The Acadiana Advocate 02-26-2026

UL maysellproperties to closebudgetdeficit

experimental

Kolluru’sproposal wouldaffect5sites

BY MEGAN WYATT Staff writer

The University of Louisiana atLafayette is expected to sell multiple properties in an effort to close its remaining $12 million deficitasthe university’ssystem boardcomes closer to naming itsnext president Interim President Ramesh Kolluru, who is expectedtobeappointed as the permanent presidenton Friday after beingnamedthe lone finalist for the position this week, recently asked the UL system board to approve the sale of five properties. They include: n a600-acreexperimental research farm in St. Martinville

n a50-acreecology center near Carencro

n aresidential home near UL’s research park campus n asmall, empty lot near themain campus n afraternity house near UL’s sportsand entertainmentplaza

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette ecology center at 703 Thoroughbred Driveinnorth Lafayette would alsobesold

Addressesfor the properties are includedindocumentsfor Thursday’sregular meeting of the UL systemboard. Kolluru asked the board’s facilities planning committee to approve the advertisingand auctioning of the firstfourproperties. He asked the committee to approve the sale of

the final propertytothe fraternity’s alumni association. The Cade experimental research farm at 1178 W.J. Bernard Drive in St.Martinville includes pasture land, agricultural land, wetland habitats,

ä See PROPERTIES, page 6A

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

OpelousasJuniorHighSchoolcould merge with OpelousasSeniorHigh School forthe 202627 school year followinganultimatum from the Louisiana Department of Education. In aletter dated Feb. 19, the department informed the St. LandryParish School Boardthat if the parish does not present aplan to merge the junior high and high school into asingle school, the state will takeoveroperations.According to the letter,the junior high has received an Fgrade from the state forseven consecutive years making it eligible forthe state’sRecovery School District system The junior high is one of 28 schools Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley identified as being RSD eligible. Aschool must be classified by thestate as “academically unacceptable” forfour years in arow to be eligible for RSD, at whichpoint thestate cantakecontrol of the school.

Governor helping Letlow campaign to unseat Cassidy

Landry targeting fundraising, partyendorsement

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Not sinceHueyLongnearly100 years ago has agovernor triedtodefeat asitting U.S. senator from the samepolitical party

But that’swhat Gov. Jeff Landry is trying to do as Sen. Bill Cassidy,afellow Republican, runs for reelection.Landry is working behindthe scenes to raise money for the Senate campaign of U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and to secure an endorsement for her by the Louisiana Republican Party,according to GOPsources.

Landry has told associates that he has inserted himself into the race at the behest of President Donald Trump, who endorsed Letlow in January because of, it’swidely believed, his unhappiness with Cassidy.The senator is running for athird term in the May 16 Republican primary Also challenging Cassidy in the Republican primary is state TreasurerJohnFleming,who

Louisianaschools preparetopostTen Commandments

Districts weighhow to comply with law aftercourt lifted block

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Louisiana school leaders are grappling with theirnext moves after afederalappealscourtendeda pause ona state law requiring displaysofthe Ten Commandments in everyclassroom,

with some superintendents moving quicklytodistribute theposters while others, waryofpotential lawsuits, wait for more guidance.

The East Baton Rouge school system will send posters bearing thebiblical passages to classrooms “inthe near future,” aspokesperson said. In rural Grant Parish, Superintendent Erin Stokes said theSchool Boardiseager to comply with the law,and she plans to give donated TenCommandments posters to school principals this week.

“We’ll probably be moving forward

pretty quickly,” she said.

The school system in Caddo Parish is moving more slowly,with plans to wait until thesummer to distributethe postersand trainteachersonthe law, according to School Board President Don Little. Officials in other districts saidthey are seeking advice from their attorneys or thestate Department of Education, which has not issued any guidance and on Tuesday referred questions to theAttorney General’s

See SCHOOLS, page 6A

Astronaut identifies self as reason for evacuation

NASA’s Mike Fincke identified himself Wednesday as the astronaut whose medical condition prompted the space agency’s first medical evacuation.

In a written statement, the 58-year-old spaceflight veteran revealed he was the ailing crew member last month aboard the International Space Station. He did not say what was wrong with him but explained that his condition quickly stabilized thanks to his crewmates and flight surgeons on the ground.

Fincke said he’s doing well now “Spaceflight is an incredible privilege, and sometimes it reminds us just how human we are,” he said in the statement.

Fincke launched with three others on a SpaceX flight last summer Their mission came to an early end on Jan. 15, a week after he experienced what he called a “medical event that required immediate attention” by his fellow astronauts The health concern also forced the cancellation of a planned spacewalk by Fincke and another NASA astronaut.

Explosion at house injures mother and child

BOSTON Firefighters in Massachusetts were investigating an explosion Wednesday that left a house engulfed in flames and at least two people injured, authorities said.

Emergency workers responded to the fire at the threefamily home about 9:50 a.m., fire officials said. Two injured residents, a 25-year-old mother with severe burns and a 2-yearold child with serious injuries, were transported to hospitals officials said.

The home was a total loss and eight residents were displaced, fire officials said. Two adjacent homes were also seriously burned, they said.

Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell told reporters on a street lined with piles of snow and emergency vehicles that she didn’t immediately know whether those injured were inside the house when it exploded Nearby residents, including some who live several blocks away, reported hearing a loud noise at the time of explosion.

Mexico passes 40-hour workweek, down from 48

Mexican lawmakers unanimously approved a workerfriendly labor reform that will gradually reduce the workweek, notching a fresh victory for the ruling leftist coalition.

The reform backed by President Claudia Sheinbaum will shorten the workweek from 48 hours to 40 hours over the next four years while also providing for one mandatory fully paid day off per week Critics argued that the changes would cause labor costs to spike while undercutting productivity, though some opposition lawmakers sought to go further by advocating for two days off each week.

Currently, Mexican workers are not provided with guaranteed paid time off.

The labor reform passed with 469 votes in favor and zero opposed — with no abstentions — in the 500-member lower house.

Earlier this month, Mexico’s Senate approved the bill unanimously Sheinbaum has argued that more than 13 million Mexican workers will benefit from it

The text of the reform specifies that the transition to a shorter workweek will kick off in 2027 with an annual reduction of two hours per week.

Power outages, piles of snow vex Northeast

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI, LEAH WILLINGHAM and JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. Power failures, waisthigh canyons of snow and more flurries Wednesday bedeviled parts of the Northeast in the aftermath of a massive storm that dumped icy piles on streets and sidewalks from Maryland to Maine.

The fallout persisted across the region: In Rhode Island, where 3 feet of snow surpassed the record set in the Blizzard of 1978, people were stuck in their homes for a third straight day as residential streets remained unplowed, trash pickup got postponed in places and some schools went virtual.

More than 138,000 customers were still without power Wednesday afternoon, nearly all of them in Massachusetts and particularly in Cape Cod, according to poweroutage.us. Utility crews were working 18-hour shifts to restore electricity and people huddled in warming shelters for respite and to recharge phones.

Anny Enos took her three grandchildren to a warming station in Barnstable, Massachusetts, on Wednesday to charge their devices and get a change of scenery She said she hasn’t had power since Sunday afternoon and was afraid that she might not get it back until Friday

She threw out most of her fridge Tuesday and was just hoping for the best. “I hate to say it but it doesn’t seem like they were ready,” she said.

The storm created “thousands” of damage sites that required workers in some cases to remove big snow piles with backhoes before new poles could be installed or old ones repaired, according to Doug Foley, president of electric operations for Eversource in Massachusetts

More crews from other states arrived to help on Wednesday Most unwelcome, up to 3 more inches

of snow fell early Wednesday, adding to slippery conditions before temperatures rose, creating slushy messes.

Police said carbon monoxide poisoning killed a man in an area of Rhode Island that had lost power Joseph Boutrous, 21, had told a fellow Salve Regina student he was going to charge his phone in his car, Newport Police Capt. Joseph Carroll said. The exhaust pipe was obstructed by snow, police said, calling his death accidental. The sophomore from Bohemia, New York was an offensive lineman on the football team. A social media post said his teammates are heartbroken. Massive amounts of snow

Monday’s storm blanketed the region with snow, canceled flights, disrupted transit and downed power lines.

Crunching the numbers, meteorologist Ryan Maue, former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, calculated that all that snow held a total of 2.5 trillion gallons of water

If all the snow that fell from Maryland to Maine fell just on Manhattan, it would have towered over a mile high. If the snowfall blanketed only on Rhode Island, which got hit hardest, it would bury the entire Ocean State in more than 92 feet of snow, The Associated Press estimated. Melted, it’s enough to fill the Empire State Building with water more than 9,000 times. New York State got the water equivalent of 680 billion gallons, while Pennsylvania got 410 billion gallons and Massachusetts got 28 billion.

When it eventually melts, it will help mitigate the drought affecting parts of the Northeast, Maue said, but right now it’s adding misery to an already punishing season.

“I think this storm took a severe winter and turned it into an extreme winter or a record extreme winter,” he said.

Hungary’s leader orders extra security at critical energy sites

Orbán claiming Ukraine plans

disruptions

BY JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary Hun-

garian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Wednesday ordered extra security at critical energy infrastructure sites after claiming Ukraine was attempting to disrupt Hungary’s energy system.

himself as the only guarantor of its safety.

‘An oil blockade’

Rubio defends U.S. ouster of Maduro to Caribbean leaders

BY MATTHEW LEE and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts and Nevis

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday defended the Trump administration’s military operation to capture Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, telling Caribbean leaders, many of whom objected to that move, that the country and the region were better off as a result.

Speaking to leaders from the 15-member Caribbean Community bloc at a summit in the country of St. Kitts and Nevis, Rubio brushed aside concerns about the legality of Maduro’s capture last month that have been raised among Venezuela’s island-state neighbors and others.

“Irrespective of how some of you may have individually felt about our operations and our policy toward Venezuela, I will tell you this, and I will tell you this without any apology or without any apprehension: Venezuela is better off today than it was eight weeks ago,” Rubio told the leaders in a closeddoor meeting, according to a transcript of his remarks later distributed by the U.S. State Department. The Caribbean leaders have gathered to debate pressing issues in a region that President Donald Trump has targeted for a 21st-century incarnation of the Monroe Doctrine meant to ensure Washington’s dominance in the Western Hemisphere..

America’s top diplomat tried to play down any antagonistic intent in what Trump has referred to as the “Donroe Doctrine.” Rubio said the administration wants to strengthen ties with the region in the wake of the Venezuela operation and ensure that issues such as crime and economic opportunities are jointly addressed.

“I am very happy to be in an administration that’s giving priority to the Western Hemisphere after largely being ignored for

a very long time,” Rubio said. “We share common opportunities, and we share some common challenges. And that’s what we hope to confront.” Rubio said the U.S. and the Caribbean can work together on economic advancement and energy issues, especially because many leaders at the fourday summit have energy resources they seek to explore.

Rubio said the U.S. recognizes the need for fair, democratic elections in Venezuela, which lies just miles away from Trinidad and Tobago at the closest point. Rubio added: “We view our security, our prosperity our stability to be intricately tied to yours.”

Trump, in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, called the operation that spirited Maduro out of Venezuela to face drug trafficking charges in New York “an absolutely colossal victory for the security of the United States.” In the Caribbean, Trump has stepped up aggressive tactics to combat alleged drug smuggling with a series of strikes on boats that have killed over 150 people and he has tightened the pressure on Cuba. Regional leaders have complained about administration demands for nations to accept third-country deportees from the U.S. and to chill relations with China.

Godwin Friday, newly elected prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, echoed the fears of many European leaders when he said the Caribbean is “challenged from inside and out.”

“International rules and practices that we have become used to over the years have changed in troubling ways,” Friday said. Terrance Drew, prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and chair of the Caribbean Community bloc, said the region “stands at a decisive hour.”

“The global order is shifting,” he said during the summit’s opening ceremony Tuesday

Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COMor337-234-0800 News Tips /Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM

Obituaries: 225-388-0289• Mon-Fri9-5; Sat10-5; ClosedSun

Advertising Sales: 337-234-0174•Mon-Fri 8-5

Classified Advertising: 225-383-0111 •Mon-Fri 8-5

Subscribe: theadvocate.com/subscribe

E-Edition: theadvocate.com/eedition Archives: theadvocate.newsbank.com

Budapest has recently accused Kyiv of deliberately holding back Russian oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline, which cr os se s Ukraine’s territory Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations, saying the pipeline, which feeds refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, was hit in a Russian drone attack

Orbán has in recent weeks launched an aggressive anti-Ukraine campaign ahead of elections in April which will likely be the toughest he’s faced in his 16 years in power He has cast the neighboring country as a grave threat to Hungary’s security, and

In a video posted to social media, Orbán, who maintains the closest relationship with the Kremlin of any European Union leader said the Ukrainian government was using “an oil blockade” to exert pressure on Hungary and that Hungarian national security services showed Ukraine was “preparing further actions to disrupt the operation of Hungary’s energy system.” He didn’t provide details or evidence for his claims.

“We will deploy soldiers and the necessary equipment to repel attacks near key energy facilities,” Orbán said. “The police will patrol with increased forces around designated power plants, distribution stations and control centers.”

Nearly every country in Europe has significantly reduced or entirely ceased Russian energy imports since Moscow launched its war in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Yet Hungary and Slovakia, both EU and NATO members, have maintained and even increased supplies of Russian oil and gas, and received a temporary exemption from an EU policy prohibiting imports of Russian oil.

On Sunday, Hungary threatened to block a $106 billion EU loan for Kyiv, and vetoed a new round of EU sanctions against Russia on Monday Orbán has vowed to block any other EU measures to assist Ukraine until oil shipments resume.

Druzhba has been out of commission since Jan 27. Repairs are hazardous and the pipeline can only operate reliably if Russia stops targeting energy infrastructure, according to Ukrainian officials.

A crucial election

Orban has repeatedly accused Ukraine of “blackmail” to force him to give up his anti-Ukrainian positions, and of seeking to drive up energy prices in Hungary just weeks before a pivotal election.

Orbán, who retook office in 2010, faces the strongest challenge to his power in an election set for April 12. The EU’s longest-serving leader and his right-wing Fidesz party are trailing in most independent polls to an upstart center-right challenger, Péter Magyar His party has pushed the message that if it loses the election, the Tisza party will drag the country into the war in Ukraine, bankrupting Hungary and getting its youth killed on the front lines.

Surgeon general nominee faces questioning

BY ALI SWENSON Associated Press

NEW YORK Wellness influencer, author and entrepreneur Dr. Casey Means on Wednesday shared a vision for addressing the root causes of chronic disease instead of feeding into “reactive sick care” during her confirmation hearing to become the nation’s next surgeon general.

“Our nation is angry, exhausted and hurting,” the 38-year-old said in Washington before the Senate health committee Wednesday “If we’re addressing shared root causes, we’re going to be able to stop the whack-a-mole medicine that’s not working for us.”

It’s a message that dovetails with that of Means’ ally, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and his “Make America Healthy Again” movement. It also has some bipartisan support, with many Democrats and Republicans agreeing that the rise in chronic disease is a problem that needs solving.

But Means also faced tough questions from senators about topics that have become divisive in recent years, such as vaccines and hormonal birth control, as well as about her qualifications and potential conflicts. The physician’s disillusionment with traditional medicine drove her to a career in which she has promoted various products, at times without disclosing how she could benefit financially She has no government experience, and her license to practice as a physician is not currently active.

“I have very serious questions about the ability of Dr. Means to be the kind of surgeon general this country needs,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the ranking member of the Senate health committee, said

Dr Casey Means

Education

and

Wednesday Next, the committee will consider whether to advance Means’ nomination, in which case it would go to a vote in the full Senate.

Means grilled on vaccines

As the nation’s doctor, the surgeon general is a leader for Americans on public health issues. If confirmed, Means could issue advisories that warn of public health threats. She also would be tasked with promoting Kennedy’s sprawling MAHA agenda, which calls for removing food additives, rooting out conflicts of interest and promoting healthier eating.

Surgeons general also have sometimes used the office to advocate on issues related to vaccination — though the office has no role in creating vaccine policy While Means has largely steered clear of

Kennedy’s debunked views on vaccines, senators from both parties grilled her on how she would approach the issue if confirmed.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Baton Rouge Republican who chairs the Senate health committee, asked Means whether she would advise Americans to vaccinate against flu and measles amid outbreaks across the U.S. She didn’t make that commitment, instead emphasizing the importance of informed consent between patients and doctors.

Cassidy, a doctor himself, then asked Means if she accepts evidence that shows vaccines don’t cause autism.

“I do accept that evidence,” she said, referring to the research. “I also think that science is never settled.”

Means said she looked forward to seeing the results of a federal

Committee Chair Sen. Bill Cassidy R-Baton Rouge, holds his head as Dr Casey Means testifies Wednesday in Washington.

effort to study environmental contributors to autism. The National Institutes of Health is funding such research, and it’s not clear when those findings will be made public.

Means also was asked about concerns she has raised about the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped recommending for all children in a move criticized by scientific and medical groups nationwide. She said she supports the CDC’s approach to the birth dose, but that promoting universal vaccination against the disease “at some point in childhood” was worthwhile.

Past comments on birth control

Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray asked Means to address her past comments that birth control pills were being prescribed “like candy” and showed a “disrespect of things that create life.”

Means said she thinks oral contraceptives should be available to all women, but raised concerns about what she called “horrifying side effects” that can occur in certain populations.

“Doctors do not have enough

time for a thorough informed consent conversation,” she said.

According to the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, hormonal birth control methods such as the pill, patch or ring are safe for most people but are associated with a small increased risk of deep vein thrombosis, heart attack and stroke.

Means isn’t traditional candidate

After graduating from Stanford University with a doctor of medicine degree, Means dropped out of her surgical residency program at Oregon Health and Science University in 2018. She later cited her belief that the health care system was broken and exploitative as the reason for her withdrawal.

Means then turned to alternative approaches to address what she has described as widespread metabolic dysfunction driven largely by poor nutrition and an overabundance of ultraprocessed foods. Because she had completed enough postgraduate training to obtain a medical license, she did so and started her own functional medicine practice in Oregon, which later closed. She co-founded Levels, a nutrition-, sleep- and exercise-tracking app that can give users insights from blood tests and continuous glucose monitoring. Financial disclosures show she made hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting wellness products, including specialty basil seed supplements, teas and elixirs, probiotic products and a prepared meal delivery service. An Associated Press investigation found that while recommending these products, she at times failed to disclose that she could profit or benefit from the sales.

Cuba says it killed 4 aboard Fla.-registered speedboat that opened fire on soldiers

By The Associated Press

HAVANA Cuban soldiers killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speedboat that had entered Cuban waters and opened fire first on soldiers, the Cuban government said Wednesday

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that he was made aware of the incident with

Cuban soldiers and that the U.S. is now gathering its own information to determine if the victims were American citizens or permanent residents.

“We have various different elements of the U.S. government that are trying to identify elements of the story that may not be provided to us now,” Rubio said while at the airport in Basseterre, St. Kitts.

Trump’s top diplomat refused to

speculate on what happened, saying that its could be a “wide range of things,” and that the U.S will not solely rely on what the Cuban authorities have provided thus far

“Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that. It’s not something that happens every day,” he said.

Earlier, Cuba’s Interior Ministry issued a statement that provided few details about the shooting, but

noted that the boat was roughly 1 mile northeast of Cayo Falcones, off Cuba’s north coast.

The government provided the boat’s registration number, but

The Associated Press was unable to readily verify details of the boat because boat registrations are not public in the state of Florida.

Officials said one Cuban officer was injured, four suspects killed and six others injured.

In the statement, the ministry said Cuba’s government was “safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region.”

Following the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump and top administration officials have taken an increasingly aggressive stance toward Cuba, which had been largely kept economically afloat by Venezuela’s oil.

Connectingrural Louisiana to opportunityand investment throughCCS

Thisstory is brought to you by ExxonMobil

Fromtimberlands in St.LandryParish to farmland in AllenParish, rural Louisiana has long been defined by hardwork, naturalresources and close-knit communities.Today, rural parishes have the opportunitytoconnectwith multi-million-dollar investmentsacrossthe state. Carboncapture and storage(CCS)isdoing morefor Louisiana than reducing emissions. It’salsopositioningthe statetowin generational investments and ensuring that ourrural communities sharethatsuccess

Louisiana leading the way Louisianahas been adominantforce in national and global energy markets fordecades and continues to lead today. In 2025, Louisiana ranked amongthe topstates forbusiness investment, fueled by record-breakingproject announcementsand acoordinatedstatewide energystrategy focused on winning global investmentand unleashinginnovation.

Newand expanding industrial projects across industries such as liquefied natural gas, data centers,advanced manufacturing and steelproduction representapproximately 17,000 potential newjobsand an estimated$76 billion in capital investment according to a2025executiveorder from Governor Jeff Landry

An importantbenefitfor thoseprojectsin Louisiana?Carboncaptureand storage. Global marketsare demandinglower-carbon products.Fromsteel and chemicals to fuelsand building materials, companies increasingly need reliable carbon solutions so theycan stay competitive bothdomestically and overseas.Inthe same wayheavy industry has historically soughtaccess to ports and rail when considering where to invest in futureprojects, accesstoCCS has become acriticalfactorinthe site selection processaswell. Louisiana’sunique geology, extensive pipeline network and experienced industrial workforcemakeitone of themost attractivedestinations in theworldfor CCS deployment.ExxonMobil’s LowCarbon Solutions businessishelpingbuild that

foundationbyconnecting industrial facilitiesalong the Mississippi Rivercorridor to secure, permanentunderground storage sites.

In the last sevenmonths, ExxonMobil has started up CCS operations at CF Industries’ Donaldsonville Complex andatthe New GenerationGas Gathering (NG3) natural gasprocessingfacility, both in Louisiana.

CCSconnects throughinfrastructure and investment

Carbon capture does nothappen without connectivity.Itrequires infrastructure —likepipelinestoconnect facilitieswhere carbon dioxide(CO2)iscaptured, and geologic formations where CO2 canbesafely stored thousands of feet underground.

Through pipeline networks, including ExxonMobil’sexpansive CO2 pipeline in Louisiana,CCS connects

Itsafely connects major industrial hubs tostorage locations,and global manufacturerstoLouisiana communities

Many storagesites arelocatedinrural parishes that historically have not had the same accesstolarge-scale industrial investmentorinfrastructure.Through CCS, those communities become essential partnersin astatewide energy strategy and canexperience the fiscaland economic advantages historically concentratedinmoreheavily industrialized regions of the state.

Planned CCS projects areexpected to generate tens and hundreds of millions of dollarsinpayments to landownersand substantial tax revenuefor parishes.Insome

cases, theseprojects could significantly increaselocal propertytax bases,strengthening funding for teachers, schools,roads and public services

A2025economic impactstudy conducted by Gulf Engineersand Consultants (GEC) forAllen Parish found thatone proposed carbon storageproject alone could generate an estimated$80 million in labor income, $103 million in parish GDP,hundredsofindirect jobs and morethan$30 million in propertytax revenue over 20 years.

Forrural parishes seeking diversified long-term revenue streams,thatkind of investmentistransformative.

Opportunityfor landowners

Formanylandowners, CCS represents a familiar model with anew purpose. Louisiana landownershavelong leased subsurface rights foroil and gasproduction orpipeline rights-of-way.CCS porespace agreements operate in asimilar way: landownersvoluntarily enterintoagreements to allowthe securestorage of CO2 deep underground, while often continuing to usetheir land above the surface.

To date,ExxonMobil has signed carbon sequestration or CO2 pipeline agreements with morethan 1,500 landownersacrossLouisiana John Furlow, General Counsel and Vice PresidentofBusinessDevelopmentfor AuroraSustainable Lands,LLC,isone of them. His company manages historically industrial forestlands with afocus on sustainability and conservation.

“Asone of the landownersinvolved in ExxonMobil’sCCS projects,wesee this project as anatural fit with our mission to actively manageand conserveforestlands to maximizeimpact and remove and storecarbon from the atmosphere, Furlowsaid. “When done responsibly, CCS gives landownersaway to usesubsurface rights in amanner thatfits alongside ongoing stewardship of the land. It canbring steady,long-term investment to rural areas.”

When done responsibly,CCS gives landownersa way to use subsurface rights in amanner thatfitsalongside ongoing stewardship of the land. It can bring steady,long-term investmenttorural areas

John Furlow General Counsel andVice President of BusinessDevelopmentfor Aurora Sustainable Lands, LLC

Strengthening rural economies forthe long term

ForExxonMobil, carbon captureand storageisnot astandalone initiative. It is part of abroader strategy to modernizeLouisiana’s industrial base, protect and grow jobs and ensurethe state remains competitiveina lower-carbon global economy. By investing in CCS infrastructure, ExxonMobil is helping Louisiana attract and retain major projects thatsupport highwage employmentacrossmanufacturing, energy and technologysectors.And rural parishes stand to gain newrevenue streams infrastructureinvestmentand long-term partnerships

This is howCCS connects rural Louisiana to global opportunity. It connects landownerstosteadyincome. It connects parishes to expanded tax bases It connects industrial facilities to markets demanding lower-emission products.And it connects Louisiana’slong history of energy leadership to its future. With collaboration between industry, landownersand state and local leaders, CCS canhelp ensurethe next generation of economic growth reaches every corner of Louisiana.ExxonMobil is proud to be part of thateffort.

SummerswillresignfromHarvard

BY COLLIN BINKLEY

Associated Press

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary

commentary on arange of global economic issues,” Summers said.

her father for 20 plus years as Chinese economic official.”

of ChatGPT

Laureate stepsdown

Larry Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard University as the campus reviews his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the university announced Wednesday Summers, who has been on leave since November and whose name appeared hundreds of times in newly released Epstein files, will step down at the end of the school year,according to astatement from Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton

“Professor Summershas announced that he will retire from hisacademic and faculty appointments at Harvard at the endofthis academic year and will remain on leave until that time,” Newton said.

In astatement,Summers said it was adifficult decision and expressed gratitudetothe students and colleaguesheworkedwith over 50 years,including five as Harvard’spresident.

“Free of formal responsibility,as President Emeritusand aretired professor,Ilook forward in time to engaging in research, analysis, and

TheJustice Department’slatest release has rippled through academia, uncovering Epstein’sties to numerous researchers whosought hisfunding andhis friendship even afterhebecame aconvicted sex offender.Summers’ resignation follows thatofDr. Richard Axel, a Nobel laureate, who on Tuesday announced he wouldstep down as codirector of Columbia University’s Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute.

Summersserved as treasury secretary under former President Bill Clintonand went on to lead Harvard for five years starting in 2001.

Atrove of files released by the government cast new light on Summers’ relationship with Epstein, which spanned years andincluded visits to one another at their homes in Massachusetts and New York. Thetwo traded emails on topics ranging from politics and the economy to women and romance.

Summers, who has beenmarried for 20 years, consulted Epstein on a separate relationship with awoman he was tutoring in economics,according to emails from 2018 and 2019. Epstein described himself as Summers’ “wing man” and encouraged persistence.Ina 2018 email, Summerssaidthe woman was never his student but he had “known

“I have avery good life wLisa kids etc.,”Summerssaid in a2018 email, referencing his wife. “Easy to put at risk for something that might notmaterializeatall or if it does might prove transient.”

Responding to previous revelations, Summers last year said he had“great regrets in my life” and that his association with Epstein was a“major error in judgment ” Harvardofficialshavepublicly said little about Summers’ relationship. When Summerswent on leave last year,the universitysaid it was reviewing “individuals at Harvard” who wereinthe Epstein documents “toevaluatewhat actions may be warranted.”

Epstein’sties to Harvard were thefocus of a2020 campus report finding that the financiergavemore than $9 million to theIvy League school, mostly for acenter founded by math and biology professor MartinNowak. The report did not mention Summers’ relationship with Epstein. Nowakwas laterdisciplined by Harvard.

In December,Summers was dealt alifetime banfrom the American EconomicAssociation, anonprofit scholarly association dedicated to economic research,over his Epstein ties. He has also left the board of directorsatOpenAI, the maker

At Columbia, Axel said in astatementTuesday that he regretted his associationwithEpstein, callingit a“serious error in judgment.” He said he is also giving up his position as an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute but will continue to research and teach in his laboratory at the Zuckerman Institute in Manhattan.

Axel was one of the 2004 winners of theNobel Prize in physiology or medicine for discoveriesrelated to the human olfactory system.His name appears more than 600 times in Justice Department filesreviewed by The Associated Press, including in emails he exchangedwith Epstein and on schedules noting their meetings, dinners and lunches.

In anewsarticlepublishedin 2007, while Epstein was initially under investigation in Florida, the scientist praised Epstein’sintellect, telling New York magazine: “He has theability to makeconnections thatother minds can’tmake. He is extremely smart and probing.”

The resignations are the latest falloutfrom the Justice Department’srecent release of millions of pages of records pertaining to Epstein and his longtime confidant andformer girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

Clintons gear up foranother Washington fight

BY STEVEN SLOAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON Forsome of their conservative critics, this is the scandal that could finally topple them. Their resistance to testifying proved futile. And now, staring down another epic fight, they’reharnessing their considerable political skills to tryand turn the table on their accusers

For Bill and Hillary Clinton,the 1990s are back.

The Clintons are slated to testify Thursday and Friday in aHouse investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, part of adeal with Republicans afteritbecame clear that Congress —with the help of some Democrats —was on track to hold them in contempt if they refused to cooperate. For the battlehardened couple, it amounts to one more Washington brawl. And like so many of the battles that came before, this one is another mix of questionable judgment, sexual impropriety,money and power

During his 1992 campaign, Bill Clintonpitched his candidacy as “twofor the price of one,” previewing apresidential marriage like none that had come before, with aspouse whose professional credentials rivaled his. In the years since, that partnership helped the Clintons weather repeated scandals, includingthose so personal that many other relationships would have shattered. When his political career was ending, hers was ascending when she was electedtothe U.S.Senate from New York, then served as secretaryofstate

before becoming theDemocraticnominee for president in 2016.

Forthose whohave long watchedthe Clintons, this moment is areminder that the couple has never been farfrom theheatofacultural fight. Andwiththe Epstein case unfolding unpredictably around theworld theClintons are onceagain ensnared in the scandalof the moment.

“It’skind of asad but fitting coda to extraordinary political lives,” said David Maraniss, who haswritten two biographies of Bill Clinton.

There’s no evidence of wrongdoing onthe part of either Clinton when it comes to Epstein,aconvicted sex offender who committedsuicidein 2019 while he wasinjail awaiting trial on sex traffickingcharges.

ButEpstein hadties to Bill Clinton for years, visiting the White House multiple times in the 1990s, according to visitor logs.After Clinton left office, Epstein was involved in his philanthropy and the former president flew multiple timeson hisprivate jet.

“TravelingonEpstein’s plane wasnot worth the years of questioningafterward,” Bill Clinton wrotein his2024memoir. “I wish I had never methim.”

Bill Clinton’sconnections

By last summer,the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committeeissued subpoenas for the Clintons. Formonths, Bill Clinton, 79, and HillaryClinton, 78, largely ignored the matter in public but thatbecame harderto

Gates apologizes forEpstein ties,admits to affairs

BY JESSICA SCHLADEBECK Newyork Daily News (TNS)

NEW YORK Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates issued an apologyfor his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during atown hall for the Gates Foundation, during which he also confessed to having twoaffairs while married to his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, according to reports.

Speaking to foundation staffers on Tuesday,Gates admitted to traveling on Epstein’sprivate jet as well spending time with the disgraced financier at home and abroad, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a recording of thetown hall meeting. He also denied any wrongdoing, going as faras to say that he did not witness anything “illicit” while spending time with late billionaire.

wasn’t sure sherevealed anything new about an issue many in his partyconsidered ascandal. That experience hasinformedhow the Clintons areapproachingthisweek’s testimony.Hillary Clinton has been especially vocal in callingfor the proceedings to happen in public, rather than in private as Comer currently plans. “Wehave nothing to hide,” she told the BBC earlier this month.

sustain in December when theformer president was featured prominently in the first batch of Epstein files.

Among thousands of documents madepublic,some photos showed him on aprivate plane, including one with awoman,whoseface is redacted, seated alongside himwith her arm around him.Another showed Bill Clinton in apool withEpstein’slongtime confidant, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, and aperson whoseface was redacted. Yetanother photoportrayed Bill Clinton in ahot tub with awoman whose face was redacted.

The oversight panel’s chairman, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, threatened to hold the Clintons in contemptifthey didn’tcomply with thesubpoenas,a historic move considering a former president has never been compelled to appear before Congress. Between his first and second terms, Donald Trump invoked that precedenttofendoff asub-

poena from thecommittee investigating theJan.6,2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Fighting back fiercely As each crisis surfaced, a pattern emerged: theClintons fiercely denied theallegationsand often dismissed women who came forward with claims. They villainized the GOP and re-centered the public’sattentiononmore favorable themes likethe boomingeconomy of theera Bill Clinton enjoyed some of thehighest approval numbers of his presidencyduring his impeachment inquiry and trial, when about 7in10 U.S. adults approved of the way he was handling his job Hillary Clinton similarly dispatchedRepublicans who sensedanopening in herhandlingofa2012attack on acompound in Libya thatkilled four Americans. She came out of an 11-hour televised congressional hearingin2015 appearing poised. Even theRepublican chair of the committee probing theattack said he

Bill Clinton’scommunication operation has taken a sharpertone, recalling the political “warroom” popularized during the 1992 campaign to respondto negative storylines. Onereleaseaccused Comer of “lying in every appearancehe’smade this week.”

Another mocked GOPReps. Scott PerryofPennsylvania and Andy Biggs of Arizona with a“hypocrisyaward of the day,” noting how the Oversight committee members defied subpoenas from the Jan. 6panel.

ConcernfromTrump

The lockstepsupport the Clintons enjoyed among congressional Democrats has eroded as anew generationoflawmakershas taken office —nine Democratsjoinedwith Republicans on the House committee to advancethe contempt resolution. Trump, who has faced scrutiny over his own tiestoEpstein andmay be uncomfortable with the precedentofforcing aformerpresident to testify, has expressed rare concern for the Clintons.

He told NBC News that it “bothers me that somebody is going after Bill Clinton.”

“It wasahuge mistake to spend time with Epstein,” Gates said. “I apologize to other people whoare drawn into this because of the mistake that Imade.” He added: “Tobeclear,Inever spent any timewith victims, the womenaround him.” Gates said he first met Epstein in 2011, acouple years after the late financier was convicted in Florida of procuring achild forprostitution andsolicitingaprostitute in 2008. Gates said Tuesdaythathe’d been awareof some“18-month thing” that had limited Epstein’stravel, but did not look into the matter further.Healso credited his former wife, Melinda, “who was always kind of skeptical” of Epstein. Gates wanted to take “responsibility forhis actions,” afoundationspokesperson told the WSJ, explaining that he chosetodosoduring the townhall, one of two held each year.Itcomes after the United States Justice Department dumped around of evidence related to its investigation into Epstein. Thedocuments includedan unsent email accusing Gates of having sexual relations withtwo “Russian girls”and getting asexually transmitted infection.

“I did have affairs, one with aRussian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with aRussian nuclear physicist whoI met through business activities,” Gates said on Tuesday Gatesalsotold hisstaff that thelasttime he had contact with Epsteinwas in 2014. “After that, he continued to email me,” he added.

“I neverwenttothe island, Inever met any women,” the tech giantsaid. “And so,the more thatcomes out, the more clear it’llbethat, although the time wasamistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behavior.”

Delta Utilities seeks to explain soaring gas bills

Company details efforts to reduce price volatility

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

Louisiana’s largest natural gas provider, Delta Utilities, sought to explain skyrocketing gas bills Wednesday amid rising anger from customers and elected officials, telling state regulators that they work to prevent price volatility from squeezing ratepayers. A double whammy of unusually cold winter weather and high natural gas prices have caused gas bills to soar for many customers across Louisiana, in some cases reaching several hundred dollars. Those high costs — and the recent change of most residents now receiving a separate gas bill after Delta’s acquisition of Entergy’s gas business have caused widespread angst

SENATE

Continued from page 1A

The saga is the latest affordability problem that Louisiana residents have faced in recent years, after insurance and electricity bills have emerged as high-profile issues for customers, elected officials and regulators.

“I see seniors on fixed incomes walking in with shaking hands because their gas bill is now higher than their grocery budget,” she said.

cure gas at its first-of-the-month price to avoid wild price swings.

spent eight years in the U.S House and worked for the Trump White House during the president’s first term. No Louisiana governor has opposed an incumbent senator from the same political party since 1932, when thenGov Oscar K. Allen, at the behest of Huey Long, helped defeat the reelection of thenSen. Edwin Broussard, said Bob Mann, a former LSU professor who is a historian of that period. In 1930, Long, then the governor, defeated thenSen. Joseph Ransd el l, as Ransdell sought a fourth term in the Senate All of the men were Democrats.

John Breaux, a Democrat who won ele ctio ns to the Senate in 1986, 1992 and 1998, said Landr y’ s support for Letlow will add to Cassidy’s challenge.

“It’s difficult for an incumbent when the president of your party and the governor of your party are both opposing your reelection,” said Breaux, who had the support of a Democratic governor when he ran. Landry did not respond to an interview request on Tuesday He has not formally endorsed Letlow But on Feb. 13, he went on social media to say that Cassidy supported the confirmation of

Continued from page 1A

The department has given the board two weeks to develop a merger plan, which will be presented to the board for a vote next week.

According to Superintendent Milton Batiste, the parish had received notice prior to the 2025-26 school year that the school could potentially be taken over, but the school district submitted a plan to the department and was allowed to retain it.

The RSD program being used to compel the merger has been dormant for much of the past decade, but since taking over the department, Brumley has renewed discussions about using RSD to take control of academically failing schools.

In the past, schools taken over through RSD have rarely been operated directly by the department, and were frequently reconstituted as charter schools.

Some board members expressed concerns about the possibility of the junior high

The Louisiana Public Service Commission — a five-member elected body that regulates utilities — agreed Wednesday to move up an audit to this summer of Delta’s billing and costs. And the commission will let utilities spread the cost of skyrocketing bills over several months in a bid to lessen the burden on customers, after a series of votes Wednesday

Rahsha Williams, head of the Leo S. Butler Community Center in Baton Rouge, told the commission that she’s seen a dramatic influx of residents struggling to pay their gas bills from Delta. Many are seniors on fixed incomes and are struggling to afford other essentials, like groceries or medication, she said

“liberal” judges — an accusation that Cassidy promptly refuted.

Afterward a spokesperson for Landry said, “He intends to follow the president.”

Cassidy endorsed Landry’s gubernatorial campaign in July 2023, three months before the election At the time, political insiders said Cassidy’s move stemmed more from wanting to repair his standing among Republican voters than any affinity with the then-attorney general The two men have never been close politically An associate of the governor who asked not to be named said Trump asked Landry to intervene on Letlow’s behalf when they met during the Washington Mardi Gras celebration nearly a month ago. Many political operatives say Trump is targeting Cassidy because the senator voted to convict the president on impeachment charges for the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters. Cassidy had just won reelection in 2020 with Trump’s support Landry has swung into action for Letlow in recent days. He convened dozens of big donors for a Zoom call on Feb 9 to ask them to raise money for Letlow according to five people who were on the call.

Landry made his pitch and then made way for Kyle Ruckert, a political strategist who stepped down recently as the governor’s chief of staff, and Courtney Guastella, a fundraiser for both Landry and Letlow Ruckert described how the polls indicate Letlow is making a strong run, according to people on the call.

In a text on Tuesday, Ruckert said he is working for the “Letlow for Senate” campaign.

The call mostly consisted of business owners who have been big donors to

being operated under a charter school agreement.

“I can’t see what that kind of takeover would do for our kids,” said Anthony Standberry, who represents District 1. “These are the same kids that already have problems; I can’t see how they can just come in there after seven years and just whip it over It really feels like we’re being handcuffed.”

“We’re being asked to pick the lesser of two evils, so we can take the best teachers from OJHS and the best for OSHS, and do what’s best for these kids, because they deserve it,” said Renee Aymond who represents District 6. “Opelousas High is a C school, so it’s not like we’d be moving these kids into a bad environment.”

The board ultimately made the decision to move forward with a merger plan in order to maintain local control. “This is our only option,” Batiste said. “We can either move these kids into a healthier ‘C school’ environment, or we can risk the state taking over.” Still, members of the community spoke against the

Before last summer, most residents had a single, combined electric and gas bill from Entergy In the summers, gas bills were low and electric bills were high. The reverse was generally true in the winter

Delta Utilities CEO Tim Poche told the commission that the separate gas bills from his company are contributing to customer alarm. He said Delta is encouraging people to enroll in levelized billing, which spreads volatility in prices throughout the year, making bills more predictable.

Delta buys some of its gas in the spring and summer when prices are low, then stores it in caverns for future use in the winter when demand and prices are higher, Poche said. The company also signs contracts allowing it to pro-

Republicans but included at least two trial attorneys, people on the call said.

“The headline to me: This is very important to Trump,” one person on the call said of Landry’s message.

Not everyone on the call favors Letlow over Cassidy Greg Hamer Sr., who lives in Morgan City and owns dozens of Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and KFC restaurants, said he joined it late and realized only then that it was to raise money for Letlow

“Julia is a fine lady, and I have also supported her in all her races, but asking me to vote for her against someone else that I have always supported is a change I am not willing to make,” Hamer said in an email. “I have always supported Bill Cassidy; I think he has done an admirable job and should not be judged solely on the fact that he voted on one issue differently than the way I wish he had.”

“To put it bluntly, Louisiana needs all the help we can get,” Hamer added. “For the Republican Party it does not matter who wins, it will be a Republican. As you know seniority is everything in the Senate. Bill has a lot of it, she has none. She will lack the ability to help our state as much as he can with his positions.”

Cassidy chairs the Senate Education, Health, Labor and Pensions Committee, giving him enormous influence over health care and other matters. His campaign declined to comment on Tuesday Letlow’s campaign, asked for a comment, said, “It’s no surprise that as Julia Letlow’s Trump-endorsed campaign gains momentum, Bill Cassidy’s liberal allies in the media are working overtime to stop her.”

Meanwhile Landry’s associates are calling members of the Republican State Central Committee to ask them

possibility of a merger, and blamed the board for the failure to avoid state involvement.

“I’m just sort of flabbergasted,” said Opelousas native Rod Sias. “It’s not like we didn’t see this coming. It’s the result of poor leadership and repeated failures.”

Sias, who has prior experience in Opelousas city government and presently serves as the owner of RAAS Global Management, said he was worried the merger could have negative impacts for the broader community

“We’re trying to move close to 400 children onto a high school campus, with no long-term or short-term facilities plan. I’m concerned about consolidating all of the schools in Opelousas on the southside, because that’s already where all the infrastructure is. It’s creating inequities that I don’t think we’re prepared to deal with.”

The board will have until March 11 to submit a formal merger plan, after which further department intervention is likely

“While it is true we do not profit off gas, that’s a complete pass through to customers, we do exercise a significant amount of strategy in order to defer and eliminate the volatility in that gas price.”

During Winter Storm Fern, about 11% of Delta’s gas supplies were purchased at spot prices, which had soared to record levels, Poche said. That combined with higher usage from cold weather — was enough to cause bills to skyrocket.

Documents filed with the PSC show the price of gas procured by Delta soared in January and February to more than double its normal cost Gas prices around the country shot up amid unusually severe winter weather the past two months. Delta passes the entire cost of gas through to customers.

“That market price right in the middle of the Fern event is a lot of the cause for that increase,” said

to have the party endorse Letlow, according to two members who received calls. Other state central committee members said Landry’s move is roiling the 230-person entity because Letlow, Cassidy and Fleming all have support among the membership.

Fleming criticized Landry’s efforts in an email to members of the state central committee on Friday “I request that you make such choices for yourself, rather than attempting to please a high official,” Flem-

Ryan King, Delta’s chief regulatory and growth strategy officer The Advocate | The Times-Picayune reported in early February that skyrocketing gas and electric bills were likely coming after price hikes for natural gas in January and February In addition to ubiquitous gas-powered heaters and appliances, Louisiana has unusually high natural gas usage in powering its electric generators. Those fuel prices are also passed on to customers.

Utilities here have long bet big on natural gas as a cheap and abundant resource, with a sprawling network of pipelines making it easy to spin up power plants around the state. But periodic price shocks and storms over the past few years have ignited debates over how the state should best manage its power supply Cyclical rising costs have prompted some advocates to question whether the state is overreliant on natural gas.

ing wrote. “If voters or even members of the party abdicate their rights to choose who leads and represents them, we no longer have a representative democracy.”

Fleming said he has submitted 69 signed endorsements to the party leadership.

In the past, statewide candidates who sought an endorsement had to obtain signatures from a majority of the state central committee and then got the formal nod from the party’s eightmember executive commit-

tee. Landry did this during his campaign for governor One state party leader, who did not want to be named for fear of political retribution, said he is hearing that Landry is trying to get the endorsement for Letlow now by having just a majority of the executive committee agree to it.

Party Chair Derek Babcock said, however, that neither Landry nor anyone else has pitched that idea to him. “I would be very hesitant to do anything like that,” he said.

LSUOnlineintroducesthe new DigitalTwinDesign & Production certificate to prepare Louisiana’sworkforce

By Amanda McElfresh,amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Thisarticle is broughttoyou by LSUOnline.

As digitaltwintechnologyrapidly reshapes how industries design,manageand optimize complex systems, LSUOnlineismovingquickly to ensure Louisiana’s workforce is ready.

LSUOnline’srecently-launched DigitalTwin DesignandProductionCertificatemarksthenation’s first non-credit professional developmentcertificate offered by auniversitythatfocuses specifically on digitaltwindesignand production.Registration for thefully online programisnow open

Adigital twin is avirtual,real-time representation of aphysicalasset,systemorprocess,allowing organizations to test ideas, monitorperformance andmakesmarter decisionsbeforechanges are made in therealworld,program leadersexplained Theability to reduce risk andimprove planningis whydigital twinsare becoming essentialacrossso many industries

Thetechnologyhas awideand growingrange of applications,including in sectorssuchasengineering, manufacturing, construction,energy, agribusiness,healthcareand more –all of whichare crucialtoLouisiana’s economy. Industry partners have emphasized to LSUofficialsthatemployers need people whounderstandhow to usedigital twinsastheyenhance theiruse of thetechnology in day-to-day operations

“The engineersand business leadersoftomorrow need digitaltwinskillstoday,” said LSUEngineeringDeanVicki Colvin.“At LSU, we recognized this need andworkedtofill thegap quicklywith ahigh-qualityprogram that combines expertise across alldisciplines.”

Thecertificateprogram wasco-developed by LSU CollegeofEngineering,LSU Online andDigiTwin Global.Thiscollaboration blends academic insight with industry experience,creatingacurriculum designed for immediateworkplace application.

Thesubject matter expertswantedtocreate an accessibleand practicalprogram,sonocoding experience wouldberequired. They also wanted it to be acomprehensive programthatincludes contentthatnot only addressestechnicalskills andtools,but also thelegal,ethical andfinancial issues that digitaltwins raise.

Thefullprogram includes seven online courses totaling approximately140 hoursoflearning usingcasestudies,guidedtutorials andhands-on activities.The programisdesignedtobecompleted in approximatelyeight months andwilladdress

areasincluding:

•How digitaltwins arebuilt andthe technologies used in theprocess

•How digitaltwins track, monitorand improve real-worldsystems

•How digitaltwins aredeveloped usingcommon software platforms

•The benefitsand risksofdigital twins

•The skills needed to calculatedeploymentcosts andreturnoninvestment

•Key topics includingdataethics, intellectual property andlegal risks

“Noother school offers aprogram that is as comprehensive as ours.The LSU certificate delivers insights from both academia andindustry andablend of thetheoretical andthe experiential approaches to digitaltwinningthatyou willnot findanywhereelse,”saidJames “Scott”Fargason, aDistinguished InstructorinLSU’s E.J. Ourso CollegeofBusiness’ Flores MBAprogram anda co-founder of Digi Twin Global

Thecertificateprogram hasbeenintentionally designed to be accessibletoall learners.Nocoding experience is required foradmission,and thefully online formatallowsindividuals to balancetheir busy scheduleswhile simultaneously gainingnew skills andhands-onexperience.

Thetargetaudience for thecertificateis broad, includingproject managers, engineersand business leaderswho need to understand thestrategic and financial implications of digitaltwintechnology

“Digital twinsare howweturnthe scaleofour commercial infrastructureintoa strategicadvantage,” said LSUalumnus Joey Coco,CEO of the engineeringfirmForteandTabladaandaco-founder of Digi Twin Global.“This certificate prepares the workforcethatwilloperate andmodernize these systemsthatkeepthe countrymoving, with LSU andLouisiana leading thecharge.

acoastal wetland research laboratory and aseed bank across600 acres.Itisunclear if the university plans to sell the entire property and end operations there,or sell aportion of the property.An appraisal is pending.

The university’secology centerat703 Thoroughbred Drive in north Lafayette includes a 15,000-square-foot facility withoffice,laboratory,classroom,workshop, kitchen, shower anddormitory areas; aone-acre greenhouse complex, 46 acres of irrigated field space, two independent well systems, vehicles andother equipment.

The estimated property value is $2.1 million, according to board documents. It is not clear if the university would relocate ecology operations elsewhere if it sells the property,which is in an area that has been developed intoresidential neighborhoods in recent years.

The home at 518 Robert Lee Circleissituated in aneighborhood offCajundome Boulevard near Devalcourt Street by the university’s research park.The estimated property value is $350,000, according to board documents.

The small, empty lot at509 E. University Ave. is surroundedby homes on either side and is situated between McKinley and Roosevelt streets right off the main campus. An appraisal is pending. The property most recently sold in 2019 for $110,000, according to Lafayette tax assessor records.

The university is asking for the board’sapproval to sell theSigma Nu fraternity house and all fixtures on the lot at 107 Glynn Abel Drive, better known as Fraternity Row,tothe local chapter’salumni association for about $112,000, according to board documents. The proposed sale is only for the

building andits improvements, so the university retains land ownership rights that align with UL’s “long-term campus planning and asset management objectives,” according to aletter Kolluru wrote to UL system President Rick Gallotthat’sincluded in board documents

Kolluru said this week that the university has reduced its $50 milliontotal deficit— $25million of whichrepresented arecurring structural deficit —toabout $12 million

AULspokesperson on Wednesdaysaidthe $12 million deficitis acombination of the existing and structural deficit.

LastDecember,Kolluru told a packed town hall meeting that he expected to end the fiscal year on June 30 with a$10.5 milliondeficit. During interviews this week,those

projections changed: Kolluru said he expects to end the fiscal year in the black. Instead of turning to morebudget andstaffcuts, Kolluru said in aTuesdayinterviewthathewill focus on revenue generation in the form of property sales and a fundraising campaign to close the remaining gap by the end of the fiscal year

“Weare going to the boardfor approval forthe disposal of some properties,” Kolluru said. “The appraisals are being done so that we can makesure that those are current. And if we were to exercise that option, we have the approvals from the board to use as one of the tools in the tool kit.”

The Acadiana Advocate filed apublic records request Feb. 11 with UL for allappraisals done this year on properties owned by the university,but UL has notyet released the records.

UL spokesperson Eric Maron said the university is only getting appraisals and seeking permission to sell at this point. It is unclear what would happen to staffatthe research farm and ecology center should those properties sell.

“These are properties they are considering,but no decisionhas been made,” Maron said. “This is the first step if they do decide to sell the properties. They’re still being evaluated, and nothing’sbeen decided on if they’re going to sell any or part of them.”

TheULsystemboard’s regular meeting will be held at 10 a.m Thursday on the McNeese State University campus in Lake Charles. Aspecial meeting of the board will happen Friday at the UL system office in Baton Rouge, where board members are expected to approve Kolluru as the new president of thesystem’s largest university

Of

fice.

“I think for now we’re going to take asit-and-wait approach,” said VermilionParish Schools Superintendent Thomas Byler District leaders said they are acutely aware of the stakesoftheir decision, as they could find themselves under apolitical microscope whether they act quicklyor wait for moreguidance. A delay could be seen by Gov Jeff Landryand Attorney GeneralLiz Murrillasnoncompliance with the 2024 state law.But posting the TenCommandments will almost certainly result in somedistricts facing lawsuits from parents and civil liberties groups. David Claxton, head of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, said school systems are “kind of inacatch-22.”

“You have to follow the law,” he said. “But if you follow the law and post them, thenyou wait to seeifyou’re the one that gets sued.”

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down asimilar law decades agoand alower court called Louisiana’s law unconstitutional, while critics say requiring public schools to post the text violates the principle of churchstate separation. Proponents of the law saythe TenCommandments have historical and cultural significance beyond their religious foundation, an argument that could find purchase with the current Supreme Court.

After lastweek’sruling, Landry declared the law “back in effect.” Leaders of conservative advocacy groupslike the Louisiana Family Forum, which has sent TenCommandments posters to nearly every school system in the state, said they expected schools to comply as well.

“The law is now in effect, so schools have to post it,” said Gene Mills, thegroup’s president.“There is no waitand-see.”

The law passed by Louisiana’sRepublican-controlled Legislature gives schools clear marching orders

The TenCommandments must be displayed in every classroom on posters or “frameddocuments” measuring at least11by14 inches and written in “large, easily readable font.” The displays must include an accompanying statement that notes some early American textbooks featured the TenCommandments, and schools can choose to in-

cludeanadditionalhistorical documentsuchasthe Declaration of Independence.

Act 676 also specifies which version of the TenCommandments must be posted in every publicclassroom from prekindergarten through college. The required text begins with“IAMthe LORD thy God. Thoushalt have no other godsbeforeme” and endswith:“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’swife, norhis manservant, norhis maidservant,nor his cattle, noranythingthatisthy neighbor’s.”

Thelaw gaveschoolsuntil Jan. 1, 2025, to comply but was quickly challenged in court byagroup of families from different faith backgrounds who saiditviolated their children’sconstitutional right to religious freedom.

AU.S. District Courtjudge sided with the familiesand blocked stateofficials from enforcingthe law through a temporary injunction. Apanel of judges on the 5thCircuit allowed the injunction to stand,declaringthe law “plainly unconstitutional.”

ButonFriday,the full 5th Circuit voted 12-6to lift the preliminary injunction, clearing thelaw after ayearlong pause. The court ruled that the parents’ lawsuit had been premature becausethe posters had not yet gone up, but it said new legalchallengeswouldbe possible “once thestatute is implemented.

It remains to be seen whether the plaintiffs will waitfor the posters to go up orchallenge the5th Circuit ruling at the Supreme Court. Their attorneys said they are “exploringall legal options.

Last year,Murrill’s office released guidance to help school districts complywith the law,along with four poster designs—including one featuring an image of Moses and aphoto of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson,RBenton, alongside theTen Commandments.

The Louisiana Family Forumhad theposters printed and shipped to nearly all of Louisiana’spublic school districts, which under the law do not have to pay for posters but must acceptdonated ones. In an emailto supporters Tuesday,Mills saidhis group had raised about $75,000 for the campaign.

“Now,the thousands of postersthatLFF hasdistributed to school districts across Louisiana will, by law,have to be placed in all public classrooms,”he wrote.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday,Murrill echoed that

message.

“The law requires that the posters be put up,” she said. It’s unclearwhat will happen if schools don’tcomply Thelaw does notspecify penalties, andMurrill said enforcement falls to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The lawrequiresBESE to createrules for implementation. On Tuesday,a BESE spokesperson saidthat the board is “aware of the recentcourt action”and its rulemaking obligation but shedid not say when that will happen.

After Friday’sruling, schools aretreading carefully In 2024, theACLU of Louisiana and three other civil liberties groups warned schoolsuperintendents that postingthe TenCommandments in classrooms would violate students’ constitutional rights and “could result in litigation being filed against your district.”

“Wewant to follow the law,” said BossierParish SchoolsSuperintendent JasonRowland,“butwedon’t wanttocreate asituation wherewecompromiseour board andour districtwith further litigation.”

Some district leaderssaid they want to give schools clear instructions because students andteacherswill likely have questionsabout theposters, while parents andcommunity members will be closely watching wherethe posters areplaced and how they’re addressed in class.

“Wehave to make sure thatwhat’sdone in every classroom is the same,” said St.Tammany Parish Schools Superintendent Frank Jabbia. “The last thingwewant is to put them up, then have to pull them down.”

Little, the Caddo Parish School Board president, said some students might feel alienated by theposters, but he thinks the TenCommand-

ments can be presented in a neutraland nonproselytizingway.Still, complaints and lawsuits are always possible, he added.

“You have concernsfor compliance,” he said,“and concerns for noncompliance.”

Charter schools also are bound by the law.A NOLA Public Schools spokespersonsaid individual charter operators are responsible

for compliance. InspireNOLA, which runs several New Orleans charter schools, is “still evaluating what this meansfor our schools,” said CEO Jamar McKneely AJefferson Parish Schools spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions.

Thelaw also appliesto public collegesand universities. Louisiana Community &Technical College campuses have been told to

“move forward with posting any donated displays that meet the Attorney General’s guidance,” said system President Richard Nelson. LSU PresidentWade Rousse saidina statement that officials are considering guidance from thestate attorneygeneral as they develop “the roll out across campuses.” Marie Fazio and Ashley White contributed reporting.

Northside football coach removed

Carter blames social media posts for his dismissal

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Northside High’s Jacarde Carter

was informed Wednesday that he was being relieved of his duties as the Vikings’ head football coach Carter, a 2009 graduate of Northside, was in his fourth year at the school. After serving as an assistant coach for one season, Carter has been the Vikings’ head coach for the past three seasons. When contacted Wednesday, Carter confirmed he was fired as head coach and was also fired as a teacher at the school. He said he was told recent social media posts were the reason for his dismissal. Carter commented publicly about a lack of investment in Northside High School, which he said hasn’t been upgraded since the 1980s.

Parish seeks to leave juvenile district

Move puts detention center plan at risk

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

Vermilion Parish has officially taken steps to remove itself from the Acadiana Regional Juvenile Justice District, a move that could impact the future of a proposed juvenile detention center

During a meeting last week, the Vermilion Parish Police Jury voted to request the state Legislature amend the district’s boundaries to remove the parish, after which Erath-based state Rep. Jacob Landry introduced the legislation on the House floor

The move would see the district reduced from nine parishes to eight and could throw a wrench into an upcoming election over whether to implement a one-cent sales tax to fund the creation of the new juvenile justice facility Police Jury President Chad Vallo indicated that the parish leadership is unhappy with the financial burden being placed on Vermilion residents by the proposed sales tax and worries that the district may be out of step with the parish’s needs.

“This is $10 million being taxed in one year We could be unanimously against this and still be stuck paying it if it passes,” Vallo said.

The election is June 27 and will test whether the Acadiana Regional Juvenile Justice District’s proposed solutions for juvenile justice have public approval. The sales tax would be in effect for one year, before being reduced to a quarter-cent sales tax the following year to fund maintenance of the facility

Some local judges, including Abbeville City Judge Richard Putnam III and Kaplan City Judge F. Stanton Hardee III, spoke against the change, arguing that the parish needed a local facility dedicated specifically to juvenile justice. Prior to the request for removal, Vermilion Parish was expected to house 13 juveniles in the facility; the parish currently must pay to transport them to a facility in Jackson Parish.

Other parishes in rural Acadiana face similar issues, which led to the formation of the Acadiana Regional Juvenile Justice District in 2023. Incarcerated minors are often housed out of state due to a lack of space in juvenile facilities, and a 2016 state law prevents them from being placed in adult prisons

ä See JUVENILE, page 4B

The Lafayette Parish School Board voted unanimously in September to build a new school in north Lafayette that will serve kindergarten through eighth grade students. An earlier proposal was to move Paul Breaux Middle to the Northside High property and construct two new buildings that would separate sixth through eighth graders from ninth through 12th graders. That suggestion ul-

timately died after the board rejected other proposals that would have helped secure the necessary funding.

“Dear LPSS, we are fighting for kids against these facilities,” Carter wrote on a Facebook post that featured photos of David Thibodaux STEM Academy, Teurlings Catholic High School and Lafayette Renaissance Charter High School, all of which have newer facilities.

HEARTFELT THANKS

ABOVE: Cardiologist Dr. Eric Thomas, right, shows Paul Toups visualization of his heart procedure Tuesday during an event at FMOL Health | Our Lady of Lourdes reuniting patients with the team of doctors who saved their lives.

RIGHT: Doctors and nurses with Our Lady of Lourdes Heart Hospital attend the event.

ROBIN MAy

PHOTOS By

TAYLOR Staff writer

KRISTIN ASKELSON

Amid demand, La.should expand its fortified roof grantprogram

The Louisiana Legislature heads into the start of this year’sregular session nextmonth in something of an unusual position: ahalf-billiondollar budget surplus from the fiscal year that ended June 30, plus revenueforecasts that have been trending upward.

Of course, there is no shortageofneeds Teachers, infrastructure,debt andeconomic development have all been mentionedaspriorities, and understandably so In addition, Gov.Jeff Landry has signaled that he would like lawmakers to double theamount dedicated to his signature educationpolicy, the creation of education savingsaccounts known as LA GATOR scholarships. Last year,the program got$43.5 million, and this year,the governorhas asked for $88 million.

The scholarships have been thesubjectof intense demand, with far more clamoring for them than the funding allows.

We would like to see the same rationale applied when it comes to Louisiana’sfortified roof program, whichallows homeowners to applyfor $10,000 grants from the statetoward the installation of afortified roof.

Since 2024, when the state wenttoa lottery system to award the grants, there have been about 34,000 applicants. Butonlyabout 7,000 grants have been awarded

We are glad to see Landry tryingtoget more money for the program. Earlier thisweek,he asked the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corp., which was created by the state, to make some of its reserves available for thefortified roof program. Details of how that mightworkare unclear, but it’sgood to see the program gettingattention at the highestlevel

The benefits of the program are clear. In addition to being more resistanttowind damage, fortified roofshelp keep people in their homes after astorm. They also nethomeownerssignificantly lower insurance premiumsand, if there are enough of them in one community,the entire community’srates can godown

But they are not cheap, so the$10,000grant is asignificant sweetener.The costs, even for smaller homes,can run between $16,000 and $17,000,according to William Stoudt of Rebuilding Together New Orleans, which helps cover the costs for lower-income homeowners.

State data show that even some who are awarded the grants are unable to getthe roofs duetothe upfront costs. There are efforts to help boost theprogram. Jefferson Parishhas worked withthe state to supplement it, for example. And homeowners who front the entire cost may be eligible fora state tax credit.

It’sarare government program thathas an immediate positive effect and is widely lovedby residents. That’swhy we urge legislators, even those who serve districts outsidethe coastal zone, to support its expansion.

of residence

and the

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.

It is difficult to listen to theTrump administration and its followers and understand the rationale for their numerouslies about immigration. One of themany lies is that Democrats want open borders and are therefore opposed to theU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol crackdowns, and that Democrats don’t want to conduct deportations. That is unequivocally false.

The facts (andyou can fact-check this)are that President Barack Obama deported 3million and Joe Biden deported 1.1 million. However,this isn’tabout which administration was tougher on immigration. The significance is that during theObamaand Biden deportations, did you see unrest in the streets? Did you see armed soldiers dressed like they’re in abattle?

Didyou see masked thugs gettingout

When thehistory of President Donald Trump’scruel and unusual mass deportation policy is written, there will be villains aplenty to spice up thenarrative. Stephen Miller,Kristi Noem and Greg Bovinocome readily to mind. However,Louisiana may well warrant achapter of itsown. Our Republican congressional delegation has backed thecrueltyunanimously.No profiles in courage in that group. Our statehas welcomed for-profitprisons and championed mass incarceration for decades. Municipal governments,

Oneofthe mostimportanttenets

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

of running asuccessful business is knowing your customers’ needs and desires and then trying to provide that service. It is and always has been thebest chance of success of your business. Iwould think in these online times, thegreat majority(75%-80%) of your delivered hard copy paper subscription readers are over 50 and conservatives or Republicans.

Your paper and editor continue, year after year,rather than even trying a fair and balanced view,topush liberal opinions either by thecommentary or only printing liberal view letters to the

of unmarked vehicles, shooting people, tossing tear gas and otherwise terrorizing citizens and noncitizens alike?

Did you see armed troops breaking automobile windows to drag out anyone that they felt like, depending on skin color and accent, and regardless of status? Throwing citizen “grandpas” out on the street in their pajamas?

Obama’sand Biden’sdeportations did not incitefear and terror in American cities. My point is simple. Deportations can and did happen without all the violence heaped upon American cities. President Donald Trumpisn’tinterested in deporting thebad guys.His goal is to Make America White Again, and is using any means, unlawfulorotherwise, to justify that end.

NAHUM LAVENTHAL NewOrleans

like Kenner,have declared war on the Brown- and Black-skinned residents by inviting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to come to town and work hand in glove with their city police.

And, of course, our governor,that great diplomat toGreenland, would seem tobewilling to commit any heinous act that his culthero demanded. Moralitybedamned. Yes, our statewill live in infamy when this story is told.

LEROY CLOSE NewOrleans

editor.Inarecent two-day span, eight of eight letters were liberal-view comments

Iamwell aware that the newspaper business has alwayshistorically supported liberal views. But again, I remindyou that the majority of your readers would appreciate youbeing more conservative, or at least balanced.

Iamsure you have received similar type letterstothis one before, but just hoping this time you give another thought to the opinion of the majority of your customers.

DUKE TRUBY Mandeville

In my opinion, the governor and legislators need to put their thinking caps on and start solving Louisiana’s problemsfrom all angles. Everyone needs moremoney,including your voting public, but now the Department of Public Safety needs moremoney to build and house moreprisoners. The current Legislature and governor passed tougher penalties forcrimeand no-parole lawswithout regard for the repercussions of their actions. Criminal!

This state can’teven release prisoners whohave served their sentence on time, much less straighten out corruption in the system that wasalready in place.

No more money figure it out with what you have created. Youbowed to political pressure instead of studying the issue to make things better,and now you sleep in the bed.

KATHY ADERMAN Baton Rouge

Why do 700/800 MHz public-safety radios cost $8,000 to $11,000+ per unit? This technology has been around forwellover 15 years. These aren’tcutting-edge miracles they’re ruggedized radios with computers inside.

The real issue is aduopoly.Two major vendors dominate the market, lock agencies into proprietary systemsand leave cities and towns with no realistic alternatives. Once you’re in, you’re stuck —new radios, accessories, software and upgrades all come from the sameplace, at whatever price they decide.

No real competition meansnoreal price pressure. And the people paying foritaren’tthe vendors —it’s the taxpayers and the agencies already struggling with tight budgets. This isn’tabout safety versus cost. It’s about accountability.Closed ecosystems, inflated pricing and zero transparency should concern everyone. Congress and regulators need to take aserious look at how this industry operates and whoit’s really serving.

Public safety should never be a blank check.

BEHIND THE HEADLINES LA. SENATERACE

Louisiana’sbig Republican primarybattleisshaping up

Ron Faucheux

The candidates are off and running in the Louisiana Republican primary.Incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy faces aggressive challengesfrom U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,who has President Donald Trump’ssupport and state Treasurer John Fleming. Adding to the intrigue is that they arecompeting under anew set of rules that replace Louisiana’s traditionalopen primary

Columnists Stephanie Grace, Quin Hillyer and special contributor Ron Faucheux gathered recently to discuss how things look ahead of the May16 closed party primary

Grace: We’re looking at aRepublican primary for the first time in many years, and we have three well-known candidates. Who has the upper hand starting out?

Faucheux: Ithink there are three things that’ll determine thiselection, and they’re pretty simple. Number one, Trump’sability to deliver Republican votes to Letlow.Can he deliver most of the Republican base? Can he get alot of money for her? Can he geta high turnout? We have seen him deliver everything, hook, line and sinker to some candidatesaround the country,and we have seen him in some places not do so well. The second thing is Fleming Can he get enough votes to force arunoff, which could change the dynamics of the whole race? A few Republican elected officials in the state think he can actually make the runoff. I’d need to see some polling to show me that.

Grace: He’s put out his own polls that suggest thathecould.He’s got somename ID.

Hillyer: And he hasgottenvotes in important areas of the state before.

Faucheux: And then the third thing: To whatextent can Cassidy get non-Republicans to voteinthe Republican primary? And that’s a big question. But alot of voters in the state are going to be surprised when they get to the polls on May 16. They’re going to say,“Well, wait aminute, what? What canI vote for?” And so Cassidy has to overcome an information barrier and convince thesepeople to vote in aRepublican primary

Grace: These are people who would be registered as “noparty.” Also, Democrats can switch, but they’d have to do it amonth before.

Cassidy’sstrategy

Hillyer: But the interesting thing is, Cassidy so far has not runa race that would attract moderates and unaffiliated voters.All he’s done is run hard to the right,as if it’sonly aRepublican electorate, even though there are just over a million Democrats, and there are 800,000 who are unaffiliated.

Grace: He has reached out. He is sending textsand posting videos. From what Iunderstand, he’s tried to find Democrats to talk about this. But you’re right.In terms of the issues,he’snot running in away that would make them want to support him. He’s still running as verypro-Trump, despite what Trump did tohim in urging Letlow to take him on Hillyer: Idon’tthink he’splaying it right, because he’strying to

ignore the elephantinthe room, which is that hevoted to convict Trump(after thesecond impeachment over the Jan. 6attack on Congress), andthatTrump’smad at him because of it. He’s just trying to ignore it and say,“Idid all of this that Trumpliked, and Idid this that Trumpsigned, etc.” which isn’tgoing to negatethe impeachment vote for the people for whom it’simportant. Meanwhile, it doesn’tattract all theothers that might have liked what he did. What Ithink he needs to do is address it anddefend it and say, “Voters always say they want peopletovote their conscience. Well, this is what Ifaced at that time, and what my conscience told me to do,whether you agree with it or not. Iknewitwas politically risky andhere is why Idid it.” Maybe show some scenes of theCapitol Police getting beaten up andthen say, “That was my vote. Now,let’stalk about what I’vedonefor you since then.”

Grace: Onething that would do is put Letlowonthe defensive, because sheis running as kind of this above-it-all candidate. She is, on theone hand, theinstrument of Trump’svengeance —she would not beinthis race if not for Trumpwantingtoget back at Cassidy. Butatthe sametime, she’sgot this image. She’sprofessional. She’samom of young kids whowent to Congress when her husband unexpectedly died. She tendstotalk in avery positive way.At Washington Mardi Gras, shesaid she wanted to bring light to the process. ButTrumpand Trumpism are dark, so reconciling that,ifshe’s forced to talk aboutit, will be hard. Whatshe’sdone so far may endupbeingenough, which is to say,“I’m with thepresident,” without gettingintodetails about some of his behavior.But his behaviorinvolves family separation; it involves alot of things that Ithink someone like her would have troubletalking about in detail.

Faucheux: Butnobody is making that an issue. BothCassidy and Flemingare trying to run to the right.

Now,one thing Ithink Cassidy diddoright is that he attempted to define Letlowbefore she could define herself. She’s not wellknown; she’s never beeninvolved in abig fight. That’snot discrediting her,it’s

saying she’sbeen able to succeed without it.

Grace: Remember,Cassidy took out asitting senator,Mary Landrieu. He’sbattle-tested.

Hillyer: Although he didn’thave to go too negative against Landrieu He just kept repeating the same talking point,which was that he’d votethe Republican Party line.

Grace: Andnow he’stargeted because he’snot enough of apartyline Republican.

Faucheux: The other thingisthat candidates don’thave to carry the attack burden theway they once did, because there will be many millionsofdollars spent in this race from super PACs and independent groups that will carry much of theattack load

Grace: With “independent”sometimes in quotation marks, right?

Faucheux: Cassidy may not like attacking, Letlow may not like attacking,but they may not have to do it.Letlow will have alot of help going after Cassidy,with Trump and Gov.Jeff Landry Fleming’sangle

Hillyer: Ialso think it’svery interesting how Flemingisplaying it, in that he picked a fight withthe governor,and thegovernor rose to thedebate. Fleming said the governor put Letlow in therace; what he’sdoing is he’slooking at the polls that show thegovernor right now not being popular So if he makes Letlow as much Landry’scandidate as she is Trump’scandidate, at least it gets Fleminginthe conversation while helping knock her down.

Grace: Another thing that gets him in theconversation is he’s takingacontrary stance on carbon capture, which is absolutely abrewing issue in alot of rural areas that vote Republican.

Hillyer: He also has rather strong support among what used to be theChristian Coalition in Louisiana, and they vote.

Grace: Let’sgoback to Cassidy.I thinkalot of people know his story,that he’sinthis position where everyone’smad at him, either for theimpeachmentvote or for confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr as health secretary,when Cassidy is adoctor who is very much an advocate of vaccines and medical research and all these things that are now being dismantled.

So that’sa very tough position to be in. If his argument is that at least he’sindependent sometimes,

that will win somepeople over, but not everybody

Butone area where he has support is in the Senate. John Thune, themajority leader,came and campaigned forhim right before Trumpendorsed Letlow.Hehas theendorsement of fellow establishment Republicans in the Senate. Andtome, that emphasizes theextent to which this is just not politics as it used to be practiced. The idea of challenging amajor committee chairman, atwo-term senator with areal track record, from within his party —it’snot normal. And I’mthinking these other senators don’twant to be in that position. Ithink it’sscary to them.

Hillyer: He’snot saying, “Well, I voted for RFK because Ireally needed to be able to deliver some thingsonhealth care, there are someimportant things Ican do.” Idon’tknow whyhe’snot talking about getting $200 million per year extra forthe state in that Medicaid provision.

Grace: He did say he got some concessions from Kennedy,but Kennedy’snot holding up his end of the bargain. Cassidy can’teven get Kennedytoappear before his committee, which wasabsolutely one of the conditions.

Faucheux: Quin and Stephanie, you have just made, Ithink, abrilliant case forwhy Cassidy should have run as an independent. The left’sangry,the right’sangry Well, if he had run as an independent,hecould have harnessed theanger against the status quo, against the system,against the perception that nothing’sworking. And at the sametime, Quin just pointed outsomething very important: He has delivered specificthings forthe state that need to be explained.

Grace: Right, and not just on healthcare. If you go back to another controversial thing he did in recent years, he wasinvolved in the bipartisan infrastructure bill under Joe Biden. He got grid hardening money forthe state after Hurricane Ida, he got broadband, which Letlow ran on and then she voted against the bill. He can talk about that. He is talking about it to someextent.

Faucheux: He’sgoing to need to talk about it, if fornothing else, to inoculate himself from the coming attack forworking with Biden.

Hillyer: And he also needs to make

adistinction between that bill and the other Biden one, the huge one that everybody blames forinflation.

Letlow’s challenge

Hillyer: Let’sswitch to Letlow.Is she making an impression on anybody other than as Trump’scandidate? What does she say that’s positive? What has she delivered, either legislatively,ingeneral or forthe state? What she has is this very amorphous image right now She needs to sharpen that and give people something to vote for, other than just Trump’slackey

Grace: When I’ve heard her talk, she has talked about being on the Appropriations Committee, and somethings that probably anybody on Appropriations would do. We’ve had big-timeappropriators in the past in Louisiana; Iwould not put her in that category.But she’sasmartperson. She’sgot a Ph.D.She has avery sympathetic story that has gotten her this far in politics. Again, no one’sever attacked her,and she has never attacked anyone.

But if you look at her track record next to Cassidy’s, there’sno comparison. If that matters, that’sthe big question.

Hillyer: Do you think she needs to sharpen herself,orisitbetter forher to stay amorphous but be identified with Trump?

Faucheux: Ithink she needs to do both. On the one hand, she needs to show she can be tough, she can be strong, she can get things done and she can fight forthe state. Louisiana does want that. Number two, Ithink she needs to show that she has agood facility with issues, that she can take on tough issues, so that’sall sharpening. At the sametime, Iknow alot of people in her district, Democrats, Republicans and independents, and they all think she’sgreat. So she has candidate appeal that exceeds partisan limitations, which speaks well forher overall ability to get votes. And that’swhy the pro-Cassidy PACwent after her Grace: Cassidy supporters are trying to associate her with Nancy Pelosi, which is comical, if you think about it.

Hillyer: Ijust don’tknow what Cassidy is doing. I’mnot sure that trying to be Mr.Hard Right is going to work. Because people also want authenticity,and Idon’t think he comes across as authentic when he does that.

N.O. Book Festival returning to Tulane

Organizers release celebrity-packed schedule

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Fans of the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University can start making plans now that organizers have released the 2026 event’s daily schedule — but choosing who to see won’t be easy

The free literary gathering, scheduled for March 12-15, will feature more than 250 authors, creatives, cultural commentators, business leaders and political figures participating in more than 100 sessions on Tulane’s Uptown campus.

The four days of literary conversations have been dubbed “Mardi Gras for the mind,” but it might be more accurate to call it “Jazz Fest for ideas.” Like that famous rite of spring and other multi-stage Louisiana cultural events, Book Fest often creates difficult choices as interesting speakers are scheduled simultaneously at different event spaces.

“It’s exciting to have so many extraordinary voices gathered in one place, and we recognize that this can create a challenge for booklovers,” said Cheryl Landrieu, festival co-chair “In our view, there are no wrong choices, just a lot of new opportunities for discovery and inspiration.”

The event is expanding this year, stretching from three days to four with a dedicated family day on Sunday, and adding Tulane’s Devlin Fieldhouse as a presentation space to handle the record crowds that attended last year

At 5 p.m Thursday, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, will moderate a conversation called “America at 250” featuring famed documentarian Ken Burns, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed, biographer and festival co-chair Walter Isaacson, and The Atlantic

staff writer and bestselling author Clint Smith. Then the programming revs up the next day

At 10 a.m. Friday former Gov John Bel Edwards will interview Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, about McChrystal’s 2025 book “On Character: Choices That Define a Life.

At the same time, Tulane professor Nick Mattei will interview Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the English computer scientist credited with the invention of the World Wide Web and the HTML code used to build websites.

Also at 10 a.m Friday, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson will talk to Burns about the

American Revolution, and, in an-

other space, celebrated novelist Salman Rushdie will discuss his 2025 book “The Eleventh Hour.”

Later that morning, tech journalist and podcaster Kara Swisher will take on the topic “Who Shapes America Now?” while Charles M. Blow, Imani Perry and New Orleanian Clint Smith discuss “Place, Power and Belonging.”

The busy schedule, featuring dozens of panels in multiple venues, continues throughout the day and into Saturday, when more clusters of big names will force attendees to prioritize.

At 1 p.m. Saturday political commentator Molly Jong-Fast and author Susan Orlean will talk about their new memoirs; writer Roxane

Gay and scholar Imani Perry will discuss “Feminism, Culture and Voice;” CNN journalist Anderson Cooper and actor/podcaster Dax Shepard will tackle multiple topics; and financial journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin will interview Adm William H. McRaven about leadership.

At 4 p.m. Saturday Maryland Gov Wes Moore will speak at the same time as Stacey Abrams, the politician and voting rights activist.

In other sessions, father-and-son chefs Emeril Lagasse and E.J. Lagasse will talk about New Orleans food, social media star Nicole Richie will interview two authors and podcaster Tim Miller will interview journalist Don Lemon. Others scheduled to appear at the

Sources: Ex-BR official got kickbacks

Money allegedly used to pay mortgage, credit card bills

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

Investigators believe a former top Baton Rouge official indicted on corruption charges Wednesday got $194,000 in kickbacks from a city-parish contract she approved and used it to pay off her mortgage and credit cards, sources with knowledge of the probe say According to arrest warrants obtained by The Advocate, Courtney Scott, assistant chief administrative officer for Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome during her tenure in office, received bribes from a city-parish contractor The contractor Veronica Mathis, owns Build. Brand. Design., a company paid more than $738,000 in taxpayer dollars. That money flowed through a government-funded nonprofit known as the Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative and it’s subsidiary Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR. Arresting documents show authorities believe Mathis’ company funneled Scott about $194,000 through payments to The Byan Group LLC. Scott is listed in state business records as the manager and an agent of The Byan Group.

COACH

“Where would you send your kid if you were a parent? We are going to war with butter knives while everyone else that we’re competing with to get kids have fully loaded guns! Can we get a little help over here?”

Northside Principal James Rollins declined to comment when reached by phone Wednesday In Carter’s three years at the helm, the Vikings were a combined 14-20 overall and qualified

Sources with direct knowledge of the investigation say Scott used most of that money to pay off her mortgage and credit card debt.

A grand jury indicted Scott on Wednesday on nine counts and Mathis on eight counts as part of a broader investigation by Louisiana

Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office.

Scott and Mathis did not respond to requests for comment.

Scott resigned from her position in Broome’s office in 2024 after reports surfaced of her attacking a man with a chair at a Baton Rouge nightclub. Video recordings later showed the incident, which have not led to criminal charges.

Alleged scheme

On Wednesday, Scott and Mathis were charged with counts including conspiracy to commit theft, bribery money laundering, public contract fraud and illegal splitting of profits and fees. Scott also faces a charge of malfeasance in office.

As a top official in Broome’s office with oversight of the public funds awarded to the healthy city initiative, authorities say Scott used her influence to secure contracts for Mathis and others.

“Agents also discovered communication between Scott and others, which highlights her influence over the issuance of contracts” with the mayor’s nonprofit, wrote investiga-

for the playoffs each season.

Northside is coming off its best season under Carter, who led the Vikings to an overall record of 6-6. When the Vikings won their first-round playoff game against L.B. Landry this past season, it was the program’s first playoff victory since 2010. The Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs in the second round when they were defeated 56-7 by St. Charles, which went on to win the Division II select state championship. Before his return to Northside four years ago, Carter was extremely successful at Lafayette Christian.

tors in Scott’s arrest warrant.

Broome, who has not been accused of wrongdoing, did not respond to request for comment.

The grand jury that indicted Scott and Mathis was empaneled last year and has been hearing testimony and reviewing evidence related to the attorney general’s case.

Murrill’s investigation stems from a previous FBI probe into public corruption at city hall.

At one point, Scott was interviewed by FBI agents who confronted her about receiving public money, according to investigators.

“Scott claimed the funds were for purchasing equipment. However, Scott was unable to provide specifics about the purported equipment purchases,” they wrote.

Mathis was also interviewed, and much of the information she and Scott gave did not match up, investigators said.

According to Scott and Mathis’ indictment, officials believe the scheme took place between February 2021 and February 2024.

Widespread issues

City-parish financial statements, invoices and emails obtained by The Advocate show most of the work conducted by the mayor’s healthy city initiative was directed toward Safe, Hopeful, Healthy between 2021 and 2024. The vast majority of funding that

First, as an assistant coach, he helped lead the Knights to two state championships before spending his final two years with the school as head coach. With Carter leading the program, the Knights won two more state titles. “It isn’t necessarily the job I dreamed of,” Carter said in 2023 following his promotion to head coach, “but it is a job I envisioned myself doing. I saw the way (former Vikings) coach Vince ( DeRouen) did things. He was such a stand-up guy He was a winner and he had that swagger so I could see myself in his role

supported both programs came from federal COVID-era grants through the American Rescue Plan Act.

A 2022 audit of the healthy city nonprofit found widespread mismanagement. Documents to back up financial agreements and contracts were missing, contracts were awarded without bids and more than half of the nearly $1 million in grant dollars spent that year was not in compliance with federal rules.

“This is a serious matter involving a significant amount of money and the public’s trust. Our investigation is ongoing,” Murrill said in a statement Wednesday

The Scott and Mathis charges are the latest in a wave of indictments stemming from the attorney general’s investigation

Last month, five people were indicted on charges related to Baton Rouge transit system contracts, including sitting Metro Council member Cleve Dunn Jr Dunn is accused of using his influence to funnel a contract to a friend, Jarian “Jay” Colar, who then paid most of those funds back to him.

Colar is owner of Supreme Solutions LLC, a company previously owned by Dunn. Colar and Terral “TJ” Jackson, operator of Broad Innovation Marketing Firm, were both indicted as a result of the attorney general’s investigation

when I was in high school.” DeRouen, who spent this past season as an assistant on Carter’s staff, applauded the job done by his former player during an interview in September “Jacarde is no different than when he played for me,” DeRouen said. “He was hardworking then and he is hardworking now If there is one kid that wants to work out, it can be 5 a.m., Jacarde is going to come here and open the gym. You can see the product of his hard work on the field.”

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

in

fifth annual Book Fest include Tarriona “Tank” Ball, David Brooks, Oren Cass, Kenny Chesney, Ibram X. Kendi, Erik Larson, Michael Lewis, Jon Meacham and Viet Thanh Nguyen. A dozen other Book Fest presentations this year will dig into the “America at 250” theme, addressing leadership, civil rights, public memory and cultural identity Other topics include investigative journalism, presidential history, music, sports and contemporary fiction. All sessions are recorded and posted on the festival’s YouTube channel, and attendees have a chance to interact with authors during book signings The signing schedule will be released next week.

JUDGE

Continued from page 1B

Born and raised in Rayne, Wagar graduated from Rayne High School, the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and Loyola Law School.

Wagar has spent more than 30 years as an assistant district attorney handling juvenile delinquency and child protection cases and has been a prosecutor for Rayne City Court since 1997.

Earles retired recently from the Division J judgeship he was first elected to in 2002 in order to run for district attorney of the 15th Judicial District against incumbent Don Landry That election is Nov 3. Contact Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

BURN

Continued from page 1B

“While the humidity will be much higher today than the past few days, the winds will be stronger and, along with still-dormant fuels from winter freezes, will create an increased fire danger today,” the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles said in a statement. “A fire danger statement was issued this morning for most of the region.”

Officials urge residents to follow burn bans and avoid outdoor burning until conditions improve. Temperatures are expected to climb through the remainder of the week, and the first week of March looks like it will be well above average. However, more humidity is also in the forecast. A few scattered showers are possible late Thursday night into early Friday morning, according to the weather service.

‘Horrific’ process

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The blowout win ticked down to its final minute, which signaled to Izzy Besselman that it was time for hertohop off the bench, shed her warm-ups and get on the floor It was March 2024. The LSU women’s basketball team was putting the finishing touches on its second-roundNCAA Tournament victory overMiddle Tennessee State. Besselman didn’t knowitthen, but this would be the last time she’d help her hometown Tigers salt away alopsided win.

“In my entire career,” Besselman said, “I’ve never had something that put me out this long.” Twoyears later,Besselman is about to celebrate her senior day at LSU. The No. 6Tigers (24-4, 10-4 SEC) will honor

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

A“Tony Robichaux Special” emerged Tuesday The UL Ragin’Cajuns won their sixth consecutive gameand cooled off red-hot hitting Kansas State with a1-0 win in two hoursand 15 minutes at Russo Park.

“Coach Robe would have been proudofthatone,for sure,” UL coach Matt Deggs said.

True freshmanstartingpitcher Sawyer Pruitt was outstanding with sixshutout innings, andtwo relieverssealed the deal to make athird-inning homerun by sophomoreMark Collins hold up.

“Yeah,looking back at it now, I’m glad it went out,” Collins said. Both teams were 6-2entering a Wednesdaynight game during a rare two-gamemidweek series.

“I said it thefirst week Isaw him,” Deggs said of Pruitt. “He threw abullpen right down there and Itold Sandy (pitchingcoach Taylor Sandefur),‘That’sa number one. It’sjust going to takesome time.’ ” Maybe notmuchtimeafter all. Pruittimproved to 2-0onthe season after allowing three hits, three walks and striking out nine over 95 pitches in six innings.

The 6-foot-7 right-hander from Live OakHighstillhasn’t allowed an earned run in four outings this season.

INDIANAPOLIS —Rueben Bain is the new Will Campbell. Each draft cycle, there’satleast one prospect who’spicked apart for all sorts of factorshecan’t control. Last year,it was Campbell —the former LSU tackle whose arm length was amajor talking point before he went fourth overall to the New England Patriots. This year,even though he plays an entirely different position, Bain has been picked apart forsimilarconcerns after his armsreportedly measured slightly under 31 inches. That’sabout 2inches shorter than the preferredminimum length foredge rushers.

“None of theteams seem tooconcernedwithit,” BainsaidWednesday. “As long as Ijust talk the talk and walk the walk.”

The pre-draft fervordidn’tend up hurting Campbell, who went as high as initially expected. But it remains to be seen if the sameapplies to Bain, whose draft range has been projected to fall anywhere between No.2 and possibly as farback as somewhere in the teens.

The NewOrleans Saints, if Bain really does slide,would be faced with potentially having to pick the type of player they historically have avoided. The Saints like their edge rushers to be tall, athletic freaks. That’snot Bain. In addition to his shorter arms, Bain is considered undersized at 6-foot-2 and 277 pounds. But he’s undeniably bendy and is coming off aseason in which he solidified his status as one of the nation’stop edgerushers forMiamiwith 91/2 sacks.

The Saints have indicated they’re open to anew approach after last year’s change in scheme under defensive coordinator Brandon Staley

“You’relooking at adifferent prototype of player,” Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland said at the Senior Bowl last month. “We’relooking at different lengthand size. Aroundherewith Sean (Payton) …wewanted big power guys, power rushers. We’re looking for

“It’s just alot of work and preparation withcoach Sandy,” Pruitt said.“Irememberinthe fall,the fall wasn’ttoo hot for me,but I knew that was all part of the plan. “I just kept trusting the process, kept my head downand it started turning around. Istarted feeling things that started to work and had somesuccess later on.” Pruitt said he gotbacktohim-

On TV

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

6p.m. Delaware at Jacksonville St.CBSSN

6p.m. Temple at FAUESPN2

6p.m.High Point at Presbyterian ESPNU

7p.m. Michigan State at PurdueNBCSN

8p.m. FIU at Sam Houston State CBSSN

8p.m. Wichita State at Memphis ESPN2

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

5p.m. Louisville at Georgia Tech ACC

5p.m.Tennessee at LSU ESPN

5p.m. Ole Miss at Florida SEC

6p.m. Villanova at Seton Hall PEACOCK

6p.m.Georgetown at UConn TNT/TruTV

Skenes hasfour strikes changed

ABSchallenges overturn callsfor NL Cy youngwinner

By The Associated Press

NORTH PORT,Fla. National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes lostfour strikes to challenges in his first spring training start.

BROADCASTHIGHLIGHTS

7p.m. Florida State at DukeACC

7p.m. Missouri at South Carolina SEC

8p.m. Illinois at Iowa BTN

8p.m. Providence at Creighton TNT/TruTV

9p.m. Georgia at Texas SEC

MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY

5:30 p.m. Minnesota at Michigan BTN GOLF

1p.m. PGATour:Cognizant Classic Golf

8:30 p.m. LPGA Tour:HSBCChampionship Golf HORSE RACING

2p.m. America’sDay at the Races FS2 MLB SPRING TRAINING

Noon Atlanta vs. N.y.yankees MLB

2p.m. Cleveland vs. Seattle MLB

NBA

6:30 p.m.Houston at Orlando PRIME

8p.m.New Orleans at Utah GCSEN

9p.m.Minnesota at L.A. Clippers PRIME NFLSCOUTING COMBINE

2p.m.Defensivelinemen,linebackers NFL NHL

7p.m.Philadelphia at N.y.Rangers ESPN

9:30 p.m.Edmonton at Los AngelesESPN MEN’S SOCCER

1:55 p.m.FenerbahceatNott. Forest CBSSN

6p.m.Defence Force at Phila.Union FS1

6:50 p.m.Nicaragua vs. Martinique FS2 TENNIS

9a.m.Acapulco-ATP &Dubai-ATP Tennis

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

LSU catcher Arrambide injures foot vs. McNeese LSUcatcher Cade Arrambide left in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s7-6 loss against McNeese State with afoot injury,coach Jay Johnson said after the game. Johnsondid not know the severityofthe injury.FreshmanOmar Serna replaced Arrambide. “He said he couldn’tplay anymore,” Johnson said Tuesday. “And Idon’t knowanything else yet.” Arrambide has been one of LSU’s top hitters this season. He entered Tuesday’sgamewith three home runs, a.767 slugging percentage and a.486 on-base percentage. He went 0for 1witha flyout before getting replaced. Johnson also saidhehopes left fielderChris Stanfield returns from an injury this weekend when the Tigers host Dartmouth and Northeastern beginning Friday

UL men’sbasketball falls without Finister to Troy

Withoutleading scorer Dorian Finister,who missed the game while in concussion protocol, the UL men’sbasketballteam fell 78-59 on Tuesday to Troy at Trojan Arena in Troy,Alabama.

The Cajuns dropped to 10-20 overalland 7-10 in Sun Beltplay while Troy improved to 19-11, 11-6. With onegameleft in the regular season —atArkansas State on Friday —UListied for 11th place in theSun Belt with GeorgiaState. Thanks to awin over the Panthers, the Cajuns would win the tiebreaker with Georgia State, which finishes with OldDominion on Friday But if UL falls to Arkansas State, theCajuns would lose the tiebreaker with Old Dominion (10-20, 6-11) because of aloss on Feb. 16.

Skenesstruckout four and walked four over 21/3 innings for Pittsburgh on Wednesday againstthe Atlanta Braves, whowere 4for 4against the right-hander on challenges to get called strikes overturned to balls —one of them by the slimmest of margins.

The 53-pitch outing is expected to be the only one Skenes has for Pittsburgh before he joins the U.S. for the World Baseball Classic.

He allowed one hit and onerun while facing 12 batters. He is going into his third season withthe Pirates.

“Winning gold is thebiggest thing,” saidSkenes, who was then asked if U.S. success in the just-completed Winter Olympics provides more motivation. “Yeah, men’shockey,women’s hockey,all the other golds that we won in the Olympics.We’re America, we’ve got to assert our dominanceover everybody else That’swhat we do. It’sgoing to be fun.”

Skenesthrew27pitches for strikesagainst the Braves, along with four other pitches initially called strikes by homeplate umpire Chris Segal that Braves hitters challenged through the automated ball-strike system the so-called robotumpires.

“Today,that’show it is. I’ve just got to adjust,” Skenes said. “I think it will evenout over the course of the season, but ask me in June.”

Three of those challenges cameonconsecutive batters in the first inning.

Matt Olsonchallengedan82.3 mphcurveballthatwas called astrike, and had asmile on his face as replay showed indeed that the 1-1 pitch was only about one-tenth of an inch off the plate. He went on to draw awalk “When the seasongets rolling, that’sprobably not the pitch that you’re going to be challenging, butyou’ve gottofeel it outa bit, Olson said.

“I figured, whatever.Itwas abackdoor sweeper that Ifelt kind of held up alittle bit.”

Jurickson Profar then challenged a98.3 mph fastball for astrike on the first pitchhe faced, and it was overturned to a1-0 count before he also walked. Austin Riley sought a replay when a99mph pitch on an 0-2 count was called astrike, but was above the zone, though on the next pitch he struck out swinging on a98.5 mph fastball just below that. In the Braves second, Ronald Acuña asked for areview and got aball on a97.6 mph fastball off the platethat had been called astrike.

While the overturned strike thrown to Riley was the fastest of the day by Skenes, his fastball was consistently in the upper90s throughout his outing.

FILE PHOTOSByKIRK MECHE

Teurlings Catholic left-hander Evan Vincent pitches against E.D.White during the Division II select state championship seriesonMay 15 in Sulphur.Vincent helped the Rebels win the state title.

ACALLTOARMS

12 area pitchers to keep an eyeonthisseason

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Thehigh school baseball season is underway,and several Acadiana-area teams againhavetheir sights set on reaching Sulphur in May and competing for a state championship.

Ayearago,three area teams —Teurlings Catholic (Division II select), Catholic High of New Iberia (Division IIIselect)and Vermilion Catholic (Division IV select) —captured state championships.

In addition to those state champions, Erath finished as the DivisionIII nonselect runner-up and St Thomas Morereached the DivisionI select semifinals while six other teams reached the quarterfinals.

To reach or surpass that levelthis season,theywill look to some qualitypitching performances. Here are 12 area pitchers to watch thisseason.

Evan Vincent, Teurlings Catholic (Sr.)

The UL signee went 10-0 last season with one save while sporting a1.22ERA and 0.96 WHIP. As ajunior,the 6-foot-1 left-hander allowed 12 runs on 30 hits and 31 walks,while striking out90in63innings.

Cole Albert,Vermilion Catholic (So.)

As afreshman, Albert was instrumental in leading theEagles to the state championship. He went 8-1 with a0.95 ERA anda1.05 WHIP.Albert allowed 19 runs, nineearned, on 51 hits and 18 walks, while striking out54in652/3 innings.

Landen Derouen, Erath(Sr.)

The right-hander went 7-3 witha 2.80 ERAand a 1.36 WHIP last season in leadingthe Bobcats to a state runner-up finish. As ajunior,Derouen allowed 30 runs, 20 earned, on 44 hits and24walks, while striking out 48 in 50 innings. He also hit .311 with twohome runs, nine doubles, onetriple and 31 RBIs BlazeDuhon,North Vermilion(Sr.)

The left-hander was 7-4 with a1.17 ERA forthe Patriots, who reached the Division II nonselect quarterfinals. TheSouthern Arkansas Community College signee allowed 56 hits and 25 walks,while striking out 75 in 72 innings. Duhon also hit .375 and had five homeruns,10doubles and35RBIs.

Luke Hewitt,CatholicHigh-NewIberia(Sr.)

The left-hander went 3-2 with one save and a2.84 ERA last season for the reigning state champions Hewitt allowed 29 runs, 21 earned, on 39 hits and 45 walks, while striking out 61 batters in 512/3 innings.

Cayden Dartez,St. Thomas More (Sr.)

The left-hander was akey member of the pitching staff last season when STM reached the state semifinals. Dartez went 6-3with a2.74 ERA and a1.24 WHIP. He allowed 20 earnedruns on 43 hits and21 walks, while striking out 63 in 51 innings.

AydenWelch,Lafayette Christian(Sr.)

Theleft-hander showed he wascapableofcarrying apitching staff against tough competition. As a junior, Welchwent 10-1 witha 0.78 ERAand a1.06 WHIP.He allowed15runs, eight earned,on40hits and 36 walks, while striking out 65 in 712/3 innings. He was named the District 6-2A MVP.

Vermilion Catholic pitcher Cole Albertthrows to first base for an out against Ouachita Christian during the Division IV select championship game on May 14 in Sulphur.Albertwent 8-1 with a0.95 ERA last season as the Eagles wonthe state title.

DylanHelms,Teurlings Catholic (Sr.)

Although he remains uncommitted, Helmsisconsidered one of the state’sbest pitchers. As ajunior, Helmswent 6-2 with a2.06 ERAand 1.04 WHIP in helping theRebels win the state championship. The left-hander allowed 13 runs on 23 hits and 16 walks, while striking out 32 in 371/3 innings.

AidenLejeune,Eunice (Sr.)

Theright-handerisakey cog in the Bobcats’ pitching staff. As ajunior,Lejeune went 9-7with a2.60 ERA in 782/3 innings.

SportGros, AscensionEpiscopal (Jr.)

This season, the right-handeris1-1 with a0.67 ERA. In 10 innings, he’s allowed five hits andthree walks, while striking out17. As ajunior, Gros hit .330 with twodoubles, twotriples and 17 RBIs. He scored 26 runs and stole 11 bases for the Blue Gators, who lost in the Division IV select quarterfinals.

Carter Stelly,Opelousas Catholic (Sr.)

Theleft-handerisone of severaltalentedarms the Vikings possess as they look to build on their quarterfinals finish ayear ago. As ajunior,the LSUEunice signee went 6-2 with a2.52 ERA anda 1.44 WHIP.Heallowed 29 runs, 18 earned, on 37 hits and 35 walks, while striking out 62 in 50 innings.

MichaelZaunbrecher,Notre Dame (Jr.)

The Pios reached the Division III select regionals last year and Zaunbrecher wasabig reason why. As asophomore, theright-handerwent 7-1with a2.10 ERA.

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

Verlander,Valdez to get $31M in deferred payments

Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez will receive the final paymentsfromtheir newcontracts with the Detroit Tigers in 2039, withthe team deferring $31 million of the $128 million it committed to the pitchers. Verlander’s$13 million,one-year dealwill paythe 43-year-old righthander$2millionthis year.The $11 millionindeferred money due the three-time Cy Young Award winner will be paid in $1.1 million installments each June 30 from 2030-39 Valdez’s$115 million, three-year agreement includes a$20 million signing bonus paid in $2 million installments each June 15 from 2030-39.

He gets salariesof$17.5 million this year and $37.5 million in 2027.

Penguins star Crosby out after his Olympic injury

The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to start their playoffpush without Sidney Crosby

The club placed its longtime captain on injuredreserve on Wednesday.The move comes after Crosby suffered alower-body injury during the Olympic hockey tournamentatthe Milan Cortina Games

The 38-year-old three-timeStanleyCup winnerwent down in the secondperiodofCanada’squarterfinal win over Czechia.The Canadiansheldout hope Crosbywould be able to return, but he did not. Crosby, who is expected to miss at least four weeks, said he does not regret his decision to play in Milan.

“It’sthe Olympics and it’sanamazing experience justasanathlete, not just as ahockeyplayer,”hesaid. “Injuries are part of the game.”

Jaguars, Commanders set to hostgamesinLondon

The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to become the first NFL team to play twohome games overseas.

The Jaguars andthe Washington Commanders on Tuesday were named hosts for three games scheduled for London in 2026. Jacksonvillewill playbackto-back games across the pond in October,with one at historic Wembley Stadium and the other at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The Commanders also will host agame at Tottenham, the official home of the NFL in Britain. Specificdates and opponents will be announced later

The Jaguars are making the movebecause stadium renovations will reduce capacity in Jacksonville to 42,507 this fall. The Jaguars will be fully displaced in 2027, with most of their home games in Orlando, Florida.

Saints scouting department wins award for best 2025 draft

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

INDIANAPOLIS The New Orleans Saints college scouting department was honored Wednesday as winners of the Best Draft Award for its strong 2025 class that included a potential quarterback of the future, franchise left tackle and several other starters.

The recognition marks the second time the Saints have won the award, handed out by Inside The League and voted on by other NFL scouts and administrators. New Orleans was named the inaugural winner for its iconic 2017 class. The Saints drafted nine players last offseason, with many going on to become important contributors.

LSU WOMEN

Continued from page 1C

her, Flau’jae Johnson and Amiya Joyner in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center at 5 p.m. Thursday (ESPN) when they’re scheduled to face Tennessee in the last home contest of the regular season Besselman began her career as a walk-on. She’s been on scholarship for a little more than a year now, but she hasn’t dressed out for a game in either of the past two seasons because she’s one of about 70 million people worldwide who are battling some form of dysautonomia — a nervous system disorder that can cause abnormally high heart rates. It took Besselman about 10 months to receive an official diagnosis. She first noticed something was wrong in a preseason practice ahead of her junior season. LSU was holding a relatively light session that day, yet the 5-foot-10 former Episcopal star “felt awful.” Her heart rate spiked. Her lips turned blue.

LSU trainers pulled Besselman off of the floor and brought her to a nearby emergency room, kickstarting what her mother, Kate Besselman, calls a “horrific” process. Initially, doctors looked for blood clots. Then they started to notice some abnormalities in her heart rate and oxygen levels. But none of them could pinpoint what was causing them.

Besselman visited specialists such as neurologists, pulmonologists and cardiologists. Her search for an answer began to follow a pattern. As soon as she’d start to feel some hope, she would hear some disappointing news.

“It was a lot of really scary things that it could have been,” Kate said, “and as it wasn’t those

UL SOFTBALL

Continued from page 1C

ing about all the big picture, you forget to look at the little things.” UL coach Alyson Habetz wasn’t surprised that Norwood delivered.

“She just gets a little anxious at first, but once again, once she settled in, she’s money,” Habetz said “When I saw her take that one cut, I was like, ‘Oh, she’s good.’ When she’s comfortable in there, she can swing it.”

A catcher by trade, Norwood made a nice catch in left field.

“She gives us more options,” Habetz said.

“I’m like one of those Swiss pocketknives,” Norwood said “I’m not a person that thinks I can only play

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

a little different athlete. Size isn’t a premium as much as the athleticism is.

“So that only helps us. That creates actually more bodies, more swings.”

Picking Bain would represent a departure from the Saints’ status quo. But that was arguably needed even before the scheme change, following a series of high-profile draft misses at defensive end that included Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey And though the Saints had two pass rushers finish with 10-sack campaigns last season New Orleans could still use another impact pass rusher after ranking 21st in quarterback pressure percentage. Bain would welcome the opportunity He said it would be a “blessing” to team up with Chase

First-round tackle Kelvin Banks, picked ninth overall, started all 17 games and ranked near the top among all rookies in snap counts Quarterback Tyler Shough, a second-round selection, went 5-4 as a starter and finished as a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year The Saints also found defensive starters in third-round safety Jonas Sanker and fourth-round cornerback Quincy Riley

Even the rookies who spent most of the year as backups had promising moments, including fourthround linebacker Danny Stutsman, sixth-round running back Devin Neal and seventh-round tight end

Moliki Matavao.

Saints assistant general manager and college scouting director Jeff

Ireland leads the team’s scouting process.

“To be honest with you, the process has really not changed since I’ve been here,” Ireland said in January when asked about the success of last year’s draft. “We’ve used the same process that we’ve used. I think the addition to the (then-new coaching) staff and their energy and their enthusiasm in the process helped, for sure.

“They gave us great vision for what they were looking for, and that’s important. We went after high makeup, high character, highly intelligent players that had production in college.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com

UL BASEBALL

Continued from page 1C

“When you look at his age and his size, for him to have the poise and body control and the ability to command four pitches for strikes and field his position hold runners and have some intent behind everything he does, it’s just real high next level stuff,” Deggs said.

Replacing Pruitt in the seventh for two innings was another true freshman in Hayden Pearson of Ascension Episcopal.

“Hayden has a gift of a real short memory, and he’s got some dog in him,” Deggs said. “He likes to compete, and he attacks with his hand. Sometimes he doesn’t know where it’s going, but I would say it’s effectively all over the place at times, and then he can land strikes.” Pearson surrendered no runs on no hits, walked one and struck

things, we were thankful but also a little bit frustrated because we really couldn’t determine what it was for a pretty long while.”

Besselman didn’t find an answer until last summer when she visited the Cleveland Clinic with her mother and LSU associate athletic trainer Amanda Barbee. There, doctors told her she was battling something called an inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST). That condition is similar to the one called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which is commonly referred to as POTS

It’s manageable. Besselman’s heart has a normal rhythm. It just beats too rapidly and when she exercises, its rate can either in-

this position. I just love playing the game.”

Norwood is hitting .462 on the season after getting six hits in her last four games.

“During summer, I hit every single day,” she said. “I don’t think I missed a day hitting, and I learned my swing. I learned what worked for me. I don’t let the little things get in my head.

“I know how I am as a hitter, and I just go up there and I trust myself. I trust my preparation, and I trust my work, and I know that I’m going get it done.”

The Cajuns improved to 11-6 with the win while Northern Iowa fell to 6-6. UL will play St. Mary’s at 2 p.m Friday in the first game of the Texas A&M tournament in College Station Texas.

tensify or drop. Sometimes she can move around with no issues. Other times, she can’t.

Besselman tried to “retrain” her heart so it could allow her to play basketball again. She took EKG tests three times a week. Pilates was supposed to help. So, too, were IVs. Now all Besselman can do is practice in spurts on the right day and only if she wears a heart monitor that Barbee carefully watches on the sideline.

“I’m a very functionable patient,” Besselman said. “I’m just trying to do what a lot of people aren’t, and that’s play basketball.”

But Besselman’s heart just won’t let her which means that she’s missed opportunities to see the

floor LSU has picked up 20 wins of at least 40 points across the last two seasons. Those kinds of games are the ones that Besselman would have entered had she been healthy enough. The crowds likely would’ve greeted her with a loud ovation each time she checked in. Instead, she has sat on the bench, watching each win come and go and her playing career slowly slip by “I don’t know that she ever has really articulated the fact that it’s over,” Kate said. “I think she knows it, but she’s never really, really gone there with us, her parents.

“I do feel like she feels that she

out two.

Garret Carter threw 17 pitches in the ninth to nail down his second save of the season.

“He was awesome,” Deggs said of Carter “He had a lot of intent coming off that fastball.”

All of that great pitching could have been wasted without the big homer from Collins in the third inning.

Both teams managed only three hits, but UL hit the big bomb.

“I think it’s just the preparation that we have at practice before games,” Collins said.

“Coach Z (Zach LaFleur) and coach Deggs do a great job with putting us in approaches and being ready for it when the time comes in games.

“Coach Z told us, ‘Stay on the fastball’ and adjust to anything soft, but don’t get beat by his fastball. He threw a cutter, and I was able to get a good swing on it.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

is an integral part of the team, just not out on the court.”

Besselman and Johnson are the last two holdovers from the 202223 national championship team.

Besselman appeared in 19 games that season, including three of the six NCAA Tournament contests the Tigers played. That run to the title capped a dream year for her — and not just because she could cut down the net at the end of it.

When Besselman was growing up, her parents would bring her to the PMAC to watch LSU women’s basketball games. She never thought then that she’d play on that court one day, let alone contribute to the school’s first national championship in basketball.

But because she did, Besselman thinks she’ll look back fondly on her college basketball career — even though a difficult medical ordeal took away half of it.

She said she has developed a new perspective while sidelined. Besselman, one of the team captains, now sees the game through a different lens, which allows her to pull some of her younger teammates aside, show them how they can find a place in coach Kim Mulkey’s system and answer any of their questions.

Besselman’s mom thinks those leadership responsibilities have helped her daughter rationalize and accept the fact that a difficult medical ordeal took away half of her playing career

They may also have given Besselman a renewed appreciation for moments like the last minute of LSU’s win over Middle Tennessee two years ago. Those chances were fleeting, even more so than she thought they were at the time.

“Just be thankful for every day,” Besselman said, “because you never know when it’s gonna stop. You never know when it’s the last time you’re getting on that floor.”

ing her team hit three home runs.

In the second inning, Madyson Manning singled, advanced on Mia Liscano’s double and Williams walked to load the bases. An error after Miki Watts’ fly out to right got one run home before Haley Hart’s two-run single made it 4-0.

UL grew that lead with two more runs in the third on Brooke Otto’s two-run homer Before Norwood’s home run, pinch-hitter Lillian Soto smashed a long solo homer to right-center for UL.

The Cajuns finished with eight hits, led by Liscano at 2 for 2 with a double. Habetz especially enjoyed see-

The Cajuns built a 6-0 lead with a lot of help from the visitors In the first inning, Dayzja Williams singled and scored on a two-out fielding error by the third baseman.

Young, whom Bain said he “grew up” watching and has followed the trajectory of his career

“I can tell you probably every highlight he had his rookie year,” Bain said.

Bain also said he had a formal interview with the Saints, adding he felt it went “great.” He said he tried to be overly prepared for the meetings he had this week as part of a schedule that has been almost nonstop since Bain competed in the CFP national championship game. With his college season ending only a month ago, Bain has had to resume his training at a slower pace than admittedly he would like. He reportedly won’t be participating in the combine drills this week

But Bain still has a chance to make an impression. He spoke about also interviewing with the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans the latter of whom would reunite Bain with his former col-

“We told them before the game that it’s a month before we get back in front of these awesome fans, so let’s put on a show for them,” Habetz said. “Let’s give them something to get excited about to show them what Ragin’ Cajun softball is all about. They rose to that challenge. I felt proud of them.”

The Cajuns got three shutout innings from starter Sage Hoover with one hit and four strikeouts.

Freshman reliever Bailey Mackles had trouble with her command, giving up two runs on two hits, five walks and two strikeouts in three innings.

Habetz tried to distract Mackles during her visit to the circle in the fourth inning, when Mackles allowed both of her runs.

lege quarterback in Cam Ward. Bain said Ward, the first overall pick in 2025, has told him he would advocate for the Titans to pick him at No. 4. There’s no guarantee Bain will

go that high. As silly as it can seem, the concern about Bain’s arm length could be a legitimate obstacle. When Campbell struggled down the stretch of his rookie season —

“I just asked her what her favorite vacation spot was, and she said, ‘Europe,’ ” Habetz said. “I said, ‘Where in Europe?’ I didn’t really understand what she said, but I said, ‘Does it have a beach?’ and she said, ‘Yes, ma’am.’

“I said, ‘OK, well, you’re there. On the beach, and you’re breathing. You’re relaxing, and you’re just having fun. Just throw the ball to the catcher.’ ” It worked.

Mackles got a double play ground ball and did not give up any runs over her last two innings for her first collegiate win.

“When she really settles in, it’s going to be really good,” Habetz said.

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

including mightily in the Super Bowl — his pre-draft narrative was reignited to the point that some analysts wondered whether the Patriots would be better off moving Campbell to guard. But the arm length debate simply boils down to each team’s philosophy

“Some guys have shorter arms that play with great length and extension all the time,” Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters told reporters at the combine “Some guys have really long arms that don’t use that, their length as well. So, you know, it’s great to have that length, but it’s also how they use it and how it comes out on the tape.” Bain said his film speaks for itself.

“When you’re the best player in the draft, in my opinion, I’m going to come in with the mindset to work every day, prove myself in the locker room and just be the person that I am,” Bain said.

Turn over anew leaf

BY GRETCHEN McKAY Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

When you have afamily member with asevere gluten allergy,itcan be slim pickings when it comes to baked goods and other dishes madewith grains like wheat, barley and rye. Not only are menu choices often limited when planning dinner or dessert, but evenamild sensitivity can wreak havoconaloved one’s tummy if you don’tuse distinct cookware and keep counters, cutting boards and utensils super clean to avoid crosscontamination

One-to-one gluten-free flours and naturally gluten-free grainsand seeds like quinoa, corn, buckwheat, rice and oats make it easier at meal time, at an added expense.

Anyone who’sshopped the glutenfree aisle at amajor grocerystore or perused the offerings online knows these specialty products are significantly moreexpensive than everyday products made with wheat. That’sthanks to economies of scale (it’samuch smallermarket), the rigorous testing involvedto achieve certification and all the experimenting that goes into making a product that actuallytastesgood.

A12-ounce loaf of Udi’sglutenfree white sandwichbread, for example, typically costs $6 or more at most grocery stores —roughly twoorthree times the price of a 16-ounce “regular” white loaf

Still, gluten-free productsare a culinary lifeline for some, as well as afun way to add alittle variety to daily meals with different tastes and textures.

With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to sorghum, an alternative grain you might be unfamiliar with but should get to know Available both as amilled flour and apearled cereal grain,

Sayhello to sorghum, your newest cookingally ä See SORGHUM, page 6C

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)

Inspired by the recent Chinese New Year celebrations, thiseasy steak stir-fryquickly came to mind It takes just afew minutes to assemble and prep the ingredients, and only minutes more to cook, making it perfect for a busy day Iuse aready-made stir-fry sauce from the market for convenience, but if you prefer,I’veincluded asimple homemade version at the end of the recipe.

The cold weather keeps finding its way down South, so fighting back calls for something warmingand soothing— soup. Of course, thereare always canned and premade soups, but making soupnot only warms the body,italso warms thehouseand the soul.

It’salso ahealthy and vegetarian option, as much of Louisianabuckles downfor Lent.

Youmay have heardofthe cleanout-your-refrigerator soup that avoids wasting food. But it’snot the only way to make soup and useup leftovers.

Tortilla Soup

Makes 4to6servings.

6cups chicken stock ¼cup olive oil 3roasted tomatillos 1onion, roasted 3clovesgarlic, roasted 3smoked chipotle chiles, chopped if canned or crumbled in dried 1cup peanutoil

6small tortillas cut into strips 2sprigs epazote (can be found in Hispanic groceries and some supermarkets)orMexican oregano ½cup grated queso fresco 1lime

1. Heat oven to 425 F.

1. Place thechicken stock in your soup pot and heat over low heat.

2. While the stock is heating, halve the tomatillos. Coat the tomatillos with olive oil and place on acookie sheet. Cut theonion in eighths and coat the pieces in olive oil andplace on thecookie sheet. Add the chipotles to

cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the hot oven while you fry the tortilla strips, but no more than 30 minutes.

3. Heat about ¼cup of the oil in asmallpan. While pan is heating, cutthe tortillas into strips (about4 to 6per tortilla). Cook the strips in theoil to crispthem, turning to allow them to crisp on both sides. This should take about 2to3 minutes perside Drain thestrips on apaper towel. Keepadding oil to the pan as the strips absorb the oil. Continue until all of the strips are crisped.

4. Removethe tomatillos, onion, garlic andchipotles fromthe oven andpureein ablender until smooth. Add the mixture to the simmering stock. Add the epazote or oregano.

5. Serve in bowls and sprinkle witha tablespoon or two of thequeso fresco anda grate or 2oflime zest added just before serving.

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday, Feb. 26, the 57th day of 2026. There are 308 days left in the year

Today in history: On Feb. 26, 1993, a truck bomb built by Islamic extremists exploded in the parking garage of the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more

than 1,000 others, mainly due to smoke inhalation. (The bomb failed to topple the north tower into the south tower, as the terrorists had hoped; both towers were destroyed in the 9/11 attack eight years later.)

Also on this date: In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the island of Elba, sailing back to France in a

Vegetable Soup

Serves 4 to 6.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped coarsely

2 stalks celery, chopped coarsely

5 cloves garlic, minced 48 ounces (8 cups) chicken or vegetable broth (If you choose vegetable broth, the soup will be vegetarian.)

1 bay leaf 1 cup cooked cannellini beans (rinsed

tinue to stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the meat and stir-fry 2 minutes.

4. Draw the ingredients to the side of the wok and add the stir-fry sauce to the cleared area. Draw all of the ingredients into the sauce. Toss well for a minute to make sure all ingredients are coated with the sauce.

5. Spoon the beef stir-fry over the rice and serve.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: 598 calories (29 percent from fat), 19.6 g fat (6.1 g saturated, 7.7 g monounsaturated), 84 mg cholesterol, 42.5 g protein, 63.0 g carbohydrates, 6.6 g fiber, 587 mg sodium.

Homemade stir-fry sauce

3 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar

2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder

3 teaspoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Mix vinegar, Chinese five-spice powder, garlic, soy sauce honey water and cornstarch together in a small bowl.

SOUPS

Continued from page 5C

This Vegetable Soup reflects the basic recipe, and you can add extra vegetables with impunity. Those few leftover pieces of cauliflower or asparagus will fit right in.

This is a complete meal vegetable soup. With beans and cheese, you have protein, as well as lots of good taste and fiber Serve this with crusty bread and a salad, and you can help soothe your insides.

To honor New Orleans roots, try a Red Bean Soup, which is packed with protein and fulfills the Monday promise of creamy red beans with a twist You can cook dried red beans as you

pepper 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided in half

1. Place the olive oil in the soup pot over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onions. Cook, stirring as needed, for 10 minutes. Add the celery and cook 5 minutes more. Add the garlic and stir

2. Add the stock, bay leaf, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, greens, mirliton and mushrooms. Stir and cook 30 minutes. Add the chopped herbs, oregano and half of the cheese. Stir well. Cook another 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper

3. Remove the bay leaf with a spoon or tongs and discard. Remove the pot from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls to serve. Garnish each bowl with up to a tablespoon of grated Parmesan Serve with bread and olive oil for dipping. Have a pepper grinder and extra cheese on the table for additional flourish.

would for a batch of red beans and rice, using your favorite recipe and setting some aside for this soup. Or as a last resort, use rinsed, canned beans. It’s also a great way to use up the last of your red beans, especially if you don’t have enough for everyone. Although it has its origin in New Orleans traditional red beans and rice, it is really soup. You can add ham, but I like green onion sausage or chaurice hot sausage. You can choose andouille or ham hocks. They are all very New Orleans choices, too. And for variety, I think Tortilla Soup is a good choice. It lets you use up tortillas that are going stale, and allows us to savor Mexican flavors. We don’t eat enough tomatillos, so this

Roasted Cherry Tomato, Kale and Sorghum Salad

Serves 4. Recipe is adapted from bobsredmill.com. I used grape tomatoes and lacinato (Tuscan) kale, but you could add any favorite green or veggie. Consider doubling the dressing if you prefer a really moist grain salad.

1. First, cook the sorghum: Combine rinsed sorghum and 3 cups water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to mediumlow

plump and starting to burst open, about 18 minutes. Chop shallot into small pieces.

bid to regain power In 1998, a jury in Amarillo, Texas, rejected an $11 million lawsuit brought by Texas cattlemen who blamed Oprah Winfrey’s talk show for a price fall after a segment on food safety that included a discussion about mad cow disease. In 2012, Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot to death in Sanford, Florida, during

an altercation with neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who said he acted in selfdefense. (Zimmerman was later acquitted of seconddegree murder.)

Today’s birthdays: Singer Mitch Ryder is 81. Singer Michael Bolton is 73. Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Mullen is 69. Actor Greg Germann is

Democratic

Red Bean Soup

Serves

to

sorghum is considered an ancient grain that is it’s been grown for hundreds of years and largely remains unaltered through modern farming practices. It’s believed to have been domesticated in East-Central Africa at least 5,000 years ago. Today, it’s the fifth most produced cereal crop in the world after wheat, corn, rice and barley, making it an important dietary staple for more than 500 million of the most food-insecure people in the world. High-energy and drought-tolerant, sorghum’s leaves and stems

2. Cook until sorghum is pleasantly tender but still has some chew, 55-65 minutes. You can wait until the sorghum is halfway cooked before proceeding with the next steps.

3. Roast cherry tomatoes and shallot: Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

4. Toss whole cherry tomatoes and shallot halves with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt Roast until the tomatoes are soft,

can be used to feed livestock and also to produce ethanol. In the culinary arena, it can be cooked into a cereal and porridge; used as a base in grain bowls, salads and soups; fermented in alcoholic beverages; and crushed like sugar cane or beets to produce a syrup. It also can be popped like corn for a nutritious snack. Why build out your pantry with a bag of soft white sorghum flour or a package of the golden, couscouslike grain? Not only is sorghum a natural source of hearthealthy antioxidants, but whole grain sorghum is a great source of fiber and protein. It’s

5. Make the dressing: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper until emulsified. Taste and add more salt, red pepper flakes or lemon juice if not tangy enough.

6. Once the sorghum is done cooking, drain off any excess water and pour cooked sorghum into a serving bowl.

7. Pour in all of the dressing, all of the cherry tomatoes and their juices, shallots, chopped kale, Parmesan, feta and chickpeas (optional) Season to taste with pepper, toss well and serve.

recipe uses those lemony cousins of the tomato. Be sure to use good chiles. I happen to like chipotles, but if you prefer a hotter chile or a milder one, just substitute. Like so many Mexican dishes, this one uses a blender to meld all of the ingredients together

The soup, warm by temperature and warm by taste, comes together quickly It isn’t a long-cook-

ing soup, but it should be satisfying. And if you just can’t manage to crisp tortillas, don’t skip making the soup. Just use tortilla chips for the store. Remember no matter how you fix your tortillas, don’t let them stay in the soup too long so they don’t fall apart. One soup tip: Keep in mind that vegetables must be chopped small enough to fit onto a spoon. This is

soup, after all. Even with a large soup spoon, you want the vegetables and any other ingredients to be easy to transport to your mouth.

Liz Williams is founder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans. Listen to “Tip of the Tongue,” Liz’s podcast about food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts. Email Liz at lizwillia@gmail.com.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Discord postpones age verification rollout

Discord, the popular platform for gamers to communicate online, is postponing its controversial age verification policy after receiving swift backlash from users with concerns about their privacy

The global rollout of the system is now delayed to the second half of 2026, Discord’s Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy wrote in a Tuesday blog post acknowledging that the company “missed the mark.”

“Many of you are worried that this is just another Big Tech company finding new ways to collect your personal data. That we’re creating a problem to justify invasive solutions,” Vishnevskiy wrote. “I get that skepticism. It’s earned, not just toward us, but toward the entire tech industry. But that’s not what we’re doing.”

Discord, which says it has more than 200 million active users, will continue to meet specific legal obligations it has for age verification of users, the company said.

The company announced earlier this month that it would roll out an age verification policy in March that would include face scanning or requests for an ID upload for users it could not determine were adults. This drew swift ire from users.

Many pointed to a recent security breach of a third-party provider Discord worked with that exposed government ID photos of up to 70,000 Discord users. Vishnevskiy referenced the security breach in the blog post writing that he understood that incident added to users’ skepticism, but he emphasized the company no longer works with that vendor and has rigorous standards for its partners. Ozempic, Wegovy prices to be slashed

Weight loss drugmaker Novo Nordisk will cut the list prices of Ozempic and Wegovy by up to 50% beginning in 2027, the company announced on Tuesday Wegovy currently carries a list price of $1,349 per month, while Ozempic is listed at $1,028 for a one-month supply Both drugs will be listed at $675 per month beginning on Jan. 1, “representing reductions of approximately 50% and 35% for Wegovy and Ozempic, respectively,” according to Novo Nordisk.

The price cut will be designed to make Ozempic and Wegovy more affordable for people who receive the diabetes and obesity drugs through their health insurance, Novo Nordisk said Some insurance plans link coverage and out-of-pocket costs to the list price of medications. The upcoming price cuts will be the most helpful for “individuals with high-deductible health plans or co-insurance benefit designs,” said Jamey Millar, executive vice president of U.S. operations.

Jelly Belly to lay off close to 70 employees

Jelly Belly, the San Francisco Bay Area-based candy company that’s more than 150 years old, is closing a corporate center in Fairfield and laying off 69 workers. Layoffs are expected to begin in June and will impact web developers, customer service representatives and accountants, among others, the company said in a government filing

The company’s corporatecommercial operations in Fairfield will shut down, but its warehouse and factory will remain open. The factory, which offers tours and a visitor’s center is a popular tourist attraction in Fairfield. Production there will continue uninterrupted, the company said. Jelly Belly is known for making more than 100 flavors of jelly beans.

Jelly Belly’s parent company Ferrara Candy Company acquired the brand in 2023 and also owns popular candy brands including Nerds and Sweetarts.

Tech stocks lead Wall Street higher

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK U.S. stocks rose

Wednesday and erased their losses for the week so far as Nvidia and other technology companies led the way Nvidia was one of the strongest forces lifting the market and rose 1.4% ahead of its highly anticipated profit report, which arrived after trading ended for the day The company whose chips are at the center of the artificial-intelligence revolution once again reported profit for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations.

It also said it expects to make roughly $78 billion in revenue this quarter, when analysts had been forecasting less than $72.3 billion.

Because Nvidia has grown to become the U.S. market’s largest stock by value, it has more influence on the S&P 500 than any other company Nvidia’s profit reports have become a bellwether for the market, not only because it’s so big but also because of how influential the AI boom has broadly become over the market’s moves. In past years, the AI frenzy helped stocks run to record after record amid hopes that it would revolutionize the economy

and make it more productive. More recently, though, concerns have climbed about whether companies like Alphabet and Amazon are spending so much on chips from Nvidia and other equipment that they’ll never be able to make back the investments through future gains in productivity If that leads to a pullback in spending, it would hit Nvidia directly

Investors have also begun focusing on companies and industries that could get undercut by AI-powered competitors. That has led to sudden and swift sell-offs for stocks seen as potentially under threat, and spasms have rolled

through industries as seemingly disparate as software, trucking logistics and legal services.

That’s on top of other worries already weighing on the market, including new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump to replace ones struck down by the Supreme Court.

“While those concerns are real, we believe investors would be wise to balance them out with offsetting trends that may be underappreciated in the current wall of worry headline cycle,” according to Darrell Cronk, chief investment officer for Wealth & Investment Management at Wells Fargo.

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and PAUL WISEMAN Associated Press writers

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump sought in his first State of the Union address to sell Americans on the idea of a booming economy, falling prices, and soaring jobs, yet he faces a skeptical public with a much gloomier view Barely 12 hours before his speech, in fact, The Conference Board, a business research group, released its latest consumer confidence report It showed that overall confidence in the economy remains historically low, and is barely above the level it plunged to in the depths of the COVID recession. In February, its index ticked up to 91.2, which is noticeably below a four-year peak reached in November 2024 of 112.8. Americans remain dejected by high prices and see few jobs available, the survey found.

Other polling has yielded similar results:

Only 39% of Americans approve of Trump’s economic leadership, according to the latest Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey And the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment survey remains mired at recessionary levels.

Trump sought to overcome that gloom by pointing to economic data that paints a brighter picture, a tactic that President Joe Biden tried with little success. But on Tuesday night there were gaps between the president’s claims and the economic reality many Americans are facing.

“Inflation is plummeting, incomes are rising fast, the roaring economy is roaring like never before,” Trump said.

To begin with, the economy is growing but it is hardly “roaring.”

It expanded 2.2% last year, down from 2.8% in Biden’s last year and 2.9% in 2023. To be sure, most Americans were deeply dissatisfied with the price spikes under Biden that pushed inflation to a peak of 9.1% in 2022, a four-decade high.

A roaring U.S. economy typically looks more like the late 1990s, when growth topped 4% for four years in a row, or in the 1980s, when it rose by 3.5% or higher for six years in a row

Inflation has slowed in the past year but many Americans still cite high prices in surveys as a key reason they are unhappy with the economy

Trump correctly noted that core inflation, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories, fell to a five-year low in January

Yet other price measures show that inflation remains stubbornly elevated: A gauge of core prices closely monitored by the Federal Reserve was 3% higher in December than a year earlier, above the Fed’s 2% target. It places less weight on housing costs, which have cooled, than the measure Trump cited.

Nearly half of the people responding to the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment survey in February “spontaneously mentioned high prices eroding their personal finances,” Joanne Hsu, director of the survey, said in a statement.

Trump noted that the price of eggs has fallen sharply from its peak, which is true, but most necessities Americans rely on — groceries, rent, electricity — remain much more expensive than they were five years ago. And electricity prices rose another 6.3% just in the past 12 months.

Trump’s tariffs have also pushed up the cost of many imported items, including furniture, auto parts, tools, and clothes. And groceries such as ground beef, coffee, and bananas have risen sharply in the past year Ground beef prices, for example, are up 17%.

One reason for the consumer gloom is likely the sharp slowdown in hiring last year Employers added just 181,000 jobs in 2025 — or 15,000 a month — making it the worst year for job growth outside of a recession since 2002.

And despite Trump’s pledge to revive American manufacturing, factories lost 108,000 jobs in 2025 on top of the 202,000 lost in the last two years of the Biden administration. Auto and auto parts plants have cut nearly 74,000 jobs the past two years.

Hiring did come in unexpectedly strong in January at 130,000 new jobs, and factories added jobs for the first month in more than a year

Trump suggested his tariffs have directly contributed to an economic boom for the U.S., but most Americans have likely seen little benefit.

“Moving forward, factories, jobs, investment and trillions and trillions of dollars will continue pouring into the United States of America,” Trump said.

Trump once again made his tariffs sound painless, insisting that they are paid by foreign countries. In fact, they are paid by U.S. importers who often try to pass the burden along to their customers through higher prices. Foreign companies might take a hit if they have to cut prices to maintain sales in the United States. But import prices haven’t fallen significantly suggesting that overseas exporters aren’t feeling much pain.

A study by Harvard University economist Alberto Cavallo and two colleagues found that U.S. consumers were eating 43% of the higher tariff costs and that U.S. companies were absorbing most of the rest.

BY COCO LIU Bloomberg News (TNS)

The Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs is shaking up the climate tech trade.

The Feb. 20 ruling is good news for companies like Tesla, which have seen production costs soar since last spring. In the third quarter of 2025 alone, the tariff costs on its energy storage business stood at roughly $200 million, the company said in its October earnings call. Countries such as China, whose exporters will now face lower trade barriers, will benefit as well. But the relief could be short-lived as the administration threatens to use other policy tools to rebuild its tariff regime. Trump announced plans for a

15% global levy using a different mechanism in the wake of the court’s ruling. It rolled out that effort on Tuesday, setting an initial 10% rate. These twists and turns are adding to the uncertainty facing clean tech companies. Not every green technology will benefit from the Supreme Court decision. Tariffs on wind power equipment and electric vehicles and their components including batteries — were not affected by the ruling, according to Matthew Hales, a BloombergNEF analyst specializing in trade and supply chains That means they will remain largely unchanged.

While the high court’s decision lowers tariffs for solar photovoltaic cells and modules, India and Indonesia two countries that were supposed to benefit most from the

change — now face additional levies targeting their solar exports after the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday it preliminarily determined that the industry there received unfair subsidies.

But the high court’s decision will still benefit American companies seeking batteries for energy storage. The U.S. is racing to install more giant batteries to help power data centers, store energy from intermittent renewables and avoid blackouts. The country added 13.3 gigawatts of new storage capacity in 2025, up nearly 10% from 2024 levels, according to BNEF Under the court ruling, U.S. importers can seek refunds on struck-down tariffs paid over the past year, though that process is likely to be complex and Trump warned of “years of litigation.” In addition to the 15% tariffs

Trump announced, his administration is considering new national security tariffs on a half-dozen industries, including large-scale batteries. Energy storage developers in the U.S. also have to grapple with so-called “foreign entity of concern” rules, which prevent them from relying entirely on Chinese products if they wish to qualify for domestic tax credits. In the short term, Chinese exporters are among the winners of the court ruling, Hales said. Even if tariff rates reach 15%, the nation’s battery suppliers will still enjoy lower rates than before. Battery exporters in other countries won’t be so lucky, though. While the 10% rate that took effect on Tuesday will benefit Japanese and South Korean companies, that advantage will be erased if tariffs hit Trump’s full goal of 15%.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March20) Adjust your space to serveyour needs. How you rearrange your furniture or configure your workspace willcontribute to your productivity andpeace of mind.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Be honest with yourself,and it will be easier to resolve theissues youhavewithothers. Keep situations in perspective; if you overreact, you'llencounter backlash.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Sharing your thoughts will promote progress. Join forces with like-minded people and make adifference. Let your actions lead theway andyour anger melt away.

GEMINI(May21-June 20) Use your resources. Deal with situations that are standing in your way. Trust your instincts over what otherssay. Use your energy and chooseyour words wisely.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Be honest about what youare willingtodoorcan do Making astraightforward approach, accurately defining your capabilities and finishingwhat youstart will be the path to your success.

LEO(July 23-Aug. 22) Listencarefully, observeand honor your promises There will be no wiggle room when dealingwith others. Do what you can and move on. Be patient, and an opportunity will surface.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.22) Participation will lead to newbeginnings. What you do to make theworld abetterplace will change your life forthe better. Volun-

teering your time will help yousee firsthand what's necessary.

LIBRA(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Avoid confrontations, tone down the rhetoric and pay attention to what you can achieve. Dedication andloyalty are in your best interest. Stick to aplan and do what's right.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Takethe plunge, try something new,explore the possibilities and put yourself in aposition to learnsomething. Share your thoughts with someone you want to spend more timewith

SAGITTARIUS(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Maintain your momentum. Focus on functionality, fortitude and freedom to follow a paththat has purpose and meaning for you. Use your imaginationtooutsmart bullies.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Setyour sights on what youwanttoaccomplish. Ahigh-energyapproach will get you to thefinish linewithout delay. Create opportunitiesrather thanwaiting for someone else to make thefirst move.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Home improvementsthat lower your overhead will greatly improve your life.An opportunity to usetalent,insight and desire to develop something creative can bring in additional income.

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

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Cipher cryptograms arecreated from quotations by famous people, past and present. Eachletter in thecipher stands for another

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’sPuzzle Answer

BY PHILLIP ALDER

When you look at all 52 cards of some bridge deals, it is not clearhow either the biddingorthe play will go. This layout aroseduring asocial game withstrong players. Whatwas the outcome in six clubs after West led the heartking?

The auction was involved. North’s negativedouble showed his four-cardspade suit. Then, when South indicated extra values by jumpingtothree no-trump, North bid hislong diamond suit. South control-bid(cue-bid)four hearts to suggest aslam. West’s double was futile. And, finally, South chose six clubs. Both sixclubs andsix diamonds can be made, but each requires double-dummy play. (Declarer must know where all of thecardslie.)

Theexpert in six clubs adopted asensible line.After winning with his heart ace, Southran his diamond queen to East’s king East, thinking hispartner would have leda singleton if he had one, returned a heart. Butdeclarer ruffed in thedummy, cashed the clubking, crossed to the spade king, and drew trumps,squeezing East in spades and diamonds (not that it mattered,because South couldhave established dummy’s diamond suit). Eastshould have returned adiamond. If South had had asingleton queen, he was unlikely to have rebid three no-trump Also, even if he had, the diamond lead probably wouldnot have cost. West would have needed atrump trickto defeat the contract, which was not likely to evaporate.

©2026 by NEA,Inc., dist. By AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

Previous answers:

word

InstRuctIons:

toDAY’s WoRD REsuMED: rih-ZOOM’D: Returned to or began again after interruption.

Average mark 20 words Time limit 30 minutes

Canyou find 26 or morewords in RESUMED?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD —connIVEs