The Times-Picayune 03-02-2026

Judge’s role in tax lawraises ethics questions

La.highcourt justice votedonchallenge to measurehehelpedwrite

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Cade Cole wasbarely aweek into the job last March when he weighed in on asubject he knowswell:taxes

The high court was reviewinga challenge to aballot measure that Gov. Jeff Landry pushed to revampthe state tax code. Early voting was underway.Cole, aformer state tax judge, helpedkill the challenge in a4-3 ruling.

“If the ballot language were inaccurate this Court would act to protect the voters,” he wrote in aconcurring opinion. “That is not the case here.” Cole was hardly fresh to the topic. Emails show he helped draft the law behind the contested ballot measure, called Amendment 2, which tanked at thepolls Months before his swearing-in, Cole sent detailed revisions of Amendment 2to top officials at the Department of Revenue, in apair of November 2024 messages. The Times-Picayune |The Advocate received them throughapublic records request.

Newassaultslaunched; Iran vows revenge

3U.S.military memberskilledinattacks,5 injured

that accompanied the killingofSupremeLeader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

BY JONGAMBRELL, MELANIE LIDMAN, JOSH BOAK and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

Some of the proposedchangesmade it intothe complicatedballot initiative, which Louisiana votersrejected less than twoweekslater by anearly2-1 margin. It was one of four constitutional amendments that failed last March. Veteransonjudicial ethics say Cole should have recused himself from the case, or at least should havealerted the parties.

There is no evidence in the court record that Cole did so, or that he was subjecttoany attempttohavehim step off the case. The justices meet in private when they decide on whether to take up acase and when they rule.

Cole declined an interview request through the court and declined to respond to writtenquestions abouthis vote or his role in shaping Amendment 2.

“The Supreme Court’sopinions speak for themselves,and justices or staff cannot comment on court rulings,” said Supreme Court spokesperson Trina Vincent in astatement.

Cole ä See QUESTIONS, page 5A

Brown pelicans land on the Terrebonne Houma Navigation Canal Bird Island near Cocodrie on Tuesday. The revitalization of the remote island restores akey nesting area for scores of waterbirds, including Louisiana’s state bird, the brown pelican.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The U.S. and Israel pounded targets across Iran on Sunday,dropping massive bombs on the country’s ballistic missile sitesand wiping out warships as part of an intensifying militarycampaign followingthe killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Blasts rattled windows across thecountry and sent plumes of smoke high into the sky above Tehran. More than 200 people have been killed since the start of thestrikes that killed Khameneiand other senior leaders, Iranianleaders have said.

Iran vowed revenge, firing missiles at Israel andGulf Arab states in acounteroffensive that the U.S. military said resulted in the deaths of three service members —the first known American casualties from the conflict. Five others were seriously wounded.

Israeli rescue services said strikes had hit several locations, including Jerusalem andasyna-

Iran’sSupremeLeader

the White House in

gogue in thecentral town of Beit Shemesh, where nine people were killed and 28 wounded, bringing theoverall deathtoll in the countryto11. Eleven people were still missing after the strike, police said.

Butthe attacks on Iran showed no signs of relenting as the U.S.

andIsrael tookaim at keymilitary,political andintelligence targets in whatappeared to be awidening war that carried the potential fora prolonged conflictthatcould envelopthe Middle East anddestabilizeit.

ä See IRAN, page 4A

Remote island’s revitalization restores keynesting area forwaterbirds

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

ä FBIprobes possible link of deadly Austin shooting to Iran operation. PAGE 2A

ä At least 22 people killed in Pakistan protests. PAGE 2A

ä Iran strikes spark calls for peace, flashes of anger

PAGE 3A

ä Oil prices rise sharply in market trading after strikes. PAGE 3A

ä Stranded travelers scramble to make new connections after attack PAGE 3A

ä Some fear war will slow momentum of Gazaceasefire. PAGE 4A

“Every little bit helps,” said ReneeBennett,who is overseeing the ‘Every little

It would nothavebeen long beforethe small island offLouisiana’s coast washed away completely, joining alist of other locations that have disappeared under the tides. Instead, it has been revived after years of work, and the state bird will be among the primary beneficiaries Aftera20-minute boat ride from

aCocodriemarinainTerrebonne Parish on acool morning last week, agroup of scientists and engineers surveyed the now-completed restoration project and explained its dual importance. The island maybeunassuming —mostly hay bales, rock dikes and sparse vegetation —but its revitalizationrestoresa keynesting area for scores of waterbirds, including the brown pelican, Louisiana’s state bird. Part of the Terrebonne BarrierIslands, it also plays a modest role in safeguarding south Louisiana communitiesfromstorm surge.

ä See ISLAND, page 5A

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Bolsonaro supporters rally across Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO Thousands of supporters of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrated in cities across the South American nation on Sunday, as organizers hoped to build momentum for a right-wing victory in the upcoming presidential elections.

Protesters draped in yellow and green — the colors of the national flag — took to the streets in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and the capital Brasilia to voice their opposition to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who faces a tough reelection bid in October

“This year will be decisive for all Brazilians,” Flávio Bolsonaro, the ex-president’s son who was chosen by his father to stand against Lula, said on Instagram ahead of the demonstration “We’re one step away from succeeding at rescuing our Brazil.”

Flávio has sought to rally the right around his candidacy against Lula, who has said he will run for a fourth, nonconsecutive term.

Bolsonaro is in prison, where he is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup despite his 2022 electoral defeat to Lula Many of Bolsonaro’s supporters believe the embattled far-right leader is the victim of political persecution.

“We believe that 2026 will be the year of the turning point. We have a project led by President Bolsonaro, which was entrusted to Flávio Bolsonaro,” said Douglas Ruas dos Santos, a state lawmaker at the protest in Rio.

Recent polls show Flávio Bolsonaro and Lula as almost tied in a hypothetical runoff vote.

Group: Gunmen kill at least 15 in Nigeria

ABUJA,Nigeria At least 15 people have been killed after gunmen attacked three communities in north-central Nigeria, Amnesty International said Sunday

The simultaneous attacks occurred on Saturday in Tashan Maje, Saduro, and Runtuwa villages located in the Borgu area of Niger state, the rights group said in a statement posted on X

“The gunmen invaded the villages on dozens of motorcycles shooting in all directions. They also ransacked shops,” Amnesty said.

The “horrific attack” is yet another indication that “people are constantly living on the edge and feeling helpless,” the statement said. It didn’t provide further details about the attackers.

Northern Nigeria is in the grip of a complex security crisis featuring both Islamic militants operating in the northeast and armed criminal gangs kidnapping people for ransom who have wrecked havoc in the northwest and north-central regions

Africa’s most populous country has been a focus of Washington after President Donald Trump said that the country wasn’t protecting Christians from an alleged genocide. The Nigerian government rejected the accusation, and analysts say that it simplifies a very complicated situation in which people are often targeted regardless of their faith.

In December, U.S. forces launched airstrikes on Islamic State group-affiliated militants in northwestern Nigeria 9 wounded in Cincinnati nightclub shooting

CINCINNATI A shooting early Sunday at a crowded Cincinnati nightclub and concert venue wounded nine people, police said. There were no immediate arrests. The shooting victims were taken to hospitals with second graph of bottom item: The shooting victims were taken to hospitals with injuries that were not life-threatening, Adam Hennie, the city’s interim police chief, said at a news conference. About 500 to 600 people were in the Riverfront Live nightclub when shots rang out at 1 a.m., Hennie said. He declined to provide additional details, citing the integrity of the investigation. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was helping in the investigation.

Two killed in Austin bar shooting

FBI probes possible link to Iran operation

BY JACK MYER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, ERIC TUCKER and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas A gunman wearing clothes with an Iranian flag design and the words “Property of Allah” killed two people and wounded 14 early Sunday at a Texas bar a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The FBI is investigating the shooting, which erupted a day after the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran, as a potential act of terrorism.

Police in Austin shot and killed the gunman, who used both a pistol and a rifle to carry out the attack, police said.

The shooting happened outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden just before 2 a.m. along Sixth Street, a nightlife destination filled with bars and music clubs and only a few miles from the University of Texas at Austin.

Nathan Comeaux, a

22-year-old senior, had spent the evening there with friends and said the bar was “full of college students, probably mostly UT kids, shoulder to shoulder, hundreds just enjoying their nights.”

The assailant drove past the bar several times before stopping and shooting from the window of his SUV at people on a patio and in front of the bar, according to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis. He then parked, got out with a rifle and began shoot-

ing at people walking along the street before officers rushed to the intersection and shot him, Davis said. Three of the injured were in critical condition Sunday morning, she said.

The gunman was identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Comeaux had left the bar to grab pizza at a food truck across the street about 10 minutes before the first gunshots were fired. No

one around the pizza truck understood what was happening, he said, with some thinking the noise was fireworks or a loud motorcycle. Comeaux said he hid behind a bench for about a minute before getting out, and he saw police officers running toward the scene. He pulled out his phone to begin recording. That’s when more shots rang out.

Comeaux said he saw the suspect turn his gun on police before officers shot him.

He said he knows someone who was shot and guessed that many other UT students do as well.

“The UT community has definitely been majorly affected by this,” he said. Authorities haven’t provided a clear motive for the attacks but found “indicators” on the gunman and in his vehicle leading them to look into the possibility of terrorism, said Alex Doran, the acting agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office.

“It’s still too early to make a determination on that,” Doran said Sunday morning.

Diagne first entered the U.S. in 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa and became a lawful permanent resident six years later after marrying a U.S. citizen, according to DHS. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2013, the department said. Diagne was originally from Senegal, according to multiple people briefed on the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.

The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the shooting.

At least 22 people killed in Pakistan protests

Demonstrators try to storm U.S. Consulate

BY ADIL JAWAD and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press

KARACHI, Pakistan Violent clashes between protesters and security forces in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi and in the country’s north left at least 22 people dead and more than 120 others injured as demonstrators supportive of the Iranian government attempted to storm a U.S Consulate on Sunday, authorities said. In the north of the country demonstrators attacked U.N. and government offices.

The violence came after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, killing its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Police and officials at a hospital in Karachi said that at least 50

police in the northern GilgitBaltistan region when thousands of protesters angered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran attacked the offices of the U.N. Military Observer Group and the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP), local police official Asghar Ali said.

people were also wounded in the clashes and some of them were in critical condition.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his “profound sorrow over the martyrdom” of Khamenei and conveyed his condolences to Iran, according to his office. He said: “Pakistan stands with the Iranian nation in this moment of grief and shares in

their loss.”

Summaiya Syed Tariq, a police surgeon at the city’s main government hospital, confirmed six bodies and multiple injured people were brought to the facility However, she said the death toll rose to 10 after four critically wounded people died.

In addition, 12 people were killed and over 80 wounded in clashes with

Afghanistan says it thwarted Pakistani strike on air base

Fighting enters fourth day

BY ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN and ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan Afghanistan thwarted attempted airstrikes on Bagram Air Base, the former U.S. military base north of Kabul, authorities said Sunday while cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan stretched into a fourth day

The fighting has been the most severe between the neighbors for years, with Pakistan declaring that it’s in “open war” with Afghanistan. The conflict has alarmed the international community, particularly as the area is one where other militant organizations, including al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, still have a presence and have been trying to resurface.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harboring militant groups that stage attacks against it and also of allying with its archrival India.

Border clashes in October killed dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants until a Qatari-mediated ceasefire ended the intense fighting. But several rounds of peace talks in Turkey in November failed to produce a lasting agreement, and the two sides have occasionally traded fire since then.

On Sunday, the police headquarters of Parwan province, where Bagram is located, said in a statement that several Pakistani military jets had entered Afghan airspace “and attempted to bomb Bagram Air Base” at around 5 a.m.

The statement said Afghan forces responded with “anti-aircraft and missile defense systems” and had managed to thwart the attack.

There was no immediate response from Pakistan’s military or government regarding Kabul’s claim of attempted airstrikes on Bagram or the ongoing fighting.

Bagram was the United States’ largest military base in Afghanistan. It was taken over by the Taliban

as they swept across the country and took control in the wake of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country in 2021. Last year, President Donald Trump suggested he wanted to reestablish a U.S. presence at the base.

The current fighting began when Afghanistan launched a broad crossborder attack on Thursday night, saying it was in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous Sunday Pakistan had said its airstrike had targeted the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan, or TTP Afghanistan had said only civilians were killed.

The TTP militant group which is separate but closely allied with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, operates inside Pakistan, where it has been blamed for hundreds of deaths in bombings and other attacks over the years. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of providing a safe haven within Afghanistan for the TTP, an accusation that Afghanistan denies.

A government spokesman, Shabir Mir, said all staff working for those organizations was safe. He said protesters repeatedly clashed with police at various places in the region, damaged the offices of a local charity, and set fire to police offices. However he said authorities had deployed troops and brought the situation under control.

The U.S. Embassy in Pakistan said in a post on X that it was monitoring reports of ongoing demonstrations at the U.S. Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, as

well as calls for additional protests at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the consulate general in Peshawar It advised U.S. citizens in Pakistan to monitor local news, stay aware of their surroundings, avoid large crowds and keep their travel registration with the U.S. government up to date. In Karachi, which is the capital of southern Sindh province and Pakistan’s largest city senior police official Irfan Baloch said that protesters briefly attacked the perimeter of the U.S. Consulate, but were later dispersed. He dismissed reports that any part of the consulate building was set on fire. However, he said that protesters torched a nearby police post and smashed windows of the consulate before security forces arrived and regained control.

Iran strikesspark callsfor peace, flashesofanger

BY CLAUDIA CIOBANU and ANGELA CHARLTON Associated Press

PARIS Three closeallies of the United States said Sunday they areready to join forces to defend their interests in the Middle East and stop Iran’sretaliatory missile and drone strikes following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,asothers around theworld raisedconcerns that the conflict sparkedby coordinatedU.S.-Israel attacks could spread into a wider war Britain, France and Germany said they were preparedto work with the United States.

“Wewill take stepsto defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessaryand proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’scapability to fire missiles and drones at their source,” their statement said. “Wehave agreed to work together with the US andalliesinthe region on this matter.”

Massive explosions rocked the Iranian capital for a second day as Israel’smilitary said it was targeting the “heart” of Tehran. Iran pressed on, targeting Israel and U.S. military bases in Gulf states. Iranian officials hurried to plan afuture after the death of Khamenei, who had no designated successor, as some Iranians who had long suffered from political re-

pressioncelebrated. On streetsaround the world,there wereprotests in outrage orburstsofcelebration.

Pope LeoXIV,the first pope from theUnitedStates in the history of the Catholic Church, said he was “profoundlyconcerned” about the U.S. and Israelistrikes on Iran and urged bothsides to “stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss.” The statement by British Prime Minister KeirStarmer,French President EmmanuelMacron and German ChancellorFriedrich Merz

said they are“appalled” by Iran’s“reckless” strikeson theirallies, which threaten theirservice members and citizens in the region.

Adrone strike damaged ahangar at aFrench naval base at theportofAbu Dhabi, France’sdefense minister said. British Defense MinisterJohn Healey said Iranian missile and drone strikes came within afew hundred yards of agroupof300 British military personnelin Bahrain.

Healey also said twomissiles werefired in the direction of Cyprus, where the U.K. has bases,though aCy-

prus government spokesman said on socialmedia those reportswerenot valid.

Starmer said theU.K. will notjoininstrikes on Iran but has newly agreed to let Washington use British bases for attacks on Iran’smissiles and their launch sites.

Topdiplomats from the 27 European Union nations held an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the situation and next steps for the bloc.

“The death of Ali Khameneiisa defining moment in Iran’shistory. What comes next is uncertain,” EU foreign policychief Kaja Kallassaid. “But there is nowan

open path to adifferent Iran, one that its people may have greater freedom to shape.”

Perhaps cautious about upsetting alreadystrained relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, many nations, including severalin the MiddleEast, refrained from commenting directly or pointedly on the joint strikes but condemned Tehran’sretaliation.

The 22-nation Arab League called the Iranian attacks “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of countries that advocate forpeace and strive forstability.” That coalition of nations has historically condemned both Israel andIranfor actionsitsays risk destabilizing theregion.

“Return to your senses anddeal withyour neighbors with reasonand responsibilitybefore thecircleofisolation and escalation widens,” AnwarGargash, an adviser to the United Arab Emirates’ president, told the Iranian theocracy.The UAE closed its embassy in Iranand announced the withdrawal of its diplomatic missionafter Iranianstrikeshit thecountry

The UAE foreign minister met withcounterparts from five other Gulf states Sunday foranemergency virtual meeting. The top diplomats said their countries retain “the legal right to respond and the right to self-defense” under international law

Russian leader Vladimir Putin blasted Khamenei’s killing, which he called “a cynical violation of all norms

of human morality and international law.”

“Theblatant killing of the leader of asovereign state and the incitement of regime change areunacceptable,”

China’sForeign Minister Wang Yi said in aphone call with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov,according to China’sofficial Xinhua News Agency.“These actions violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations.”

Wang said attacking asovereign state without U.N. Security Council authorization undermines the foundation for peace established after World WarII.

In Iraq, hundreds wore black and waved flags belonging to Iran-backed Iraqi militiasand red flags that symbolize vengeance in the Shiite Muslimfaith as they marched across Sadr City to decry thekilling of Khamenei.

Anger flashed at protests in Istanbul and among Shiite Muslims in India.

Demonstrations were also heldincitiesincluding New York, Berlin, Paris and Vienna by members of the Iranian diaspora and theirsupporters, celebrating the end of Khamenei’s rule.Some demonstrators waved flags of the Iranianmonarchy, with Israeli and U.S. flags also on display Ciobanu reported from Warsaw.Lorne Cook in Brussels and AP reporters around the worldcontributed to this report.

Oilpricesrisesharply in market tradingafter attack

BY MARC LEVY Associated Press

Hundreds of thousands of stranded travelers scrambled to make new connections and get through to airlines on jammed phone lines Sunday after the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel shut down much of the Middle East to air travel.

Tourists and business travelers crowded hotels and airports, with no word on when many airports would reopen or when flights to and through the Middle East would resume. Some governments advised their stranded citizens to shelter in place Shutdownairports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha —including Dubai International Airport, one of the busiestinthe world —are important hubs for travel between Europe, Africa and the West to Asia. All three were directly hit by strikes. Mohammad Abdul Mannan, in the crowd at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, said he wasn’tconcerned about the war, but that he needs to get his flight to the Middle East to make aliving. “Wehave set out to go for work, and we must go,” he said. “My only concern is how to go abroad and howto earn an income.”

Confusionreigned for many travelersasthey tried to getanswersononline portals or through busy phone lines.

In Dubai, stranded travelers could hearfighter jets overhead and an explosion when theFairmont PalmHotel was hitbya missile strike.

Many were unable to get updated flight informationfromtour operators or Dubai-basedEmirates, which suspended all flights to andfrom Dubaiuntil at least Mondayafternoon.

Louise Herrle and herhusband had theirflight to Washington canceledontheir way back to their Pittsburgh home aftera tourofDubai and Abu Dhabi, with no word when they couldreschedule.

“We’re in the hotelroom, we are not leaving it, so you’re not going to give it up until we know we have aflight out of here,” Herrle said.“I’msure everyone else is in the same situation.”

Cirium, an aviation analyticsfirm,said it is hardtocalculate the number of travelers stranded worldwide.

However,itestimated that at least90,000 peoplealone change flights daily in theairportsinDubai, DohaorAbu Dhabi on just three airlines, Emirates,Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways Airspace or airportsinIs-

rael,Qatar,Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United ArabEmirates were closed, according to flight tracking sites and government agencies there.

Morethan2,800 flights were canceled Sundayto and from airports acrossthe Middle East, including those thatremained open in Saudi Arabia, Jordanand Egypt, accordingfigures on flight tracking site FlightAware. International airports in London, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangkok, Istanbul, Sri Lanka and Paris each reported dozens of flightscanceled, as well. Cancellations will extend beyond Sunday,atleast.

Emirates suspendedall flightstoand from Dubai until at least Monday afternoon.Air India suspended all flights to andfrom the United ArabEmirates,Saudi Arabia,Israel and Qataruntil Tuesday.Israeli airline EL AL said it was preparing to fly home Israelis stranded abroad once the airspace reopened andclosed ticket sales for flights through March 21 to ensure stranded customersget priority

Twoairportsinthe United ArabEmirates reported strikes as the government there condemned what it called a“blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles” on Saturday

BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ AP business writer

NEWYORK— Oil prices rose sharplywhenmarkettrading began Sunday,asU.S and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory strikes against Israel and U.S. military installationsaround theGulfsentdisruptions through the globalenergy supply chain.

Traders were betting the supply of oil from Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East would sloworgrind to ahalt. Attacks throughout the region, including on two vessels travelingthrough theStrait of Hormuz,the narrowmouth of the Persian Gulf, have restricted countries’abilitytoexport oil to the rest of theworld. Prolonged attacks would likely resultinhigher prices for crude oil and gasoline, according to energy experts. West Texas Intermediate, thelight, sweet crude oil produced in the United States, was selling for about $72 abarrel Sunday night, accordingtodata from CME group, up around 8% from itstrading price of about $67 on Friday Abarrel of Brent crude, the international standard, was tradingataround $79 per barrel Sundaynight,up

about8%fromits trading priceof$72.87 on Friday, according to FactSet. Roughly 15 million barrels of crude oil per day about 20% of the world’soil —are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, making it theworld’s most critical oil chokepoint, according to Rystad Energy. Tankers traveling through the strait, which is borderedinthe northbyIran, carryoil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar,Bahrain, the UAE and Iran. Iran had temporarily shut downparts of the strait in mid-February for what it said was amilitary drill.

Further disruptions to that shipping channel could lead to lower supply and higher prices for oil.

Attacks throughout the region, including on two vessels traveling through theStrait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, could restrict countries’ abilitytoexport oiltothe rest of theworld. That would likely result in higher prices for crude oil andgasoline, accordingto energy experts.

Againstthatbackdrop, eight countries that are part of the OPEC+ oilcartelannounced they would boost production of crude Sunday

TheOrganization of Petroleum ExportingCountries, in ameeting planned before the war began,saidit would increase production by 206,000 barrels per day in April,whichwas more than analysts had been expecting. The countries boosting output include Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman.

“Roughly one-fifthofglobal oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz,avital artery for world trade, meaningmarkets are more concerned with whether barrelscan move than with spare capacity on paper,” said Jorge León, Rystad’sseniorvicepresident andhead of geopolitical analysis, in an email. “If flows through the Gulf are constrained, additionalproductionwill provide limited immediate relief, making access to export routes far moreimportant thanheadline output targets.”

Iranexportsroughly 1.6 million barrels of oil aday, mostly to China, which may need to look elsewhere for supplyifIran’sexports are disrupted, another factor that could increase energy prices.

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, TOQA EZZIDIN and CARA ANNA Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip

Some Pal-

estinians say they fear the widening war sparked by U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran could overshadow the fragile situation in Gaza, just over a week after President Donald Trump rallied billions of dollars in pledges for the territory’s reconstruction and tried to nudge a ceasefire forward.

Residents say they are scared of neglect and deprivation, with Israel in the wake of the weekend strikes closing all crossings into their shattered territory of over 2 million people.

Palestinians told The Associated Press they were rushing to markets, haunted by memories of painful food scarcity last year under months of Israel’s blockade. Part of Gaza, around Gaza City was found to be in famine.

“When the crossings shut down, everything was suspended from the

IRAN

Continued from page 1A

The strikes represented a startling show of military might for an American president who swept into office on an “America First” platform and pledged to keep out of “forever wars.”

Trump vows vengeance

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a video posted to social media that the U.S. would “avenge” the deaths of the service members and that “there will likely be more” killed before the conflict ends. Israel, which had pledged “nonstop” strikes, said it was increasing its attacks, with 100 fighter jets simultaneously striking targets in Tehran, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told reporters at a briefing. The targets included buildings belonging to Iran’s air force, its missile command and its internal security force, which violently quashed anti-government protests in January

The U.S. military, meanwhile, said B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. Trump said on social media that nine Iranian warships had been sunk and that the Iranian navy’s headquarters had been “largely destroyed.” Europe has mostly stayed out of the war and pressed for diplomacy, but in an indication that the conflict could draw in other nations, Britain, France and Germany said Sunday they were ready to work with the U.S. to help stop Iran’s attacks.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would allow the United States to use its bases to strike Iranian missile sites. The U.K. maintains nearby bases on Cyprus and the Chagos Islands, a British archipelago in the Indian Ocean The weekend attacks were the second time in eight months that the U.S. and Israel had combined against Iran. In the 12-day war last June, Israeli and American strikes greatly weakened Iran’s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program But the killing of Khamenei, who ruled Iran for more than three decades, creates a leadership vacuum, increasing the risk of regional instability. Trump, who a day earlier had encouraged Iranians to “take over”

market,” said Osamda Hanoda from Khan Younis. “The prices go up, and people live in misery.”

The shaky Israel-Hamas ceasefire had led to more humanitarian aid and other supplies entering Gaza, even as the United Nations and aid partners say more of everything from basic medical supplies to fuel is needed.

Now, Palestinians are hoarding again, with reports of prices rising sharply for basic goods such as bags of flour

“We are afraid of not finding milk” and diapers for the kids, or food and water, said Hassan Zanoun, who was displaced from Rafah.

COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza, did not respond to a request for comment Sunday In its announcement of the closings, it asserted that the food supply inside the territory “is expected to suffice for an extended period.” It added that the rotation of humanitarian workers in and out of Gaza is postponed.

It was not clear when any crossing might reopen Israeli authori-

ties focused on Iran, and citizens dashed repeatedly for shelter as sirens wailed. The war in Gaza began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, and it’s been marked from the start by restrictions on people and supplies being allowed into the territory — and terrified people, including medical evacuees in need of treatment, getting out.

A month ago, Gaza’s main Rafah border crossing with the outside world its only crossing not with Israel — reopened, allowing a small and tightly controlled flow of Palestinian traffic in both directions. No cargo was allowed through.

Now all crossings are closed again in the middle of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a time of chosen deprivation, evening feasts and prayer Images have shown Palestinians lined up at long tables in the middle of bombed-out debris

The strikes on Iran shook that routine.

“All the people rushed to markets, and they all wanted to shop and

their government, signaled Sunday that he was open to dialogue with Iran’s new leadership.

“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” he told The Atlantic.

Beyond U.S., Israel

In the Gulf, Iran’s retaliatory strikes went beyond U.S. and Israeli targets, pushing the conflict into cities that have long marketed themselves as regional safe havens.

The foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain said Sunday that their countries retain “the legal right to respond and the right to selfdefense” after Iranian strikes hit hotels, airports and other sites in multiple cities throughout the Gulf.

In the United Arab Emirates, authorities said most Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted. But some either got through or fell as debris, killing three people, injuring others and causing significant damage.

Bahrain and Kuwait said Iranian strikes in both countries hit civilian targets.

Israel fires on Beirut

In other developments, Israel launched strikes on Lebanon’s capi-

tal, Beirut, after the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired missiles across the border early Monday

It was the first time in more than a year that Hezbollah has claimed a strike against Israel. The Israeli military said it intercepted a projectile that crossed the border and that several others fell in open areas. No injuries or damage were reported.

Hezbollah said in a statement that the strikes were carried out in retaliation for the killing of Khamenei and for “repeated Israeli aggressions.”

Associated Press journalists in Beirut were jolted awake by a series of loud explosions that shook buildings and caused windows to shatter Warplanes could be heard flying low overhead.

Lebanese government officials had urged Hezbollah not to enter the fray in support of Iran, fearing another war The country has not recovered from the last IsraelHezbollah war, which nominally ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November 2024. Since then, Israel has continued to launch near-daily strikes in Lebanon aimed at stopping Hezbollah from regrouping.

People sheltering in Tehran

In Tehran, there was little sign that Iranians had heeded Trump’s

hide,” said Abeer Awwad, who was displaced from Gaza City, as word of the explosions in Tehran began to spread.

Under the Oct. 10 U.S.-brokered ceasefire, the heaviest fighting has subsided, though regular Israeli fire continues in Gaza. The U.N. World Food Program has noted progress in the enclave but said in its latest food security analysis last week that hunger remains.

“Households reported an average of two meals per day in February 2026, compared to one meal in July,” it said. “Still, one in five households consumed only one meal daily.”

Refocusing the world’s attention on Gaza is a challenge for aid groups and others as Iran scrambles for new leadership and explosions continue in Tehran, Israel and around the Middle East.

Trump has said bombing in Iran could continue through the week or longer, and warned Tehran of “A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!” if it escalates attacks It’s a dramatic turn from Trump’s

call for an uprising against the government. The streets were largely deserted as people sheltered during airstrikes, witnesses told The Associated Press, speaking anonymously for fear of retribution. The paramilitary Basij, which has played a central role in crushing protests, set up checkpoints across the city, they said.

Two powerful explosions were heard in Tehran’s Niavaran neighborhood late Sunday

An eyewitness in the city told AP that the windows of their apartment shook violently, and residents came out onto the streets fearing it was too dangerous to stay inside. The witness spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Video footage from Tehran showed plumes of smoke filling the skyline, and the official IRNA news agency reported that parts of the building of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) were struck Sunday

In southern Iran, at least 165 people were killed Saturday when a girls’ school was struck, and dozens more were wounded, IRNA reported. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area.

The U.S military said it was looking into the reports.

New Iranian leadership

As supreme leader, Khamenei had final say on all major policies since 1989. He led Iran’s clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guard, the two main centers of power in the governing theocracy Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a prerecorded message that a new leadership council had begun its work. The country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said a new supreme leader would be chosen in “one or two days.”

Araghchi wrote Sunday in a letter to the United Nations that the attacks on Iran by the U.S. and Israel — including the strike on Khamenei — “recklessly open a dangerous Pandora’s box, eroding the bedrock of sovereign equality and the stability of the international system.”

Iran promises revenge

As word spread of Khamenei’s death, some in Tehran could be seen cheering from rooftops, witnesses said. Others mourned as

launch less than two weeks ago of his new Board of Peace, a gathering of world leaders that is aimed at ending the war in Gaza but has ambitions of resolving conflicts elsewhere.

Even with that bump in momentum on Gaza, major challenges remain for the ceasefire. They include disarming Hamas, assembling and deploying an international stabilization force, and getting a newly appointed Palestinian committee meant to govern Gaza into the territory

As the Middle East turns to another war, some Palestinians see a benefit: Israel’s military is distracted.

“The good thing is that the sound of booms and demolitions is rare now near the yellow line,” said Ahmed Abu Jahl, of Gaza City, speaking about the line dividing Gaza and marking out roughly half the territory controlled by Israeli forces.

“Even the drones, they are still flying overhead, but their number has gone down.”

a black flag was raised over the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.

An Iranian medical professional in northern Iran said he and colleagues spent the early hours of Sunday celebrating Khamenei’s death indoors because armed security forces are still heavily deployed in his city

There were forces stopping and interrogating people celebrating in their cars, but there was no gunfire, said the doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

“It was one of the best nights, if not the best night of our lives,” the doctor said in a voice message from the city of Rasht. In fact, “it was actually my first time ever smoking a cigarette. It was a very, very nice time. We didn’t sleep at all. And we don’t even feel tired.”

Araghchi Iran’s foreign minister blamed the U.S. and Israel for starting the war He said he had spoken to his counterparts in the Gulf countries and urged them to pressure the U.S. and Israel to end it.

“You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.”

In a social media post, Trump warned against any retaliation, saying “IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”

A ‘golden opportunity’

An Israeli military official described Saturday’s mission against the Iranian leadership as the result of months of “extremely high coordination” with the U.S. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a covert operation, said a variety of factors created a “golden opportunity.” Those factors included weeks of training and monitoring the movements of senior figures, along with “real time intelligence” that the targets were gathered together

The results, the official said, were near-simultaneous strikes, within 60 seconds of one another, in three locations 1,000 miles from Israel that killed Khamenei and some 40 senior figures, including the head of the Revolutionary Guard and the country’s defense minister

projectfor the state’sCoastal Protection and Restoration Authority.“Rather it be an island than somebody’s house.”

The remote island, roughly 5miles from Coco Marina, is fittingly called the Houma Navigation Canal Bird Island, due to its location along the shipping channel and its popularity among colonial waterbirds. The coastal agency drew on lessons learnedduring restoration efforts of larger pelican nesting sites —Queen Bess Island near Grand Isle and Rabbit Island within Calcasieu Lake —for the HNC Bird Island.

Before constructionbegan in 2024,less than athird of the roughly 28-acre island offered suitable nesting habitat. Aprocess of dredging new sediment, elevating land and constructingrock dikes expanded the island to roughly 35 acres better protected from erosion and suitable for nesting birds

The coastal agency used around $40 million for the project, mostly coming from Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement funds specifically allocated for birdrestoration projects.

‘Amazing accomplishment’

In 2024,more than 800 brown pelican nestsand over 1,400 shrub-nesting bird nests were documented on the island, accordingto the Louisiana Department of Wildlifeand Fisheries. Beyond the statebird, the smallislandseesabouquet of birds from terns to egrets to herons.

“Tosee it rebuilt and restored to basically 100% of the island being able to be utilized by water birds is an amazing accomplishment for all of us, for the coast of Louisiana,” Bennett said.

The project is also garnering praise from state leaders supportiveofsmaller-scale restoration efforts involving dredging. Sediment used to restore the bird island was pumped from aborrow area in Cat Island Pass, roughly 10 miles south of the site.

QUESTIONS

Continued from page1A

Under state law,a judge must recuse if they have “been employed or consulted as an attorney in the cause” or if they are “biased, prejudiced, or interested in the cause or its outcome.”

Louisiana’sCode of Judicial Conduct alsosays judges should recuse themselves “in aproceeding in which the judge’simpartiality might reasonably be questioned.”

Judges need to step aside when there’s a“substantial and objective basis that would reasonably be expected to prevent the judge from conducting any aspectofthe cause in afair and impartial manner,” state recusal law says.

“Justice Cole’sinvolvement in drafting portionsof Amendment 2just weeks before joining the court could create an appearanceofbias when he latervoted to uphold it,” said Clare Roubion, alegal ethics specialist who often represents judges accused of misconduct.

“Even if the judge believes they can be impartial, their priorinvolvement cancreate an appearance they have astake in the outcome. At minimum, disclosure of his prior involvement would have allowed parties to make an informed decision about whethertoseek his recusal.”

‘Has adog in the fight’ Decisions on recusing Supreme Court justices are most often left to the individual justices themselves.

Gabe Roth, whodirects the national watchdog advocacy group Fix the Court, said Cole’sinvolvementindrafting Amendment 2precluded him from later voting over the ballot language.

“If you worked on an issue, and then ashort while later that issue is put before you as ajudge, there’snoway

Protection and Restoration Authority,talk near atidal exchangearea duringavisit Tuesdaytothe Terrebonne HoumaNavigation

Gov.Jeff Landry called the dual benefit of strengthening the coast’sbarrier islands andrestoringthe bird habitat “awin-win.” CPRA Chair Gordon “Gordy” Dove said theisland’s restoration helps “protect our inland marshes, homesand livelihoods.”

As theisland’sname suggests, thesitehas been dually shaped by natural and man-made forces. It was

you can remain unbiased. That’snot how the human brain or the state’sjudicial recusal lawworks,”Roth said.

“Justice Colehas adog in the fight —inthis case, the ballot initiative he helped draft —and any reasonable person knowinghis work history would assume the judge is biasedinfavor of that dog,which meanshis recusal was required in this case underLouisiana law.”

Attorney WilliamMost who represented the losing challengerstoAmendment 2, declinedtocomment.

AttorneyGeneral LizMurrill’soffice had asked the Supreme Court to toss the legalchallenge after adistrict judgerefused. Murrill declined to comment on the emails showing Cole’s participationorifhedisclosed it.

“Our job was to defend the lawsuit, whichwedid successfully,” Murrillsaidina statement.

Former taxjudge

Colejoined the Supreme Court after Landry engineered an open seat by installingthen-Justice Jimmy Genovese as president of NorthwesternState University.Itwas part of abroader push by theRepublican governor to reshape the court, alongwith state boardsand agencies.

Cole, 42, of Lake Charles, won the seat unopposed. Before then, he satonthe state Board of TaxAppeals and also served as its first appointedjudge of the Local TaxDivision.The Legislature created theentity in 2014 as “a forum for the uniform adjudication of all Local Taxdisputes,” accordingtoits website.

The emails from Cole in November 2024,whichThe Times-Picayune |The Advocate obtained from the DepartmentofRevenue, include markups of House Bill 7, arewrite of Article 7 of thestate Constitution They also included edits to House Bill 9, failed legisla-

originally created around 1,500 years agoassediment from the Mississippi River’s flow formed the Lafourche-Terrebonne delta andsurrounding islands. Bird Island is likely the last remaining part of alarger marshland area, according to areport by the engineering firm that led the project By the 1980s, the island was used as adredge disposal site to maintain the

tion from Rep. Neil Riser,a northeastLouisiana Republican,topay for atax revamp through new sales taxes on services

Cole addressedthe proposedchanges to then-Revenue SecretaryRichard Nelson and others in his department In thesecondemail,Cole referenced JeffersonParish Sheriff Joe Lopintoand former St. Martin Parish President Guy Cormier Cole wrote that “locals’ attorneys have approved these drafts for taking to Lopinto and thenifheapproves to Guy Cormier.”

Lopinto and Cormier,who heads thestate Police Jury Association, were “knee deep in conversations”with Nelson,along with statebusiness leaders and lawmakers, on away for parishesto eliminate inventorytaxes, Cormier said.

“I neverhad aconversation withCade Cole,”hesaid. “It would make sense to me that he’shaving aconversation withRichard Nelson.”

Nelson nowpresides over the state’scommunity colleges. He declined to comment through his chief of staff.

Lopintosaid he didn’trecall speaking directly with Cole about the legislation but that Cole hasinteracted with his office on tax mattersinthe past

“It wouldn’tsurprise me that my officewould have been involved in drafting it, because we’re involved in it every year,” Lopinto said of thelegislation.

“I had no clue that there was achallenge to theballot language,” he added.

Wasballotlanguageclear?

The bill to place theconstitutional amendment before voterspassed in Landry’s thirdextra session of 2024, his first year as governor

The Senate vote wasunanimous.The House backed it 87-11 with no Republicans voting against it.

But opponents arguedthat theballot language was mis-

Houma NavigationCanal, which had been completed earlier in the20th century as an important vessel gateway to the Gulf of Mexico. But the dredged material was ecologically damaging to theisland.

Bird Island stoppedbeing used as adisposal site in the1990s. Various efforts to construct rock dikes around the island and fill in theshrinking land mass took place over the years, but thebird colony declined as time passed, another vic-

leading and biased.

With theelection ongoing, Judge LouiseHines of the 19th JudicialDistrictCourt in Baton Rouge declined to orderitremoved from the ballot.

“We’re past whetherpeople can vote on it,” she said. “Becausethe bell has been rung, thecows are out of the barn …the toothpasteisout thetube.”

Opponents arguedthat Hines could still halt the countingunder an injunction.But before thejudge could entertainit, the SupremeCourt stepped in.

Murrill arguedthatthe challengeamountedto “gamesmanship galore” by opponents at the 11th hour

In an unsignedopinion, theSupremeCourt majority found the ballot language was clear enough, ending thecase.

tim of the land loss afflicting Louisiana’scoast. Before the current restoration project began, theoriginally 50acre island hadbeenroughly halved.

‘Their naturalhabitat’

If not for this project, the island would have eroded into open water, Bennett noted. Asubsidiary of ConocoPhillips owns the island andgavethe state land rights forthe restoration project at no cost. The currentrestoration is designed

“Plaintiffs also argue that theballotlanguage is biased: thatit’s‘alldessert and no vegetables,’ ”the court wrote. “Yet vegetables may be healthier than dessert. This too is amatter of opinion and for debate, beyond this court’sanalysis, and for the voters to decide.”

Cole wasjoined in the majority by Justices Jefferson Hughesand Jay McCallum and then-Justice Will Crain, who has since joined the federal bench.

Among the three dissenters, Chief Justice John Weimer complained that the majority wasallowingthe state to “upend the normal process” by dismissing the casebefore Hinescould first address all the claims.

“This court does not have anymechanismfor hearing evidence,” Weimer wrote, “and any evidence the par-

to last 20 years, and CPRA will monitor it for10.

“They don’texpect it to be gone,” said BrandonCarreras, aconstruction engineer with CPRA. “It meansyou’re going to assume some settling.” Land sinking and sea level rise will gradually lower the roughly 4.5-footaverage elevation on the island. But in those years to come, the habitat is expected to enliven. Small grass seeds —such as ryegrass, clover and seashore paspalum scattered on the sand hint at the future landscape plannedfor Bird Island. After nesting season ends in September,vegetationconducive to nesting, including blackmangroveand marsh elder,will be planted along the water On thevisit last week, scores of brown pelicans were already scattered on the island’sshoreline, huddledaround grassesand someofthe new hay bales. “You seeall themangroves that the pelicans are in?” Carreras said. “That’s theirnatural habitat, that’s what they want.”

ties intended to introduce will now be essentially swept under the rug.”

Justices John Michael Guidry andPiperGriffin joinedWeimerindissent Guidry noted arequirement that aproposed amendmenthave “a title containing abriefsummary of the changes proposed” and be “confined to one object.”

Guidryfound theamendmentdid neither as it spanned “a multitude of unrelatedissues,”including a pay raise forteachers. In the end, voters killed it forsimilarreasons, Cormier said.

“That one amendment tried to handle too many things at onetime,” he said of its defeat. Supporters have now split the issues and will try again this May with apair of amendments on the ballot.

Officials concerned about ‘One Lake’ plan

Corps of Engineers moving forward with Pearl River dam

the combination plan would look like

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to move forward with a controversial proposal to dam part of the Pearl River near Jackson, Mississippi, for flood control and economic development, even as Louisiana environmental groups and public officials say potential downstream effects have yet to be studied

Council OKs funds for park revamp

Bond money will also go toward street repairs

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

The New Orleans City Council on Thursday signed off on Mayor Helena Moreno’s plans to use bond revenues to kickstart the redevelopment of Louis Armstrong Park and to hire more workers to repair the city’s streets and sidewalks. More than a dozen community leaders attended Thursday’s council meeting to speak in favor of the ordinance redirecting $750,000 to begin work on a strategic master plan for Armstrong Park.

The 32-acre park is home to both Municipal Auditorium, which has been shuttered since Hurricane Katrina, and Congo Square, which served as one of the few public gathering spaces for enslaved and free people of color.

“I cannot stop smiling,” said Jackie Harris, president of Save Our Soul Coalition, an umbrella organization focused on preserving Treme’s historic assets. “All I can say is thank you to Mayor Moreno and thank you to the council for sticking with us.” “I stand here ready to shout Hallelujah.’ We are so thankful,” added Sabrina Mays, another longtime community leader “I’m a little bit giddy about all of this. But I worked to be giddy.”

Through a partnership with the Save Our Soul Coalition and the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the city will use the funding to spearhead a community engagement process and find a developer to draft the master plan

“It’s very rare that a community gets to thank its leadership, but it’s deserving that you are being thanked,” said Barbara Major a longtime community organizer

The move comes as the Moreno administration attempts to thwart the potential loss of nearly $39 million in federal funding for Municipal Auditorium.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency granted the city the cash on a reimbursement basis in 2018, after years of negotiations over the extent of building damage caused by Katrina’s floodwaters.

But the city had an end-of-2025 deadline to spend the money and be reimbursed. Though officials applied for an extension, FEMA has not yet approved that request, Moreno said last week

The massive auditorium was a once-popular site for Mardi Gras balls, concerts and graduations in

page

Adam Telle, the assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, issued a memorandum on Jan. 31 directing the Corps to move forward with a “combination” of two different proposals for the project, nicknamed “One Lake,” ac-

cording to a memorandum posted on the Corps’ website on Friday afternoon.

One of those proposals includes building a weir near Interstate 20 in Mississippi that would form a lake that could serve recreation purposes, though there were few additional details immediately available on Friday about what

The initial announcement came on Thursday from the Jacksonarea flood control district, called the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood Control and Drainage District, and not the Corps itself.

Keith Turner, a lawyer for the flood control district, said in an interview that local officials are very excited about the Corps’ decision to move forward with the project.

But at a meeting about the project in Slidell in July, residents and officials were largely against the proposal the Corps now appears to be backing. Louisiana officials and residents have raised concerns about the potential for downstream flooding and changes to water flow

The Corps has suggested there

ä See LAKE, page 2B

PARK LOAD OF FUN

Jefferson schools plan to lease land for drilling

Bids to be sought for Lafitte property

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

The Jefferson Parish School Board has started the process of leasing a plot of school-owned property for oil and gas drilling in a move that’s expected to bring extra funds to the district. Board members unanimously voted in February to seek bids from energy companies interested in paying for the rights to drill for oil and other minerals on the unused parcel of land, which is in a mostly undeveloped area in Lafitte.

Under the board’s proposed lease guidelines, the district would receive a quarter of all profits the selected company produces from drilling, as well as “other provisions favorable” to the board, according to documents. The board has not set a price for the leasing rights, which will depend on the offers it receives. The decision comes as enrollment declines mean less funding for the district, which steadily dropped from roughly 50,000 students pre-pandemic to around 45,000 last school year

One company has already expressed interest. Delta Lands

Man exonerated in parade shooting arrested again

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

A man exonerated in the 2023 Krewe of Bacchus parade shooting was arrested on multiple gun charges on Lundi Gras after New Orleans police alleged he was caught driving “Magnolia” gang members to a potential parade-route fight. Mansour Mbodj, 24, was arrested on Feb. 16 in the 2200 block of Philip Street, about six blocks off the St Charles Avenue parade route “(NOPD) had information that these individuals were going to the parade route to possibly get in a fight with other individuals,” said Deputy Superintendent

Ryan Lubrano at a Wednesday morning media briefing. NOPD detectives were surveilling the Central City home of an alleged Magnolia gang member when, at 3:45 p.m., five people armed with rifles left the Philip Street residence and got into a silver 2017 Ford Escape allegedly driven by Mbodj, according to court records. NOPD officers did a traffic stop shortly afterward. “They were intercepted, and that’s where the weapons were recovered,” Lubrano said Wednesday Police said they confiscated four Glock handguns — including one fitted with an extended

See CHARGES, page 2B

Hungarian settlement prepares for high-level visitor

Tamás Sulyok, president of Hungary,

coming Wednesday

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

In rural Livingston Parish, local officials have been practicing songs and mapping out event space in preparation for an unheard of event for their small town: a presidential visit.

Tamás Sulyok, president of Hungary, is coming to the parish this week to visit the largest rural Hungarian settlement in the United States, which is nestled between the small towns of Albany and Springfield.

Sulyok is visiting on Wednesday He will be making a public appearance at the Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church at 5 p.m., though space will be limited according to an online post about the event. Sulyok is part of the government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Hungarians first arrived in Louisiana in 1896 to work at a local lumber mill. Now, about 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 The community also is

PARK

Continued from page 1B

New Orleans. But it wasn’t accessible to everyone, council President JP Morrell noted at Thursday’s meeting.

“There was a time when certain Mardi Gras krewes had balls in there and people that looked like me and the majority of this council weren’t allowed to go in,” said Morell, who is Black He said the Municipal Auditorium will be “reborn” as a “space everyone can use.”

“While this sacred space is anchored in Treme, it belongs to us all,” added District E council member Jason Hughes. “This entire city, this entire state, this entire country, this entire world.” District C council member Freddie King, who represents Treme, thanked community leaders for showing up, “not just today but in years past.”

The council also approved an ordinance Thursday redirecting $7 million in bond money toward the city’s undermanned public works department. Moreno, at a news con-

Continued from page 1B

magazine and a machinegun conversion device as well as three AR-style pistols, 153 tapentadol pills and a garbage bag containing what they believe to be marijuana.

Mbodj was booked into Orleans Justice Center on seven counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, one count each of illegal carrying, possession with intent to distribute tapentadol and marijuana, and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, according to court records.

Keenan D. Jackson, 18, one of Mbodj’s passengers, was also booked on unlawful possession of machine guns, contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, possession with intent to distribute tapentadol and marijuana and resisting officers. A 14-year-old and a 16-year-old were also in the car but their court records are unavailable

LIVINGSTON PARISH

home to the Hungarian Settlement Museum Victoria Mocsary assistant director of the museum, will sing the national anthems of the U.S. and Hungary at the event.

She has been one of the residents helping plan for the visit.

“I love Hungarian folk songs. I’m probably the only one in the community who can sing it and knows it by heart,” she said about singing the Hungarian national anthem. “It’s a little bit of excitement mixed with a bit of nervousness.”

Mocsary said the visit will be short, but that Hungary likes to maintain strong connections with its diaspora in other countries, hence the visit.

She believes that the rural settlement has been attracting attention in Hungary because its cultural association has young people introducing and hosting a range of local events.

“New life has been breathed into our Hungarian community,” she said.

“We have a treasure here.”

Alex Kropog, who created the Hungarian Settlement Museum and is the last one in the town who can fluently speak Hungarian, reiterated in a written note that the cultural association has had a revival over the past four years. The museum and books written about the settlement have created a new interest in the community.

The New Orleans Hungary honorary consul de-

clined to speak about the visit and deferred questions to the Embassy of Hungary in Washington, D.C., which did not respond to an email request asking about the president’s visit to Louisiana at the time of publication.

The president’s visit comes after the relationship between the U.S. and Hungary recently gained

strength, with the countries signing a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement.

Local residents and Hungarian officials have been quietly getting the town ready for the event for weeks.

Exploration Inc., a Baton Rouge-based oil and gas company, submitted a bid requesting that the board open the plot for offers, according to board documents. The 640-acre plot was granted to the state by Congress to serve as a trust fund for public education and can be leased for the purpose of farming, drilling or other uses. The Jefferson Parish School Board owns about 92% of the land, and the Plaquemines Parish School Board owns 8%.

“They’re calling the shots,” Erdey said.

The lifelong Hungarian settlement resident remarked on how big of a deal it is to have a president of a country visit the area.

Parish Council member Joe Erdey said in mid-February that settlement leaders met with Hungarian secret service agents to map out a route for the president and figure out logistics of a community space to host the event.

ference announcing the funding earlier this month, said it will allow the city to hire 50 frontline workers to handle routine and

because they are juveniles.

Mbodj was involved in a Bacchus parade shooting near St. Charles Avenue and Terpsichore Street three years ago that killed one teen and injured three others, including a 4-year-old girl. He was initially charged with second-degree murder, but Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams’ office ultimately determined that Mbodj acted in selfdefense after another man, Roderick Tobias, shot and killed Mbodj’s friend.

Mbodj pleaded guilty to an amended charge of illegally carrying a weapon along a parade route in the commission of a crime In December 2024, he was sentenced to five years at hard labor, with credit for time served, according to court records He is prohibited from owning a gun.

Mbodj remains held in Orleans Justice Center on a $70,000 bail, according to court records.

minor upkeep, like leveling and paving roads and sidewalks.

To come up with the money for its new hires, the

public works department defunded several projects that were scheduled to go out to bid to private contractors, Moreno said ear-

lier this month. Those projects, along with other work, will eventually be handled in-house and save the department money, she said.

LAKE

Continued from page 1B

would not be any downstream effects from the dam in Jackson, though an official with the Corps’ Vicksburg district said at the meeting in July that the Corps’ current assessment of the downstream effects was based on a hydraulic analysis that looked at inundation and sedimentation, not a detailed analysis of issues like erosion.

Andrea Walker, a planner for the Washington, D.C.based Army Civil Works who works under Telle, said in an interview Friday that nothing had changed in terms of the study of the possible downstream effects, but said a future study is possible, subject to funding constraints.

The concerns raised about the downstream effects from building a lake in Slidell are still relevant, argued Andrew Whitehurst, a water program director at the environmental group Healthy Gulf.

“The downstream voices have been pretty much

steamrolled,” Whitehurst said in an interview on Friday

“It’s a vague, open-ended way of saying that Jackson, Mississippi, can build a lake on the Pearl River,” Whitehurst said of the memorandum.

Sen Beth Mizell, RFranklinton, who was at the town hall meeting in Slidell in July, said the Corps assured her there would be a meeting in Washington Parish about the plan.

“Before they move further, there needs to be a town hall in Washington Parish,” she said.

State Rep. Stephanie Berault, R-Slidell, who also spoke at the meeting in Slidell, said in an interview that a study has been requested several times since at least 2018.

“My ask and concern has been and remains that they study and mitigate any impact on those of us who live below because they haven’t even looked at it.”

Louisiana officials including Gov Jeff Landry and U.S. Rep Steve Scalise, RJefferson, have called for a study of the downstream effects.

A spokesperson for Landry declined to comment.

According to previous Corps studies, the proposal to build a 1,556-acre lake also included clearing and grubbing 954 acres along the river for channel bank improvements and constructing four levees to protect 705 homes and 40 industrial sites in the Jackson area.

Telle’s memo also indicated that the Corps would not be moving forward with another alternative plan, favored by some environmental groups and residents in Louisiana. That plan would not have included building a lake, but would have instead included building a 1.4-mile levee along the Pearl River and providing floodproofing for residents and nonresidential structures.

Kristi Trail, the executive director of the Lake Pontchartrain Conservancy said that in her experience, a final environmental impact statement is also usually issued at the same time as the selected plan, but Walker said it is not ready yet.

State law requires both boards to agree to the terms of the lease, though the process is expected to be handled primarily by the Jefferson Parish School Board. The board is required by law to advertise for bids before selecting a company, though it’s unclear if it has started the process. A district spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Now, Jefferson’s board members are seeking additional bids from companies interested in the land. They’re also asking Plaquemines’ board to approve their proposed lease contract Keith Hall, director of LSU’s Mineral Law Institute, said such deals can pull in considerable funds to the local community In addition to royalties that provide extra money for local schools businesses can get a boost from drilling crews that often need to rent equipment and housing in the area. He added that company bids offer a per-acre amount that can vary widely While he did not offer an estimate of how much the Lafitte plot could go for, he said bids for land in south Louisiana generally go for between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars.

“It can vary a lot depending on how ‘hot’ of an area it is, so to speak,” he said. If Plaquemines’ board approves the contract, the Jefferson Parish School Board will be able to advertise for bids, select the winning bidder, prepare the lease and submit the finalized documents to the State Mineral Board for approval Documents from the Jefferson Parish School Board note that the board has undergone the leasing process twice before, though it’s unclear when. Jefferson Parish School Board documents said the Plaquemines Parish School Board was expected to approve the lease at its February board meeting, but it’s unclear if that happened. Plaquemines’ school board and Delta Lands Exploration did not respond to requests for comment.

To be considered for the contract, companies must provide an upfront payment to the Jefferson Parish School Board, half of which counts toward payment for the rights to the land and half of which counts as rent for the first year The selected company must agree to drill within one year from the lease date or pay additional rental payments for up to three years or else risk losing its contract. It’s unclear when the board expects to select a company According to board documents, the primary cost to the district will be to hire an oil and gas consultant, which is estimated to be up to $3,500, plus advertising costs.

NewOrleans Area Deaths

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West

Robinson FH

Brenda CeceliaRodgers age82, enteredeternal rest on February 24, 2026. She wasbornNovember11, 1943, in Valley Lee, Mary‐land,toViola Hill Green andJohnGreen.She was raised by Enochand Mary Briscoe(“Ms. Mercer”) afterthe passingofher parentsatanearly age. Shewas marriedtothe late Senior ChiefDonald Rodgers, Sr.onJune 12, 1965. Together they raised threechildren: Renata RodgersMcPhie, Donald Rodgers, Jr., andShari RodgersGriffin. Brenda wasa graduate of George Washington Carver High

School andBowie State University,where she earned herbachelor’sde‐gree in Elementary Educa‐tion.Asa military spouse shetraveledextensively andtaughtstudents across theUnitedStates andabroad. In 1990, she settledinPlaquemines Parish,where shecontin‐ued hercareer in educa‐tion teaching in both Plaqueminesand Jefferson Parish Public Schoolsuntil retiring in 2006. Shewas honoredinMay 2000 with theJeanerette Senior High School “Inspiring Us to Do OurBest” award, after beingnominated by afor‐merstudent whoselifeshe profoundly influenced.Her greatest joyand proudest role were that of aloving mother andgrandmother Hergrandchildren were trulyher prideand joy. She delightedinattendingtheir sporting events,bandper‐formances, andextracur‐ricularactivities. Shewas preceded in deathbyher parents, John andViola Green;her belovedhus‐band,SeniorChief Donald Rodgers, Sr.; andher son, Donald Rodgers, Jr.; her sisters, JanetCommodore (lateGeorge),Norma Somerville(late Rudolph); herbrother,LeonardHill; hermotherand fathers-inlaw, Paul andMargarite Rodgers, Sr;her sisters-inlaw, Anna Harvey,Barbara Marshall; brothers-in-law, Paul Jr.and Willie Rodgers. Sheleavestocherish her memory herdaughters,Re‐nata McPhie andShari Grif‐fin(Keith);daughter-inlaw, RaymaRodgers;sis‐ter, Bronte Miller;six grandchildren; twogreatgrandchildren; anda host

of nieces,nephews,rela‐tives, andfriends.Rela‐tivesand friendsofthe family areinvited to attend thefuneral serviceon Tuesday, March3,2026 at St.JosephThe Worker Catholic Church,455 Ames Blvd MarreroLA. Thevisi‐

Opposition to ICEhas thefacts wrong

In aDecember letter about citizens voicing opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the author makes statements most of which are false. In U.S. v. Mendenhall (1980) and U.S. v. Sokolow (1989),more than 40 years prior to theSupreme Court ruling in Noem v. Vasquez, both ruled race can be one component of aprofile that police utilize to stop someone with reasonable suspicion. Thus, in Noem v. Vasquez, this Supreme Courtdid not turn the clock back to the pre-civil rightsera but ruled consistently with theearlier rulings.

Demonizing immigrants, alie? It is ICE that is demonized, being called Nazis, Gestapo, criminals, murders, rapists and traitors. Since Jan. 1, illegal immigrants have killed 12 Americans in trucking accidentsand committed another twohomicides and 10 reported rapes. Anti-ICE rioters shot three people in Dallas and killed one. They alsoshot twoNational Guard members andkilled one. Anti-ICE rioters do not engage in protectedFirst Amendment protests. None had parade permits. There were over 80 incidents of ramming ICE automobiles,attacking ICEpersonnel withrocks, BB guns, fireworks, Molotov cocktails or damaging government property,and 140 prosecuted for resisting arrest AlexPrettihad therighttobring agun while protesting, but he violated the law by not notifying law enforcement when encountered. ICE does not attack any families in America, but it is acrime for illegal immigrants to work in this country

Their deliberate defiance of U.S laws invariably is what leadsto broken communities. Those who work steal SocialSecurity numbers, lie on the I-9 form, conspire with narco-traffickers,paying them thousands of dollars to assist them in human smuggling, all felonies. The narco-traffickers use the $13 billion ayear that the illegal immigrants pay them to commit acts of terrorism,murder, rape and drug trafficking, renderingthe illegal immigrantsinthe U.S. complicit in those crimes. JOSEPH MOLYNEUX Metairie

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

AREWELCOME.HEREARE

YOUR VIEWS

Countthe cost of crime, notjustprisons

Thenewspaper’srecent editorial stating that tough criminal laws that put morepeopleinprison cause a“strain” on government financesiscorrect, as far as it goes. But what the editorial didn’tsufficiently analyze was thecost of not locking criminals up. Acriminal who is on the street commits additional crime, and this additional crime costs more money than locking him up, both for thegovernment and private citizens. Why? Because responding to crime isn’t free. Responding to theadditional crime requires additional money.Let’sexamine the additional costs to the government first When the government responds to an additional crime that afreed criminal commits, police officers must be dispatched, perhaps accompanied by investigators, detectives, photographersand theyellow tape guys. And these additional crimes also require more prosecutors, more public defendersand more prison psychologists. Indeed,the total cost of this additional crime is mind-boggling. Andthese costs are

not only borne by thegovernment. Private citizens also pay aprice, bothfinancially and emotionally

When astoreisrobbed, the stolen inventory must be replaced. Andwhen acar window is broken, it must be fixed. When someone is shot,the medical treatmentisn’tfree, and as for thecost to acommunity when someone is murdered, bothinterms of heartbreak and dollars, well, how can you put aprice tag on that? Youcan’t. That “strain,” to use the editorial’slanguage, is too large to measure. It is gigantic beyond all understanding. Just ask amurder victim’s family

If you want to lessen thecost of incarceration, the answer isn’tletting criminals roam free. The answer is building “no frills prisons.” That’s thesmartresponse to our crime problem. Letting criminals go free is not only immoral and dumb, it actually costs more.

MIKEWEINBERGER founder,Home Defense Foundation Metairie

Tulane must be open aboutmonkeyescape

Despite the ethical questions raised about Tulane’sanimal testing following the escape of 21 of their research monkeys last October, there has been surprisingly little sustained public discussion, giving theimpression that it was quietly brushed under therug.

While theescape posed amajor riskto public safety,italso raises questions about Tulane’sanimal testingpractices and ethical responsibility.From itsmission statement to its code of conduct, Tulane consistently emphasizes its commitment to ethics, community responsibilityand global leadership.

Partyloyalty makes citizens hypocrites andkeeps countrystuck

Listening to allthe President Donald Trump voters defend and make excusesfor his shortcomings andlack of moralcharacter, even asking to forgive him because everyone makes mistakes, has me wondering what these people were saying aboutBill Clintonwhenhe was president. Ithink Iheardthemsaying something aboutnot being able to govern without moral character, andforgiveness was considered blasphemy

Back then, it wasthe Clinton voterswho made excuses and said forgiveness should be considered. Now theyare saying Trump is not competent andshould never be forgiven.

This is only oneofthe many ways the two major partiesare exactly alike.Itseems thattobelongto eitherone of these parties, you must be ahypocrite and go along with anything theytell you, no matterwhetheritmakes sense or not. WhenIregisteredtovote, it was afew yearsafter the Watergate fiasco, andIhad watched alittle bit of the hearings. Icould notbelieve some of the idiotic questions and answers, so thatiswhy when the registrar asked, “What party?” I said none of them. Everyone knows the reason this country is in the shape it is now is because the two major parties have been in controlfor many years. The sadthing is, both parties know what it will take to get this country going in the right direction, but as long as theykeep their attitude, neitherside will give the otheranything when theyare in power

CLIFF JOHNSON St. Amant

rying hepatitis C, herpes and COVID-19. Tulane later denied these claims. However, it also claimed that it did not own themonkeys and failed toidentify whodid and what research purposes they were being used for.

The conflicting reports created confusion and highlighted the lack of transparency between Tulane and its community.Tulane also showed little urgency in collecting the13 remainingliving monkeys in the overturned truck, stating that they would “collect them thefollowing day.”

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

Monkeys are incredibly complex animals that, like humans, are capable of forming social bonds, feel stress and suffer from isolation and fear.When such intelligent animals are then confined to small cages, exposed to disease and shot and killed withlittle explanation provided to the public, it fundamentally undermines Tulane’score values.

Thetruck driver reported that the monkeys weresaid to be aggressive and car-

If Tulane wishes to align with its mission statement of acting with integrity and connecting itsvalues to local and global needs, it is crucial that it strengthen transport and recovery procedures, publicly disclose animal research protocols and invest in alternative research methods that reduce reliance on primates while prioritizing both animal welfare and community safety

SOFIA WALZ Tulane University student

Closed primaryreallylimitsvoter choice

Gov.Jeff Landry has effectively stolen the ability to participate in statewide elections by approximately two-thirds of the registered voters in this state. The closed primary election system that has been forced upon the voter population has essentially eliminatedall voterswho don’tapprove of the Republican nominee. This manipulation of theprimary is an excellentexample of how gerrymandering operates. If the governor can’tguarantee his endorsed candidate in an open primary,then

let’sjust change the system.The open primaryassures all votersofLouisiana an equal chance to select the most popular candidate. Ihope thatU.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy wins the nomination, but Iwish he would have run as an Independent.Itruly believe there areenough Independents, Republicansand Democrats fedupwith the autocracyofthe Trumpian clan that they would have reelected Cassidy.Goback to the open primary system.

RICHARD STAGNOLI Central

Men, don’t be afraid of tying theknot

Men, anecktie does not makeyou look old or old-fashioned. Wearing anecktie with asuit or blazer and slacks will makeyou look respectable and serious about what you are doing. It is an emblem of respect. TV lawyers and newsannouncers whowearasuit with open collar look half-dressed, and it is difficult to take them seriously.So, tie the knot and look great!

JOE ZEHNER Metairie

On Feb. 12, President Donald Trump sent amessage to Louisianaresidents andbusinesses south of Interstate 10: Go drown!

And there wasn’tapeepofoppositionfrom Gov.Jeff Landry or other state politicians who put loyalty to Trump ahead ofthat to their constituents.

I’m talking about Trump’sannouncement that his administration would ignore the 2009 scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions are pollutants that causeserioushealth problems. Those facts passed U.S. Supreme Court review and became the legal underpinningfor the nation’s regulatory efforts to reducethe cause of climate change, which threatens to drown most of our coastalzoneoverthe next three decades.

floodwalls are sinking faster than sea levels are rising, and themoney to raise them isn’tthere.

From Yahoo Finance: Louisiana is among the five worst statestoinvest in, mainly becauseofclimate risks.

Those profit seekers based their warnings on thefollowing facts collected by scientific agencies.

Fact: Seas are rising at record rates because emissions from theuse of fossil fuels are causing unprecedented warming of the atmosphere.The oceans absorb 90% of that heatand, because water expands when warmed, their volumes are increasing, meaning they are rising.

Fact: The warmer oceans are causing more large hurricanes and rainfalls, leading to record billions in damages.

southeasterncoastal zone is 2.5 feet, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has said our coast could seeasmuch as 2feet of sealevel rise just from warming as soon as 2050, flooding mostareas southofU.S. 90.

Fact: Scientists saythereisnoway to stopsea level rise for centuries, but the world may be able to slowitdown in the second half of this centuryifwebegin to dramatically reducegreenhousegas emissions.

Now,Trumphates sciencebecauseit is based on verified truth. He has long hated climate science because solutions could reduceprofits for the industries thatpour billions intohis campaigns and help enrich his family

This isn’tmore “sky is falling” rhetoricfrom climate extremists. It’s the finding of some cold,hard facts

From Insurance.com: Louisiana home insurance rates soared 58% last year, the highest increase in the nation, due largely to climate impacts. This state’s average annual premium is $5,989, second only to $7,136 in Florida —another state hammered by climate change For the third poorest state in the nation, with amedian household income of $52,000, it’smaking home ownership an impossible dream.

From research based on Army Corps of Engineers findings: New Orleans

Fact: The Gulf of Mexico is rising at one of the planet’sfastestrates.Since 2010,the Gulfhas risen at about triple the rate experienced during the previous 30 yearsand twice theglobal rate over the past 14 years. This is largely because the Gulf Stream starts in the western Caribbean Sea, which contains someofthe world’swarmestwater

Fact: At the same time theGulf is surging, coastal Louisiana’ssedimentstarved delta landscape is sinking in somespots atthe rate of 3feet in a century

Fact: The average elevation of the

Like Landry—another opponent of climatescience and solutions —heprefers to demagogue voters on theissue. They claim climate regulations are just attemptsby“liberal elites”who hate your lifestyles and the jobs that give you ahealthy living.

The truth is the opposite. Climate regulations areathreattothe wealthy class, who aremaking fortunes while our lifestyles and futures suffer. Besides, as your propertyvalues sink, they’ll just move to second homes in the mountains of Colorado or NorthCarolina.And your governor and other Trump loyalists think that’s just fine Bob Marshall can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com.

Donald Trump has waged war on the news media his entire career,frequently deriding journalists as “enemies of the people”and “real scum.” In his second term, he has gone far beyond name-calling, suing The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, exerting regulatory pressure on the parent companies of CBS and ABC, defunding NPR and PBS and arresting journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort.

One of the most serious threats to press freedom has been playing out in alow-level federal court in Virginia, and it was already weakening the ability of journalists to hold this power-hungry president accountable for his actions. But abrave federal judge has now thwarted the administration and struck astrong blow for press freedom. On Jan. 14, federal agents raided the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, seizing two phones, two laptops and otherdevices.The ostensible reason is that Natanson had received and published information from Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones, afederal contractor who was later indicted for mishandling government secrets. Underthe First Amendment, it is not acrime for journalists to disclose classified documents. But legal punishment was not the purpose of the raid. It was to deter and demoralize both reporters and sources who might document the president’s many mistakes and misdeeds.

“This is the first time in U.S. history that the government has searched areporter’shomeina national security media leak investigation, seizing potentially avast amount of confidential data and information,” said Bruce Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “The move imperils public-interest reporting and will have ramifications far beyond this specific case.”

Another exercise in nonpartisan cooperation ended sadly,as Donald Trumpundoubtedly planned. Every year,the nation’sgovernors meet with the president to discuss common concerns. Trump had initially banned two Democratic members of the National Governors Association from attending governors Jared Polis of Colorado and Wes Moore of Maryland. The association’s chair,Oklahoma Gov Kevin Stitt, aRepublican, objected toTrump’s banishing of two members. The governors’ gathering is one of the few cross-party eventsstill held at the national level.

“He can invite whomever he wants,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt snapped like ahigh school mean girl. And Stitt responded by canceling the meeting. As he explained to Trump, “I said, ‘Sir,Ican’tcancel an event at theWhite House. The only thing Isaid was, ‘Ifit’snot for all 50 governors, then the NGA is not the right facilitatorfor it.”’ Once Trump succeeded in injectinghis unique brand of nastiness into what’snormally afriendly bipartisan affair,hebackpedaled and said, OK, Polis and Moore can attend. Mission accomplished. He had wrung maximum attention from avenue that normally escapes extensive news coverage. But by keeping thegovernor’s confab from collapsing, he still had a full set of politicians to toy with.

Aboutour governors. As thehighest elected stateofficials, they manage, budget and lead in emergencies.They seteducational standards and oversee road projects. In other words, they do things thatmatter to everyday citizens.

Andfacing astatewide electorate, theymust appeal to abroader voter base than representatives cosseted in their gerrymandered districts Because their job revolves around pragmatic problem-solving, governors occupy one of the political offices for which voters will cross their party lines. In addition, their party affiliation doesn’tgreatly change thepower balance inWashington.

Thejob’sabove-the-fray nature helps explainwhy deep-blue Vermont hasaRepublican governor —and conservative Kentucky and Kansas have Democratic ones. On theTennessee governor’sofficial website, Bill Lee offers an extensive biography covering his deep Tennessean roots and accomplishmentsinoffice. Nowhere is there mention of political party.(Lee is a Republican) With congressional Republicans staring down arough ride through themidterms, some political analysts have expressed surprise at polls showingmomentum in governors’ races leaning more toward Republicans than Democrats. Some wrongly hold up these Republican-friendly surveys as evidence that the party isn’tinas much trouble as was widely thought. But the real reason was already outlinedabove. Washington Repub-

licans have largely submitted to Trump’sgrifting schemes and erratic policies —the tariff chaos being most unpopular.That makes them adifferent animal from Republicans in state capitals, in Montpelier,Vermont, or Columbus,Ohio.

Speaking of Ohio, Gov.Mike DeWine did himself proud by denouncing Trump’sdemented claim, echoed by thespinelessJDVance during the 2024 campaign, that Haitian immigrantsinSpringfield areeating cats and dogs. DeWineresponded: “These Haitians came in heretowork because there were jobs. And if you talkto employers, they’vedone avery,very good job andthey workvery, very hard.”

Trump isn’thelping Republican governors seeking reelection by dragging them intohis houseofcrazy mirrors —notwithstanding their survival in therecent past. In 2022, DeWine won again after angering Trump by saying Joe Biden was the elected president. Trump repeatedly attacked Georgia’s governor,Republican Brian Kemp, for defending his state’selection results favoring Biden. And New Hampshire governor,Republican Chris Sununu, prevailed after Trump accused him of disloyalty. Democrats are pumped for themidterms andmight just supply theboost that brings defeat to otherwise popular Republicans —popular precisely becausethey rise above party when doing so seems right Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop.

“The outrageous seizure of our reporter’sconfidential newsgathering materials chills speech, cripples reporting, and inflicts irreparable harm every day the government keeps its hands on these materials,” warned the Post in astatement. This is only the latest example of adeliberate and destructive strategy Trump has long followed: Defy and distort reality.Frighten andfire people who contradict your “alternative facts.” Persecute the press, the institution that provides the primary protection against your fantasies and falsehoods. In arare moment of candor in 2017, Trump told journalist Lesley Stahl why he relentlessly assails the media: “I do it to discredit you all anddemean you all,” he admitted, “so when you write negative stories about me,noone will believe you.” The Natanson raid wasalready having anegative impact. Her lawyer,Simon Latcovich, told Magistrate Judge William Porter,who is handling the case, that she had been receiving dozens, even hundreds, of tips every day from disgruntledfederal workers documenting the disastrous impact of Trump’sunbridled budget cuts. “Since the seizure, those sources have dried up,” Latcovichsaid. Those sources are critical to Natansonand any investigative reporter.AsFirst Amendment lawyer David Schulz wrote in The New York Times: “History is full of examples of whistleblowers who were able to inform the public of misconduct, illegality and abuse only through reporters who could guarantee them confidentiality and could publish free of government interference.”

“The Trump administration’sactions in this case have inflicted serious damage to journalism and could have achilling effect on afreepress,” added media critic TomJones in the Poynter Report. “While Natanson might not be atargetofthe investigation, sources might now be hesitant to deal with her —orany reporter covering political issues —out of fear they will be outed.”

This “chilling effect” is particularly insidious because its impact is often invisible.Whatstories are never written? Questions never asked? Sources never interviewed? What nefarious plan is Trump pursuing that we will neverknowabout because apotential whistleblower is now too scared to comeforward?

Judge Porter clearly saw the danger. He ruled this weekthat the administration could not go fishing for leads and leakers in Natanson’sdevices.Instead, he would personally identify any evidence directly relevant to the Perez-Lugones caseand hand it over to the government.

“Allowing the government’sfilter teamto search areporter’swork product,” he wrote, “is the equivalent of leaving the government’sfox in charge of the Washington Post’shenhouse.”

This is amajor victory for journalistic freedom and integrity.But as former Post editor Marty Baron warns, “this administration will set no limits on its acts of aggression against an independent press.”

Journalists and judges have to counter thataggression with courage and conviction. Insteadof looking over their shoulders, they have to look straight ahead and tell Trump, and the public,the truth.

Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@gmail.com

LATE-NIGHT

PELS

Pelicans-Clippers endedafter this editionwenttopress. Forcomplete game coverage,visit nola.com

Williams leadsLSU to winover Miss.State

Junior sparks Tigers’victory in regular-season finale

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

STARKVILLE, Miss. – The LSUwomen’s basketball team fell into apair of offensiveruts on Sunday in agame againstMississippi State And MikaylahWilliams pulled the No. 6 Tigers out of each one. Thestarjuniorguard from Bossier City scored 26 points, grabbed acareer-high 15 reboundsand assisted four shots againstthe Bulldogs,leading LSUto a72-63 win in its regular-seasonfinale. She played all 40 minutes of thegame, doing so for just the second time in her career. Mississippi State didn’t quit. Itbuilt one double-digit lead, then erased another Williams, though, made sure the Tigers had an answer for both threats. The pull-up jumper shehit in the mid-range late in the fourth quarter wasall LSUneededtoice the win.

“They came out really aggressive,” Williams said, “playing really fast, playing really hard. Ithink we kind of let it fluster us at the beginning, but once we sloweddown, ran our offense, it didn’tlet them force usto do what they wanted us todo.”

ä See LSU, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU guard MikaylahWilliams scored 26 points, grabbed acareer-high15rebounds and assisted fourshots in agame against Mississippi State on SundayatHumphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss.

Tigers defeat Dartmouthas RHPSchmidt dominates

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

For William Schmidt, this was always the

Dominating hitters with strikes and devastating breaking pitches has been thegoal for him since the sophomore right-hander arrived on campus.Reachingthis level had alwaysbeen in thecards for Schmidt, ever since he decided to pass up potentially becominga first-round MLB pick. Schmidt was perfect through four innings on Sundayagainst Dartmouth, retiring the first 12 hitters he faced. He dominated the Big Green with four pitches: Afastball that was upto97 mph, acurveball and slider that arearguably his best pitches and achangeup he threw early and often. He finished the day allowing no runs in 71/3 innings withnine strikeoutsand zero walks, leading LSU to a3-0 win over Dartmouth at Alex Box Stadium.

“He’sgoing to be hard to beat when he

SPORTS

HITTINGTHE MARK(AGAIN)

BY SCOTTRABALAIS Staff writer

There was something different about LSU gymnast Kailin Chio’sperformance Sunday in the Podium Challenge at the Raising Cane’sRiver Center Forthe first time this season andjustthe secondtime in hercollegiate career,Chiodidn’tperform as an allarounder in all four events, sittingout floor exercise. Buttherewas something veryfamiliar about what Chio did Sunday,almost routine. She posted another perfect 10 on balancebeam, women’sgymnastics’ most exacting event. It was thethird straight 10.0 scoreonbeam for Chio and fourth this season, to also go withperfect marks on vault and floor.Her six10s in 2026 are the most for any

NCAA women’s gymnast and give the sophomore seven for her career The win wasalso Chio’s 50thcareer title in 24 events, helping propel the No. 2-ranked Tigers to a198.200 totalinthe four-team meet, their second-best team score of the season. No. 3Alabama, which LSU beat Friday 197.975-197.600, wassecondat197.650, followed by No 17 North Carolina(195.950) and No. 27 Arizona (195.000).

“That’spretty much the wayyou wantadouble weekend to go,” LSU coach Jay Clark said. “You always stress over potential injuries and fatigue, those kinds of things, but our kids handled it. We prepared them pretty well for it. We moved some things in the lineup today,and to have thelevel of performance we had, I’mreally pleased with

Early in thesecond quarter Saturday night,Zion Williamson jumped and then landed on the foot of Utah Jazz guard Elijah Harkless.

Williamson’sright ankle rolled, forcing him to missthe remainder of thegame.

He also missed Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers with aright ankle sprain, ending his career-best streak of 35 consecutive games played. Williamson likely won’tbeout long. He was initially listed as “questionable” for Sunday’sgame before eventually being ruled out about an hour before tip-off. That’sgood news for aplayer whose career has been plagued by injuries. He’s returned from injuries this season much sooner than he did in years past, when the injuries tended to linger Credit all thepeople who have worked to makesure Williamson’sbody has been

in the best shape of his career That includes both the Pelicans’ staffand Williamson’sown personal trainers. And also credit Williamson himself

“There is an element of care factor that I’ve seen at amuch higher level forhim this year than I’ve ever seen before,” said Pelicans interim coach James Borrego. “That’sinhis work and how he showsupand how he prepares his body and his mind. Those are all things that Ican boil it downto. He’sraised his professionalism, and I’mextremely proud of him that he’staken it to another level. Now it’s about sustaining it,” Borrego said. “There is another level to

Echavarria nabs Cognizant Classic victory

Meltdown by Lowry on closing stretch at PGA National opens door for Echavarria

BY TIM REYNOLDS Associated Press

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Nico

Echavarria didn’t make a bogey all weekend. Shane Lowry was on his way to doing the same, until the very end.

And that’s what decided the Cognizant Classic.

Echavarria who was three shots back with three holes left — shot a 5-under 66 on Sunday to win at PGA National, finishing at 17-under 267 and beating Lowry (69), Austin Smotherman (69) and Taylor Moore (68) by two shots.

“Sometimes you have to have good breaks,” Echavarria said He got them. Lowry didn’t. Lowry — who remains snakebit by PGA National, where he has now finished in the top 11 for five straight years without a victory was undone by consecutive double bogeys at the par-4 16th and par-3 17th, both resulting from tee shots that drifted way right and into the water. It was Echavarria’s third PGA Tour win and first in the United States, and this one earned a second Masters invitation for the 31-year-old from Colombia. The $1.728 million winner’s check was the biggest of his career, about $200,000 more than what he got for winning the Zozo Championship in Japan in 2024.

Lowry was rolling along, chipping in for birdie on the par-4 ninth to start a run where he went 5 under in a five-hole stretch

And he had a three-shot lead over Echavarria going to the par-4 16th. That’s where his nightmare began.

Lowry’s long iron off the tee was to the right and found the water After a penalty drop, he hit a wedge back to the fairway and his fourth shot found a greenside bunker From an awkward stance, he blasted to 31/2 feet and rolled in the putt for double bogey trimming his lead to one. While all that was happening, Echavarria hit his approach on the par-3 17th to about 10 feet He made the putt to pull into a tie, punching the air as he watched the ball roll into the hole Lowry then made another double at 17 with an iron shot that was well short and right. He needed a miracle on the par-5 18th after playing his second shot into a greenside bunker Lowry’s shot from nearly 30 yards skidded by, and Echavarria — in the scoring tent, watching the finish — knew he had won. Lowry was second in 2022 when the event was still called the Honda Classic, losing the lead after getting caught in a deluge on the final hole He tied for fifth at PGA National a year later, had the solo lead going into the final round before finishing tied for fourth in 2024, then tied for 11th last year This was, on paper, his best finish at PGA National. It just didn’t feel that way

Lowry’s implosion

Lowry’s 4-year-old daughter came to PGA National for the final round on Sunday, and he wanted nothing more than to see her running across the 18th green in celebration. And with a three-shot lead and three holes left, such a moment was within his grasp — until it wasn’t.

“I wanted it so bad,” Lowry said. “Just to see her little ginger hair running down the 18th green would have been the most special thing in the world I thought I had it. I thought I was going to win.”

Everybody watching probably thought the same until Lowry sprayed a pair of tee shots well right and into the water — first at the par-4 16th, then on the par-3 17th. Those two blunders, combined with a birdie from Echavarria on the 17th, added up to a five-shot swing.

“I’m obviously extremely dis-

appointed,” Lowry said. “I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away What more can I say? That’s twice this year now so far I’m getting good at it. I played unbelievable all day, and one bad shot on 16 completely threw me for the last three holes.

It’s never happened to me before.”

He had the lead on the 72nd hole at the Dubai Invitational in January; he made double bogey when par would have put him in a playoff. And his history at PGA National has been of the love-hate variety; he’s been 11th or better for five straight years, famously losing in 2022 when a rainstorm hit on the final hole.

“I was beaten that day,” Lowry said. “But I beat myself today.” Lowry hasn’t had an individual win in the United States since the Bridgestone Invitational in 2015; he teamed with Rory McIlroy to win the Zurich Classic in 2024,

and the 38-year-old Irishman was part of a win in a slightly bigger team event last year at Bethpage Black — the Ryder Cup, when he halted America’s dream of a historic comeback with the clinching putt.

“How do I feel like this now when I went through what I did last September in Bethpage and got through that fine?” Lowry said. “I just felt like it was weird out there; I just couldn’t feel the clubface the last three holes then after my tee shot on 16. It was strange. What can I say? It’s very disappointing. This is going to be hard to take.”

Doubleheaders for Homa, Kim Max Homa (tied for 13th) and Tom Kim (59th) had a doubleheader Sunday They were playing for Jupiter Links in a TGL match Sunday night, just about 5 miles away from PGA National. Homa wasn’t sure if he’d ever had two competitive events in one day before.

“I doubt I have,” he said. “I’m sure when I was young I might have got close, but I can’t think of it off the top of my head.”

Notes

Brooks Koepka and Ben Silverman played all four rounds together this week — and both holed out for birdie from the sand on the par-4 14th Sunday “I’m sure he’s tired of me now,” Koepka said. “He’s a good player. I’ve known him for a long time.” Koepka closed with a 65 to finish in a tie for ninth, by far his best finish since returning to the PGA Tour Max McGreevy made an albatross on the par-5 third hole.

It was the first at PGA National in the tournament’s 20 years at the course, the tour said. Defending champion Joe Highsmith finished 67th out of 67 players who made the cut. He finished at 6-over 290, 25 shots worse than a year ago.

South Africa’s Jarvis wins for second straight week

Victory at South African Open grants him entry to Masters, British Open

By The Associated Press

STELLENBOSCH, South Africa Casey Jarvis seized control with three birdies in his opening five holes and closed with a 3-under 67 to win the South African Open on Sunday, earning the 22-year-old South African a spot in the Masters and the British Open this year Jarvis won for the second straight week on the European

tour, following his victory last week in the Kenya Open.

“I just had a slight feeling at the start of the week that something crazy was going to happen,” Jarvis said after his three-shot victory at Stellenbosch Golf Club.

The timing was ideal. For the first time, the Masters offered an invitation to the winner of the South African Open. Golf’s thirdoldest national championship also provided three spots to the leading players not already eligible for the British Open in July at Royal Birkdale. Francesco Laporta of Italy closed with a 69 and tied for second with Frederic Lacroix of France (65) and Hennie Du Plessis of South Africa (69). Du Plessis was the main chal-

lenger to Jarvis for most of the day He was two shots behind playing the 18th but finished with a bogey, which cost him a spot in the British Open. Those places went to Laporta and Lacroix because of their better world ranking. Jarvis has played only one major, earning a spot in the 2024 U.S. Open through a 36-hole qualifier in England. He missed the cut at Pinehurst No. 2. He moves into the top 100 in the world for the first time and could be in line for an invitation to the PGA Championship in May

“It’s my dream as a kid to play at Augusta,” Jarvis said. “I thought about it in the morning it’s hard not to think about it I cannot wait to go there and see

Iran’s play in U.S. portion of World Cup in doubt

The president of Iran’s soccer federation says he does not know if the national team can play World Cup matches in the United States following the surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment of his country

“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Mehdi Taj told sports portal Varzesh3 as Iran traded strikes with Israel as part of a widening war prompted by the bombardment.

Iran has been drawn in Group G at the World Cup and is scheduled to play in Los Angeles — where it faces New Zealand and Belgium on June 15 and 21 — before it plays Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The United States is hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11-July 19.

Colorado QB dies in car crash at 23, police say

BOULDER, Colo. — Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder died early Sunday morning in a single-car crash, police said. He was 23.

Ponder was driving a 2023 Tesla when he lost control on a curve and hit a guardrail, according to the Colorado State Patrol. The car struck an electrical line pole and rolled down an embankment.

Ponder was pronounced dead at the scene in Boulder County Police said a preliminary investigation “shows that speed is suspected as a factor.”

Ponder played in two games for the Buffaloes last season.

The Buffs were slated to begin spring practice on Monday

“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends & Loved ones,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders posted on X. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader.”

USC scorer Baker-Mazara abruptly out of program

LOSANGELES Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer a member of Southern California’s basketball program, the team announced Sunday He was the team’s second-leading scorer while starting 22 of 26 games for the Trojans this season, including a 14-point effort in an 82-67 loss to No. 12 Nebraska on Saturday Baker-Mazara played 16 of his 19 minutes in the first half. He went down hard on the baseline and left for good three minutes into the second half.

No reason or details were provided by the team.

“He said he couldn’t go,” coach Eric Musselman said after he was asked about Baker-Mazara’s potential injury and his future status.

Australian wins event in Singapore by a stroke

SINGAPORE Australian Hannah Green has won the HSBC Women’s World Championship for a second time, holding off a fast-finishing American Auston Kim to claim a one-stroke victory on Sunday Green, the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner, closed with a 69, after an erratic back-nine with three birdies and three bogeys nearly opened the door for Kim. Green carded a 14-under fourround total of 274 at the par-72 Sentosa Golf Club and give her another title in Singapore after also winning here in 2024.

Kim had the equal-best round of the day with a 67 on the back off six birdies and an eagle, but bogeys at the second and especially at the par-3 15th ended her charge at 13-under 275.

Hillier holds off Herbert to win New Zealand Open

how my game compares with the best players in the world.”

Starting the final round with a one-shot lead, Jarvis holed a 40foot birdie putt on the opening hole, hit his approach to 2 feet for birdie on No. 4 and made a third birdie on the par-5 fifth. He finished with six straight pars for a 14-under 266. Jarvis is the second South African to win back-to-back on the European tour this season, following Jayden Schaper winning in consecutive weeks at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritius Open at the end of December Former Masters champion Patrick Reed, who leads the Race to Dubai, shot 68 in the final round and tied for 29th.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand New Zealander Daniel Hillier held off a late charge from Australian Lucas Herbert Sunday to defend his overnight lead and to win the 105th New Zealand Open by two shots.

Hillier also overcame strong winds and cold conditions to post a final round 67 for a 22-under four-round total of 262 at the par72 Millbrook Resort.

Herbert shot 67, finishing 20 under at 264.

The winner of the New Zealand Open receives automatic entry to The Open Championship but as Hillier already has qualified, that prize passes to Herbert, who will now play at Royal Birkdale.

Hillier became the first New Zealander since 2017 to win his national open.

Turnovers doom Tulane in loss to South Florida

BY GUERRY SMITH

Twice in a row during the first half, Tulane guard Asher Woods had the ball slapped away as he tried to drive into the lane against South Florida. He was not alone. Playing the best transition team in the American Conference, the Green Wave committed a season-high 18 turnovers that led to 20 points as the league-leading Bulls cruised to an 87-62 victory on Sunday at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida.

“That (the turnover problem) was the difference,” Tulane coach Ron Hunter said. “The crazy thing was it was from our ball-handling guys.”

Tulane (17-12, 8-8) was competitive for a little more than a half before getting blown out for the second consecutive game after losing 90-56 to Tulsa on Wednesday

South Florida (21-8, 13-3), which won its seventh in a row while completing a season sweep, clinched a share of the American Conference regular-season championship with two games remaining.

Curtis Williams paced Tulane with 27 points, his most since a 32-point outburst against Boston College in November and tying his conference high. Scotty Middleton and Rowan Brumbaugh were next with 11.

Wes Enis led four Bulls in double figures with 25 points, going nineof-14 from the floor with five 3s. This one could have been close

LSU

Continued from page 1C

The Tigers could not have improved their postseason seeding outlook against the Bulldogs (1812, 5-11 SEC). They were already locked into a fourth-place finish in the SEC and penciled into a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament –behind a group of teams that won their last matchups of the regular season.

At times inside Humphrey Coliseum, it looked like LSU could become the lone No. 1 or No. 2 seed to suffer a loss on Sunday

Then the Tigers (26-4, 12-4) started turning successful defensive possessions into productive offensive trips Across just the first and second quarters, they forced Mississippi State into 11 turnovers and capitalized by scoring 14 points at the other end a large reason why they took a 35-22 lead into halftime.

Things flipped as soon as MiLaysia Fulwiley checked into the game at the 3:00 mark of the first quarter She and sophomore point guard Jada Richard combined to force five of those turnovers in the first half. Fulwiley tallied with 16 points, four assists and two steals, while Richard chipped in 12 points and four steals.

Sophomore center Kate Koval corralled seven rebounds and blocked five blocks in her first start since LSU lost to Texas on Feb 5. Senior forward Amiya Joyner added nine points and eight boards.

The Bulldogs hit five of their first 10 shots. Then they missed 16 of their next 20 and finished with just 22 makes on 68 attempts (38%). They also missed 18 of their 22 3-point tries.

for longer if Tulane had taken care of the ball because the Wave came out hot from 3-point range, hitting six treys in the first 12 minutes.

The mistakes were killers.

Center Tyler Ringgold had four of his five miscues in the first half alone, including one on an ill-advised outlet pass that sailed out of bounds right after he came up with a steal when Tulane was ahead 2016. That mistake turned into the second of four 3-pointers from Wes Enis as the Bulls went on a 9-0 run to reclaim the lead.

“He just threw it away,” Hunter said. “When you’re playing a good team like that, they make you pay with the turnovers, and I don’t think it was anything they (the Bulls) did. It was almost unforced.”

Tulane fought back to go up 28-27 with 8:28 left on Williams’ 3-pointer off a pass from Brumbaugh, but the Wave did not make another field goal for the rest of the half.

South Florida took control with a 13-0 spurt over a nearly six-minute span, going ahead for good on an off-balance lay-up from Enis as he fell to the floor A Williams turnover led to a fast-break dunk by Izaiyah Nelson Enis hit his third 3 on a quick feed from an offensive rebound and converted another contested lay-up with a high degree of difficulty to make the score 38-28.

Tulane kept with striking distance by going 10 for 10 from the foul line in the final 2:57, with Williams sinking the front and back end of three consecutive one-and-

LSU guard Jada Richard scores on a jump shot in a game against Alabama on Feb 1. Richard scored 12 points and had four steals in Sunday’s win over Mississippi State

They play hard,” coach Kim Mulkey said “Mississippi State is trying to get in the NCAA Tournament,” coach Kim Mulkey said. “We’re in. We’re the No. 4 seed in the SEC, and what happens a lot is, when you go on the road the last game of the season, don’t let that team outplay you because they’re trying to get in the tournament, and you know you’re in.

“Sometimes I think that happens. I don’t know that that happened today.”

When LSU needed a bucket in the halfcourt, it put the ball in Williams’ hands. She broke the Tigers out of their offensive skid late in the first quarter, first by draining

Tigers looking for answers to homecourt woes

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

The LSU men’s basketball team hasn’t accomplished consecutive wins in Southeastern Conference play yet this season. The team had a good chance seemingly to change that when it faced Oklahoma at home after its double-overtime win at Ole Miss on Wednesday LSU wasn’t close to achieving the elusive second win in a row, falling 83-67 Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center The loss to Oklahoma (15-14, 5-11 SEC) was another example of how the Tigers haven’t played better with homecourt advantage during conference play LSU (15-14, 3-13) has played eight games each at home and away against conference opponents. In Baton Rouge, it has lost by double digits five times. That has happened only three times on the road.

the road.

“I think it’s a very fair question,” the fourth-year coach said. “When you look at it, I think some of our better performances, our higher energy performances have certainly been on the road. You look at the win at Ole Miss Look at how we played at South Carolina, at Tennessee, at Texas, at Arkansas. I don’t have the answer as to why that is, but I certainly understand the question, and I see the same thing you’re seeing there.”

LSU has tried to figure out the best way to channel the crispness it plays with in away games to home performances. One attempt at a solution was using the team’s routine for road games before playing at the PMAC, McMahon said.

one opportunities, but the half ended on a driving bank shot from South Florida’s Joseph Pinion.

Williams sank a 3 on the opening possession of the second half, and the Wave had a chance to pull within four when Middleton missed an open shot.

It turned out to be Tulane’s last chance. Isaiah Jones hit a 3 to restore a 10-point lead seconds later, and the Bulls were ahead by double digits the rest of the way Brumbaugh, coming off a season-low seven points against Tulsa, went five-of-14 from the floor and clanked four consecutive free throws in the second half as his rough week continued. Backcourt mate Asher Woods missed all five of his shots.

“Our guards have to play better,” Hunter said. “When they play like that, it’s hard for us to win games. You’ve got to be able to make baskets against teams like this.”

It was not just the guards. Ringgold attempted only one shot after going one-for-10 against Tulsa in his worst back-to-back performances of the year

Tulane will try to regroup for games against slumping Temple and Memphis, both of which have lost six straight, in the final week of the regular season A seed anywhere from 4 to 10 is still in play for the tournament in the bunchedup American.

“We played the two best teams in the league back-to-back,” Hunter said. “We have to just go win the next one and get ready for the tournament.”

a runner through contact and then by sinking a short jumper from the paint. Those buckets set the foundation of the 32-10 run that the Tigers built across the last 13 minutes of the first half.

Mississippi State made a couple of adjustments. The Bulldogs’ fullcourt press broke LSU’s offensive rhythm, sparking a run they used to climb out of a 15-point hole and regain the lead. They led 41-38 at the 4:18 mark of the third quarter

Then Mulkey decided to throw out her big lineup — the one that includes both Joyner and Koval — and that group helped LSU string together some defensive stops. Mississippi State missed nine of the last 12 shots it took in the third quarter, while the Tigers made five of their last eight.

Williams either scored or assisted on five of the eight field goals the Tigers made in the fourth. She shot 10 of 17 from the field and 2 of 3 from 3-point range, while also turning the ball over a career-high eight times.

“(Williams) is a special player,” Mississippi State coach Sam Purcell said. “The kid’s an All-American. What separates her is her high release and her elite handles.”

LSU, as a team, committed 20 turnovers — two short of its season high.

LSU has now won at least 12 league games in all five years of Mulkey’s tenure. This season, the Tigers’ first postseason game will be a quarterfinal SEC Tournament matchup that tips off at 1:30 p.m Friday in Greenville, South Carolina. They’ll face either No. 5 seed Oklahoma, No. 12 seed Florida or No. 13 seed Mississippi State.

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

While LSU’s home (1-7) and road records (2-6) aren’t that different, the Tigers entered the game against the Sooners with much different shooting numbers depending on the location. In home games, the Tigers average 7.4 fewer points and shoot 6.1% less from the field, 5.2% less from the 3-point line and 9.1% less from the free-throw line.

The team’s home shooting splits nose-dived more after playing Oklahoma, shooting 35% overall, which was its second-worst percentage in SEC play, and 26% from the 3-point line.

Coach Matt McMahon was asked why his team has played worse at home than it has on

The Tigers are not only making fewer shots at home, but they are also more careless with possessions. This is shown in the assistto-turnover ratio. The team has seven more assists than turnovers in home games, compared to 46 more assists than turnovers in road games.

Max Mackinnon, who had a team-high 17 points against Oklahoma, was asked about the difference in play of his team at home and on the road.

“It’s a tricky one,” the senior guard said. “Obviously, we can’t let that dictate how we play at home or away There’s no difference.”

Regardless of why LSU’s home outings have been more lopsided, it’s focused on the next game, which is against Auburn at 9 p.m. Tuesday at Neville Arena in Alabama.

LSU is No. 2 seed in latest NCAA tourney projection

Tigers haven’t been a 2 seed since 2008

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The NCAA women’s basketball selection committee had LSU ranked eighth overall the last time it offered a glimpse into its top 16 teams. Now the Tigers are ranked seventh overall, which means they’re still on track to land a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The committee revealed Sunday morning, as part of a second and final glimpse into its top 16 teams, that it had moved LSU up one spot after it lost to South Carolina, then picked up wins over Ole Miss, Missouri and Tennessee. The committee still has the Tigers paired with No 1 overall seed UConn at the top of the Fort Worth 1 region of the bracket. LSU was an NCAA Tournament No. 3 seed in each of its first four seasons under coach Kim Mulkey. It hasn’t landed a No. 2 seed since 2008, and it hasn’t earned a No. 1

seed since 2006. On the women’s side, the 16 teams that are given a No. 4 seed or higher host the first two rounds of the tournament. This year, Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, California, will host the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight. The Final Four is in Phoenix.

The Tigers (26-4, 11-4 SEC) may still have a shot at landing a No. 1 seed. But first, they will need to leapfrog Texas, Vanderbilt and Iowa — the selection committee’s fourth, fifth and sixth-ranked teams, respectively UConn, UCLA and South Carolina are still the top three teams in the field.

The Tigers have already secured a top-four finish in the SEC regular-season standings, which means they’ll have a double bye in the conference tournament for the fifth year in a row Their run in that bracket won’t begin until the quarterfinals tip off on Friday in Greenville, South Carolina. This year, the full NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed on March 15.

Green Wave explodes late against EKU

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

Tulane had absolutely nothing going with the bat on Sunday

Coach Jay Uhlman called a timeout in the bottom of the eighth inning and summoned AJ Groeneveld for a conference on a 1-2 count with the bases loaded on free passes

Groeneveld immediately delivered a perfectly stroked oppositefield, tie-breaking single, and the Green Wave batted around from there with an eight-run outburst that finally put away Eastern Kentucky in the rubber match of their weekend series at Turchin Stadium.

The 11-3 win was in serious doubt until, suddenly, it wasn’t

“The lid was on the basket, and we couldn’t make a shot,” Uhlman said. “I just wanted (Groeneveld) to relax and trust himself. I asked him, ‘Are you a great hitter?’ He said yeah, and I said, ‘Yes, you are, and this is just backyard baseball.’” Tulane (8-4) won its third consecutive weekend series to start the season while Eastern Kentucky (3-8) fell to 0-3.

Groeneveld had extra incentive to come through. He played for Eastern Kentucky last season — making the All-Atlantic Sun freshman team — before following former Eastern Kentucky coach Walt Jones to Tulane when Jones was hired as a hitting assistant

AJ Groeneveld during a bases-loaded situation in the eighth against Eastern Kentucky on Sunday Tulane won 11-3.

fore the onslaught was over “It felt like we were knocking and knocking and knocking,” Uhlman said. “Johnny didn’t find an infielder that time. He found the middle of the field They (the Colonels) set the table for us with three bases, but what I appreciated is they didn’t just gift us after that. We hit them.”

The Colonels took a brief 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth after Jack Frankel shut them down through five innings. He hit the first batter and surrendered back-to-back singles before shortstop Kaikea Harrison’s error allowed the tying run to score with no outs. A sacrifice fly off reliever Jack Brafa accounted for the third run, but Matthias Haas tied it with a homer to left leading off the bottom of the inning for Tulane’s second hit of the day

Eastern Kentucky’s Kobe Benson blew an opportunity to reclaim the lead in the seventh after stealing second base. He waited to see if center fielder Tanner Chun would catch a long fly over his head, getting a late start when the ball glanced off his glove. Chun retrieved it quickly after it bounced off the wall, and the relay throw to home plate beat Benson easily

The Wave won 5-4 on Friday and lost 6-3 on Saturday

During their conversation, Uhlman also brought up Groeneveld’s history with Wachs, a former summer-ball teammate telling him this was no different than those games.

“I definitely wanted to win the series,” Groeneveld said “It’s cool to come from the place that I was able to develop at and just continue to elevate my game.” Tulane had only three hits until Groeneveld’s swing. Johnny Elliott, Tye Wood, Jason Wachs and Matthias Haas followed with runscoring knocks in a long-awaited explosion that ended a much tighter weekend than expected

Rangers-Dodgers matchup highlights difference between past two World Series winners

BY TIM COWLISHAW

The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

SURPRISE, Ariz. Wedged between classic gold medal games in winter sports and the coming World Baseball Classic, MLB found a way to stage a battle between the two most recent world champions here Saturday afternoon.

OK, it’s possible the entire baseball community didn‘t view the matchup in such breathless winner-take-all fashion. Rightfully so. The Dodgers’ split-squad group that journeyed the 14 miles from Glendale (and ultimately lost to Texas, 7-6) was largely a skeleton crew of Triple-A bound prospects and wannabes. There was the notable exception of Kyle Tucker batting second, a little reminder that the winner of the last two World Series, and the franchise that is shattering payroll and luxury tax records in the process, managed to add another AllStar bat at an average value of $60 million per season. Small potatoes, as Hyman Roth would say

The Dodgers paid $169 million in luxury tax on top of a $417 million payroll last season. To the Guggenheim Partners owners, who bought the Lakers at a $10 billion valuation as an aside last year, these are minor matters With Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto bringing the entire Japanese market on board as Dodgers fans, the richest and smartest team in baseball has ways of generating millions beyond the boundaries of normal revenue sharing that rival owners never even stopped to consider Meanwhile, Rangers President Chris Young spent the offseason reluctantly shedding payroll from a losing team, dismissing Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim from the regular 2023 World Series lineup. There’s a real possibility that the Rangers’ one and only championship season in more than half a century in Arlington will be largely viewed, in historical terms, as a fluke. That doesn’t mean it counts any less.

But a team that was in the process of collapsing in September of ‘23 before sneaking into the postseason as a 90-win wild-card team, then managed to win 11 straight road playoff games before retreating to the land of obscurity for two years is not exactly the regular contender that Young vowed to construct when he replaced Jon Daniels.

After two non-winning seasons (78-84 and 81-81), Bruce Bochy and his magic touch have been replaced by the younger more aggressive approach of Skip Schu-

maker He watched last year’s lost season as a special adviser Does he have enough to work with to get Texas back into contention? We are months away from finding that answer

What we do know is that while other recent World Series winners Dodgers in ‘20, Braves in ‘21, Astros in ‘22 — either won 100-plus games the following season or advanced to their league championship series, the Rangers have taken the Washington Nationals’ route of disappearing from the playoffs

Even if they haven’t gone to the Nats’ extreme six losing seasons, some of them big ones, since the 2019 World Series — the Rangers aren’t viewed as one of the Dodgers’ greater threats to a third straight title. The AL West has shifted, with Seattle now expected to replace Houston in the top spot, but the Rangers retain the look of a middle-of-the-pack team — plenty of starting pitching (if healthy), major bullpen questions and mostly just hoping for an offensive revival after scoring fewer than 700 runs the last two seasons (they had 881 in 2023).

One plus from the offseason is that Brandon Nimmo’s bat has not shown the diminishing signs that Semien’s displayed the last two years. But the fact that Nimmo turns 33 in March suggests that day is not far off. Still, for this season, the arrival of Nimmo in the outfield and Danny Jansen at catcher represent on-base percentage improvement the Rangers sorely need. Still, it’s not quite Kyle Tucker, is it?

Baseball being the game that it is, there are no guarantees even for the loaded Dodgers, who required a few late-inning miracles to hold off Toronto. But in a 30team league, DraftKings has the Dodgers at +230 to win the World Series, which means a $100 bet only wins $230 if LA survives three (or potentially four) rounds of playoffs. The Seahawks and Rams are +800 to win next year’s Super Bowl by comparison.

No one is asking owner Ray Davis to throw Guggenheim dollars at any of the Rangers’ various issues. But if they are to be anything more than a one-hit wonder like the 2005 White Sox or the 2019 Nats, the Rangers could use a great leap forward in 2026. It starts with claiming their first winning season since winning it all Both Schumaker and the fans will need a little patience while waiting for those bats to make some meaningful contact and point the Rangers in the proper direction.

“I tried to play free, swing loose and just drive it to the backside,” Groeneveld said. “It definitely broke the game open. It’s always good when you get to start a little rally.”

Tulane, which scored twice in the first inning after Eastern Kentucky starter Johnny Bingham walked the first three batters before being pulled, had come up empty in its few chanc-

es since then. Johnny Elliott grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the sixth. Nolan Nawrocki grounded into a force-out at the plate with the bases loaded right before Groeneveld’s critical atbat.

Elliott then atoned for his double play with a two-run single through the infield. Six batters reached base consecutively be-

Sapp resigns, Marve

“When a guy turns his back, you’ve really got to be off,” Uhlman said. “He went back to tag because he thought (Chun) was going to catch it That’s a no-tag situation. You need to almost be standing at third.”

Tulane’s Tom Vincent (1-0) picked up the win, retiring the only batter he faced on a soft grounder to first base with two outs and the go-ahead run at second in the eighth.

hired as

the defensive coordinator for Colorado

BY PAT GRAHAM AP sportswriter

Colorado coach Deion Sanders is putting the finishing touches on his coaching-staff makeover with spring practice starting Monday He will be without one of his good friends, too.

Hall of Fame defensive lineman Warren Sapp announced his resignation to “pursue other opportunities,” the school said in a statement. “CU athletics thanks Warren for his contributions to our football program over the last two seasons and for his commitment to our student-athletes.”

Sapp was the defensive pass rush coordinator for the Buffaloes last season.

Sanders promoted Chris Marve to the role of defensive coordinator following the departure of Robert Livingston, who recently took a job with the Denver Broncos as their passing game coordinator and secondary coach. Livingston spent two seasons with the Buffaloes, including the year Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy as a two-way standout

Marve was the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Virginia Tech from 2022-24. He took a job with Colorado in December as the linebackers coach.

“Chris Marve was hired with the knowledge that he could one day

TIGERS

Continued from page 1C

throws the ball like that,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said.

Schmidt’s performance on Sunday isn’t a one-off. On Feb. 22 against Central Florida, he allowed just three hits in five shutout innings, and he’s walked just one batter over his last two outings. His vastly improved control has allowed him to go deeper into games. Sunday was the longest outing of his career after the five innings he threw last week were a personal high.

“I’ve gotten bigger and stronger, so (I’m) not getting as tired and maybe being able to drive the ball down more,” Schmidt said when asked about his improved strike-throwing abilities. “(In the) offseason, that was a big focus: Adding a pitch and then just throwing more strikes.”

Schmidt is LSU’s third starter, but his importance for the Tigers goes beyond just his role. This year, he has the chance to ease pressure off an offense that’s had an up-and-down start to the sea-

FILE PHOTO By MATT GENTRy — THE ROANOKE TIMES

Virginia Tech defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Chris Marve speaks to players during a practice in 2022 in Blacksburg, Va

advance considering his history and experience if the opportunity was presented,” Sanders said in a statement Saturday “He’s a teacher, a motivator and a man of great character.”

It’s been a busy offseason on the coaching front for Sanders. In December, he hired offensive guru Brennan Marion to instill a highoctane scheme Marion termed the “Go-Go” offense. The Buffaloes now feature a Black head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators for the first time in program history, the school announced.

“I’m excited to get on the field Monday with these two extraordinary coordinators that will uplift our program on and off the field,”

son. He can also provide more depth to a rotation that’s breaking in a new Friday starter (Casan Evans), who is still easing into the role.

Johnson has had trouble finding a third starter since arriving at LSU, even rotating through numerous options last season, when the Tigers’ pitching staff was at its deepest under Johnson.

The ultimate test for Schmidt still awaits in two weeks when LSU begins Southeastern Conference play at Vanderbilt. But maybe Johnson has finally found a Sunday starter this season with Schmidt.

“He said (the outing) wasn’t as sharp,” junior Jake Brown said. “I feel like that’s the best I’ve seen him throw.”

Schmidt hit the second batter he saw in the eighth inning, so with one out, he was replaced by Angelo State right-handed transfer Dax Dathe. But Dathe also hit the first batter he saw and got immediately lifted for sophomore righthander Mavrick Rizy With two runners on and just one out, Rizy escaped the jam with a pair of strikeouts despite falling behind in the count on both

said Sanders, whose team finished 3-9 last season.

Other additions to the staff include Vonn Bell, a longtime NFL player who will be an analyst and help with the safeties.

Dante Carter steps in as the defensive line coach for Domata Peko, who left to join the Pittsburgh Steelers. Aaron Fletcher will oversee the cornerbacks, while Justin Houlihan serves as an analyst in addition to helping out with the quarterbacks.

Johnnie Mack will take over the running backs for Marshall Faulk, who was hired as the head coach at Southern University. Clancy Pendergast was brought on board as a senior analyst. He will also help with the linebackers.

occasions. Rizy then recorded the first two outs of the ninth inning before redshirt junior righthander Jaden Noot closed out the win.

As Schmidt and the pitching staff dominated Dartmouth, LSU’s offense failed to capitalize on the zeroes they posted on the scoreboard. Brown blasted a solo home run in the first inning — his fifth of the year but the Tigers had just three hits for the rest of the day following his shot into the right field stands. Johnson declined to discuss why his offense is struggling, having scored just 11 runs over its last three contests, but he was not happy with the offense following Sunday’s game.

“I’m not going to get into it because I want to attack it with the team and not through you guys, as much as I respect all of you,” Johnson said. “I’m going to be very clear on that.” LSU will play its fourth game in four days on Monday in a rematch with Northeastern. First pitch from Alex Box Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be available to stream on SEC Network+

Durant’s LA 2028 hopes land on Spoelstra’s desk

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

MIAMI If Kevin Durant ultimately decides to chase more Olympic gold, Erik Spoelstra seems interested in coaching him.

Spoelstra, the Miami Heat coach who will lead the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, said Saturday he’s aware of Durant’s recent comments about the potential of playing for what would be a fifth gold medal.

And the concept is clearly intriguing.

“Just him saying that is incredible,” Spoelstra — an assistant on the 2024 Olympic team — said before the Heat beat Durant and the Houston Rockets 115-105. “You know, that’s the culture of USA Basketball. You just want the best American players to raise their hand and say ‘I want to do this.’ ”

When the 2024 Games were complete, Durant said he wouldn’t rule out a chance at playing in the Olympics again. And Durant told ESPN in a recent interview that he “would love to” play in the Los Angeles Games, adding that he wants his level of play between now and then to convince USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill, national team director Sean Ford, Spoelstra and anyone else involved in the selection process that he’s worthy of a spot.

“Hopefully I get that chance,”

Continued from page 1C

how it went.”

Competing with all four events on raised platforms, and twice in three days, is a regular-season dress rehearsal for the postseason

The SEC Championships will be on podiums later this month, as will the NCAA Championships. NCAA regionals, one of which LSU will host at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, and the NCAA Championships, will have semifinal and final sessions over three days.

“Two meets in three days is a pretty daunting test,” Clark said.

“If you’re worth your salt, you want to handle it this way.”

Back to Chio, who is believed to be the first LSU gymnast in 31 years to post perfect 10s on the same event in three straight meets. The last to do it was Jennifer Wood in 1995 on vault Chio had a 10 on beam Friday, Feb. 20, at Oklahoma and Jan 23 against Kentucky. She also had 10.0 scores on floor Feb. 13 against Auburn and on vault at OU.

Clark said it was important for the judges to have LSU’s other gymnasts set Chio up for the score she got. Amari Drayton, who fell on beam Friday, had a 9.925 and Konnor McClain immediately preceded Chio with a 9.95.

“Those things don’t happen if the first five don’t do their job,” Clark said. “If you don’t show them something spectacular ahead of them, judges don’t typically go there. You have to include the kids that went ahead of her who got 9.9plus (scores) where you had to go up if it (Chio’s performance) was

Durant said Saturday “I’ve got to stay on top of my game. I keep saying that. I want to earn my spot on the team. Got to stay on top of my game and hopefully I’m out there with Coach Spo and his staff.”

Durant gave his time with Spoelstra at the Paris Games rave reviews.

“I’ve always been impressed with Coach Spo from afar, but to be in the same locker room with him, to see his intensity his scouts just made me want to run through a wall,” Durant said. “He was so enthused about being an assistant coach on Team USA and he understood that we wanted to make a statement out there as a team and he backed us.”

Durant’s place in USA Basketball lore was secured long ago. He’s the only four-time gold medalist in men’s Olympic basketball history, after winning golds in London 2012 Rio de Janeiro 2016, the Tokyo Games that were delayed a year until 2021, then Paris in 2024. In Paris, he became the career leader in points for the U.S. in Olympic competition, passing Lisa Leslie for that mark.

“You can feel his passion for representing the country and having the USA on the jersey,” Spoelstra said. “He’s been incredible in those competitions.”

Durant said one of the big takeaways from his time with Spoelstra in Paris was how someone who is a head coach an NBA champion head coach, at that — serve

as an assistant. As part of Golden State coach Steve Kerr’s staff in Paris, Spoelstra was on the floor after practices and before games to work with players individually throw them passes in warm-ups, even rebound for them.

“Just doing the dirty work. Spo was great at that,” Durant said. “He made it exciting to come into work every day.”

Spoelstra says the 37-year-old Durant’s game is timeless proven by the fact that the No 6 scorer in NBA history, who is on pace to pass Michael Jordan for the No. 5 spot in the coming weeks, is still putting up numbers almost unheard of for someone at that age. At 26.2 points per game this season — 32 of them coming on Saturday — Durant could pass Jordan in about 10 games, or sometime around the third week of March.

“He’s an absolute tactician in terms of his work ethic and how he drills,” Spoelstra said. “It’s a great lesson for all the young players coming into the league. There’s one thing to get up shots and there’s another thing to really work player development and I think that’s a takeaway that we all had, watching him work during the summer those six weeks.

“After practice, before practice, the days in between, he’s going in there with intention to try even at this age — to get better and improve What a beautiful mindset that is.”

Mavs sign undrafted guard Nembhard to standard contract

The Associated Press DALLAS The Dallas Mavericks have signed point guard Ryan Nembhard to a standard NBA contract after he thrived as an undrafted rookie free agent on a two-way deal.

The multiyear agreement announced Sunday fills the roster spot created when the Mavericks waived point guard Tyus Jones, an 11-year veteran who was part of the three-team, nine-player trade that sent 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis from Dallas to Washington.

The Mavericks also filled two openings for two-way contracts by signing guard John Poulakidas and forward Tyler Smith. Dallas waived two-way guard Miles Kelly to make room for both signings.

Nembhard was closing in on the maximum number of games allowed under two-way contracts when the Mavericks turned Jones

Continued from page 1C

which was evident in Saturday’s 115-105 victory over the Jazz at the Delta Center Saturday’s win over Utah was the fourth straight win for the Pelicans. They won six of their past eight games heading into Sunday’s late game against the Clippers. In addition to missing Williamson in the second half Saturday, the Pelicans also played without Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy (right shoulder contusion).

Murray, who returned Tuesday from last year’s Achilles injury, didn’t play Saturday since it was the first of back-toback games. Despite missing so many weapons, the Pelicans still had enough firepower to build a 27-point lead and then stave off a Utah rally It was the Pels’ seventh consecutive win against Utah.

loose to give him a chance to sign with a contender Dallas has lost 12 of its past 14 games and is on the way to missing the postseason for the second year in a row Nembhard has made 17 starts in 38 appearances for the Mavericks, averaging 6.7 points while leading all rookies at 4.9 assists per game He became the first undrafted rookie with at least 25 points and 10 assists without committing a turnover, scoring 28 points with 10 assists in a 131-121 victory over Denver on Dec. 1. Poulakidas started the season with the G League’s San Diego Clippers after going undrafted out of Yale. Smith started this season with Rio Grande Valley in the G League. He previously played one season for the G League Ignite before getting drafted by Milwaukee in 2024. Smith played 23 games as a rookie for the Bucks.

bounds and five assists.

“His poise, his playmaking settled us,” said Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego. “His pace. You felt him early Especially when he rebounds like that, we’re gone. To rebound like that at his size and position just fuels our offense. And he continues to grow defensively, making havoc plays out there. I see a focused young man. I thought he was fantastic tonight.”

“It was huge. Just being able to step out there and contribute. We know (that) with the second group we are speed and space.”

JEREMIAH FEARS Pelicans guard

“It was huge,” said rookie Jeremiah Fears about the Pelicans stepping up in Williamson’s absence. “Just being able to step out there and contribute. We know (that) with the second group we are speed and space. We just continue to play fast, move the ball and play together.”

Fears came off the bench and recorded his second career double-double. He finished with 18 points, a career-high 11 re-

any better. We had a great beam set all the way through.” LSU posted a 49.625 on beam, a quarter-10th behind its season-best beam score of 49.650 against Kentucky. The Tigers were the same fraction off their season-best score on uneven bars (49.550), led by a 9.95 from Chio. Clark credited assistant coaches Haleigh Bryant and Courtney McCool Griffeth for their work with the beam gymnasts. “Beam’s a different animal,” he said. “It’s such a mental game.

They do such a great job of letting the style that appeals best to each athlete be the coach they deal with the most. Some of them like to hear Haleigh’s voice in their head and some like to hear Courtney’s voice in their head.” With Chio a spectator on floor, it was Kylie Coen’s time in the spotlight. She dazzled with a career-high 9.975, getting a perfect 10 from one of the event’s two judges as the junior earned her first career win. “I feel like it’s something I do every single day,” Coen said “I’m

just really grateful that’s the score it came out tonight. I wouldn’t be able to do any of it without my team and fans cheering me on. It was a blast.” Drayton won the vault title with a 9.95 as Chio settled for a 9.85, taking a small step back on her landing. Alabama’s Gabby Gladieux won the all-around title with a 39.575 (no LSU gymnasts officially competed as all-arounders), while the Crimson Tide’s Azaraya Ra-Akbar won bars with a careerhigh tying 9.975.

Saddiq Bey, fresh off Thursday’s 42-point outing against the Jazz, once again led the Pelicans in scoring with 24 points. Bey has averaged 25.2 points and 5 rebounds since the All-Star break, picking up some of the scoring slack in Murphy’s absence. Herb Jones finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Bryce McGowens scored 18 points and knocked down 4-of-10 3-pointers.

The Pelicans had plenty of key contributions on the defensive end, too. They tied a season-high with 11 blocked shots. Ten of those blocks came from nonstarters. Six different Pelicans blocked shots. Yves Missi had three in his first game back after missing the previous five games with a left calf strain.

The Pelicans got even more weapons back Sunday with both Murphy and Murray returning. Now the team is just waiting on Williamson. This time, the wait won’t be as long.

THIS WORLD LIVING

In ‘Wonder’ the musical, young actors with facial differences find their voices onstage

BY MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

CAMBRIDGE, Mass When Max Voehl auditioned to play the lead role in the musical “Wonder,” he sensed he was playing a version of himself onstage.

Voehl, who was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, has endured multiple surgeries like Auggie Pullman 13 to Auggie’s 28. The 12-year-old from Utah also has been bullied, much like Auggie, who is targeted over his rare genetic condition known as Treacher Collins syndrome, which causes underdeveloped facial bones and tissue.

“Channeling Auggie on stage is actually pretty easy for me because I have felt the emotions he has felt, and I have gone through what he has gone through,” Voehl said after a matinee performance at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. Voehl, who alternates the role of Auggie with Garrett McNally, who has Treacher Collins syndrome, called the experience “pure joy.”

Popular book becomes musical

Adapted from R.J. Palacio’s 2012 young adult novel, “Wonder” is a story about the power of kindness

BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE

and resilience. It revolves around 10-year-old Auggie, who lives in New York and is attending school for the first time after years of being homeschooled. The book was also adapted into a popular film in 2017 starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson as Auggie’s parents. Much of the story is about Auggie’s year at school, where the science whiz and “Star Wars” fan initially endures stares from fellow students and uncomfortable

questions about his face. He considers dropping out of school at one point but, thanks to a few friends and his family, perseveres and is awarded a medal at graduation for his strength and courage. The musical also explores Auggie’s journey from the perspectives of those closest to him — his sister Via, who feels overshadowed by her brother and his parents,

Louvre director resigns in wake of heist

BY THOMAS ADAMSON and JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press

PARIS

The Louvre Museum’s director resigned Tuesday after months of pressure following the October theft of the French crown jewels, as the world’s most visited museum faced widening scrutiny over security failures, labor unrest and a suspected ticket fraud scheme. Laurence des Cars quit after a punishing year for the former royal palace — the high-profile jewels heist from the Apollo Gallery, a mid-February burst pipe near the “Mona Lisa,” water leaks damaging priceless books, staff walkouts and a wildcat strike over overcrowding and understaffing.

The landmark has faced a narrative of an institution spiraling out of control.

And that pressure deepened in recent weeks when French authorities revealed a suspected decadelong ticket fraud operation linked to the museum that investigators say may have cost the Louvre $11.8 million.

President Emmanuel Macron accepted des Cars’ resignation as “an act of responsibility” at a moment when the Louvre needs “calm” and new momentum for security upgrades, modernization and other major projects, according to a statement from his office.

Macron wants to give des Cars a new mission during France’s presidency of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, focused on cooperation among major museums, the statement said.

For many in France’s cultural world, the resignation answers months of head-scratching over why no top official had fallen after the heist: a daylight robbery that many in the country saw as the most humiliating breach of French heritage security in living memory It also came as lawmakers and cultural officials widened scrutiny of the museum’s leadership and security practices in the months since the breach.

Brazen theft

Thieves took less than eight minutes in October to steal crown jewels valued at $102 million from the Louvre, in a weekend operation that stunned visitors, exposed glaring vulnerabilities and left one of France’s most symbolically charged collections in criminal hands. Several suspects were later arrested, but the stolen pieces remain missing.

Des Cars, one of the most prominent museum directors in Europe, had offered to resign on the day of the robbery, but it was initially refused by the culture minister In remarks after the theft, she described the moment as a “tragic, brutal, violent reality” for the Louvre and said that, as the person in charge, it had felt right to offer her resignation. Lightning rod In an interview published on Tuesday by daily newspaper Le Figaro, des Cars said that she had tried to steer the Louvre through the fallout from the heist, but had concluded that she could no longer carry out the museum’s

Diddietorexerciseimprove bloodglucose readings?

Dear Doctors: My doctor put me on aglucose monitor to track my blood sugar for afew weeks. Therewere three nights when my husband and Iwent walkingafter dinner,and those readings were better.Hethinks it’sthe walking, but Ithink it’sthat Iskipped dessert.Who do youthink is right?

DearReader: Considering this is a family debate, we are happytobe able to say that you are bothcorrect. The behaviors you andyour husband have identified —exercise vs. food choices —are quite different. However,they bothbolster the body’sinsulin response, which in turn helps maintain optimal bloodsugar levels. Thedifference between the two actions lies in the mechanisms involved. Skipping dessert reflectsthe

‘WONDER’

Continued from page1D

who wrestle with how to protect him while helping him grow more independent.

There’salso Jack, who becomes Auggie’sbest friend only to betray him to score points withpopular kids. He ends up reconciling with Auggie,choosingtodohis science project with him rather than the school bully

Asofterworld

Director Taibi Magar en-

countered “Wonder”during the height of the pandemic in 2021 when she wasn’tsure theater would return. Magar was offeredaproposalto turn “Wonder” into amusical and came to appreciate how the story shows people away to live that is “a little softer and alittle kinder.”

Oneofthe earlychallenges wasfinding young actors with facial conditions to portray Auggie. The movie features an actor without any facial condition, who portrayed the boy wearing makeup and prosthetics.

Matthew Joffe, aconsultant on the project who is aretired therapist and learning disability specialist, arguedthe role should go to someone with a facial difference. As someone who has afacial condition knownasMoebius syndrome, Joffee feared giving the role to an actor without one risked “alienating” that community

“They were so desperate to get actors that will be able to play the role. They were willingtoconsiderlooking for actors and just making them up, and Iput myown foot down,” he said. “The community wouldbecompletely outraged to know that an actor with acraniofacial condition wasn’tbeing used.”

Firstnight jitters In the end, the produc-

LOUVRE

Continued from page1D

Staying on, she said,would have meant managing the status quo when the museum still needs deep reform.

“I was there to take the lightning” as museum director,she said.

Des Cars also said that the October break-inexposed problems that she had been warning about since taking office, includingaging infrastructure, obsolete technical systemsand severecongestion. She had led the Louvre since 2021, taking over one of the museum world’smost prestigious jobs as the institution emerged from the coronavirus pandemic and mass tourism returned.

Multifaceted crisis

In June, awildcat strike by front-of-house staff and security workers forced the Louvre to halt operations, stranding thousands of visitors outsidethe glass pyramid and underscoring the depth of anger among employees over overcrowding, understaffing and what unions called untenable working conditions.

Workers said that the pressure of daily visitor flows —particularly around the “Mona Lisa” —had become unmanageable and that promised reforms were arriving too slowly.There

Dr.Elizabeth Ko Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

well-known link between added sugars in the diet andincreased blood glucose levels, which is likelywhy that explanation makes sense to you. Meanwhile, your husbandappears to be drawing on the equally familiar concept that regular exercise plays an important roleinblood sugar control. It is also possiblehehas read about recentresearch showing that a

tion found Voehl and McNally for the part of Auggie. Magar described themas “two extraordinary actors.” McNally,a16-year-old from California who had neveracted before, saw the post ona Facebook group for the role and thought it wouldbefun to audition.He relatedtoAuggie,hesaid, because ofhow peoplelook at him “differently” and sometimes don’ttreat him as “normal” person When he got on aZoom call to learn that he was headed to theNortheast to be in major musical, he was thrilled —but alittle anxious that first night.

“I was nervous because I thought Iwould messupor get stage fright, but it generally wentpretty smoothly, except for that one time where Ihit my shin on one of the tables,” McNally said “Other than that, it was areally good show and Iwas really proudofmyself.”

Moms therefor support

Sittingbesidethe newstar was hismotherJules McNally,who never doubted herson’spotentialbut was surprised that he was“capableofsuch dedication and commitment” to thepart. As

were growingcomplaints that theinfrastructure and staffing of the crumbling medieval structurehaven’t kept pace with the crowds pouring through its galleries.

Theresignation came at an especially punishing moment,less than two weeks afterFrenchauthorities revealed theseparate ticket fraud scheme. That case widened scrutiny beyond thejewelsrobbery and toward themuseum’sday-to-day controls. Fraudscheme

Prosecutors say tour guides are suspected of up to 20 times aday —reusingthe sameticketstobring in different visitor groups, at times allegedly with the help of Louvre employees, in asystem investigators believe operated for adecade. In arareinterview just days ago with TheAssociated Pressafterthe fraud case was made public, the Louvre’sNo. 2, general administrator Kim Pham, said that fraudataninstitution the size of the Louvrewas “statistically inevitable.”

He argued that the museum’ssheer scale —millions of visitors, multiple checkpoints andasprawling historiccomplex —makes it uniquelyexposed

But he also acknowledged shortcomings, and said that themuseum had tightened validation checks and increased controls.

post-meal walk can have adirect andimmediate effect on moderating blood sugar.This occurs through ametabolic process that allows muscles to take up glucose through an alternative pathway that is less reliant on insulin. In thestudy,published in 2022, researchers in theU.K. analyzed datafrom seven existing studies that examined the effects of exercise on blood glucose. They found that taking awalk after eating, even one as short as five minutes, improved blood sugar control. Changes in blood sugar were less extreme and more gradual. That’s important because blood sugar spikes are suspected toplay a role in Type 2diabetes. Even better news: The beneficial effect of apost-meal walk lasted for up to

the audiences watches her son, whom she described “as his own unique person,” she hopesthe play movespeople to act.

“I want people to leavethe showtaking the things that they felt,the empathythat they experienced,” she said. “I wantthemtogoout into theirown communities and do what they need to do to make people feelsafe and accepted and welcome.”

Garrett McNally and Voehl also seem to appreciate how therole of Auggie gives themanunexpected platformtochange perceptionsabout those with facial differences.

“I’m making adifference in helpingpeopleunderstandthateventhoughsome people may look different or have like afacial difference, we areall in the endthe same the on inside,”Voehl said. “It does not matter what we look like because we are all human.”

Students cheerfor Auggie

At one of the last performances,hundreds of screaming school children filled thetheater.The show ended atwo-monthrun on Feb. 15. Many,like Dylan Marion, a14-year-old from Malden, Massachusetts, lined up afterward for autographs —getting seven actors to sign ahard copy of thebook. Many hadread the book in school andwere quick to compare the narrative withwhat theysaw on stage.

“I loved it. It wasamazing,”saidAili Sparandara, a10-year-old from aschool in Cambridge, whose entire grade read the novel. “It’s nice how he has people out therewho can help him. It was alot of equality.I like it. This book is based on someone with differences that can be shown. It’s not like everybody in every book has to be perfect.”

NewRenaissance

The succession of crises has put new political weight on aproject Macron has heavily championed:the Louvre’ssweeping overhaul plan,branded the “Louvre New Renaissance.”

Unveiled by Macron in January 2025, the renovation, which could take up to adecades, aims to modernize amuseum widely seen as overstretched andphysically worn down by mass tourism

The plan includes anew entrance near theSeine River to ease pressure on I.M. Pei’spyramid, new underground spaces and adedicatedroomfor the“Mona Lisa” with timed access —all intended to improve crowd flow andreduce the daily crush that has become asymbol of the Louvre’s success and itsdysfunction. The project is expected to costroughly $826 million to $944 million, withfunding from ticket revenue, state support, donations andLouvre Abu Dhabi-related income.

Thescale andcostofthat plannow loom over the search for des Cars’ successor Macron hasframed the overhaul as anational priority,comparing itsambition to otherlandmark French restoration efforts and casting it as part of abroader defense of French cultural prestige.

90 minutes. Interestingly,even standing forafew minutes after eating improved blood sugar numbers. However,for those individuals, the effect was farmore modest.

We also want to point out that thecontinuous glucose monitor, or CGM, that your doctor asked you to use on ashort-term basis is also emerging as auseful tool. These devices are easy to apply and last afew weeks. They deliver real-time data about the effects of diet and lifestyle on blood sugar levels. This can be particularly helpful for people whose blood sugar numbers are edging into thedanger zone of prediabetes.

Oneofthe challenges when it comes to diabetes is that elevated blood sugar is aso-called silent

symptom.You can’tfeel it when it’shappening. But with the data collected by aCGM,you can see the difference between how adoughnut or an apple affects glucose metabolism, or,onyour husband’sside of the equation, the benefits of apost-meal walk. In your own case, the short-term use of aCGM has validated your decision to skip dessert and may even have helped establish anew habit of anightly post-meal walk foryou and your husband.

Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask theDoctors c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

Guesttries to hijack menu

Dear Miss Manners: My sister likes to throw dinner parties. She goes all out with her best dishes and crystal, along with the menu. Often people will call and ask what to bring, but my sister always tells them she only wants the pleasure of their company Someguestswill still bring adish. My sister always acts like the dish is ahostess gift. She thanks the guests and tells them how much her family will enjoy it.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

On one occasion, afirsttime guest brought adish. She told my sister she had not brought thedish for my sister’sfamily,but to be served to theother guests. My sister told her that the menu was set, and that she would put thedish in the kitchen until the guest was ready toleave so they could take it home.

During the meal,when another guest wascomplimenting my sister on the food, this guest announced to everybody that she had brought adish that my sister was not going to serve. My sister ignored her comment and answered another guest’squestion. Since the dinner, this womanhas been telling people how rude my sister wasnot to serve the food she brought. Her comments have upset our mother.She wants my sister to apologize to this woman. My sister sees no reason to apologize. To makemy mother happy,I said we should ask you. Wasmy sister rude?

Gentle reader: Well, there are traditional dinner parties, where the host supplies the meal and the guests may or may not bring little presents

sometimes food treats —to be used at the discretion of the host. And then there are cooperative dinners, where each person brings part of the meal This sounds morelike afood fight. Rather than trying to please the host, the guest planned ahostile takeover.And afterward, when she should have been expressing her thanks, she chose to spread insults. No,your sister wasnot rude. She did her best to handle it politely.But there are circumstances under which an apology is due, even from an innocent person.

So Miss Manners believes that your sister should apologize —not to her rude guest, but to the other guests, forhaving been subjected to such an unpleasant scene.

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

Extend theusesinatissuebox

Dear Heloise: Ifind that mostofthe time, Ionly use avery small portion of a tissue. I’vefound that Ican tear them in half before using them and extend the uses out of abox this way Ialso find that when applying mascarainan attempt to make my lashes look longer,itends up looking too gloppy.Inow use apreviously used but washed mascarawand to comb out the application, and it looks much better! —A Reader,via email

Openingchildproof caps

Dishwasher hint works!

By The Associated Press

Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: Place the twopiece, push-to-turn pill lid with the opening downonacutting board. Hit the lid with ahammer.If this doesn’tfree the easy-to-turn pill lid, hit the lid harder The cutting board is to protect the surface under the board. —JohnM., in Kirkwood, Missouri

John, you can simply ask your pharmacist to place your medication in an easier-to-open bottle instead of achildproof bottle. —Heloise

TODAYINHISTORY

Today is Monday, March 2, the61st day of 2026. There are 304 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 pointsfor the Philadelphia Warriors against theNew York Knicks, asinglegameNBA record that still stands. Philadelphia won by ascore of 169-147.

Also on this date: In 1807, theAct Prohibiting Importation of Slaves was signed by President Thomas Jefferson. (The domestic trade of enslaved people was not affected.)

In 1861, thestate of Texas, having seceded from theUnion, was admitted to theConfederacy In 1877, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was declared thewinner of the 1876 presidential election

WAYMO

is likely to be London.

over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, despite Tilden winning the popular vote. Tilden remains the only presidential candidate to get over 50% of the popular vote (50.9%) and not winthe presidency In 1943, the three-day Battle of the Bismarck Sea began in the southwest Pacific during World War II; U.S. and Australian warplanes inflicted heavy damage on an Imperial Japanese convoy In 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks’ more famous act of defiance, Claudette Colvin, aBlack high school student in Montgomery,Alabama, was arrested after refusing to give up her seat on apublic bus to awhite passenger In 1985, the U.S. governmentapproved ascreening test forAIDS that detected antibodies to the virus, allowing possibly contami-

Dear Heloise: To the gentleman whosuggested putting dishwashing detergent in the bottom of the dishwasher and the receptacle, thank you! It has made all the difference. Iwas ready to buy anew dishwasher because no matter which cycle Itried, the dishes werenot getting adequately cleaned. Iam so excited that this hint worked. Thanks, Heloise, forprinting it! —Nancy P.,in San Antonio

Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

nated blood to be excluded from the blood supply In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 8-1, that a grieving father’spain over mocking protests near his Marine son’sfuneral had to yield to First Amendment protections for free speech in adecision favoring the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. Today’sbirthdays: AuthorJohn Irving is 84. Actor-comedian Laraine Newman(SaturdayNight Live)is74. Golf Hall of Famer Ian Woosnam is 68. MusicianJon BonJovi is 64. ActorDanielCraig is 58. Rapper-actor Method Manis55. MusicianChris Martin (Coldplay) is 49. ActorRebel Wilsonis46. ActorBryceDallasHoward is 45. Hockey Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist is 44. ActorRobertIleris41. ActorNathalie Emmanuelis 37. Country musician Luke Combs is 36.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Discuss your intentions and focus on getting things done. Keeping everyoneyou deal with up to date will help you gain momentumand avoidinterference.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Keep an eyeon domesticexpenditures. Don't go over budgetorlet anyone talk you into doing or purchasing somethingyou don't need. Focus on personal development, growth and gain.

tAuRus (April20-May 20) Impulse is the enemy today, so do your due diligence before you commit to something you don't need or cannotafford. Engage in an activity that encourages you to relax.

GEMInI(May21-June 20) Take amoment to reevaluate your life, purpose, directionand desire. It's time to consider what makes you happy and to let go of what isn't working for you anymore.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Disregard what isn't proven, and head in adirection that is clear-cut and doableand offers plenty of room for growth. Stopdreaming and start acting on your behalf.

LEo(July 23-Aug. 22) Change will serve youwell. Take the step that offers a unique objective regarding your path forward.Momentum is crucial if you want to reach your target first.

VIRGo (Aug.23-sept.22) Don't secondguess yourself. You are sitting in an opportune position. Partnerships, finan-

cial gains and thepursuit of knowledge andskills will pay off.

LIBRA (sept.23-oct. 23) Take amoment to gather your thoughts andtowork outa practical budget andrealistic timeline. Spend more time working from home, where you'll have fewer distractions.

scoRPIo(oct. 24-nov. 22) Apositive attitude will help youinfluence those you hope to entice to see things your way. You have plenty to gain personally andprofessionally if you are forwardthinking.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Pay attentiontodetail instead of trying to sway others to think like you. It's what you do and howyou present yourself and your ideas that will draw acrowd.

cAPRIcoRn(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Stick to the facts. Embellishinginformation will hurt your reputation andleave you vulnerable. Speak from the heart, back up your claims andpursue your goals.

AQuARIus(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Adomestic change will be refreshing. Don't be afraid to be different or to go up against someonewho opposes you. Trustand believe in yourself, and find the path that offers comfort andjoy

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is notbased on scientific fact. ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains thesame number only once. The difficulty level of thesudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER

Lord Chesterfield, aBritish politician who led acolorful life and died in 1773, said, “Never seem more learned than the people you are with. Wear your learning like apocket watch and keep it hidden. Do not pull it outtocount thehours,but give the time when you are asked.”

At the bridge table, do not count the minutes; instead, count thepoints, the winners, the losers. The more counting you do,the more successful you will be.

In this deal, South charges into six hearts. How should he play after West leads thespade king?

Southdecided that if he needed asidesuit finesse to work, it probably would, given West’sopeningbid.Soheadventurously used the Gerber four-club aceasking convention, then settled intosix hearts.

Southismissing15high-cardpoints.So it is just possible that East has theheart king. And if East has that king, West mustholdtheclubking,anddeclarercan take all 13 tricks. However, if the heart finesse loses, West will cash acouple of spade tricks.

Suppose, instead, thatthe club finesse is winning. Howmany tricks would that provide?

One spade, six hearts, two diamonds andthree clubs —ah, 12. South should win with hisspade ace andplay aclub to dummy’s jack. Then he should lead the

wuzzles

ing Easttocover

when Eastplays

repeatsthe club finesse, and discards his two spade losers, one on the club aceand oneonthe diamond king. Then he concedes onetrick to West’s heartking.

©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons:

Average

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from the letters in each row.add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

Formore information on tournaments and clubs, email naspa –north

sCraBBlE playersassociation: info@scrabbleplayers.org.Visit ourwebsite:www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzleinquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro andits logo sCraBBlE associated

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Eachrow and each column must containthe numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes called cages must combine using the given operation (in any order) to producethe targetnumbers in the top-left corners 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the numberinthe top-left corner.

WiShinG Well

HErE is aplEasanT liTTlE

the numberoflettersis6ormore,