the Skydance-owned company elapsed Monday Paramount confirmed it had submitted this proposal, but neither provided further details on the bid. The company was widely expected to have raised its offer

A Warner Bros. Discovery buyout would reshape Hollywood and the wider media landscape — bringing HBO Max, cult-favorite titles like “Harry Potter” and, depending on who wins the Netflix v. Paramount tug-of-war, potentially even CNN under a new roof. Consumer confidence improves modestly

WASHINGTON The American consumer’s confidence in the U.S. economy improved slightly in February after cratering a month earlier

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 91.2 in February from an upwardly revised 89 last month.

A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market rose four points to 72, remaining well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead. It’s the 13th consecutive month that reading has come in under 80. The measure of consumers’ assessments of their current economic situation fell by 1.8 points to 120. Respondents’ references to prices and inflation were little changed but remain elevated Mentions of trade and politics increased, while references to labor market conditions eased as perceptions of the job market improved modestly this month.

The country’s labor market has been stuck in a “low hire, low fire” state, economists say, as businesses stand pat due to uncertainty over Trump’s tariffs and the lingering effects of elevated interest rates.

FedEx joins call for Trump tariffs refund

than 1,000 U.S. companies that have filed suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade in efforts to recoup costs from the illegal tariffs set

After Supreme Court ruling, over 1,000 companies file lawsuits

BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN Associated Press

FedEx is suing the U.S. government, the latest company to request a refund on what it paid for tariffs set by President Donald Trump last year after the Supreme Court ruled that the tariffs are illegal.

More than 1,000 companies have filed suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade in efforts to recoup costs from the illegal tariffs, including large U.S. corporations like Costco and Revlon Most of the lawsuits were already in process ahead of the Supreme Court decision Friday

FedEx said in a filing with the U.S. Court of International Trade that they have “suffered injury” from having to pay the tariffs and that the relief they’re seeking from the court would redress those injuries.

Tim Meyer, a law professor at Duke University, said each case is likely to have to be tried individually

“We’re going to have to wait

and see how the government decides to handle the refund claims,” he said. “And then if the government chooses not to set up a process for the refunds, ultimately the Court of International Trade is going to have to adjudicate over a thousand cases.”

The National Retail Federation said in a statement on Friday that the Supreme Court’s ruling provided certainty for U.S. businesses and manufacturers.

“We urge the lower court to ensure a seamless process to refund the tariffs to U.S. importers,” it said. “The refunds will serve as an economic boost and allow companies to reinvest in their operations, their employees and their customers.”

The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs on Friday Trump said he was “absolutely ashamed” of some justices who ruled 6-3 against him, calling them “disloyal to our Constitution” and lapdogs.”

At one point he even raised the specter of foreign influence without citing any evidence. The court’s ruling found tariffs that Trump imposed under an emergency powers law were unconstitutional, including the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs he levied on nearly every other country

The Treasury had collected more than $133 billion from the import taxes the president has imposed under the emergency powers law as of December, according to federal data. The impact over the next decade has been estimated at $3 trillion. A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found U.S. businesses and consumers are paying nearly 90% of the tariffs that Trump has imposed. Trump has vowed to collect tariffs through other means. He reached for a stopgap option immediately after his defeat Friday at the Supreme Court: Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15% for up to 150 days. But any extension beyond 150 days must be approved by a Congress likely to balk at passing a tax increase as November’s midterm elections loom.

Meta to buy AI chips from AMD in a deal worth up to $100 billion

BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP business writer

Facebook owner Meta Platforms will buy artificial intelligence chips from Advanced Micro Devices in a deal that will also give it the opportunity to buy up to a 10% stake of the chip company. News of the AMD deal comes just days after Meta announced a long-term partnership where it will use millions of chips and other equipment from Nvidia for its artificial intelligence data centers.

Meta will buy AMD’s latest chips, the MI450, to help power data centers. The 6-gigawatt agreement will see shipments supporting the first gigawatt deployment set to start during the second half of this year The agreement could potentially be worth more than $100 billion.

AMD is looking to keep pace with Nvidia in the AI craze

that’s widely viewed as the biggest tectonic shift in technology since Apple co-founder Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone. Nvidia carved out an early lead in tailoring its chipsets known as graphics processing units from use in powering video games to helping to train powerful AI systems, like the technology behind ChatGPT and image generators. Demand skyrocketed as more people began using AI chatbots. Tech companies scrambled for more chips to build and run them. While the appetite for AI chips is still large, there are some concerns about how much companies like Meta are spending on AI and whether they can make back their huge investments through higher profits and productivity in the future.

For Meta, the company has been pushing to revive its commercial AI efforts as the company faces tough competition

from rivals such as Google and OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT In June, the company made a $14.3 billion investment in AI data company Scale and recruited its CEO Alexandr Wang to help lead a team developing “superintelligence” at the tech giant And in December Meta bought artificial intelligence startup Manus, as the owner of Instagram continues an aggressive push to amp up AI offerings across its platforms.

AMD issued Meta a performance-based warrant for up to 160 million shares of its common stock at $0.01 a piece, structured to vest as long as certain milestones are achieved.

The first tranche vests with the initial 1 gigawatt of shipments, with additional tranches vesting as Meta’s purchases scale to 6 gigawatts.

Shares of AMD jumped more than 9% before the market open Tuesday

Hegseth warns Anthropic to expand tech access

BY MATT O’BRIEN, KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press

WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Pete

Hegseth gave Anthropic’s CEO a Friday deadline to open the company’s artificial intelligence technology for unrestricted military use or risk losing its government contract, according to a person familiar with their meeting Tuesday Anthropic makes the chatbot Claude and is the last of its peers to not supply its technology to a new U.S. military internal network.

CEO Dario Amodei repeatedly has made clear his ethical concerns about unchecked government use of AI, including the dangers of fully autonomous armed drones and of AI-assisted mass surveillance that could track dissent. Defense officials warned they could designate Anthropic a supply chain risk or use the Defense Production Act to essentially give the military more authority to use its products even if it doesn’t approve of how they are used, according to the person familiar with the meeting and a senior Pentagon official, who both were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity

The development, which was reported earlier by Axios, underscores the debate over AI’s role in national security and concerns about how the technology could be used in high-stakes situations involving lethal force, sensitive information or government surveillance. It also comes as Hegseth has vowed to root out what he calls a “woke culture” in the armed forces.

“A powerful AI looking across billions of conversations from millions of people could gauge public sentiment, detect pockets of disloyalty forming, and stamp them out before they grow,” Amodei wrote in an essay last month.

The person familiar called the tone of the meeting cordial but said Amodei didn’t budge on two areas he has established as lines Anthropic won’t cross fully autonomous military targeting operations and domestic surveillance of U.S. citizens.

The Pentagon objects to Anthropic’s ethical restrictions because military operations need tools that don’t come with built-in limitations, the senior Pentagon official said. The official argued that the Pentagon has only issued lawful orders and stressed that using Anthropic’s tools legally would be the military’s responsibility

The Pentagon announced last summer that it was awarding defense contracts to four AI companies — Anthropic, Google, OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI. Each contract is worth up to $200 million.

Anthropic was the first AI company to get approved for classified military networks, where it works with partners like Palantir The other three companies, for now, are only operating in unclassified environments.

By early this year, Hegseth was highlighting only two of them: xAI and Google. He said in a January speech at Musk’s space flight company, SpaceX, in South Texas that he was shrugging off any AI models “that won’t allow you to fight wars.”

Hegseth said his vision for military AI systems means that they operate “without ideological constraints that limit lawful military applications,” before adding that the Pentagon’s “AI will not be woke.”

The defense secretary said Musk’s artificial-intelligence chatbot Grok would join the Pentagon network, called GenAI.mil. The announcement came days after Grok which is embedded into X, the social media network owned by Musk — drew global scrutiny for generating highly sexualized deepfake images of people without their consent. OpenAI announced in early February that it, too, would join the military’s secure AI platform, enabling service members to use a custom version of ChatGPT for unclassified tasks.

4B

■ Wednesday, February25, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

Guerin,Joseph Judson BaptistChurch,32470 Walker North Rd Walker,LAat11am. HamiltonJr.,Wilford

St.Margaret'sEpiscopalChurch, 12663 PerkinsRoad, at 6p.m Whetstone,Millie CharletFuneralHome, Zacharyat 12pm

Obituaries

Ardeneaux, Chief Dwaynne A.

Today and strengthencommunity protection. With acareermarkedby leadership, technical expertise, and community service,Chief DwaynneArdeneauxguided the St George FirePrevention Bureau with professionalism and commitment. VisitationatMcKneely Funeral Home, Amite, from 8:15AM until 10:40AM on Saturday, February28, 2026.A Mass of Christian Burial to celebrate hislife willfollow at 11:00AM at St Helena Catholic Church, 122 S. First Street, Amite, LA. Servicesconductedby Fr. ReubenDykes.Interment willbeinSt. Joseph Abbey Cemetery, 75376 RiverRd.,Covington,LA 70435. For an onlineguestbook, visithttp://www.mc kneelys.com. Mass intentions would be appreciated in lieu of flowers.

Natchez,MS, under thedirection of Youngs Funeral Home.The family willreceive friends at thechurch on Thursday from10:00am until servicetime at 12noon.Friendsand family are invited to attend

Dicharry, JoelDavis

Aresident of Pine Grove, LA, passed away on Sunday, February 22,2026 at Our Ladyofthe Lake Regional MedicalCenter in Baton Rouge, LA. He was born May 19, 1966 in Marrero, LA and was 59 years of age. He is survived by his wife, Katherine LaPorte Ardeneaux; mother, Dorateel B. Ardeneaux; sister, Julie Ardeneaux;goddaughter, Brandi G. Gilboy; niece, Angelina M. Wahl; mother-inlaw, Catherine O. LaPorte, sister-in-law, Toni L. Wahl; brother-in-law, Raymond Wahl; and great-nephew, Tony Gilboy. He was preceded in death by his father, Clarence J. Ardeneaux.

Chief Dwaynne Ardeneaux has dedicated over two decades of service to the St. George Fire Department, where he began his career in 1999 as aFirefighter/Operator. Over the course of 26 years, he rose through the ranks to serve as the Chief of the Fire Prevention Bureau.

Chief Ardeneaux held a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Louisiana State University and an Associate's Degree in Fire Science from LSU Eunice. His academic background was complemented by practical and technical experience, including prior work in alaboratory testing fueloils for flash point, fire point, and flame points, giving him aunique perspective on fire investigations. Throughout his career, Chief Ardeneaux contributed extensively to specialized response teams. He served 18 years on the St. George Rescue Team and was also amember of the Louisiana State Urban Search and Rescue (USA&R) Team. Additionally, he was acertified Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT).

In 2020, Chief Ardeneaux completed the C.A.R.T A. P.O.S.T. Academy and held dual Law Enforcement Commissions with the St. George Fire Department for Fire Investigations and with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. These roles highlighted his dedication to both fire safety and law enforcement collaboration. Beyond his operational and investigative work, Chief Ardeneaux played an important role in the growth of the newly established City of St. George by authoring city ordinances that enhance public safety

Derrick Edward Barnes, 63, of Stone Mountain, GA, entered into eternal rest at Piedmont EastsideMedical Center on February8,2026.

Derrick was born July 2, 1962,toEdna Smith and DeLouis BarnesinDetroit, MI. He was precededin death by his parents and his sister, Cornelia Frazier of Kansas City, MO. His threesons survive him: Derrick of Stone Mountain, GA., DanielofSpring,TX., Devin of Baton Rouge,LA.; their mother Karen Hamilton Barnes; histhree grandchildren, Aris,Layla, and Austin; his sevensiblings:Carolyn (Lee)Miles of Ypsilanti, MI., Gregory Barnes of Georgetown, GA., Sandra Williams of Detroit, MI., Lisa (Richard) Burbank of Shreveport, LA.,Albert "Boo"(Shawniqua) RobersonofNashville, TN., Yolanda Campbell of Detroit, MI.,Denise Barnes of Detroit, MI.; and numerous nieces and nephews. Derrick graduated from VanHorn High School in 1980 and servedinthe US Army.Heobtainedanassociate's degree in computertechnology from ITI Technical College after his militaryservice.Heworked as acomputer systems engineer for 30+ yearsatvariouscompanies. Derrick was passionate about familyand music. He enjoyed listening to jazz,attending concerts, playinghis bass guitar, and grilling on the weekends Derrick willbemissed dearly, and his legacy will live oninour hearts forever Amemorialservicewill be held at 11:00 AM on February 27, 2026, atPort Hudson National Cemetery,20978Port HickeyRd.

BucklesTarver, Doris

Evelyn

Doris EvelynBuckles Tarver,age 82, passed awaypeacefully Monday, February 23, 2026,surroundedbythe familyshe loved so dearly.Bornon November 7, 1943,in Natchez, Mississippi

Funeral servicesfor Doris willbeheldatFeliciana Baptist,Clinton, LA on Thursday, February 26, 2025 at 12noon with Bro Tony Hand and Bro.Bo Swilleyofficiating. Interment willfollow to Greenla Memorial Park in

Joel DavisDicharry, Sr., of Diamond Head Mississippi, passed away at home on Sunday, February 8th, 2026. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1947, he is preceded in death by his parents, Verne Dicharry, Sr. and VevaDavis Dicharry;his belovedfirst wife Roseanne Cooling Dicharry;his granddaughterNina Dicharry; his brother, Verne Dicharry, Jr. and his sister-in-law Susie Dicharry.Joelissurvived by his wife Sally Simons Dicharry,his children Joel Davis Dicharry,Jr. (Rachel) and Holly Dicharry;grandchildrenJacob Dicharry and Thomas Shepherd Dicharry;two brothers, Thomas Dicharryand Dreux Dicharry,one sister Suzanne Dicharry and his stepsons GarrettHogue and Charlie Hogue.

AgraduateofCatholic HighSchool in Baton Rouge, he attended Jeff Davis CommunityCollege in Pass Christian, Mississippiand held an associatesdegree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. He worked forseveral years in thehospitality industrybeforehebecame a long-timeemployeeof Royal Cup Coffee,from where he retired as District Sales Manager for Louisiana and Mississippi. He was aproud U.S.Navy VietnamVeteran, having served on aship in theDa Nang River(among other places) from1967-1969.

He was amaster craftsman wood workerwho lovedtoridehis "Indian" motorcycle as much as possible.Joelwas astalwart, loyal, true friend and was agenuinelykind, loving soul.His happy attitude and personality touched and affected many. He willbemissed. Family and friends are invitedtoattenda funeral mass on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Our Lady of theGulf Catholic Church, 228 S. Beach Blvd. Bay St. Louis, Mississippi 39520, at 11:00 am. Visitation willbegin at 10:00 am. Interment willbeata later date. Donations may be madetothe AnimalShelter of Hancock County.

Kappel, Dr.Leonard Charles'Lenny'

Dr.Leonard Charles “Lenny” Kappelpassed awayonSaturday, Febru‐ary 21, 2026, at theage of 80. He wasbornNovember 3,1945, in NewOrleans, Louisiana to Archibald Charles “AC” Kappeland Lillian Nell Boggs Kappel. After attendingJesuitHigh School,Lenny furtheredhis education at LSUand went ontoreceive hisPhD in An‐imalScience from theUni‐versity of Missouri. He proudly served in the UnitedStatesMarineCorps Reserve andlater the Louisiana CoastGuard Auxiliary,being apatriot was an importantpartof Lenny’s character. He re‐tired from theLSU School ofVeterinaryMedicineas the AssociateProfessor of Animal Nutritio ft 27

years. Thecountless stu‐dents,technicians and doctors that Lennyplayed a vitalroleintheir educa‐tionand careerswillen‐surea legacy that lasts. He isprecededindeath by his parents.Lenny is survived byhis wife of 54 years, MaryAnne BallardKappel, their children Joey Kappel and hiswifeIrina,JeffKap‐pel andhis wife Kristyand JakiKappel; as well as his beloved grandchildrenTay‐lor Okvianto andher hus‐bandRey,ReaganKappel, Anna KatherineKappel, Charles St.Romainand AlexKappel. He is also sur‐vived by hissister, Cissy Hulin;his brother, Bill Kap‐pel;aswellasnumerous other familyand friends. Lenny enjoyed fishing, boating andspendingtime withhis family. We will holdnearthe many memo‐riesthatweremade. We willalwaysmisshis dedi‐cationtohis family, work and our fishingtrips to Grand Isle.Relatives and friends areinvited to at‐tendthe Memorial Service at2:30p.m.onFriday, Feb‐ruary 27, 2026, at Resthaven FuneralHome, 11817 JeffersonHighway in Baton Rouge. AMemorial Visitationwillbeheldat the funeralhomebegin‐ningat1:30p.m.For those sodesiring, memorialsin honor of LeonardCharles “Lenny” Kappelmay be madetothe charityofyour choice. Family andfriends may sign theonlineguest‐book or leavea personal notetothe familyatwww resthavenbatonrouge.com

Lutschg, Grace JaniceStaples

Grace Janice Staples Lutschg,age 87, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, passed away on February 7, 2026. She was thebeloved wife of Dr. JamesHenry Lutschg for 63 years and adevoted mother to Kenneth and David.A former science teacher,Grace had adeep respect foreducationand was known forher love of reading, sharp wit,and gentle spirit.

Acelebration of life will be held on March 27, 2026, with visitationat12:00 p.m. and serviceat1:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of BatonRouge. In lieu of flowers,donations may be madetothe Louisiana Ornithological Society.

briefillness. Shewas the ownerofthe Bike Connection in Gonzales for 25 years.

Anne is survivedbyher loving husband of 58 years, Nelson Malpica, hersons, Nelson Eugeneand Mark Anthony, hergranddaughter, Alexis Gonzalez, four sisters— Lou King,Sue Longoria, Barbara King and Genie King —her son-inlaw,ChanisGonzalez,and numerousnieces and nephews. She waspreceded in death by herdaughter, Maria Malpica Gonzalez, andher parents, CharlesE.Kingand Myrtis AnnBrown King

Visitation willbeat 11:00am on Friday, February 27th, at Most Blessed Sacrament Church,15615 Old JeffersonHwy. A memorial mass will be held at 12:00pm, followed by agravesideservice at ResthavenGardens of Memory.

PERCY HENRY MANUEL 09/14/48 -02/23/26

PercyHenryManuel, 77, of Ventress, Louisiana, passed away after along battle with cancer February 23, 2026. Percywas born on September 14, 1948, to the lateJBManuel andAgnesDeVilleManuel. He served hiscountry honorably in theUnited States Navy duringthe Vietnam War.After completinghis militaryservice,Percy earnedhis bachelors degree from Louisiana State University. He went on to dedicate 30 years of service to theState of Louisiana, ultimatelyretiringasBudgetDirector Percyenjoyed thesimple pleasures in life,especially fishing, cooking andgardening.Hewas adevoted familyman andissurvived by hisloving wife,Martha GabourManuel; hissons, Byron Manuel and Paul Manuel;his daughters, Erica Gauthierand herhusbandMike, and Saundra Manuel;and hischerished grandchildren, Jean Manuel,Samantha Manuel, Kellan Manuel, and Caitlin Gauthier. He is also survived by hissisters, TrenettaGrangerand her husband Joe, and Shelia Leonards andher husband

Lloyd. Percywill be rememberedfor hisunwavering dedication to his family, hisdeep sense of responsibility, andhis quiet butsteady presence in thelives of those who knew andloved him. His legacyofservice—to his country, hisstate, andhis family—willliveonthrough themanylives he touched. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered. Avisitation willbeheldat Niland'sFuneral Home in NewRoads, La. on Thursday, February 26, 2026 from 5pmuntil8 pm, with the recitation of therosary at 7 pm. Visiting will resume on Friday, February 27, 2026 from 8amuntil9:15 am. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at OurLady of MountCarmel Catholic Church in St.Francisville La. at 10 am, followed by burialinthe church cemetery.

It is with great sadness that we announcethe passing of Edward Norwood Jr on February 2, 2026. Edward wasbornon December 6, 1941, in Baton Rouge,Louisiana, to Corrine andEdward Norwood Sr.Hewas agraduate of Scotlandville High School andSouthernUniversity. After proudlyserving in theUnited States Army for 20 years including three tours in Vietnam he retired as aLieutenantColonel andthentransitionedinto working for theState of Louisiana in various capacities before retiringas theHuman Resources Director with the Office of FamilySupport.Heissurvived by his wife of 53 years, Mary AnnCourville

Norwood; daughters, Cynthia Woods, Carolette Norwood-Nishikawa (Shogo), and Kanina Norwood-Douglas (Marcus); his grandchildren, Marqus Woods, Malcolm Woods, Aya Nishikawa, Kai Nishikawa, and MarisellaDouglas; and great-granddaughter, MaKayla Thomas; and brother Tom Norwood. The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Ben Levron and his staff at Capital Concierge Medicine. Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Ed's life on Friday, February 27, 2026, at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St, Baton Rouge,LA. Visitation will begin at 11:00 am, followed by amemorial service at 12:30 pm and burial at 2:00 pm at Louisiana National Cemetery in Zachary, LA.

Visitationwillbeheldat 8:00 a.m.onSaturday, February 28, 2026,atMacedonia MissionaryBaptist Church in Baton Rouge, followed by religious services at 10:00 a.m. Interment will take place at Heavenly Gates Mausoleum. Sheleaves tocherish her memoriesher children, KitridgePreston II and Kimberly Preston; hersiblings; along with ahost of otherrelatives andfriends. Shewas precededin death by herhusband, Kitridge"KC"Preston,Sr.

Reech,JoelScott

Joel ScottReech, beloved husband, father, uncle, and grandfather joinedour LordonFebruary22, 2026. He passed peacefully in hishome after aheroicbattle with brain cancer. Joel Reech was born on June 19, 1963 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was agraduate of BatonRougeHigh and SoutheasternUniversity. He was aman of many talents and ajackofall trades. His passion was horticulture services, and he workedin pest control. He never met astranger, he helped anyone in need, and he always had atidbit to share. The cornerstones of hislife werehis family, friends

and laterinlife,Jesus. He was an amazing cook loverofmusic, talented gardner, outdoorsman, dogfather,Sunday hostess with themostess, and LSU fan. Therewas no project that was tooweird or hard forhim. He spent much of his time in St. Francisville enjoying theoutdoors. He had aquestionable fashion sense,was known as Uncle Troll,and was unabashedly authentic. His favorite people calledhim PopPop. He made timefor everyone, and he was always present, including capturing every singlemoment on film. Joel is survivedby his caring and loving wife Mary Ann, his children, Scott and wife Rochelle, daughter Morgan, beloved grandkidsAnya, Estelle, Val,and Vera. He is also survivedbyhis brothers Greg and wife Donna, Michael, Chris and wife Emily, sister Rene' (Ron), along with many loving nieces, and nephews. Joel is preceded in death by his father, Elster RayReech, his mother Monaca Barcelona Reech, his brother Cory Neal Reech, and his nephew Timothy Daniel Reech. Pallbearers willbeLester(Digger) Barras, SteveBuras, Joey Delaune, JosephKimbrough, Archie Kranske, Scott Reech, David Rogers, Jack Whitaker. Actingashonorarypallbearers are Dustin Bowman, Billy Francioni, Daniel Francioni, Kevin Francioni, Tim Losavio,Daniel Smith Sr., ChristopherWurst, Steve Wurst.There willbea wake held on Thursday, February 26, 2026 from5:00 -9:00PMatRabenhorst Funeral Home located on 825 Government Street.Visita-

tion willbeheldFriday, February 27, 2026 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church from10:00-10:30 AM followedbythe recitation of theRosary at 10:30 AM. The funeralmass will be held at 11:00 AM. Interment to follow at Roselawn Cemetery, 4045 North St. Baton Rouge,LA. Joel's family wouldliketothank Pinnacle Hospice, Decision Critical,Mary BirdPerkins, Neuromedical Center, Amedisys Home Health,his wonderfulcaretakers, and all who helped to bring him to and from treatment. In lieu of flowers,pleasehave massessaid, or donateto Mary BirdPerkinsCancer Center.

Dr. Robert Wayne Strain, known as Wayne to family and friendsand as Doc to students, was born on August 15, 1947, in Baton Rouge, LA.Hepassed away peacefully at home on February 21, 2026. Wayne grew up in Clintonand graduated from Clinton High School. He

went on to earnhis degreesineducation from LSU, wherehereceivedhis doctorate in 1983. He proudlyservedinthe U. S. Army from 1971 to 1974. Waynebegan his career as ateacher and coach. He later became an administratorand retiredasthe ESL Coordinatorfor high schools in EBRPSS.Healso served as State Director for SACS andretired as Regional Vice Presidentfor theSoutheast Region of AdvancED An avidLSU fan and dedicated jogger,Wayne will be remembered for his commitmenttoeducation, hisservice to community andthe lastingimpact he made on countless number of students, teachers, fellowadministrators.His legacywill live on through those he came into contact with duringhis career and even into retirement.

Wayneissurvivedby hiswife of 44 years, MaryEllen;his sister,Faye Morris(Hubert);his brothers, JohnnyStrain (Doris) and DuaneStrain (Michelle); hissister-in-law,Pat Strain;and numerous nieces andnephews. He wasprecededin death by hisfather, Ben RoyStrain;his mother Willie "Billie" Brashier; his stepfather, Lanier Brashier; his brother, Ben Roy"Sonny" Strain,Jr.; his sister,Carolyn Kelly; and hisnephew,ChanceMorris. Funeral servicesare scheduled for February 26, 2026. Avisitation willbe held at RabenhorstFuneral Home, 825 Government St., from 10 AM to 12 PM;with theservice beginning at 12 PM.Burial will follow at

Greenoaks Memorial Park, 9595 Florida Blvd

Tolbert, IvoryMae

The familyofDr. Ivory MaeTolbertannounces herpeacefultransition on February 13, 2026. Dr.Tolbertfaithfully served Southern University for many years and was devoted to Christian education and herchurch communities. Her life was marked by faith, service, andintegrity. AHomegoingCelebration will be held Thursday, February 26, 2026, at Mt Pilgrim Baptist Church, 9700 Scenic Highway, Baton Rouge,LA. Viewing: 9:00-11:00 a.m. Service: 11:00 a.m. Pastor Milton J. LeBlanc, Sr., Officiant.

In tariff case,

JusticeBarrett remindsus that ‘context’ matters

As amatter of policy,the Supreme Court’s decision in the tariff case known as Learning Resources., Inc. v. Trump is good for Louisiana

As amatter of law,Louisiana’sown Justice Amy Coney Barrett notably continued to chart acourse independentfromthe president who appointed her, admirably seeking to apply what shecalls theConstitution’s“text in context” to protect the proper separation of powers.

We only wish Louisiana’s most prominent elected officials would use the occasiontotry dissuading President Donald Trump fromhis economicallyand constitutionally misguidedobsession with tariffs. So far they either have been notablysilent or,inthe case of Gov.JeffLandry, have ignored home-state interests by denouncing thehighcourt.

Those home-state interests are considerable

As we noted last March, in recent years Louisiana has boasted four of the nation’sten busiest ports (measured by tonnage). Both by discouraging imports and by catalyzing retaliatory action by other nations against the U.S., major tariffs by their very nature tend to depress port activityand allthe spinoff economic benefits. Indeed,once Trump’stariffs took full effect last year, statistics showedport activity nationwide camecrashing down Louisiana’scoffee industry—importing, packaging and serving —was oneofthose that proved particularly vulnerabletosetbacks from tariffs.Moreover, despiteTrump’s ceaseless claims to the contrary,the vast majority ofeconomists agreethat high tariffs causemorepain than benefit for the nationaleconomyasa whole. Louisiana’s U.S. senators and representatives, led by Speaker Mike Johnsonand Majority Leader Steve Scalise, should be touting Louisiana’sand the nation’sinterests in keepingimport taxes low

Those, of course, are policy considerations As fundamental law,wefind persuasive theargument that Congress has not come closetoso broadlydelegating to thepresident thelegislature’s constitutionallyassigned powerto“originate allbills for raising revenue” and “tolay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises.”

Here’swhere Barrett comes in. While six justices—three usually called liberal,three called conservative —reached that same basic conclusion,theydid so through markedly differing sets of reasoning.Barrett, as is her wont, found herself writing her ownconcurring opinion representingessentially amidpoint between thetwo subfactions. Legal experts can debate who is right, or whether the midpoint in this case best captures the constitutional and statutory intent. Eitherway it is encouraging to see Barrett yet again forging athoughtful, carefulpath rather than walkingin lockstep with anyparticular team (or evenappearance thereof) within thecourt’schambers. No matter what the policy considerations,public trust in the Supreme Court is bolsteredwhenjustices are seen as thoughtfully applyingthe law rather thanplaying politics.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

Denial of parole for Shreveport momcruel

The denial of parole for Tiffany Woods is not only amiscarriage of justice but acruel and heartless decision that disregards the extraordinarycircumstances surrounding her case. The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, one of themost devastating natural disasters in U.S. history,created unimaginable chaos and suffering for countlessfamilies, including Woods’. To dismissthe impact of this catastrophe, as Leone Fitzgerald, director of victim assistance for theDA’soffice in Caddo Parish, did by stating they are “getting alittle tired of hearing about”Hurricane Katrina, is ignorant or mean-spirited or both. Woods’ story is one of survival under extreme duress. She made adesperate decision in theface of limited resources and overwhelming stress, adecision that tragically ended in the loss of herinfant son.Yet, instead of compassion,she has been met with apunitive system that fails to recognizethe broader context of her actions.

The parole board’sdecisiontodeny her release, despite her exemplary rehabilitation, low risk assessment and strongsupportsystem, is astark reminder of the systemic cruelty embedded in our justicesystem. Woods has served years in prison, reformed her life and demonstrated her readinesstorejoin society.To force her to waitanother five years to reapply for parole, or 10 yearsfor her release, is not justice. It’sheaping crueltyupon cruelty

The commentsfrom the DA’s office, particularly thedismissive remark about Hurricane Katrina, reflect aprofoundlack of empathy and understanding.

Katrina was not merely an “excuse”; it was alife-altering event that uprooted families, destroyed communities and left survivors in astate of chaos anddesperation. To trivializeits impact is to ignore the lived experiences of those who endured it.

JESSICA COGAN NewOrleans

As aLouisiana business owner and former state speaker of the House, I understandLouisiana’seconomicchallengesfrom both aprivate-sector and legislative perspective.Louisiana’slongterm economic success depends on a strongworkforce, competitive businesses andcommunities wherefamiliescan thrive.One of themost effective ways to achieve allthree is through strategic investmentinearlychildhood education. Businesses across Louisiana consistentlyname workforce availabilityasa top challenge. Parents cannot workwithoutaffordable, reliable child care. When familiesare forced outofthe workforce, employers lose talent, productivity declinesand economicgrowth slows. Highqualityearlychildhood programskeep parents working andhelpstabilizelocal economies. Earlychildhood education is also one of thestrongest return-on-investment opportunities available to policymakers. “An ounce of prevention is worth apound of cure,” as the saying goes. Research showsthat every dollar invested in high-quality early learning can return multiple dollars in future savings through higher graduation rates, increased earnings, reduced reliance on public assistance and lower involvement with the criminal justice system.Inother words, early childhood investments reduce future government costs.

The process of developing theproposed LSUsports/multi-use arena is underway,including financing, donations, etc.

Negotiations are not finalized between The Tiger Athletic Foundation, theEastBaton Rouge Metro Council and other entities including Our Lady of the Lake Hospital.

It has been reported that adonation amount from OLOL could range up to $50 million for naming rights for thearenatosupportthe community

Apparently OLOL has funds,or will have, crossing some threshold amount allowed under their 501(c)(3) charitable organization charter.The fundsfor the above “donation” would come from the OLOL operating budget which means they would come from OLOL revenues received for all their healthcare services.Theserevenues are partially from Medicare (15-22% of patient revenue) and Medicaid (9-15% of

patient revenue). Medicare andMedicaidpayments are paid by federal and state governments. Those monies ultimately comefromtaxes paid by all American taxpayers. I, for one, and Isuspect that other taxpayers do not wanteven $1 of our taxes for Medicare and Medicaid, whether directly or indirectly,tobe used for any part of theproposed LSUTAF project

Further,Ifind it inexcusablethat OLOL, with such ahumanitarian purpose as ahealth provider,would offer money to another 501(c)(3) (Tiger Athletic Foundation) forbuilding the arena rather than usingthat money for internal improvements or reducing costs for the less fortunate. I suggest that Franciscan Missionaries of OurLady Health System and the OLOL board of trusteesreconsider thewisdom of OLOL’s proposed participation in the arena project.

JAMES L. SMITH Baton Rouge

Just as important, early learning strengthens the futureworkforce itself. Children arrivingatkindergarten ready to succeed are morelikely to read on grade level, graduate highschool and enter careers that support Louisiana’s growing industries. This is workforce development at its earliest and most cost-effective stage. The path forward is clear.Louisiana should prioritize fiscally responsible, targeted investments that expand access to high-quality early childhood programs, leverage public-private partnerships and focus on accountability and measurable outcomes. By aligning early childhood funding with workforce and economic development strategies, the state can ensure taxpayer dollars produce long-term value. If Louisiana is seriousabout economic prosperity,wemustbeseriousabout investing in thevery foundation of our workforce, our children.

JIM TUCKER president and CEO CommCare Management Corporation

Focuson unitingstate, notmisguided waronDEI

The U.S. Department of Education, the same department that President Donald Trump wants to demolish, has launched an investigation into the Louisiana Board of Regents’ master plans and executive budget goals that focus on increasingthe number of “underrepresented minorities” earning certificates and diplomas at public colleges and universities across the state. The goals in question are worthy in my book. But the federal education officials think focusing on “allraces other than white,Asian, non-residents and unknown/not reported” is too narrow an emphasis and therefore discriminatory.The way they read Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that is aviolation of federal law

Gov.Jeff Landry wantsthe feds to expand the investigation to look beyond the Regents, digging into individual higher education institutions to find discrimination and get rid of it.

“Let me be clear: Louisiana is done with woke DEI policies. Discrimination against ANYstudent will not be tolerated,” the governor said in astatement issued Monday “This issue began under the previous administration, and we are fixing it. That is why,I’ve formally requested that the investigation be expanded to EVERYpublic higher education institution in Louisiana.”

First of all, so-called DEIpolicies didn’tbegin with the Joe Biden presidency or the John Bel Edwards gubernatorial administration. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette started enrolling Black students in 1954, before Iwas born and the year of the Brown v. Board of Education schooldesegregation ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court Other Louisiana higher ed institutions admitted Black students after the 1964Civil Rights Actbecame law.Nearly all public and private colleges and universities went beyond admitting Black studentsto admitting other underrepresented student groups, implementing specificpolicies to better ensure greaterdiversity —and therefore

LSUstudents navigate campusbetween classes Feb.12near the student union.

amore well-rounded education experience. This is notnew.Neither is the fight to stop it. We’ve called it tolerance, multiculturalism, pluralism and more, most recently including diversity, equityand inclusion.

Unlike so many Iknow and love, I’m not stuck on DEI. I’ve seen theseeffortscalleda number of things and I’ve witnessed improvements, and failures, across the decades. DEIwas agood group of letters until it became too successful. Callitwhat you will in 2026 and beyond, but we’re witnessing the dismantling of efforts that have made younger generations more accepting and more welcoming to people not like them.

Under growing pressure, Louisiana State University,our state’s largest publicuniversity,and Tulane University,our state’smost eliteprivate university,changed their nomenclaturetomake their goals more appealing as Trump,

Landry and others work to make higher ed institutions less open to others, and therefore more White. LSU’sDivision of Inclusion, Civil Rightsand TitleIXwas rebranded as the Division of Engagement, Civil Rightsand TitleIX. Tulane’sOffice of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is now theOffice of Academic Excellence and Opportunity. Pressuring Louisiana higher education leaders to slow or stop providing morediverse sets of educational experiences is not agood move. Iwant to see more Black, Hispanic, Asian, women and disabled studentsdothe same. Oneofthe best ways to make sure that happens is to measure it Toss away the measuring tape and we’re guessing that what brings us closer will happen without making sure everything fits.

Replacing DEI withWhitewokenessisn’t theway to go.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Should Trumpshake up Cabinet?

become the new Secretary of State.

Rubio is more than just the good cop

Nearly amonth into his second year in office, President Trump’s Cabinet has been remarkably stable. No Cabinet memberhas quit, been fired, pushed out or otherwise left the building. The questionis whether that is agood thing. A president does not want to let his political enemies hound his top Cabinet officials out of office. On the other hand, by the end of an administration’sfirst year, it’susually clear that one, or twoormore of the president’s Cabinet just aren’t working out. That is the issue confronting Trump today.

Compare the situation to Trump’s first term. There was alot of movement, for avariety of reasons. Firsttoleavewas White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, who resigned on July 28,2017, six months into the administration. Then Homeland Security Secretary John Kellyresigned on July 31 to become the new White House chief of staff. Then, on Sept. 29, 2017, Health and Human Services Secretary TomPrice quit under pressure over spending publicmoney on private travel.

On March 13,2018, oneyear and nearly two months into the administration, Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. On March 28, 2018, Trump fired VeteransAffairs Secretary David Shulkin over Shulkin’suse of public funds for a European trip. On April 26, 2018, CIA Director Mike Pompeo left to

On July5,2018, Environmental ProtectionAgency administrator Scott Pruitt resigned while under several investigations. And on Nov 7, 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions was pushed out over Trump’s anger about theappointment of a special counsel in the Russia collusion matter.

None of this was terribly unusual. Trump’sfirst-year turnover was very similar to the first-year changes in the Cabinets of RonaldReagan, George H.W.Bush, Bill Clintonand Barack Obama. (GeorgeW.Bush hadlittle change in his first term.) Trump hadmore second-year changesthan those predecessors, but still, all administrations have had significant Cabinet-level changes in nearly every year

So what about Trump now? After ayear with less turnoverthan any president in at least two generations, there’sablunt and obvious question: Are there any Cabinet members who need to go?

Don’tlook forany definitive answers here. Somewould say DHSSecretary Kristi Noem. Some would say AttorneyGeneral Pam Bondi. Others point to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and others. Some of Trump’s supporters want to see no changes at all. Of those who would like to see the president move things around, Noem is probablythe name most mentioned. That’sespecially true after aWall

Street Journal article alleging all sorts of unhappiness withher work inside DHS, including rumors concerning her topaide, Corey Lewandowski.

Returning to Washingtonon Monday,Trump was asked about the Noem situation. This is from aWhite House pool report: “The president declined to weigh in on allegations about the nature of Secretary KristiNoem and her aide Corey Lewandowski’srelationship, or whether [Trump] wantsNoem to remain in herposition for long. He said he didn’tknow about the allegations but would ‘find out about it.’”

That’s not exactly afull-throated vote of confidence. Still, the problem for Trump in dealing with Noem is the same problem he would face withremoving any other Cabinet official. Doing so would undoubtedly give Democrats aburst of energy and make them resolve to keep up and intensify their attacks on the president and hisCabinet.Trump’sadversaries would have ascalp, and thatwould make themwant another one, and another,and so on. It’s just human nature, and it is also an iron rule of politics.

But Cabinet turnoverisalso a rule in politics. And everyone in Trump’sCabinet has already outlived anumber of predecessors who servedinTrump’sfirst administration.

Change is coming

Email ByronYork at byork@ washingtonexaminer.com.

My first reaction to Secretary of State MarcoRubio’s speech, delivered on Valentine’s Day,atthe Munich Security Conference, was, “Last year,President Donald Trump sent thebad cop,VicePresident JD Vance. This year,hesentthe good cop,Rubio. Progress.”InFebruary 2025, the audience at Munichtook Vance’s comments as insults. In February 2026, theaudience, as evidenced by itsstanding ovation,took Rubio’sascompliments Yet, as even journalists writing on deadline quicklydiscerned, Rubio’s words werenoless critical than Vance’sofwhat have been European elites’ cherished policies.

“Mass migration,” Rubiosaid, is “a crisiswhichistransforming anddestabilizing societies allacross theWest.” He decried a“climate cult”and “energypolicies” that “impoverished ourpeople.” He condemned policiesthat “outsourced oursovereigntyto international institutions” and“invested in massive welfare states.” Redmeat substance, suitablefor deliveryatany of the three Trump Republican National Conventions —more than have nominated anyone person,the president might remind you, except forPresident RichardNixon. But leavened, as theabove quotationssuggest, with frequent employmentofthe first-person pronouns andadjectives— “we” (69 times in thetext, by my count), “us” (11), “our” (65).

“Whatcomforted worried attendees,” wrote Michael Froman,head of theCouncilonForeign Relationsand Obama trade negotiator,“was the undertoneofthe secretary’s remarks.”

Butitwasn’tjustthe undertone that hadmanyRepublicansand others start thinking of Rubio as apossible futurepresidentialcandidate, despite his recentavowals of support forVance forthe Republican nominationin2028. Andasanational leader withanintellectually serious grasp of history.Rubio began by summoning memories of the first Munich conference, in 1963, whenthe Iron Curtain ran through adividedGermanyand theBerlin Wall wasjusttwo years old.

Halfwaythrough thespeech,hewentfurtherback,to thepostwar years when “our predecessors,”faced with a“Europeinruins”and expanding Communism, “recognized that decline wasachoice, anditwas achoicethey refused to make.” An interesting way to frame thedecisionsthatproduced theTruman Doctrine andthe NATO treaty Againstthat, he describedthe post-Cold Wareuphoria that“therules-based global order” would replace nationalinterest.“Afoolishidea,” he said unemolliently, that “has cost us dearly.”ATrumpian take, followedby an implicit denunciation of opening up traderelations withChina Rather than dwell on that critique,however,hesegued back to “centuries of shared history,Christianfaith,culture, heritage, language, ancestry,” allparts of “the common civilization to which we have fallenheir.”

This might have rankled, and perhapswas intendedto rankle,the European Unionleaders who,out of secular conviction or forfear of angering Muslim immigrants, successfully blocked mentionofEurope’s “Christian roots” in theEUcharter

As he neared his peroration,Rubio celebrated ChristopherColumbus and theEnglish, Scots-Irish, French,German, Spanishand Dutch roots of AmericansfromDavy Crockettto“the cowboy archetype born in Spain. Rep.AlexandriaOcasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), in Munichfor herfirst security conference, ridiculed that last claim, apparentlyunaware that theAmericas hadnohorsesuntil Hernan Cortes brought sometoMexicoin1519.

More importantly, Rubio’semphasisonAmerica’sEuropean heritageisarebuke of theFranz Fanon-inspired theory, fostered on campuses fordecades andsweeping the streets in post-Oct. 7, 2023, “anti-Zionist” demonstrations,thatcolonialismwas thegreatestevil in history, andthat Europeans and Americansshould do penance fortheir complicity.

Europeans are or should be aware, from the totalitarian tides of the 20th century,that there are worse evils than colonialism —and that to exclude difficult-to-assimilate immigrants is to commit anotherHolocaust. But rather than belabor that last point, Rubio instead made the point earlier that “it washere, in Europe, where the ideas that planted the seeds of liberty that changed the world were born.” Including “the rule of law,the universities and the scientific revolution,” plus Mozart and Beethoven, Dante and Shakespeare, Michelangelo and Leonardo, the Beatles andthe Rolling Stones.

Europe should be “proud,” aword he repeated half a dozen times, “of its heritage and its history.” Proud of a“spirit of creation and liberty that sent ships out into uncharted seas and birthed our civilization,” “with a Europe that has the means to defend itself and the will to survive.”

Among American and European elites, open expression of pride is something, well, just not done. They prefer to denounce the “systemic racism” of their fellow citizens or the “oppressive colonialism” of their forebears, to disparage the motives of “settlers” and idealize the virtues of the “indigenous.”

Butpride in one’snation andone’s civilization,properly understood,isnot awarrantfor self-satisfaction but a summons to duty,areminder that forustowhommuch hasbeen given, much is asked.InMunich, Rubio was notjustTrump’sgood cop but amature American leader towering above thecrowd.

MichaelBaroneisonX,@MichaelBarone.

SPORTS

Too many freebies

LSU pitching staff struggles early in one-run loss to McNeese

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Over the last two seasons, the LSU pitching staff has led the country in strikeouts. That streak doesn’t even include the Paul Skenes year, when he broke the Southeastern Conference single-season record for punch outs.

The bottom line? Jay Johnson likes strikeouts. He’s not one to deploy softtossing lefties or righties who pitch to contact. He wants swing-and-miss stuff

But oftentimes, there’s a cost that comes with constructing that kind of

staff, a stable of flamethrowers who also possess pro-level breaking balls. There are times when throwing the ball over the plate becomes a challenge.

That was the biggest problem for LSU on Tuesday against McNeese State during a 7-6 loss at Alex Box Stadium.

The Tigers threatened to tie the game in the ninth inning, putting two on with one out, but Kansas State transfer Seth Dardar flew out to deep left field to end the game.

LSU pitchers walked four batters and hit five through just five innings. The first six pitchers either walked a batter,

hit a batter or did both.

The result was the Cowboys holding a 7-2 lead after the fourth despite having just five hits, none of which went for extra bases.

LSU freshman right-hander Marcos Paz started, tossing a promising first inning before losing his command in the second. He walked two batters and hit another with two outs, loading the bases and allowing a run before exiting for sophomore left-hander Cooper Williams.

See BASEBALL, page 3C

half. In its 14-point loss to Mississippi State the second-worst SEC team analytically — fans booed LSU going into the locker room trailing 44-21 at halftime LSU (14-13, 2-12 SEC) sits last in the Southeastern Conference before its next game against Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11) at 8 p.m. Wednesday at The Pavilion in Oxford, Mississippi. The Advocate spoke to four LSU basketball fans before LSU’s 90-83 loss to No. 17 Alabama on Saturday about this season and coach Matt McMahon. Three of the four fans said they’re unsatisfied with the season because of the consistent losing.

Brent Lockhart, 57, has attended games since he was a teenager and said he’s “disappointed” with the product on the floor He also said he’s

Zion leads Pels to win as Murray comes

BY LES EAST Contributing writer

Dejounte Murray made his longawaited return from injury and Zion Williamson made sure it was a successful one. Williamson scored 26 points in Murray’s first game in more than a year to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 113109 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night in the Smoothie King Center

Saddiq Bey added 18 points, Jordan Poole scored 12 and Karlo Matkovic had 10 for the Pelicans (17-42), who begin a six-game road trip Thursday with the opener of a two-game set in Utah over three days.

Murray, who suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon on Jan. 31, 2025, finished with 13 points, three assists, two rebounds, one steal and four turnovers in 24 minutes.

De’Anthony Melton scored 28, Moses Moody had 24, Brandin Podziemski had 16 points and 16 rebounds, and Gui Santos had 15 points and 11 rebound for the Warriors (30-28).

Golden State played without its top three scorers Steph Curry (knee), Jimmy Butler (who suffered a seasonending knee injury last month) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness).

The Warriors started the third quarter with a 20-11 run that ended with Moody’s two free throws to give them their first lead of the game at 59-57 midway through the period. Williamson scored on a drive to tie the score. Golden State scored the next four

See PELICANS, page 3C

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson hits a 3-pointer against the Golden State Warriors during the first half on Tuesday night at the Smoothie King Center Williamson scored 26 points in the Pelicans’ 113-109 victory.

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

INDIANAPOLIS NFL executives typically like to speak in code. They’re extremely careful some would say paranoid — not tip their hand on upcoming decisions. They will say they’re constantly evaluating all options or are open to listening. They will try to say just enough without saying anything at all. Sometimes, there are exceptions. “We’ll find a way to keep Breece (Hall) here if we can’t get a deal done,” New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey said Tuesday With that, the top running back for this year’s free agent class won’t be a free agent at all, it seems. Mougey confirmed the Jets will use either the franchise tag or the transition tag on Hall if a longterm deal isn’t hammered out before the league’s March 3 tag deadline. But the Jets’ decision to keep Hall creates ripple effects for running back-needy teams including the Saints.

Mougey’s remarks weren’t the only comments that could affect the Saints’ free agency Across the combine Tuesday as numerous general managers and coaches spoke, there were a number of hints and clues that could be useful when free agency begins March 9. RB ripples Though Hall

On TV MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

5p.m. Wake Forest at Boston CollegeACCN

6p.m. Maryland at Nebraska BTN

6p.m. Omaha at S. Dakota CBSSN

6p.m.Florida at Texas ESPN2

6p.m. Illinois St. at N. Iowa ESPNU

6p.m. Butler at Villanova FS1

6p.m. St. John’satUConn NBCSN

6p.m. Georgia at Vanderbilt SECN

6:30 p.m. Xavier at Providence TRUTV

7p.m. Pittsburgh at Stanford ACCN

8p.m. Ohio St. at Iowa BTN

8p.m.UNLVatGrand Canyon CBSSN

8p.m. Texas A&M at ArkansasESPN2

8p.m. Mississippi St. at Alabama ESPNU

BROADCASTHIGHLIGHTS

8p.m. Kansas St.atColorado FS1

8p.m. DePaul at Creighton PEACOCK

8p.m. LSU at Ole Miss SECN

9p.m. SMU at California ACCN

10 p.m. WisconsinatOregon BTN

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10 p.m.Washington St.atLoyolaESPNU

10 p.m.Utah St. at San DiegoSt. FS1 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

7p.m. Michigan at Ohio St. PEACOCK COLLEGE SOFTBALL

5p.m. Mississippi St. at GeorgiaTech ACCN GOLF

7:30 p.m. LPGA: SentosaGolfClubGOLF MLB

noon Detroitvs. PhiladelphiaMLBN

2p.m. L.A.Angeles vs. San DiegoMLBN

NBA

6:40 p.m.Oklahoma City at Detroit ESPN

9:05 p.m.Boston at DenverESPN NHL

6:30 p.m.Toronto at Tampa BayTNT

9p.m.Vegas at Los Angeles TNT

MEN’S SOCCER

10:50 a.m.Antigua vs. British Virgin Islands FS2

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2:50 p.m.Puerto Rico vs.Bonaire FS2

5:55 p.m.O&M FC at FC CincinnatiFS2

8:25 p.m.Cartaginés at Vancouver FS2

10:25 p.m.San Miguelito at Los AngelesFS2 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

7p.m.SaltLakeatAustin USA

Tigerisonthe clock

Woodshas afew bigdecisions facing himnextmonth

LOSANGELES Tiger Woods kept everyone guessing —afavorite hobby of his —with one word and asmug grin last week at Riviera when he was asked if playing in the Masters was off the table “No,”hereplied. Thegrin indicated therewould be nothing to add. To borrow a phrase from Dan Hicks at NBC when Woods forced aplayoff in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, “Expect anything different?” He wasn’tabout to rule out playing in the Masterswith two months to go. And having not competed in more than ayear,Woods just doesn’tknow yet. Butbig decisions are looming for Woods in thenext month.

The Masters gets all the attention because ared shirt on Sunday hasbecome nearly as common as agreen jacket at AugustaNational.But there’salso that small matterofthe Ryder Cup.

heart Woods looked good last week in hisrole as tournament host at the GenesisInvitational.Morethan one person noticed thepurpose in hisstep —and howbig he looked —just walking through the locker room. He was comfortable in his news conference andinthe CBS booth with Jim Nantz and Trevor Immelman

Goodenough to competewhile walking 72 holesatAugusta?

Woods kept them guessing, too.

He said he is hittingfull shots— “Not wellevery day, but Ican hit them,” he said —and theAchilles tendon he ruptured ayear ago is no longer an issue, rather it’s the recovery from aseventh back surgery in September to replace adisk in his lower back.

predictable options andfew surprises.

Meanwhile, the next two weeks mightoffer hints on how much progress Woods is making on the jobtakingupmostofhis bandwidth.

PGA Tour Enterprises CEO Brian Rolapp is expected to give an update, pulling back the curtain as much as he can, on the progress of thenew schedule.The committee is lookingatthe sequence of events—asplashy start and a finish that makes sense —with an eye on big markets.

Woods said the final work might notbedoneintimefor 2027,perhaps only portions of what to expect.That wouldseem to indicate alater start to the season (Aloha, Hawaii) andmoving around some of the postseason events.

Lorenz’stwo blasts get LSU softballbyMcNeese

The No. 17 LSU softballteam scored four runs in the first inning andthreeinthe third on the way to a9-3 winover McNeese State on Tuesday in Lake Charles.

Char Lorenz had apairofsolo home runs for the Tigers (134), and Kylee Edwards was 3 for4with one RBI and one run scored.

LSU starting pitcher Jayden Heavener picked up acompletegame victory after giving up threeearnedruns on six hits, seven walks and 11 strikeouts to run her record to 5-2.

McNeese State (12-6) scored one run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth.

Nyjah Fontenot hit atwo-run home runinthe fifth inning to prevent themercy rule.

Braves, pitcher Saleagree to $27M contractfor ’27

ATLANTA— Left-hander Chris Sale andthe Atlanta Bravesagreed to a contract on Tuesday adding $27 million forthe 2027 season.

A36-year-old who wonthe 2024 NL Cy Young Awardinhis first season with Atlanta, Sale agreed to a deal that includes a$30 million team option for2028

Atlantaacquired Sale from Boston in December 2023 andheagreed to areworked$38 million,two-year contract that includedan$18 million club option for 2026. The Braves exercised theoption in November Sale is 25-8 with a2.46 ERA in 49 starts andone relief appearance with theBraves. He made theAllStar team twice.

deadline than an ultimatum. They spoke on conditionofanonymity becausethese mattersare private.

Woods is the top choice —the only choice at the moment —tobe captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland, just like he wasfor the last Ryder Cup before he turned it down. Officials were forced to wait longer than ever before announcingKeegan Bradley as captain at Bethpage Black. Now the PGA of America is askingWoods to decide before the Masters whether he wants the job. Twopeopleinformed of the situation describe it more as asoft

TheRyder Cupcaptaincyhas become atime-consuming job, and Woods sounds as though he is busier thanever.His mostimportant role is chairman of the Future Competition Committee as it workstoward one of thebiggest andmost complicated overhauls of thePGA Tour schedule.

Woods offered as much when he said, “I thought Ispent alot of hours practicinginmyprime. It doesn’teven comparetowhat we’ve done in theboardroom.”

Thisiswhat drives him at the moment. He would love to be at theMasters, where in 2024 he set the record by making his 24th consecutive cut. He is aplayer at

Agedoesn’thelp.Heturned 50 at the end of last year and recovery takes longer As for theRyder Cup captaincy, it’sall about timeand priorities. Woodsisdriven by the idea that as muchashehas done for the game already(think prizemoney), he can do even more as achief architect that reshapes themodel of golf at the highest level. So when theRyder Cupcameup, hisfirst response was he hasn’tdecided.

“I’m tryingtofigureout what we’re trying to do with our tour,” he said. “That’sbeen driving me hours uponhours every dayand tryingtofigure outifIcan actually do our team —Team USA and our players andeveryone that’s goingtobeinvolved in the Ryder Cup —ifIcan do it justice.”

By thetime theazaleas are bursting withblooms in early April, Woodscould be wearing yet another hat as Ryder Cup captain. Or the PGA of America will move on toaPlan Bthat includes

The tour has been looking at moving some of the premier West Coast stops to August for better (warmer)weather and prime-time viewing.

To move Riviera to August would make sense except golf in LA doesn’thavea history of big attendanceinAugust, and title sponsor Genesis already has a PGA Tour event in July(Scottish Open).Torrey Pines? It was worth noting the strong attendance this year by officials fromWisconsinbased Sentry,currentlythe title sponsor at Kapalua.

PebbleBeach hasa massive car show that dates to 1950 and is amongthe best in theworld in themiddleofAugust. That tournamentisunlikely to movetosummer “There’sbeen alot of moving parts over the last couple years,” Woods said.

He was speaking about the tour He could just as easily be talking abouthimself

Koepka starts charitable donations

Contributionsof $5 millionpart of hisPGA Tour return process

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

LOS ANGELES One of theconditions for Brooks Koepka to return to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf wasa$5millioncontribution to charity.That process is underway,with $1 million goingtothe Nicklaus Children’sHealthCare Foundation, the primary charity of the Cognizant Classic. Koepka also designated(with PGA Tour approval) $1.5 million to 10 other charities. That list included theALS Bridge Foundation, whichlongtime Acushnet executive Peter Broome recently launched.

Golf Notebook

Broome, well known from his 30 years in the industry, was diagnosed withLou Gehrig’s disease in August 2024. Hismission with ALS Bridge Foundation is to accelerate the search for lifesavingsolutions and close thegap between laboratory discovery and when patients receivetreatment. The foundationisdirecting 100% of proceeds toward programs that accelerate drug trials, improve diagnostic access, and fuel collaborative research across the United States and Canada Part of the fundraising includes an auction of exclusiveexperiences provided by alist that includes Justin Thomas, RickieFowler Ryder CupcaptainsKeegan

Bradleyand Luke Donald, and CBS announcer Jim Nantz

Corey Conners, TaylorPendrith and Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki are leading the auction offers in Canada.

The other$2.5 million of Koepka’scontributions will be equally distributed to charities selected by eligible PGATour members, such astheir foundations or other charitiestheysupport.

Chacarra on PGATour

Eugenio Chacarra was the biggest college star LIV Golf signed when the Saudi-funded league launchedin2022. He wasthe No 2amateur in the world at Oklahoma State, and he won in his first season onLIV

But it wasn’tlong before he started contacting various PGA Tour officials, and Chacarra left LIV after 2024withaneye on getting to the PGA Tour,whichhe called alifelong dream.

He gets astartnext week as a sponsor exemption to the Puerto Rico Open.His onlyother time competinginaPGA Tour-sanctioned event was last year in the Scottish Open,co-sanctioned by the European tour.Chacarra is aEuropean tour member from winningthe Hero Indian Open last year

“Mygoal since Iwas little is to be on the PGA Tour,” Chacarra said Tuesday. “I’m excited to finally get achancetoplayonthe PGA Tour.I’ve been working alot of thesecoupleweeks at home. I neededsometime to resetand focus on what’s the most important thing for me right now, that’sto get on the PGA Tour as quick as possible.” Chacarra, a25-year-old from Spain, says he has no regrets

about joining LIVbecause he felt that move wasrightfor him at the time. He said upon leaving LIVGolf, “I see what it’slike to win on the PGA Tour and how your life changes, how you get majoraccess and ranking points. On LIV, nothingchanges,there is only money. It doesn’tmatter if you finish 30th or first, only money.” “I think Iwas losing alittlemotivation to get better out there on LIV at the last year Iwas there, so it wastimefor me to move on and start anew pathway,” he said while on avideo call.

His best route to the PGATour might be getting one of 10 cards to theleading players in Europe because he playsa fullschedule there.

Thomas returns Justin Thomas had his first competition in five months Mondaynight whenheplayedwith hisAtlanta Drive team in aTGL match.Thomas has been out since back surgery in November.Heannounce dhe will return to the PGA Tour next week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

“I obviouslywanttoand would love to play well next week, but I’m also understanding that it’ll be almostfive, six months since I’ve playedacompetitive tournament,” he said. “I’m notexactly expectinganythinggreat.But at least everybody else will be struggling withmeatBay Hill, so that’ll make me feel alittlebit better hopefully.”

His11.1strikeoutsper nine inningsare themostamong pitchers with 1,500 or moreinnings.

NFL receives no tush push ban proposal this year

INDIANAPOLIS— NFL executive Troy Vincent toldreporters at the scouting combine in Indianapolis that no team submitted aproposal to banthe controversialquarterback sneak before the deadline this year forclubs to propose rule changes. The league could still explore modifying therules regarding pushing and pulling players. The Philadelphia Eagles behind the strong legs of quarterback Jalen Hurtshave masteredthe short-yardage strategy.After the Eagleswon the SuperBowl following the 2025 season, the Green Bay Packers authored arule change proposal to prohibit offensive playersfrompushing, pulling, lifting, grasping or encircling arunner, whichwould haveeffectivelyoutlawed the tush push.

Suns forward Brooks out with fractured left hand

PHOENIX Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks hadsurgery Monday to repair afractured left hand and will missatleast the next fourto-six weeks before being re-evaluated, the team said Tuesday The 30-year-old Brooks was hurt during Saturday’sgameagainst theOrlando Magic. He’saveraging acareer-high 20.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. TheSuns have been one of the NBA’ssurprise teamsthisyear with a33-25 record, buthavesuffered arecent rash of injuries. Theteam’stop three leading scorers —All-Star guard Devin Booker (strained hip), Brooks and Grayson Allen (knee/ankle) —were sidelinedfor a92-77 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday

SEC finesKentuckycoach Pope for criticizing referees LEXINGTON, Ky Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope has been fined$25,000 by the Southeastern Conference forcomments he madeafter the Wildcats’ loss to Auburn on Saturday The SECannounced the fine Tuesday afternoon, afew hours beforeUKwas set to takeonSouth Carolina in anotherroad game amidthe first three-game losing streak of the Pope era.

TheleaguesaidPopehad been finedand “issueda public reprimand” as aresult of his “postgame conduct and comments related to officiating” after Saturday’sgame. The league’sannouncement referenced SEC Bylaw 10.5.3, which states that “coaches,players and support personnelshall refrain from allpublic criticism of officials.”

La.rappers to entertainUNO hoopscrowds

BY RASHAD MILLIGAN Staff writer

The UNO men’sbasketball team will have two special performances by Louisianabased hip-hop acts to cap the first regular season of MasterP taking on asignificant role for theprogram MasterPisthe president of basketball operations and an assistant coach for UNO men’s basketball. At 5p.m.Saturday,Choppa will perform at halftime forseniornight in agame against McNeeseState. Then at 7p.m. Monday, H3adband Shawtywill take

Tigers basketballteam addsanother Australian

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

Owen Foxwell became the fourth player the LSU men’s basketball team added to its 2026 recruiting class on Monday

The 6-foot-2,195-pound guard is a22-year-old professional player in the National Basketball League of Australia.

This season, Foxwellisaveraging 11.1 points on 41% shooting, 4.5 assists, 3.0 reboundsand 1.3 steals in 24.3 minutes per game for the South East Melbourne Phoenix. He makes35.2%ofhis 3-pointersand is second on his team in assists while averaging only 1.5 turnovers.

Foxwell is the second Australian native in LSU’s2026 recruiting class. The Tigers signed four-star forward Marcus Vaughns, who hails from Melbourne, Australia, and early enrolled at the university for the spring semester

PELICANS

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points, but Derik Queen had three consecutive Pelicans field goals to help themtake a77-72 lead at the end of the third quarter

The Warriors pulled even at 82-82 before Williamson scoredeight points and Bey added fivetohelpNew Orleans open up a99-89 lead midway through thequarter Golden State got within three points, but Beyconverted athree-point play with 1:47 left and Murray added alayupwith 1:04 left.

On the Pelicans’ first possession, they ranaset play in which DeAndre Jordan fed Murray for alayup, and Murray went on to score four points in slightly more than five minutes during the period.

New Orleans led by 14 points twice before Podziemskimade alayup to trim the lead to 31-19 at the end of the firstquarter

The Pelicans rebuilt the lead to 14 on three occasions early in the second quar-

BASEBALL

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Vaughns —a6-foot-8, 215-pound wing— arrived on campus on Dec. 30 and hasbeen training with the team ever since.CoachMatt McMahonsaidVaughnswill not be playing this season and will have a“five-month head start”for his freshman season in 2026-27. He last played at Australia’sCentre of Excellence.

Foxwellisin hisfifthseason in the NBL, playing every season with the Phoenix. Inhis first year during the 2021-22 season,hewas a developmental player who played onlyfourgames.

LSU’snewestguard also hastwo younger brothers who play basketball. Joel Foxwell, 20, plays at Portland of the West Coast Conference.

Thefreshman is averaging 16 points on 41.1% shooting and6.8 assists.

Theyoungest is Austin Foxwell, 18, who is in his first season as adevelopmental player for South East Melbourne.

LSU already hasanAustralian player on itscurrent teaminseniorguard Max Mackinnon, anative of Brisbane,Australia. Mackinnon playedatthe Centre of Excellence and brieflyinthe NBL1,the semi-professional basketball league of the NBL. He startedhis college basketball career at Elon and transferred to Portland for hisjunior yearbefore joining LSU for the 2025-26 season.

LSUassociate head coach David Patrickalso hasties to Australia. Thelongtime college coach has been an assistant coach forthe Australian National Team since 2019.

The Tigers’other commitmentsinthe 2026 recruiting class are forwards Kevin Thomas andHerly Brutus. The6-6 Thomas and 6-5 Brutus are listedasthe No. 71 and 88 players in the country,respectively,according to ESPN,and have already signedwith the program.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVIDGRUNFELD

NewOrleans Pelicans center DeAndre Jordan fouls Golden State WarriorsguardBrandin Podziemski during the first half at the Smoothie King Center on Tuesdaynight.

ter before goingcold. They made just two field goalsin the final seven minutesof the half, one of which was Williamson’s first 3-pointer

since Feb.12, 2025. Golden State scored the last fivepointsofthe quartertoclose within 46-39at halftime.

thefloor at halftime at Lakefront Arena when the Privateersface Southeastern Louisiana. Thegames are part of the Higher Learning Future StudentsGame Day Event. Admission is free for both games with avalid high school ID, and parents are admitted for free with their student. Seating is limited and availableona firstcome, first-served basis. UNO is coming off of a 77-73 win against Southland Conference leader Stephen F. Austin(25-4, 18-2 Southland) on Monday in Nacogdoches, Texas.

The Privateers have won seven of their last 10 games. The Privateers (14-15, 128) noware tied forthird in theconference withTexas Rio Grande Valley and have clinched aspot in the Southland ConferenceTournament set for March 8-11 in Lake Charles.

“Congratulations to the team on making the [conference tournament],” Master Psaid in anews release. “We have to support our own. We appreciatethe support all year,and now it’stimetofinish strong. “When we show up forour students and our university,

we’re investing in the future of New Orleans. This is abouteducation,opportunity and building something that lasts.”

On Saturday,UNO will face the second-place team in the Southland in McNeese (24-5, 17-3), whichbeatthe Privateers 82-63 on Jan. 24 in Lake Charles. On Monday,UNO faces last-place Southeastern (821, 5-15), which the Privateers defeated 79-76 on Jan. 12 in Hammond.

Email Rashad Milligan at rashad.milligan@ theadvocate.com.

LSU

Continuedfrom page1C

Cheryl Ard, aformer LSUstudent who has attended men’s basketball games consistently for 39 years, is similarly puzzled “It’shad ups and downs,” she said. “It’snot good that we’ve had someplayers that have gottenhurt, and it’saffected it and it’sfrustrating. Sometimes they start off great,and then they just tank. Like the last game, they were behind so many points, and then theycame back andthey only lostbythree (against Texas).”

The only fan to express optimism aboutthis season was LSUstudentKyle Thibodeaux. Thesenior said he hasgonetoevery homegame during McMahon’stenure.Thibodeaux said beforethe loss to Alabama that theteam still has achance to make the NCAA Tournament.

“I mean, it’sa little rough, butwe’re still in thebubble,”hesaid. “Wecan still make it if we win out, if we beat Bama, we got it. Istill believe in us.” When the fans were

asked whether season-ending injuries to Reed and Thomas were theprimary reasons for the team’s poor record, all acknowledged their impact.

Twosaid that it’sonly a part of theteam’sstruggles

LSUsophomore Revius Norrissaidthe basketball team has been “tough to watch” but that injuries are asignificant reason.

“I do think alsoit’sjust kind of amomentum thing because, once playersget injured, then themorale kind of drops,and it’skind of hardtocomeback from that many injuries,” Norris said.

Allfour were asked whether McMahon should be fired afterthis season. Lockhartwas themost definitive about getting anew coach.

“Ready for achange, Ibelieve,”hesaid. “I’m happy thathecame when we were in direneed. Program was in shambles,but it’sprobably timefor a change.

“I thoughtthere wasgoing to be achange acouple weeksago, honestly.”

Norris said afiring should be considered.

“Four yearsand no tour-

nament, that’ssomething you got to look into because you don’twant to go in the next season and make it fiveand rather be safe than sorry,” he said. “So Ido thinkthey got to look into that more.”

Ard saidshe’snot sure McMahon should be fired. She also said she wasn’ta fanofformer coach Will Wade’sdeparture after being fired for causebecause of committing NCAA violations. “I didn’tlike that they fired Will Wade,” she said. “Year after Will Wade lefthere, he went to Lake Charles (atMcNeese State), then their team won their division, and they wenttothe NCAA Tournament.And, you know,we stayed at home and didn’t do (anything).”

Thibodeaux wasthe most supportive of McMahon, although he didn’tdirectly saythe university should keep him after his fourth year

“I saw alot of people hate (on) McMahon,” Thibodeauxsaid. “I love McMahon.He’ssucha greatguy.It’supinthe air.Itall depends on the AD, and it depends on the boosters.”

Uncharacteristically,Williams thenhit thefirst batter he sawtoforce in another run before he gave up atwo-run single that handed McNeese a4-2 lead. Angelo State transfer Dax Dathe hita third batter in thethird inning, and then he beanedanother battertobegin the fourth

The next hitter Dathefaced singled as a fifth run scored on an errantthrow from sophomore Jake Brown in right field.

The control issues continued for LSU after Dathe exited for sophomore righthander Mavrick Rizyinthe fourth. Rizy walked the first man he faced and thenhit the next batter to load the bases. Asacrifice fly and asingle scoredtwo more runs after the free passes to give McNeesethe five-run advantage.

The LSU bats weren’tmuch better than the pitching staff. After GrandCanyon transfer ZachYorkelaunched atwo-run home run in the first inning,the Tigers went scoreless until the fifth.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK

LSU first baseman Zach yorke, right, celebrateswith center fielder Derek Curiel after hitting atwo-run homerun in the first inning against McNeese State on Tuesday.

Senior leads Zachary into playoffs with sights on another state title

BY JACKSON REYES

Staff writer

Zachary senior Ava Raymond

has put the girls basketball program on the map.

The forward helped Zachary end a 98-year state title drought last season after the Broncos hoisted the Division I nonselect trophy.

Now, the mission is a repeat.

Raymond is the lone returning starter from last year’s title team

She has elevated her game to help lead Zachary (23-3) to a No. 1 seed and a spot in the quarterfinals. She has averaged 18.8 points, eight rebounds and two assists per game.

“She’s left a huge legacy,” Zachary coach Tami McClure said.

“Everything she’s done for this program, I mean, just put us on the map.”

The Broncos opened their playoff run with a 72-25 win in the second round over No. 17 Walker, and will now face No. 9 Natchitoches Central in the quarterfinals. The 5-foot-10 McNeese commit has scored 2,000 career points, and her marks continue to climb with each round of the playoffs Rise to the top

McClure knew Raymond would be a special talent as soon as she joined the team her freshman year “About the second game, she was already a starter,” McClure said. “The determination and her work ethic, it’s just grown and grown and grown every single year She doesn’t settle for anything.” Raymond prides herself on her shooting, especially from midrange and around the basket.

“That’s just my shot,” she said on one of her best strengths, “and driving to the goal.”

She works tirelessly in the gym and at home Raymond has risen to the top of the sport in the state with help from her coach, dad and grandpa.

McClure said she’s a talented scorer, but it’s her basketball IQ

that separates her from other players.

“The way she moves without the ball, and her eyes for the game,”

McClure said. “She just sees things that other people don’t see. She has an eye for the game.”

Leadership

As the lone returning starter, Raymond has adjusted to a larger role, taking the younger players under her wing.

McClure said the moment the senior steps onto the hardwood, the rest of the team follows her lead.

Her teammates see the countless hours she puts in before and after practice, and it has rubbed off on them

Her work ethic is represented in the accolades she’s accumulated.

Raymond was named to the LSWA Class 5A All-State second team last year She’s up for Louisiana’s Gatorade Player of the Year and is

a McDonald’s All-American nominee.

McClure hopes the rest of the team sees how Raymond’s work ethic has culminated in a legendary high school career, and they follow her footsteps.

“That doesn’t just come just because of your talent,” McClure said. “It’s all the work that you put in off the court, on the court.”

Path to repeating

That winning feeling has driven Raymond every day this season since the state title last year

“I wanted to be back in that position,” Raymond said. “I’m really motivated to be doing a repeat this year I just want to feel that moment again.”

The path to the No 1 seed and the quarterfinals didn’t come without its tests. McClure wanted her team to be battle-tested and ensured they’d play top teams around the state.

“The second year is always the hardest year,” McClure said on attempting a repeat “Everyone’s gunning for you. The schedule that they’ve had this year has really put them to the test. “

This is familiar territory for McClure, who coached St. Michael to Class 4A state titles in 2008 and 2009. She knows there’s stress on Raymond to perform her best each game, but she trusts her work ethic will overcome any obstacles.

“It’s not just about the points,” McClure said. “It’s what else she does on that floor The rebounding, the defense, everything she does. Every game, I don’t have to worry about her.”

Three wins separate Zachary from a second straight state title. Raymond is focused on chasing the highs of victory

“I just love the feeling of it,” Raymond said “Making a shot and being around your teammates and coaches. Winning is just awesome.”

LSU gymnast Chio makes winning award a weekly occurrence

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

LSU social media described Kailin Chio’s latest Southeastern Conference gymnast of the week honor this way: “Regularly scheduled Kailin Chio post.”

The super sophomore earned her fourth SEC gymnast of the week honor Tuesday after posting two perfect 10s and winning the all-around title on Friday as No. 1 Oklahoma edged out No. 2 LSU 198.125-197.925.

Also earning SEC honors from the LSU-Oklahoma meet was Sooners sophomore Elizabeth Blessey from Mandeville. She was named SEC specialist of the week after finishing second to Chio on vault with a career-high 9.975 score. In the Tigers’ toughest assignment of the season — a true road meet against the nation’s topranked team — Chio won or tied for first with four of the five individual titles. She won vault and balance beam with perfect 10s, giving her four 10.0 scores this season and making her the na-

tion’s first gymnast in 2026 with two 10s in the same meet.

Chio also posted 9.925s on uneven bars and floor, tying for first in the latter event with teammates Amari Drayton and Lexi Zeiss. It all added up to a 39.850 all-around score, just off her career-best 39.875 the week before against Auburn, which is tied for the best all-around mark this season with UCLA’s Jordan Chiles.

Chio already has 22 individual wins this season and 45 for her career, putting her in 14th place on the program’s all-time wins list. She’s currently ranked first nationally on vault and bars, and second in the all-around just behind Chiles (39.700 average to 39.655).

LSU returns home Friday to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for another SEC showdown, as the No. 2-ranked Tigers host No. 3 Alabama at 8:30 p.m. on the SEC Network. The Tigers and Crimson Tide also will meet at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Podium Challenge at the Raising Cane’s River Center along with Arizona and North Carolina.

TOP 25 ROUNDUP

Boozer leads No. 1 Duke’s thrashing of Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND Ind. — Cameron Boozer had 24 points and 13 rebounds as No. 1 Duke beat Notre Dame 100-56 on Tuesday night, handing the Irish their worst home loss since 1898. Duke (26-2, 14-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), playing its first game this season as No. 1, coming off win over then-No. 1 Michigan on Saturday, ended Notre Dame’s streak of six home wins against AP No. 1-ranked teams, starting with UCLA in 1974, when the Fighting Irish ended UCLA’s record 88-game winning streak. The 6-foot-9 Boozer, a national Player of the Year candidate, overpowered Notre Dame, scoring 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the first half as the Blue Devils rolled to a 54-22 halftime lead. He hit 10 of 12 shots in the first half. Darren Harris scored 16 points for Duke and Patrick Ngongba II and Caleb Foster scored 13 points each. Cole Certa and Brady Koehler scored 14 points each for Notre Dame (12-16, 3-12).

NO 11 VIRGINIA 90, NC STATE 61: In Charlottesville, Virginia, Thijs De Ridder scored 19 points lead five Virginia players in double figures as the 11th-ranked Cavaliers beat North Carolina State, cruising in their final tuneup before Saturday’s showdown at No. 1 Duke. Virginia (25-3, 13-2 ACC) never trailed as it won its ninth straight. However there was cause for concern for the Cavaliers when De Ridder limped off the floor and headed to the locker room with about five minutes left.

Sam Lewis added 16 points for the Cavaliers, who trail only the Blue Devils in the ACC standings Jacari White scored 15 and Malik Thomas added 12. Virginia blocked 12 shots and its bench outscored N.C State’s 32-5. The Cavaliers went 12 of 26 from 3-point range. Paul McNeil had 22 points and six rebounds for the Wolfpack (19-9, 10-5).

NO 21 MIAMI (OHIO) 74, EASTERN MICHIGAN 64: In Ypsilanti, Michigan, Brant Byers scored 16 points

and Antwone Woolfolk added 14 as No. 21 Miami of Ohio beat Eastern Michigan to remain the only undefeated team in Division I men’s basketball.

Peter Suder had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the RedHawks (28-0, 15-0 Mid-American Conference), who extended the best start in program history and added to their school record for wins in a season. Miami also boasts the best start and longest win streak in MAC annals.

Gregory Lawson II led the Eagles (10-19, 4-12) with 29 points, his career high. NO 16 TEXAS TECH 80, CINCINNATI 68: In Lubbock, Texas, Christian Anderson had 31 points and a careerhigh 11 rebounds, leading No. 16 Texas Tech past Cincinnati for a second consecutive victory since star forward JT Toppin’s seasonending knee injury Anderson’s eighth double-double of the season — and his twoyear career — was his first with rebounds and filled the void the Red Raiders (21-7, 11-4 Big 12) are facing without Toppin, one of the nation’s double-double leaders. Moustapha Thiam had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Cincinnati (15-13, 7-8).

LeJuan Watts scored 13 points for Texas Tech and Donovan Atwell, one of the nation’s best 3-point shooters, added 12 while taking all nine of his shots from long range and making four DAYTON 77, NO. 23 SAINT LOUIS 62: In Dayton, Ohio, Amael L’Etang scored a career-high 26 points and Javon Bennett added 17 as Dayton beat No. 23 Saint Louis. Saint Louis has lost two of its last three games since winning 18 straight. The Billikens were 25-2 for just the second time in school history, and the loss to Dayton prevented them from reaching 26-2 for the first time.

Jordan Derkack scored 14 points for the Flyers (19-9, 10-5 A-10), who improved to 14-2 at home. It was their 12th straight win over Saint Louis in UD Arena. Kellen Thomas led the Billikens with 24 points and Dion Brown had 15.

Raiders GM talks around interest in QB Mendoza

BY MICHAEL MAROT

INDIANAPOLIS Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek never uttered the name Fernando Mendoza while speaking at the NFL’s annual scouting combine Tuesday He didn’t need to.

As Spytek ran through the list of traits he needs in a franchise quarterback — humility, selflessness, a relentless student of the game, capable of setting the tone in the locker room — it seemed he was using the same words and phrases so often used to describe Mendoza by his college teammates during last season’s Heisman Trophy campaign.

And for the team holding the No. 1 pick in April’s NFL draft, selecting Mendoza seems natural.

“It’s such a hard game, your competitive spirit has to run really high,” Spytek said. “You’ve got to be willing to play through, you know, tough circumstances and to me, it always goes back to the love of the game. The guys that truly love football, they love to practice, they love to prepare, they love to watch film, they love to play hurt, so I think those things are kind of uncompromising.” Mendoza showed all of that and more in his only season at Indiana

He demonstrated his moxie with an incredible last-minute throw to beat Penn State; missed only one play of the Big Ten championship game after getting injured on his first throw; and twisted his way into the end zone for the decisive score in the national championship game at Miami.

The Raiders certainly could use some of that magic after using 10 different starting quarterbacks over the past four seasons They haven’t had a clear-cut franchise quarterback since Derek Carr was released in February 2023.

Geno Smith was supposed to fill the void after being acquired in a trade last offseason, but a 10-game losing streak sent the Raiders spiraling to a 3-14 mark, putting Smith’s future with the franchise in peril.

Now, Las Vegas is looking for a fresh start.

The Raiders fired coach Pete Carroll and replaced him with Klint Kubiak the offensive coordinator for Super Bowl champion Seattle, and now have a chance to find the perfect pairing for running back Ashton Jeanty, last year’s first-round pick.

“I think you want to limit the amount of pressure you have on that guy from the start,” Spytek said. “I’m not necessarily in favor of running him out there right away, either So, you know, having another quality player that can play the quarterback position could help You have a young quarterback, you want to have a great offensive line,

a run game, all the things that can like really limit his chances to have him really get killed and a great defense, too.”

The Raiders believe the centerpiece of their defense will continue to be Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby who has been the subject of trade speculation this offseason. Spytek said Tuesday he speaks routinely with Crosby as he rehabs at team headquarters and that he expects Crosby to be in a Vegas uniform next fall.

But will he be joined by Mendoza, who led what had been the worst program in FBS history to Indiana’s first national championship in a season filled with highlights?

While Spytek said he will listen to trade offers and won’t put need ahead of value, it sure seems like Mendoza would be the perfect match for Las Vegas — right down to his Boston roots and embrace of Raiders co-owner Tom Brady who played for both the Patriots and in Florida, where Mendoza attended high school.

“I think whoever is playing quarterback for the Raiders has a unique opportunity to learn from the best,” Spytek said. “You know, Tom’s got a lot of humility to him and just because he did it a certain way, he doesn’t have expectations that you do it that way too. But there are some things he’s uncompromising on, and I think that whoever the quarterback is for the Raiders, I think Tom is a great resource.”

Falcons GM set to release QB Cousins

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS The Atlanta Falcons have informed quarterback Kirk Cousins they plan to release the 14-year veteran when NFL free agency opens next month, new general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday

“What he’s done in his career, we owe that to him just to allow him some clarity going into free agency,” Cunningham said at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. Cousins played two seasons with the Falcons with mixed-atbest results, signing a $180 million contract about six weeks before Atlanta drafted Michael Penix with the eighth overall pick in 2024. Penix won the job in 2025 before a season-ending knee injury made Cousins the starter again down the stretch. Cousins started 22 of 34 games over the past two seasons, going 12-10. He threw a leaguemost 16 interceptions in just 14 games in 2024. The 37-year-old is 88-77-2 as a starter with Washington, Minnesota and Atlanta. With his recently reworked deal, Cousins would have his 2027 salary ($67.9 million) fully guaranteed if he were to remain on the roster by the third day of the new league year The Falcons also placed the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts on Tuesday, preventing him from becoming a free agent. Pitts, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, earned second-team All-Pro honors after he had a career-high 88 receptions and five touchdowns last season. His 928 yards receiving were the second most among NFL tight ends, behind only Arizona’s Trey McBride. Pitts is expected to make about $16 million this year under the franchise tag. Next Tuesday is the deadline for teams to use the franchise or transition tag on players.

Broncos PAYTON RELINQUISHES PLAY-CALLING

DUTIES: Broncos coach Sean Payton confirmed Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis that he’s handing off play-calling duties to his new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Payton said he began seriously considering a promotion for

Webb from quarterbacks coach/ passing game coordinator to OC during the 2025 season. Payton replaced his longtime offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi with Webb after the Broncos’ loss to New England in the AFC championship. Webb, 31, has been integral in the development of quarterback Bo Nix, who is 25-10 in two seasons. He’s considered one of the up-and-coming young offensive minds in the NFL. Before his promotion to stay in Denver, he interviewed for head coach openings with the Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills this cycle despite never having been a coordinator “He’s extremely talented,” Payton said. “With regards to play-calling, I think he’ll be really good at it. I know it’s like, ‘Man, are you going to give up play-calling?’ And I would only do that if I felt like it would help our team.

“I’ll still be involved in what we do offensively just as I am with what we do defensively,” Payton added. “But I do think he has a gift. I think he’s real sharp. I’m glad he’s on our staff.”

Steelers

QB DECISION NOT EXPECTED TO LINGER: With Aaron Rodgers undecided on whether to return for a 22nd season in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers are anticipating quicker clarity about their quarterback situation this time.

General manager Omar Khan said he doesn’t have a deadline in mind for determining whether the team will need to look elsewhere. Though Rodgers put off retirement last year to play for coach Mike Tomlin, the hiring of Mike McCarthy as Tomlin’s successor has increased the chance of Rodgers returning because of the 13 seasons he played for McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers.

“He knows how we feel, and we know how he feels about us,” Khan said Tuesday “There’s a mutual respect there.”

After being released by the New York Jets, Rodgers had serious talks with the Minnesota Vikings before they decided to move ahead with J.J. McCarthy last year Rodgers ultimately waited until June to join the Steelers. They won the AFC North with a 10-7 record but lost their seventh straight playoff game since the 2016 season.

BY ROB MAADDI AP pro football writer

INDIANAPOLIS Travis Kelce is playing for the Kansas City Chiefs or retiring. Mike Evans is returning for another season and will explore his options.

The future of both superstars was among many topics at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday Kelce is scheduled to become a free agent next month A person with knowledge of Kelce’s thinking told The Associated Press the four-time All-Pro tight end will not

SAINTS

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Super Bowl MVP If Walker does become a free agent, he’d be in line to be the top name available. Like Hall, Walker is young (25) and coming off a strong season in which he rushed for more than 1,000 yards. The Saints are thought to need another back after a lackluster campaign that saw them finish 28th in rushing.

New Orleans’ problems in the run game extended well beyond just its rushers, but no back on the team even reached 500 yards. The Saints hadn’t had that happen since 1998, when Lavar Smith led with 457 yards. Throw in Alvin Kamara’s contractual uncertainty and Kendre Miller coming off of a torn ACL, and it’s easy to see why the Saints could be in the market for another runner Other backs who could be in this year’s free agent class include Detroit’s David Montgomery, Atlanta’s Tyler

test the market. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because free agency hasn’t started If the 36-year-old Kelce returns for a 14th season, it’ll be in Kansas City with coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs, of course, want him back.

“I think we’ve kind of taken a different approach with Travis in the sense that we’ve prepared for either scenario,” GM Brett Veach said. “Coach had mentioned on Friday (that) he’s had great dialogue with Travis. On our end, myself, (assistant general manager) Chris

Allgeier, Denver’s J.K Dobbins, Jacksonville’s Travis Etienne, San Francisco’s Brian Robinson and Pittsburgh’s Kenneth Gainwell. Of those, the Saints coaching staff already has history with Gainwell as coach Kellen Moore overlapped with the running back during the 2024 season in Philadelphia Even without Hall, that’s a pretty good group.

Interior push

The Saints’ run game likely won’t improve without addressing the interior of the offensive line. Fortunately for them, this free agent class is stacked with interior offensive linemen.

Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said that they’ve had discussions about resigning Zion Johnson, but he acknowledged there’s a range in what the franchise is willing to pay If he does hit the market, Johnson would make a lot of sense for the Saints because he’s good in the run, durable and knows Moore’s offense after Moore served

Shea and Travis’ crew, we’ve had some good dialogue there. I’m sure we’re going to see him here just like we will all the other players’ agents and we’ll continue that dialogue. Travis is the best, he’s an icon and hopefully he comes back and we’ll just let that process play out.”

Kelce, an 11-time Pro Bowl selection, had 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns last season when Kansas City’s run of dominance in the AFC West ended The Chiefs have reached the Super Bowl five times in the past seven seasons, winning three.

as the Los Angeles offensive coordinator in 2023.

“You have to pay what you think a player is worth, or somewhere near that,” Hortiz said “We’ll see what happens with Zion, where the market goes, if he gets to the market. We’ll stay engaged with him through the process.”

The Saints have a need at left guard, in particular, after trading Trevor Penning last season and with Dillon Radunz’s contract expiring

Other notable guards whose contracts are set to expire include Buffalo’s David Andrews, Pittsburgh’s Isaac Seumalo, Cleveland’s Wyatt Teller, Tennessee’s Kevin Zeitler, the Jets’ Alijah Vera-Tucker and possibly Cleveland’s Joel Bitonio if he elects to continue his playing career

What’s the going rate for a top guard these days? They aren’t cheap. Seven guards make more than $20 million per year, and 15 make at least $16 million. But for the Saints, it could be a worthy investment.

“It’s not your typical hey, 27-year-old first time in free agency,” Veach said. “Travis has done everything, he’s accomplished everything — he’s about to get married, he’s got a lot going on So, I don’t think there’s an element of us not trying to — you need some sort of deadline (or) timeline but at the same time, it’s Travis Kelce so we’re just going to continue to have positive dialogue and see where this thing ends. I think we’re trying to position ourselves that either way, we have a plan moving forward.”

Evans is planning to play a 13th

season but it may not be with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The sixtime Pro Bowl wide receiver had his streak of 11 consecutive 1,000yard seasons end when he missed nine games because of injuries. “I love Mike, and we’d love to have Mike back,” general manager Jason Licht said. “And he’s earned the right to (test free agency) with his resume. Mike, as a person, what he’s meant to this entire community, the fan base, all of us, I could go on

$3,311,005

Hardcourt outdoor Men’s Singles Round of 32 Daniil Medvedev (3), Russia,def. Juncheng Shang, China, 6-1, 6-3. PabloCarrenoBusta, Spain, def. Denis Shapovalov, Canada, 6-2, 6-4. Jenson Brooksby, United States, def.Zizou Bergs, Belgium, 6-3, 6-4. AlexanderBublik (2), Kazakhstan, def.JanLennardStruff, Germany, 6-3, 6-4. Arthur Rinderknech, France, def.Fabian Marozsan, Hungary,3-6,6-3,6-4 KarenKhachanov(7),Russia,def.Alexander Shevchenko, Russia,6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3. TallonGriekspoor, Netherlands, def. Otto Virtanen, Finland, 6-3, 6-4. Jiri Lehecka(8),Czechia,def.LucaNardi Italy, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Ugo Humbert, France, def. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece, 6-4, 7-5. Alexei Popyrin, Australia,def.Kamil Majchrzak,Poland, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Jakub Mensik (6), Czechia,def.Hubert Hurkacz, Poland, 6-4, 7-6(7) Andrey Rublev(5),Russia, def. Valentin Royer, France, 6-3, 6-4. Men’s Doubles Round of 16 Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori (4),

Don’t skimp on flavor for Lenten season

Staff report

Fried seafood and the T Bird Sandwich n Chimes East, 10870 Coursey Blvd. No. 4019, Baton Rouge

For a laid-back Valentine’s Day lunch, my husband and I chose Chimes East for some Baton Rouge comfort food

To start, I ordered my favorite soup, shrimp and corn served with a buttery baguette, and my husband ordered fried alligator for his appetizer The shrimp and corn soup was exactly what I craved, quality every time. The fried alligator was crispy and flavorful with just enough seasoning. The Chimes menu can be overwhelming because there’s so much to choose from, but we settled on a combination fried seafood platter with catfish and shrimp and a T Bird Sandwich. The fried catfish was crunchy on the outside but tender on the inside. The shrimp were huge and delicious. Chimes’ hush puppies are sweet and savory with cornmeal and a dash of bell pepper The side salad with pepper jelly vinaigrette nearly stole the show for me, by the way My T Bird Sandwich hit the spot. Blackened chicken avocado, bacon and Swiss cheese on a cracked whole wheat bun checked the boxes for a cozy meal on the day of love. I got French fries but next time, I’ll have to get that unbelievable simple salad for my side.

Joy Holden, features reporter

STAFF PHOTO By JOy HOLDEN Chimes East combination fish and shrimp platter THE BEST THINGS WE ATE THIS

Quesabirria

n La Carreta, 400 Jefferson St., Lafayette

A simple meal of corn tortillas, richly stewed birria meat consomme and cheese is underthe-radar comfort food. Dipping each taco in the savory broth, with onion and cilantro providing a sharp counterbalance to the cheese and meat, creates a meal that requires a lot of napkins but you won’t be worrying about that.

Quesabirria has enjoyed a wave of popularity recently throughout the United States’ Mexican culinary scene, and La Carreta has a great version in a downtown spot perfect for people watching.

— Joanna Brown, staff writer A fresh boil

n Crawfish on the Geaux, Acadian Perkins Plaza Shopping Center parking lot, 3655 Perkins Road

It’s tiiiiime. Crawfish season is often more exciting to me than Christmas. I can’t wait to get my hands on the different boils, combinations and trucks that serve crawfish with all the fixings.

Served from the heart

From refugee to restaurateur, a Baton Rouge chef showcases passion for sharing food

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

With just a few black ta-

blecloths, wine glasses, candles and flowers, Jabby’s Pizza on Old Perkins Road in Baton Rouge transformed into an upscale Sicilian trattoria Behind the glass in the open kitchen, Albina Brahimi and Linda Roppolo crafted authentic Sicilian dishes for their customers.

Using just one pizza oven with a temperature of 750 degrees, the two women cooked a memorable meal for their pop-up customers on Feb. 11.

This Sicilian feast is a dream come true for Brahimi, a self-made chef and restaurateur who has worked for 15 years to have this opportunity For Brahimi, feeding a crowd is her life calling.

From Kosovo to Baton Rouge

When Brahimi was 14 years old, her life in Kosovo became one of war and fear It was 1997, and the war in Yugoslavia was raging. The Brahimi family was forced out of their city and into a village closer

from Viet Restaurant & Bakery

to the mountains As the family settled into another home, the war escalated.

Brahimi’s mother, a nurse, helped to convert an abandoned elementary school into a makeshift hospital.

“I helped my mom throughout those months,” Brahimi said, “and I learned how to give injections and IVs at 15 years old, cleaning wounds and doing basically everything as a nurse in a war zone.”

During this time, Brahimi also helped her mother and other women cook for people in need She loved being in the kitchen and was curious to keep learning more about cooking.

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

Manponders dating across bigage gap

DEAR HARRIETTE: Iam22

years old. While on vacation, Iconnected with aman on agay dating app. Honestly,hefits the description for many things that Ilike in aguy: He has a stable job, owns his home, works toward his personal goals and ambitions and has afootball player physique. However, many of his great qualities come with one caveat: He is more than twice my age.Although it really doesn’tbother me much, Idounderstand that our age difference will automatically put parameters on how far we can go. My mother has already expressed her disapproval of me bringing home anyone around her age. Iam not someone who dates for family approval; however, Ihave to say,Iunderstand that point and couldnot expect her to accept such ahuge age gap. This man didn’tknow my age when we first connected, but it didn’tseem to bother him when he found out. What should Ido? —Age Gap

Am Iinthe wrong?

Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

young. Youhave described why he’sinteresting to you, but those qualities and assets comewith time.It is possiblefor you to build alife with someone and get there together.He has all of that due to life experience Your mother is seeing thebig picture, which is hard for you to do. Don’t make adecision basedonher,but think about what youwant in your life. Is it to walk into aready-made situation or to buildalife withsomeonewho will grow alongside you?

and whether certain countries are morerealistic than others. Idon’twant this to remain avague dream I talk about for years without acting on it, but Ialso don’t want to make areckless decision. What’s thesmartest, most strategic way to approach an international move? —Dreams of Abroad

DEAR AGEGAP: Tread carefully.His résumé sounds good, but when it comes to his age, he could be your father.Ask him why he wants to be with someone so

BEST

This year,Istarted with Crawfish on the Geaux on the first Friday of the Lenten season. Ishared 10 pounds of crawfishwith a mix of both potatoes (four to five per order) and corn (three per order) among three people —ifyou’re hungry,add afew more pounds!

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’vebeen seriously considering moving out of the country for afresh start, but Ihave no idea where to begin. The idea excites me —new culture, new energyand, hopefully,new opportunities —but it also feels overwhelmingand risky. Idon’t know how people secure jobs abroad.Doemployers even considercandidates who aren’talready local? Part of me thinks I should findwork first and then relocate, but another part wonders if beingon the ground would make it easier to network and interview.I’m alsounsure about visas, work permits

DEAR DREAMS OF ABROAD: I’ve got two ideas for you. First thinkofcountries that appeal to you and research how open they are to hiring immigrants to workthere. The rules vary from countrytocountry.Also, look into American businesses that have outposts there. It may be possible to work for an American company abroad.

Another consideration is to takeasmaller step first Move to another part of this country.Gotoaplace you’ve never visited that interests you, and build a new life there. Give yourself atime limit to create anew experience and see how it feels. Then decide if you want topivot again toa new country.The practice of setting up anew life will prepare you for another life somewhereelse if you still want it.

Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com.

Dear Miss Manners: Iwork in afast-food restaurant, in which we only go by our first names. Often,when customers decide that Iamthe cause of whatever is not going their way, they ask me for my name. My first nameisclearly spelled out on my nametag, but I always say it for them anyway,asitisdifficult to pronounce. It is an unusual name, and no one else in the store has it. However,they also often ask for my last name, which Idecline to give them. Idon’tfeel that it is any of their business. I just politely tell them that Idon’tgive out my last name. Often,they takethis as rudeness on my part.

By The Associated Press

Gentle reader: The reason stores use first names —or first names and last initials —onname tags is to balance tworeasonable, but competing, requirements. Acustomer is entitled to lodge alegitimate complaint through normal channels about inadequate performance by asalesperson. So the tag has to give enough information to uniquely identifythe alleged offender But the salesperson also has to be protected against illegitimate complaints or unwarranted approaches outside of normal channels. This is whyname tags do not include afull name, which could be used to look

TODAYINHISTORY

Today is Wednesday,Feb 25, the 56th day of 2026. There are 309 days left in theyear

Todayinhistory: On Feb.25, 1964, Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) became world heavyweight boxing champion for thefirst time as he defeated Sonny Liston in Miami Beach

Also on this date:

Philippines after 20 years of rule in the wake of a tainted election; opposition leader Corazon Aquino the first womantolead the country —assumed the presidency

In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, 28 American soldiers werekilled when an Iraqi Scud missile hit aU.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

up and harass the salesperson away from the store. From your letter’scalm tone, Miss Manners likes to think that it is the complainant whoisbeing unreasonable. But she nevertheless suggests you give this answer: “I am sorry that you are dissatisfied, but you do not need my last nametoidentifymeto management. If you want to lodge aformal complaint against me, just give my first nameand the time of my shift. Iassure you that they will know how to find me.” This response appeals to Miss Manners both forits politeness and because it calls out the customer’sattempt to intimidate.

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www.missmanners.com.

(DuPont died in prison in December 2010 while serving a13- to 30-year sentence; he was72.)

Continued from page1D STAFF FILEPHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK

I’m alittle picky about my crawfish, but this is by far my favorite year in and year out. The crawfish is perfectly boiled and has just enough spice to have alingering kick after each bite. The flavors of the potatoes and corn are juicy yet not overwhelming. As the season continues, crawfish will likelyget bigger and better statewide Toptip: make sure to get to

BAKERY

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and shaking beef. Each sandwich is made with buttered bread and all the veggies— carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, cilantro andwhite radish The restaurantplans to beginbaking its own breadin March once equipment arrives. Server and hostess Hang

Customers line up for freshly boiled

on theGeaux in Baton Rouge.

Crawfish on the Geauxearly on Fridays, around 3or 3:30, to grab afew pounds

Nguyen recommends the House Special Pho(PhoDac Biet), which includes avariety of phoprotein options like meatballs,rare beef, brisket and flank. Each bowl comes with white and green onionsand aplateofvegetables on theside, shesaid. The 40-seat restaurant’s limited menu features egg rolls, spring rolls, sausage rolls and garlic butter chicken wings —plus Vietnamese coffee and teas.

Huy Nguyen said addition-

before they sell out.

—Margaret DeLaney, healthsection coordinator

al interiordecorationsare planned, alongwithrenovations to theoutdoorpatio, whichwill include acoffee and teabar withspecialty drinks such as boba and Thai tea.

Therestaurantaccepts online orders through its website.

Viet Restaurant and Bakery,11445 CourseyBlvd., Baton Rouge

Open 9a.m.to8:30 p.m. every dayexceptTuesdays, which are 9a.m. to 2p.m.

In 1870, Republican Hiram R. Revels, of Mississippi, was sworn in as aU.S. senator,becoming thefirst African American member of either house of Congress.

In 1913, the 16thAmendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving Congress the power to levy and collect incometaxes, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox.

In 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos fled the

In 1994, American-born Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire with an automatic rifle inside the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, killing 29 Muslimsbefore he wasbeaten to death by worshippers.

In 1997, ajury in Media, Pennsylvania, convicted chemical fortune heir John E. du Pont of third-degree murder,deciding he was mentally ill when he shot and killed world-class wrestler David Schultz.

In 2024, the U.S. and Britain struck 18 Houthi targets in Yemen, answering arecent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed militia group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, including amissile strike that set fire to acargo vessel. Today’sbirthdays: Former talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael is 91. Actor Tom Courtenay is 89. Film director Neil Jordan is 76. Rock musician-actor John Doe (punk band X) is 73. Comedian Carrot Topis61. Actor TeaLeoni is 60. Actor Sean Astin is 55. Singer Daniel Powter is 55. Comedianactor Chelsea Handler is 51. Actor Rashida Jones is 50. FBI Director Kash Patel is 46. Actor Jameela Jamil is 40. Golfer Hideki Matsuyama is 34. Actor Isabelle Fuhrman is 29.

POP-UP

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“Food broughteverybody together,” Brahimi said. “The passionfor me wasso much more thanyou know. When thefood is good, everybody talks about it.”

After years of instability in her home country and five weeks in aMacedonian refugee camp, Brahimi and her family came to Louisiana as refugees through the Catholic Charities Refugee Services in May of 1999. She attended LeeHigh School and learned English.

“WhenwecametoUnited States, Ikind of had alot of anxiety because of my PTSD, butIfound that every time Iwould bake, Iwould justrelax,” Brahimi said Baking turned into catering, but Brahimi wasstill hungry for more knowledge and more opportunities.

For over 10 years she juggled attending college motherhood,a day job ata bank, cleaning houses and acatering business on the side. She is thankful for the many Baton Rouge people who helpedher andher family during that time.

“Each immigrant family has astory.Each immigrantfamilyhas the wayof survival. Mostofus come from poverty or war.We come here forhope, for a betterlife, for hope that our kids will never have to go throughwhatwewent through,” Brahimi said.

Seizingthe moment

When herson was8years old, he loved to watch the show “Hell’s Kitchen,” and he begged Brahimi to go on the show

“One day Ipicked him up, and Isat him on the counter,” Brahimi said. “I said gently,‘Mommy’sgonna try really hard to be one of those chefs that would goon the show.I cannot promise I will get there, butI’m gonna do everything that Ican to get there.’ My kidshave seen the struggle that we’ve gone through. They’ve seen us go from livinginaonebedroom apartmenttoowning our businesses.”

Owning arestaurant was afaraway fantasyuntil she met andbecame friends with Alfred Kulici, another Albanian chef in Baton Rouge

who opened the Italian restaurant La Contea in 2017 Kuliciencouraged Brahimi to pursue her dream of cookinginarestaurant. In 2020, Brahimiseized the moment when she bought Jabby’s Pizza,a localchain, with Kulici.

She credits Kulici with helpingher gainher footing in the restaurant world.And since 2021, she has made an effort to learn something new in the kitchen every day,whether it’sasauce or an entire recipe. She now is thesoleowner of three Jabby’sPizza restaurants in Baton Rouge,Prairieville andThibodeaux.

Overcoming achallenge

Last year,Brahimi had the idea of hosting pop-up dinners.She knew she could do Mediterranean,Albanian and Italian cuisinewell. She hadthe restaurant space shejusthad to organize the event,choose amenu and cook.Then, her daughter suggested she invite other chefs to work with her

She contacted afew restaurants in New Orleans to learn new methods. She studiedunder chefMichael Gulotta at his upscale Italian restaurant, Tana,inMetairie to learn howtooperate and run acommercial restaurant kitchen.

In September of 2025,Brahimi called Linda Roppolo,a localItalianhomecook in Baton Rouge, to help with aSicilianpop-up dinner Brahimi calls her “Nonna Linda,” an affectionate term for grandmother in Italian.

In the kitchen at Jabby’s, all of the chefs use theone pizza oven to cooktheir meals. Brahimisays it takes some strategizing forher and each chef to adjust their routines in ordertoaccommodatethe giant pizza oven.

“Executingcooking at thetemperature 750 de-

greesisa specialchallenge to cook rice, all the meat and thepastry,” Brahimi said.

ASicilian feast

Brahimi andRoppolo seem to have mastered the art of cooking in the pizza oven, though. Around 60 people attendedtheir Sicilian popup dinner in February.

Sicilian sisters DeEtte Montalbano and Renee Crifasi come from alongline of Sicilian cooks.They attended thedinner with Montalbano’shusbandand their friend, Margie DiJohn.

Beforethe meal, Brahimi and Roppolo greeted their diners andannounced the menu for the evening. They served bruschetta with homemade focaccia, arancini with redsauce, an Italian potato salad, manicotti, “Mamma Mia Chicken” with orzo and tiramisu.

Ropollo’sniece Helene Wall assisted in thekitchen, andthe three women juggled thecooking and plating amid thepizzerialimitations. Ajovialattitude rang through the restaurant as wineand Sicilianfare flowed from table to table.

Montalbano and Crifasi ravedabout the meal, and said it was one that their own 99-year-old mother would appreciate.

“Everything was fabulous, delicious,”Montalbano said.

Brahimiisn’tslowing down.She is hosting a Greek andLebanese dinner tonight, anditissold out. On March 4, she’ll host her next pop-up dinner,aMediterranean coastal dinner with chef Logan GaspardofPoiesis Private Dining in Baton Rouge for $85 per person. For moreinformation, visit Brahimi’sFacebook page at facebook.com/albina.brahimi.5.

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

Dear Heloise: While Iagree with Daniel D.’smother that flowers are best enjoyed by theliving, Ihad to share withyou that my late mom said “flowers are for thedead” when, as a kid, Ipresented her witha bouquet (from her garden). However,later in life, she really did seem to enjoy thebirthday and Mother’s Day arrangements that I would send when Icouldn’t be present to spend theday with her —Lori, in central Texas Lori, whenever Ivisited someoneand stayed at their home, Iarranged to have flowers sent to my hostsasthanks for their hospitality. Everyone I knew loved receiving flowers, especially since they were usually yellow roses. —Heloise Averyshort story

Dear Heloise: Iamashort woman responding to

“short people problems.”

Iprefer to shop at 6:308a.m. because the grocery stores are empty.Noone is usually around to help me if there is an item Icannot reach. I started carrying a“grip ‘n’ grab” gadget, which is very handy but 30 inches long. Then Ifound atoy grabber that is only 18 inches long and fits nicely in my bag. Problem solved! Several people wanted to know where Igot it —asporting goods store! —KarenP., in North Carolina No more tears

Dear Heloise: Rather than chilling an onion to stop yourself from tearing up, stick your tongue out and breathe through your mouth when cutting. It works. —E.S.N., in Laguna Beach, California Wheelingingerms

Dear Heloise: I’dlike to give ahint that Istarted

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Take care of domestic, legal, financial or medical issues. It's time to shed the past and to embrace personal growth and the life you desire. Get moving!

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself. Conversations will escalate quickly if you discuss a touchy situation. Bide your time, and the tide will turn.

tAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Put your money and possessions in a safe place, and keep your secrets to yourself. Focus your attention on learning something new, gathering information and verifying facts.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Let common sense guide you. Refuse to let your emotions spin out of control and cause you to act in haste The best way to deal with whatever is going on around you is to take a time-out.

CAnCER (June 21-July 22) Be sure to go over every detail carefully. Dealing with institutions and government agencies will command attention. Be a good listener, and you'll gain an unexpected edge.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Gather information and use what you discover to make a difference. How you engage with others will set the tone for what's to come. Keep life simple and live within your means.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Look out for your best interests. Your success will not please your competitors, but you can win the support you need to move

forward without negativity or opposition.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-oct. 23) Be careful when sharing information. Someone will twist your words if it helps them get ahead. You are best off representing yourself in situations that can affect your reputation.

SCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Don't let the little annoyances get to you. Selfimprovement will serve you better than will trying to change others. A positive attitude will help you gain respect and loyalty.

SAGIttARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Don't share personal information. Stick close to home, and you'll save money and avoid people who annoy you. Keep your emotions in check and say no to temptation.

CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Fend for yourself. Back away from anyone who tries to dictate what you can or can't do. You are overdue for a change, and it's up to you to enforce what's in your best interest.

AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) It's time to further your agenda. Don't ignore an opportunity that appears unexpectedly. If you want something, it's up to you to make the first move. High energy and a positive attitude will help you excel.

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

Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

In “The Merchant of Venice,”William Shakespeare wrote, “At thelength, the truthwill out.”

Whenever you playbridge, dwell at length on your long suitsbecause, in truth, they will usually generate extra tricks. Someplayers are too wedded to high-card pointsand forget to add value foralong suit

WhenIwatchedthisdealbeingplayed, Iliked South’sone-no-trumpresponse. His hand wassosoft, with defensive, not offensive, values. (He thought about passing, but no one would do that today.) Then North surprised me by raising to two no-trump. Yes,hehad only17highcardpoints,butheshouldhaveaddedtwo pointsforhissix-cardsuitandjumpedto three no-trump. True,ifWesthad been psychic and led adiamond, thecontract wouldprobablyhave gone down two. Butheunderstandably chose aspade, selecting the 10, showing zero or two higher honors by partnership agreement Southwon with his queen and played a club to dummy’s queen East shouldhave ducked this, which would have perhaps tempted South into an indiscretion. (Hemighthave, for example, playeda heart to hisqueen. Then West could have won and returned to aheart.)

However,East wonthe trick and shifted to alow heart. West wonwithhis ace and returned aheart. In the fullness of time, declarer took nine tricks. It would have been much better play forSouthtohaveledhisclubjackattrick two, so he couldhave stayed in hishand to repeat the club finesse if it were winning (or, here, East ducked). ©2026 by NEA,Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers: wuzzles

word game

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

Average mark21words

Time limit 35 minutes

Can you find 32 or morewords in CONNIVES?

yEStERDAy’S WoRD —WAtCHFuL

calf

claw cult haft half halt haul hula fact fault flat flaw latch lath

1.

3.

Mr.Ronald LeBlanc, BoardMember

Ms. Sonceria Evans, BoardMember

Ms. Chareeka Grace, BoardMember

Mr.Matthew Daigrepont, BoardMember

Mrs. Teri Bergeron, BoardMember

Mr.Alden Chustz, President

Non-Voting Members Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary

Dr.Chandler Smith, Superintendent Jared Gibbs, Supervisor of Business

AuctionHouse (CAH). Bids shallnot be

cepted or taken, includ‐ingreceiving

deliveredbids, on

by

Postal

Themailing addressfor bids is:Grand Isle Inde‐pendentLevee District P. O. BOX757 GrandIsle, LA 70358 No bidreceivedafter the scheduledtimefor open‐ingwillbeconsidered. Failureofthe U.S. Mail to deliverthe bids timely shallnot be considered duecause forthe sched‐uled time of thebid openingtobeextended.

tion with regard to the specifications. Anon-mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Wednesday, March4 2026 at 2:00 P.M. at the GrandIsleMultiplex Cen‐ter, locatedat3101 Hwy1 in GrandIsle, Louisiana. TheGrand Isle Indepen‐dent LeveeDistrictre‐serves theright to reject anyand allbidsinaccor‐dancewithLouisiana StateBid Law. ____/s/ DavidCa‐mardelle DAVIDCAMARDELLE PRESIDENT GRANDISLEINDEPEN‐DENT LEVEEDISTRICT 178410-FEB25-mar4-113t $1,243.60

(504242-3770).For patients of this facilitywho need as‐sistance,pleasecontact thealternate location or emailinformation@ dciinc.org 177186-FEB16-MAR1-14T $720.58 PUBLIC NOTICE SECTIONA INVITATION TO BIDDERS

Sealed bids will be re‐ceived until 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday, March24, 2026 by theGrand Isle Inde‐pendentLevee District (GIILD),atthe GrandIsle IndependentLevee Dis‐trictlocated at 170 Lud‐wigLane, in GrandIsle, Louisianauntil 2:00 P.M. Allbidswillbepublicly open andreadaloud upon completion of ad‐ministrative tasksatthe GrandIsleMultiplex Cen‐ter, 3101 Hwy1,Grand Isle,LA70358 after 2:00 P.M. Biddocuments are posted on https://www centralauctionhouse. com/rfpc10519-grandisle-independent-leveedistrict.html. To view these, download,and re‐ceivebid noticesbyemail, youmustregister with CentralAuction House(CAH).Ven‐dors/Contractors have theoption to submit theirbidselectronically or by paper copy.For in‐formationabout the electronic submittal process, contactTed FlemingwithCentral AuctionHouse at 1-866570-9620. Each bidshall be either hand deliveredbythe bidder or hisagent,or such bidshall be sent by i d l

ProjectName: Hurricane Ida, GrandIsleBreakwa‐terRehabilitationProject FEMA ProjectNo: PW1246 &PW2295

ProjectDescription: The projectconsistsofthe rehabilitation of fiftyfour (54) existing,rock breakwater segments in GrandIsle, LA totaling approximately21,440 lin‐earfeet to EL +4.5 ft (NAVD88)

Bids must be submitted on theLouisiana Uniform Public WorksBid Form furnishedwiththe Bid‐ding Documents. Asingle setofBidding Docu‐mentsshall be issued at thecostofreproduction to contractors whoare li‐censed by theLicensing BoardofContractors This Projectshall require aLouisiana Contractors licensenumberfor one of thefollowing: Heavy Construction

BiddingDocuments for this Projectare on file in theoffice of GISEngi‐neering, LLClocated at 197 ElysianDr.,Houma Louisiana, 70363 and a single copy maybeob‐tained by each prospec‐tive bidder at acostof $100.00 by contacting AnnHebertorbidques‐tions@gisy.com forany clarification or informa‐

percent (100%)ofsaidcontract writtenbya companyli‐censed to do business in Louisianaand whoiscur‐rently on theU.S.Depart‐ment of theTreasuryFi‐nancialManagement ServiceList. Thebond shallbecountersigned by apersonwho is under contract andwho is li‐censed as an insurance agentinthe Stateof Louisiana, andwho is re‐siding in this state. The St.Tammany Parish Recreation District #6 re‐serves theright to reject anyand allbidsfor just cause. In accordance with La.R.S.38:2212 (A) (1)(b),the provisions andrequirementsofthis section, thosestatedin theadvertisement for bids,and thoserequired on thebid form shallnot be considered as infor‐malities andshall notbe waived by anypublicen‐tity Bidders must meet the requirements of the StateofLouisiana Con‐tractor’sLicensing Law, R.S. 37:2151 et seq. NOTE:BIDSSHALL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM CON‐TRACTORS WHOARE LI‐CENSED UNDER LOUISIANACONTRAC‐TORS LICENSINGLAW FORTHE MAJORCLASSI‐FICATION OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION TheSt. TammanyParish Recreation District #6 encourages allsmall b i i i g business, minorityowned firms, veteranowned firms, and women’sbusinessenter‐prises to participate. TheSt. Tammany Parish Recreation District #6 /s/ MichaelMichel MichaelMichel, Chairman District 6Rec.Board PLEASE PUBLISH: Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 Wednesday, February 18th, 2026 Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 ENDOFSECTION 176753-feb11-18-25-3t $1,348.80 y United States Postal Ser‐vice registered or certi‐fied mail with areturn receiptrequested,or shallbesubmitted elec‐tronically with

placed in apreviously permitteddisposalarea. Allworkwilloccuronthe rightdescendingbankof theMississippi Riveroff LA-405 near Modesteand northwestofDonald‐sonville in Ascension Parish.CFIndustriesBlue Point, LLCisapplying to theLouisiana Depart‐ment of Environmental Quality,Office of Environ‐l i f

Q y mental Services for a WaterQuality Certifica‐tion in accordance with statutoryauthority con‐tained in theLAC 33:IX.1507.A-Eand provi‐sionsofSection 401 of theClean WaterAct Commentsconcerning this applicationcan be filedwiththe WaterPer‐mits Division within thirty (30) days of this notice by referencing WQC251124-01 andAIs 249433 and149544 to the followingaddress: LouisianaDepartmentof EnvironmentalQuality WaterPermits Division P.O. Box4313 BatonRouge,LA708214313 Attn:Water QualityCerti‐fications Comments maybesub‐mitted by emailtoDEQWaterQualityCertifica‐tions@la.gov Acopyofthe application is availablefor inspec‐tion andreviewatthe LDEQ Public Records Center at 602 NorthFifth Street,Baton Rouge, LA 70802, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Theavailable informationcan also be accessedelectronically on theElectronicDocu‐ment Management Sys‐tem(EDMS)onthe LDEQ public websiteatwww deq.louisiana.gov. 178525-feb25-1t $262.78

NOTICE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO INTRODUCE LOCALBILL Notice is hereby given that,atthe 2026 Regular Sessionofthe Louisiana Legislature, therewillbe introduced alocal bill relative to theCityofSt. George in East Baton RougeParishtoamend andreenactprovisionsof lawrelativetothe City of St.GeorgeTransitionDis‐trict. Thebill will clarify theallocationand exclu‐sive exercise of munici‐palauthority to levy,col‐lect,administer, anden‐forcea municipalinsur‐ance premiumlicense taxauthorizedpursuant to R.S. 22:833onrisks lo‐catedwithinthe corpo‐rate limits of theCityof St.George; to prohibit thelevyorcollectionof such taxbythe city of BatonRouge or the Parish of East Baton Rougewithinthe corpo‐rate limits of theCityof St.George; to prevent duplicativetaxation; to providefor

Jessica Blanchardconducted aroll call: Thefollowing member were present:

•Mr. Burke Fiscus,BoardMember

•Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, BoardMember

•Dr. Atley Walker Sr., Vice President

•Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, BoardMember

•Ms. Sonceria Evans, BoardMember

•Ms. Chareeka Grace, BoardMember-Arrive at 5:09PM

•Mr. Matthew Daigrepont,BoardMember

•Mrs. Teri Bergeron, BoardMember

•Mr. Alden Chustz, President Aquorum was made The followingmembers wereabsent: Mr.Mike Maranto, BoardMember

4. Agenda

1. Receive and review Head StartDirectorsMonthlyReport (Crystal Leon) The boardreviewed the attache Head Start DirectorsMonthly Report The Chairman declaredthe floor openfor public comment Informational Item, No Action necessary

2. Consideration of request for approvalof the monthly expenditures and financialreportsfor November 2025 (Jared Gibbs) Mr.Gibbs went over attached report

The chairman declared the flooropenfor public comment

That the boardapproves monthly expenditures and financial reports for November 2025

Ms. Grace arrive at 5:09pm Motion made by: Dr.Atley Walker Sr Motion seconded by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron

Voting: Unanimously Approved

3. Consideration of request to approve NewJob Description for Child Nutrition Program Coordinator (BarbaraBurke and Jared Gibbs) Mrs. Burke and Mr.Gibbsexplained that we have someone retiring and wanted tp update thejob description and move it to a Coordinator Position The Chairman declaredthe floor open forpublic comment That the boardapproves New Job Description for Child Nutrition Program Coordinator Motion made by: Mr.Burke Fiscus Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre

Voting: Unanimously Approved

4. Consideration of request to approve reassignment of current name to Early Childhood Instructional Coordinator.(Barbara Burke and Crystal Leon)

Mrs. Burke and Ms.Leon went overthe reassignment of their current name to the EarlyChildhood Instructional Coordinator to alignwiththe job duties

The chairman declared the floor open forpublic comment T hat the boardapproves to reassignment of current name to Early Childhood Instructional Coordinator

Motion made by: Mr.Burke Fiscus

Motion seconded by:Mr. Matthew Daigrepont

Voting: Unanimously Approved

5. Considerationofrequest to approve theTeacher Recruitment

&Retention Stipend for 2026-2027 School Year (Barbara Burke and Jared Gibbs)

Mr.Gibbs and Mrs. Burke went over theattached Recruitment and Retention Stipend for the School Year 2026-2027. That the chairman declared the flooropen for publiccomment That the boardapproves the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Stipend for 2026-2027 School Year

Motionmade by: Mr.Alden Chustz

Motionseconded by: Mr.Matthew Daigrepont

Voting: Unanimously Approved

6. UpdateonFinancial Policies reviewed by Auditors(Jared Gibbs) Mr.Gibbs went over the changes in some policiesand procedures that his department has updated per the Auditors. The chairman declared the flooropen for publiccomment Informational Items, No ActionNecessary

5. Adjourn That the Finance Committee Meetingcan be Adjourned.

Motionmade by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron

Motionseconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre

Voting: Unanimously Approved

MEETING MINUTES

Regular Meeting of the WBR Parish SchoolBoard 01/21/2026 05:00 PM BoardRoom Central Office

3761 RosedaleRd, PortAllen, LA

Scanthe above QR code withyour phone to view this meeting agenda on your phone.

Attendance

Voting Members

Mr.Burke Fiscus, BoardMember

Mrs.Hayley Clouatre,BoardMember

Dr.Atley WalkerSr.,VicePresident

Mr.Ronald LeBlanc, BoardMember

Ms.Chareeka Grace, BoardMember

Mr.MatthewDaigrepont,BoardMember

Mr.Michael Maranto, BoardMember Mrs. Teri Bergeron, BoardMember

Mr.Alden Chustz, President Non-Voting Members Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary Jared Gibbs, Supervisor of Business

Dr.Chandler Smith,Superintendent

1. Call to Order The chairman calledthe meetingtoorder

2. Pledge of Allegiance Mr.Chustz led us in The Pledge of Allegiance Dr.Walkergave the invocation

3. Roll Call

Jessica Blanchardconducted the roll call. The following werepresent

•Mr. Burke Fiscus, BoardMember

•Mrs. Hayley Clouatre,BoardMember

•Dr. AtleyWalkerSr.,VicePresident

•Mr. RonaldLeBlanc, BoardMember

•Ms. Chareeka Grace, BoardMember Arrive at 5:03PM

•Mr. Matthew Daigrepont,BoardMember

•Mr. Michael Maranto, BoardMember

•Mrs. Teri Bergeron, BoardMember

•Mr. Alden Chustz, President Aquorum was made The following wereabsent Ms. Sonceria Evans, BoardMember

4. Election of Officers Ms. Chareeka Grace arrive at 5:03PM

1. Nomination for President Nominationfor MatthewDaigrepont for School BoardPresident The chairman declared the flooropen for publiccomment

Motionmade by: Mr.RonaldLeBlanc

Motionseconded by: Mrs.Teri Bergeron

Voting: Unanimously Approved

2. Nomination for Vice President First motionwas made to Nominate Burke Fiscus as Vice President

Motionmade by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron

Motionseconded by: Mr.Alden Chustz

Voting: Mr.Burke Fiscus -Yes

Mrs. Hayley Clouatre -Yes

Dr.Atley WalkerSr. -Yes

Mr.RonaldLeBlanc -Yes

Ms. Chareeka Grace -No

Mr.MatthewDaigrepont -Yes

Mr.Michael Maranto -Yes

Mrs. Teri Bergeron -Yes

Mr.Alden Chustz- Yes

Second motion wasmadetonominate Ms. Chareeka Grace for Vice President Motion made by: Ms. Chareeka Grace Motion seconded by: Dr.AtleyWalker Sr Voting: Mr.Burke Fiscus -No Mrs. Hayley Clouatre-Yes

Dr.AtleyWalker Sr.- Yes

Mr.Ronald LeBlanc-No

Ms. Chareeka Grace -Yes

Mr.MatthewDaigrepont- No

Mr.Michael Maranto -Yes Mrs. Teri Bergeron-No

Mr.AldenChustz -No

5. Approval of Minutes Be it Resolved, That theapproval of theminutesofthe RegularBoard Meeting held December 17,2025 be approved as presented. The Chairmandeclared the floor openfor publiccomment. Motion made by: Mr.Ronald LeBlanc Motion seconded by: Dr.AtleyWalker Sr Voting: Unanimously Approved

6. Superintendent’sReport Dr.Smith went of hisattached SuperintendentReport The chairman declaredthe floor open forpubliccomment Informational Item No action Necessary

7. ReportfromCommunity Committees/Agencies

8. Unfinished Business

9. Presentation of Consent Agenda

1. Consideration of requestfor approvalofthe monthly expenditures and financial reports for November 2025 (Finance Committee Report1/13/25)

2. Consideration of requesttoapprove New JobDescription for Child Nutrition Program Coordinator (Finance Committee Report1/13/25)

3. Consideration of requesttoapprove reassignment of current name to Early Childhood Instructional Coordinator.(Finance Committee Report1/13/25)

4. Considerationofrequesttoapprove the Teacher Recruitment &Retention Stipend for2026-2027SchoolYear (Finance Committee Report1/13/25)

10. Approval of Consent Agenda Be it resolved thatthe Board does hereby approve andadopt the Above Consent Agenda Items #1-4 TheChairmandeclared the floor openfor public comment. Thatthe boardapproves Consent Agenda Items #1-4 Motion made by: Mr.Ronald LeBlanc Motion secondedby: Mr.Burke Fiscus Voting: Unanimously Approved

11. End of ConsentAgenda

1. Adoptionofaresolution providing for canvassingthe returns and declaring the resultsofthe special election held in Parishwide School DistrictNo.3 of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on SaturdayNovember 15,2025, along with authorizingthe levy of aspecial tax therein. (Tommy Hessburg/ Butler Snow, LLP) Mr.Hessburgexplainedtothe board thatthis is just accepting the outcome of the election. The chairman declaredthe floor openfor publiccomment Thatthe boardadopts of aresolution providing for canvassing thereturns anddeclaring the resultsofthe special election held in Parishwide School District No.3ofWestBaton Rouge, Louisiana on Saturday November 15,2025, alongwithauthorizingthe levy of aspecialtax therein. Motion made by: Mr.AldenChustz Motion seconded by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting: Unanimously Approved

2. Resolution of School BoardMember Training Hours.(Dr Chandler Smith) Dr.Smith went overthe training hoursand resolution thatis attached for the2025Board Member Training Hours Thechairmandeclared the floor openfor publiccomment Thatthe boardapprove theResolution of School Board Member TrainingHours. Motion made by: Mr.Ronald LeBlanc Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Voting: Unanimously Approved

12. Organization Items CommitteeMeeting: Tuesday,February 10, 2026 RegularBoard Meeting: Wednesday,February 18,2026

13. Any other business unanimouslyapproved by the boardfor consideration

14. Adjourn Thatthe RegularBoard Meeting be adjourned. Motion made by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Motion seconded by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting: Unanimously Approved