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S at u r d ay, M a r c h 7, 2026
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Key progress revealed on Six Flags redevelopment
Trump rules out talks with Iran
Without ‘unconditional surrender,’ strikes continue BY JON GAMBRELL, DAVID RISING, SAM METZ and SALLY ABOU ALJOUD Associated Press
STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK
Troy Henry speaks during a Bayou Phoenix presentation at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans on Friday. Developers revealed $300 million in financing and operators for a youth sports complex and water park resort at the former Six Flags site in New Orleans East, marking significant milestones in the revival project.
Operators named for youth sports complex, water park resort BY BEN MYERS
well as in Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Oklahoma. American Resort Management operates water parks 510 and hotels across the coun10 TO I-10 try, and its hotel brands Parking Lake area include Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt, according to its Retail, Outdoor website. dining sports fields The announcement repOutdoor resents key progress for water park Indoor sports a project that remains complex on track despite years of complications over land Indoor ownership, strained negowater park Hotels Studios Parking tiations and challenging conditions on the 227-acre site that has been dormant Parking Family entertainment since Hurricane Katrina. center Michoud Blvd. “I know it’s been a test of everyone’s patience,” Staff graphic Henry said in an interview. “We now will be shifting lion private equity deal begin within the next two from being at government speed to the speed of busi— with a firm he declined months. Eastern Sports Manage- ness.” to name, citing a nondisAndrew Ballard, chief closure agreement — will ment manages nine indoor take 15 weeks to close, and and outdoor sports facilithat the process should ties in its home state as ä See SIX FLAGS, page 4A
Concept plan for former Six Flags property
Staff writer
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Developers behind the massive overhaul of the former Six Flags in New Orleans East say they will soon finalize $300 million in financing and have found operators for a youth sports complex and water park resort — critical milestones in the site’s long-awaited revival. Eastern Sports Management of Virginia and American Resort Management of Texas and Pennsylvania will run the complex and resort under preliminary agreements with the Bayou Phoenix group. Officials with those two firms joined Bayou Phoenix principal Troy Henry to announce the plans at a Friday meeting at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Henry said the $300 mil-
Kennedy may have had role in Noem’s firing Questions about advertising spending angered Trump, he says BY MARK BALLARD
Kennedy
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s decision to remove Kristi Noem as the head of the Department of Homeland Security appears to have been partially spurred by her answers to Louisiana Sen. John Ken-
nedy about $220 million of spending on television commercials. Noem was already under the gun for how her agents were handling the deportation of immigrants who entered the country illegally, which was Trump’s key cam-
Staff writer
WEATHER HIGH 81 LOW 68 PAGE 6C
Noem
paign promise. But she also was criticized by officials in both parties for the slow responses during high-profile disasters in Texas, North Carolina and other states by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is a part of Homeland Security. Trump mentioned Noem’s answers to Kennedy’s questions a couple hours before moving Noem to become special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas,” a coalition of Latin American countries seeking ways to protect the Western Hemisphere. He nominated U.S. Sen. Mark-
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. President Donald Trump appeared Friday to rule out talks with Iran absent its “unconditional surrender.” Israeli warplanes bombed Beirut and Tehran as Iran launched more retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries on the seventh day of the war. The strikes in Lebanon were the heaviest since a 2024 ceasefire ended the last war between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants, who fired Trump rockets at Israel in the opening days of the war now underway. More than 95,000 people have ä Deadly fled Beirut’s suburbs and south- Iranian ern Lebanon after sweeping Is- school raeli evacuation warnings. The U.S. and Israel have bat- blast linked tered Iran with strikes, targeting to U.S. its military capabilities, leader- airstrikes. ship and nuclear program. The PAGE 3A stated goals and timelines for the war have repeatedly shifted, as the U.S. has at times suggested it seeks to topple Iran’s government or elevate new leadership from within.
ä See IRAN, page 3A
Moreno calls out ‘bullying’ by police pension fund Director says administration is withholding money owed to system
BY BEN MYERS Staff writer
wayne Mullin, R-Okla., as the new leader of Homeland Security. Specifically, Kennedy had asked Noem if the president was aware of the spending on a series of commercials that cost almost a quarter of a billion dollars to produce and air. The spots featured Noem in various locales, including in front of a detention center in El Salvador, warning immigrants without the proper documentation that they would be deported when caught.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno on Friday accused the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System of trying to strong-arm the city into paying money it doesn’t owe as the two sides work to resolve several outstanding legal disputes. “I will push back on anyone who I think is trying to do any type of money grab on the city of New Orleans. It’s not something that I’m going to stand for,” Moreno said in an interview. “I’m Moreno sick of their bullying tactics.” Moreno’s comments come after the statewide police pension system’s executive director, Ben Huxen, this week publicly accused the Moreno administration of withholding $3.5 million he said is owed to the pension system.
ä See KENNEDY, page 4A
ä See FUND, page 4A
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