The Acadiana Advocate 03-06-2026

TRUMP SAYS HE WANTS ROLE IN PICKING IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER

Noem out as head of DHS

Firing comes in wake of mounting criticism of her leadership

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE, REBECCA SANTANA and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Thursday fired his embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, after mounting criticism over her leadership of the department, including the handling of the administration’s immigration crackdown and disaster response. Trump, who said he would nominate Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin in her place, made the announcement on social media after Noem faced a two-day grilling on Capitol Hill this week from GOP members as well as Democrats.

Noem’s departure marks a stunning turnaround for a close ally to the president who was tasked with steering his centerpiece policy of mass deportations. But she appeared to increasingly become a liability for Trump, with questions arising over her spending at her department and over her conduct in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis earlier this year Trump said Noem “has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!).” He said he

Mois de la Francophonie

Landry says ConocoPhillips nears deal, clearing way for federal money

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

Gov Jeff Landry announced Thursday that the state is nearing a settlement agreement with ConocoPhillips in lawsuits that seek to hold oil and gas companies accountable for polluting Louisiana’s coastal marshes and contributing to wetlands loss.

ConocoPhillips is named in 13 of the 42 lawsuits. The suits are part of a statewide effort led by Baton Rouge attorney John Carmouche to hold oil companies financially responsible for damage to coastal areas — litigation that has advanced to the U.S. Supreme Court in one case. The ConocoPhillips settlement follows others that have already been made with Freeport-McMoRan, BP, Shell and Hilcorp. Landry’s announcement on

See COASTAL, page 5A

Medicaid, food stamp overhauls could squeeze La. budget

Program changes generating concerns

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

cause of the law, according to critics, who are sounding the alarm about how the Trump administration’s public benefits overhaul could squeeze Louisiana’s budget — both during the coming year and in future budget cycles.

Top Louisiana lawmakers say the state’s congressional delegation is working to minimize the financial burden of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and some expressed skepticism that all the law’s provisions would stand in the long-term.

“This has huge consequences for states that go way beyond the Medicaid budget.”

LEO CUELLO, public policy research professor at Georgetown University

“Before I would hit the panic button, I would call our congressional delegation, call our folks up there and say, ‘OK, what is the likelihood of this being implemented and what is the likelihood of this being delayed?’ ” said Cameron Henry, a Republican from Metairie who serves as Louisiana’s Senate president. Henry is a close friend of U.S. Rep Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, the majority leader in the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, in a statement, Gov. Jeff Landry said he has made economic development a priority of his administration to get people off the welfare rolls and ultimately make the state less dependent on the federal government.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act extended federal tax cuts in exchange for a massive reduction in spending on Medicaid and SNAP, and it shifted some of the cost burden for those programs onto states.

While Democrats warned the bill would boot millions of people from the SNAP and Medicaid rolls, Republican proponents of the law said it would root out fraud, trim wasteful government spending

See BUDGET, page 5A

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Spears suspected of driving under influence

LOS ANGELES Britney Spears was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs near her Southern California home and released, authorities said. A statement from Spears’ representative calls the arrest “inexcusable.”

The California Highway Patrol said officers received a report shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday that someone in a black BMW 430i was driving fast and erratically on U.S. 101 in Newbury Park.

The 44-year-old pop star the only person in the car, exited the freeway and pulled over, a CHP statement said. She appeared to be impaired, took a series of field sobriety tests, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs and was taken to a Ventura County jail, the CHP said. Chemical test results are pending and the case remains under investigation

“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable,” a statement from a Spears representative said “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life.”

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office will determine whether charges will be filed.

Spears has a May 4 court date scheduled.

Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Spears was a teen pop phenomenon who became a defining superstar of the 1990s and 2000s.

Mom charged after girl shot with unsecured gun

DETROIT A Detroit mother was charged with a felony after her 6-year-old daughter died when she was left with her siblings in a vehicle outside a restaurant with an unsecured handgun, according to prosecutors

Tonya Johnson, 41, allegedly left her five children, ages 2 to 11 years old, unattended in her car Monday while she was inside a restaurant in Detroit, according to Wayne County prosecutors.

Her 11-year-old son found an unsecured gun in the vehicle and fired it, striking his 6-yearold sister in the head and killing her according to prosecutors.

“The alleged facts of this case are among the worst child safe storage cases that we have seen. This will affect these children forever The loss of the life of one of their siblings in a closed compartment of the defendant’s car cannot be unseen,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement.

One of the children went into the store to alert the mother, but it was too late said Charles Fitzgerald, the first assistant Detroit police chief. Johnson has been charged with a safe gun storage violation, three counts of second-degree child abuse and four counts of felony firearm.

Mass. trooper in $1,000 golf ball heist resigns

BOSTON A trooper, who had taken a plea deal after being accused of stealing more than a $1,000 worth of merchandise — including golf balls — from Target, no longer works for Massachusetts State Police.

Zachariah Kent resigned during an ongoing disciplinary process and received a dishonorable discharge, a State Police spokesperson confirmed to the Boston Herald on Thursday The State Police suspended Kent without pay in 2024 after the shoplifting accusations came to light.

Kent took an Alford plea deal last year which acknowledged that prosecutors had sufficient evidence but allowed him to avoid admitting guilt. As a part of the agreement, Kent paid Target $1,000 and is barred from entering their stores.

The Worcester Telegram and Gazette initially reported the shoplifting allegations from court records, which said that Kent had stolen the items using a method called skip-scanning — when a customer avoids ringing in some merchandise during self-checkout

Representative urged to end campaign

Gonzales admitted to having affair with a former staff member

BY LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON House Speaker Mike Johnson and the GOP leadership are calling for Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas to withdraw from his reelection race after he admitted having an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide.

The Republican leadership announced its decision Thursday a day after Gonzales acknowledged a relationship that has upturned the political world in his home state and in Washington, and after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into his conduct.

“We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents

and his colleagues,” said Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer, and GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain in a statement. “In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for reelection.”

a rare step that requires a twothirds vote from the chamber GOP leaders notably did not call for Gonzales to resign from office as they struggle to maintain their slim majority in the House, which they hold by only a handful of seats.

Their move came after Gonzales, appearing on the “Joe Pags Show,” was asked whether he had a relationship with the aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles.

Johnson, R-Benton, has been under enormous pressure from his own GOP lawmakers to take action, and several Republicans have already called for Gonzales to step aside. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has introduced two resolutions to punish Gonzales. The first seeks to remove him from his assignments on the House Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, while the second seeks to censure him.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, meanwhile, said he would support expelling Gonzales from the House,

Santos-Aviles, 35, died after setting herself on fire in the backyard of her home in Uvalde, Texas. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled her death a suicide.

“I made a mistake and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said.

The congressman, now in his third term, has said he would not step down in response to the allegations, telling reporters recently that there will be opportunities for all the details and facts to come out.

Gonzales, a father of six first

Crews in Cuba rush to repair power plant

BY MILEXSY DURÁN Associated Press

HAVANA Swaths of Cuba remained without power on Thursday nearly a day after a huge blackout hit the western part of the island in the latest outage blamed on a fragile electric grid and a lack of fuel.

Crews worked overnight to repair a broken boiler at one of Cuba’s largest thermoelectric plants, but officials have warned that it could take three to four days for power to be fully restored.

State media reported that nearly 660,000 customers in Havana, or 77%, had power, as well as 43 hospitals and 10 water supply stations. However, officials warned of low power generation and said some circuits that crews had reconnected were kicked offline again.

Millions still remained without power, including Miguel Leyva, 65, who lives with his mother and brother, both of whom are ill.

“I have no words to describe what I’m going through: the heat, the mosquitoes and no electricity The food could spoil,” he said. “I’m aware of all the problems that exist, but listen, it’s been more than 24 hours now.”

Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines wrote on X that the electrical system is operating “in a limited capacity pri-

Trump

oritizing basic services, primarily health and water supply.”

State media reported that two power plants are offline because of a lack of petroleum.

Government officials said Wednesday afternoon that crews have located the crack in the boiler drum that led to the outage. They said it will take 12 hours to cool that area so crews can enter the furnace and start repairing it. Work already is underway to fix a pipe that also is damaged, officials added.

Sonia Vázquez, 61, said the blackout didn’t stop her from selling coffee to passersby daily saying she prepared it with gas at 5 a.m. under a rechargeable lamp. “I didn’t sleep last night. Too many mosquitoes,” said Vázquez, who lives with her grandson.

Meanwhile, 57-year-old cafe owner José Ignacio Dorta said that some of his frozen food has spoiled.

“We’ve looked for ways to prevent further spoilage. We’re working on it. We hope nothing else will spoil,” he said.

In January, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that he would impose tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba.

Last month, Cuba’s government implemented austere fuel-saving measures and warned that jet fuel wouldn’t be available at nine airports until mid-March.

says Cuba ‘is going to fall’

BY NORA GÁMEZ TORRES Miami Herald (TNS)

President Donald Trump sounded confident Thursday that regime change might soon come to Cuba and said the country’s leadership is trying to cut a deal with the United States.

“Cuba’s going to fall, too,” he told the news outlet Politico in a phone interview “We cut off all oil, all money, or we cut off everything coming in from Venezuela, which was the sole source. And they want to make a deal.

“How long have you been hearing about Cuba, Cuba, Cuba for 50 years?” Trump added.

“And that’s one of the small ones for me.”

This is the first time

Trump has mentioned that Cuba has expressed an interest in reaching an agreement with the U.S.

For weeks, Trump has said his administration is in talks with leaders on the island, but Cuba has been particularly silent about the ongoing discussions.

Cuban diplomats first denied the talks, then called them “speculation.”

Shortly after the capture of Venezuela’s strongman Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, Trump said he wanted the communistruled island to reach a deal with the United States “BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” he said on social media in January

After cutting oil supplies to Cuba from Venezuela, he threatened Mexico and other suppliers with tar-

iffs. The country’s handpicked president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, announced harsh austerity measures on the population in an attempt to “resist” U.S. pressure.

But the Trump administration has sidelined Díaz-Canel, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has engaged in backchannel conversations with a grandson of Raúl Castro, the island’s ultimate ruler, and other people.

On Friday, Trump hinted that the conversations with Cuban leaders were progressing.

“They’re in a big deal of trouble, as you know, they have no money,” he said. “But they’re talking with us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.”

won his seat in 2020 after retiring from a 20-year career in the Navy that included time in Iraq and Afghanistan. On Tuesday, he was forced into a May runoff against Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and YouTube gun-rights influencer who narrowly lost to Gonzales in the 2024 primary In his interview broadcast Wednesday, Gonzales said he had not spoken to Santos-Aviles since June 2024 and she died in September 2025.

“I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing, and in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else,” Gonzales said. Gonzales went on to say he reconciled with his wife, Angel, and has asked God to forgive him. He also said he looked forward to the Ethics Committee investigation. Johnson and GOP leadership urged that committee to “act expeditiously.”

Under House ethics rules, lawmakers may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House under their supervision.

U.S., Venezuela agree to reestablish diplomatic relations

By The Associated Press

CARACAS The United States and Venezuela agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations in a major shift in a historically adversarial relationship, the State Department said on Thursday

The move comes after rounds of Trump administration officials have visited the South American nation following a U.S. military operation that deposed former President Nicolás Maduro in January Since then, the Trump administration has been stepping up pressure on Maduro loyalists now in power to accept its vision for the oil rich nation.

Relations between the two countries were cut off following another geopolitical debacle in 2019, during the first Trump administration. The U.S. Embassy was closed and diplomatic staff moved to neighboring Colombia.

The State Department said in a statement that

talks between the countries were “focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government.”

Since the unprecedented U.S offensive in Venezuela, the Trump administration has pushed the government to open its oil sector to foreign companies. The government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, formerly Maduro’s vice president, approved an amnesty law that would enable to release of politicians, activists, lawyers and many others, effectively acknowledging that the government has held hundreds of people in prison for political motivations.

On Sunday, Venezuela’s top opposition leader and winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize María Corina Machado said that she will return to Venezuela in the coming weeks and that elections will be held.

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Trumpwants role in pickingIran’sleader

BY JON GAMBRELL, DAVID RISING, ELENA BECATOROS and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

U.S.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he should be involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leaderasthe U.S. and Israel hammered the country for asixth day. Iran kept up retaliatory attacks on Israel,Americanbasesand countries around the region.

Trump ruled out Mojtaba Khamenei, afront-runnertoreplace hisfather,Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killedinthe opening strikes of the war. Trump’s comments to the American news website Axios were likely to renew questions about whether the U.S. and Israel seek the overthrow of the Islamic Republic or just a change in its policies,asthe conflicthas appeared increasingly open-ended.

The war has escalated each day, affecting an additional14countries across the Middle East and beyond. On Thursday,Azerbaijan accused Iran of drone attacks, which Tehran denied. Iran said the U.S. would “bitterlyregret” torpedoing an Iranian warship. Israel issued amass evacuation warning for Beirut’ssouthern suburbs as the fighting escalated with Iran-allied Hezbollah militants.

All the while, the U.S. andIsrael have batteredIran with nationwide strikes, targeting their military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program.

Iran’sattacks have targeted their Arab neighbors, disrupted oil supplies and snarled global air travel.The warhas killed at least 1,230 peopleinIran, more than120 in Lebanon and around adozen in Israel, according to officialsin those countries. Six U.S. troops have been killed.

ComparisontoVenezuela

In the Axios interview,Trump derided the 56-year-oldMojtaba Khamenei, who has never been

elected or appointed to agovernment position, as “a lightweight.”

“Wewant someone that will bring harmonyand peace to Iran,”

Trumpsaid

“I have to be involved in the appointment,like withDelcy in Venezuela,”said Trump, referring to theactingpresident in the South American country.Delcy Rodríguez took power in Januaryafter aU.S. military operation captured Nicolás Maduro andwhisked him to the U.S. to facefederal drug conspiracy charges.

Israel’sdefense minister,Israel Katz, said this week that Iran’s next supreme leader—ifhecontinuestothreatenIsrael,the U.S. and others —“will be atarget for elimination.”

Iran remains defiant Iranian Foreign MinisterAbbas Araghchi onThursday denied

reports that Tehran has been in contact with the U.S. to push for a ceasefire.

“Wedon’t see anyreasonwhy we should negotiate withthe U.S.,” Araghchi toldNBC News. “When we negotiatedwiththemtwice, and every time they attacked us in themiddle of negotiations.”

Araghchi also accused the U.S. Navy of committing “anatrocity at sea” forsinkingthe Iranianfrigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, killing at least 87 people.

“The U.S. will come tobitterly regret(the)precedent it has set,” he said on social media.

TheIranian ship was returningfrom an exercise hostedby theIndian navy that theU.S. also joined. Sri Lankan authorities said 32 crew memberswererescued. Araghchi said it had been carrying “almost 130” crew An Iranian cleric later called on

state television for the shedding of both Israeli and “Trump’sblood.”

The statementfrom Ayatollah Abdollah JavadiAmolirepresented ararecallfor violence by an ayatollah, one of ShiiteIslam’s highest clericalranks. There are dozens in Iran.

Sri Lanka said another Iranian warship wasanchored near its coastonThursday and morethan 200 sailors werebeing escorted to anaval base on the outskirts of the capital, Colombo. The ship will be taken to aSri Lankan port, said Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Thewar keepsexpanding

The Israeli military carried out awave of strikes on Iran’sballisticmissilelaunchsites,and its topgeneral said that80% of Iran’s air defenses and60% of itsmissile launchers had been destroyed.

U.S. Housenarrowlyrejects Iran warpowersresolution CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST

BY LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES and MARYCLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON TheHouse narrowlyrejected awar powers resolutionThursday to halt President Donald Trump’sattacks onIran, an early sign of unease in Congress over the rapidly widening conflictthat is reordering U.S. priorities at home andabroad. It’s the second vote in as manydays, after the Senate defeated asimilar measure along party lines. Lawmakersare confrontingthe sudden reality of representing wary Americans in wartime and all that entails —with lives lost, dollars spent andalliances tested by apresident’sunilateral decision to go to war with Iran.

While the tally in the House,212-219, was expected to be tight, theoutcome provided aclarifying snapshot of politicalsupportfor, and opposition to, the U.S.-Israel military operation and Trump’srationale for bypassing Congress, which alonehas the power to declarewar

“Donald Trump is not aking, and if he believes the warwith Iran is in ournational interest, then he mustcometoCongress and makethe case,”said Rep. GregoryMeeks, the top Democratonthe House Foreign Affairs Committee. The House also approved aseparate measure affirming that Iran is the largeststate sponsor of terrorism.

Sticking with Trump

Trump’sRepublicanParty, which narrowly controls the House and Senate, largely sees the conflictwith Iran notas the startof anew war,but the end of agovernmentthat has long menaced the West. The operation has killed Iran’sSupremeLeader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which someview as an opportunity for regime change, though others warn of achaotic power vacuum.

RepublicanRep. Brian Mast of Florida, chairman of theHouseForeign Affairs Committee, publicly thanked Trump for taking action againstIran, saying the president is using hisown constitutional authority to defend the U.S. against the “imminent threat” the country posed Mast, an Army veteranwho worked as a bomb disposal expert in Afghanistan, said the war powers resolution was effectively asking “that the presidentdonothing.”

For Democrats, Trump’sattack on Iran, influenced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,isa war of choice that istesting the balance of powers in the Constitution. “The framers weren’tfoolingaround,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., arguing that theConstitution is clear that onlyCongress

can decidematters of war.“It’suptous.”

While views in Congress are largely falling along party lines, there are crossover coalitions.The war powers resolution, if signedinto law, would have immediately halted Trump’sability to conduct the war unless Congress approved the military action. Thepresident would likely veto it.

Shifting rationale forwar

After launching asurpriseattack against Iran on Saturday,Trumphas scrambled to win support for aconflict that Americansof all political persuasions were already wary of entering. Trump administration officials spenthours behind closed doorsonCapitol Hill this week trying to reassure lawmakers that they have thesituation under control.

SixU.S.militarymembers were killed over theweekendina drone strike in Kuwait, and Trump has said more Americans coulddie.Thousands of Americans abroad have scrambled for flights, manylighting up phone lines at congressional offices as they sought help trying to flee theMiddle East.

Trump said Thursdayhemustbeinvolved in choosing Iran’snew leader.Yet House SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Benton, saidthis week that America has enough problems at home and is notabout to be in the “nationbuilding business.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethsaid that thewar could extendtoeight weeks, twice as long as thepresident first estimated. Trump hasleft open thepossibility of sendingU.S. troops into what has largely been a bombing campaign by air. More than 1,230 people in Iran have died.

The administration said the goal is to destroy Iran’sballistic missiles thatitbelieves are shielding its nuclear program.Ithas also saidIsrael was ready to act, andAmerican bases would face retaliation if the U.S. did not strike Iran first

“This administration can’t even give us a straight answer of as to why we launched this preemptive war,” said Rep. Thomas Massie,R-Ky., an outlier in his party

Massieand Rep. Ro Khanna,D-Calif who had teamed up to force the release the Jeffrey Epstein files, also pushed thewar powersresolution to the floor,past objections from Johnson’s GOP leadership. Another Republican, Rep.Warren Davidson of Ohio, aformer Army Ranger,was alsoexpected to backthe war powers resolution.

Johnson has warned that it would be “dangerous” to limit the president’s authority while the U.S. military is already in conflict.

“Congress must stand with the president to finally close, once and forall, this dark chapterofhistory,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas.

Still, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said: “The threat has not yet been removed.”

Israel said holy sites in Jerusalem’sOld City would be closed Fridayafter airsirens warned of missile attacks Thursday in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Closures include Christianity’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Judaism’s Western Wall. They will also affect tensofthousands of Muslimswho pray at the compound on Fridays during Ramadan.

The U.S. State Department announced it wasclosing the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, which activated air defense systems after missiles were shot toward it. Iran has fired waves of missiles and drones at the American-allied Gulf country since the start of the war.AnIranian dronestrike Sunday killedsix American soldiers in Kuwait.

In theUnited Arab Emirates, a drone wasshot down near the Al Dhafra Air Base, which hosts U.S. forces. Shrapnel fell to the ground, authoritiessaid, andsix people were wounded.

Qatarevacuated residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha as a temporary precautionand later reported amissile attack. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed adrone in aprovince bordering Jordan. Bahrain said an Iranian missile hit astate-run oilrefinery Thursday,sparking afire that was extinguished. The refinery wasstill working, it said, and there wereno reports of casualties.

Azerbaijan’sPresident Ilham Aliyev accusedIranofcarrying out “a groundless act of terror and aggression” after adrone crashed Thursday near the airport in Nakhchivan, aregion bordering Iran. Another drone fell near aschool. Aliyev said the military had been instructed “to prepare andimplementretaliatory measures.”

Iran denied it launched drones toward Azerbaijan. Iran has also repeatedly denied targeting oil infrastructureand othercivilian targets,evenasits missiles and drones have hit such sites.

Thursday marks his strongestendorsement of the coastallawsuits to date —litigation that Landry had previously tried to take over and scale back. He hasspoken of wanting to reducethe number of such lawsuits through negotiated settlements.

As with some of the other settlements in the lawsuits, the details are sealed, and it is not clear how much the company paid to resolve thecase. Theparishesinvolvedin thelitigation will also need to sign off on the settlement before it is finalized, Landry and Carmouche said.

Landry said at ameeting of an advisorycommission on coastal issues in Lafourche Parish thatthe dealwas nearly finalized.“Today, I’m proud to report thatthe state of Louisiana and ConocoPhillips, the largest private wetlands owner in our state, are words away from resolving the longstandingcoastal litigation claims againstthem,”he said.

The site of his announcement was significant: Lafourche Parish has not joined any of the coastal lawsuits, which have been filed in Plaquemines, Jefferson,Cameron and other coastal parishes. Terrebonne Parish also has notsued oil companies.

Landry said that the settlement would involve the company giving the state access to 150,000acres of land it owns and “unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in coastal investment.”

“What does this mean for Loui-

BUDGET

Continued from page1A

andright-size benefit programs But the full financial picture is turning out to be more complicated. Already administrative burdens associated with new levels of bureaucracyrequired by the bill are revealing hidden costs and raising concerns about governmentefficiency And new rules limiting howstates can pay for Medicaid could have an even biggerimpact. Policy analysts worry those rules may create budget crisesinthe comingyears, forcing states to choose between slashing Medicaid and other programs “This has huge consequences for states thatgo way beyond the Medicaid budget,” said Leo Cuello, a public policyresearch professor at Georgetown University who specializes in Medicaid and believes the lawwill ultimately force states to cut the program.

Medicaid is afederal match program. That means states put up money to draw down billions of dollars from the federal government.

For example, in 2014, states gotthe option of expanding Medicaid so that non-elderly,low-income adults wouldbeeligiblefor coverage. States that elected to do so, including Louisiana, got a90% match for payments supporting the expansion population. Louisiana’smatch rate for most other Medicaid services is about 68%, according to acongressional report. The budget concernscome as Louisiana gears up for its legislative session, which begins Monday.There, lawmakers will have to balance state needs to draw up a budget for the coming fiscal year,which lasts from July until June 2027.

Last spring, Louisiana increased the rates that providers,including physicians and hospitals, are paid to serveMedicaidpatients. Themovewas part of abid to get more providers to accept Medicaid patients and expand health care access

siana? It means access to these lands, it clears the way for major restoration efforts, and helps secure nearly $480 million in federal funding,”Landry said. It was not immediately clear where that federal funding would come from.

Dennis Nuss, adirector of media relations atConocoPhillips, said that the company is “pleased to have reached alignment with thestate of Louisiana on aresolution that supports theprotection and restoration of the Louisiana coastal zone.”

The settlement will allow the state to breakground on a94-mile coastal land bridge project across Plaqueminesand Terrebonne

for poor Louisianans.

To help pay for that initiative, the legislature raised “providertaxes”onhospitals. To fund Medicaid, most stateshave come to partly rely on providertaxes, which are levied on organizationslike hospitals and insurance companies. Because hospitalsknow the taxes willearn dividends by drawing federal funds into the system, they typically do not resist thetaxes, accordingtoanalysts. Louisiana’shospital taxincrease last year was projected to inject $1.1 billion worth of federalfunds into the state’s Medicaid budget, according to legislativefiscal reports and Annika Vanderspek, aMedicaid analyst for theBaton Rouge-based progressive think tank Invest in Louisiana Now,Vanderspek warns, that money could be in jeopardy. That’sbecause the One Big Beautiful Bill Actprevented any new provider taxes or provider tax increases from receiving matchingfederal funds. Critics of provider taxes argue they artificially inflate state contributions to Medicaid.

Louisiana passed its tax increase before Trumpsigned thelaw.But theCenters for Medicaid&MedicareServices has since issued guidance suggesting the increase mayhave been enacted too close to the deadline to be considereda preexisting tax,meaning any revenue collected through it might not be eligible for amatch, Vanderspek said. Because afinalrulehas notbeen issued,itisunclear whether that will come to pass.

State Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, who chairs theHouse Appropriations Committee and plays a key role in putting together thestatebudget each year, said he wasawareof theissue but thought it most likely the tax would stand.

“Speaker (Mike Johnson) andthe restofour congressional delegationworkedto make sure that we’re grandfathered in,” he said. “I think that’ssomething they’re trying to work through right now.”

settlement. He felt that the talks hadstalled, andhewas prepared to takeacase against the company to trial. At that point, Carmouche said,representatives from the company approached members of Landry’sadministration.

Carmouche said that Attorney General Liz Murrill and Landry “did an excellent job getting this to thefinish line.”

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana,a coastal advocacy group, praised the anticipated settlement and saiditwould benefit thestate and its coastal programs.

“It shows the importance of partnerships and resolving differences and underscores the idea that safeguarding our future in south Louisiana is best accomplished by workingtogether,” said CRCL spokesperson James Karst.

parishes, abarrier that thegovernorsaidwould protectHouma, Thibodaux and other communities Landry added thesettlement will facilitate the expansionofPort Fourchon, amajor oil and gas hub in Lafourche Parish “Another major (oiland gas company) has come to the table,” Carmouche said Thursday. “The governor and the attorney general took thelead. Iwant to thank them for theirhard work and dedication, which will help protect Louisiana and its future citizens.”

Carmouche saidthat he and his firm, Talbot, Carmouche &Marcello, had been negotiating with ConocoPhillips for years,trying to resolve the litigation through a

“That’sstill undecided,” McFarland said, adding that he thought it highly unlikely that Louisiana would lose therevenue.

Even if the tax increase stands, the OneBig Beautiful Bill Act has generated concerns about funding Medicaid in thelong term.

Cuello, the Georgetown public policy professor,said the bill lowered thecap on match-eligible provider tax rates from 6% to 3.5% in states that have expansion populations —which includes Louisiana. States that did notelect to expand Medicaid, like Texas andFlorida,will be able to keep their rates at 6%, Cuello said.

If thelaw stands,some states will have to start lowering their provider tax ratesin2027, meaning they could lose existing revenue after already losing amechanism for generating additional revenue.

“The stateisgoing to struggle to figure out how to makethis math,math,” said Cuello. “Losing the provider tax is along-term structural funding nightmare.”

Oneupcoming cost associated with the OneBig BeautifulBill Act is morecertain for thestate: Starting in October,Louisiana will have to pay75% of theadministrativecosts for SNAP,the federalfood stamp program. Previously, states only had to foot half that bill.

The change,whichtakes effect several months into thecomingfiscal year,is expected to cost Louisiana $42.3million during the next budgetcycle,according to theLouisiana Department of Health. That cost will increase to about $56 million the following year,when it will apply to the full year, theagency said.

Good government groups have warned that another provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will also carry administrative costs, especially when states get theprogram off the ground. That provision added work requirements for Medicaid recipients who are healthy, low-income adults —the so-called “expansion population.”

Thefederal government will share that burden.

Tommy Faucheux, the president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, which has long opposed the lawsuits, said that the state’s“energy industry is already the largest private investor in restoring our state’scoastline.”

“Theselawsuits are ashortsighted strategy that create longtermconflict between our state andLouisiana’senergy communities,” Faucheux said.

“It’sasad day when the state of Louisiana celebrates another ‘sue and settle’ deal against one of the largest energy producers in the world,”saidMarcEhrhardt, the executive director of the Grow LouisianaCoalition, whichadvocates for Louisiana’senergy industry Thursday’sannouncement comes after years of legal and political wrangling over the cases.

Though the costs will vary state by state, Georgia providesalook at howthe work requirements could impact spending. When thatstate expanded Medicaid to low-income adults, it also implemented work requirements, unlike most other states.

Astudy from the Government Accountability Office found that, during thefirst several years of theprogram, thestate andfederal government spentfar more on administrative costs than on health care.

Over 41/2 years, spending for Georgia’sMedicaid expansion totaled about $80 million,$54 million of which went toward administrative costs, thestudy says. The federal government paid nearly 88% of those administrative costs.

Overall, Georgiaisspending less on Medicaid than it would have haditnot instituted workrequirements, said Cuello.Only 14,000 people —anestimated 5% of thestate’seligible cohort —enrolled in Georgia’sexpansion, according to Cuello. Work requirements have a “suppressive” effect, lower-

The coastal cases have been apolitical flashpoint since thefirstof the 40-plus lawsuits were filed in 2013. Landry,asattorney general, sought to take over the cases from Carmouche’sfirm in 2016. After Landrywas elected governor in 2023, the state instead joined the cases alongside the parishes. Murrill has since beenoutspoken in hersupportofthe cases, in spite of the Trumpadministration’s opposition to them —one of fewareas where Louisiana leadershave openly clashed with the president. Last year,the first of the coastal lawsuits went to trial in PlaqueminesParish, whereajury ordered Chevron to pay$745 million in damages. But that verdict is now in limbo, as the oil companies involved in that case have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to move the case out of state court and into federal court. The companies argue that the cases involve oil and gas production during WorldWar II, and so should be heard in federal court. If the SupremeCourt orders the cases removed to federal court, a federal judge could toss the $745 million jury verdict and order the case retried.The justices heard oral arguments in the case in January and aruling is expected by the summer Chevron and Exxon are the two oiland gasmajors that have not yetsettledinthe coastallawsuits, Carmouchesaid. Any resolution with either company could rank amongthe largest in thedecadelong litigation.

Email AlexLubbenatalex. lubben@theadvocate.com.

ing enrollment rates among people who would be eligible because of theadded bureaucracy,hesaid.

Eventhough Georgia is spending less money on its Medicaid expansion, the program costs much more per personthaninother states, Cuello said, calling the setup “hyper inefficient.”

States that expanded Medicaid without work requirements, including Louisiana, are unlikely to see their numbersdropsolow as Georgia’s, he said, one of the reasons being that people alreadyonthe rolls are incentivized to keep their insurance even if it means morebureaucracy

In astatement, the LouisianaDepartmentofHealth said it has not yet requested anyadditionalfunds to implement the new Medicaid work requirements, which take effect next year

“As implementation needs areidentified, the department will workwiththe Governor and Legislature to prioritize effective and efficient implementation,” the statement said.

SomeSNAPrecipients also have new workrequire-

ments under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Department of Health is not expecting those measures to growthe SNAPadministrative budget, according to its statement. In thelongrun, officials hope theworkrequirements will save tax dollars, the statement said. It referenced thestate’s“OneDoor” program,aninitiative implemented last year that is supposed to allow Louisianans to access benefits at Louisiana Works, which in turn can help recipients connect with job opportunities.

“Over time, able-bodied adults will be connected to high-quality jobs, not only saving tax dollars but contributing to agrowing economy,” the agency said. The state Health Departmentalso is working to get its SNAP payment error rate down, as another aspectof theOne BigBeautifulBill Act penalizes states with errorrates above7%. To do so, it is offeringbonuses to employees who catch enough errors.The bonuses will staywithin theexisting administrative budget, the agency said.

BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

MrBeast editor accused of insider trading, fired NEW YORK Beast Industries

fired a MrBeast video editor this week following accusations of insider trading by the prediction market operator Kalshi Kalshi announced last month that a user who traded about $4,000 on streaming markets related to MrBeast videos with “near-perfect” success turned out to be an employee of Beast Industries who “likely had access to material nonpublic information.” Kalshi suspended the editor from its platform for two years, fined him $20,000 and alerted federal regulators.

A spokesperson for Beast Industries, founded by Jimmy Donaldson, said the roughly 500-person company has “no tolerance for this behavior” and has initiated an independent investigation. Jeff Housenbold, the company’s president and CEO, told CNBC that he’d taken action several months ago to bar trading by MrBeast employees and contestants for Beast Games, Donaldson’s popular Amazon Prime reality-competition show.

Kalshi is one of several popular platforms that allow participants to wager on the probable outcome of events. Bets can be placed on everything from the Super Bowl halftime show to the downfall of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Morgan Stanley to lay off about 3% of workers

NEW YORK Morgan Stanley is laying off roughly 2,500 employees as job cuts continue this year in the financial sector

The layoffs at Morgan Stanley, which account for roughly 3% of its workforce, are taking place across the entirety of investment bank, a person with knowledge familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity as the firm is not making a public statement about the layoffs.

Like other firms, Morgan Stanley aggressively hired during the pandemic, going from 60,000 employees in 2019 to 82,000 employees by year end 2022. The company had 83,000 employees at the end of 2025.

Capital One laying off more employees

Capital One is laying off another 1,139 employees at the former Discover headquarters in Riverwoods, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, a second wave of downsizing following the credit card giants’ megamerger last year.

The employees, whose roles span a variety of job titles at Discover Financial Services, were given notice Feb. 23 that their positions were being eliminated. The last day for most of the employees being laid off is May 4, the company said. In February 2024, Virginiabased Capital One announced it was buying Discover for $35 billion merging two of the largest credit card companies. Capital One completed the acquisition in May At the time the deal was announced, there were about 4,000 Discover employees connected to the Riverwoods headquarters.

Average U.S. mortgage rate ticks up to 6%,

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate came off its lowest level in 3½ years this week, as bond yields marched higher following a spike in oil prices due to the war with Iran. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate ticked up to 6% from 5.98% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday One year ago, the rate averaged 6.63%.

Meanwhile, borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, fell this week. That average rate slipped to 5.43% from 5.44% last week A year ago, it was at 5.79%, Freddie Mac said.

“For rates to continue their descent in 2026, we will need clear signals in the months to come that this conflict is not driving up prices for consumers at home,” said Joel Berner senior economist at Realtor.com.

Stocks drop after oil prices spike

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK Stocks sank on Wall Street Thursday after the price of oil spiked to its highest level since the summer of 2024 because of the war with Iran. The losses came as financial markets around the world keep following the cue of oil prices. Sharp increases there are raising worries that a long-term surge could grind down the global economy exhaust households’ ability to spend and push interest rates higher The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude shot up 8.5% Thursday to settle at $81.01 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 4.9% to $85.41 per barrel and is likewise near its highest price since 2024.

Oil prices gave back some of those gains later in the day, which helped stocks in the U.S. moderate their losses at the end of trading. But worries nevertheless remain high about how long disruptions will last for oil production because of the escalating war with Iran. Prices at U.S. gasoline pumps have already leaped because of them. The average price for a gallon is $3.25, up 9% from $2.98 a week ago, according to auto club AAA.

If oil prices spike further, like to $100 per barrel, and stay there, some analysts and investors say it could be too much for the global economy to withstand. Uncertainty about what will happen has caused frenetic swings across financial markets this week, sometimes hour by hour

Much will depend on what happens with the Strait of Hormuz Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil typically sails through the narrow waterway off Iran’s coast.

“While further escalation remains a risk, we think the more likely outcome is an increase in market risk aversion that likely lasts only a short time until investors can see a winding down of hostilities,” according to Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Stocks of airlines fell to some of the U.S. market’s worst losses again on Thursday Higher oil prices are increasing their already big fuel bills, while the war has left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded across the Middle East. American Airlines lost 5.4%, United Airlines fell 5% and Delta Air Lines sank 3.9%.

States sue over new global tariffs

BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST and PAUL WISEMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON Some two dozen states challenged President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs on Thursday filing a lawsuit over import taxes he imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court.

The Democratic attorneys general and governors in the lawsuit argue that Trump is overstepping his power with planned 15% tariffs on much of the world.

Trump has said the tariffs are essential to reduce America’s longstanding trade deficits. He imposed duties under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs he imposed last year under an emergency powers law Section 122, which has never been invoked, allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15% They are limited to five months unless extended by Congress.

The lawsuit is led by attorneys general from Oregon, Arizona, California and New York.

“The focus right now should be on paying people back, not doubling down on illegal tariffs,” said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield. The suit comes a day after a judge ruled that companies who paid tariffs under Trump’s old framework should get refunds.

The White House said Trump is acting within his power “The President is using his authority granted by Congress to address fundamental international payments problems and to deal with our country’s large and serious balance-of-payments deficits,” said spokesman Kush Desai. “The Administration will vigorously defend the President’s action in court.”

The new suit argues that Trump can’t pivot to Section 122 because it was intended to be used only in specific, limited circumstances — not for sweeping import taxes.

It also contends the tariffs will drive up costs for states, businesses and consumers.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes pointed to a New York Federal Reserve Bank study that found Americans largely bear the cost of the tariffs, which has been estimated at $1,200 a year per household. “That is money out of the pockets of American families trying to buy groceries, pay rent and keep their small businesses afloat,” Mayes said. Many of the plaintiff states also successfully sued over Trump’s tariffs imposed under a different law: the International Emergency Economic Powers Act

Four days after the Supreme Court struck down his sweeping IEEPA tariffs Feb 20, Trump invoked Section 122 to slap 10% tariffs on foreign goods. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Wednesday that the administration would raise the levies to the 15% limit this week.

The Democratic states and other critics say the president can’t use Section 122 as a replacement for the defunct tariffs to combat the trade deficit

The Section 122 provision is

aimed at what it calls “fundamen-

tal international payments problems.” At issue is whether that wording covers trade deficits, the gap between what the U.S. sells other countries and what it buys from them.

Section 122 arose from the financial crises that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s when the U.S. dollar was tied to gold. Other countries were dumping dollars in exchange for gold at a set rate, risking a collapse of the U.S. currency and chaos in financial markets. But the dollar is no longer linked to gold, so critics say Section 122 is obsolete.

Awkwardly for Trump, his own Justice Department argued in a court filing last year that the president needed to invoke the emergency powers act because Section 122 did “not have any obvious application” in fighting trade deficits, which it called “conceptually distinct” from balance-of-payment issues.

Still, some legal analysts say the Trump administration has a stronger case this time.

“The legal reality is that courts will likely provide President Trump substantially more defer-

ence regarding Section 122 than they did to his previous tariffs under IEEPA,” Peter Harrell, visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Institute of International Economic Law wrote in a commentary Wednesday

The specialized Court of International Trade in New York, which will hear the states’ lawsuit, wrote last year in its own decision striking down the emergency-powers tariffs that Trump didn’t need them because Section 122 was available to combat trade deficits.

Trump does have other legal authorities he can use to impose tariffs, and some have already survived court tests. Duties that Trump imposed on Chinese imports during his first term under Section 301 of the same 1974 trade act are still in place.

Also joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia Washington, Wisconsin, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Berkshire Hathaway resumes stock buybacks

BY JOSH FUNK Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb Berkshire Hathaway is buying back shares for the first time in nearly two years, and new CEO Greg Abel said he has no immediate plans to sell off Kraft Heinz shares now that the packaged food giant has shelved its plan to split the company into two. Abel appeared on CNBC Thursday — less than a week after releasing his first letter to shareholders after taking over the top job at Berkshire from legendary investor Warren Buffett in January Berk-

shire also took the unusual step of filing a formal notice with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had begun repurchasing its shares Wednesday for the first time since May 2024. When Kraft first announced its plan to split the company in two last fall Abel and Buffett expressed concerns about that because of the costs involved and the current struggles for some of the brands. So Abel said he agreed with new Kraft CEO Steve Cahillane’s decision to pause the split “For Steve to come in and say we’re pausing it there’s opportunities within Kraft Heinz to fix things and get the business back on track and then he’ll evaluate things. We thought that was absolutely the right approach,” Abel said. Berkshire has long been Kraft’s

biggest shareholder with 325 million shares ever since Buffett and the Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital orchestrated the merger of Kraft and Heinz in 2015 because they already owned Heinz and believed in the power of their brands. Over the years since Buffett had made comments about how Kraft’s competitive moat around its brands wasn’t

Homeland Security funding bill falters again in Senate

Alex Pretti by Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis.

es within the department through the spending bill.

BY KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON Republicans invoked the war in Iran and the prospect of retaliatory terrorist attacks as they made another unsuccessful effort Thursday to pass a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security Democrats are insisting on changes to immigration enforcement operations as part of the measure and blocked it from advancing. The procedural vote was 51-45, falling well short of the 60 that Republicans needed to proceed with the measure.

The House also took up the bill on Thursday, passing it 221-209, but in the end, a bipartisan compromise will have to be reached to end a DHS shutdown that began Feb. 14.

The funding bill first passed the House back in January, but it has gone nowhere in the Senate as Democrats seek new restraints on immigration enforcement tactics following the killing of ICU nurse

Republicans have called on Democrats to reconsider their vote in the wake of the conflict in Iran.

Sen. John Barrasso, the No 2 Republican in the Senate, said Democrats would bear responsibility for the next cyberattack that is missed or the next “lone wolf terrorist” who attacks in the U.S.

“Blood will be on their hands,”

Barrasso said on the Senate floor

It did not appear the GOP’s strategy had changed the position of Democratic lawmakers, though. They said they are prepared to fund most of the agencies in the department, just not Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection.

“It’s the same lousy, rotten bill that does not put any guardrails or constraints on ICE or CBP after federal agents shot American citizens in the street,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. Moments before the vote, senators were getting word that President Donald Trump had just fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The news did not change Democrats’ resolve to force operational chang-

“Good riddance,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “But the problems at ICE transcend any one individual.”

Following the longest federal shutdown in the country’s history last year, Congress has completed work on 11 of this year’s 12 appropriations bills. Only the bill for Homeland Security remains outstanding.

Republicans said the timing couldn’t be worse for a Homeland Security shutdown. While a large majority of the department’s employees are considered essential and continue to work, many will not receive a full paycheck this week.

“Like Democrats’ first shutdown a few months ago, this shutdown is causing a lot of financial stress, uncertainty, and pain for hardworking Americans,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said. “It’s also making it harder for those working to keep America safe.”

Republicans said the prospect of an increase in unscheduled absences by the Transportation Security Administration’s agents could lead to longer wait times at

the nation’s airports. Meanwhile, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has canceled various assessments to determine vulnerabilities to critical infrastructure. And training for first responders conducted through the Federal Emergency Management Agency was canceled.

Democrats are seeking several changes at the department that include prohibiting ICE enforcement operations at sensitive locations like schools and churches, allowing independent investigations into alleged wrongdoing, requiring warrants to be signed by judges before federal agents can forcibly enter private homes or other nonpublic spaces without consent, and requiring agents to wear identification and remove their masks.

Republicans note that the bill does include a bipartisan provision directing more resources for deescalation training and $20 million to outfit immigration enforcement agents with body-worn cameras.

The White House and congressional Democrats don’t appear to have made significant progress in recent weeks in resolving their differences after trading offers.

“Look, we’re still far apart, but we’re negotiating and exchanging paper back and forth,” Schumer said.

The size of the divide appeared significant during Thursday’s debate.

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt said that through their actions, Democrats were “still the party of open borders, they are still the party of defund the police, now actually more than ever.”

She and other Republicans also cited last weekend’s mass shooting in Austin, Texas, as an example of the dangerous threat environment that’s facing Americans following the attack on Iran.

“We know this couldn’t come at a more dangerous time,” Britt said.

Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that Democrats were simply working to make sure federal immigration officials follow the same standards as other law enforcement officers. She offered an alternative bill to fund all the agencies within Homeland Security except for ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and the office of the secretary, but it was rejected.

was making her a “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative that he said would focus on the Western Hemisphere.

Noem, who appeared at a law enforcement event in Nashville, Tennessee, moments after Trump’s announcement, did not address her ouster there. She read from prepared remarks and was not asked by attendees about the development.

Later, in a social media post, she thanked Trump for the new appointment and touted her accomplishments as secretary

“We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again,” she wrote.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration will work with the GOP-led Senate to get Mullin, whom she called “extraordinarily qualified,” confirmed to lead DHS “as soon as possible.”

Noem is the first Cabinet secretary to leave during Trump’s second term. Her tenure looked increasingly short-lived after hearings in Congress this week where she faced rare but blistering criticism from Republican lawmakers. One particular point of scrutiny was a $220 million ad campaign featuring Noem that encouraged people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily Noem told lawmakers that Trump was aware of the campaign in advance, but Trump disputed that in an interview Thursday with Reuters, saying he did not sign off on the ad campaign. Noem has faced waves of criticism as she’s overseen Trump’s immigration crackdown, especially since the

“This is not accountability, just a reshuffling of the enablers of the agenda of President Trump,” said Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice, an advocacy group. She said Noem’s tenure was “marked by cruelty.”

Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol official who was elevated under Noem’s watch to lead immigration crackdowns in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, was one of the few who applauded Noem’s tenure.

ing executive branch vacancies, he would be allowed to serve as an acting Homeland Security secretary as long as his nomination is formally pending.

Voting in the Senate just after Trump’s announcement, Mullin said he has “no idea” how quickly his nomination will move.

“The president and I are good friends. So we look forward to working closer with the White House, and obviously I’m gonna be over there a lot more,” he said.

of Trump’s administration was largely defined by highprofile, made-for-social-media operations with flashy names, often led by Bovino, who reported directly to Noem. Noem herself often went out on those operations, riding along with officers when they went out to make arrests.

shooting deaths of the two protesters in Minneapolis at the hands of immigration enforcement officers. In the immediate aftermath of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Noem portrayed both of them as aggressors, contradicting widely viewed videos and descriptions of their deaths from bystanders. She declined to apologize for her description over two days of Congressional testimony

The former South Dakota governor was also criticized over the way her department has spent billions of dollars allocated to it by Congress.

Her department, DHS, has been at the center of a funding battle in Congress over immigration enforcement tactics and has been shut down for 20 days, although many of the employees are continuing to work, often without pay

Even before Noem’s appearance before key congressional committees this week Republican lawmakers had been anticipating the secretary’s eventual ouster, particularly after her handling of the immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis.

As they tried to end the ongoing Homeland Secu-

rity shutdown, Senate Republicans had noted privately to Democratic senators that Noem was likely on her way out and that that should prompt Democrats to move forward with agreeing to fund the department again, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Democrats did not see that as an actual concession by Republicans, considering Noem was becoming a political liability for the GOP said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations. Aside from immigration, Noem also faced criticism — including from Republicans — over the pace of emergency funding approved through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and for the Trump administration’s response to disasters.

Critics welcomed Noem’s departure. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey wrote “good riddance” on social media, a sentiment echoed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer Some immigration activists questioned whether her departure would change the execution of an immigration agenda that they fundamentally disagree with.

“She is the best Secretary I ever worked for, period. The others weren’t even close. Noem is the ultimate patriot,” Bovino told The Associated Press. Mullin would need to be confirmed by the Senate, but under a federal law govern-

Mullin would take over the third-largest department in government that has responsibility for carrying out Trump’s hardline immigration agenda. And he would assume the role at a pivotal time for that agenda.

Immigration enforcement during the first year

But those high-profile operations in places like Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis often led to clashes with activists and protesters that were captured on video and drove opposition to the president’s immigration agenda.

That culminated with the shooting deaths in Minneapolis after which Trump shuffled leadership of the operation. The number of officers there was drawn down shortly after

La. crawfish farmers see worker shortage

Changes to temporary visa program lead to migrant worker decline

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana crawfish farmers are facing a shortage of workers due to changes to a temporary guestworker visa program for migrants, Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said

Tsunami seeks Chapter 11 protection

Restaurant

owners file for bankruptcy

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

The owners of Tsunami Sushi restaurants have filed for federal bankruptcy protection, just over four years after buying the business from Lafayette owners.

The ownership group, which operates the Lafayette location along with two in Baton Rouge and another in New Orleans, filed for Chapter 11 protection earlier this week in the Middle District of Louisiana The company is pledging to keep its locations open through the process.

The four operating companies under the Tsunami brand, now under ownership of Baton Rouge restaurateur Chad Hughes, Connie Hargrave and Sarwat Gad, are facing between $2.5 million and $3.5 million in debt across the four restaurants, the group’s attorney told WAFB.

The list of the biggest creditors for the Lafayette location totaled more than $300,000, including over $26,000 to Fortune Fish & Gourmet of New Orleans, $7,000 to Loop Linen Service of Westwego and over $7,000 to Southside Produce of Baton Rouge.

In a statement released Wednesday, the group indicated the filing is to reorganize its subsidiaries to “continue to serve their customers in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans.”

The reorganization is expected to be complete in the coming months, the statement read.

The group bought the chain from a Lafayette group led by Michele Ezell, who first opened the Lafayette location along with her husband and siblings in the old Abdalla’s building downtown in December 2000 In 2004, a Baton Rouge location opened in the Shaw Center for the Arts, a mixeduse development that played a key role in revitalizing downtown A New

Scooter rider hospitalized after being hit by 3 cars

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

A scooter rider is in critical condition after being struck three times on Pinhook Road early Thursday The on-scene preliminary investigation, according to Lafayette police, suggests a motorist operating an electric scooter was traveling south in the right lane of the 1600 block of West Pinhook Road when a vehicle traveling in the same lane collided with the scooter The driver of the vehicle continued southbound, turning into a parking lot at 1602 W. Pinhook Road, according to a news release. The driver of the scooter was left lying in the right southbound lane of Pinhook Road. She was then struck a second time by a vehicle that

this week.

Strain said he has reached out to federal officials about the problem but has gotten little indication that things will change.

“They simply cannot get their workers. And so some of the plants that normally get 100, 135 workers have gotten zero,” Strain told a

panel of state legislators who were meeting this week for budget discussions.

The staffing problems come in the middle of crawfish harvesting season, which typically runs from December to June.

“Without those workers, the crawfish don’t get peeled,” Strain

said. “The plants will shut down, and either, one, those crawfish are not consumed, or two, as has happened in the past, they will fill up tractor-trailer loads of these crawfish, send ’em down to Mexico, get ’em peeled and bring ’em back.”

Strain said the federal government’s quota has already been

reached for H-2B visas, temporary work visas which allow businesses to hire migrants for seasonal, nonagricultural jobs. Temporary visa programs are overseen by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is a part of the Department of Homeland Security “I’ve sent a letter and follow-up

REDEFINING THE NICU EXPERIENCE

Dr Amy Zeringue, a neonatologist,

Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s Hospital in Lafayette adds family suites

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

An expansion at Our Lady of Lourdes

Women’s & Children’s Hospital is reshaping how patients and families experience time in the neonatal intensive care unit.

The hospital has added private family suites as part of its $100 million Advancing Acadiana initiative. Each suite features a full bathroom and a dedicated family area within the room. The NICU is expanding from 51 to 60 beds and now includes 19 private suites.

The newly built suites are designed to support family bonding. Each room includes sleeping accommodations for family members, a recliner to promote skin-to-skin contact, a private bathroom, Wi-Fi access, a workstation and in-room bottle warmers. Two of the rooms are specifically designed to accommodate twins, allowing families to remain together rather than having to

Registered nurses Mandy Broussard, left, and Julie Chatelain work at the nurse station in the new Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s Hospital neonatal intensive care unit expansion in Lafayette on Wednesday.

split infants into separate spaces.

Dr Amy Zeringue, a neonatologist, said the expansion is meant to help families feel closer to their babies while having in-room accommodations

to ease the burden for families being transferred from rural areas.

“We don’t want families to feel like visitors here,” Zeringue said. “The expansion is designed in a way that allows patients to stay with their infants as if they are home.”

The hospital hired 41 additional team members to support the expansion, including 27 registered nurses, two nursing supervisors and additional support staff. Nursing assignments are based on acuity, ranging from one nurse caring for two stable patients to one-on-one care for critically ill infants requiring complex ventilation or multiple medication drips.

Julia Chatelain, one of the first nurses to care for babies in the new unit when the initial patients were moved in Tuesday, said the private suites are already changing how families interact with their newborns.

JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Risksof intimate partnerviolencegrow

Louisiana has seen some encouraging signs of decliningviolence in recent years

Crime data and 2026 statewide survey data on violence from our team show reductions in physical violence among men and in sexual violence among both men and women. These are trends worth recognizing.

Louisiana —58% —have experienced IPV,and about 1in4women —24% —has experienced potentially lethal forms of IPV,defined in LaVEX as chokingorsuffocation, burning or theuse of a knife or gunbyapartner

Anita Raj GUEST COLUMNIST

But acloser look at the data reveals acritical exception —intimate partner violence against women.

New data from the Louisiana Violence Experiences Survey 2025, or LaVEX, astatewide, population-based study of adults conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago and led by Newcomb Institute at Tulane University,show that IPV —inclusive of emotional, physical andsexual violence from acurrentorformal partner —remains widespread among Louisiana women More than half of women in

Most of this potentially lethal IPV takes the form of chokingorsuffocation.Thisbehavior is still widely underrecognized as aseriousdanger,yet research is clear: strangulation is oneofthe strongest predictors ofIPV homicide. Choking is notjust aminor assault —itisa warningsign.

More troubling is thedatain ourreport that show reductions in physical violence against men and sexual harassment against womenand men, behaviors morelikely to be perpetrated by strangers than partners, are not paralleled by reductions in past year IPV in Louisiana.

Among women who experienced physical violence in the past year, nearly60% expe-

rienced this violence from a partner.This indicates that the violence declines are benefiting men andnot women, because the declines are not being seen for IPV

Potential lethality is also amajor concern for women. LaVEX 2025 data do showanotable numerical increase in potentially lethal IPV among women, rising from 1.8% in 2023 to 3.5% in 2025. When behaviors linked to homicide risk begin to rise, even modestly,they warrant close attention

The broader context helps explain why this moment matters. Louisianaisexperiencing substantial economic shocks, such as food insecurity,eviction and housing instability —welldocumented risk factors for IPV, particularly severe formsof abuse that disproportionately affect women.

In LaVEX, women facing unmet basic needs had dramatically higher risk of IPV, and those experiencing eviction or homelessness faced someofthe highest

Good food doesn’t come from nowhere

As the chef and owner of Mister Mao in New Orleans, Icook loud food with bold flavors, big ideas and no apologies. But behind every dish is somethingquieter and more important: relationships with the farmers, fishersand growers who make our food possible. Isource locally because local food is better, the supply chain is more honest andthe money stays whereitbelongs, here at home.

That’swhy Icare deeply about federal and state programs that prioritize purchasing food from local producers for schools, child care centers and food banks. When public dollars support locally grown food, everybody wins. The money is more likely to stay in the community Farmers gain stability.Kids eat better.Communities get healthier.And we stop pretending the cheapest possible food, grown far away by someone we’ll never meet,doesn’t come withhidden environmentaland economic costs.

locally for schools and food programs, they helpfarmers move from scrapingbytoplanning for thefuture. Local purchasing allows farms to plant more, diversify crops, hire workers and invest in infrastructure. It strengthens supply chainsacross agriculture, processing, hospitality andtransportation. This is howyou build aresilient food system. Not with buzzwords, but with purchase orders.

risks observed. While economic shocks may not directly cause violence, they may intensify control, dependency and danger in relationships that are already unsafe.

What can we do?

First,weneed to recognize that there may be an increase in potential lethal formsofviolence, in particularly in the form of choking and suffocation, such as strangulation. These are medical emergencies and critical warning signs.

Second, we must strengthen support for womenatthe highest risk, including housing stability, economic assistance and survivor-centered intervention.

Third, we must invest in prevention early,especially for girls and young women, givenhow often IPV beginsbefore adulthood. OurLaVEX 2025 data indicate that almost 1in10experience IPV before the ageof18, and more than 1in5 womenhave witnessed IPV against their mothers, normalizing the behavior.

Andfinally,prevention requires

engaging men and boys, because reducing IPVultimately means addressing behaviors that cause harm and with recognition that men and boys are morelikely to be the ones implementing these harms, again, potentially due to norms.

The findings in LaVEX 2025 underscore the need forpolicymakers, practitioners and advocates to use population-based data to prioritize intimate partner violence —particularly its mostdangerous forms—inprevention and response efforts.

If you or someone you know needs help, confidential support is available through the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence at (888) 411-1333, which connects callers to local programsacross the state. Online resources —and options to connect by chat —are available at www lcadv.org.

AnitaRaj is executive director of theNewcomb Institute at Tulane Universityand a professorofpublic health

Carbon storageishow Louisianacompetes in theglobalarena

trusted technology and knowledge to deliver the promise of safeand reliable carbon capture.

This is abrutal time for the food and farm economy.Groceryprices are up. Restaurant margins are thinner than ever.Farmers are being crushed by rising costs for seed, fertilizer,fuel, equipment and labor.In2025 alone, farm bankruptcies jumped by more than 46%. Those aren’tabstract numbers. Those are families. Those are people Ipurchase from. When afarm folds, it doesn’tjust disappear.It takesjobs skills and food security withit.

At Mister Mao, we buy from producers like Paradigm Gardens, Liuzza Farms,Fekete Farms,Cassell Family Farms, WestdomeNursery,Resurrection Gardens and Cajun Growers. Some are urban. Some are rural. All of them work their tails off. Thequality of what they grow isn’teven inthe same universeaswhat comes off atruck from anational distributor.I trust these producers because Iknow them. Ican callthem. Ican adaptwith them when the weather goes sidewaysoraseason comes in weird, which these days is all the time.

But restaurants alone are not enough to keep farms afloat. We’reimportant customers, but we don’tprovidestable demand at the scale needed to keep them running. That’swhere government purchasing matters. When theU.S. Department of Agriculture, states and citiesuse theirbuying power to source

Right now,the USDA spends billions of dollars every year on food for schools and nutrition programs. Toomuch of that moneygoes to massive processors and corporations, some of them not even American-owned. Meanwhile, states and school districts that want to serve fresh, local food are boxed out by rules andfunding structures that make it harder to do theright thing. We alreadyknow what works. When schools serve fresh, locally grown food, kids eatmore of it. Participation goes up. Food waste goes down. Andchildren, especially those who rely on school meals themost,get better nutrition that supports learning and long-term health. Funding states to purchase local food isn’tcharity; it’s smart policy.It strengthensrural and urban economies at thesame time. It supports small and mid-sized farms instead of concentrating power even further into the hands of afew corporations. It keeps taxpayer dollars circulating locally,where they do moregood.

I’ve spentyears raising money and cookingfor hospitality workers and small businesses hit by hurricanes, floods and other disastersbecause I believe food is apublic good and feedingpeopleisserious work. If we’re willingtoshow up after acatastrophe, we should also be willing to invest upstream in the farmers and producers whofeed usevery day This is abipartisan issue. Everyone eats. Everyone benefits from astrong local food system. Supporting local purchasing forschools and food banks is oneofthe most practical, fiscally responsible ways to invest in our communities, our farmers and our kids. Good food doesn’tjust appear.It comes from hardworking people. And it’stime our policies reflected that.

Sophina Uong is thechef and owner of MisterMao in New Orleans

Louisiana’seconomy is built on energy and manufacturing —from refining to chemicals and LNG to steel, fertilizer and rubber.Although Louisiana and the U.S. aspire to diversify industries, we must protect our current jobs, investment and economic growthcreated by energyas outlined in the Louisiana Economic Development 2025 Strategic Plan.

The Trumpadministration has recognized this realityaspart of its push for American energy and manufacturing dominance. An April 2025 White House release declares that “supporting cutting-edgetechnologies like carbon capture and storage, nuclear energy,and nextgeneration geothermal,” will ensure that “America leads in both energy production and environmental innovation —producing thecleanest energy in the world.”

The administration and Congress reinforced this commitment by preserving the 45Q tax credit in the OneBig Beautiful Bill. The 45Q credit incentivizes companies to capture, utilize and store carbon dioxide, avital step to help currentLouisiana’s multitude of industrial operations reduce carbon emissions. This critical incentive has spurred dozens of carbon capture projects and billions of dollars of investment in Louisiana.

The Trumpadministration’s backing of carbon capture and storage technology aligns with other business-friendly states, such as North Dakota, where U.S. Secretaryofthe Interior Doug Burgum championed the technology

As governor,Burgum chaired astate commission that approved North Dakota’s first injection well for geologic storage of carbon dioxide.

After joining theTrumpadministration, Burgum commended the Environmental Protection Agency’s decisiontogrant West Virginia Class VI primacy,which allows theMountaineer State to permit and regulate carbon capture and storage operations.

As noted above, Louisiana is an early adopter and arecognized leader in carbon capture, which is expected to help ensure U.S. energy dominance. The Pelican State is uniquely positioned to lead with natural geological conditions ideal forcarbon capture storage.

Combined with expansive energy infrastructure and an abundant, accessible skilled energy workforce, Louisiana is ready todeliver thelong-established and

U.S. policies that promote carbon capture and storage will position Louisiana manufacturing to compete globally with the full arsenal of technologies available, growing competitive family wage jobs here at home. Europe and Asia are increasingly demanding lower-carbon products; this technology allows local producers to meet that demand and preserve domestic production. Louisiana’scompetition forenergy and manufacturing investment is not only global, but increasingly domestic.

Companies evaluating where to deploy billions of dollars in capital compare states just as they compare countries. Texas’ recent success in securing Class VI primacy forcarbon capture and storage presents aclear competitive challenge. Texas now will attract carbon capture projects tied to the sameindustries that anchor Louisiana’s economy Notonly is carbon capture an effective strategy,it’salso asafe one forour state’s workers and residents. The process has record levels of safety,with no fatalities, spanning morethan ahalf century.Consumer Energy Alliance has applauded Louisiana’sefforts to be apioneer in carbon capture projects. The state must continue to commit to being aleader to not risk losing out on massive investments to its western neighbor By embracing an “all-of-the-above” investment in energy technology,including long-proven carbon capture and storage processes, our state can lead in energy production, job creation and economic growth while fostering abusiness climate that attracts top-tier companies from across the globe.

All-of-the-above will sustain Louisiana’s future as Gov.Jeff Landry envisions connecting moreLouisianans with highwage jobs and providing aquality lifestyle right here at home. Carbon capture is yet another tool to further American innovation, proving once again that we can achieve affordable, reliable and ever-cleaner energy and industrial growth.

Meghan Thackerisasenioradviserfor Consumer Energy Alliance.

COMMENTARY

ISSUE OF THE WEEK WARINIRAN

President Donald Trump’sdecision to join Israel in striking Iran, killing its Supreme Leader AyatollahAli Khamenei, hasled to awaveofreactionaround the globe —somejubilant,others wary.Asthe war continues, debate over theproperuse of U.S. militarypower has come to the forefront. Here are twoperspectives.

PresidentTrump,forever wars andIraqSyndrome

For many years in the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s,discussions of the use of U.S. military force suffered from an effect known as Vietnam Syndrome Many Americans simply could not consider anyproposedU.S. military action without seeing visionsofa Vietnam-style quagmireinwhich American troops would bestuck for decades in acostly war without victory Vietnam Syndrome finally went away afterAmerican success in the first Gulf War. But not too many years later,Vietnam Syndrome wasreplaced by Iraq Syndrome, which is afear that usingU.S. military power will lead to an Iraq-style quagmire in which Americantroopswould be stuck for decades in acostly war withoutvictory

CredibilityofUnitedStates’ deterrence is beingrestored

is unthinkable.

At this moment, PresidentDonald Trump is putting Iraq Syndrome tothe test with the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Trump’spresidency,American prestige abroad and Republican electoralhopes in thisyear’s midterms and beyond —theyall depend on the success of the American mission If,after initial military success, decapitating the Iranian leadership andtaking out many of its weapons,the U.S. goes on to set Iran on astable pathinwhich it lives in peace and does not threaten its neighbors —ifTrump succeedsindoing that, Iraq Syndrome will bebanished forever

If, on the other hand, after initial U.S military success, Iran descends into Iraq-style chaos with aweak andunstable government and rogue militias around the country —ifthat happens, Iraq Syndrome will be alive and well. The keyphrases of Iraq Syndrome are “forever wars,” “endless wars” and their variants —references not only to Iraq but to the decade-plusU.S.war in Afghanistan, which lapsed intonation building and ended with adisastrous withdrawal under President JoeBiden. Throughout his firstterm in office, and also in the 2024 campaign,Trumppromised to put an end to endless wars and not to repeat the mistakes of previous presidents.

Describing his Iraq drawdown in 2019, Trump said, “We’re down to avery few soldiers. Isaid we’re getting outofthese endless wars —these ridiculous, endless wars. We shouldhave never been there in the first place.” At times, Trump seemed to expand

theidea of staying out of “endless” wars into apledge to stay out of all wars altogether.“I’m not going to start awar,I’m goingtostop wars,” Trumppromised on thenight of his great comeback victory in 2024. Trump’srhetoric has led to astrange new creature: the MAGA peacenik. It’s one thing to pledge to stay out of forever wars —the U.S.should never repeat the disasters in Vietnam andIraq. Butstay out of all military conflict?That’s an unrealistic pledge for apresident andnation living in adangerous world. Deciphering Trump’sstatements,it’s probably accurate to say he believes in staying out of endless wars but was exaggerating for effect when he talked about avoiding all wars ever In any event,byattackingIran, and alsowith military action in Venezuela, Trumphas angered and disappointed those in his MAGA base who took his antiwar pledges both seriously and literally

He has also shaken someofhis supporters wholived through the George W. Bush years. They have seen awar with arighteous cause —Afghanistan —descendinto meaninglessness. They have seen awar started by mistake—Iraq —tear apart the country.It’snosurprise that they are madenervous by another U.S.president starting another war in that part of theworld. The way to calm those nerves is to succeed quickly.Inboth his terms,Trump hasfavored limited, sharp, decisive military action. Think of the U.S. drone strike that took out Qasem Soleimani, headofIran’sIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Think of the destruction of ISIS.Think of the lightning assault on Maduro’s Venezuela. For Trump, theopposite of an endless war is not no war.It is aquick warwith aclear purpose and a decisiveending Now,Trump and the nation will find outwhether that can be accomplished in Iran. There are plenty of doomsayers out there, includingthe Democratic politicianswho want to run for president in 2028. If Trump fails,they win. Butif Trumpsucceeds, they will look like a bunchofpartisan nitpickers. AndIraq Syndromewill be athing of the past. EmailByron York at byork@washingtonexaminer.com.

The Hamas paragliders, who were tentacles of Iran, began today’swar on Oct. 7, 2023, igniting one of history’smost spectacular backfires.

Iran’sregime and its terrorism multipliers, Hamas andHezbollah, have unintentionally magnified Israel’s security. AndIran’sregime, whose mantrasince its inception in 1979 has been “DeathtoAmerica,” is near deathbythe clasped handsof Israel and America.

The wielders of Iran’sregime, which is founded on fear,surely experienced asudden, terrifying epiphany when the aerial attacks, unlike previous ones, began in daylight: The attackers knew when and where the regime’s senior officials would be meeting in Tehran that day.Precision munitions, directed by spectacular intelligence, enabled adecapitation strategy.

The at least 30,000 protesters whoperished in Iran’sstreets in early January did not die in vain.

The 1956 Hungarian Revolution failed to topple atyranny,but refuted the thencommon pessimism that tyrants can assure their permanence by controlling the consciousness of their publics. (George Orwell in “1984:” “If you want apicture of thefuture, imagine aboot stamping on a human face —for ever.”) Iran’sprotesters dramatically underscored the regime’s barbarism, so those who today regret the regime’sdemise reveal their barbarism Somesay that U.S. involvementinIran constitutes a“war of choice.” That too casually bandied phrase rarely fits untidy reality. America’sCivil Warwas achoice: Lincoln chosenot to heed those —they were not few —who agreed with the prominent publisher Horace Greeley.He said of the seceding Southern states, “Let theerring sisters go in peace.” Lincoln chose against suchnational suicide. Donald Trump’sadministration has chosen not to wager U.S. safety on Iran’sabandoning its multi-decade pursuit of nuclear weapons, or on Iran’sacquiring them but not really meaning “Death to America.” For Israel, the deathofIran’s self-proclaimed genocidal regime was achoice only in the sense that Israel chose to believe the regime when it called Israel a “one-bombcountry.”

Tyrantslie promiscuously,but occasionally are candid. In 1939, AdolfHitler said aworld war would mean “the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe.” Israel exists because Hitler meantthat.Israel’ssurvival depends on forever thinking that nothing

The U.S. action forregime change in Iran is not sufficient to produce regional tranquility.Itis, however,anecessity for beginning to reestablish aprecondition for amore peaceable world: the credibility of U.S. deterrence. Anadir of post-1945 U.S. power —and its precondition, confidence —was the 1975 departure of the last helicopter from the U.S. Embassy roof in Saigon. Asecond low point wasreached when Barack Obama drew,in2012, and then ignored a red line (concerning Syrian chemical weapons). Athird wasin2021 when Joe Biden produced achaotic exit from Afghanistan. Today,Vladimir Putin is watching Venezuela, Iran (a source of someofPutin’s drones) and soon, perhaps, Cuba, join Syria as vanished clients. The swiftness of their downfall illustrates the hollowness of Russia’sclaim to be aformidable global actor Today’sworld, where the velocity of information and the capability of weaponry annihilate distances and compress time, resembles an Alexander Calder mobile: adisturbance here translates into disturbance over there. In one of history’sstranger caroms, Oct. 7led to regimechange at Harvard and other universities, and forced aU.S. reckoning with antisemitism’sinfection of both extremities of the political spectrum Unlike in Venezuela, meredecapitation —regime modification —isinsufficient forIran. The ayatollahs’ regimeloathed not just modernity,which America exemplifies, but humanity,whose dignity is in imagining betterment through reason banishing superstition. Let there be no moreincomprehension akin to Obama’sfirst inaugural, in which he said, with Iran likely in mind, “Wewill extend ahand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” Or George H.W.Bush’sinaugural, in which he said to belligerent nations, “Good will begets good will.” Nationalism,sooften derided, wasnever captured by Iran’sregime. Instead, nationalism simmered against the state, which warred unceasingly against the nation. As America prepares to help, from adistance, Iran’spolitical rebirth, we should heed an American poet’sadvice of bold thoroughness. Robert Frost: “The best wayout is always through.”

Email George Will at georgewill@ washpost.com.

LABELLE

Continued from page1B

on fire and always receptive andjust fun,” shesaid Thursday in an interview

“And when Ido‘Lady Marmalade,’ Imean, they are all into that.”

The music isn’tthe only thing she looks forward to when visiting the state. Louisiana’s foodscene has also left alasting impression. Asked which dishes she seeks out, LaBelle didn’t hesitate:crawfish and po-boys.

“I absolutely love

RIDER

Continued from page1B

Athird vehicle then struck the scooter operator,who was still in the roadway

NICU

Continued from page1B

“I think it really helps with family-centered care,” Chatelain said. “If they’re able to stay here with their baby,they’re able to be more involved and they feel like they have alittle bit more control in a situation.”

She said the upstairs unit offers privacy that can be especiallymeaningful for families whoare traveling long distances.

“Downstairs, families are in amore open area, which is also helpful for families who want that additional help,” Chatelain added.

TSUNAMI

Continued from page1B

Orleans location in the Pan American Life Center on Poydras Street opened in March 2017and asecond Baton Rouge restaurant at Highland and Bluebonnet followed in 2024.

Land records show the group led by Hughes bought the buildingat412 Jefferson St. and the parking lot at the corner of Garfield and Buchanan streets in December 2021 for $2 million.

“Tsunami wassuch abig part of our communities for so long,” Ezell said Thursday.“We put our hearts into it for22years. Ihopethat the current owners are able to restructure it to aplace where they can continuethe operation. That’smywish fortheir employeesand theircustomers.”

The filing comes about 15 months after Hughes filed suit against Hargrave and Gad after accusing them of conspiring with Hargrave’s son, Brandon, to terminate

CRAWFISH

Continued from page1B

phone calls directly to the director of Homeland Security, Ms. Kristi Noem, also to the Department of Labor,also to the (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and to the Officeof Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House,” Strain said.

President Donald Trump removedNoemfromthat role on Thursday Strain added: “I’m abit frustrated withthe answers

I’m getting from Washington because they’rebasically saying,‘Well, they’ve met the cap and you know what, there’snothing else we can do.’” Strain also said Louisiana’s congressional delegation is “very aware” of the problem and that he’sbeen “in consistent conversation” with the office of Gov.Jeff Landryon the issue.

Asked about Strain’sconcerns during anews conference Tuesday,Landry acknowledged that changes related to the timing of guest worker visa applications have “caused somewrinkles …especially (with) crawfish processors.”

po-boys,” she saidwith a laugh. “And Ilove crawfish, the little craws as Icall them.They’re hard to pick because they’re so little, but they’re good.”

There is one local delicacy she’ll likely skip.

“I wouldn’tlike to tryoysters …raw,” she said.When asked about charbroiled oysters, another Louisiana favorite,she quickly added, “Not even.”

When talking about alegendlikeLaBelle, it’s impossible to ignore Louisiana’s deep musical roots. From blues to jazz to soul, the region has shaped generationsofartists, andLaBelle

Shewas taken toOchsner Lafayette General Medical Center,whereshe is listed in critical condition.

Thefirst driver who struck the scooter operator,Dakota Wagoner,36, of Lafayette,provided a breath sample that regis-

“But up here, they have their own space and alittle more privacy.”

Theenvironmentitself is engineeredwith neonatal development in mind, according to Zeringue.Lights are fully dimmable and positionedtoprotect developing eyesight and support circadian rhythms. Sound levels arecarefully controlledto reduce overstimulationand protect hearing and brain development. State-of-the-art monitoring systems allow continuous observationfrom inside and outside each room.

“Research supports the design choices. Babiesbenefit developmentally from reduced noise and controlled lighting,”

Hughes’interestin thebusiness. The bankruptcydocuments were filed aday before the case was to go to trial, according to records. Hughes, who said he did “considerably morebusiness” for Tsunami than hispartners, claimed he received aletter from an attorney in March2024 instructing thathenolonger participateinmeetings or contact management,the suit indicated.

Hargrave, who managed theLafayette location, stopped paying rent to the entity,Hausu 412 LLC,that ownsthe building, Hughes claimed. He also alleged Gar emptied the bank account connected to Lit Parking, which operates the parking lot at Garfield and Buchanan streets. He claimed they contacted police after he tried to access abank account connected to Tsunami.He is asking for an unspecified amount of damages Brandon Hargraveislisted in documentsasthe manager of the fourlocations.

Landry said the decision of Homeland Security not to issueasmany visasasthey have in the past is within that agency’spurview.He added that Congress decidesimmigrationpolicy

“That is theirlanetodrive. Andsowe’re just trying to make sure that we meet the needs of our businesses while theydecide whatour immigration policy looks like,” Landry said.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, in response to arequest for comment on Strain’sconcerns, said,“I’ve beenworking hard in the Senate to make sure Louisiana’scrawfish producers are treatedfairly.”

“That includes fighting the import of unsafe food products from overseas, backing bills like the Save Our Seafood Acttohelpour industry deal with worker shortages that have plagued themfor years, andleading the CRAWDADAct to get crawfish farmers emergency support after droughts and severe weather,” Kennedy said in astatement.

Abig industry

In large-scale crawfish operations, ricefarmers typically raise crawfish,and they alsooperate peelingplants,

says that Southernspirit comes through in her performances.

“I’maBlack woman, so IknowthatSouthern soul comes outthrough my show no matterwhat,” she said. “When Ising, Ijustfeel it. Ifeel empowered.”

At 81, LaBelle says she’s grateful tostill be performingaftersuchalongcareer.

Andafter decades on stage, she says the connection with audiences keeps her going.

“Sometimes peopledon’t know each other sitting next to each other and they end up embracing each other,” LaBelle said. “Just see-

tered .225 blood alcohol level, Handy said. Anything above .08 exceeds the legal blood alcohol level for driving in Louisiana. Wagoner was arrested and booked with negligent injury andOWI, the releasestates.

Zeringue said.

Families with infantsin theNICU face ahigher risk of postpartumdepression, but studiesshow that consistent involvement in holding, feeding and caring for their newborn can reduce that risk

“Very few of our patients have to leave Acadiana now,” Zeringueadded “Keeping babies close to home, especially for familieswho have other children, is incredibly importantintheir progression.”

For Zeringue, whohas worked at Lourdes since 2013,the expansion represents abroader commitmenttocontinuous improvement in maternal and neonatal care.

Hargrave was afranchisee with BatonRouge-based Walk-On’sbeforethe company terminated the deal in 2019 after Hargrave made a racistpostonFacebook. Brandon Hargrave is notlisted as adefendant in Hughes’ lawsuit Hughes, who alsoco-owns Ivar’sSports Barand Grill in Baton Rouge, was arrested in December on counts of theft andissuing bad checks for his alleged role in the fraudulent purchase of atrailer. Hughes allegedly failed to pay the $20,000 price for atrailerand dumpsters and later couldn’tbereached for months by the seller

The check Hugheswrote bounced duetoinsufficient fundsand he later stopped respondingtothe seller,according to reports.

Hughes was suedincivil court last year over allegations of notpayingloansto Baton Rouge real estate developer Hank Saurage, who suedfor ownership of Boudreaux &Thibodeaux’sas well as the now-closed City Barand Bengal Taproom.

Strain said. The farmers sell what theycan to the retail marketfor crawfish boils and the rest of the crawfish goes to peeling plants, where they are peeled, frozen and sold to buyers, including in other parts of the country,hesaid.

“It is asignificant economicdriver,”Strainsaid of the industry.Headdedthat crawfish operations are also vitalfor cashflow for rice farming.

Louisiana’scombined annualcrawfish yield ranges from 120 million to 150 million pounds, according to the LouisianaCrawfish Promotion and Research Board website, and it contributes over $300 million to the state’s economy everyyear

LOTTERY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2026

PICK 3: 7-1-2

3-8-9-6

3-3-2-8-7

ing people enjoy the show makes me happy.”

“I’m just happy to be in this year,tobein2026, you know,at81,” she said. “I’m looking forward to more greatness.”

Concertgoers can expect anight of classics, LaBelle said, including“LadyMarmalade” along withfan favorites“YouAre My Friend” and “If Only You Knew.”

Ticketsfor Patti LaBelle’s ‘8065 tour’ in Marksville start at $75 and are available through the Paragon Casino Resort website. Doorsopen at 7p.m., and theshow begins at 8p.m.

The third driveralso provideda breath sample thatregisteredzero, police said. Thecrash is under investigation.

Contact Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

“Wedon’t wanttobecomplacent,” she said. “There’s always away to do this better forour babiesand our families.”

OurLadyofLourdes launchedAdvancingAcadiana in 2024, a16-project initiative aimed at modernizingwomen’s andchildren’sservices. In addition to theNICU expansion, the plan includes amodernized labor anddelivery experience, anew mother-baby unit, transformation of the women’smedical-surgical unit, expansion of thepediatric emergencyroom, construction of anew lobby and chapel, upgrades to postpartum rooms and relocation of the hospital’s main entrance and lobby

after

to

million loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to reports. Staff writer Jan Risher contributed to this report.

Landry, Vanessa FountainMemorialFuneralHome, 1010 PandoraStreetinLafayette,at10 a.m.

Obituaries

Veillon,Joyce S.

On this 4th day of March, 2026, Joyce S. Veillonpassed away peacefully after abrief illness at herhomesurroundedbyher family. Sheissurvivedbyher husband of 63 years, Gene VeillonofLafayette; two sons, DuaneVeillon of Lafayette, and Brian Veillonand hiswife Tammy of Lafayette; four grandchildren, Nichole VeillonofAustin,TX, AshleyVeillonand herfiancé Skylar Longof Lafayette, Sarah Bex and herhusbandLogan Bex of Lafayette, andAndrewJ Veillonand hisfiancé Sydney Bailey of Lafayette; andtwo great-grandchil

Long, andKevin Dore Thefamilywould like to extendspecial thanks to Dr.Tyler Bellelo andthe Nurses and Staff at Heart of Hospice forall of their support. View theobituaryand sign the guestbook online at www.waltersfh.com. Walters Funeral Home, (337) 706-8941, 2424 North University Avenuein Lafayette, is in charge of funeral arrangements.

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OF THE GAME FOR THE LOVE SPORTS

LSUassociate coachBob Starkeyplanned to be retiredbynow.Thenhefound arolehejustcan’t quit.

Five years ago, Bob Starkey had it all mapped out. By 2026, he’d have histoes buried in the white sands on Perdido Key,Florida. When he’d close his eyes, he’d listen to the wavesand the seagulls harmonize withthe Kenny Chesney songs he’d floatthrough aspeaker Starkey’s fifth-floor condo would perch behind him. That’swhere he’d retire once he called it quits on along career as an assistant college basketball coach.Someday soon, he’d have no more film to grind. No more practices to run. No more instructions to shoutfrom the bench. Just cigars to puff on a beach chair in the sunshine.

Earlier in his career,Starkey was the kind of coach who’d sleep in his office and work on Christmas. Eight yearswould come andgo, andhe’d realize he hadn’ttaken asingle vacation. How could he? Time runs quickly on the coaching grind, and Starkey had been trying to keepupfor almost four decades. It was about time to hit the beach and slow things down. So why is Starkey stillatit?

“I just absolutely loveworking for Kim,”hesaid from his office one Fridaymorning in late January,his eyes heavy from anight without much sleep.

Saints DE Jordanto enterfree agency

with all-time sack leader have hitasnag

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Negotiations between theNew Orleans Saints andCam Jordan appear to have hit asnag. The two sides have reportedly not been able to reach an agreementona newcontract, and as aresult, Jordan will test free agency when the league’snegotiating window opens Monday.According to ESPN,the longtimeSaints defensive end is now “open to leaving NewOrleans” ahead of his 16th NFLseason.

This marksthe first timeinJordan’scareer that he’sset to test free agency TheSaintsand Jordan havehistorically been able to reach new deals to keep him in NewOrleans, even last year when the team asked him to take apay cut. But much has changed forJordan and the Saintssince last year.For one, the36-yearold defensive end had aresurgent season, leading the Saints with 101/2 sacks —his best output since 2021. In the process, Jordan earned him $2 million in contract incentives, money that the pass rusher considered “servicesrendered” forwhathewas originally owed.

See SAINTS, page 3C

TheLSU women’sbasketball team hadjust beaten Arkansas. Once that game wrappedaround 9p.m., Starkey made his way out of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and across the street to his office, where he worked until 2a.m. He then drove home,caught some shuteye, woke up, climbed into his car,drove back to campus and plopped down in his desk chairagain. The clock on his desktopcomputersaiditwas 6:45 a.m.

That’show Starkey sometimes has to managehis timenow,four years intohis second stint at LSU. During theseason, it’shis job to break down the film —onboth theTigers and ä See STARKEY, page 3C

LSU associate coachBob Starkeywalkstocenter courttoberecognized for 25 years of coaching at LSU on Dec. 21 at thePMAC. STAFF FILE PHOTO By

MICHAEL JOHNSON

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Even in the midst of theeuphoriaofUL’s 7-2 home win over the No. 2-ranked LSUTigers, coach Matt Deggs offeredupa needed reminder

“Any time you can win, muchless win against ateam the caliber of LSU, it’sgoing to boost that confidence,” said Deggs, whose Cajuns open up athree-game series at DallasBaptist at 6:05 p.m.Friday It’salsopossible the task at hand will be tougher on the roadthan it was playing at home in front of 5,736 fans at RussoPark. “What it can’tdoischange who we are,” Deggs added. “We’re going to leave here in the morning at 9:30 and go playateam that’s just as good. They just are. They are “And it’ll be on theroad, and it’ll be in inclementweather,and you have to start all over.That’s thethingabout baseball.You don’tcarry it with you, you start all over.” This weekend series will also be different because of the pitching situation. ULstarted

Tigers look to bounce back from back-to-back losses

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Jay Johnson walked up to the horde of media members standing by the right field foul line with asurprising sense of clarity LSU’s play over the past six games has been amystery.There’snoeasy explanation for the3-3 recorditposted after a dominant 8-0 start. But Johnson,after a7-2 defeat on WednesdaytoUL, was confident that he could find the answers to the Tigers’ problems.

“The pitching,the offense, the defense, Icare about it all,” LSU’s coach said. “And Ithink that’swhat the head coach does, is they lean in.” Almost every aspect of the gamehas becomeanissue for LSU.The offense has failedtostring together qualityat-bats or consistently generate hard contact. The defense has committed errors and mademental mistakes. The weekendstarting pitching has excelled, but the bullpen and the pitching depth overall have faltered, particularly in midweek games. Alot hasgonewrong. And yet, Johnson be-

Australia, South Korea victorious

World Baseball Classic opens in Tokyo

By The Associated Press

Australia opened the World Baseball Classic by beating Taiwan 3-0 on Travis Bazzana’s homer in the seventh inning and a two-run home run in the fifth by Robbie Perkins at the Tokyo Dome on Thursday

Bazzana was the first pick in the 2024 MLB amateur draft and is expected to be in Triple A this season in the Cleveland Guardians organization.

“If you think of the two things I thought about most growing up it was, like, playing in the WBC and being in the Tokyo Dome cause we’d always come here — and playing the World Series and MLB. It’s special,” Bazzana said. Of course, his World Series dream is yet to come.

He also credited Perkins for getting Australia in front, removing some pressure.

“It makes slowing down the environment a touch easier when you have two runs already,” Bazzana said. “I was feeling good in the box and got a good pitch to hit.”

The two big swings were enough in a tight game dominated by pitching. Taiwan managed only three hits and Australia had seven It was a critical victory for Australia, which also won its first game in 2023, defeating South Korea en route to reaching the quarterfinals and a narrow 4-3 loss to Cuba.

Australian starter Alex Wells pitched three no-hit innings and Jack O’Loughlin negotiated the next three and allowed only two hits, setting the stage for the bullpen.

O’Loughlin got the victory with a save for Jon Kennedy Po-Yu Chen was the losing pitcher Following Perkins’ homer, Tai-

wan put two runners on in the sixth with two out but failed to score. The second to reach base was Chieh-hsien Chen who was hit by a pitch on the his right hand and left the game. Australia loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth and failed to score when Chris Burke popped out on the second pitch from reliever Yi Chang. Taiwan put two runners on in the top of the ninth and almost tied the game on a deep flyout by Lyle Lin.

South Korea beats Czechs South Korea hit four home runs and overpowered the Czech Republic 11-4 in Pool C in the day’s second game at the Tokyo Dome.

Shay Whitcomb of the Houston Astros hit two home runs in backto-back plate appearances, teammate Bo Gyeong Moon pounded a grand slam and Jahmai Jones of the Detroit Tigers added a solo shot in the eighth inning.

Moon’s grand slam came in the first inning with one out that chased starter Daniel Padysak, who picked up the loss. Hyeong

Jun So got the victory Whitcomb hit a solo home run in the third and added a two-run homer in the fifth.

The Czech Republic’s Terrin Vavra connected on a three-run homer in the fifth off Woo Joo Jeong to narrow the lead to 6-3, only to be overshadowed by Whitcomb’s second homer in the

bottom of the inning.

Vavra played a handful of games for the Baltimore Orioles, the only Czech player with MLB experience.

South Korea is deep in major league talent led by the Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim and the San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee.

South Korea is trying to advance from the pool stage in the WBC after three straight failures.

On Friday in Pool C, Australia faces the Czech Republic and Japan plays Taiwan.

The top two teams in the group advance to the quarterfinals in the United States, joining the top two in the other three groups.

UL softball’s weekend schedule adjusted

Staff Report

A gloomy weather forecast for the weekend in the Norman, Oklahoma, region forced the Okana Invitational at Love’s Field to be pushed back a day

The UL Ragin’ Cajuns were originally slated to play two games Friday and two more Saturday in the event but instead will play two games Saturday and two more Sunday.

Play begins at 11:30 a.m Saturday against Abilene Christian, which enters the weekend with a 2-17 record. The Cajuns will then challenge host Oklahoma at 5 p.m. Saturday

The Sooners are 20-2 with their only two losses coming 11-6 to Arizona a day before beating the Wildcats 21-3, and later lost to Long Beach State 6-4 in a tournament in California.

sage was clear

“If it skips a start, it skips a start,” he said, “But 6,000 people go home happy.”

The Cajuns will then play

Abilene Christian again at 10 a.m. Sunday, before facing Oklahoma again at 12:30 p.m.

Sunday The tournament will end UL’s pre-conference schedule. UL will open Sun Belt play at Southern Miss on Friday, March 13. The two games against Oklahoma will be streamed on the SEC+ network.

Okana Invitational Schedule

Saturday

Abilene Christian vs. UL, 11:30 a.m.

Abilene Christian vs. Oklahoma, 2 p.m. UL vs. Oklahoma, 5p.m.

Sunday

Abilene Christian vs. UL, 10 a.m.

UL vs. Oklahoma, 12:30 p.m

Abilene Christian vs. Oklahoma 3 p.m.

Astros’ Pena to miss of WBC with finger injury

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla Houston

Astros All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña will miss the World Baseball Classic with a broken right ring finger, the team announced on Thursday

Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters at the team’s spring training complex that Peña was being sent to a hand specialist for assessment of some damage to the nail area on the finger after fielding a hard groundball for the Dominican Republic national team during an exhibition game on Wednesday

The Astros said later that Peña was diagnosed with a fracture in the tip of the finger and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. The Dominican Republic plays its first game of the WBC on Friday in Miami against Nicaragua.

McCutchen, Rangers agree to minor league contract

The Texas Rangers and veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen agreed to a minor league contract on Thursday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

The person confirmed the agreement to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been finalized and a physical exam still needed to be completed. The 39-year-old McCutchen would make $1.5 million this season while playing in the major leagues if he’s added to the 40-man roster, the person said.

McCutchen has three weeks of spring training to show the Rangers he’s worth a spot They’re wellpositioned in the outfield with rising standouts Wyatt Langford in left field and Evan Carter in center field.

U.S. adds Billings, Burrell for FIBA World Cup Qualifier Monique Billings and Rae Burrell were added Thursday to the U.S. women’s basketball roster for the FIBA World Cup qualifier next week in Puerto Rico.

The pair will replace Aliyah Boston and Sonia Citron, who are no longer able to compete in the tournament that will take place in San Juan. Boston missed the Unrivaled playoffs with what was described as a right lower extremity injury Citron missed the end of the regular season of Unrivaled with the same injury designation as Boston.

Billings was part of the 2017 USA under-23 national team that was undefeated at the Four Nations Tournament. Burrell will be making her U.S. competitive debut.

Celtics’ Tatum poised to return after Achilles injury

BOSTON Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is on the verge of making a return to NBA action nine months after rupturing his right Achilles tendon injury during last season’s playoffs.

Tatum was listed as questionable on the Celtics’ injury report on Thursday ahead of the team’s home matchup with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

It is the first time this season he hasn’t been listed as sidelined and undergoing rehabilitation for the injury he suffered during Game 4 of Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the New York Knicks last May

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has said that Tatum wouldn’t be cleared to return until he was ready to play

its closer Cody Brasch for three innings and then closed the final four innings with its normal midweek starter, Sawyer Pruitt. Brasch threw 48 pitches and Pruitt only 50. Deggs revealed Monday he plans on elevating the 6-foot-7 Pruitt to the weekend rotation, possibly as early as Sunday, but Wednesday’s four innings may postpone that until the following weekend against South Alabama.

Officially, Andrew Herrmann (20, 1.33, 20.1 IP, 5 H, 11 BB, 26 K) will start Friday followed by JR Tollett (2-0, 5.82, 17 IP, 16 H, 3 BB, 21 K). Sunday’s starter remains to be announced.

After Wednesday’s win, if he considered Sunday’s starter during Pruitt’s four innings, the mes-

The other encouraging aspect of the LSU upset is the bullpen’s work, especially true freshman Hayden Pearson, who is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA over six outings.

“Yes, it was big time, and I think we had, what, 15 guys played tonight, of them five were freshmen,” Deggs said. “That bodes pretty well.”

with this pitch and staff is nothing short of remarkable. He’s a coach of the year, in my opinion, right now, because it’s night and day from where we were to where we are right now,” Deggs said.

“I mean, it’s pretty important. I’ll remember it for a while, but we’ve still got work to do. The season is not over — not close to over.”

LEE AMEDEE, UL first baseman

Parker Smith did yield the two-out, two-run home run to Trent Caraway, but that only elevated his ERA to 3.68.

“The job that (pitching) coach (Taylor Sandefur) Sandy’s done

“Just the intent and the fire that’s coming out of that bullpen, it’s been unmatched for us in the games that we’ve been in, and it’s been an advantage for us.”

UL’s lineup is expected to see three right-handed starters – Russ Smith (11, 10.80, 10 IP 12 H 8 BB) Friday, Jared Schaeffer (2-0, 4.05) Saturday and Ryan Borberg (0-1, 8.10) Sunday As a staff, the Patriots have walked 64, hit 22 and allowed 110 hits in 109 innings.

Offensively, Dallas Baptist is batting .301 with 113 runs, 21 homers and 24 stolen bases compared to .256, 74 runs, seven homers and 24 steals for UL. The Patriots have seven batting over .285 — led by Ben Tryon (.367, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs), Cooper Neville (.361, 3 HRs, 14 RBIs) and Adam Burghult (.353, 2 HRs, 9 RBIs) — compared to only two for UL in Colt Brown (.347, 6 RBIs) and Rigoberto Hernandez (.317, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs). At the end of the day, it’s just another game

“We can’t get too high, can’t get too low,” UL first baseman Lee Amedee said after the LSU win.“I mean, it’s pretty important. I’ll remember it for a while, but we’ve still got work to do The season is not over — not close to over.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

Zhang chips in twice to share the lead in China

HAINAN ISLAND China Zhang Weiwei chipped in on her last two holes, one for eagle and the other for birdie, giving her a 6-under 66 and a threeway tie for the lead in the Blue Bay LPGA on Thursday Zhang, one of 20 players in the field from the China Golf Association, was tied with Mary Liu of China and Youmin Hwang of South Korea. All three of them were solid on a day of strong wind at Jian Lake Blue Bay Auston Kim, the American who tied for third last week in the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, shot a 67. Zhang took advantage of a shorter tee box on the par-5 17th that

to

lieved he’d be able to start implementing solutions on Thursday,when the Tigers returned to practice before their three-game series against Sacramento State beginning on Friday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+).

“I got it all laid out, ready to go,” Johnson said. “I wanted to win tonight. (But) Whether we wonorlost tonight, we need to getback together to my traditional practice format.”

One practice likely won’t solve all of LSU’sproblems, but amore normal schedule may help The Tigers were forced to take aday off on Tuesday because of their five-game slate this week. The NCAA mandates that teams have at leastone dayoff per week, which means Johnson had to decide whether that would be Tuesday or Thursday.Johnson chose thelatter in preparation for this weekend,the start of a more stable schedule for his team LSU will only play four games aweek for the rest of the season, allowing for more practice time and less wear and tear on theplayers.Additionally,the Tigers only have one ThursdaySaturday series until the final week of theregular season. That should help the team find amore consistent routine as their schedule becomes increasingly difficult.

Alack of routine isn’t primarily why LSU has struggled, but Johnson still

STARKEY

Continued from page1C

their opponents —and present his findings to coach Kim Mulkey,helping her craft gameplans and pinpoint the areas they need to emphasize to their players Mulkey hired Starkey to her staff in 2022 —amove she thinks has extended her career.Preparing for games, such as the one LSU will play against Oklahoma at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina (ESPN), is much easier with him on board. Starkey,66, is one of the most experienced coaches in the country.Five years ago, hethoughthe’dspendthreeor four seasons at Auburn, then retire. But now he’sinhis 25th year at LSU, and his contract is set to expire in June.

In January,Starkey was asked if he had thought about how much longer he wants to coach, andhesaidhehadn’t. Given his age, he knows he’s in the twilight of his career Something just keeps holding the sunset at bay “When you’re learning,” Starkeysaid, “itkeepsyou fresh. Keeps you wanting to come back. Ijust feel like we’re in the middle of something really special here that’sgoing to be remembered for along time, if not forever.”

‘Never wanted theheadlines’ One day in 1989, Craig Carse told Dale Brown he should talk to this young coach who might have some potential. Brown was trying to fill an opening on his LSU staff. Carse, his lead assistant, told him he had dipped into the high schoolranks to find a pretty good one five years earlier,when he was thehead coach at West VirginiaState Thecoach’s name wasBob Starkey,and when Brown sat down with him, he thought he washumble,knowledgeable and passionate.

So Brown hired Starkey, and the two coaches wound up working togetherfor seven seasons —the stretch in which players such as Shaquille O’Neal, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Stanley Roberts starred for the Tigers.

“He did areally good job for us,” Brown said, “and he never wanted the headlines, never wanted to be in thespotlight. The kids liked him, and he was very good at bringing the kids in privately and working with them.” One of those kids was

takes theblame for how frontloaded the schedule has been during non-conference play,which included two five-game weeks and a pairoffour-game series. “I don’t thinkI set the team up for successwith this schedule, how Ihad it laid out,” Johnson said.“Ido believe wehave enoughto be successful in it. But, I’m going to ownthat part ofit, learn from it (and) adjustit in future years.”

What can Johnson accomplish with more time on the practice field?For one, he cantry to straighten out a lineupthat hassuddenly gone ice-cold.

Offense wasJohnson’s callingcard when hearrived in Baton Rouge,and carried the Tigers as they accumulated more depth and talent on the mound.

Butafter scoring sixor fewer runs in fiveoftheir past six contests, Johnson anticipated that he’d spend more timeinahands-on capacity with LSU’shitters on Thursday.

“I’m going to get them in small groups tomorrow,” Johnsonsaid. “I’mreally going to go hands-on on the hitting thingmore than I have probably in my time at LSU, even thoughit’smy baby.But (it’ll be) next level to help some of these guys out, because Ibelieve we have goodplayers that can playbetter offensivebaseballthan they are.” Johnson hopes an improved offense that hits theballharder,takes more free bases and can string together quality at-bats will putless pressure on astruggling pitching staff.

“Offensively, we just need to help make some ofthose

Randy Livingston. Before he wasanNBA player and asuccessful coach himself, he was afreshman who once missed arehab session during the 1994-95 season. Starkey told him that his irresponsibility could cost the LSU coaches their jobs, which started a“war of words” that has stuck with himeversince. “I really wasn’tfond of the comment,” Livingston said “It didn’treally resonate with me. In fact,itpissed me off becauseIdidn’t realize that Icontrolled that much of aprogram,where that was theresponsibility of a19-year-old “Butthen, becoming a coach,you understand what that means now,right? He was really trying to push me and trying to make me responsible.”

Starkey can push, but he’s always done so with care, whether he was coaching the LSU men under Brown or the women under Sue Gunter,Pokey Chatman or VanChancellor. Livingston stillremembers thefilm he watchedand the conversations he had with Starkey in hisoffice. KatrinaHibbert —one ofLSU women’s10all-time leading scorers —can still hear him teaching herthe fundamentals of post playinthe PMAC and playfully trying to mimic herAustralian accent

In 2007, Starkey took over LSU’swomen’s program for Chatman after she was fired that March amid allegations shehad an inappropriaterelationship with aplayer.Two weekslater,the Tigers had earned theirfourth tripto the Final Four.

Thefive NCAATournament games LSU played that yearstill represent Starkey’sonly run as ahead coach. He’salways preferred to work behind the scenes and assist his boss, whether it’sBrown, Gunter, Mulkey or Gary Blair —the Naismith Hall-of-Famer who added Starkey to his Texas A&M staff in 2012.

“He has no hobbies except smoking cigars,”Blair said “Hedoesn’t playnopickleball. Hedoesn’t playnogolf. He doesn’thavehobbies besides taking care of his wife and going to the beach and lightin’one up.”

‘Hetalks my language’

When he was working under Brownand Gunter Starkey used to hand-type stats andwatch filmonVHS tapes. Staff acrossthe sport weremuchsmallerthen, so he had to handlemost of the grunt workhimself.Some-

pitching decisions(in tight games) alittle easierby helping them out,” Johnson said.

LSU’sstarting pitching could handle the lack of help it was gettingfrom the offense last weekend, lowscoring contests against Northeastern and Dartmouththatthe Tigers won. But once Monday’srematch with theHuskiescame around and LSU couldn’t turn to sophomorerighthanders Casan Evans and William Schmidt or righthanded Kansastransfer Cooper Moore, thepitching cracked under pressure.

Not all of thegroup’sissues can be pinned on the offense’slack of production. Sophomore left-hander Cooper Williams and senior right-hander Zac Cowan’s struggles on Monday put LSU in the sort of hole that no attack could reasonably climb out of. The three runs junior right-hander Gavin Guidry allowed in the first inning on Wednesday had theTigersbehind early again.

“Wehavetostay out of the big inning,”Johnson said as he discussed theimprovementhis pitching staff needs to make. “That is going to be thebiggest predictor of winning and losing.”

Once Southeastern Conference playrolls around, Johnson knows which seven or eight pitchers he can trust. Evans, Schmidt and Moore are firmly in that group. Redshirt sophomore right-hander Deven Sheerin hasn’tallowed ahit in five appearancesand will be a topoption out of the bullpen along withGuidry,who was basically untouchable before Wednesday

times he stayed in the office until 5or6 a.m.

Then 2007 rolled around, and Starkey’swife, Sherie, was diagnosedwith breast cancer

“It was aslap in the face,” Starkeysaid. “Itwas God telling me, ‘Yourpriorities are screwed up.’”

Starkeyhad straightened them outby2021, when Blair retired andheaccepted a job on coach Johnnie Harris’ Auburn staff, committing to her and the Tigers for three or four years.

After Starkey fulfilledthe first season of that pledge, longtime LSUstaffer Reneé Braud called to tell him that Mulkey wantedtohirehim. He thanked herfor theoffer but politely declined. He hadalready given hisword to Harris.

Then Starkey started to feel uneasy.Heand Sherie are each from West Virginia,but they consider Baton Rouge home. Evenwhen the couple was living in College Station, Texas, Sherie flewdown to Louisiana three or four times ayear so she could see friends she made when her husband was coaching at LSUand shewas battlingcancer.Was this their last chance to move back home?

Starkey was in aKay Yow Cancer Fund boardmeeting at the2022 Final Four in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when oneofhis friends, board member Felicia Allen, noticed something was bothering him. Starkey told her he had turneddown Mulkey’soverture.

“Are you stupid?” she asked him.

“You gotta do this.”

“I can’tdothat to (Harris),” Starkey said.

“What about Sherie?” Allen said. “Are you being loyal to her?”

Starkey paused.

“Thatwas aloadofbricks on my shoulder right there,” he said.

So Starkey called Braud back and asked her if Mulkey hadmoved on to other candidates. Shelaughed and said she hadn’t. She was alreadyputting acallinto Harris.

Now Mulkeyand Starkey formabit of an oddcouple Mulkey’s loudand flashy Starkey’smore buttoned up. The twomay nothave the same sense of style, but they do share abasketball ethos. Starkeyconsiders Blair oneofhis mentors, andhe forged his hoops philosophy in the same placeMulkey shaped hers —atLouisiana Tech underthe tutelage of legendary coaches Leon Barmoreand SonjaHogg.

Aleft-hander,likely juniorcollege transfer Ethan Plog, will join thatgroup. Rizy will also likely be a part of themix. He’s struggled withhis command, but hitters have hardly put the ball in playagainst him, letalone hit anything hard. Whoever else joinsthat mix is abit of amystery,but Johnsonfeelsgood about his top group nevertheless. “A little bit of an oldSkip (Bertmanstyle of managing) where you have eight (guys),” Johnsonsaid. “It doesn’t mean we only have sevenoreight,but Iknow where we’re headed,and I feel really good about that piece of it.”

ButevenifJohnson is positive about his weekend pitching, he still hasanoffense that needsa restart anda defense that has to play cleaner baseball. The Tigers have a.961 fielding percentageonthe season and have committed12 errors over their past six games.

Johnson knows he has multiple fires to put out before the start of SEC play The competition only grows stifferafter this weekend, and he’srunning out of time to fix it all.

But he isn’tpanicking. Instead, Johnsonisclearminded and confident that his team will get through it “It’sa little bit of aspeed bump,”Johnsonsaid, “and I’ll use thattomake this team better.”

Email Koki Rileyat koki.riley@theadvocate. com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/ lsunewsletter

“He talks my language, Mulkey said. “Weteach the sameway.”

Starkeyfrequently fills in forMulkeyinher news conferences and weekly radioshows.InDecember, he addressedreporters after LSU announced it hadparted ways withathletic director ScottWoodward during one of the Tigers’ exhibition games.Mulkey was “heartbroken,” he said.

In the past two seasons, Starkeyhas also run two different weeks of practice after personalfamily matters pulled Mulkey away from herteam. One was for LSU’s 2025 SEC Tournament opener againstFlorida, and theother was for its road game against Texas A&M this past January

The Tigers didn’tmiss abeat either time. They scored 101 pointsinthe first matchup and won by 44 in thesecond. Mulkey used both chances to stump for Starkey’sinduction intothe Women’sBasketball Hall of Fame —something she’s done repeatedly since she brought him back to LSU.

“Hecan do allthat,”Blair said, “but he doesn’tneed it. His satisfactionisthe kids, the relationships with them for years after they’ve played ball, not just while they’re playing ball.”

‘Not neglecting priorities’ Starkey grabbed his mouse and pausedthe

SAINTS

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At theend of the season, Jordan stronglyindicated he wouldn’ttake as much of adiscount to play for the Saints as he did in 2025.

“The Saints have done nothing but show that they wantmetobehere,” Jordan said. “Now,atwhat price? Some wouldsay half off, this last year.Can’tdothat again.”

The Saintswould like Jordan back, but also want to add another pass rusher to thefoldthis offseason. Doing so would potentially reduceJordan’sroleeven further.Despite starting all 17 games, Jordan waseffectively the team’sthird pass rusher this season. He played 53.6% of the defense’s snaps, though that was with Chase Young missing the first five games of the year.After Young’sreturn, Jordan’splaying time dipped to 45.7%.

There are also questions aboutwhetherJordancan maintain his rediscovered pass-rush productivity

According to ESPN’sBill Barnwell, five of Jordan’s 101/2 sacks were the result of either coverage sacks or bringing thequarterback down basedonanother pressure. His time to pressure of 3.47 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats, was the longest of the 15 players who finished withdouble-digit sacks.Onlythree of his 30 quarterbacks cameunder three seconds. But 2025 wasareminder to count out the Saints’ all-time sack leader at your own risk.

After recording twosacks

Kenny Chesney song that was playing. It wasthat one morning in late January,and he was still kicking around LSU’swin over Arkansas. He siftedthrough the film of it in the wee hours of the morning.

“Which was pretty damn painful to do,” Starkey said. The Tigers won 92-70, but they had asloppy first half Starkey couldn’tdwell on it, though. He had to pickout afew extraclips fromAlabama’sgame againstGeorgiaand shoot them over to Kaylin Rice —the assistant coach who helps him scout other teams. That process is much smoother than it was 20 or 30 years ago, which Starkey is grateful for. He’sworking smarter in hissecond stint at LSU than he didinhis first. His days of pulling allnightersare done,replaced with ahealthier mix of life andbasketball. He’lltakehis laptop homenow,and he’ll pullitout only after he eats dinner with Sherie, turns on amovie or aTVshowand watches her fall asleep.

Starkey also takes not one, but two vacations every year.Hedoesn’tworkon Christmas anymore either

“I still feel like I’mgetting my job done,” Starkey said. “I’m just not neglecting priorities the wayI used to.”

Thebalance allowsStarkey to coach with anice blend of old and new-school techniques.

in 2023 and four sacks in 2024, Jordan looked better than he hadinyears in part because he was no longer asked to occasionally play inside at defensive tackle. The 36-year-old was often frustrated by former defensive line coach Todd Grantham. Under defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, Jordan stuck to the edge and chased the quarterback. Along the way,Jordan continued to climb up the league’s all-time sack leaderboard and now ranks 17th with132. He is twosacks from passing John Abraham at No. 14. “Did we expect 101/2 sacks from him?” generalmanager Mickey Loomis said after the season. “No, Iwouldn’t saythatweexpected that, but I’mexcited forhim.” If Jordan leaves,itwould likely be hard for many to envision the former firstrounder playing elsewhere. Jordan has played afranchise-high 243 games across 15 seasons since taken 24th overall in 2011. He has also become apillarinthe community,founding his charity and visiting schools around New Orleansonhis offday each week. Jordan testing free agency,however,doesn’tautomatically spellthe endofhis tenure in New Orleans. The twosides,intheory, could still reach an agreementafter Jordan sees what else is out there. But fornow,Jordan hitting themarketmeans that the Saints would absorb nearly $18.8 million toward their salary cap based on the dead money remaining on Jordan’scontract, which is set to void next Wednesday barring anew deal.

Before the Tigers took on Miami in the Elite Eight in 2023, he pulled out aSharpie and drew rings on all their fingers. It wasanidea he borrowed from Blair, and it helped LSU players and coaches remember thatthey were chasing something. It wasalso Starkey’sidea to order arebounding bubble in January when the Tigers needed to straighten outsomemidseason issues on theglass. They haven’t lost abattleonthe boards since.

Starkeysaidheplans to keep coaching as longashe has the energy forit, as long as he feelslike he’s contributing something and as long as Mulkey is happy with the work he’sproviding. He still works hard, but because he’s found more balance and alike-minded coach to work for,hestill enjoys it —even though he’sa couple of seasons past the retirement date he initially setfive years ago. And about that condo on PerdidoKey:the Starkeys decided to put it up forsale in November.They’llstill vacation on those beaches once Starkey retires. They just won’tmake it their permanent residence. Baton Rouge is home both now and for the foreseeable future.

“I just love being here,” Starkey said, smiling. “I’m not sure my wife’sready for me to be at homeall day.”

North Vermilion fall to LaGrange in semifinals

Patriots vow to return next season

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

North Vermilion waited 40 years between appearances at the girls basketball state tournament.

The No. 3 Patriots, who lost 53-44 to No. 2 LaGrange in the Division II nonselect semifinals on Wednesday at the University Center in Hammond, expect to return in exactly 12 months.

“We’ve been working for this since middle school,” said junior Reagan Semien, who led the Patriots with 12 points, three steals and three rebounds. “We’ll be back next year.”

North Vermilion center Stevie Brasseaux, one of two seniors along with McKenzie Marceaux picked up two fouls in the first quarter and was called for her fourth with 6:23 left in the third quarter and the Gators of Lake Charles ahead 25-16

“That hurt us, not having one of the best rebounders in the state on the court,” Patriots coach Jack LeBlanc said. “There were a couple of fouls that could’ve gone either way Unfortunately, they were called on her We struggled to rebound, especially in the second half.”

In the third quarter, a long line of North Vermilion students filed into the arena after arriving late because of a pile-up on the Interstate 10 Basin Bridge. As that happened and the fans grew excited, sophomore Ashante Rose (10 points) made a personal 6-0 run to get her team within 30-24.

“She’s done that all season,” LeBlanc said of Rose, who came off the bench. “She missed the first half of it (with a foot injury).”

Despite playing only 22 minutes because of foul trouble, Brasseaux scored nine points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Marceaux, who scored seven points, only attempted three shots and didn’t practice for the game because of a long-term flu virus.

“I felt the first team to get to 50

points would win,” LeBlanc said. “Our game plan was to keep it low scoring We got down seven at the half and kind of stayed down. I knew their physical play in the half court would give us problems.”

LaGrange (28-4), which will face No. 4 Wossman for the state title, scored 42 points in the paint and had a 17-3 advantage on fast breaks. The teams combined for 60 turnovers.

The Gators shot nearly 90% from the field (8 of 9) in the fourth quarter when they outscored North Vermilion 21-18. The Patriots sank five of six field goals to begin the third quarter A Brasseaux bucket with one minute remaining got North Vermilion (27-4) within 47-40 after Semien scored five straight points.

“This is a phenomenal school to be support-wise and with the community,” LeBlanc said. “You can tell that from the people in the stands here. The past five years have been phenomenal. Coach Mya (Touchet) and I decided to do this together

“You can’t list another coach as the co-head coach, but that’s what

Fresh off upset, Northside primed to earn state tournament berth

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

The Northside High School basketball team came out the gates hot to start the season under firstyear coach Troy Jones, winning 11 of its first 12 games.

As hot as the Vikings were to start the year, the Vikings ended the regular season slumping, losing six of their final nine games to settle for a No. 12-seed in the boys Division II select playoffs.

“We started off pretty good,” said Jones, who was hired in late August. “We were rolling at one point. We were in the top three in the power rankings and, after Christmas break, we dropped a few games and we kind of struggled a little bit in district.”

But since the postseason has started, the Vikings have found their footing. Fresh off a 66-65 upset of No. 5Lake Charles College Prep, the Vikings are in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2018

“It has been good seeing those guys turn it back on to how we first started off the season,” Jones said. “To be able to start rolling in the playoffs. I’m lost for words.”

The Vikings (22-13) will host No. 13 St. Michael (17-14) at 7 p.m. Friday looking to advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2014

“Those guys are hungry,” Jones said. “They show up every day and they work hard.”

Considering the amount of talent he has — headlined by junior guards Jaydon Francis, Jayden Jones and Khilon Woods Troy Jones isn’t surprised by the Vikings’ accomplishments

“I always felt like we had the potential,” Jones said. “I just knew that we were small But I told my guys, no matter who we are playing against and no matter where we go, I feel we have the best guards in the state. As long as they believe it, we can go as far as we want to go. Those guys have really been buying in.”

The Vikings are facing a St. Michael team that upset No 4 Parkview Baptist 59-53 in overtime.

While ecstatic about the Vikings’ success, Jones called this season something special.

“It’s overwhelming coming in, being a first-year head coach and making it to the third round of the playoffs,” Jones said. “This is big for me and for the team.”

One more win would make it even more special.

“Getting those guys to understand that we could be a special group if we can get over the hump and get to the (state tournament),” Jones said. “Then we can go out there and see what magic we can make happen.”

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

she really is. All 13 of these girls played for coach Mya in middle school. We’ve taken the mantra of

developing talent rather than collecting talent, as some other programs (do).”

vs. No. 1 French Settlement, 8 p.m.

IV

finals

No. 1 Southern Lab vs. No. 2 J.S. Clark, noon

II select: No. 2 University vs. No. 1 Madison Prep, 2 p.m. Div. I select: No. 1 John Curtis vs. St. Joseph’s-Teurlings winner, 4 p.m. No. 2 LaGrange vs. No. 4 Wossman, 6 p.m. Div. I nonselect: 8 p.m. Boys basketball All games Friday Nonselect quarterfinals

DIVISION II No. 7 Plaquemine at No. 2 Northwest, 7 p.m.

DIVISION IV No. 9 North Central at No. 1 Ferriday, 6:30 p.m. Select quarterfinals

DIVISION I No. 12 Catholic-BR at No. 4 St. Thomas More, 7 p.m.

DIVISION II No. 13 St. Michael at No. 12 Northside, 7 p.m.

DIVISION III No. 9 Catholic-New Iberia at No. 1 Calvary Baptist, 6 p.m. No. 5 Lafayette Renaissance at No. 4 DeLaSalle, 6:30 p.m.

DIVISION IV No. 5 Westminster-Lafayette at No. 4 Central Catholic, 6 p.m. Baseball Wednesday’s scores Cecilia 8, Lafayette Renaissance 5 Berchmans 10, Midland 0 Breaux Bridge 4, Loreauville 0 Washington-Marion 10, David Thibodaux 6 Opelousas Catholic 10, Menard 2 Cecilia 8, Lafayette Renaissance

An artsy evening

The fundraiser/celebration forthe Arts CouncilofGreater BatonRouge called MPAC,and it combines music, performingartsand community ahigh-energy event at theCarySaurageCommunity Arts Center on Friday. There’salso dancing,food, libations and asilent auction.From $135.23. artsbr.org/mpac.

LIVING

ADVOCATE.COM | Friday, March 6, 2026 5cN

BY JOHN WIRT Contributing writer

Acrowd-pleasingperformer whose natural habitat is the stage, Jonathon “Boogie” Long nonetheless wants to put somethingfor everyone in his recordings.

There’sstill time. Imight not be the prettiest to look at, but, if you closeyour eyes and listen, you’ll connect.It’smylife and Iammost comfortable in my own skin when I’m onstage entertaining people.”

JONATHON ‘BOOGIE’ LONG

‘Aguidinglight’

“That’salways my goal,” said theblues-based but thoroughly contemporary singer-songwriter-guitarist from Baton Rouge.

Long’sfifthalbum, “Courageinthe Chaos,” available Friday via Jim Odom’s newlylaunched Myrical Records, containsmighty blues-rock songs, killerguitar riffs and solos, funk and gospelflavor and alush ballad

Tracks one though10onthe album are polished studio productionsrecorded by all-star session players. Track 11 finds Long on stage, performing the blistering“Catfish Blues” foraBlues Tent audience of thousands at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

“It’s my best work to date, for sure,” Long said of his new album.“And it’sthe first time thata producer toldanengineer to mixthe guitarlikemyvocal track.Jim Odom is one of thesmartest peopleI’ve ever met.Hetold the mixing engineer,‘Mix the guitar like avocal track, because theguitar is an extension of Jon’svoice.’

Odom, aguitarist in LeRoux, songwriter and founder of theextremelysuccessful PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc.,isthe in-studio producer for“Courage in the Chaos” as well as the project’sexecu-

‘WinterJam’tourheads to La.

tive producer “Jon is so naturally talented,” Odom said of Long. “He’sthe real deal. Every bone in his bodywas built to play music.That’s whoheis. Such agood songwriter and singer andplayer.The whole package. At this time in his life,everything is lined up for him.”

Prior to this week’sreleaseof“Courage in the Chaos,” advanceorders forthe album’sCDand vinyl editions sold out twice. Long has also increased his TikTok audience from 800 to ä See LONG, page 6C

ä Watch avideo of Jonathon ‘Boogie’ Long’s‘Baby I’mThrough’ AT THE THEADVOCATE. COM.

Thefashion police have thoughts on funeralattire

Dear Miss Manners: Ibelieved that wearing all black was proper dress for anyone at afuneral, or any such service. In recent years, though, this seems to have changed. “Church dress,” or subdued outfits in muted colors, seem to be acceptable. Afriend told me that it is pretentious to dress in all black when the deceased is not aclose friend or family member It seeks to claim astatus as amourner that the wearer does not deserve. Then ahigh-profile lady was criticized for wearing agorgeous, very dignified coat-dress in ablack-andwhite tweed —which seemed perfectly appropriate to me —because it was not all black. The deceased wasnot aclose friendor family member of the lady in question. What is correct?

FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan

CompanyPie Bar,New Iberia, 5p.m

DOWNTOWNALIVE! FEATURING

Gentle reader: Mourning is hard enough without having to think about what degree of intimacy to the deceased your clothing color relays This is not asporting event. There is no winning team for which to show your loyalty Furthermore, if you cannot wear black to afuneral without appearing pretentious, where are you properly to wear it?

Never mind. Miss Manners can guess. To awed-

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday,March 6, the 65th day of 2026. There are300 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On March 6, 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision, ruled 7-2 that Scott, an enslaved person, was not aU.S. citizen and therefore could not sue for his freedom in federal court; it also ruled that slavery could not be banned from any federal territory.The decision deepened the national divide over slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War.

Also on this date: In 1820, President James Monroe signed the Missouri Compromise, which allowed Missouri to join the Union as aslave state and Maine to join as afree state, while banning slavery in the northernportion of the Louisiana Territory In 1836, the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas,fell as Mexican forces led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna stormed the fortress aftera13-day

ding, where any bitof color could probably be criticized for displaying too muchjoy andsupport for the couple. Dear Miss Manners: Many of my friends have small children, andIamalways invited to their birthdayparties.I genuinely enjoying going and seeingthem and their children Theproblem is that my spouse andIare on one income, and sometimes we just don’thave anyextra money to spare, even on minimalgifts. However, we usually dohavethe ingredientsonhandtomake cookies or cupcakes and frosting from scratch Wouldinquiring about the child’s dietaryrestrictions and bringing sweets instead of atoy berude?If it were an adult, I’d give a handwritten note and card, but Idoubtchildren would find those very fun

Gentle reader: No, they would not —atleast,not without cashorgiftcards to shakeout ofthem,in this day and age. Ahomemade presentis lovely and fine. But unsolicited baked goods may cause too manyproblems at achildren’sparty.Most parentswill have already put thoughtintowhat birthday treat they serve. Providing an alternative

TODAYINHISTORY

siege; the battle claimed thelives of all the Texian defenders, includingWilliam Travis, James Bowie andDavy Crockett. In 1869, chemist Dmitri Mendeleev introduced his conceptofaperiodic table of elements at ameeting of the Russian Chemical Society in St. Petersburg. In 1912, Oreo cookies were first introduced by the National Biscuit Company (later known as Nabisco).

In 1951, the trial of Julius andEthel Rosenberg on federal espionagecharges began in New York.(Both were subsequently found guilty,sentenced to death and then executed in 1953).

In 1964, heavyweight boxing championCassius Clay took anew name given to himbyNation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammed: MuhammadAli.

In 1970, abomb being built inside atownhouse in New York’sGreenwich Village bymembers of the Weather Undergroundmilitant leftist group accidentally exploded, destroying the house and killingthree

will cause confusion —as well as too much sugar stimulation for the young guests.

Miss Manners suggests instead alow-budget craft or aregifted item that can be framed as “something special you thought they might enjoy ”

Dear Miss Manners: My wife and Ilive in a55-and-over community,and anew neighbor moved into the house next to ours. Iam wondering if there is acustom as to which neighbor should approach the other, and how and when.

My guess would be that we should have approached them to welcome them to the neighborhood, even though we have been there only four monthsand no one has done it for us.

Gentlereader: Although there is no strictrule that either party approach first, Miss Manners thinksit kind for theexisting neighbor to initiate. Even ones who are only four months in and harbor obvious resentmenttoward their predecessors.

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

group members. In 1981, Walter Cronkite signed off for the lasttime after nearly two decades as the anchor of “The CBS Evening News.”

In 2009, NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope was rocketed into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to hunt for Earth-sized planets orbiting distant stars. The spacecraft discovered 2,681 exoplanets outside thesolar system before it ran low on fuel and was retired in 2018 after 91/2 years of scouring space for alien worlds.

Today’sbirthdays: Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is 100. Former Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova is 89. Opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa is 82. Rock musician David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) is 80. Actorcomedian TomArnold is 67. Actor-comedian D.L. Hughley is 63. Actor Connie Britton is 59. Basketball HallofFamer Shaquille O’Neal is 54. Rapper-producer Tyler, theCreator is 35. Actor Millicent Simmonds is 23.

SYDNEY &THE SAMS: Parc San Souci, Lafayette, 6p.m

HIGH NOTES: Chez La Fete, Lafayette, 6p.m

LATE BLOOMIN’: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson,6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza&Brewery,Lafayette, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’sSeafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m

MONARCH LULLABY’SALBUM

RELEASE PARTY: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 6p.m

LEXI &CHYNNA: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

FIRSTFRIDAY LIVE PISCES

EDITION: The Brass Room, Lafayette, 7p.m

FIRSTSTREET HOOLIGANS WITH HAYMAKER AND JUDGE

GENIUS: Blue Moon Saloon Lafayette, 8p.m

LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8p.m

SATURDAY

DON FONTENOTBAND: Fred’s, Mamou,8 a.m.

CAJUN JAM: Moncus Park Lafayette, 9a.m

SATURDAY MORNING JAM

SESSIONS: The SavoyMusic Center,Eunice,9 a.m.

CAJUN JAM: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.

MUSIC MOSAIC —AYEAR OF SOUND AND PLACE —PUCCI

PERCUSSION: Children’sMuseum of Acadiana, Lafayette, noon

CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC JAM: Vermilionville Living History Museum &Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1p.m

CAJUN BREAKFAST: Naq’s-nDuson,Duson, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza&Brewery,Lafayette, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Pat’sAtchafalaya Club,Henderson,7 p.m.

SPANK THE MONKEY: Rock ‘n’ Bowl de Lafayette, Lafayette, 7p.m

NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS: Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m.

FILM

Continuedfrom page5C

direct connections with film industry professionals.

“Wesee this series of eventsasanentry point notjust for careersinfilm, butfor entrepreneurship rooted in preserving our history and heritage,” said Ashley Gaignard, CEOofRural Roots Louisiana. “When our community members have thetools and connections theyneed, theycan build businessesand livelihoods that honor wherewecome from while shaping where we’re going.”

The events will be:

n “Roots&Reels: AFilm Industry OpenHouse and Experience,” 2p.m. to 5p.m. Saturday,J.E.Thompson Center,304 Memorial Drive, Donaldsonville, Ascension Parish

author and retired

‘40 years of FoleyTour’ is Club 337 in Lafayette at 7p.m.Tuesday.

BAYROVERS WITH SPECIAL GUESTS —UNDER THE BLACK

PIRATE TROUPE: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8p.m.

LEROYTHOMAS &THE ZYDECO ROADRUNNERS: Lakeview Park, Eunice,8p.m.

AUDIO REMEDY: Gloria’s Bar & Grill, Lafayette, 9p.m.

SUNDAY

GLENN ZERINGUE: Whiskey& Vine,Lafayette, 11 a.m.

LESFRERES MICHOT: Prejean’s, Carencro, 11:30 a.m.

CAJUN JAM: BayouTeche Brewing, Arnaudville, 2p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.

MONDAY

PATRICIO LATINO SOLO: Cafe Habana City, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

LIVE MUSIC: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.

BLUEGRASS JAM: Citédes Arts, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m

TUESDAY

LIVE MUSIC: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.

TERRYHUVAL &FRIENDS: Prejean’s Restaurant,Lafayette, 6p.m.

MICKFOLEY —“40 YEARS OF FOLEYTOUR”: Club 337, Lafayette, 7p.m.

GREENLIGHTSESSIONSOPEN MIC: Jefferson Street Green-

n “RiverRoad Juke Joint,” 2p.m. to 5p.m. Saturday, March14, The Hub, 8111 Romeville St., Convent, St. James Parish.

An afternoon honoring the juke joint tradition and including afish fry,history of juke joints in the RiverParishes, musicand a5 p.m. screening of “Sinners.” The event celebrates Black Southern cultureand the connection between heritage preservation and economic opportunity.OrganizedbyInclusive Louisiana.

n “Lights, Camera, Opportunity: Free Film Industry Training Fair for the River Parishes,” 9a.m.to4 p.m. Friday,March 27, River Parishes Community College, 181 Regala Park Road, Reserve, St. John the Baptist Parish.

room, Lafayette, 7p.m.

WEDNESDAY DULCIMERJAM: St. Landry VisitorCenter,Opelousas, 10 a.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Park Bistro, Lafayette, 6p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.

WANTED WEDNESDAY KARAOKE NIGHT: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 6p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: TapRoom, Youngsville,6:30 p.m CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8p.m.

THURSDAY LADIESNIGHT WITH DJ DONOVANINTHE MIX: Cowboys Nightclub, Scott, 6p.m.

ACOUSTIC LIVE MUSIC THURSDAYS WITH DUSTIN SONNIER: Calvary Creek,Broussard, 6p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s-n-Duson Duson, 6p.m.

MUSIC: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m. KARAOKE PARTY—PANDA

Black Bull, Youngsville,8p.m.

CompiledbyMarchaund Jones.Want yourvenue’s music listed? Email info/ photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY forthe following Friday’s paper

dustries. Aprogram of The COOL Cooperative, IATSE 478 and The Descendants Project. Free pre-registration is availableateventbrite.com

“We’re excited to connect the River Parishes to awide range of careers, trades in the film industry and transferableskills,” saidJoy Banner, co-founderofThe Descendants Project. “Wealready have great talent and talent creators to enhance a rich cultural economy.” Alleventsare freeand open to the public.

Continued from page5C

“The album is getting traction,”Longsaid.“A lotofnew people are buying it. I’m always excited to reach new people. It makesmefeel better and more positive as an artist, to see that positive change. But it’snot aboutmeorthe success that Iget. It’sabout other people appreciating it, about it blessing them.” Long gave his new album the timely title “Courage in the Chaos.”

David Ellis joined him for theproject’sRabadash Studios sessions in Mandeville; and bassist Allan Maxwell, drummerDoug Beloteand organist John Gros played for sessions at Jack Miele’s New Orleans studio.

Recordingengineersfor “Couragein the Chaos”included Grammy winners JeffGlixman (Kansas, Georgia Satellites, Black Sabbath)and Miele, Owen Strain and Odom. Eleventime GrammywinnerDarrell Thorp andOdommixed thetracks.

putting thewhole thingtogether was areal joy.”

Long composed every song on the album except “Empty Promises,”originally recorded by one of hismusicheroes, Michael Burks, and the Marshall Tucker BandSouthern rock classic “Can’tYou See.”

Continuedfrom page5C 23,000 followers.

“The world is so chaotic,” he mused. “It’snot even about politics, man.It’s chaotic, period. So much desertion andpeoplebeing sad and not knowing what direction to go. We’re not communicating face-toface.Weneedalittlecourage, so, Ican’tthink of a better name for the album. It’s not about me being a savior.It’sabout being a little bit of aguidinglight of positivity through the chaos.”

Twogroups of all-star musicians accompany Long on the album: Drummer Terence Higgins, organist Nelson Blanchard and bassist

“Jim Odom is the force behind it, the man who’s made it all happen,” Long said. “It’sablessing to work with somebody who has the track record andsuccess he has, and anhonorto work with himbecausehe believes in me.”

“The album is step No 1out of about100,” Odom said.“But it’sthe most important thing.”

Overaperiodofmonths, Odom and Long worked closely together at craftingand selectingsongs for “Courage in the Chaos.”

“A lotoftunes I’d been battling with,” Long said “Jim helped me finish a couple of tunes andheinspired me to writemore tunes. Theexperience of

“Jim was like, ‘What’s acoversong that people connect with, thatcan pay homage to some Southern roots, pay homage to those that inspiredyou,’ Long recalled. “We landed on ‘Can’tYou See.’ Alot of stuff is overdone, but I don’tfeel like that oneis overdoneyet.”

Longsays he’spast feelingbitter aboutnot being farther alonginnational recognition. He also knows that many noted blues, blues-rock andcountry acts didn’tachieve major success untiltheir late 30s andbeyond.

“There’sstill time,”he said.“Imight notbethe prettiest to look at, but, if youclose your eyes and listen, you’ll connect. It’s my life andI am most comfortable in my ownskinwhen I’monstage entertaining people.”

Email John Wirt at j_ wirt@msn.com.

A2 p.m. opening news conference, along with adropin gathering featuring wig installations, costuming and makeup stations, and conversations with local film industry professionals and casting agents. Attendees can learn about career pathways while enjoyingfood, music and networking in arelaxed atmosphere.Organized by RuralRoots Louisiana.

TOUR

to connect directly with artists during Q-and-A sessions. Forfulltourinformation, city-specific details and Jam Nation registration, visit jamtour.com.

WinterJam consistently ranks amongPollstar’sTop 100 Tours and draws hundreds of thousands of fans each year,according to a news release.

Newsong vocalistRuss Lee, 64 and anative of Cleveland, Tennessee, answered six quick questions from theroad last week. Forsomeonewho’snever beento one of your shows, what can they expect?

InternationalAlliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union-approvedtrainers will lead hourlong sessions in costumes, scenic practices, construction, cinema lighting and hair and makeup for the camera. Attendees can also participate in panels on film industry community impact, diversifying income fortradesmen in the film industry,and entrepreneurship in independent filmmaking. All skills taught are transferable to multiple in-

Agreat message; entertaining, excellent musical sets from allofthe artists; more fun thanyou’reexpecting —agreat night of community and worship.

Howlongdoesone of your typical shows run?

Most nights are five hours long, top to bottom.Awhole lot of music for a$15 donation! What are some of your most wellknownsongs?

“Arise My Love,” “Can’t Keep aGood Man Down,” “The Christmas Shoes” and “When GodMade You.”

Do you write or co-write your songs? If so, walk us through your writing process. Yes, Idoco-writemost of thesongs. …Each song starts with amusical or lyrical idea or “hook” and then

The Rolling on the River Alliance “is agrowing partnership of community organizations andresidents across Louisiana’sRiver Parishesand Cameron Parish in southwest Louisiana working togethertoshape an economic future rooted in the preservation of local heritage and the growth of thriving, locally owned businesses,” according to the newsrelease. The alliance’swork focusesonthe film industry, tourism,business training anddata collection.Partner organizationsinclude Rural Roots Louisiana, Inclusive Louisiana, The Descendants Project, Fishermen Involved in Saving Our Heritage (F.I.S.H.),and the Louisiana Bucket Brigade.

develops around that. The song tries to reinforce the main idea or message with supporting lyricsthatexpand thestoryand hopefully keep the listeners engaged. Do youthink people are seeking outChristian musicmore during this turbulent time in America?

Ithink people are looking for truth, peace and assurance, andthe Christian music andmessagegivesthemthat. Anything to add?

“Winter Jam” is unlike any other event you will ever experience. Many attendees have been coming for years and enjoy the night. It is an uplifting and enjoyable, inspiring experience.

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Take the blindersoff and look at lifethrough amagnifyingglass. Leave nothing to chance or up to someone else'sdiscretion. Avoidexcessiveactions or emotional outbursts.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Lendahelping hand, volunteer or donate to acause, andthe returns will be greater thanyou expect.Listenwithanopenmind, but make choices with facts, figures and your reputation in mind.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Look at every possibility before you make amove. Refuse to let your emotions lead the waywhen common sense is vital. Keep your eye on the possibilities and your overhead under budget, and success will follow

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Say no to pressure tactics and emotional manipulation. Putyourtime and effort into learning, doing your part to help those less fortunate and usingyourskills to make the worldabetter place.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Share your thoughts. Let your words impact those you encounter, and it will help you gain insight into what others want. Don'tgo out of your way to impress.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Change your routine;makeroom for whateverbrings meaningful results. It's up to you to take responsibilityfor your happiness. Refuse to letotherstakechargeordictate how you use yourtime or money.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Partnerships will requireyourattention,discretion

andhard choices. When in doubt, go directly to the source, askquestions and make decisions for the right reasons.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Let your creative imaginationlead the way. Dazzlethose you encounter with your insight and unique alternatives. Keep life andyour plans affordable and straightforward.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Take the plunge and try something new. Social events will lead to interesting talks, friendships and pastimes that bring you satisfaction,confidence and drive.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Concentrate on getting positive results by doing what'sright and bestfor you. A change in howyou applyyourskills and expertise to your work responsibilities will pay off.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.19) Go over your expenses and put aplan in place to pay down debt. Don't believe whatothers tell you; verify facts before you make amove. Focusonmaking money,not on spending it.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Engage in events that lead to information, connections and people who can help you transform your life. Leave nothing to chance and protect yourinterests. Engage in fitness and stick to ahealthy diet.

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

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BY PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

MaeWestsaid,“Itisbettertobelooked over than overlooked.”

She wasnodoubt talking about the femaleofthe species,but shecould also have had in mind cardsplayed at the bridge table. Experienced defenders transmit information with almost allof the cardstheyplay, especially earlyin thedeal.

In this deal, South is in three no-trump. Westleadshisfourth-highestspade.How shouldthe playproceed?

Declarer tookEast’s spade queen with his ace, cashed the diamond king, andcontinued with the diamond queen. He was hoping the jack would appear, allowing him to run for home. However, when West discarded theheartfour at trickthree, South had to regroup.

Declarer needed adummy entry,so hadtofind West with theheartking. At trickfour, South leda low heart.

West won with his king and cashed the spade king: club, spade three, nine. Westcontinuedwiththespadejack:club, spadefive, 10. Suitably deceived, West led another spade. South won with his eight, played aheart to dummy’s queen, andran the diamonds to collect an overtrick.

“How could Ihave known?” asked West East pointed outthatonthe second round of spades, he gave “remaining count.”Here,becausehehadthreecards left,hedroppedthelowestone.Ifinstead he had still held 8-6-5-3, he would have played thesix under West’s king and the three under thejack. West,after cashing the spade jack, should, in desperation, have shiftedto his club two, which would have resulted in down two.

©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles

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

Previous answers:

word game

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

toDAY’sWoRD tHEoREM: THEE-uh-rem: Apropositionoraccepted idea.

Average mark 24 words Time limit 40 minutes

Can you find 34 or morewords in THEOREM?

YEstERDAY’sWoRD —EncoREs

encore erne

today’s thought “What shall Irender to the Lord for all his benefits toward me?” Psalms 116:12

Featherweight Scooter