SAVE $ 72 5 LB
4 DAY SALE
march THUR FRI 5th - 8th 5 6
8
visit rouses.com for more weekly ad specials!
100% PREMIUM USDA ANGUS CHOICE BEEF
LB
When You Buy 2
Boneless Rump Roast
4
$ 27 LB
SAVE up $ 73 to 6
$ 00
— ONLY —
— ONLY —
SAT SUN
7
SAVE 3
SAVE up $ 98 to 2
3
2/$
6 OZ CLAMSHELL
Alpine Fresh Blackberries
LIMIT 4
When You Buy 3
— ONLY —
— ONLY —
FRESH BOILED IN STORE HEAD-ON
Boiled Louisiana Shrimp
4
$ 99
15.7 - 23.4 OZ SELECTED
Red Baron Pizza
LB
11
3/$
OR 46 OZ SELECTED
Blue Bunny Frozen Dessert
Prices good at all Baton Rouge, Zachary, Gonzales and Prairieville stores March 5th - March 8th, 2026.
TRUMP SAYS HE WANTS ROLE IN PICKING IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER 6A
THE
ADVOCATE T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
|
F r i d ay, M a r c h 6, 2026
$2.00X
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 di-
saster 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
ä Homeland Security funding bill falters in Senate. PAGE 4A
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 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
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears before the Senate ä See NOEM, page 4A Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
Louisiana close to settling big coastal lawsuit, Landry says
LIVINGSTON PARISH
Library director resigns after two months Change marks third shake-up in 3 years
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
A rusted oil pipeline in the Bayou Gentilly oil field has been abandoned, according to lawyers representing Plaquemines Parish in its lawsuit against oil and gas companies.
STAFF FILE PHOTO
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
“What does this mean for Louisiana? It means access to these lands, it clears the way for major restoration efforts, and helps secure nearly $480 million in federal funding.” GOV. JEFF LANDRy
others that have already been made with Freeport-McMoRan, BP, Shell and Hilcorp. Landry’s announcement on Thursday marks his strongest endorsement of the coastal lawsuits to date — litigation that Landry had previously tried to take over and scale back. He has spoken of wanting
to reduce the 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 the case. The parishes involved in the litigation will also need to sign off on the settlement before it is finalized, Landry and Carmouche said. Landry said at a meeting of an advisory commission on coastal issues in Lafourche Parish that the deal was nearly finalized. “Today, I’m proud to report that the state of Louisiana and ConocoPhillips, the largest private wetlands owner in our state, are words away from resolving the
ä See COASTAL, page 5A
The recently hired Livingston Parish library director resigned Wednesday after less than two months on the job — she was the third person in that position in less than three years amid budget problems and turmoil over sexual content in books. Library Board of Control President Jonathan Davis said Na’Chel Shannon officially submitted her resignation this week. “We are grateful for Na’Chel’s contributions, and we wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors,” he said. Shannon started her position at the library system the second week of January after moving from Mississippi. The board approved hiring her in November. She was previously the library director of the South Mississippi Regional Library in Columbia, Mississippi. The director’s resignation follows three years of director shakeups. The board, with support from Parish President Randy Delatte, voted in July not to renew former library director Michelle Parrish’s contract. Parrish took the helm in 2023, when her predecessor, Giovanni Tairov, unexpectedly resigned after months of controversy over content restrictions for minors. He had served as director for over 10 years. Davis did not respond to
ä See LIBRARY, page 5A
WEATHER HIGH 86 LOW 71 PAGE 8B
Business ......................3B Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
101ST yEAR, NO. 249