The Advocate 02-26-2026

Ex-BRofficial facescorruptioncharges

Kickbackspaidfromcontractshe approved,sources say

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER

Staff writer

Investigators believeaformer top Baton Rouge official indicted on corruption charges Wednesday got $194,000 in kickbacks froma city-parish contract she approved andused it to payoff hermortgage and credit cards, sources with knowledge of the probe say. According to arrest warrants ob-

tained by TheAdvocate, Courtney Scott, assistantchief administrativeofficer for Mayor-President SharonWestonBroome during her tenureinoffice,received bribes from acity-parish contractor

The contractor,VeronicaMathis, owns Build. Brand. Design., a companypaid more than $738,000 in taxpayer dollars. That money flowed through agovernmentfunded nonprofit known as the

Mayor’sHealthyCityInitiative andits subsidiary Safe,Hopeful, Healthy BR.

Arresting documents show authorities believe Mathis’ company funneledScott about$194,000 through payments to The Byan GroupLLC.Scott is listed in state business records as themanager andanagent of The Byan Group.

ä See CHARGES, page 7A

CourtneyScott servedas assistant chief administrative officer to former East Baton Rouge Parish MayorPresident Sharon Weston Broome.

DeltaUtilities seeksto explainrisinggas bills

Companydetails efforts to reduce pricevolatility

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

Louisiana’slargest natural gas provider, Delta Utilities,soughttoexplainskyrocketing gas bills Wednesday amid risinganger from customers andelected officials, telling state regulatorsthat they work to prevent price volatility from squeezing ratepayers. Adouble whammy of unusually cold winter weather and high natural gas prices have caused gas bills to soar for

many customersacrossLouisiana, in some cases reaching several hundred dollars. Thosehighcosts —and the recent change of most residents now receiving a separate gas bill after Delta’sacquisition of Entergy’sgas business —have caused widespread angst.

The saga is the latest affordabilityproblem that Louisiana residentshave faced in recent years, after insurance and electricity bills have emerged as high-profile issues forcustomers,elected officialsand regulators.

TheLouisiana Public ServiceCommission —a five-memberelected body that regulates utilities —agreed Wednesday tomove up an audit to this summer of

Delta’sbilling andcosts. And the commission will let utilities spread the cost of skyrocketing bills over several months in abid to lessen the burden on customers, after aseries of votes Wednesday Rahsha Williams,head of the Leo S. Butler Community Center in Baton Rouge, told thecommission that she’sseen adramatic influx of residents struggling to pay their gasbills from Delta. Many are seniors on fixed incomes and are struggling to affordotheressentials,like groceries or medication, she said.

“I see seniors on fixed incomes walking in with shaking hands because their gas

See BILLS, page 5A

Landry helping Letlow campaign

Governor targeting fundraising,party endorsement

Not since Huey Long nearly 100 yearsago hasa governortried to defeat asitting U.S. senator from the samepolitical party

But that’swhat Gov.Jeff Landry is trying to do as Sen. Bill Cassidy, afellowRepublican,runsfor reelection.Landryisworking behind the scenes to raise money for the Senate campaign of U.S. Rep.Julia Letlow and to secure an endorsement for herbythe Louisiana Republican Party,according to GOP sources.

Landryhas toldassociates that he hasinserted himselfinto the race at the behest of President Donald Trump, who endorsed Letlow in Januarybecause of,it’s widely believed, his unhappiness with Cassidy.The senator is running forathird term in the May 16 Republican primary

Also challenging Cassidy in the Republican primary is state Treasurer John Fleming, whospent eight yearsinthe U.S. House andworkedfor theTrump White House during thepresident’s first term

No Louisiana governorhas opposed an incumbent senator from the same political party since1932, when then-Gov. Oscar K. Allen, at the behest of Huey Long, helped defeat the reelection of then-Sen.

LANDRY, page 7A

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

ä See SCHOOLS, page 5A

Posters bearing the Ten Commandments have been donated to nearly every public school in Louisiana.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

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.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Firefighters respond to a home engulfed in flames on Wednesday in Taunton, Mass.

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.

Cuba says it killed 4 on speedboat

Cubans living in U.S. were trying to infiltrate the island, it says

BY ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ, MATTHEW LEE and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press

HAVANA Cuba’s government said late Wednesday that the 10 passengers on a boat that opened fire on its soldiers were armed Cubans living in the U.S. who were trying to infiltrate the island and unleash terrorism

The announcement came hours after Cuba said its soldiers killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speedboat that had entered Cuban waters and opened fire on the soldiers first, injuring one Cuban officer

Cuba’s government said the majority of the 10 people on the boat “have a known history of criminal

and violent activity.”

It identified two of them as Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, who are wanted by Cuban authorities “based on their involvement in the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission of actions carried out in the national territory or in other countries, in connection with acts of terrorism.”

The government said it also had arrested Duniel Hernández Santos, adding that he was “sent from the United States to guarantee the reception of the armed infiltration, who at this time has confessed to his actions.”

The Associated Press was not immediately able to independently verify that information.

Cuba’s government said it obtained the details about the passengers aboard the boat from the suspects detained following the shootout.

It identified seven of the 10 passengers, including Conrado Galin-

do Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra. Cuba’s government said that one of the four killed was Michel Ortega Casanova Three others have not yet been identified.

“The investigation process continues until the facts are fully clarified,” the ministry said in a statement.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told reporters earlier that he was made aware of the incident 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. He refused to speculate on what happened, saying that it 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

He said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the incident and stressed that he wants to verify the facts.

He said it was not a U.S. government operation and that he wasn’t “going to speculate about whose boat it was, what they were doing, why they were there, what actually happened.”

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. It wasn’t immediately known what the boat and its occupants were doing in Cuban waters.

Rubio defends 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 closed-door 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 con-

front.”

He said transnational criminal organizations pose the biggest threat to the Caribbean while recognizing that many are buying weapons from the United States, a problem he said authorities are tackling.

Rubio said the U.S. and the Caribbean can work together on economic advancement and energy issues, especially because many leaders at the four-day summit have energy resources they seek to explore.

Rubio said the U.S. recognizes the

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’

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

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

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

es 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.

States sue administration over changes to vaccine recommendations

BY SOPHIE AUSTIN

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif More than a dozen states sued the Trump administration Tuesday over its rollback of vaccine recommendations for children, calling the move an illegal threat to public health.

The states argue that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put children’s lives at risk

when it announced last month that it would stop recommending all children get immunized against the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV Under the new guidance, which was met with criticism from medical experts, protections against those diseases are recommended only for certain groups deemed high risk or when doctors recommend them in what’s called

“shared decision-making.”

The new vaccine recommendations ignore long-standing medical guidance and will make states have to spend more to protect against outbreaks, the states said.

“The health and safety of children across the country is not a political issue,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, said at a news conference. “It is not a culture war talking point.”

Emily G. Hilliard, press secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, blasted the complaint as a “publicity stunt dressed up as a lawsuit.”

The lawsuit escalates an ongoing battle between Democratic-led states and Republican President Donald Trump’s administration over the federal government’s changes to public health policy under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr The Trump administration has laid off thousands of workers at federal public health agencies, cut funding for scientific research and altered government guidance on fluoride and other topics. Kennedy last year ousted every member of a vaccine advisory committee and replaced them with his own picks, which Tuesday’s complaint alleges was unlawful.

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.

Summers will resign from Harvard posts

BY COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary 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 a statement from Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton.

“Professor Summer s has announced that he will retire from his academic and faculty appointments at Harvard at the end of this academic year and will remain on leave until that time,” Newton said.

In a statement, Summers said it was a difficult decision and expressed gratitude to the students and colleagues he worked with over 50 years, including five as Harvard’s president.

“Free of formal responsibility, as President Emeritus and a retired professor, I look forward in time to engaging in research, analysis, and commentary on a range of global economic issues,” Summers said.

The Justice Department’s latest release has rippled through academia, uncovering Epstein’s ties to numerous researchers who sought his funding and his friendship even after he became a convicted sex offender Summers’ resignation follows that of Dr Richard Axel, a Nobel laureate, who on Tuesday announced he

EPSTEIN FILES

would step down as co-director of Columbia University’s Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. Summers served as treasury secretary under former President Bill Clinton and went on to lead Harvard for five years starting in 2001.

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

Summers, who has been married for 20 years, consulted Epstein on a separate relationship with a woman he was tutoring in economics, according to emails from 2018 and 2019. Epstein described himself as Summers’ “wing man” and encouraged persistence. In a 2018 email, Summers said the woman was never his student but he had “known her father for 20 plus years as Chinese economic official.”

“I have a very good life w Lisa kids etc.,” Summers said in a 2018 email, referencing his wife. “Easy to put at risk for something that might not materialize at all 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.”

Harvard officials have publicly said little about Summers’ relationship. When Summers went on leave last year the university said it was reviewing “individuals at Harvard” who were in the Epstein docu-

ments “to evaluate what actions may be warranted.”

Epstein’s ties to Harvard were the focus of a 2020 campus report finding that the financier gave more than $9 million to the Ivy League school, mostly for a center founded by math and biology professor Martin Nowak. The report did not mention Summers’ relationship with Epstein. Nowak was later disciplined by Harvard.

In December, Summers was dealt a lifetime ban from the American Economic Association, a nonprofit scholarly association dedicated to economic research, over his Epstein ties. He has also left the board of directors at OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT

Laureate steps down

At Columbia, Axel said in a statement Tuesday that he regretted his association with Epstein, calling it 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 the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for discoveries related to the human olfactory system His name appears more than 600 times in Justice Department files reviewed by The Associated Press, including in emails he exchanged with Epstein and on schedules noting their meetings, dinners and lunches.

In a news article published in 2007, while Epstein was initially under investigation in Florida, the scientist praised Epstein’s intellect, telling New York magazine: “He has the ability to make connections that other minds can’t make. He is extremely smart and probing.”

BY STEVEN SLOAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON For some 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’re harnessing their considerable political skills to try and 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 a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, part of a deal with Republicans after it became clear that Congress — with the help of some Democrats — was on track to hold them in contempt if they refused to cooperate For the battle-hardened 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 Clinton pitched his candidacy as “two for the price of one,” previewing a presidential marriage like none that had come before, with a spouse whose professional credentials rivaled his. In the years since, that partnership helped the Clintons weather repeated scandals, including those so personal that many other relationships would have shattered. When his political career was ending, hers was ascending when she was elected to the U.S. Senate from New York, then served as secretary of state before becoming the Democratic nominee for president in 2016.

For those who have long watched the Clintons, this moment is a reminder that the couple has never been far from the heat of a cul-

tural fight. And with the Epstein case unfolding unpredictably around the world, the Clintons are once again ensnared in the scandal of the moment.

“It’s kind of a sad but fitting coda to extraordinary political lives,” said David Maraniss, who has written two biographies of Bill Clinton.

There’s no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of either Clinton when it comes to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who committed suicide in 2019 while he was in jail awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

But Epstein had ties 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 times on his private jet.

“Traveling on Epstein’s plane was not worth the years of questioning afterward,” Bill Clinton wrote in his 2024 memoir “I wish I had never met him.”

Bill Clinton’s connections

By last summer the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas for

the Clintons. For months, Bill Clinton, 79, and Hillary Clinton, 78, largely ignored the matter in public but that became harder to sustain in December when the former president was featured prominently in the first batch of Epstein files. Among thousands of documents made public, some photos showed him on a private plane, including one with a woman, whose face is redacted, seated alongside him with her arm around him. Another showed Bill Clinton in a pool with Epstein’s longtime confidant, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, and a person whose face was redacted. Yet another photo portrayed Bill Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face was redacted.

The oversight panel’s chairman, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, threatened to hold the Clintons in contempt if they didn’t comply with the subpoenas, 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 precedent to fend off a subpoena from the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

bill is now higher than their grocery budget,” she said. 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 procure gas at its first-of-the-month price to avoid wild price swings.

“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 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

SCHOOLS

Continued from page 1A

Office.

“I think for now we’re going to take a sit-and-wait approach,” said Vermilion Parish Schools Superintendent Thomas Byler District leaders said they are acutely aware of the stakes of their decision, as they could find themselves under a political microscope whether they act quickly or wait for more guidance. A delay could be seen by Gov Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill as noncompliance with the 2024 state law But posting the Ten Commandments will almost certainly result in some districts facing lawsuits from parents and civil liberties groups. David Claxton, head of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, said school systems are “kind of in a catch-22.”

“You have to follow the law,” he said. “But if you follow the law and post them, then you wait to see if you’re the one that gets sued.” The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar law decades ago and a lower 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 say the Ten Commandments have historical and cultural significance beyond their religious foundation, an argument that could find purchase with the current Supreme Court After last week’s ruling, Landry declared the law “back in effect.” Leaders of conservative advocacy groups like the Louisiana Family Forum, which has sent Ten Commandments 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, the group’s president. “There is no waitand-see.”

The law passed by Louisiana’s Republican-controlled Legislature gives schools

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.

clear marching orders. The Ten Commandments must be displayed in every classroom on posters or “framed documents” measuring at least 11 by 14 inches and written in “large, easily readable font.” The displays must include an accompanying statement that notes some early American textbooks featured the Ten Commandments, and schools can choose to include an additional historical document such as the Declaration of Independence. Act 676 also specifies which version of the Ten Commandments must be posted in every public classroom from prekindergarten through college. The required text begins with “I AM the LORD thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me” and ends with: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.”

The law gave schools until Jan. 1, 2025, to comply but was quickly challenged in court by a group of families from different faith backgrounds who said it violated their children’s constitutional right to religious freedom.

A U.S. District Court judge sided with the families and blocked state officials from enforcing the law through a temporary injunction. A panel of judges on the 5th Circuit allowed the injunction to stand, declaring the law “plainly unconstitutional.” But on Friday, the full 5th Circuit voted 12-6 to lift the preliminary injunction, clearing the law after a yearlong pause. The court ruled that the parents’ lawsuit had been premature because the posters had not yet gone up, but it said new legal challenges would be possible “once the statute is implemented.” It remains to be seen whether the plaintiffs will wait for the posters to go up or challenge the 5th Circuit ruling at the Supreme Court. Their attorneys said they are “exploring all legal options.”

Last year, Murrill’s office

released guidance to help school districts comply with the law, along with four poster designs — including one featuring an image of Moses and a photo of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, RBenton, alongside the Ten Commandments.

The Louisiana Family Forum had the posters printed and shipped to nearly all of Louisiana’s public school districts, which under the law do not have to pay for posters but must accept donated ones. In an email to supporters Tuesday Mills said his group had raised about $75,000 for the campaign.

“Now, the thousands of posters that LFF has distributed 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 unclear what will happen if schools don’t comply The law does not specify penalties, and Murrill said enforcement falls to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The law requires BESE to create rules for implementation. On Tuesday, a BESE spokesperson said that the board is “aware of the recent court action” and its rulemaking obligation but she did not say when that will happen.

After Friday’s ruling, schools are treading carefully In 2024, the ACLU of Louisiana and three other civil liberties groups warned school superintendents that posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms would violate students’ constitutional rights and “could result in litigation being filed against your district.”

“We want to follow the law,” said Bossier Parish Schools Superintendent Jason Rowland, “but we don’t want to create a situation where we compromise our board and our district with further litigation.”

Some district leaders said they want to give schools clear instructions because

students and teachers will likely have questions about the posters, while parents and community members will be closely watching where the posters are placed and how they’re addressed in class.

“We have to make sure that what’s done in every classroom is the same,” said St. Tammany Parish Schools Superintendent Frank Jabbia. “The last thing we want 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 the posters, but he thinks the Ten Command-

ments can be presented in a neutral and nonproselytizing way Still, complaints and lawsuits are always possible, he added. “You have concerns for compliance,” he said, “and concerns for noncompliance.” Charter schools also are bound by the law. A NOLA Public Schools spokesperson said individual charter operators are responsible for compliance. InspireNOLA, which runs several New Orleans charter schools, is “still evaluating what this means for our schools,” said CEO Jamar McKneely A Jefferson Parish Schools spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions. The law also applies to public colleges and 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 President Wade Rousse said in a statement that officials are considering guidance from the state attorney general as they develop “the roll out across campuses.” Marie Fazio and Ashley White contributed reporting.

Iran accuses Trump of ‘big lies’ ahead of talks

BY JON GAMBRELL

Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Iran pushed back Wednesday against U.S. President Donald Trump’s pressure tactics ahead of critical talks in Geneva over Tehran’s nuclear program, alternating between calling his remarks “big lies” and saying negotiations may yield an agreement through “honorable diplomacy.”

The remarks by two Iranian of-

ficials came a day before the talks and as America has assembled its biggest deployment of aircraft and warships to the Middle East in decades. The buildup is part of Trump’s efforts to get a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program while the country struggles at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests last month.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran if negotiations fail.

Mideast nations fear an attack could spiral into a new regional war as the embers of the yearslong Israel-Hamas war still smolder Already, Iran has said all U.S. military bases in the Mideast would be considered legitimate targets, putting at risk tens of thousands of American service members.

Satellite photos shot Tuesday by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Associated Press appeared to show the American vessels that typically are docked in Bahrain, the home of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, all out at sea. The 5th Fleet referred questions to the U.S. military’s Central Command, which declined to comment Before Iran’s attack on Qatar in June, the

5th Fleet similarly scattered its ships at sea to protect against a potential attack.

Iran responds to Trump’s speech

Trump touched on Iran and the nuclear negotiations in his State of the Union speech late Tuesday in Washington.

“They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America,” Trump said. “They were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, and in particular nuclear weapons, yet they continue. They’re starting it all over.”

Satellite photos analyzed earlier by the AP showed Iran beginning to rebuild its missile-production

sites and doing some work at the three nuclear sites attacked by the U.S. in June. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday that Iran is “always trying to rebuild elements” of its nuclear program. He said that Tehran is not enriching uranium right now, “but they’re trying to get to the point where they ultimately can.”

The West and the International Atomic Energy Agency say Iran had a nuclear weapons program until 2003. Before the June attack, it had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Responding to Trump, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Es-

mail Baghaei sought to compare him to Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler’s propaganda minister He accused Trump and his administration of conducting a “disinformation & misinformation campaign” against Iran.

“Whatever they’re alleging in regards to Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January’s unrest is simply the repetition of ‘big lies,’” Baghaei wrote on X.

Trump said in his speech that at least 32,000 people were killed in last month’s protests, which is at the far end of estimates offered by activists for the death toll. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency has so far counted more than 7,000 dead and believes the actual figure is far higher Iran’s government, which long has downplayed death tolls in other unrest, offered its only toll on Jan. 21, saying 3,117 people were killed.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, said separately that the U.S. could either try diplomacy or face Iran’s wrath.

“If you choose the table of diplomacy a diplomacy in which the dignity of the Iranian nation and mutual interests are respected — we will also be at that table,” Qalibaf said, according to the semiofficial Student News Network, a media outlet believed to be close to the all-volunteer Basij force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

“But if you decide to repeat past experiences through deception, lies, flawed analysis and false information, and launch an attack in the midst of negotiations, you will

undoubtedly taste the firm blow of the Iranian nation and the country’s defensive forces.”

Talks hang in balance

Iran and the U.S. are to meet Thursday for their third round of talks under the mediation of Oman, long an interlocutor between Tehran and the West. A flight carrying Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his team arrived late Wednesday in Geneva, where they will meet American officials led by special U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff.

Rubio said the discussions will be largely focused on Iran’s nuclear program and are important to gauge how serious the country is in reaching a deal to avoid potential U.S. military action. But he suggested a breakthrough was unlikely at this session, noting that the U.S. also has major concerns with Iran’s conventional weapons. “We hope progress can be made,” Rubio told reporters during a trip to the Caribbean, saying diplomacy was Trump’s preference “But it’s also important to remember that Iran refuses refuses to talk about the ballistic missiles to us or to anyone, and that’s a big problem.”

If the aim of potential military action is to pressure Iran to make concessions in nuclear negotiations, it’s not clear whether limited strikes would work. If the goal is to remove Iran’s leaders, that will likely commit the U.S. to a larger, longer military campaign. There has been no public sign of planning for what would come next, including the potential for chaos in Iran.

BY ERIC TUCKER, CHRISTOPHER WEBER and JULIE WATSON Associated Press

LOS ANGELES The FBI served search warrants Wednesday at the Los Angeles Unified School District’s headquarters and the home of its leader, a former Superintendent of the Year who was knighted by Spain for his work.

Federal officials would not give details of the nature of the investigation involving the nation’s second-largest school district and

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s home. The district said in a statement that it “is cooperating with the investigation and we do not have further information at this time.” The FBI also searched a third location near Miami where Carvalho previously led the public schools.

TV news footage showed agents in FBI shirts and jackets outside Carvalho’s home in the San Pedro neighborhood about 20 miles south of downtown L.A.

Rukelt Dalberis, a spokesperson

for the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, confirmed that agents were at the properties to serve warrants but declined to comment further because affidavits laying out details for the basis for the searches were under seal.

Over the past five years in Los Angeles, Carvalho has been lauded for the district’s improvements to academic performance. He won similar praise while overseeing Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida’s largest school district, where the national super-

intendents association named him Superintendent of the Year in 2014. But both districts also drew scrutiny under his watch.

In 2024, Carvalho heavily touted an education technology company that developed an AI chatbot named “Ed” for the Los Angeles district to help students, calling it “a game changer.” But less than three months after unveiling the technology and paying the company $3 million, the district dropped its dealings with AllHere, which collapsed into bankruptcy Months

later, founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with securities and wire fraud, along with identity theft.

Carvalho denied personal involvement in the selection of AllHere, according to the Los Angeles Times.

During his tenure in Florida, Carvalho also drew scrutiny in 2020 after a nonprofit he founded solicited a $1.57 million donation from an online education company the district was planning to use but later dropped.

CHARGES

Sourceswith direct knowledge of the investigation say Scott used most of that money to pay offher mortgage and credit card debt.

Agrandjury indicted Scott on Wednesday on nine counts and Mathis on eightcounts as part of abroader investigationbyLouisianaAttorneyGeneralLiz Murrill’soffice intopublic corruption in BatonRouge.

Scott and Mathis did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday

Scott resigned from her position in Broome’soffice in 2024afterreports surfacedofher attacking a man with achair at aBatonRouge nightclub. Video recordings later showed the incident, which have not led to criminal charges.

LANDRY

On Wednesday,Scott and Mathis werecharged with counts includingconspiracy to commit theft, bribery,money laundering, public contract fraud and illegal splitting of profits and fees.Scott also faces acharge of malfeasance in office.

As atop official in Broome’soffice withoversight of thepublic funds awarded to thehealthy city initiative, authorities say Scott used herinfluencetosecurecontractsfor Mathis and others.

“Agents also discovered communication between Scott and others, which highlightsher influence over the issuance of contracts” with the mayor’snonprofit, wrote investigators in Scott’sarrest warrant.

Broome, who has notbeen accusedof wrongdoing, didnot immediately respond to request for comment Wednesday

Thegrand jury that indicted Scott and Mathis was empaneled

lastyear andhas been hearing testimony and reviewing evidence related to the attorney general’scase.

Murrill’sinvestigation stems froma previous FBI probe into public corruption at city hall.

At one point,Scottwas interviewed by FBI agents whoconfronted her about receiving public money,according to investigators.

“Scottclaimed the funds were forpurchasing equipment. However, Scott was unable to provide specifics aboutthe purported equipment purchases,”they wrote.

Mathis was also interviewed, andmuchofthe informationshe and Scott gave did not match up, investigatorssaid.

AccordingtoScott and Mathis’ indictment, officialsbelieve the allegedscheme took place between February 2021 and February 2024.

City-parish financial statements, invoices and emails obtained by The Advocate showmostofthe work conducted by themayor’s healthycity initiative was directed toward Safe, Hopeful, Healthy between 2021 and2024.

The vastmajorityoffunding thatsupported both programs came from federal COVID-era grants through theAmerican Rescue Plan Act.

A2022 audit of the healthy city nonprofitfound 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 wasnot in compliancewith federal rules.

“This is aserious matter involving asignificantamount of money and the public’strust. Our investigation is ongoing,” Murrill said in

astatement Wednesday

The Scott and Mathis charges are the latest in awave of indictments stemmingfrom the attorneygeneral’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 acontract to afriend, Jarian “Jay” Colar,who then paid most of those funds back to him.

Colarisowner of Supreme Solutions LLC, acompany previously owned by Dunn. Colar andTerral “TJ”Jackson, operator of Broad InnovationMarketing Firm,were both indictedasaresult of the attorneygeneral’s investigation. Both companies received money throughcontracts as part of Safe,Hopeful,Healthy,according to city-parish records.

EdwinBroussard, said Bob Mann, aformer LSU professor who is ahistorian of that period.In1930, Long, then the governor,defeated then-Sen. Joseph Ransdell, as Ransdell sought afourth term in the Senate.All of the men were Democrats. John Breaux, a Demo crat who won election s to the Senate in 1986, 1992 and 1998, said Landry’ s support for Letlow will add to Cassidy’schallenge.

“It’sdifficultfor 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 confirmationof “liberal” judges —anaccusation that Cassidy promptly refuted.

Afterward, aspokesperson for Landry said, “He intends to follow the president.” Cassidy endorsed Landry’s gubernatorial campaign in July 2023, three months before theelection. At the time, political insiders said Cassidy’smove stemmed more from wanting to repair his standing among Republican voters than any affinity with thethen-attorney general. Thetwo menhave never been close politically An associate of thegovernor who asked not to be named said Trump asked Landry to intervene on Letlow’sbehalf when they met

during theWashington Mardi Gras celebration nearly a month ago. Many political operatives say Trump is targeting Cassidybecausethe senator voted to convict the president on impeachment charges for theJan.6,2021, attack on the Capitolby Trumpsupporters. Cassidy had just won reelection in 2020 with Trump’ssupport.

Landry hasswung into actionfor Letlowinrecent days

He convened dozens ofbig donors for aZoom call on Feb. 9toask them to raise money for Letlow,accordingto five people whowere on thecall.

Landry made hispitch and then made way forKyle Ruckert, apolitical strategist whosteppeddown recently asthe governor’s chiefofstaff,and Courtney Guastella, afundraiserfor both Landry and Letlow Ruckert described how the polls indicate Letlow is making astrong run, according to peopleonthe call.

In atextonTuesday, Ruckert said heisworking for the “Letlow for Senate” campaign

The callmostly consisted of business owners who have been big donors to Republicans butincluded at least two trial attorneys, peopleon thecallsaid.

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

Not everyone on the call favors Letlow over Cassidy Greg Hamer Sr.,who lives in Morgan City andowns dozens ofTaco Bell,Long John Silver’sand KFC restaurants, said he joinedit late andrealized onlythen thatitwas to raise money for Letlow

“Julia is afine lady,and Ihave also supportedher in all her races, but asking me to votefor her against someone else that Ihave alwayssupported is achange Iamnot willing to make,” Hamer said in an email. “I have always supported Bill Cassidy; Ithink he hasdone an admirable job and should not be judged solely on the fact thathevoted on one issue differently than the way Iwish he had.”

“Toput it bluntly, Louisiana needs all the help we can get,” Hamer added. “Forthe Republican Party it does not matter who wins,itwill be

Gov. Jeff Landryisworking behindthe scenes to raise moneyfor the Senate campaign of U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, and to secure an endorsement for her by the Louisiana Republican Party, according to GOP sources.

a Republican. As youknow seniorityiseverything in the Senate. Bill hasalot of it, she hasnone. She will lack the ability to helpour state as muchashecan with his positions.”

mitted 69 signed endorsements to the party leadership. In the past, statewide

candidates who sought an endorsement hadtoobtain signatures from amajority of the state central committeeand then got the formalnod from the party’s eight-member executive committee. 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 Letlownow by having just amajority 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 wouldbevery hesitant to do anythinglikethat,”he said.

Cassidy chairs the Senate Education,Health, Labor andPensionsCommittee, giving him enormous influence over health careand other matters. Hiscampaign declinedtocomment on Tuesday Letlow’s campaign,asked for acomment, said, “It’sno surprise that as Julia Letlow’sTrump-endorsed campaign gains momentum, Bill Cassidy’sliberal allies in the media are working overtime to stop her.”

Meanwhile,Landry’sassociates are calling members of the Republican StateCentral Committee to askthem to have the party endorse Letlow,according to two members whoreceivedcalls.

Otherstate centralcommittee members said Landry’smove is roiling the 230-personentity because Letlow,Cassidy and Flemingall have supportamong themembership.

Fl emi ng cri ticized Landry’s efforts in an email to members of thestate central committee on Friday “I request that you make such choicesforyourself, rather than attempting to please ahigh official,” Fleming wrote. “If voters or even membersofthe partyabdicatetheir rights to choose who leadsand represents them, we no longerhave arepresentative democracy.”

Fleming said he has sub-

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N. Korea warns it could destroy South if threatened

Kim Jong Un refuses to engage with Seoul

BY KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed his nuclear-armed country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul, state media said Thursday. However, he left the door open to dialogue with Washington as he concluded a ruling party congress outlining his policy goals for the next five years.

The official Korean Central News Agency said that Kim also called for developing new weapons systems to bolster his nucleararmed military, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be launched from underwater and an expanded arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, such as artillery and short-range missiles, targeting South Korea.

He said the accelerated development of his nuclear and missile program in recent years “permanently cemented” the country’s status as a nuclear weapons state.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it was regrettable that the North continues to define interKorean relations as hostile and that Seoul will “patiently” pursue efforts to stabilize peace.

The Workers’ Party congress, which began last Thursday in Pyongyang, came as Kim carves out a more forceful regional pres-

ence, leveraging his expanding military nuclear program and a growing alignment with Moscow that have deepened his standoffs with Washington and Seoul.

KCNA said the North staged a military parade in the capital Wednesday as it wrapped up the congress, previously held in 2016 and 2021.

Watching the parade with his increasingly prominent daughter

— believed to be around 13 years old and named Kim Ju Ae Kim

Jong Un in a speech said his forces were capable of “immediately and thoroughly retaliating” against any hostile threat

Kim calls U.S. position ‘hostile’

Kim’s comments at the congress were widely anticipated as he has been issuing increasingly hardline views toward South Korea since 2024, when he discarded the North’s long-standing goal of a peaceful reunification between the war-divided Koreas and declared the South as a permanent enemy But analysts expected Kim to take a more measured approach toward Washington to preserve the possibility of future dialogue, with the long-term aim of securing U.S. sanctions relief and tacit recognition as a nuclear state

Kim has recently been prioritizing Russia in his foreign policy, sending thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for aid and military technology But it would make sense to keep his options open as the war in Ukraine

could wind down, potentially making North Korea less valuable to Moscow, experts say

In a report wrapping up the congress, Kim said his government was maintaining the “toughest stance” against Washington, but added there was “no reason we cannot get along” with the Americans if they withdrew their supposedly “hostile policy” toward the North. North Korea often uses the term to describe U.S.-led pressure and sanctions over Kim’s nuclear ambitions. His comments aligned with North Korea’s previous position calling for Washington to abandon its demands for the North’s denuclearization as a precondition for reviving talks.

North Korea has repeatedly rejected Washington and Seoul’s calls to resume diplomacy aimed at

winding down its nuclear program, which derailed in 2019 following the collapse of Kim’s second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term.

The prospects of U.S.-North Korea relations “depends entirely on the U.S. attitude,” Kim said. “Whether it’s peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation, we are ready for either, and the choice is not ours to make.”

Hard-line view of Seoul

Analysts say Kim’s vilification of South Korea reflects his view that Seoul, which helped set up his first meetings with Trump, is no longer a useful intermediary with Washington but an obstacle to his effort to establish a more assertive regional footing.

At the congress, Kim derided

liberal South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s calls for engagement as a deception, accusing successive governments in Seoul of seeking the North’s collapse. He said there is “absolutely nothing to discuss” with an enemy state and that the North would “permanently exclude” the South from the notion of a shared nation.

“As long as the Republic of Korea cannot escape its geopolitical condition of sharing a border with us the only way it can live safely is to abandon all ties with us and refrain from provoking us,” he said, disdainfully referring to South Korea’s formal name.

Chasing more advanced weapons

North Korea in past years has developed or tested much of the weapons from an extensive wish list Kim issued at the previous congress in 2021, including solid-fuel ICBMs, tactical nuclear systems and purported hypersonic weapons.

At the latest congress, Kim set new goals to advance his nuclear forces in the next five years while calling for faster production of nuclear warheads and a broader range of delivery systems.

Emphasizing naval capabilities, Kim called for ICBMs that could be fired from underwater platforms, indicating potential plans to fit those weapons on the nuclearpropelled submarine being built.

He also said the military will deploy more nuclear-capable artillery systems against South Korea in phases each year while speeding up efforts to “fortify” the inter-Korean border

Vance says administration is pausing some Medicaid funding to Minnesota

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE and ALI SWENSON Associated Press

WASHINGTON Vice President JD Vance announced Wednesday that the Trump administration would “temporarily halt” some Medicaid funding to the state of Minnesota over fraud concerns, as part of what he described as an aggressive crackdown on misuse of public funds Vance, who made the announcement with Dr Mehm-

et Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the administration was taking the action “in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligations seriously to be good stewards of the American people’s tax money.”

Oz, who referred to people committing fraud as “selfserving scoundrels,” said the federal government would hold off on paying $259.5 million to Minnesota

in funding for Medicaid, the health care safety net for low-income Americans.

“This is not a problem with the people of Minnesota, it’s a problem with the leadership of Minnesota and other states who do not take Medicaid preservation seriously,” Oz said.

Wednesday’s move is part of a larger Trump administration effort to spotlight fraud around the country That effort comes after allegations of fraud involving

day care centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis prompted a massive immigration crackdown in the Midwestern city, resulting in widespread protests.

Oz said the administration was simultaneously notifying Minnesota’s Democratic Gov Tim Walz as he was making the announcement publicly

“We will give them the money, but we’re going to hold it and only release it after they propose and act on

a comprehensive corrective action plan to solve the problem,” Oz said.

He said Walz would have 60 days to respond and advised health care providers and Medicaid beneficiaries who were concerned to contact Walz’s office.

Walz said in a pair of social media posts that the administration’s move had nothing to do with fraud.

“This is a campaign of retribution. Trump is weaponizing the entirety of the fed-

eral government to punish blue states like Minnesota,” Walz said. In a news release accompanying the announcement, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the funding being paused in Minnesota included some $244 million in unsupported or potentially fraudulent Medicaid claims and about $15 million in claims involving “individuals lacking a satisfactory immigration status.”

| Thursday, February 26, 2026 1bN

Gun goes off in Istrouma classroom

Authorities: Basketball player admits to bringing firearm

BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer

A star basketball player at Istrouma High admitted to accidentally discharging a loaded handgun in class Wednesday morning, just minutes after he slipped it past a metal detector

“It went off when he tried to adjust it in his pants,” said East Baton Rouge Parish schools Superintendent LaMont Cole.

Hungary president to visit rural La. parish

Livingston settlement the largest in U.S.

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD

Staff writer

The president of Hungary is making his way to Louisiana in March to visit the United States’ largest rural Hungarian settlement in Livingston Parish. Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok is visiting the Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church at 5 p.m. March 4. The president plans to talk to local residents and offer any support to the small rural community, according to officials.

A contingent of Hungarian security officials visited the Louisiana settlement last week in advance of the trip to map out a route for the president, according to Livingston Parish Council member Joe Erdey, who is a part of the Hungarian settlement.

“It looks big for all the people,” Erdey said. “I’m so excited.” The settlement is nestled between the towns of Albany and Springfield in Livingston Parish. An estimated 150 to 200 families of Hungarian descent live in the area, but many of them are only part Hungarian. The community has two Hungarian organizations: the Árpádhon Hungarian Settlement Cultural Association and the Hungarian Settlement Historical Society

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our community! Please come and represent our beautiful Hungarian Settlement. All are welcome! Not just Hungarians,” the local Árpádhon Hungarian Settlement Cultural Association wrote in an online post.

No injuries were reported, and the lone gunshot struck the ceiling of the classroom. Baton Rouge police is handling the investigation into the incident.

Cole said that school and law enforcement initially had two suspects but narrowed it to one, whom Cole did not identify by name after reviewing surveillance video and interviewing students.

When the suspected student was questioned, he admitted to firing the gun, describing it as an accident. Cole said the student also admitted to bringing the gun to school, saying he did so inadvertently when he grabbed the wrong book sack that morning when he left for his classes.

The weapon was a Glock 45 handgun that was modified with

a switch that allowed it to fire off multiple rounds at once, Cole said.

“The bullet jammed, and had it not jammed it might have been multiple bullets fired,” Cole said.

“It’s very very very very scary.”

Cole said the student arrived late at school, around 8:24 a.m., went through the walk-through metal detector carrying his book sack on his back and the detector went off, detecting something me-

tallic. But rather than searching the boy or his book sack, the student was allowed to continue on to class, partly because the metal detector is prone to going off due to belt buckles and other mundane reasons, Cole said.

The student, who transferred to Istrouma in September is also a prominent face on campus due to his basketball prowess, a good student, and has a reputation as well-behaved.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE

ABOVE: Jordan Tabor, founder of the Rain Will Bring Flowers Foundation, speaks Tuesday about mental health with his wife, Linda, left, and son, Reed, at the third annual Planting Seeds of Hope event at LSU’s Pete Maravich Assembly Center RIGHT: People listen during the event.

Judge rejects limiting what critics can publish on Entergy lawsuit

Council attorneys sought to limit ‘false statements’ in publications

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

for ousted Judge Tiffany Foxworth Roberts in the hearing on Wednesday, was not convinced of the council’s arguments and was reluctant to impose any limits on a company’s rights to free speech.

She denied the protective order which sought to limit statements made by the plaintiff’s publications while the case remains open. “The court has a bit of a problem here in just determining the limitation on anyone’s First Amendment right,” Matthews said. “As far as protecting a jury pool, protecting how people think in the community, it’s a very difficult matter for the court to actually order a newspaper or anyone to say only a particular thing.” The Louisiana Public Records Project is one of the two publications named in Wednesday’s failed protective order

Medical marijuana leader touts industry growth

La. producers cited as more stable than in

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

After over

N.O. Book Festival returningtoTulane

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 dailyschedule— but choosing who tosee 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’sUptown campus. The four days of literary conversations havebeendubbed“Mardi Gras for the mind,” but it mightbe more accurate to call it“Jazz Fest for ideas.” Like that famous riteof spring and other multi-stage Louisiana cultural events, Book Fest often creates difficult choicesas interesting speakers are scheduledsimultaneously at different event spaces.

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

The event is expanding this year, stretchingfrom three daystofour with adedicated familyday on Sunday,and adding Tulane’sDevlinFieldhouse as apresentation space to handlethe record crowds that attended last year

At 5p.m.Thursday, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief ofThe Atlantic, will moderate aconversationcalled “America at 250” featuring famed documentarian Ken Burns, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed, biographer and festival co-chair Walter Isaacson,and TheAtlantic staff writer and bestsellingauthor Clint Smith. Then the programming revs up the next day

ENTERGY

Continued from page1B

Twomen whobrought forward the original improper spending case, Fred Reed and formerMetro Council member Darrell Glasper, are both listedasofficers for the Louisiana Public Records Project, according to state business filings

The other publication is theCentral City News, whose editor-inchief, Jenkins,isbelievedbycityparish attorneys to be a“moving force” behind the Entergyfee lawsuit. Jenkins is also the chairman of the East Baton Rouge Parish Republican Party Reed and Glasper’scase accuses the council of breaking the state constitution by personally distributingfunds collected by the Entergy franchise fee without apublic vote.

Both publications havecriticized the passing of the Entergy

GROWTH

Continued from page1B

They also operate dispensaries, including a10,000-square-foot retaillocation in LakeCharles, the largest dispensaryinthe South. Good Day Farm Louisiana only distributes approved medical marijuana products to licensed dispensaries in Louisiana. Ilera Holistic Healthcare holds the other cannabis growing license in the state. The medical marijuana patient base has boomedoverthe past two years. From the first quarter of 2024 to the last quarter of 2025, the number of patients has more than doubled, accordingtodata Davis presented at the meeting. Nearly 150,000people in Louisianaare part of the state’smedical marijuana program —that’s3.2% of the state’spopulation With increased access to the product,awide variety of products and an expanding consumer base, prices have fallen. Average prices across all products, which include cannabis flower,tinctures, vape devices and edibles, is about $47, Davis said, and overallmedical marijuana prices have dropped about 21% from mid-2024 to January this year Stigma surrounding marijuana hasfallen,too,hesaid, crediting

for

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, aboutMcChrystal’s2025 book “On Character: Choices That Define aLife.”

At thesametime, Tulane professor Nick Mattei will interview Sir TimBerners-Lee, the English computer scientist credited with theinventionofthe World Wide Weband the HTML code used to build websites. Also at 10 a.m. Friday, Pulitzer Prize-winninghistorian Rick Atkinson will talk to Burnsabout the American Revolution, and, in another space, celebratednovelist Salman Rushdiewill discuss his 2025 book “The Eleventh Hour.”

franchise fee, and complained the public funds werespent on office furniture, “Lunch and Learn” events, and an off-road vehicle.

Onepiece from the Central City news calledproceeds from the franchise fee a“slush fund” in its headline. Anonymous comments fromparish residents in thestory refer to the spendingofthose funds as “criminal.”

Thecity-parish’sattorneys arguedthese statements were made solelytoprejudice potentialjurors against the council beforea trialis even scheduled.

In one anecdoteshowingthe alleged effectsofthese publications, city-parish attorney LaToya Jordan said that last month aman at alocal Walgreensrecognized her East BatonRouge City-Parish government badgeand told her that “they’re stealing down there” in response. “Those were his words. Idid not know this gentleman,” Jordan said. “Yes theplaintiffs do have

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

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

At 1p.m. Saturday,political commentator Molly Jong-Fast and author Susan Orlean will talk about their newmemoirs; writer Roxane Gay andscholar Imani Perry will discuss “Feminism, Cultureand Voice;” CNN journalistAnderson Cooper and actor/

aFirst Amendment right.However,itisthe duty of the court to protect the sanctity of apotential jury.The plaintiffs should not be allowed to, however they want, taint apotential jury by getting theirstory outand causing potentialjury members to have preconceivednotionsabout the allegationsthat have been made here.”

District 12 council member Jen Racca was in attendance at the hearing, alongsidehalfadozen other members of the council.

She saidshe believed there was propercaselaw to support the council’sattempt to limit “false statements” by the plaintiff’s publications while the caseisongoing.

“Itdoesn’ttakea toll on the council members; it takes atoll on thepublic.Falseinformation erodes theconfidence of thepublic. It hurts us everytime we try to advocateonbehalf of our constituents,”Racca said. “There’s enough negativity outthere that is trueand correct and being held in

podcaster DaxShepard will tackle multiple topics; and financial journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin will interview Adm.William H. McRaven aboutleadership.

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

In other sessions, father-and-son chefs Emeril Lagasse andE.J.Lagasse will talk aboutNew Orleans food, social media star Nicole Richie will interview two authors, andpodcasterTim Miller will interview journalist DonLemon.

Others scheduled to appear at thefifth annualBook Fest include Tarriona“Tank” Ball, DavidBrooks, Oren Cass, Ken-

other courtrooms. False informationdoes not help us do anything we need to do for ourconstituents.”

Attorney Andy Dejean, who represents Reed andGlasper,called thehearing avictory

“I couldn’tbelieve that they even brought the protective order as an issue,” Dejean said. “I mean, to thwart, to stopmyclients’ freedom of speech, thatwould shock theAmerican conscience.”

Matthews, the judge, seemed most convinced of Dejean’sargumentthat anycomplaints from the council over potentially slanderousstatements from his clients’ publications could be handledina separate slander lawsuit instead of through aprotective order in the current case.

“If it’sslander,you can sue for slander,”she saidinher conclusion.

Email QuinnCoffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

ny Chesney, Ibram X. Kendi, Erik Larson, Michael Lewis, Jon Meacham and Viet Thanh Nguyen. Adozen 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 thefestival’sYouTube channel, and attendees have a chance to interactwithauthors during book signings.The signing schedule will be released next week.

Email RichCollins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

CLASSROOM

Continued from page1B

“The clerk in thefrontoffice didn’tpress the issue because of who thechild was andhow popularheisatthe school,” saidCole. Authorities later found the gun. Cole said thestudent admitted to hiding it in the ceiling of a school bathroom after the whole class fled theroom.There were nine students in theclassroom when the gun went off, he said. This is thesecondgun incident at an East Baton Rouge publicschool so farinthe 2025-26 school year.That’sdownfrom 16 gunsfound lastyear on school campuses.

In October,atip from aconcerned resident allowed staffat Glen Oaks High to catch one of their students whenhearrived at school with a firearm hidden under his clothes.

The school system in early 2025 purchased severaladditionalartificialintelligencepoweredEvolv weaponsdetectors,one of which is located at IstroumaHigh, but wasnot used in this incident on Wednesday Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY

TUESDAY,FEB.24, 2026

PICK 3: 3-3-2

PICK 4: 1-6-6-8

PICK 5: 8-1-5-6-4

MEGA MILLIONS: 12-39-43-49-55

MEGA BALL: 23

Unofficial notification, keep your tickets

At aRotaryClub meeting Wednesday, Good DayFarmLouisiana President John Davis touted the industry’s safety,oversight and stability, factors he says arewhy Louisiana is ahead of other statesthat have legalized marijuana sales. HOMEDELIVERED EVERYDAY

thestate’sgrowers andretailers actingas“good stewards” forthe industry’sstability. “The Legislature sees how we’re behaving,” he saidinaninterview followingthe meeting. “The regulators seehow we’reoperating, and we’ve done avery good job staying in our swim lane and complyingwith the rules.

Product safety is top of mind, too —98.5%ofGoodDay Farm products have passed thestate Department of Health’stests to ensurethe potency of the productsmatches the potency printed on the labels, he said. DavistoutedLouisiana’s strong regulation of the medical marijuana market amid other states’ chal-

lenge to manage the growing industry.InOklahoma, astudy commissioned by the state’smarijuana authority found that themarijuana supplyisatleast32timesgreater than demand in thestate. Washingtonand Oregon have alsostruggled with marijuana surpluses. “We’reastrong state,” Davis said. “We’vedone it right.”

BucklesTarver, Doris

Feliciana Baptist, Clinton, LA at noon.

Cantrell, Leslie

St.Mary’sofFalse RiverCatholic Church at noon.

Melancon, Brenda OursoFuneralHome, 13533 Airline Hwy Gonzales at 11:00am.

Strain,Robert Rabenhorst FuneralHome, 825 Government Street,atnoon.

Tolbert, Ivory

Mt.PilgrimBaptist Church,9700 Scenic Highway,Baton Rouge,LAat 11am

Obituaries

Bonnecaze,Elizabeth Anding

Funerals Today in herlife and lovedthem withall herheart.She left the worldtoo soon andwill begreatly missed Elizabethissurvivedby parents LouisJr(“Buddy”) & Julianne Thompson Bon‐necazeofBaton Rouge, sis‐ter LeaBonnecaze and familyofJackson Hole,WY, brother LouisBonnecaze III of Baton Rouge, and manyaunts,uncles, cousins,nieces, nephews, and friends. Amemorial service will be held at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge on Saturday,Febru‐ary 28,2026 at 10 AM.Visi‐tationwilltakeplace at 9:30AM, with areception atthe church afterthe ser‐vice. In lieu of flowers, thefam‐ily kindly requests that do‐nations be made in mem‐ory of ElizabethtoEpisco‐pal High School Scholar‐shipEndowment Fund 3200 Woodland Ridge Boulevard,Baton Rouge, LA70816;UniversityofCol‐orado-Boulder,Office of Advancement,Political Sci‐enceDepartment, 914 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80309-0095; or theUnitar‐ian Church of BatonRouge, 8470 Goodwood Boulevard, BatonRouge,LA70806

ElizabethAndingBon‐necazepassedawayon Tuesday,December30, 2025. AnativeofBaton Rouge,she wasbornon June20, 1977. Growingup, sheenjoyed playing with herneighbor‐hood friends, swimming and attendingdance and piano classes. Shegradu‐atedfromEpiscopal High Schoolin1995 where she playedvolleyballand ten‐nis,and wasa cheerleader Excitedtospreadher wings,Elizabeth movedto Coloradotoattendcollege where shewas aChi Omega.Duringthe sum‐mer of 1996, sheconquered a 56 dayOutward Bound Odyssey. Elizabethoften saidthatitwas thegreat‐est andhardest thingshe had ever done.She gradu‐atedfromthe University of ColoradoatBoulder,ma‐joringinpolitical science. She then movedtoAspen, livingout herdream of being aski instructor and enjoyinglifeina mountain town. Eventually,she found her way back to Louisiana, where sheattended LSU, excelling in accounting coursework. Sheworked for Ernst& Young in New Orleans,beforereturning toBaton Rougeand using her considerable sales skillsinseveral busi‐nesses. Elizabethwas an athlete and an excellenttennis player, as well as abig LSU sportsfan.Her fashion sense wastop-notch and she wasalwaysavailable tohelpher momand sister withany fashion emergen‐cies! Most of all, Elizabeth was akindand giving per‐son,continually willingto gothe extramiletohelp withfriends andrelatives, withother’s children,and whateverher parents needed.She became aspe‐cial “Lizzie” to many kids

Raymond Joseph Breaux, 78, anative of Paincourtville, LA, and a lifelong resident of Pierre Part, LA. He passed away peacefully on February 22, 2026.Raymond is survived by his wife, DoloriesR Breaux; two daughters, Shinelle Blankenship(Brian) and Rayetta Crochet (Jay). He was aproud grandfathertoAlliBerthelot (Jesse Comeaux Jr.), Sadie and Aubrie Crochet, Brian, Cambree, Caitlin, and TristynBlankenship; great-grandchildren,Addi Kate and Ronnie Lee Comeaux,Madeline Leggett and Alexander Johnston. Raymond is also survived by his sister, ShirlineLaCoste;brother, OrinBreaux; godchild, Autry LaCosteJr.,and a host of nieces,nephews, and extended family. He wasprecededin death by his parents, James Breaux and Elizabeth"Toot Toot" Breaux; brothers, Earans Sr.,Ridley, LeonardSr.,and Roland Breaux; sisters, Louannie Pipsair and Molly Eues,and grandson,Jude Rivere.A dedicatedtugboat captain by trade, Raymond spent his career navigating the waterways with skill and determination.Outside of work, he found joyinworkingon outboard motors and hunting—hobbiesthat reflected his hands-on natureand

love forthe outdoors. Known as "one of akind, Raymond left an indelible mark on those who knew him. May thecherished memories of Raymond JosephBreaux bring comfort to allwho lovedhim. The pallbearers willbeBrian Blankenship, Jay Crochet,Jesse Comeaux, Jr., Brian Blankenship (LiL B), Gerald Fryou, Jr and Autry LaCoste, Jr. The honorary pallbearers willbeKennethHebert,Henry Rivere Jr., Damian Rivere and Clayton Aucoin.A visitation willbeheldatOurso Funeral Home in Pierre Part,LAonFebruary 27, 2026, from9am until Mass of Christian Burial at St Josephthe Worker CatholicChurch at 12pm. Interment to follow in the church cemetery. Father Al Davidsonwillofficiate. The family wouldliketoexpresstheir gratitude for everyone's prayers and thoughtfulness during this difficult time.

Joel DavisDicharry, Sr., of Diamond Head Mississippi, passed away at home on Sunday, February 8th, 2026. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1947, he is preceded in death by his parents, Verne Dicharry, Sr. and VevaDavis Dicharry;his belovedfirst wife Roseanne Cooling Dicharry;his granddaughterNina Dicharry; his brother, Verne Dicharry, Jr. and his sister-in-law Susie Dicharry.Joelissurvived by his wife Sally Simons Dicharry,his children Joel Davis Dicharry,Jr. (Rachel) and Holly Dicharry;grandchildrenJacob Dicharry and Thomas Shepherd Dicharry;two brothers, Thomas Dicharryand Dreux Dicharry,one sister Suzanne Dicharry and his stepsons GarrettHogue and Charlie Hogue. AgraduateofCatholic HighSchool in Baton Rouge, he attended Jeff Davis CommunityCollege in Pass Christian, Mississippiand held an associatesdegree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. He worked forseveral years in thehospitality industrybeforehebecame a long-timeemployeeof Royal Cup Coffee,from where he retired as District Sales Manager for Louisiana and Mississippi. He was aproud U.S.Navy

Vietnam Veteran, having served on aship in theDa Nang River(among other places) from1967-1969. He was amaster craftsman wood workerwho lovedtoridehis "Indian" motorcycle as much as possible.Joelwas astalwart, loyal, true friend and was agenuinelykind, loving soul.His happy attitude and personality touched and affected many. He willbemissed. Family and friends are invitedtoattenda funeral mass on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Our Lady of theGulf Catholic Church, 228 S. Beach Blvd., Bay St. Louis, Mississippi 39520, at 11:00 am. Visitation willbegin at 10:00 am. Interment willbeata later date. Donations may be madetothe AnimalShelter of Hancock County.

CynthiaDoerr, born on July1,1946, passed away on Monday, February 23, 2026, at theage of 79. Cynthiawas born in Charleston,WestVirginia. After she graduated high school, she went on to become ahomemakerfor her family.She was amember of theWelcome Wagon, as wellasthe Episcopal Church in Ohioand Michigan. Cynthiaalways en-

joyed bowling, golf, playingBridge, andreading. Shealso spent hercareer working in the EBR School System in various office rolls. Cynthia is survived by herlovinghusbandof 59 years, Robert Doerr; sons, Robert Doerrand his wife, Jo Andrea, and Michael Doerrand wife, Yael; andgrandchildren, Amanda, Lauren, Robert Eli,and Harper. Sheisprecededindeathbyher parents, Nelson andMarion McCoy. Relativesand friends are invited to celebrate Cynthia's life on Friday, February 27, 2026, at ResthavenFuneral Home. The visitation will begin at 9:00 AM,followed by the Funeral Service at 11:00 AM.Burial will follow at ResthavenGardensof Memory. Familyand friends may sign theonline guestbook or leave apersonal note to thefamilyat www.resthavenbatonroug e.com.

2026, at OchsnerHospital.

Born on July 7, 1970, she wasa devotedwoman of faithwho accepted Christ at an early ageatGreater NewGuideBaptist Church andlater served faithfully as adeaconess at Star Hill Baptist Church Aproud graduate of Istrouma Senior High School (Class of 1988), Kendra dedicated hercareer to helpingfamilies through herworkwith VolunteersofAmerica, where she trained andsupported childcareproviders. Sheissurvived by her loving husband, Timothy Franklin; herchildrenMarquet (LawrenceDean) and Khyliah; herbonuschildren Quentin,Je'kyra, Trinity, andTimia; hermother, Margie Hatfield, andstepfather,Roosevelt; and many relativesand friends. Sheispreceded in death by herfather, Russell Hayes, and herson, Marvin Jr Kendra will be rememberedfor herradiant smile, strongfaith, anda lifelongcommitment to serving others.A celebration of life will be held from12:00 PM to 4:00 PM on 2026-02-27 at Dr.Martin Luther King Community Center,4000 Guss Young Avenue.

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.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

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,

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

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.

Oneofthe mostimportanttenets 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

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

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 COMMENTARY

Louisiana’sbig Republican primarybattleisshaping up

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 with thegovernor,and thegovernor rose to thedebate. Fleming said thegovernor put Letlow in the race; what he’sdoing is he’slooking at the polls that show the governor right now not being popular.Soifhemakes 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.

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI, LEAH WILLINGHAMand JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. Power failures, waist-high canyons of snowand more flurries Wednesday bedeviled parts of the Northeastinthe aftermathofamassive storm that dumped icy piles on streets andsidewalks from Maryland to Maine.

Thefallout persistedacrossthe region: In RhodeIsland, where 3 feet of snow surpassed therecord 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 postponedinplaces and someschools 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 crewswere working 18-hour shifts to restore electricity and people huddledin warming shelters for respite and to recharge phones.

Anny Enos took her three grandchildren to awarming station in Barnstable, Massachusetts, on Wednesday to charge their devices andget achange of scenery.She said she hasn’thad power since Sunday afternoonand wasafraid that she might not get it back until Friday She threw out most of her fridge Tuesday and wasjusthoping forthe best. “I hate to sayitbut it doesn’tseem 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, accordingto Doug Foley, president of electric operations for Eversource in Massachusetts. More crews from other states arrived to help on Wednesday Most unwelcome, up to 3more inches of snow fell early Wednesday,adding to slippery conditions before temperatures rose, creating slushymesses. Police said carbon monoxidepoi-

soning killed aman in an area of Rhode Island that had lost power JosephBoutrous, 21,had toldafellowSalve Regina student he was going to charge his phone in his car,NewportPolice 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. Asocial media post saidhis teammates are heartbroken.

Massiveamounts of snow Monday’sstorm blanketedthe region with snow,canceled flights, disrupted transit and downed power lines. Crunching the numbers, meteo-

rologist Ryan Maue, former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, calculated that all that snow held a total of 2.5 trilliongallons of water

If all the snowthat fell from Maryland to Maine fell just on Manhattan,itwould have towered over amile high. If thesnowfall blanketedonlyonRhode Island, which got hit hardest, it would burythe entire Ocean Statein morethan 92 feet of snow,The Associated Press estimated. Melted, it’senough to fill the EmpireState Building with water morethan 9,000 times.New York State gotthe water equivalent of 680 billion gallons, while Pennsylvania got410 billion gallons and Massachusetts got 28 billion.

Wheniteventually melts, it will help mitigate the drought affecting partsofthe Northeast, Maue said, butright now it’sadding misery to an already punishing season.

“I thinkthis storm took asevere winter and turned it into an extreme winter or arecord extreme winter,” he said.

Thousands of flights in and out of the U.S. have been canceled in recent days. By Wednesday,the disruptions seemed to be subsiding, withnearly200 grounded, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Rhode Island’sT.F Green

NYCschools returningtonormal Somelarge school districts moved back to in-person classes on Wednesday,including Philadelphia, which had switched to online learning during the first two days of theweek. Schools reopened in Boston after being closed since last week forthe winter break. But in hardest-hit Rhode Island, Providence officials decided to keep schools closed and switch to virtual learning forthe rest of the week. In NewYork City,it’sanother regularschool dayfor more than 900,000 studentsinthe nation’s largest public school system, but many students andtheir caregivers had to scramble over mountainous snow banks anddodge salt spreadersduring themorning drop-off.

LSU guardIzzyBesselman lookstomovethe ball against NorthwesternState on Nov. 20, 2022, at

Center.

‘Horrific’ process

LSU’sBesselman provides valuedespite condition that hascut hercareerinhalf

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The blowout win ticked down to its final minute, which signaled to Izzy Besselman thatitwas time forher to hop off the bench, shed her warm-upsand 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’tknow it then, 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 dayatLSU. The No. 6Tigers (24-4,10-4 SEC) will honor

ä See LSU WOMEN, page 3C

LSUforward Kate Koval, left, and guard Izzy Besselman sit

Langston in an exhibition game on Oct. 30 at the

Bearcats sueQBSorsby, claiming NILbreach

BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

The University of Cincinnatiis suing Brendan Sorsby,accusing the former Bearcats quarterback of breaching his name, image and likeness contract after his transfer to Texas Tech.

The university filed the lawsuit in theU.S. DistrictCourt for the Southern District of Ohio on Wednesday

According to the lawsuit, Sorsby signed an NIL agreement in Julycovering the 2025 and 2026 seasons and that there would be a $1 million buyout if Sorsbytransferred, payable within 30 days. Sorsby announcedonDec. 15 that he was entering the transfer portal and announced on Jan. 4that he would attend Texas Tech Sorsby received the mostlucrative deal of theportalperiod—a reported $5 million —to returnto his home state for his final season.

“Cincinnati Athletics is proud to partnerwith its student-athletes and honors the contractual commitments it makes to them. We expect student-athletes and their representativestodothe same,” the university said in astatement.

“In his lucrative NIL agreement with Cincinnati Athletics, Brendan Sorsby committed to stay and

play for two seasons as aproud Bearcat representative. He also agreed that if heleft the university before that time, he would pay the university aspecificamount for the substantial harm that his breachwould cause. Cincinnati Athletics intends to enforce that contractual commitment.”

Sorsby’sagent,Ron Slavin, said pursuing legal actionagainsthis clientismisguided andthat Sorsby intends to fight the lawsuit and anyresultingdamages.

Sorsby passed for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns andfiveinterceptions last season.Healso ran for 580 yards and nine TDs.The Bearcats started 7-1 before losing their final five games.

Slavin saidSorsby was paid $875,800 by Cincinnati under its revenue-sharing structure for the 2025 season

“In that time, he generated millionsinvalue for the program. Attempting to recover those funds nowsends thewrong message to currentand future studentathletes andrisks damaging the long-term credibilityofCincinnati football,”Slavin wroteinan email. “This is further disappointing giventhatBrendan parted ways with UC in what was a

ä See NIL, page 3C

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

Shortly after all of the congratulatory handshakes Tuesday night, Dejounte Murray already had rerouted his mental GPS to Salt Lake City Murray had just played in his first NBA game in more than a year,bouncing back from atorn Achilles injury to help lead the NewOrleans Pelicans toa113-109 victory over the Golden StateWarriors. “It was great,but that is over,” Murraysaid. “I’m ready forthe next game. That’stoprepare for Utah. Ihope the guys enjoyed it For me, I’m not enjoying it.I’m on to the next game. I’m hungry.I’m starving.

Murray was solid in his first game sinceJanuary 2025. He played25minutesand finished with 13 points, three assists (five turnovers),two reboundsand a steal. “Impressive,”Pelicans interim head coach James Borregosaid. “Just to see him out there competing again. He looked like hisold self.Hedidn’tmissa beat.He’s only going to get better from here. For that to be his first game,I felt himonboth ends of the floor.” Borrego inserted Murrayinto the

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

INDIANAPOLIS —Rueben Bain is the new Will Campbell. Each draft cycle, there’satleast one prospect who’spicked apart for all sorts of factors he can’tcontrol. Last year,itwas Campbell —the former LSU tackle whose arm length was amajor talking point before he wentfourth overall to the NewEngland Patriots. This year,even though he plays an entirely different position, Bain has been picked apart for similarconcernsafter his armsreportedly measured slightly under 31 inches.

That’sabout 2inches shorter than the preferredminimum length foredge rushers.

“None of the teamsseem too concernedwith it,”Bain said Wednesday “AslongasIjust talkthe talkand walk the walk.”

The pre-draft fervor didn’tend up hurting Campbell,who went as high as initially expected. But it remains to be seen if the sameappliestoBain, whose draft range has been projected to fall anywhere between No.2 andpossibly as far back as somewhere in the teens.

The NewOrleans Saints, if Bain really does slide, wouldbefaced with potentially having to pick the type of player they historically have avoided. The Saintslike theiredge rushers to be tall, athletic freaks. That’snot Bain.

In additiontohis shorterarms, Bain is considered undersized at 6-foot-2 and 277 pounds. But he’sundeniably bendy andiscoming off aseason in whichhe solidified his status as one of the nation’stop edge rushers forMiami with 91/2 sacks.

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

“You’re looking at adifferent prototype of player,”Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland said at the Senior Bowl last month. “We’re looking at different length and size. Around here with Sean (Payton) …wewanted big power guys, power rushers. We’re looking for alittle different athlete. Sizeisn’t apremiumasmuch as the athleticism is.

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.

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

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

Hardenout for Cavaliers after breaking right thumb

MILWAUKEE JamesHardensat out the Cleveland Cavaliers’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesdaynight becauseofabroken right thumb.

Harden was injured Tuesday night in a109-94 homevictory over NewYork. X-rays Wednesday showed anon-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx. Harden will undergotreatment and evaluation. The 17-year veteran was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to Cleveland on Feb. 4. He averaged 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds andeight assists in his seven games with the Cavaliers. Cleveland also waswithout two otherstarters. DonovanMitchell is out with aright groin strain and EvanMobley is inactive because of leftcalf injury management.

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.

COMING UP SHORT

Luka hesitates, LeBron misses on last possession of arough homestandfor slumping LosAngeles

BY GREG BEACHAM AP sportswriter

LOS ANGELES When Luka Doncichad theballinhis hands with achance to win thegamefor the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, the Slovenian scoring machinepassed That’snot what anybody around the Lakers wanted or expected from theNBA’s leading scorer notevenLeBron James, the recipient of Doncic’spassonthe final possession of the Lakers’ 110-109 loss to Orlando.

“I thought he had agreat look, but that’smyPOV,” James said.

The finalplayworkedthe way coach JJ Redickdrew it up: James inbounded theballwith6.7 seconds left,and Doncic came off a screen to emerge wide open about onestridebehindthe 3-point line.

Doncic rarely hesitates to shoot from inside 30 feet when he’s as open as he was —but this time, he inexplicably hesitated before double-pumping into defensive coverage and finally bounce-passing the ballback to asurprised James.

“I know Iwas open, but Ijust thought Iwas alittle bit far,” Doncic said.“Tried to take one dribbletoget alittle closer.Probably shouldn’thavepicked up theball, just tried to attack.”

James desperately launched a fallaway 3-pointattempt that got nowhere close, and the Lakers were stuck with a110-109 loss to enda4-4 homestand on which they looked nothing like an NBA title contender

The Lakers know they won’tget far if Doncic and James can’tcommand bigmoments, and they both came up short in the clutch after LosAngelesblew a12-point lead in thesecond half. TheLakers lost for the first time this season when leading after three quarters.

Doncic’shesitance to shoot was astunner,aswas hissuggestion that being astep behind the 3-pointline is too farfor ashooter whoregularly shoots from there.

Later,headmitted that it might have had something to do withhis 2-for-10performancefromthe 3-point line against the Magic. When asked if his lack of rhythm from distance contributed to hissurprising decision, he said:

“Maybe alittle bit.”

James knew he hadnotimeto thinkwhenthe ball came back to him, but he couldn’tget off agood shot under perimeter defensive pressurefrom6-foot-10 Jonathan Isaac.

“Obviously you’ll have to ask Luka whathesaw on that,” James said. “I thought he had agood

agameagainst the Los Angeles

Feb.4,2025, in Inglewood,Calif.

“Obviouslyyou’ll have to ask Luka what he sawonthat. I thought he had agood look, and it looked likehekind of just lost his balance. Didn’thavethe rhythm of the ball, whatever the case maybe, and it kind of allowed themtoget back in frontofhim. Iwas kind of off balancewhen he gave it to me.”

LEBRON JAMES,Lakers forward

look, anditlookedlikehekindof just lost his balance. Didn’thave therhythm of the ball, whatever thecase may be, and it kind of allowedthemtoget back in front of him. Iwas kind of off balance when he gave it to me.”

James and Doncic had connected on the previous possession, withDoncic’sbaseline inbounds pass finding James for ago-ahead dunk with 26 seconds to play.Orlando reclaimed thelead when Wendell Carter scored on aputback layup, puttingthe ball in Los Angeles’ hands to decide it

Doncic went 8for 24, and his 22 points were his lowest-scoring performance in morethan three months in agamehedidn’tleave early due to injury.Hecould have erased it all witha final flourish, but he didn’thave it. “I didn’twanttolose theball, andwedidn’thavetimeouts,” Doncic said. “Butlike Isaid, shouldn’thave picked up theball. Ishould attack. That’s on me.” Redicksaid he hadn’thad a chance to discuss the finalplay yet with Doncic. He’llhavetime Wednesday on the flight to Phoenix, where theLakers will face aSuns team that’sright on their tails forsixth place in the Western

Conference.

“Weobviouslyran aplayfor him to get alook,” Redick said. “I felt like he had adecent shot.” Lakers hire Bennettfor drafthelp

FormerVirginia coach Tony Bennett, atwo-time national coach of the year,joined the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday as NBA draft adviser to president of basketball operations andgeneral manager Rob Pelinka.

Bennett was Virginia’s coach from 2009-24 and guided the Cavaliers to the 2019 nationalchampionship. Bennett compiled a364136 record at Virginia.

“As we refine and build out our NBAdraft and scouting processes,wecould think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as aresource,” Pelinka said in astatement. “Tony’strack record of formingculture, with high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players is reveredand respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible assettoour basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as awhole. We are truly excited.”

Bennett is Virginia’s career leader in wins.

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.

Southern women, men look for payback vs. FAMU

BY CHARLES SALZER Contributing writer

The Southern women’s basketball team is looking for payback Thursday evening when it hosts Florida A&M, a team it lost to in Southwestern Athletic Conference play the first time they met this season. Free-throw shooting was a key component for the Rattlers, who made twice as many as Southern in a 60-57 win on Jan. 10.

Southern (14-11, 10-4 SWAC) will get its chance on at 5 p.m. Thursday when FAMU (7-19, 6-9) pays a visit to the F.G. Clark Activity Center The men’s contest will follow at 7:30 p.m.

The FAMU contest is the first leg of a closing conference schedule in which the Jaguars will play four games in eight days. The Southern women are fourth in the league standings and enter the stretch with a three-game winning streak.

“We’re just trying to get some momentum before we get to the (SWAC) tournament,” Southern coach Carlos Funchess said. “You

PELICANS

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sure.”

Some of that family included his teammates, who welcomed his return.

“As a brother, it’s good to have him back on the court,” Zion Williamson said. “Especially knowing what he dealt with dealing with that injury He stayed resilient the whole time. Even though we were checking on him, he was checking on us twice as much making sure everybody’s mental was straight, making sure everybody was good and checking on the state of the team.” Murray wasted no time making an impact, scoring the Pelicans’ first basket on a reverse layup. He also delivered a clutch basket late to help seal the win, but Murray insists Tuesday wasn’t about him.

“I want the fans to know,” Murray said. “I ain’t suiting up for s*** about me. I’m suiting up for this organization, for my brothers and the fans. We want to go build momentum heading to the offseason and next year So the win is what matters.”

The Pelicans (17-42) are now 7-6 over their last 13 games and 9-11 over their last 20. They will try to keep trending upward on a six-game road trip that includes a game Thursday and Saturday against the Utah Jazz. The Pels have won two straight games, including their first one with Murray It wasn’t just the numbers Murray put on the stat sheet that made a difference. It also was his presence and veteran leadership.

“Even though this is his first game back in a while, he has that approach for every game he goes into,” Williamson said. “It means something to him. When you have a guy like that with that type pf energy, it’s nice to have. You can’t help but want to share that energy.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

want to play well, but even if you win a game, it doesn’t necessarily mean you played well.”

Southern was looking for better play in its first meeting with FAMU. The Jaguars led 52-48 with eight minutes left in the game, then fell behind after a scoreless stretch of seven minutes. The Rattlers made four free throws in the closing seconds to hold on for the win

“We had opportunities coming down the stretch, but we missed a lot of free throws,” Funchess said.

“We shot better (in Saturday’s 5945 win over Grambling), but we’ve got to keep working.”

Part of that work will be containing FAMU guard Tahnyjia Purifoy who led the Rattlers with 21 points in the first meeting Overall, Florida A&M made 18 of 22 foul shots and forced 19 Southern turnovers while committing only 10. Southern shot 34% from the field and made just 9 of 19 free throws.

“From a coaching standpoint, you want to see some progress,” Funchess said. “You want to see the

kids doing the right things. Sometimes there are slip-ups, but we’re gradually getting better and better Hopefully we can be hot down the stretch.”

Southern’s chances of heating up will be boosted by a healthy roster

In Saturday’s 59-45 win over Grambling, the Jaguars got plenty of playing time from DeMya Porter and Mykayla Cunningham, two players who had been starting before injuries sidelined them. Porter did not play in Southern’s recent two-game road trip to Texas but had 17 points and nine rebounds against Grambling. Cunningham saw her first action in three games, contributing seven points, seven assists and three steals. The Southern men (13-14, 9-5) are looking for payback of their own against FAMU. In the first meeting, the Rattlers (11-15, 8-7) led the entire second half of a 67-59 win in Tallahassee, Florida. Michael Jacobs had 20 points and seven rebounds for Southern, while Tyler Shirley led three Rattlers in double figures with 17 points.

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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 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 intensify 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 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 diffi cult 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.”

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mutually agreeable manner The money the university seeks to recover from him is nothing more than an unlawful penalty under Ohio law.”

This is at least the third case this year in which a school has sought a legal remedy related to an NIL deal with a quarterback. Duke sued Darian Mensah and they were engaged in a legal fight until reaching a settlement last month. Mensah signed a two-year contract in July before he led the Blue Devils to their first outright Atlantic Coast Conference title since 1962. A judge granted Duke’s request for a temporary restraining order to block Mensah from doing anything beyond entering his name into the transfer portal until both

sides came to an agreement. Mensah ended up transferring to Miami.

Demond Williams had planned to transfer from Washington, then changed his mind two days later as the Huskies were preparing to file a lawsuit to enforce a buyout of nearly $4 million. Both Williams and Sorsby were connected to LSU at certain points earlier this year

Sorsby began his career at Indiana before transferring to Cincinnati. In 35 career games, including 31 starts, he has passed for 7,208 yards and 60 touchdowns, along with 1,295 rushing yards and 22 TDs.

Sorsby and the Red Raiders, who won the Big 12 last season and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history, will play at Cincinnati on Oct. 24 during the university’s 100th homecoming celebration.

THE VARSITY ZONE

Parkview girls return favor, oust Vandebilt

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

One year after the Vandebilt Catholic girls sent Parkview Baptist home in the Division II select semifinals, the Eagles flipped the script in the quarterfinals

Parkview Baptist’s fullcourt press forced turnovers all night, and the No. 3-seeded Eagles turned defensive stops into points en route to a 77-37 victory over the No. 6 Terriers at Parkview

“The defensive energy we

Parkview Baptist’s Lucy Cramer runs the final leg of the Division II 3,200-meter relay at the LHSAA state indoor track and field championships on Saturday at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse.

PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

played with was great,” Eagles coach Brett Shelton said “Our guards can be very annoying on defense, and I thought tonight frustrated them.”

Parkview Baptist (25-4) will advance to the semifinals for a fourth straight year and face a familiar opponent in University High at the state tournament in Hammond.

“It’s real rewarding,” Shelton said on winning the playoff rematch. “The (Vandebilt) coaches were wearing their state championship

rings.

“That was also some motivation for these girls.”

Despite having some different players on last year’s team, Shelton said his returning players remembered the feeling of being sent home in the semis.

“There was some lockerroom material for them,” he said.

Eagles junior Ella LeFors finished with 26 points and six 3-pointers in the win.

Senior Anna Richerson added 22 points as Parkview

Baptist nailed 11 3-pointers.

“Our offense is just so free-flowing,” LeFors said. “When they were closing out 3s, I knew just take it off the dribble and pull up.”

The Terriers of Houma (16-8) fell behind toward the end of the first quarter.

E’Myrie Warren drew a foul and knocked down a pair of free throws to spark a 9-0 Parkview run.

After the two free throws, LeFors made the first 3-pointer from the corner Parkview Baptist scored twice more and took a 16-6 lead after one quarter

ALWAYS ON THE RUN

Parkview trio wastes no time transitioning from soccer to track and field

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

On a day when Parkview Baptist competed in a Division III soccer

semifinal and the state indoor track and field meet, an 80-minute car ride proved the difference between a state title and second place.

Senior Georgia Theriot, junior Lucy Cramer and sophomore Molly Cramer began their day playing in the soccer semifinal against Sacred Heart at 10:30 a.m at Pan American Stadium in New Orleans.

The soccer Eagles held on to win 2-1, and as soon as the final whistle blew, the trio raced to assistant coach Kate Cramer’s car and drove to the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse on the LSU campus to compete in the 3,200-meter relay race at 1:39 p.m at the state indoor track and field championship.

“We had a minute to get in the car and then rush over,” Theriot said “We had about a 10-minute range before our race started, so there were a lot of nerves.” The trio, along with Brynlie Monistere, won the race. The points from their victory put Parkview Baptist at 63 total team points to share first place with Madison Prep in the Division II girls team standings.

The Eagles now will attempt to win a fourth straight Division III girls soccer state title on Thursday night against No 1 Archbishop Hannan in Hammond.

Quick turnaround

When they reached the indoor meet, it was another mad dash.

“I had to jump out of the car in the middle of the street and run inside the track complex,” Theriot said, “while people were yelling at me, ‘Go Georgia! You can make it.’ ” The trio had just three minutes to find Monistere, who checked in their spikes, and change in the bathroom into their track uniforms.

They knew that if the soccer match went to overtime, they’d miss the 3,200-meter relay The three were tired, but the adrenaline flowed as they prepared to compete in multiple sports in one day

“We had a lot of blisters because of that game,” Molly Cramer said of the soccer match. “It felt like 100 degrees. My feet were getting torn up on the field

“It hurt to put our spikes on. We ran off pure adrenaline.”

Race confusion

Their long day also came with uncertainty during the 3,200-meter relay.

During the third leg of the race, Molly Cramer ran just behind Country Day’s Camille Thionville, who was in first

She began to catch up on their third lap, but then Thionville handed the baton to her teammate one lap early

“She gave off the baton, but we never got lapped by them,” Molly Cramer said “I was just confused, but I ran another lap.”

When Lucy Cramer watched the

early handoff, she wondered whether she needed to do the same. She thought fast and waited for her younger sister to run her fourth lap.

“It was a confusing race,” Lucy Cramer said. “By the end of it, I figured out that they had run an extra lap, so then I was very relieved. It didn’t really hit me until we crossed the line.”

One last push

Kate Cramer did the math all day

After Madison Prep took the top two spots in the 60 hurdles, she knew Lucy and Molly Cramer would have to do the same in the 3,200 individual race to share a spot atop the podium.

Lucy Cramer finished first with a time of 11:21.95, and Molly finished just behind with a time of 11:26.85 to help them share the state title with Madison Prep. Rather than exhaustion taking over after the long day, the three barely could sleep.

“I thought I had one of the best days I’ve had in a long time,” said Theriot, who also won the 800. “After the whole day, you should be tired. I was living on a high for hours after that. I probably didn’t go to sleep until 12 o’clock.”

All eyes on soccer

After a long season juggling multiple sports, the three can now concentrate on soccer and leave it all on the field in Hammond on Thursday

“We know that this is the biggest game of our lives,” Theriot said. “We’re leaving a legacy here. We know the stakes.”

The Eagles maintained their 10-point lead midway through the second. Warren cut to the basket and caught a pass from Ansley Bernhard. She connected with a layup off the assist to start another run.

Richerson and LeFors both knocked down 3-pointers during a 13-5 run to close the first half and take a 41-23 lead into halftime.

The Eagles’ barrage of 3s continued to start the third quarter LeFors and Richerson combined for four 3-pointers in the quarter, including a corner 3 by LeFors at the

buzzer off a Richerson assist. “The game plan was to wear them down,” Shelton said. “I know they weren’t real deep, and so we wanted to make them run as much as possible.” Parkview Baptist outscored Vandebilt Catholic 26-10 in the third to take a 67-33 lead into the fourth. The two teams emptied their bench in the final quarter, and the Eagles ran away with a 40-point victory “It was so fun,” LeFors said. “From the jump, we just got on it. We didn’t let off the gas.”

SOFTBALL

Ten area hitters to keep an eye on

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

The Baton Rouge area is filled with promising talent for the softball season. Listed below are 10 area position players to watch this season.

Cayden Tullier, East Ascension, Sr.

The Southeastern signee wreaked havoc on opposing teams last year The infielder batted .500 with a .695 OBP She also tallied 12 home runs, 39 RBIs and drew 49 walks. She was an LSWA Class 5A all-state selection and All-Metro honoree.

Charli Neumann, St. John, Sr.

The South Alabama signee looks to wrap up her impressive high school career with a strong senior season. The four-time all-state selection set single-season records in hits (46), RBIs (68) and home runs (19) last year She also batted .523.

Da’Miaya Dunn, Live Oak, Sr.

The Arkansas-Pine Bluff signee earned her way onto the LSWA Class 5A all-state team last season. The hardhitting senior finished with a .404 average, a .507 OBP, eight home runs, 48 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.

Jolie Gawlik, Parkview Baptist, Jr. Gawlik is one of the top prospects in the state. The infielder finished with a .419 batting average, 34 RBIs and 10 home runs last season. She’s been named to the AllMetro teams in consecutive seasons.

Ava Landry, Parkview Baptist, Jr.

Landry ended her sophomore season with big numbers that help project a strong season for the Eagles in 2026

The outfielder batted 414 with a 497 OBP with 52 runs scored in 41 games. She earned a spot on the All-Metro team last year for her performance.

Brooke Rabalais, St. Amant, Sr.

The Gators senior was the team leader in RBIs last year on a squad that made it to the Division I nonselect semifinals. She finished with a .395 batting average and totaled 57 RBIs, 12 doubles and five home runs.

Bailey Ducote, St. Amant, Sr.

The Gators infielder was crucial in the team’s run to the Division I nonselect semifinals last season. She tallied a .479 batting average and finished with more than 50 runs scored, 15 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.

Zoe Fabre, Brusly, Jr.

The infielder played her way onto the LSWA Class 4A all-state team last year The shortstop hit .471 and was integral to a Brusly squad that won 29 games last year

Harlee Ursy, Walker, Jr.

The Walker star finished last season as a member of the All-Metro team and was an LSWA Class 5A all-state honorable mention. The infielder batted .400 last season and looks to build on that for the Wildcats in the 2026 season.

Avery St. Pierre, Lutcher, So.

The multisport athlete was a force for the Bulldogs last year The sophomore outfielder batted .486.

Calling for uniformity

By The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — New England Pa-

triots coach Mike Vrabel called on the NFL to increase staffing at its replay command center to ensure reviews from all games are treated equally

Vrabel spoke at the NFL scouting combine Wednesday and was asked about comments earlier this week by league executive Troy

Vincent that there were a handful of mistakes made in replay last season in games played in the early Sunday afternoon window when as many as nine games were played at the same time.

“We need to make sure every game is treated the same from the prime-time game on Sunday night to the prime-time game on Monday or Thursday or whether it’s one of those (noon) games that is the lifeblood of our league,” said Vrabel, who is a member of the competition committee.

“So if it’s something we need to take care of in the offseason, staffing issues that need to be taken care of so that those things are looked at, we need to be really good at replay because there’s going to be mistakes on the field. We have to get to a system in re-

play that’s as close to 100% accurate as possible.”

Vincent said there were 322 stoppages for replay reviews this past season, including 171 that were made from the replay center in New York. He said five of those plays were mishandled, with the majority coming in the noon window when there are more games being played simultaneously

“There were five after we kind of took a step back and breathed — four of them (were) in the (noon) window,” Vincent said. “Just volume and you go, ‘Ah, if we had to do that one again, just looking at it.’”

At least one of those plays proved crucial in the playoff race. Vincent cited a replay review in a Week 14 game that overturned a ruling on the field of an interception thrown by Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers.

The decision cost Baltimore 46 yards in field position, and the Ravens eventually lost the game 27-22 when a potential go-ahead TD pass from Lamar Jackson to Isaiah Likely was ruled incomplete by replay

That call was not one of the five Vincent referenced, but he did say it warranted more discussion about what is or isn’t a catch. A win

in that game for Baltimore would have given the Ravens the AFC North title instead of the Steelers

An increase in staffing at the replay command center during windows with more games would not solve all of the inequities in comparison to higher-profile games, which feature significantly more cameras used by the broadcasters. San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, a former broadcaster and a new member of the competition committee, said that needs to be addressed as well. “I do think that’s something we want to strive for as a league,” Lynch said “I think there’s some uniformity you can get by requiring teams to have fixed cameras and things. I know all those things are being discussed, but that is a reality that the 1:00 games, there’s multiple games going on at the same time. So, the New York headquarters, they’re not going to have all their attention on that game. And then within that, the element that I talked about just not having the amount of cameras and angles. That’s a reality and something that we have to figure out because every game is important in our league, not just the prime-time games.”

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. 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

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“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

Jordan, Hamlin building winning culture at 23XI

BY JENNA FRYER AP auto racing writer

HUNTERSVILLE,N.C.—

There’s a sign that hangs on a wall in Airspeed, the headquarters of 23XI Racing, that clearly states the vision of the NASCAR team owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.

“To be the world’s most recognizable motorsports team, winning on and off the track, moving forward together, and setting the standard for excellence,” it reads.

Any questions about how 23XI would emerge from December’s federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR have been immediately silenced at the start of the new year Tyler Reddick won the seasonopening Daytona 500 and last weekend’s race at Atlanta to open 2 for 2, while teammate Bubba Wallace led a combined 86 laps in the two events and easily could have been the winner Reddick and Wallace head to Circuit of the Americas road course in Texas for Sunday’s race ranked 1-2 in the Cup Series points standings. It’s made for a festive atmosphere at Airspeed, a 114,000-square-foot headquarters where personal touches like the 45 pairs of Air Jordan sneakers arranged to form a No. 23 wall display make it one of the coolest teams to work for in motorsports.

“All we’ve been doing since the season started is eating, drinking and celebrating,” 23XI president Steve Lauletta told the 100-plus employees this week during a luncheon to celebrate Reddick’s Daytona 500 win.

The 23XI culture Jordan, the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer, and Hamlin, a threetime Daytona 500 winner has created a culture inside 23XI designed to build a championshipwinning organization that will be the go-to destination for aspiring drivers, engineers, mechanics and anyone who wants to work in NASCAR.

A victory flag flapped in the wind outside Airspeed, where wins are celebrated with a pizza party when the team plane returns. Then comes company-wide celebratory luncheons, and an end-of-day shot of Jordan-owned Cincoro Tequila.

Employees get preloaded cards each month to use in the vending machines, have access to a stateof-the-art gym equipped with a sauna, hot and cold tubs and a physical therapist, and work in a building many legacy NASCAR teams only dream of owning.

ising 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

pro day on April 3, 2018, at the Saints’

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 prom-

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 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

“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

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 college 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.

23 at Airspeed, the headquarters of 23XI Racing, on Tuesday in Huntersville, N.C.

put a strain on 23XI, which raced unchartered all of last season and won just once — Wallace’s win at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — as employees worried a courtroom defeat would put the team out of business.

NASCAR settled the suit on the ninth day of the trial — a win for all the teams, but especially plaintiffs 23XI and Front Row Motorsports — and 23XI never missed a beat. Lauletta said part of the early 2026 success is because Jordan and Hamlin promised to pay employees through 2026 regardless of the lawsuit outcome. That vow put the company at ease as everyone focused on their jobs.

“The guys worked hard all summer I know we had our little ordeal, but they never gave up,” Jordan said after Reddick’s win at Atlanta. “They kept working hard, and this is the fruit of their labor You know, they put forth the effort, and for us to come out and win the first two races says a lot about our whole team.”

Reaching new heights

As 23XI attempts to become an industry leader, the organization has been thinking outside the box in marketing and partnership opportunities. San Diego State University wears Jordan brand and 23XI partnered with the basketball team the night before the Daytona 500 for a game against the University of Nevada.

Recorded messages from 23XI’s drivers played on the big screen, a race car was displayed outside the arena, and branded rally towels were distributed. On race day, 23XI and Toyota hosted a watch party at a sports bar on Coronado Island, where NASCAR will race for the first time later this year

Employees are all given pairs of Jordan’s namesake sneakers and the pit crews for the 23XI teams debuted a custom shoe at the Daytona 500.

All this for a team that was only conceived in 2020, launched in 2021, and now ranks among the top in NASCAR with the likes of Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske.

“There’s no question that we’re building fast cars and cars that are capable of winning week in, week out. We don’t always hit the setup or things like that, but we’re working hard,” said Hamlin. “This team being nonexistent six years ago is just amazing that we’re able to do what we did with building this thing from scratch and now having the results week in, week out that is contending with the big guys.”

No quit despite legal fight 23XI has reached the top despite a two-plus year Jordan-led fight against NASCAR over revenue sharing. The legal battle

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 — 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

“We want people to go ‘That’s my team!’ ” Lauletta said “We had our partners there giving away prizes and then we won the race.

“That’s the stuff that helps differentiate us and helps these casual sports fan who know who Michael is now know who our team is. We won the race and the place went wild.”

In Las Vegas in two weeks a replica of the Jumpman-branded car that Kurt Busch drove to victory in 2022 will be on Reddick’s car to celebrate Busch’s recent induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The car features the Jumpman logo on the hood and a black cement elephant print inspired by the Air Jordan III sneaker It makes 23XI stand out while displaying the passion that Jordan, a lifelong NASCAR fan, has for the sport.

“His passion for this sport is just unreal and it’s so fun to be around,” Lauletta said. “In getting 23XI going, the most pleasantly surprising thing is his love for the sport. It is as genuine as genuine gets.”

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.

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

Sayhello to sorghum, your newest cookingally

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,

ä See SORGHUM, page 2D

Ready-made

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 thepieces 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. Keep adding oil to the pan as the strips absorb the oil. Continue until all of the strips are crisped.

4. Remove the 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.

3.

Five-Spice

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

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 1D

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

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,

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

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.

TODAY IN HISTORY

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 68. Democratic

Red Bean Soup

Continued from page 1D

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

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 also

1. Place the olive oil in the

When the oil

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

and parsley and grated cheese. Serve with hot sauce on the

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.

Poll shows consumer confidence is down, despite Trump’s address

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.

Climate tech is rattled amid Trump’s new tariffs

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-March 20) Adjust your space to serveyour needs. Howyou rearrange your furniture or configure your workspace will contribute to your productivity and peace of mind.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Be honest with yourself,and it will be easier to resolve the issues you have with others. 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 the way andyour anger melt away.

GEMINI (May21-June 20) Useyour resources. Deal with situations that are standing in your way. Trustyour instinctsover what others say. Use your energy and choose your words wisely.

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

LEO(July 23-Aug.22) Listen carefully, observe and 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 new beginnings. What you do to make the world abetter place will change your lifefor the better. Volun-

teering your timewill help you see 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) Take the plunge, try something new,explore thepossibilities andput yourself in aposition to learn something. Share your thoughts with someone you want to spend more time with SAGITTARIUS (Nov.23-Dec. 21) Maintain your momentum. Focus on functionality, fortitude and freedom to follow a path that has purpose and meaning for you. Useyour imagination to outsmart bullies.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Set your sights on what you want to accomplish. Ahigh-energy approach will get you to thefinish linewithoutdelay.Create opportunities rather than waiting for someone else to make the first move.

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

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

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Ciphercryptograms are createdfrom quotations by famous people, past and present. Eachletter in the cipherstands for another.

VEQUALS M

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

Bridge

BY PHILLIPALDER

When you look at all 52 cardsofsome bridge deals, it is notclear howeitherthe biddingorthe play willgo. Thislayout arose during asocialgame with strong players.Whatwas the outcome in six clubs after West led the heart king?

The auction was involved. North’s negative double showed his four-card spade suit. Then, when South indicated extra values by jumping to threeno-trump, North bid his long diamond suit. South control-bid(cue-bid)fourhearts to suggest aslam. West’s double wasfutile. And, finally, South chose sixclubs Both six clubs and sixdiamonds can be made, but each requires double-dummy play. (Declarermust know where all of thecards lie.)

The expert in six clubs adopted asensible line.Afterwinningwith hisheart 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 club king, crossed to the spade king, and drew trumps, squeezing East in spadesand diamonds (not that it mattered, because South could have established dummy’s diamond suit). East should have returnedadiamond.If

South had had asingleton queen, he was unlikely to have rebid three no-trump Also, even if he had, the diamond lead probablywould nothavecost. West would have needed atrump trick to defeat the contract, which wasnot likely to evaporate.

©2026 by NEA,Inc dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzleisaword riddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOONGOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters.2.Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” maynot be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

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

Average mark 20 words

Timelimit 30 minutes Can you find 26 or more words in RESUMED?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD— connIVEs