The Times-Picayune 03-09-2026

Iran namesson to succeedslain leader

MojtabaKhameneibackedaswar toll grows

BY JONGAMBRELL,SAM METZ, KAREEM CHEHAYEB and SAMYMAGDY Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Mojtaba Khamenei, ason of Iran’s latesupreme leader, hasbeennamed hissuccessor, Iranian state TV announced early Monday, as thewar that began alittle over a week ago with his father’skilling took a dramatic turn.

The younger Khamenei, who had not been seen or heard from publicly since

thewar started, had long been considered acontender forthe post,even before an Israeli strike killed Ayatollah AliKhamenei, anddespite never being elected or appointed to agovernment position.

The announcement came after signs of arift among Iranian officials as the country awaited adecision by the88seatAssemblyofExperts,a groupof clerics that selects the supreme leader StateTVread astatementfrom theassembly saying he was selected based on

“strong” votesand urging thenationto unitebehind him. The station broadcast scenes of people celebrating in parts of Tehran. There has been only one other transfer of power in theoffice of supreme leader since the Islamic Revolution almostahalf-century ago.

Asecretive figure,the 56-year-old Khamenei nowstands at the heartof Iran’stheocracy and will have final say over allmatters of state. He will serve as commander-in-chief of themilitary andpowerfulparamilitary Revolutionary Guard. He also has authority over astockpile of highly enriched uranium

Worker shortage snarls airportsecurity

BY KASEY BUBNASH and MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writers

The New Orleans airportwas plagued Sunday by security lines that stretched through multiple floorsofthe building and intothe parking garage amid an apparent Transportation Security Administration sickoutduring apartial gov-

ernmentshutdownthathas left some federal workers withoutpay ErinBurns,aspokesperson for the Louis Armstrong NewOrleans International Airport, said ashortage of TSA workers at security checkpoints caused “longer-than-average lines” andhourslong delays that could persist through theweek. She did not say whether TSA employeeswere on strike

“Passengers areadvised to arrive at least 3hoursbefore their scheduled departure to allow plenty of time to undergo security screening,” Burns said in astatement Sundayevening. “Wait times can be up to 2hours.”

Burns said airport staff wereworking to keep the lines organized and

that could be used to build anuclear weapon, if he chooses to decree it. The selectionofKhamenei faces the likelihood of U.S.criticism. “(Ali) Khamenei’sson is unacceptable to me,” President Donald Trumphas said. “We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”

The White House did not immediately respondtoa request forcomment. Trump told ABC News on Sunday he wants asay in whocomes to power once the warisover; anew leader “is not going to last long” without his approval.

See LEADER, page 4A

Legal, professional bills mount in church’s bidfor bankruptcy protection

BY STEPHANIERIEGEL Staff writer

Attorneys and other professionals who worked on the Archdiocese of NewOrleans bankruptcycaserackeduproughly$60 million in fees and expenses over nearly six years, court documents show,making the case thesecond-costliest of morethan40 church bankruptcies filed in the U.S. over the past twodecades.

The figures weredisclosed in final feeapplicationsfiledinlate February, twomonths after the archdiocese and its affiliatedparishes and charities reached a$300 million settlementwithhundredsofsurvivors of clergy sex abuse. At some $360 millionincluding the settlement and fees, the total cost of the caseismorethan50times greaterthanthe $7 million that formerArchbishop GregoryAymondtoldthe Vatican it would likely cost when he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May2020amid arisingnumber of clergy sex abuse lawsuits. The archdiocese has already paid mostof the fees, which were given preliminary approval by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Grabill while the case was going on. But several million dollars remain outstanding, and Grabill still must give final approval to all fees, even those already paid. Should she determine that some feeswere excessive,attorneys could be forced to return them to the archdiocese.

As the debtor in the case, the archdiocese

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Kansas City airport

opens after evacuation

KANSAS CITY Mo. The Kansas City International Airport terminal reopened Sunday afternoon, hours after it was evacuated while authorities looked into a potential threat, the Kansas City Aviation Department said Airport spokesperson Jackson Overstreet said in an email shortly after 2 p.m. that the terminal was reopened. The evacuation began after a threat that surfaced about 11:15 a.m. Flights that landed after the evacuation were held on the taxiway during the shutdown, which Overstreet said lasted about two hours.

In a social media post Sunday afternoon, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the incident was clear and “normal operations are resuming.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said on social media Sunday afternoon that the FBI reviewed the threat and determined it “not to be credible.”

Logan Hawley, 29, said he was waiting to board a flight to Texas when he noticed a swarm of police and K-9 units inside the terminal.

“Suddenly there was an airport worker saying, ‘Immediately evacuate.’ People got up fast and rushed out of there,” Hawley said.

He said the group of roughly 2,000 people were ushered onto the tarmac.

University in Florida probes racist group chat

MIAMI A South Florida university has launched an investigation into a group chat started by an official with the Miami-Dade chapter of the Republican Party that included violently racist slurs, antisemitic comments and misogynistic language.

The chat, which was denounced by the state GOP, involved students and several top conservative leaders at Florida International University, according to the Miami Herald, which viewed and independently verified the conversations.

The university said in a statement on Thursday that the conduct of the students was being investigated by the campus police in coordination with local, state and federal law enforcement.

“FIU does not and will not tolerate violence, hate, discrimination, harassment, racism or antisemitism,” said FIU President Jeanette Nunez, a former Florida lieutenant governor and GOP state lawmaker “This is not who we are. This is not what FIU stands for.”

The Republican Party of Florida said in a statement that it was undertaking “an internal review of this situation” and condemned “the repugnant comments,” saying that they were “completely contrary” to what the organization represents.

NTSB member says he was fired

WASHINGTON A National Transportation Safety Board member who was a public face of the investigation into last year’s deadly collision of an airliner and an Army helicopter near the nation’s capital said Sunday that he had been fired by the Trump administration without explanation.

Todd Inman said in a statement he received notice Friday from the White House personnel office that his position on the board was “terminated effective immediately.” He said he had not yet received a reason for his firing. The White House had no immediate response to a message seeking comment.

The NTSB has a five-person board but its website on Sunday showed just three members

The board’s vice chair, Alvin Brown, was abruptly removed last year Brown and Robert Primus, who served on the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, were the only Black board members overseeing their respective independent agencies when they were fired last year Both have challenged their firings in court, and the group Democracy Forward has filed discrimination claims on behalf of the men.

Police: Counterprotester threw explosive

Improvised device tossed at anti-Islam rally in New york

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK A device thrown by a counterprotester at an anti-Islam demonstration in New York City on Saturday was confirmed to be an improvised explosive, according to a preliminary police analysis. As the investigation continued on Sunday, police said they were looking into a second suspicious device found in the same area of Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Two people were in custody for their alleged role in Saturday’s confrontation, which unfolded dur-

ing a “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” event led by the far right activist Jake Lang outside the Manhattan residence of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The sparsely attended event drew a far larger group of counterdemonstrators, including one person who tossed a smoking object containing nuts, bolts, screws and a “hobby fuse” into the crowd, police said.

In a social media post Sunday, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the department’s bomb squad determined the object wasn’t a hoax device or smoke bomb, but an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death.”

The device extinguished itself steps from police officers, Tisch noted. The same person who threw

it then received a second device from another counterprotester, which was dropped and did not appear to ignite, the commissioner said.

Charges against the two counterprotesters were still pending.

Tisch said police were working with federal prosecutors and the FBI on the case.

“Violence at a protest is never acceptable,” Mamdani said in a statement Sunday “The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.”

NTB SCANPIX PHOTO By HANS O TORGERSEN

Norwegian police and technicians investigate an explosion Sunday outside the U.S Embassy in Oslo, Norway.

Police in Norway probe blast outside U.S. Embassy

BY STEFANIE DAZIO and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press

Police in Norway were investigating an explosion early Sunday outside the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, the capital of the Scandinavian country, officials said.

No injuries were reported. Police received reports of a “loud bang” or explosion about 1 a.m., Oslo police said in a news release.

The explosion was caused by some sort of incendiary device, according to Frode Larsen, leader of the Oslo police joint unit for investigation and intelligence. Investigators believe the embassy was the target and are searching for the perpetrators and their motive.

Larsen said the embassy’s entrance had damage, but no arrests have been made.

“We are early in the investigation, but we are working based on multiple hypotheses,” Larsen said in a statement.

“Given the current security situation, it is natural to consider whether this was a targeted attack on the American Embassy However, we have not committed to any single hypothesis.”

Local media reported that people nearby said the street was blanketed in thick smoke following the blast. Police are

seeking to talk to witnesses.

A U.S. official said the incendiary device was inside a backpack and detonated outside the entrance to the Consular Affairs office at the embassy The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter PST the Norwegian police security service, called in additional personnel following the incident, but hasn’t changed the country’s terror threat level, according to communication adviser Martin Bernsen.

“This is an unacceptable incident that is being treated with the utmost seriousness,” said Astri Aas-Hansen, Norway’s minister of justice and public security.

“The police have stated that they are investigating the case with significant resources, and that nothing indicates the situation poses any danger to the public.”

The U.S. Embassy in Oslo referred media inquiries to the U.S. State Department, which said it was aware of the incident and was opening its own investigation.

“We thank the Norwegian authorities for supporting the investigation,” the statement said.

Dazio reported from Berlin and Lee reported from Washington.

3 Palestinians killed in West Bank clash with Israeli settlers

BY IMAD ISSEID and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press

ABU FALAH,West Bank Three Palestinians were killed in a violent clash with settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Sunday, bringing the number of Palestinians killed in recent days to six. The surge in violence comes as much of Israel and the world’s attention is focused on the regional war with Iran.

The Israeli military said it responded to reports of Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians near Khirbet Abu Falah, east of Ramallah. Two Palestinians were killed by gunfire and a third died from suffocation, likely due to tear gas, the military said.

Two of the victims, Fare’ Hamayel and Thaer Hamayel, were cousins. The third man killed was Mohammad Murra. All three were buried in a joint funeral.

Amin Shouman, a resident of Abu Falah who witnessed the attack, told The Associated Press that dozens of Israeli settlers approached the village from the north and opened fire when they were confronted by a community guard committee along the border of the village.

In 2025, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

reported 240 Palestinians were killed in the territory, with the vast majority by Israel’s military and nine attributed to Israeli settlers. Thus far this year, a far larger share of fatalities has been directly attributed to armed settlers.

Sunday’s fatalities followed several deadly incidents last week. One Palestinian was killed in the South Hebron Hills on Saturday by an Israeli reservist, and settlers shot and killed two Palestinian brothers in the northern West Bank on March 2.

In a rare rebuke, the Israeli military strongly condemned the settler violence and said it opened a criminal investigation against the settlers involved.

“This is an unacceptable incident. There will be zero tolerance for civilians who take the law into their own hands,” said Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the commander of the military’s Central Command that includes the West Bank. “Especially at a time when the IDF is striking our bitter enemies Iran and Hezbollah, with a firm hand — we cannot allow reckless internal violence to undermine the rule of law and the security of the region.”

Palestinians and rights groups say Israeli routinely fails to hold settlers accountable for violence.

A person associated with Lang’s protest was also arrested and charged with reckless endangerment, assault and unlawful possession of a noxious matter after allegedly macing counterprotesters, police said.

Lang was previously charged with assaulting an officer with a baseball bat, civil disorder and other crimes before receiving clemency as part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping act of clemency for Jan 6 defendants last year He recently announced that he is running for U.S. Senate in Florida.

Later Sunday, police said on social media that authorities investigating Saturday’s events had “identified a suspicious device in a vehicle on East End Avenue between 81st Street and 82nd Street.” Several streets were closed and “limited evacuations of buildings” were ordered as the bomb squad assessed and worked to remove the device, the post said.

Thousands of people flee opposition-held town in South Sudan

BY FLORENCE MIETTAUX and DENG MACHOL Associated Press

JUBA, South Sudan Thousands of civilians have fled an opposition-held town in eastern South Sudan following an evacuation order issued by the army to pave the way for a military operation, officials said Sunday The exodus from Akobo, near the border with Ethiopia, began on Saturday night.

“The town is now almost empty,” said Nhial Lew, a local official in charge of humanitarian affairs. “Women, children and the elderly have left and crossed into Ethiopia.” While the government’s deadline to evacuate was supposed to expire on Monday afternoon, fighting has been reported west of Akobo since Saturday

“We are hearing the sound of machine guns approaching,” Lew said on Sunday evening.

The national army called the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces, ordered the U.N. Mission in South Sudan, or UNMISS, to close its Akobo base on Friday

Nongovernmental organizations and civilians were also asked to evacuate “in

order to avoid unnecessary collateral damage,” as the government prepares a military assault targeting “Akobo and surrounding areas,” according to a statement by military spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang. Akobo is one of the last strongholds of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition, or SPLM-IO, led by Riek Machar, South Sudan’s detained vice president.

A 2018 peace deal between Machar and President Salva Kiir has nearly collapsed since fighting resumed between their forces last year

Confrontations have dramatically increased in the northern part of Jonglei since December, when opposition forces captured government outposts. They were repelled by a government counteroffensive that displaced more than 280,000 people in a few weeks.

The town of Akobo, located in the far east of South Sudan and under opposition control since the civil war that erupted in 2013, was seen as a relatively safe haven. The presence of a small contingent of U.N. peacekeepers has led more than 82,000 displaced people to seek refuge in and around Akobo.

Trump’s‘roaring’ economymeets roughstart to 2026

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump promised that 2026 would be abumper year for economic growth, but instead it has kicked off with job losses, risinggasoline prices and more uncertainty about America’sfuture.

In his State of the Union address less than two weeks ago, the Republican president confidently told the country: “The roaring economy is roaring like never before.” The latest batch of data on jobs,pump prices and the stock market suggests that Trump’sroar hasstarted to sound far more like awhimper

There is agap between the boom that Trump has predicted and the volatile results he has produced one that could setthe tone in this year’smidterm elections as he tries to defend his party’s majorities in the House and Senate. With Trump’stariffs drama ongoing, the war in Iran has suddenlycreated inflationary concerns regarding oil and natural gas.Tothe White House, it is still earlyinthe year and stronger growth is coming No signsofjobsboom

“WOW! The Golden Age of Americaisupon us!!!”Trump posted on social media Feb. 11 after the monthlyjobs report showed gains of 130,000 jobs in January.

Since then, the job market has evaporated in worrisome ways.

Friday’semployment report showed job losses of 92,000inFebruary.The January and December figures were revised downward, with December swingingtoaloss of 17,000 jobs. Monthly data can be rocky,but atrend has emerged that shows an enduring weakness. Without the health care sector,the economy would haveshedroughly

202,000 jobs since Trumpbecame president in January 2025. Still, his administrationnotes that construction job gains outside of the housingsector point to future hiring growth.

Trumpoften brags that jobs are going to people born in the United States, rather than to immigrants. Butthe latest report punctured some ofthatargument.

Theunemployment rate forpeopleborninthe U.S. has climbed over the past 12 months to 4.7% from4.4%. This means agreater share of thepeople whoTrump said would get jobs because of his immigration crackdown are, in fact, searching forwork

Prices at thepumpgoup

“Slashing energy costsisamong the most important actions we cantake to bring down prices for Americanconsumers,”Trump said in aFebruary speech in Texas just beforethe U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. “Because when you cut the cost of energy, you really cut—you just cut the cost of everything.”

Thepresident hasrepeatedly told Americansthat keeping gas costs low wouldbekey to defeating inflation. He has talked up the decline, citing figures that were far below the national average to assure the public that driving was getting cheaper

But the strikes against Iran that began Feb. 28 have, for the moment, crushedthatnarrative. Prices at the pump have jumped19% over thepastmonth to anational average of $3.45, according to AAA. The investment bank Goldman Sachs warned in an analyst note that, if higher oil prices persist, inflationcould rise from its2.4% readinginJanuaryto3%bythe end of the year

The administration is banking on

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByDAVID ZALUBOWSKI

Gasprices are displayedWednesdayata QuikTrip convenience store in Greenwood Village, Colo. The price at the pump has gone up 19% over the past month to anational averageof$3.45,according to AAA, amid the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.

planstocontain anyenergy price increases, essentially bettingthat either the conflict will end shortly or theadministration can succeed in getting moretankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump advisers on Sunday sought to assureanxious Americans that surging fuel prices areashort-term problem

“Wenever know exactly the time frame of this,”Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN’s“Stateof theUnion.” “But in the worst case, this is aweeks,this is not amonths thing.”

Stocks areoff theirhighs

“You know, we set the all-timerecord in history with theDow going to 50,000,” Trump said Thursdayat theWhiteHouse. This frequently repeated talking point has grown stale. The Dow Jones IndustrialAverage, one of

Trump’spreferred measures of success, has dropped5%overthe past month. Stocks areupduring his presidency,just as they were previously when Democrat Joe Bidenwas president. The recent decline could be reversed if the war with Iran ends and companies see solid profits over the next year and beyond. The recent dip, however,shouldbeawarning sign as the administration has stressed theimportance of more people investing in thestock market through vehicles such as “Trump accounts” forchildren. The stock market has become abarometer of how people feel about the economy, with stock investors tending to have moreconfidence and those without money in the markets being more pessimistic.

Joanna

Hsu, the director of the

University of Michigan’ssurveys of consumers, noted that in February a“sizable” increase in sentiment amongpeople owningstocks “was fully offset by adecline among consumers without stock holdings.” Productivity

Trump can point to awin in that the economy has becomemore productive —generating more value foreach hour of work.That is apositive sign forlong-term growth in the U.S. and areflection of its strong tech sector Business sector laborproductivity climbed 2.8% in the fourth quarter of last year,the Labor Department reported Thursday But the challenge is that the gains might notbespread to workers in theformofhigherpay as labor’s share of incomelast year fell to the lowest level on record, noted Mike Konczal,senior director of policy and research at theEconomicSecurity Project,a nonprofit aligned with liberal economic issues.

Economic growth

“Under the Biden administration, America was plagued by the nightmare of stagflation, meaning low growth and high inflation —a recipe for misery,failure and decline,” Trump said at the World EconomicForuminDavos, Switzerland, in January

The scoreboard tells afar different story,one that makes Biden’s track record in 2024 look better than Trump’sperformance last year.The U.S. economygrew at a 2.8% pace during Biden’slastyear, compared with 2.2% under Trump in 2025. As forinflation,the primary measure used by the Federal Reserve is the personal consumption expenditures priceindex. It was 2.6% in both 2024 and 2025.

Remembrance comesamidworries aboutfutureof voting rights

BY KIM CHANDLER Associated Press

SELMA,Ala. Sixty-one years after state troopers attacked civil rightsmarchers on the EdmundPettus Bridgein Selma, thousands gathered in the Alabama city this weekend, amid new concerns about the future of the Voting Rights Act. The March7,1965, violence that became knownas Bloody Sunday shocked the nation and helped spur pas-

sage ofthe landmark legislation that dismantled barriers to votingfor Black Americansinthe JimCrowSouth. Theanniversary was celebrated in this southern

city, witheventsthrough the weekendand ending with acommemorative march acrossthe bridge Sunday But the festivities came as theU.S. SupremeCourt con-

siders acasethat could limit aprovision of the Voting Rights Act that has helped ensure some congressional and local districts aredrawn so minority voters have a chance to electtheir candidate of choice.

“I’m concernedthatall of the advances thatwemade forthe last 61 yearsare going to be eradicated,”said Charles Mauldin, oneofthe marchers beaten on Bloody Sunday Democratic officeholders, civil rights leadersand tourists descended on the southerncity to pay homage tothe pivotal moment of the Civil Rights Movementand to issue calls to action. Speakers warned of the looming court

decision and criticized the Trump’sadministration actions on immigration and efforts to roll back diversity, equity,and inclusion.

Standing at the pulpit of the city’shistoric Tabernacle Baptist Church, Maryland Gov. WesMoore saidthatlike themarchers on BloodySunday,they must press forward.

“Those who marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge deserve better than us cowering while the freedoms that we inherited and they fought for, are being ripped away,” Moore said.

Illinois Gov.JBPritzker speaking at arally at the foot of the bridge, saidracism is on the rise in America and “Trump’s SupremeCourt

is gutting the Voting Rights Act.”

“Let’smarch forward today with the knowledge that we arethe inheritors of the faith that brought marchers to the bridge 61 years ago. It is now on us to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice,” Pritzker said. Justices are expected to rule soon on aLouisiana case regarding the roleofrace in drawing congressional districts. Aruling prohibiting or limiting that role could have sweeping consequences, potentially opening the door for Republican-controlled states to redistrict and roll back majority Black andLatino districts that tendtofavor Democrats.

BY ELÉONORE HUGHES Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO— Sunday’s marches in Brazilfor International Women’sDay served as arallying cry against gender-basedviolence, fueled by the latest case to outrage the country involving the alleged gang rape of a17-year-old girlin Copacabana.

ThecaseinRio de Janeiro’sfamed, beachside

neighborhood took place in January,but gained national traction this week whenfoursuspects handed themselves over to authorities. Described by police as agangrape, it has added fuel to thefirein anation wherereportsofviolence against women have surged in recentmonths, sparking nationwide protests and a flurry of digitalactivism At least 15 protests were plannedacrossthe country

with organizerscalling for the defense of women’slives and an end to femicide.

Rio’sCivil Policesaidthe four young men in pretrial detention will be charged with rape, while afifth suspect —aminor —turned himself in on Friday to face an equivalent charge under juvenile law Authoritiesissuedanarrest warrant for theminor afterhis alleged involvementinanother case of sex-

ualviolence with asimilar dynamic to theCopacabana episode came to light, Rio state prosecutors’ office said in an email.

Lawyersfor twoofthe suspectshave denied any wrongdoing, while legal counsel for the remaining threehave yet to comment on the casepublicly Apoliceinvestigation revealed that in January,the victim received amessage from aclassmateather pres-

tigious school inviting her to afriend’shome. Once insidethe apartment, shewas takentoaroomand locked in with the suspects, where she wassexually assaulted and subjected to physical and psychological violence, aWednesdaypolicestatement said.

Last week, security camera footage of the menarriving then leaving the scene of the alleged crimecirculated widely on social media.

Public interest in the case intensified after local press widely reported that the father of one of the suspects servedasundersecretary for governanceand compliance within Rio’sstate social development andhumanrights department. Following the allegations against his son, the official was dismissed from his post,according to adecision publishedWednesday in the state government’sofficial gazette.

War threatens Persian Gulf oil, water

BY ANNIKA HAMMERSCHLAG Associated Press

As missiles and drones curtail energy production across the Persian Gulf, analysts warn that water, not oil, may be the resource most at risk in the energy-rich but arid region. On Sunday, Bahrain accused Iran of damaging one of its desalination plants. Earlier Iran said a U.S. airstrike had damaged an Iranian plant.

Hundreds of desalination plants sit along the Persian Gulf coast, putting individual systems that supply water to millions within range of Iranian missile or drone strikes. Without them, major cities could not sustain their current populations.

In Kuwait, about 90% of drinking water comes from desalination, along with roughly 86% in Oman and about 70% in Saudi Arabia The technology removes salt from seawater — most commonly by pushing it through ultrafine membranes in a process known as reverse osmosis — to produce the freshwater that sustains cities, hotels, industry and some agriculture across one of the world’s driest regions.

For people living outside the Middle East, the main concern of the Iran war has been the impact on energy prices. The Gulf produces about a third of the world’s crude exports and energy revenues underpin national economies. Fighting has already halted tanker traffic through key shipping routes and disrupted port activity, forcing some producers to curb exports as storage tanks fill.

But the infrastructure that keeps Gulf cities supplied with drinking water may be equally vulnerable.

“Everyone thinks of Saudi Arabia and their neighbors as petrostates. But I call them saltwater kingdoms. They’re human-made fossil-fueled water superpowers,” said Michael Christopher Low, director of the Middle East Center at the University of Utah. “It’s both a monumental achievement of the 20th century and a certain kind of vulnerability.”

Early signs of risk

The war that began Feb 28 with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran has already brought fighting close to key desalination infrastructure. On March 2, Iranian strikes on Dubai’s Jebel Ali port landed some 12 miles from one of the world’s largest desalination plants, which produces much of the city’s drinking water

LEADER

Continued from page 1A

But Iran’s Revolutionary Guard issued a statement expressing support, and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah shared a portrait of the younger Khamenei on Telegram with the caption, “Leader of the blessed Islamic revolution.”

Top Iranian security official Ali Larijani, speaking to state TV, praised the Assembly of Experts for “courageously” convening even as airstrikes continued in Tehran. He added that the younger Khamenei had been trained by his father and “can handle this situation.”

Regional anger grows

The war’s toll on civilian targets grew as Bahrain accused Iran of striking a desalination plant vital to drinking water supplies, and oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight Israeli strikes.

As the war impedes the region’s oil production and shipping, crude prices have surpassed $100 per barrel for the first time in more than three and a half years. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, traded at $101.19 on Sunday, up 9.2% from Friday’s closing price.

In a sign of rising regional anger, the Arab League chief lashed out at Iran for its “reckless policy” of attacking neighbors, including ones that host U.S. forces. Gulf countries have been struck by hundreds of missiles and drones since the war started on Feb. 28.

Saudi Arabia reported its first deaths, saying a military projectile fell onto a residential area and killed two people of Indian and Bangladeshi nationality Foreign residents and workers have made up most of the war’s deaths in Gulf nations.

Israel reported its first soldier deaths, saying two were killed in southern Lebanon, where its military is fighting Hezbollah. The U.S. military said a service member died of injuries from an Iranian attack on troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1. Seven U.S. soldiers have

Damage also was reported at the Fujairah F1 power and water complex in the United Arab Emirates, and at Kuwait’s Doha West desalination plant The damage at the two facilities appeared to have resulted from nearby port attacks or debris from intercepted drones.

On Sunday, Bahrain accused Iran of indiscriminately attacking civilian targets and damaging one of its desalination plants, though it didn’t say supplies have gone offline. The island nation, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has been among the countries targeted by Iranian drones and missiles.

Earlier, Iran said a U.S. airstrike damaged an Iranian desalination plant. Abbas Araghchi, the country’s foreign minister said the strike on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz had cut into the water supply for 30 villages. He warned that in doing so “the U.S. set this precedent, not Iran.”

Many Gulf desalination plants are physically integrated with power stations as co-generation facilities, meaning attacks on electrical infrastructure could also hinder water production. Even where plants are connected to national grids with backup supply routes, disruptions can cascade across interconnected systems, said David Michel, senior fellow for water security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“It’s an asymmetrical tactic,” he said. “Iran doesn’t have the same capacity to strike back at the United States and Israel But it does have this possibility to impose

costs on the Gulf countries to push them to intervene or call for a cessation of hostilities.”

Desalination plants have multiple stages — intake systems, treatment facilities, energy supplies — and damage to any part of that chain can interrupt production, according to Ed Cullinane, Middle East editor at Global Water Intelligence, a publisher serving the water industry

“None of these assets are any more protected than any of the municipal areas that are currently being hit by ballistic missiles or drones,” Cullinane said.

A long-standing concern

Gulf governments and U.S. officials have long recognized the risks these systems pose for regional stability: if major desalination plants were knocked offline, some cities could lose most of their drinking water within days. A 2010 CIA analysis warned attacks on desalination facilities could trigger national crises in several Gulf states, and prolonged outages could last months if critical equipment were destroyed.

More than 90% of the Gulf’s desalinated water comes from just 56 plants, the report stated, and “each of these critical plants is extremely vulnerable to sabotage or military action.”

A leaked 2008 U.S. diplomatic cable warned the Saudi capital of Riyadh “would have to evacuate within a week” if either the Jubail desalination plant on the Gulf coast or its pipelines or associated power infrastructure were seriously dam-

aged. Saudi Arabia has since invested in pipeline networks, storage reservoirs and other redundancies designed to cushion short-term disruptions, as has the UAE. But smaller states such as Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait have fewer backup supplies.

Water plants threat

As warming oceans increase the likelihood and intensity of cyclones in the Arabian Sea and raise the chances of landfall on the Arabian Peninsula, storm surge and extreme rainfall could overwhelm drainage systems and damage coastal desalination.

The plants themselves contribute to the problem. Desalination is energy-intensive, with plants worldwide producing between 500 and 850 million tons of carbon emissions annually, approaching the roughly 880 million tons emitted by the entire global aviation industry

The byproduct of desalination, highly concentrated brine, is typically discharged back into the ocean, where it can harm seafloor habitats and coral reefs, while intake systems can trap and kill fish larvae, plankton and other organisms at the base of the marine food web.

As climate change intensifies droughts, disrupts rainfall patterns and fuels wildfires, desalination is expected to expand in many parts of the world.

Threat is not hypothetical

During Iraq’s 1990-91 invasion

now been killed. The war has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, at least 397 in Lebanon and at least 11 in Israel, according to officials.

Facilities attacked Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia reported additional Iranian missiles launched toward them.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged neighboring states not to take part in U.S. and Israeli attacks. The U.S. strikes have not come from Gulf Arab governments but from U.S. bases and vessels in the region. Bahrain accused Iran of indiscriminately attacking civilian targets and damaging one of its desalination plants, though its electricity and water authority said supplies remained online.

Desalination plants supply water to millions of residents in the region and thousands of stranded travelers, raising new fears of catastrophic risks in parched desert

nations. The strike came after Iran said a U.S. airstrike damaged a desalina-

of Kuwait and the subsequent Gulf War, Iraqi forces sabotaged power stations and desalination facilities as they retreated, said the University of Utah’s Low At the same time, millions of barrels of crude oil were deliberately released into the Persian Gulf, creating one of the largest oil spills in history

The massive slick threatened to contaminate seawater intake pipes used by desalination plants across the region. Workers rushed to deploy protective booms around the intake valves of major facilities.

The destruction left Kuwait largely without fresh water and dependent on emergency water imports. Full recovery took years.

More recently, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted Saudi desalination facilities amid regional tensions.

The incidents underscore a broader erosion of long-standing norms against attacking civilian infrastructure, Michel said, noting conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Iraq.

International humanitarian law, including provisions of the Geneva Conventions, prohibit targeting civilian infrastructure indispensable to the survival of the population, including drinking water facilities.

The potential for harmful cyberattacks on water infrastructure is a growing concern. In 2023 and 2024, U.S. officials blamed Iran-aligned groups for hacking into several American water utilities.

Iran supply at risk

After a fifth year of extreme drought, water levels in Tehran’s five reservoirs plunged to some 10% of their capacity, prompting President Masoud Pezeshkian to warn the capital may have to be evacuated.

Unlike many Gulf states that rely heavily on desalination, Iran still gets most of its water from rivers, reservoirs and depleted underground aquifers. The country operates a relatively small number of desalination plants, supplying only a fraction of national demand. Iran is racing to expand desalination along its southern coast and pump some of the water inland, but infrastructure constraints, energy costs and international sanctions have sharply limited scalability

“They were already thinking of evacuating the capital last summer,” Cullinane of Global Water Intelligence said. “I don’t dare to wonder what it’s going to be like this summer under sustained fire, with an ongoing economic catastrophe and a serious water crisis.”

In response, CENTCOM spokesperson U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins said that “U.S. forces do not target civilians — period.”

Iranian authorities also said Israel’s overnight strikes on four oil storage tankers and a petroleum transfer terminal killed four people. Witnesses in Tehran said the smoke was so thick that it looked as if the sun had not risen.

Israel’s military said the oil depots were used by Iran’s military for fuel to launch missiles.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society warned Tehran residents to take precautions against toxic air pollution and the risk of acid rain. It also said about 10,000 civilian structures across the country had been damaged, including homes, schools and almost three dozen health facilities.

Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned it soon could become harder to produce and sell oil. Some regional producers, including in Iraq, have curbed output amid dangers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Half-million displaced

Lebanon said over a half-million people have been displaced in the week of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The actual number is likely higher Lebanon’s count of 517,000 refers to those who registered on the government’s online portal. Israel over the past week has called on residents in dozens of villages across southern Lebanon and the entirety of Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate.

Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said 83 children and 82 women have been among those killed.

In Beirut, sheltering families crammed into schools, slept in cars or in open areas near the Mediterranean Sea, where some burned firewood to keep warm.

Israel’s renewed offensive began last week after Hezbollah launched rockets toward northern Israel during the Iran war’s opening days.

Associated Press journalists Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel and Aamer Madhani in Doral, Florida, contributed

under control, and she said MSY would continue to coordinate with federal TSA partners through the shutdown. For the latest updates on flight status Burns encouraged travelers to check directly with their airline.

TSA employees are working without full pay amid a stalemate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security It’s the second shutdown to impact the TSA since the country’s longest in history ended on Nov 12.

Travel and aviation industry leaders last week urged Congress to end the shutdown, NPR reported, saying that TSA officers impacted by past shutdowns stayed home from work in greater numbers when they started missing paychecks

“We’re going to see sickouts.

Times.

“These political stunts force patriotic TSA officers, who protect our skies from serious threats, to work without pay,” Bis told the Times.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, also tied the long lines to Democrats in a Sunday afternoon post on X.

“This is what happens when Democrats cater to their radical base instead of working for the American people,” Scalise wrote. “Enough with the political games. END the shutdown and reopen DHS!”

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, instead pointed the finger at Republicans, saying on X that it’s the GOP’s refusal to hold DHS accountable for killing U.S. citizens that has resulted in a prolonged government shutdown.

ty lines moved briskly as hundreds of travelers hauling rolling luggage and duffel bags weaved through the airport, following employees waving red flags as Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies stationed near the escalators helped with the flow of pedestrian traffic.

The Sheriff’s Office has a detail at the airport 24 hours a day 365 days a year that includes traffic control whenever necessary, Capt. Jason Rivarde said.

Taking up the back of the line was Ben Brasch and a friend, who were headed home to Denver, Colorado. Still in the parking garage, Brasch said they’d already been waiting in line for 15 minutes, though he said it was moving surprisingly fast.

“I hope we make our flight,” he said.

Brasch was staying positive, though, and said he had a “zen-like” attitude to the realities of travel.

ARCHDIOCESE

Continued from page 1A

is required to pay all legal and professional fees both those billed by its own lawyers and experts and those for the abuse survivors and commercial creditors.

In 2024, Aymond, who retired last month, said he was “sickened” by the high cost of the case and the exorbitant legal fees.

In a statement last week, the archdiocese said it is “actively working with the professionals who worked on the case to negotiate fee reductions,” including fees charged by its own lawyers, and that once the final fees have been determined, “the archdiocese hopes to provide a report on the bankruptcy for our faithful.”

The statement added that Archbishop James Checchio, Aymond’s successor, “apologizes again to the surviv ors for the additional pain and anxiety th is lo ng delay has caused them and to our faithful. He is praying for the healing balm of God to come down upon us all.”

‘Understand the frustration’

Jones Walker, the New Orleans-based firm that represented the archdiocese had the highest fee bill in the case, charging $17.2 million for some 51,000 hours billed.

Lead attorney Mark Mintz said his firm gave the archdiocese a break on its fees, charging a blended rate of $345 an hour for all partners, associates and paralegals that worked on the case. Typically, Mintz said, he bills at $750 an hour Also, the firm didn’t charge the archdiocese for attorneys who billed less than 50 hours on the case, which reduced the church’s legal bills by some $400,000.

TSA officials did not respond to a request for comment.

We’re going to see screeners who love their jobs but are going to be forced to look for other jobs,” Todd Hauptli, the head of the American Association of Airport Executives, said, according to NPR. “TSA is going to do their very best to try and keep those lines moving, but they’re not going to sacrifice safety And that means people should be prepared as this drags out for longer lines.”

DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis blamed Democrats for delays at airports in New Orleans and Houston in a statement to The New York

The latest shutdown began Feb 14 and entered its fourth week on Saturday Senate Democrats blocked a bill to fund DHS on Thursday While the bill passed the House of Representatives, it failed to reach the 60vote threshold necessary to pass in the Senate. The funding bill has gone nowhere in the Senate as Democrats demand new restraints of immigration enforcement tactics following the January killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal immigration officials.

Court documents filed in April 2024 by a group of attorneys who represented dozens of individual abuse survivors accused the firm of “top heavy billing,” with 30 partners and 24 associates billing on the case. It also alleged excessive billing by the firm.

The firm denied the allegations and Grabill never ruled on the motion.

But Mintz said the firm took the criticism to heart.

“We understand why people feel frustrated by it,” he said “That is why anyone who billed less than 50 hours in the case, we’re not charging, which reduces the number of timekeepers from 54 to 38.”

In addition to Jones Walker’s fees, law firms for the church that handled specialized issues related to the bankruptcy financial consultants and real estate professionals charged the archdiocese more than $4 million.

The attorney who separately represented the archdiocese’s 120 parishes and affiliated charities throughout most of the case, Douglas Draper, was not required to submit fee bills for the countless hours he spent on the case because the church affiliates were not technically in bankruptcy until the final weeks of the case. Draper declined to disclose what he billed the church affiliates or explain who paid the bill, citing “attorney client privilege.”

The archdiocese did not respond to multiple requests for comment seeking Draper’s fees.

Though the parishes and charities are legally separate from the archdiocese, they share certain assets, share insurance policies and exchange some funds. Also, the archbishop is the sole member of the affiliated charities.

The archdiocese’s refusal to disclose how much its affiliates paid for representation throughout much of the bankruptcy underscores the opacity that shrouds much of the church’s operations,

even as it has pledged greater transparency as part of its settlement.

Toward the end of the case, the affiliates filed “mini-prepackaged” bankruptcies to shield them from future liability in sex abuse cases. Draper billed the archdiocese $200,000 for handling those cases, the archdiocese said.

Other big billers

The two firms that represented the official committee of abuse survivors, together, billed $17.3 million in the case. Pachulski Stang, a California-based plaintiffs’ firm specializing in clergy abuse cases, billed nearly $8.7 million, including expenses. Troutman Pepper, the local bankruptcy firm for the survivors, billed more than $8.6 million.

Financial experts and consultants hired by the committee, who sought for years to determine the value of archdiocese- and affiliateowned assets in order to reach a settlement, added an additional $11 million to the tab.

Stewart Robbins, which represented dozens of unsecured commercial creditors, or vendors that do business with the archdiocese, billed more than $4.3 million, including expenses.

Mediators brought in to help settle the case, including Baton Rouge attorney John Perry, former U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Sontchi and New York-based M3 Advisory Partners billed more than $820,000, some of which was split between the archdiocese and the survivors committee.

In addition to the bankruptcy fees, the church’s ordinary legal and professional bills for things like workers comp, insurance and employee benefits, among others, cost nearly $6.4 million from the beginning of the bankruptcy through the end of October, according to the most recent monthly financial reports filed in the case.

“Our TSA workers at MSY deserve to be paid, and Republicans need to stop trying to rewrite the truth and work with Democrats to end this shutdown to make it happen,” Carter wrote.

Calls for comment to Scalise’s office were not returned Sunday, and a spokesperson for Carter directed The Times-Picayune to the congressman’s statement on social media.

Despite the confusion and exasperation at MSY on Sunday securi-

None of the fees come out of the $300 million settlement trust, which is funded by cash contributions from the archdiocese and the affiliates, and the proceeds of various real estate sales. Rather, they are paid out of various church operating accounts.

“That is not the deal that was cut,” Mintz said. “Even if the judge denied the final fee apps, the settlement pot would not go up.”

Costly process

The fee bills and expenses in the case, which will approach $60 million unless reduced by the court or voluntarily by the firms, are among the most expensive in the country, records show Professional fees in church bankruptcies in more than three dozen cases dating back to the early 2000s have averaged around $25.5 million, according to Penn State

“But I feel bad for the MSY workers having to deal with this,” he said.

Daniel Kvarnberg, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was also homeward bound Sunday when he was greeted by unusually lengthy lines at the airport.

“I’m not stressed,” he said. “I’ve got a couple of hours, but I just wasn’t expecting this.”

Law professor Marie Reilly, who studies church bankruptcies.

The Archdiocese of Rockville Center in New York, which includes the Long Island area, had the highest legal and professional fees at $124 million.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at $23 million, was third-costliest.

Several long-running cases in New York and New Jersey have yet to be finalized, which could displace the local archdiocese’s standing as second-most costly in the U.S.

Reilly said bankruptcy cases because of their complexity and duration are among the most expensive all types of litigation in the legal system

“Bankruptcy lawyers in big Chapter 11 cases are well paid for good reason,” Reilly said. “They are specialists. Catholic organization bank-

ruptcy cases are a sub-specialty within that specialty so the lawyers who excel at this specialty are in high demand. They need a big staff.”

The local church bankruptcy was more expensive than most others because of several side legal disputes that dragged out the case for nearly six years. Compared to some corporate bankruptcies, however, it was relatively inexpensive.

Legal bills in the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy totaled around $250 million. In the Steward Health Care case, they topped $300 million and in cryptocurrency exchange FTX’s bankruptcy, they exceeded $950 million.

“Chapter 11 bankruptcy is expensive,” Reilly said. “Nobody chooses it unless the alternative is clearly worse.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

NOLA.COM | Monday, March 9, 2026 1Bn

Bill targets judges, district attorneys

Landry would get power to recommend removal

dence of the judiciary

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Gov Jeff Landry, who has gone after the judiciary for decisions he says are too liberal, could get the power to recommend that Louisiana district attorneys and judges be suspended or removed

Senate Bill 123, filed for the legislative session starting Monday, would give him that power pend-

Bail reduced in N.O. singer’s case

Vocalist has been jailed since late July on charges of child molestation

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

A New Orleans judge reduced the bond for a local Grammy Awardwinning gospel singer accused of molesting two teenage boys.

Joshua “Josh” Kagler, 39, has been jailed since late July after his arrest on several charges tied to allegations he used marijuana to lure a 16-year-old boy to his New Orleans home, where he is accused of grooming and raping the teen on multiple occasions last year.

He also faces a single count of sexual battery stemming from a 2019 report that he inappropriately touched a teenage boy in front of other students in a classroom while he was working as a substitute band instructor Kagler remained held without bail on the charge from the 2019 case, and Orleans Criminal District Court Judge Camille Buras set his bail at $11 million on the other charges after a grand jury on Nov 13 charged Kagler with 11 sexual misconduct counts in that case. At a hearing Thursday afternoon, District Judge Leon Roche reduced Kagler’s bail to $1.625 million for those indictments and set a $50,000 bail on the sexual battery charge in the separate case.

Kagler remained in custody Friday morning at the Orleans Justice Center, according to the Sheriff’s Office’s detainee records.

Roche ordered Kagler to remain on house arrest with GPS monitoring and have no contact with children if he’s released on bail. The judge set a June 1 trial date.

The multipronged case against Kagler is connected to reports that he invited the teen to his home and made six Cash App payments to him in exchange for escalating sex acts. The allegations span a sevenweek period in early 2025, according to the bill of indictment.

Kagler’s charges in that case include five counts of trafficking of children for sex purposes, each of which carry a mandatory life prison term without the possibility of parole if he’s convicted as charged. Kagler also faces four counts of sexual battery, and one count apiece for third-degree rape and indecent behavior with a juvenile.

Irael Balderas, an investigator with the New Orleans Police Department Special Victims Unit, was questioned about both of Kagler’s cases during Thursday’s bail hearing. He testified that the school where Kagler worked in November 2019 reported the incident

ing the passage of a constitutional amendment. That means Louisiana voters would have to approve the change at the polls.

Kate Kelly, a spokesperson for Landry, declined to comment.

Under the bill, the state Senate would have to affirm the governor’s removal recommendation by a two-thirds vote.

Critics of the proposal argue it is unconstitutional because it would make judges beholden to the governor infringing on the indepen-

State Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, who authored the legislation said it was his idea to file the bill, which he hopes will help hold judges and prosecutors accountable for incompetence and misconduct. He has not yet spoken with the governor about SB123, he said, though he hopes to win Landry’s support.

“I don’t know what purpose it’s serving other than to say a governor who doesn’t like judicial checks has a vehicle to avoid those checks,” said Ross Foote, a former Alexandria district court judge. Foote, who called the bill a “power grab,” said it risked putting judges in difficult positions when their rulings could adversely affect the governor “As a retired judge, I would hate to think that every decision I made has to be viewed under a lens of,

‘Is this going to be offensive to the governor?’ such that they can start proceedings against me,” he said. In Louisiana, judges and district attorneys are elected, not appointed SB123 would apply to district, municipal, family and juvenile court judges, but not to state appeals court or Supreme Court judges.

Tensions on the rise Morris’ bill is being consid-

RAIN OR SHINE

Website sparks concerns about data centers

St. Tammany officials say none are planned

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

A St. Tammany Parish landowner who created a website to advertise his and his partners’ 1,500-acre property as a potential site for a data center inadvertently helped spark a minor panic as some residents began speculating about whether a deal was afoot in the rural Bush area. There wasn’t any data center coming, it turned out. But there was enough chatter for St. Tammany Parish government to come out and state that no data center is being proposed in St. Tammany

It’s part of a larger trend in St. Tammany, where new developments — whether imminent or more theoretical — are regularly met with resistance from residents, who express concerns about inadequate infrastructure and changes to the parish’s rural character

The discussion also comes as there is a growing interest in data centers around the state.

Susan Bourgeois, a Covington resident and secretary of Louisiana Economic Development, said that since Meta, the parent company of Facebook, began work on a massive data center in Richland Parish in northern Louisiana there has been a heightened interest in data centers in parts of the state with large chunks of land.

“I think once that got the profile

ABOVE: The Italian-Irish Parade rolls down Franklin Street in Gretna on Sunday

LEFT: A rider smiles as she holds a lemon to throw into the crowd.

State’s

Weekend event to include 150 of world’s top players

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

Marrero’s Parc Des Familles will be transformed this weekend into a venue to host the first professional disc golf tournament in Louisiana. The Disc Golf Pro Tour will have its second stop of the 2026 season, titled the MVP Big Easy Open, at Jefferson Parish’s largest park Friday through Sunday, where the world’s top 150 players will compete in front of thousands of spectators. The tournament comes on the heels of several upgrades to

the park, including more than $200,000 in upgrades to the disc golf course and a $3 million visitor center with parking. The New Orleans Disc Golf Club, which has been negotiating with the tournament since 2024, will serve as the official host for the tournament in partnership with Jefferson Parish and its visitors bureau.

“I didn’t think it was,

and the pro tour was excited to get moving This just turned into a very, very quick turnaround,

ered two years after a new state law gave Landry tighter control over public defense by granting more oversight of the system to a gubernatorial appointee. It also comes amid brewing tensions between the judiciary and other branches of government, which are playing out nationally and locally President Donald Trump has attacked judges whose decisions do not adhere to his political agenda Landry, too, recently slammed two judges as being too liberal after they ordered the release of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees with criminal records.

Those judges sit on a federal bench and would therefore not be subject to SB123. And in recent years, Landry and other Louisiana Republicans have gone after Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, who they say is not tough enough on criminals.

Some have attacked his use of the post-conviction relief process to vacate and reduce sentences, which Williams’ office has described as part of an effort to right past wrongs. At the same time, many on the left say Williams’ policies are too harsh and have failed to live up to his progressive campaign promises.

Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said he believed SB123 would get traction in the Legislature because “some folks believe there might be some DAs that are a little too lenient.” He declined to name anyone in particular, while Morris mentioned Williams by name. In a statement, Williams’ office said such criticism ignores data showing that New Orleans’ violent crime rates have gone down during his tenure.

Williams’ administration has both collaborated with law enforcement and taken “responsible steps to address past wrongful convictions” to increase confidence and participation in the justice system, the statement said

“District Attorney Williams has consistently welcomed scrutiny and has appeared before the Legislature whenever asked because this office has nothing to hide,” the

statement said. “Our work has been transparent, and the results are measurable: violent crime in New Orleans is down in every major category, and those reductions have been sustained through strong collaboration with local, state, and federal partners.”

Questions Besides controversy over prosecutorial decisions, Morris’ concerns about the Louisiana Judiciary Commission, which is responsible for investigating judicial misconduct and recommending discipline for judges, also drove SB123 Morris does not believe the commission has been doing a good enough job of holding judges accountable, he said.

“A lot of people think that there’s a serious problem with judicial competence in this state,” Morris said As an example, the senator raised issue with the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court’s electronic monitoring program. It has come under fire due to two high-profile cases in which teens allegedly committed violent crimes while they were supposed to be monitored

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill recently asked the commission to investigate one of the Orleans court’s four judges over her “action (or inaction)” regarding the juveniles. And on Thursday, Chet Traylor, a former Louisiana Supreme Court judge, resigned from the commission according to his resignation letter, in which he accuses the panel of failing to act against judicial misconduct We have many great judges in Louisiana who work very hard to uphold the rule of Law Unfortunately, we also have too many who are either incompetent or so arrogant that they think they are above the law,” Traylor wrote. “Adding to the problem is the lack of transparency where judges are concerned as well as the lack of any meaningful action when judges have been doing wrong.”

A spokesperson for the commission did not comment on this story. SB123 allows judges to be suspended or removed for “malfeasance, gross misconduct, or incompetence.” Morris plans to file a companion bill to define those bases for removal, he said

and we’re excited to see it come to fruition.”

Disc golf works the same way as regular golf, but instead of swinging a club at a ball to get in a hole, you throw a disc until it lands in a chained basket. The player with the fewest strokes, or throws, after 18 holes wins

Each day of the tournament, the Female Professional Open will run from 8 a.m. until the final tee at 9:50 a.m., followed by the Mixed Professional Open for all genders from 10:30 a.m until the final tee at 2:50 p.m.

Saturday will also include the Powerball Ace promotional event, where five fans chosen at random will attempt a hole-inone to win cash prizes starting at $5,000.

The event starts on Tuesday with a pontoon swamp tour in Westwego’s Gator Town, along with other promotional events at New Orleans City Park, Metairie’s Lafreniere Park and elsewhere throughout the week.

Parc des Familles will reopen at 7 a.m. on March 17 to prepare for the event. Estelle Playground will be closed this weekend.

The right-hand lane of northbound Leo Kerner-Lafitte Parkway will be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. each day from Friday to Sunday

CASE

Continued from page 1B

to the NOPD at the time and submitted written statements from multiple students who said they saw Kagler grope one of the male students in a classroom.

The case was assigned to a detective, but when that officer left the department months into the investigation for a military deployment, it was not reassigned. Balderas said he reopened the investigation when he began looking into the claims made against Kagler in the other case last year

That teen’s mother told officers she found inappropriate text messages on her son’s phone between the child and a man she identified as “Uncle Josh.” Investigators later determined she meant Kagler During a forensic interview, the boy told investigators Kagler paid him for sex on multiple occasions. Police allege he paid the youth to wear a blindfold and do pushups na-

DATA

Continued from page 1B

that it did, landowners around Louisiana started paying a little bit more attention to the possible opportunity,” Bourgeois said in an interview Wednesday referring to the Meta data center Her agency has been leading the effort to attract data centers — the computer facilities that help power artificial intelligence — to Louisiana.

Still, she said, “the temperature in every parish is different.” She confirmed that she has no knowledge of a data center coming to St. Tammany Parish — “neither as a resident or secretary of LED.”

Officials have emphasized the economic development potential of the Meta data center for northern Louisiana, which has historically been an impoverished part of the state. But in St. Tammany, a wealthier, fast-growing suburb of New Orleans, there may be less interest in those arguments.

In 2017, the owners of the 1,500-acre property in northern St. Tammany tried to change the zoning to build a commercial all-terrain vehicle park, with the parish Planning Department’s blessing.

But after a large crowd of residents showed up to the Zoning Commission meeting, raising concerns about noise, alcohol consumption and pollution from the vehicles, the Zoning Commission denied the rezoning request To build a data center, the owners would similarly need to get a zoning change and appear before the Zoning Commission and eventually the St. Tammany Parish Council.

“If a data center would be on the horizon, I would definitely be mobilizing everybody and

ked. His requests escalated over several encounters, culminating in nonconsensual sexual contact, according to an NOPD affidavit

At least six times, Kagler sent Cash App payments to the youth. Detectives also got receipts from Uber rides Kagler purchased to bring the teen to and from his house.

The teen said he repeatedly expressed dislike for the teacher’s actions but that Kagler kept offering him more money Kagler’s attorney, Bradley Phillips, noted that the teen faces pending charges of aggravated assault in juvenile court. Those counts are based on allegations that another teen, who was armed with a gun, tried to force his way into Kagler’s home while the alleged victim was there in February 2025.

Phillips said video surveillance showed the alleged victim outside Kagler’s house talking to the gunman moments before the attempted forceful entry

The defense attorney took aim at the fact that Kagler’s

alleged sexual misconduct wasn’t reported until 11 days after he filed criminal charges against the teen for the incident.

Phillips went on to argue that none of the text message conversations were indicative of anything explicitly sexual in nature. He suggested the Cash App payments Kagler made to the teen may have been for marijuana, not sex.

“There is certainly no reason to think these aren’t clearly defensible charges,” Phillips said while arguing for the bail reduction. “Mr Kagler is a lifetime member of this community; he has family in this community He has never been anywhere else and has nowhere else to go, besides to remain in this community.”

Prosecutors countered that the severity of the charges and the looming possibility of a life sentence make Kagler a risk to flee if released.

“Pedophiles use marijuana and alcohol to entice young people into their presence, and that’s what Mr Kagler did,” Assistant District Attorney Michelle Jones said.

their brother against it,” said Rhonda Silva, a Bush resident who helped galvanize opposition to the parish’s recent development plan along the new La. 3241.

Silva said she was especially concerned about potential water and electricity use from data centers, criticisms that have also been raised about Meta’s data center Refuge Development

Steve Palmisano, one of the partners who owns the property, said he made the website advertising the property after receiving calls from people interested in potentially building a data center

“We’re people who put pretty much our life savings into a piece of land and we’re looking to sell it,” Palmisano said in an interview in February

The St Tammany property is owned by Refuge Development LLC and is split across two contiguous parcels near Lee Road and the Washington Parish line, according to the St. Tammany Parish Assessor’s Office. Palmisano is listed as one of four different people involved in Refuge Development LLC on the

Farber said the tournament will sell about 2,000 spectator tickets, including VIP packages, along with livestreams on YouTube and the tournament website. He said post-production coverage of each tournament regularly averages up to 300,000 views. Farber said the process to bring the tournament to Louisiana started when he met with the tournament company while it traveled from a Florida tournament to Waco, Texas, to discuss what specifications they’d need to begin a new tournament in New Orleans The 610-acre park’s disc golf

course had been in place for about a decade already, although several changes were needed to make the course challenging enough for professionals. Those changes included the redesign of four of the 18 holes to make them more difficult, as well as 40 new tee pads and new turf. The upgrades were funded through Jefferson Parish atlarge council member Jennifer Van Vrancken’s economic development fund under a $245,700 agreement between the parish and the New Orleans Disc Golf Club. The original agreement pro-

“He enticed our victim with a place to smoke marijuana so he could be alone with the victim while he was high.” Kagler remained quiet as he sat in the courtroom with several family members and supporters behind him in the gallery Many wrote letters in support of the acclaimed choir director, who has worked as a band instructor at multiple New Orleans-area schools. He served as a choir director at Washington Easton Charter School during portions of the 2024 school year and also had stints at Washington Carver High School and his alma mater McDonogh 35. The New Orleans native became prominent figure in the local music community as the frontman of Josh Kagler and Harmonistic Praise Crusade. He led the choir in several performances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Last year, Kagler’s group won a Grammy for its contributions to “Church,” an album by Cory Henry that won best roots gospel album.

Palmisano too said there was no one currently interested in building a data center on the land. The website, which is no longer up, mentioned a possible 3,500-acre utility-scale solar facility on a few different properties, including Refuge Development’s, that was in “queue” with the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the regional grid operator that generally approves whether a new energy generator can connect to the grid.

Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office’s website. Efforts to reach the other owners were not successful. Palmisano said the website was based on research into why the land was suitable for a data center The website suggested that a high voltage transmission line cutting across the property, as well as a possible utility-scale solar energy facility in the area, for instance, could help deliver power “I live around here, too. I’m not some out-of-towner that’s trying to buy up this land,” Palmisano said. He said he thought the data center could help bring full-time jobs and temporary construction work to the parish. But the site began to attract attention from residents on Facebook, who wondered what the parish might have planned for the area. That led St. Tammany Parish government to make its own post saying neither Parish President Mike Cooper, council member Cheryl Tanner of Bush, nor the St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation knew of any plans for a data center in the parish.

posed a feasibility study for the design and construction administration of a second disc golf course, but later switched gears to accommodate the upcoming tournament. Amendments to the original agreement allocated $80,700 specifically for the tournament.

“I’m just so excited to be here at what I think is a pivotal moment for this development on the West Bank of Jefferson,” Van Vrancken said last week.

The course closed on Dec. 3 for construction and preparation for the tournament.

Officials have been adding piecemeal major upgrades to Parc Des Familles since its creation in 2000, like a mountain bike trail, kayak launch, fishing pier, splash pad and dog park. It’s the second-largest park in the New Orleans region behind City Park.

A week ahead of the tournament, council member Timothy Kerner Jr., Van Vrancken and other officials cut the ribbon on a $3.1 million, 3,400-square-foot information center featuring reception space, offices and a meeting room, as well as a detached garage for equipment storage. The building had been under construction since June 2023.

“What a great moment for the West Bank and just the movement of progress with a great moment for lower Marrero,” said Kerner who represents the area. Jefferson Parish President

More details were unavailable. However, the MISO website indicates there is a “hybrid” project in queue for the area, meaning the project involves more than one fuel type such as a solar array and battery storage.

Data center regulations

There are only a few areas in St. Tammany where data centers are considered an allowable use in the zoning code. Data centers are an allowable use in areas zoned for Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics, which includes two properties near Interstate 12 and another on West Ochsner Boulevard, totaling nearly 1,000 acres, according to Erin Cook, a senior planner in the St. Tammany Planning and Zoning Department. They are also an allowable use in the Gulf South Commerce Park, an industrial park at I-12 and La. 1088 that is also zoned for AML, and the 161acre Wadsworth Planned Unit Development, Cook said. Cook said her department was researching data centers and may suggest to the Parish Council that it change how the parish currently regulates the data center development process.

Email Willie Swett at willie. swett@theadvocate.com.

Cynthia Lee Sheng has also made sports tourism a major focus of her second term as part of her “Recreation Reimagined” initiative, which seeks to overhaul the parish’s playgrounds and other recreational spaces for specific uses, such as the $2 million pickleball complex that opened at Mike Miley Playground in Metairie last year

The parish also opened the new $45 million John Alario Jr Youth Sports Complex in January for hosting youth travel sports, with bookings already going into 2028.

“Events like these support our local businesses, fill our hotels, and highlight the quality of life we’re proud to offer in Jefferson Parish,” Lee Sheng said in a statement.

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate.com.

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Bennett, Edward Mitchell, Kathleen NewOrleans

Bennett, Edward Greenwood

Mitchell, Kathleen

Obituaries

worked at Ochsnerand was respectedbymanyfor his hard work andcharac‐ter.EdwardRogers Bennett willberemembered forhis unwavering faith, hislove for hisfamily, andthe manylives he touched. Ed‐wardleavestocherish his memorytohis loving wife KathleenBennett;children: MelvinBennett, Xylina Ben‐nett, Zerita Bennett, and his honorary sonJames Bennett;stepchildren: Natasha Bedou, Latoya Lewis,and Rico Lewis, Jr.; beloved grandchildren, great-grandchildren,ex‐tendedfamily, and friends who will allmisshim dearly. Family andfriends are invitedtoattend ACel‐ebrationofHis Life Service atApostolic Outreach Cen‐ter,8358 Lake Forest Blvd New Orleans, LA 70126 on Wednesday,March 11 2026, Visitation will begin at9:00a.m.to10:00 a.m. withthe Servicetofollow. Bishop RaymondWatson officiating. Intermentwill followatSoutheast LA Vet‐erans Cemetery,Slidell, LA Guestbook Online:www anewtraditionbegins.com (504)282-0600. Linear BrooksBoydand Donavin D.BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors

Mitchell,Kathleen Margavio

Kathleen Margavio Mitchell passedawayon Tuesday, March3,2026, at theage of 70. Kathy, as she wasknown by herfamily andfriends,was anative of NewOrleans andlong‐time resident of River Ridge, Louisiana. Forthe past 25 years, shegreatly enjoyedher work as areal‐torand found it rewarding

to help herclientsnavigate thecomplexitiesofthe real estate market.Kathy was notonlya loving wife, mother,and grandmother, butalsoa passionate sup‐porter of allthose whom shecared about. Shehad a strong senseofjustice taking anyand allopportu‐nities to standupfor what wasright—not simply for theoutcome butfor the sake of doingsoitself. She passedwitha profound senseofpride andaccom‐plishmenthavingwit‐nessedthe successesof thefamilyshe had raised Surrounded by herloved ones,she departed in peaceknowing that her

memory wouldliveonand believingwiththe utmost confidencethatthe fulfill‐ment of herlegacycould notbeinbetterhands Kathy, born May4,1955, wasprecededindeath by herbeloved father Joseph CharlesMargavioand mother AliceScallan Mar‐gavio. Sheissurvivedby herlovinghusband An‐thonyPaulMitchell Sr.; daughter ShannonMitchell Kives& husband Byron PatrickKives;son Anthony Paul Mitchell Jr.; and grandchildrenMatthew AaronKives,Tyler Andrew Kives, &Kelly Elizabeth Kives. Sheisalsosurvived by hersisterDeborah Mar‐

Company behind immigration detention centers needstobe exposed

Iwould like to suggest more coverage of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementdetention facilities in Louisiana, which areowned and managed byGEO, Inc. The facilities in Alexandria, Jena and Pine Prairiehavea capacity of 2,654. Contracts awarded to GEO, Inc. are substantial andpaid with taxpayers’dollars. GEOGroup was asubstantial donor to President Donald Trump’s 2024 election efforts and inauguralfund. Please help the publicunderstand how private companies are benefiting from detention centersinLouisiana, while thestate struggles withother prison costs. We need to know more about Louisiana detention facilities in general and why they are located in this state BARBARAMOLLERE NewOrleans

SAVE Actis nothingbut a wasteoftime

The SAVE Act is asolution in search of aproblem. Noncitizen voting is anonissue. For instance, only 80 noncitizens have been found to have voted in Louisiana elections since the 1980s, as per the Louisiana Secretary of State. Instead of trying to address real issues for real people, such as high drug prices and high healthcare costs, the Republican Partyhas decided to try to stay in power by gerrymandering and disenfranchisement.

Nothing to see here.

HERB WILSON Mandeville

ParadegoersinN.O. arespoiled forthrows

Y’all indulge me while Ifuss at New Orleans paradegoers.Iread the article aboutthe “lack of throws” during this year’sCarnival season. Andbless your hearts, but y’all need to check yourentitlement. Yougotoparades expectingtobeshowered withthrows, and not just regular throws but thereally good throws, andyou get offended when you don’tget what youthink you’reowed. Didn’tget ashoe from Muses? Muses sucks! Only got four Cleo cups and 18 pairs of Bacchus socks? Samewhiny refrain. Ialso see how much stuff is left on the ground. The vast majority of that are throws that y’allare frankly too snobby to keep. This breaks my heart, because it’sliterally like leaving money on the ground. As arider,I’ve seen people get abranded throw from me, glance at it, and throw it on theground. To me, that’slike me giving you a$10 bill and you

wadding it up and throwing it away because someother rider mightgive you a$20. I’ve also watched paradegoers reach up and unscrew lightbulbs from floats that supposedly didn’tthrow enough, or spectators throwing beads back at riders. This is not only stupid and disrespectful, but it’salso dangerous. Look,wecan’tplease everybody.Wewould love to have enough good throwsfor everybody,but there’sonly so much we can afford to buy or make. Riders individually spend thousands of dollars on throws that we think you’ll keep, and we throw to you forfree. I think alot of you takethat forgranted, but we don’t. As riders, we do what we do because we love bringing joy to New Orleans. Maybe quit complaining and instead show us somelove and appreciation.

NATHAN TIPTON Baton Rouge

To talk aboutfertility, firsttalkabout economic risk

Everyone is suddenly talking about America’sfallingbirthrate. Politicians propose tax credits or cultural renewal. Butifwewant to talk about fertility honestly,weneed to talk abouteconomic risk.

In Louisiana, young families are making rational decisions in avolatile economy.Many young women still want children. What they fear is long-term financial vulnerability. Motherhood still carries awell-documented earningspenalty —lower lifetime wages, slower advancement and reduced retirement savings. In astate that struggles with workforce participation, poverty and out-migration of youngprofessionals, that risk feels even heavier. So womenhedge. They delay children until they feel financially secure. They pursue degrees first.They build work experience. They try to protect themselves against uncertainty That is not selfishness. It is prudence.

Imade asimilar choice decades ago. Ipostponed having children until age26soI could complete college. At thetime, that felt cautious. Today,26would be considered early by manystandards. The difference is not that women value family less. It is that the economic consequences of stepping away from theworkforce feel more permanent.

If Louisiana wants to retainyoung families, we should reduce thepenalty of caregiving. Education credits, structured workforce reentryprogramsand limited retirement protectionsfor primary caregivers would protect long-term earning power

Fertility is not just avalues debate. It is an economic one. If we want stronger families and astronger workforce, we must reduce the risks young families are rationallytrying to manage.

CURCHEL SMOOT Harvey

AUkrainian voicefrom southeast Louisiana

On Feb. 24, it was four years since Russia launched its fullscale invasion of Ukraine and 12 years since Ukrainians first stood up during the Revolution of Dignity

Imoved to the NewOrleans area at the end of 2013 while my friends stood in freezing streets in Kyiv demanding the right to live in anormal country.Soon after came war. It still has not ended.

Living in southeast Louisiana helped me explain Ukraine to Americans. People here understand resilience —rebuilding after disasters, neighbors helping neighbors, traditions protected because they are identity,not decoration. Ukrainians are defending the samething: the right to exist freely in their own home. When Americans hear “aid to Ukraine,” it sounds geopolitical. For Ukrainians, it is survival. It meansair defense that stops missiles over cities, equipment that protects soldiers and support that keeps society functioning while under attack. Youwouldn’t abandon acommunity while the disaster is still happening. Ukrainians chose dignity over submission. They are still paying forthat choice with their lives. Continued support forUkraine is not charity; it is standing with people whobelieve that home and freedom are worth defending.

TETIANA SPINDEL Covington

Ten Commandments in classrooms couldopen broadermoral discussion

Somepeople, mainly those whocall themselves conservative Christians, are celebrating because afederal appeals court will allow the TenCommandments to be posted in Louisiana classrooms. Others, mainly those calling themselves supporters of constitutional religious freedom, are lamenting this ruling.

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

Friends, Ithink arecent dispute on these pages goes to theheart of what is polarizing us as acountry.I’m thinking about Ellen Holliday’sguest column“Making acase for pluralism” andPeter Gambel’sFeb. 14 responsetoit. If we could find amiddle ground between the positions of these two fine contributors, Ithink we’d have also found some fertile ground to plowasacountry and aculture.

My initialsympathies are withHolliday

To be sure, we as aspecies (andinfact the whole planet) need each other,inall our gloriousvariety.But Ialso think Gambel’sissue about personal motivation is important —is it enoughtohope people will want to help one another,without also helping themselves?

To me, there is an obvious middle ground, and one we as acountry have embraced ever since the Great Depression, and maybe even

since we had tocope with the robber barons of thelate 19th century.That is to have the free economy Gambel wants, but to makesure it is aregulated free economy.Weneed to avoid designing our freedom so as to allow us to trample on one another,and Ithought we had learned to keep thebasic advantages of capitalism, while limiting monopolies, giving labor aseat at the table, providing robust public education and so on.

Ihave my own opinions as to where we are today and what specific policy proposals could re-invigoratethe “golden mean”between these poles. Butitisenough forone letter to simply point out that the middle ground is there for reclaiming, if we are wise enough to avoid extremes.

MICHAELCAVANAUGH Baton Rouge

Ifeel strongly both ways. Perhaps this will encourage the reasonable discussion of moral values. For example, “Thou shall not kill” —does this apply to capital punishment? How about “Thou shalt not bear false witness?” Most everyone agrees that President Donald Trumpregularly spouts outrageous lies, but his supporters, including those calling themselves devout Christians, excuse this and look the other way. How about “Thou shalt not covet?” Is it moral to covet taking possession of asovereign country like Greenland?

Ipersonally look forward to increased discussion of moral values, and Isuggest that all Louisianans discuss all of this with apastor or moral adviser

QUIN BATES Marrero

TwothingsTrump thewheedler misunderstands aboutRussia

Donald Trump continues trying to wheedle Vladimir Putin toend his war to extinguish Ukraine’snationhood short of that outcome. Trump’spersistence calls to mind the man Gulliver encountered during his travels: He hadspent “eight years upon aproject for extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers.”

‘Noforever

The president misunderstands two things. First,the more blood and treasure Putin expends in Ukraine, the more he wantsto win in order to redeem his blunder.This war was supposed to prove Russia’smight,and that Ukraine is an ersatz nation. Instead, it has revealed the yawning gap between Russia’spretensions and its capabilities, and has created an incandescent Ukrainian nationalism.

Second, the way for the West to economize violence and military expenditures in the long run is not to prepare for futureconflictswith a Russia emboldened by success, but to deepen its diminishmentbyenabling Ukraine to continue bleeding Russia’s army and economy Trump, having cast his trained eyes on video of aMoscow military parade, reportedly (according to theFinancial Times) told aides that the Russian army looked “invincible.” Well.

IanBremmer,president and founder of Eurasia Group, apolitical risk consulting firm, writes that in each of the past two months, Russia has suffered 30,000 to 35,000 casualties. In the past two years, Russia has taken 1% of Ukrainian territory at acost of “157 dead per square kilometer.” The fouryear Russian death toll is probably at least nine times higher than the 36,000 Americans killed in three years in the Korean War.

The Economist says that in less than four years (June 22, 1941, toMay 8, 1945), Russia advanced 1,600 kilometers from Moscow to Berlin. In more than four years, Russian forces in Donetsk, the war’sprincipal cauldron, “have advanced just 60km —the distance from WashingtontoBaltimore.” By the end of 2025, Russia was losing more men than it could recruit,relyingonmoney,not patriotism. Signing bonuses —someequal to thelifetime wages of some Russian workers —equal 90% of Russia’sbudgetdeficit. Prison terms and personal debts are canceled for recruits. Replacing battlefield casualties required up to90% of 2025 recruitsasreplacements.

Kenya’sintelligence agency says more than 1,000 Kenyans, most of

themtricked into signing militarycontractstofight in Ukraine, have been needed to supplement the“invincible” Russianarmy Britain’sdefense secretary says recruits from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Cuba,Nigeriaand Senegal have been “recruited under false pretenses and press-ganged under pressure without necessarily realizing that they’re destinedfor the Russian meat machine on the front line of Ukraine.”

At the opening in Pyongyang of what are called “luxury apartment complexes” —think about that —North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un saidthe grieving families of North Koreans killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine (anestimated one-third of 12,000 sent in 2024) would be given priorityaccesstothe apartments. If you believe that Presumably,Trump will tell Americans,when he thinks they deserve to know,his war or other plans for improving Iran.

Meanwhile, he is supporting the reelection campaign of Europe’s most pro-Putin and aggressively antiUkraine leader.Inmid-February, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was dispatched to Hungarytointervene in thatnation’selection, on behalf of its authoritarian premier,Viktor Orban. His partyatthat moment was, according totrusted polls,behind by 10 points. This was so despiteOrban’s wielding of government-controlled

media. Rubio toldOrban that Trump “isdeeply committed to your success” in theApril 12 election.

Orban’sgovernment has reported a spate of bomb threats (but no bombs) against Hungarian schools and other institutions. The government says thethreatsare written in Ukrainian, so Ukraine is to blame. If you believe that Rubio’sgrovel was perhaps supposed to bribe Orban to stop blocking European Union financial assistance to Ukraine. The blocking has, however, continued.

Aconstant of modern Russian history is thesystemicstupidityand toadyismthat tyranny breeds.Inthe 1930s, some of Josef Stalin’scensors, who were more zealous than educated, reportedly (writes Stalin’sbiographer Stephen Kotkin) forbade radio broadcasts of music by Franz Schubert, who died in 1828, for fear he might be asupporter of Stalin’snemesis, Leon Trotsky,who was bornin1879.

Do not expect those who have risen profitably into Putin’sorbit to steer theirobsessed benefactor toward what Trump’sNational Security Strategy,published in December,calls “an expeditious cessation of hostilities in Ukraine.”

Onewonders: Expediting what, exactly?

Email George Will at georgewill@ washingtonpost.com.

This is the momentwhen total warmeets the fogofwar

Not in tiny steps but in one great leap, the United States has triggered, and itself soon will experience, afrightful period of total warthat extends farbeyond the Middle East. And it is occurring in the usual impenetrable fogofwar

How much faith shouldone put in the veracityofBill Clinton when he testified recently in adeposition that hedid “nothingwrong” in his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein? Iguess it depends on the meaning of “nothing” and “wrong.” How much faith should one place in Hillary Clinton’sveracity when shetestified she “never met” Epstein, when he visited the White House 17 times?

In her deposition, Hillary Clinton said: “As Istated in my sworn declaration on Jan. 13,Ihad no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encounteringMr. Epstein. Ineverflew on his planeor visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that.”

and admitted to abreach of professional conduct. He didn’tearn themoniker “Slick Willie” for nothing. Look at those hot tuband other pictures that show Bill in thecompany of women and girls, not his wife. One is on his lap in aprivate plane, the other shows him in apool with Ghislaine Maxwell andayoung woman whose face hasbeenblacked out. This is not what used to be called “normal behavior” for amarried man.

Notice the familiar “I do not recall.” Perhaps she should look at pictures released last December by House Democrats that includesa photograph taken in 2002 of her,husbandBill and Epstein at what appears to be asocial event. They appear jovial andwellacquainted.

In January 2001, on his final day in office, President Clinton reached an agreement to avoid indictmentfor perjury and obstruction of justice regarding the Monica Lewinskyinvestigation He accepted afive-year suspension of hisArkansas law license, paid afine

Just as banks look at one’s credit rating before deciding whether aborrower is agood risk, the Clintons’ credibility rating should also be examined.Google “list of lies told by Bill andHillary Clinton.” These don’tinclude thedissembling and “I don’trecall.” Listing them all might require afullnewspaper page. Check out Benghazi, thebleached computer files, andsomuch more. Here are just afew to jog memories: Hillary didn’tland under sniper firein Iraq as she said, nor was she named after Sir Edmund Hillary,asshe has claimed. (Sir Hillary climbed Mt Everest after she was born.)New York Timescolumnist William Safire wrote in 1996: “Drip by drip, like Whitewater torture, thecaseisbeing made that she is compelled to mislead, and to ensnare her subordinates and friends in aweb of deceit.”

Safire continued: “Remember the story she told about studying The Wall Street Journal toexplain her 10,000 percent profit in 1979 commoditytrading? We now know that was alie told to turn aside accusations that as the Governor’swife she profited corruptly, her account being run by alawyer for statepoultry intereststhrough adisreputable broker She lied for good reason: To admit otherwise would be to confess taking, and paying taxes on, what some think amounted to a$100,000 bribe.

As for Bill Clinton, where to start (there is no end)? Sexual assault charges date back to at least when he was governor of Arkansas. He denied them all, as did his manyenablers who were madetolook foolish when the truth came out about some of them. Up until then we were toldwemust believe women when it came to such accusations, but for Democrats that apparently applied only when Republicans were accused of inappropriate misconduct.

As an English Literature major in college, Ifirst encountered this line from Sir Walter Scott: “Oh, what atangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!” That could serve as an epitaph for bothClintons.

Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@ tribpub.com

Though Americans experienced “total war” during the 1861-1865 Civil War, the concept generally has been aEuropean staple, with origins in the FrancoPrussian Warinthe late 19th century and with horrifying applicability during the twoworld wars of the 20th.

The “fog of war”—animagesometimes attributed to the Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz —has its own peril.

The term “total war”has manymeanings, but the relevant one now is the elimination of the distinction between civilians and combatants and the waythe effects of warfare aren’tconfined to the battlefront but instead creep into manifold areas of lifeinthe countries where combat is being conducted and in countries far from the spheres of operation.

The warisbut aweek old, but already it has spread wreckage across the Middle East, spread to countries that weren’tparties of the operation plan, altered the power calculus throughout the region, caused stresses and strains in America’smajor alliances, split the country at home—even as its tentacles are creating the beginnings of ahomefront in North America. There won’t be ration cards or blackout curtains, but effects will be felt here.

The battles of the American Revolution had only marginal effects in Great Britain, confined primarily to costlier consumer goods. But the combat in the world wars created enormous disruption farfrom the battlefields, in extreme cases taking the form in widespread hunger

The combination of the attacks and counterattacks has implications forthe world’soil supply,eventually affecting homeheating bills and prices at the gasoline pump.

About afifthofthe world’soil supply,accounting forabout 20 million barrels aday, comes through the Straits of Hormuz, now the mostdangerous waterway in the world. Oil sloshes through the world, with supply disruptions in one part of the globe causing disruptions thousands of miles away.With much of Iran’soil ordinarily sent to China, the reduction of oil supplies heading there means Beijing must find supplies elsewhere, resulting in stresses on oil trade patterns, shortages and price hikes. The cessation of liquefied natural gas production in Qatar meansthe samething: higher prices.

Almost forgotten in the fogofthis war: About athird of the world’sfertilizer passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

An example of how disruptions growing out of actual combat has effects elsewhere is in air travel, which has been curtailed across the Middle East. Attacks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi affect Emirates and Etihad airlines, with ripples across the globe. Dubai is the site of the world’sbiggest airport, surpassing Atlanta in passenger travel.

Then there are the security threats posed by Iran, considered the world’sgreatest exporter of terrorism.

Ali Larijani, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps veteran whoruns the SupremeNational Security Council, has indicated that retaliating forthe killing of SupremeLeader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be broad. Iran already has hit civilian sites such as hotels in Dubai. As noncombatants in Iran are killed or injured, the threat to noncombatants elsewhere almost certainly will grow

Among the great unknowns in this episode: the number of Iranian sleeper cells in North America, and the number of loyalists to the Iranian theocracy living here and motivated to strike the country that, since 1979, it considered the “Great Satan.”

At the sametime, Donald Trump, preoccupied with war command, eventually will have to attend to growing dissension in the MAGA ranks among those infuriated that amovement that once spoke of “no forever wars, “America First,” and an end to nation-building is grappling with aleader whoischallenging all three precepts. Wars create upheaval, sow confusion and inevitability involve unintended events.

The world that eventually emerges from that fogalways is profoundly changed, with the international balance of power altered, sometimes with old alliances frayed and new ones created, and with new uncertainties replacing the old ones. This war will be no different.

Email DavidShribman at dshribman@postgazette.com.

LSU gym’s best not enough in swamp

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

When does a loss not feel like a loss to LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark?

When his Tigers go on the road and perform like they did Sunday at Florida.

Yes, the No. 4-ranked Gators outpointed No. 2 LSU, 198.450198.325, posting the nation’s best meet score this season.

But the Tigers tied their best score of this season, a 198.325 on Feb 13 against Auburn, and posted their best-ever road score in a Southeastern Conference meet, bettering a 198.200 on March 14 of the 2025 season at Auburn.

“I’ve always said when you go on the road and in an environment like this against one of the other very best teams in the country and compete inside two-10ths (of a point), it doesn’t go in the record book” as a win, Clark said. “But as far as I’m concerned, we didn’t lose anything.”

In fact, the Tigers (10-3-1, 4-3

SEC) actually gained on No. 1 Oklahoma based on the teams’ season-long NQS (National Qualifying Scores) Oklahoma is now at 197.972 while LSU is at 197.896, just 0.076 back of the Sooners compared to 0.107 back of OU a week ago

Based on NQS rules, LSU was able to count the road score as

part of its average. Florida (112, 5-2) was not able to count its score toward the Gators’ NQS average, which climbed only slightly based on earlier scores from 197.517 to 197.593.

LSU also had a narrow 198.125197.925 loss at Oklahoma on Feb. 20, meets which Clark believed could both have gone the Tigers’ way on a neutral floor or at home.

“As far as I’m concerned, we have the best team in the country,” Clark said. “The average fan wants to look at the won-lost record, but I think we’re the best.

“The question is, will we be at ä See LSU GYM, page 3C

JOHNSON

Sunday

MATCH GAME

BY LES EAST

Contributing writer

The New Orleans Pelicans started off like a team that was tired after

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

GREENVILLE,S.C. The horn sounded, and the LSU women’s basketball team took some time to stew on the loss.

Coach Kim Mulkey kept the Tigers in their locker room for almost an hour Saturday, and she said she did it so she could “teach” the Tigers.

About their late-game execution. About their poise and focus About what it takes to win these kinds of matchups –the ones in hostile environments against the top teams in the country South Carolina certainly qualifies. LSU has lost 19 straight matchups against the Gamecocks, and seven of those losses have come on Mulkey’s watch. Most of them have followed a frustratingly familiar script.

“There’s just a small margin of error that you can have to beat elite teams,” Mulkey said. “We think we’re an elite team, but we’re not there to win those close games against the South Carolinas, the UConns.” What’s missing? In the SEC Tournament semifinals, it was defense and rebounding. In the second half of Saturday’s matchup, South Carolina shot 48% from the field and grabbed nine offensive boards, then turned those opportunities into 14 second-chance points.

The Tigers didn’t give themselves enough chances to attack in transition And when they tried to score in the half court, they usually came up empty The Gamecocks made sure their offense never fell into a rut. They hit five of their last six shots – either through carefully executed half-court sets or on second-chance looks.

LSU almost retook the lead late in the second half. MiLaysia Fulwiley hit a 3 that tied the game at the 7:06 mark of the fourth, and then Jada Richard

UNO men’s basketball rolls into Southland quarters

BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer

UNO was looking for its first win against Houston Christian this season in a Southland Conference Tournament opening-round matchup Sunday

The postseason contest between No. 5-seeded UNO and No 8-seeded HCU was close early on, but the Privateers outscored the Huskies by 12 points in the second half. UNO went on to win 73-60 at Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles, avenging a pair of regular-season losses to the Huskies. HCU scored the first points of the second half to take a onepoint lead prior to UNO going up by double-digits after a 12-0 run. The Privateers led the rest of the game to advance to the Southland

quarterfinals.

“We had a nice start in the second half and were able to get stops to get a nice little lead,” UNO coach Stacy Hollowell said.

“We adjusted defensively and got a lot of first-shot rebounds to pull out the win.”

UNO outrebounded HCU 43-27, with Privateers 6-foot-8 forward

MJ Thomas pulling down a teamhigh 12 boards. Churchill Abaas, a 6-10 UNO center, wasn’t far behind with 11 boards. Thomas also scored 10 points to finish with a double-double. Senior guards Jakevion Buckley and Coleton Benson led UNO in scoring with 14 points each. Both Buckley and Benson recently received second-team All-Southland honors.

UNO held strong defensively limiting HCU 40.4% shooting.

D’Aundre Samuels scored a teamhigh 20 points for the Huskies, making four 3-pointers while playing through an injured ankle in the second half. HCU was without head coach Craig Doty for much of the second half. Doty left with 15:46 to go in the game and was unable to return after heading to the locker room to receive medical attention.

“I think (Doty) is doing better,” Hollowell said. “We texted a little bit after the game. I don’t have any further updates other than that we’ve spoken.”

UNO is 15-17 on the season with the win. The Privateers will take on No. 4-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (17-14) in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. on Monday in Lake Charles

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Sun Belt: J Madison vs.Troy ESPNU

4 p.m. A-Sun: Austin Peay vs. J’ville ESPNU

6 p.m. Big East: UConn vs.TBD Peacock MEN’S COLLEGE LACROSSE

1 p.m. Towson at Virginia ACCN COLLEGE SOFTBALL

6 p.m Missouri at Florida SECN MLB SPRING TRAINING

Noon Baltimore vs. St. Louis MLBN

3 p.m. L.A. Dodgers vs. Milwaukee MLBN

WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP

5 p.m. Miami vs. N.y Mets MLBN NBA

6:30 p.m. Denver at Oklahoma City NBCSN 9 p.m. New york at L.A. Clippers NBCSN PARALYMPICS

6:30 a.m. Wh. Curling: Sweden vs. U.S USA

7:35 a.m. Hockey: Czech Rep. vs. Slovakia USA

9:30 a.m. Wh. Curling: U.S. vs. China USA 11:05 a.m.Hockey: Germany vs. U.S USA 10:15 a.m.M&W Super-G

Texas races to win over S. Carolina

Longhorns win their first SEC women’s tournament title

By The Associated Press

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Vic Schaefer

shared a group hug with his Texas players and asked excitedly, “Where’s the confetti?”

A moment later, the veteran coach looked up and the celebratory confetti began falling from the rafters at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena as the last of thousands of disappointed South Carolina fans disappeared through the exits.

Madison Booker scored 18 points as the fourth-ranked Longhorns sprinted to a 14-0 lead and beat three-time reigning champion and No. 3 South Carolina 78-61 on Sunday to win their first Southeastern Conference Tournament title.

Justice Carlton added 15 points and Jordan Lee had 12 for the Longhorns (31-3), who joined the SEC in 2024.

“We belong in the SEC,” Booker said. “We’re here to play, and we’re here to win.”

And they did it on what many view as South Carolina’s “other” home floor

The Gamecocks were 20-1 under coach Dawn Staley in SEC Tournament games in Greenville — just 90 minutes from campus — and had won six of the past seven tournaments here.

But Texas shot a blistering 57% from the field to avenge last year’s 19-point loss to the Gamecocks in the title game. Booker who was named MVP of the tournament, finished 8 of 15 from the field and had four rebounds and two assists. She scored 14 points in the second half on 6-of-11 shooting.

“When her shot is going in like that, they are very difficult to beat,” Staley said.

Joyce Edwards had 13 points for the Gamecocks (31-3), whose 12game win streak was snapped.

Texas made its first seven shots and built a 14-0 lead after five early South Carolina turnovers before Tessa Johnson’s 3 stopped the bleeding. Staley never called timeout during the run, instead opting to let her team play through it.

“It was bad,” Edwards said. “All of the starters, we were supposed to set the tone out there, and we

PHOTO By

Texas forward Justice Carlton steals the ball away from South Carolina guard Raven Johnson during the final of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Sunday in Greenville, S.C.

didn’t do that.”

Staley said if there is a silver lining to the loss, it’s that the last time the Gamecocks fell in the SEC title game, in 2022, they went on to win the national championship.

“It might be the very thing this team needs,” Staley said. “It’s not what I would have thought coming in today but now that we’re here and it’s a reality, you search for things that have a connection that can give your team what it needs to make this run for a national championship.” NO 1 UCONN 100, CREIGHTON 51: In Uncasville, Connecticut, Sarah Strong had 23 points, seven rebounds and six steals to lead topranked UConn over Creighton in the Big East semifinals as the Huskies advanced to a conference championship game for the 22nd season in a row UConn (33-0) shot 71% from 3-point range in the first three quarters on the way to its 49th consecutive win. It was also the 38th conference tournament win in a row as the Huskies scored 100 points in the Big East tournament for the first time. Kayleigh Heckel added nine points eight rebounds and seven assists for the Huskies.

Kennedy Townsend had 13 points for Creighton (16-15) NO 2 UCLA 96, NO. 9 IOWA 45: In In-

dianapolis, Gianna Kneepkens scored 19 points and Kiki Rice added 15 points and eight assists as No. 2 UCLA rolled past Iowa to win its second straight Big Ten Tournament crown. It’s the first time the Bruins (311) have won back-to-back postseason conference titles, and it’s also the first time they have won regular-season and league tournament titles in the same season.

Ava Heiden scored 15 points for the Hawkeyes (26-6).

NO 10 TCU 62, NO. 15 WEST VIRGINIA 53: In Kansas City Missouri, Jordan Harrison scored 20 points, Sydney Shaw added 17 and No. 15 West Virginia avenged two regularseason losses to No. 10 TCU by beating the reigning Big 12 Tournament champion in the conference title game. Harrison also had six rebounds and four assists while wreaking havoc on defense, and Kierra Wheeler contributed 10 points, helping the second-seeded Mountaineers (27-6) win their second Big 12 tourney title and first since the 2016-17 season.

Olivia Miles, the league player of the year, scored 17 points for No. 1 seed TCU (29-5) despite playing most of the way in foul trouble.

Marta Suarez added 16 points but was just 6 of 19 from the field

and fouled out in the final minute.

NO 13 DUKE 70, NO 12 LOUISVILLE 65, OT: In Duluth, Georgia, Taina Mair had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Delaney Thomas also scored 19 and No. 13 Duke rallied to win its second straight Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title. Thomas’ layup with 4 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 60-all and sent it to overtime after Louisville held the lead for 35 of 40 minutes.

In overtime, another layup by Thomas moved the Blue Devils (24-8) ahead to stay and Riley Nelson put the game away when she buried a 3-pointer with six seconds left. Nelson finished with 12 points.

Imari Berry scored 18 points and Mackenly Randolph had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Louisville (27-7). Randolph played all 45 minutes.

NO 25 FAIRFIELD 65, MERRIMACK 48: In Atlantic City, New Jersey, Jillian Huerter scored 19 points and Meghan Andersen added 18 points and nine rebounds as No. 25 Fairfield advanced to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference final.

The second-seeded Stags (27-4) will take on top-seeded Quinnipiac in Monday’s championship game Quinnipiac was a 63-62 overtime winner over fourth-seeded Iona on Sunday

No. 1 Tennessee beats

LSU on walk-off home run

Top-ranked Tennessee defeated No. 17 LSU 8-5 in their softball series finale on Sunday in Knoxville, Tennessee.

LSU (17-7, 0-3 SEC) took a 4-0 lead, but Tennessee (23-0, 3-0 SEC) held on and rallied with five unanswered runs.

LSU tied the game in the sixth inning, but a three-run walk-off home run by Gabby Leach gave the Lady Vols the series sweep. Tigers starter Jayden Heavener (6-4) pitched her eighth complete game this season. She struck out four and allowed eight hits, seven earned runs and five walks. Freshman Rylie Johnson hit her first collegiate home run, and Jalia Lassiter knocked her third homer of the season.

LSU’s next game is at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Nicholls.

Lee birdies final hole to clinch Blue Bay LPGA HAINAN ISLAND, China Mi Hyang Lee threw away her lead with two double bogeys on the front nine, and then delivered a winner on the final hole Sunday with a lob wedge that hit the pin and set up a tap-in birdie to win the Blue Bay LPGA.

Lee closed with a 1-over 73 for a one-shot victory over Zhang Weiwei, who shot 69 at Jian Lake Blue Bay but lost the lead with a bogey on the 17th. It was Lee’s third LPGA title, and her first in more than eight years. The South Korean finished at 11-under 277 for her first win since the 2017 Women’s Scottish Open. American Auston Kim (71) stayed in contention for an LPGA title for the second consecutive week and tied for third with Aditi Ashok (72) of India.

Johnson wins Champions debut in four-shot victory

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Two-time major champion Zach Johnson turned 50 on Feb. 24 and quickly cashed in Sunday in his PGA Tour Champions debut, closing with a 3-under 69 for a four-shot victory in the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational. Johnson made an early bogey and that was his only blemish on the scorecard, adding four birdies to pull away on the Old Course at Broken Sound. He became the 22nd player to win his debut on the 50-and-older circuit. Stewart Cink (70) and George McNeill (72) finished second. Johnson finished at 11-under 205 and earned $330,000 to move to No. 3 in the Charles Schwab Cup. Cink remains atop the standings.

Boston College fires men’s basketball coach Grant

By The Associated Press

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Yaxel Lendeborg scored 19 of his 27 points in the first half and Morez Johnson finished with 18 points, leading No. 3 Michigan in a 90-80 win over No 8 Michigan State on Sunday to give the Big Ten champions a 15th straight conference win.

The Wolverines (29-2, 19-1 Big Ten) head to the conference tournament, hoping to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before shooting for the school’s second national championship and first since 1989.

The Spartans (25-6, 15-5) were swept by their rivals in the regular season but might get a third shot against them in a week at the Big Ten Tournament final.

Lendeborg, a preseason AllAmerica selection, was the best player on the court for the second time in the series.

The UAB transfer was 8 of 12 from the field, matched a career high with five 3-pointers, had three assists and also made winning plays at the other end of the court. After Jeremy Fears made a jumper to pull Michigan State within three points with 3:47 left, Lendeborg made a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to start a 10-2 run that sealed the victory Fears had 22 points and nine assists, Jaxon Kohler matched a career high with 23 points and Carson Cooper added 19 points. NO 9 NEBRASKA 84, IOWA 75, OT: In Lincoln, Nebraska, Cale Jacobsen came off the bench to score 13 of his 15 points after halftime and hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer in overtime, and ninth-ranked Nebraska matched its program record for wins in a season with a victory over Iowa. Sam Hoiberg, who scored 15 points and had five steals on his senior day, hugged teammate Pryce Sandfort near halfcourt as time ran out and then heaved the ball high into the stands. He and his father, coach Fred Hoiberg,

MEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP

embraced and a short time later the rest of the Huskers came out of the tunnel to salute the sellout crowd at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska (26-5, 15-5 Big Ten) led by 10 points with five minutes left in regulation but missed five of its next seven shots and a couple of late free throws to let the Hawkeyes back in it. Kael Combs scored Iowa’s last eight points of regulation, including a secondchance 3-pointer that tied it 70-all with 2.7 seconds left.

NO 11 ILLINOIS 78, MARYLAND 72: In College Park, Maryland, David Mirkovic had 22 points and 11 rebounds as No. 11 Illinois held off Maryland. The Terrapins (11-20, 4-16 Big Ten), under first-year coach Buzz Williams, lost 20 games for the first time since 1988-89, but they gave the Illini (24-7, 15-5) a battle. Illinois led 63-62 before Ben Humrichous made a 3-pointer that started a 7-0 run for the Illini.

Illinois won despite shooting 5 of 24 from 3-point range Kylan Boswell and Keaton Wagler scored 11 points apiece.

BOSTON Boston College fired basketball coach Earl Grant after five seasons in which the Eagles never made the NCAA Tournament and finished above .500 just once. Grant was 72-92 overall and 3067 in the Atlantic Coast Conference after replacing Jim Christian in 2021 BC has not reached the tournament since Al Skinner’s teams earned seven bids in nine years from 2001-09 a period that spans four coaches, five athletic directors and two conferences. It is the longest NCAA slump in program history Grant, 49, had five straight winning seasons at the College of Charleston, winning the regular season and conference championships in 2018 for his only NCAA Tournament berth and the Colonial Athletic Association’s coach of the year award.

Ga. Tech fires Stoudamire to end his third season ATLANTA Georgia Tech fired coach Damon Stoudamire on Sunday one day after the Yellow Jackets’ season ended with a 12-game losing streak.

Georgia Tech athletic director Ryan Alpert announced the move after the Yellow Jackets finished 11-20 overall and 2-16 in the Atlantic Coast Conference following Saturday’s 79-76 loss at Clemson. The Yellow Jackets finished last in the conference, failing to qualify for the ACC Tournament as Stoudamire was unable to solve the late-season losing streak. Stoudamire was fired after posting a 42-55 record in three seasons, including a 19-39 ACC mark. Assistant coach Greg Gary, a former coach at Mercer will serve as interim head coach.

McMahon discusses future after latest loss

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

LSU’s last game in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center during a trying season did not end in the desired result.

Despite a valiant effort on senior night, the Tigers suffered a 94-91 triple-overtime loss to Texas A&M on Saturday LSU (15-16, 3-15 SEC) finished last in the Southeastern Conference for the second time in coach Matt McMahon’s four seasons with the program.

Before McMahon answered a question on why he should remain the leader of the program, the opposing coach entered the news conference room. Texas A&M coach Bucky McMillian delivered an opening statement that focused primarily on LSU.

“I couldn’t live if we went to the fourth overtime,” he said tonguein-cheek after LSU missed a gametying 3-pointer at the end of the third extra session.

The Aggies, who are the No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament, came out victorious after LSU had a season-high 22 turnovers compared to 10 for A&M.

McMillan said that the discrepancy in turnovers, along with his team’s 18 offensive rebounds, were the reasons it overcame poor field goal shooting (37%). He said LSU could have had a much different record had it not been for a key injury

“I told coach McMahon I’ve watched them play all year long,” McMillan said. “They have been in these spots, in the close game, where their record could be totally different. I really felt if their point guard (Dedan Thoams) did not get hurt they were a top-25 team. I

think they could be right there with anybody in the league. I feel really bad for LSU because of that. All these close games, three or four points. I knew they (were) a good team. We have lost one of our main guys, too. Losing a point guard like that is such a detrimental loss.”

LSU’s reality now is a singleelimination conference tournament in which it needs to win five games in five days. A loss ends the season and potentially McMahon’s tenure after missing the NCAA Tournament in all four years. McMahon addressed his future after the game Saturday

“I’m 47, this is my 30th season in college basketball,” McMahon

said. “I’ve just been incredibly blessed. Have absolutely nothing but gratitude, appreciation for this opportunity With the 30 years of experience, I also understand what comes with the job from an expectation standpoint. And I share in the disappointment and frustration that we haven’t gotten the results we wanted these last two months. That’s my responsibility.

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The Pelicans (21-45), who went 3-3 on the road trip, matched their win total from last season while playing their first home game in 12 days. They’ll play the Toronto Raptors at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Smoothie King Center Tre Johnson scored 20 points; Will Riley had 19; Trae Young chipped in 17; Anthony Gill added 12; and Leaky Black and Jaden Hardy had 10 each to lead the Wizards (16-47) who lost their eighth straight. Washington was swept in the season series after New Orleans won 128-107

UNO

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“We know how physical (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) is,”

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drained one two minutes later to cut South Carolina’s lead to three But then the Tigers had to play slower offense. Down the stretch, senior forward Amiya Joyner had her shot blocked on one stalled possession and lost her dribble on another Freshman forward Grace Knox also missed a contested look on a drive to the rim.

The Tigers still could’ve made a final push. When they were down

five with 45 seconds left, Mulkey told them in a timeout to try to trap a South Carolina ballhandler and force a turnover, but if they

on Jan. 9 in Washington, D.C.

Wizards during the first half of a game

The Pelicans expanded their two-point halftime lead to 89-77 midway through the third quarter The Wizards closed within seven points, but Fears had a three-point play, a layup and assisted on a 3-pointer by Queen and a layup by Bryce McGowens as New Orleans increased the lead to 102-93 at the end of the period.

Fears’ 3-pointer pushed the lead to 12 points early in the fourth quarter, and moments later Murphy made consecutive 3-pointers to stretch the lead to 115-99.

The score was tied three times, and the fifth lead change of the first quarter came when Bub

Hollowell said “They do a great job as a team, and they make the referees make tough calls because they’re so physical. We’ll do our best to counter it.”

The teams split a pair of regular-season games, with UNO

couldn’t, then commit a foul. They had two to give before the Gamecocks were in the bonus.

But LSU didn’t get a steal, and then it let the game clock tick down below 30 seconds without fouling.

Mulkey pointed to that play as an example of the things that have separated LSU and South Carolina these past few seasons. One team executes its offensive and defensive assignments late in games, and the other doesn’t.

“I don’t really know,” Mulkey said, “because you’ve got seniors in that timeout. You’ve got juniors in that timeout. You’ve got sophomores, and you’ve got new players, freshmen.

“They all just have those lapses like that. I don’t know.”

Carrington’s 3-pointer edged the Wizards in front 26-25. Four of his teammates scored as they increased the lead to 35-32 at the end of the period. Washington increased the lead to eight points early in the second quarter before New Orleans scored eight straight to tie. The Wizards scored the next five points, but Murray scored five points during a 12-0 run that gave the Pelicans a 54-47 lead The lead was reduced to one point before New Orleans held a 67-65 halftime edge. The Pelicans set an NBA high for free throws attempted and free throws made in any half this season by making 27 of 36 in the first half. They finished 37 of 47 at the line.

winning the recent one 84-78 in overtime on Feb. 9 at Lakefront Arena. This is UNO’s first Southland Tournament appearance with Hollowell in his second season coaching the Privateers.

When the two teams met in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in February, Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams scored the bulk of LSU’s points, while Fulwiley and Richard battled rough shooting nights. Those roles were reversed Saturday Fulwiley scored 24 points, and Richard chipped in 17 Johnson and Williams combined to score only 20 points on 6-of-20 shooting. Johnson finished with just six after she missed seven of the eight shots she took. Williams said LSU needs to “play harder” and “be more disciplined.” Johnson said she wished she would’ve contributed more hustle plays once she realized her

“With that said, I absolutely love LSU I love our core group that returns next year. I think we have a great administration and leadership team here at LSU. And so clearly I’ll respect whatever decisions they make moving forward. But, you know, I love the opportunity, and for me, I think it’s just critical that we keep our focus on preparing our players and our team for the opportunity next week in Nashville at the SEC Tournament.” LSU’s first-round matchup in the conference tournament is against No. 9 seed Kentucky at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. In the first

LSU GYM

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our best when we need to be?”

The Tigers only have one more home meet — Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Arkansas — before they can test that theory The SEC championships are March 21 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, followed by an NCAA regional at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on April 2-5.

If the Tigers advance from that as expected, they’ll go for their second NCAA title April 16-18 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Both LSU and Florida traded huge routines and big scores all night, combining for 18 marks of 9.95 or better

The difference was the hole LSU dug for itself to start on uneven bars. Lexi Zeiss led off with a 9.70 that LSU was hoping to erase, but then Ashley Cowan, the 2024 SEC bars champion, fell as she missed the low bar and got only a 9.30.

Despite that, Clark said Zeiss’ score kept LSU in the meet.

“She went over on her handstand and had to pirouette out of it, do another one and then do her first release,” he said. “A lot of gymnasts would have quit on their routine, but she made it work.”

With the pressure on to hit their last four routines, the remaining Tigers all came through. Madison Ulrich, Kailin Chio and Courtney Blackson followed with identical 9.90s before Konnor McClain anchored the Tigers with a superb 9.975, a season high-tying score that would tie her for first in the event with Florida’s Skye Blakely After one rotation, LSU and Florida, which opened on vault, were tied at 49.375.

The Tigers moved to vault for the second rotation and posted the best vault road score in program history LSU’s final three gymnasts — Kaliya Lincoln, Amari Drayton and Chio all finished with 9.975s that shared first place in the event. For Lincoln and Drayton, they were career-

shot wasn’t falling. Mulkey, she said, told her some things in the hour after the game that she “really took to heart.”

“I think that’s what I needed more of,” Johnson said. “Intensity Just to affect the game more, be disruptive. I feel like it wasn’t enough of that for me, and it showed throughout the whole team, you know what I’m saying?”

LSU could’ve played Texas for an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament title game on Sunday had it beaten South Carolina. That distinction would’ve ensured the Tigers that they wouldn’t have to face either unbeaten UConn or one-loss UCLA until the Final Four

high scores, as LSU went 49.700, a score eclipsed only by a 49.825 in a 2015 home meet against Minnesota.

For Chio, it was her 51st career individual event win.

The teams continued to throw big routines as LSU went to floor and Florida went to beam for rotation three The Tigers got a career-high-tying 9.975 from Lincoln, 9.925s from Chio and Kylie Coen and a 9.90 from Drayton for a 49.600. But the Gators were just a fraction better going 49.700 on beam led by a perfect 10 from Selena HarrisMiranda.

Going to the final rotation, Florida led LSU 148.700-148.675 Lincoln would end up sharing first place on floor with the Gators’ Blakely and eMjae Frazier

The Gators widened their lead gradually as they went to floor, outpointing the Tigers routine after routine despite career-high 9.95s from Drayton and Lincoln. Chio finished with a 9.975 in the anchor spot, getting a 10 from one of the two beam judges but just missing a chance to match Harris-Miranda with the LSU sophomore’s fourth straight 10 in that event. Harris-Miranda edged out Chio for the all-around title as well, 39.850-39.775.

Now LSU will most likely receive a No. 2 seed, which would be the highest seed it’s earned since 2008. The Tigers were a No. 3 seed in each of the last four seasons. The path back to the Final Four is there for LSU. It just runs through the kind of teams that keep beating the Tigers – the ones that force them to sit down for extended postgame discussions.

“I’ve been at LSU five years,” Mulkey said. “We’ve won a national championship right? We’ve been in numerous Elite Eights. It takes time. And man, we are just clawing and trying our best. I think we’re doing pretty good.

“We’re so close. We’re so close.”

Slidell comes up just short in final seconds of state championship

Top-seeded Zachary rallies for win

BY JOSEPH HALM Staff writer

HAMMOND Zachary senior guard

Ava Raymond proved to be just a little too much for Slidell to handle, but the Tigers made the reigning state champions work for it

Second-seeded Slidell took its first lead at 13-11 on Jaelynn Elliott’s layup off a turnover with 6:28 left in the second quarter

The Tigers maintained that advantage until Zachary’s Marcia Robinson hit a free throw to tie the game at 51 with 27.8 seconds left. A wild basketball season was about to come down to less than 30 seconds

After Slidell junior Cianni Williams hit one of two free throws, Raymond drove the length of the court and hit a floater in the lane to give the top-seeded Broncos a dramatic 53-52 victory during the Division I nonselect state championship game on Saturday night at Southeastern’s University Center

“We came out prepared and ready to play,” Slidell coach Kristin Twillie said. “I was a little concerned that we might have some nerves, but I felt like they were very mature and handled the pressure well, especially early They can play with anybody We might win the next one if we played head-to-head again.”

The Broncos (31-3) led for just four minutes and 16 seconds, but most importantly, they led for the final eight seconds as Slidell experienced a heartbreaking defeat in its first state championship appearance.

Raymond won Most Outstanding Player honors after scoring 27 points on 13-of-22 shooting with nine rebounds and five steals. Slidell sophomore Madyson Parker led the Tigers with 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting with eight rebounds. Elliott finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, as Slidell shortened its rotation to just six players.

“I’m very proud of us,” Parker

said. “Despite losing tonight, I think that everybody gave it their all, and I’m very happy about that. Overall, I think we did a great job.”

The Tigers shot just 19% in the first quarter but they leaned on their defense and trailed only 10-8 after eight minutes. Defense quickly became the theme of the game.

After a Payton Rowbatham 3-pointer tied the score at 11, the Tigers took the lead on Elliott’s layup. The advantage grew to 10 points before the Broncos cut it to 25-20 at the halftime buzzer Slidell forced 10 first-half turnovers and held Zachary to just 36% shooting.

The Tigers roared out to a 7-2 run during the third to restore their 10-point lead Then a timeout changed the game, as the Broncos switched to a half-court trap. Zachary forced 19 turnovers in the second half after the switch.

“We had to go to something else,” Zachary coach Tami McClure said.

“Our team’s very athletic and quick, and we needed to take advantage of that.”

Despite the turnovers, Slidell shot 75% in the third quarter to hang on to a 39-37 lead heading into the final period

The fourth quarter was more of the same: Slidell continued to shoot well, but the Broncos’ pressure led to turnovers that resulted in easy baskets. Zachary scored 24 points off turnovers and 44 points in the paint.

The Tigers (30-2) outrebounded the Broncos 35 to 31, while Slidell shot 46.9% from the field compared to just 39.3% for the Broncos.

Despite the defeat, Twillie said she was proud of her players for making school history with Slidell’s first semifinal and final appearances in the same season.

“They will forever be the first team to do it, so they need to be proud that they have set the standard for future teams,” Twillie said. Everyone will talk about them being the first ones to get here, so I think that is incredibly important.”

Contact Joseph Halm at jhalm@ sttammanyfarmer.net.

PREP REPORT

Tulane loses heartbreaker to Memphis on senior day

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

His voice cracking, an emotional Tulane coach Ron Hunter opened with this thought as he talked about the Green Wave’s agonizing overtime loss to Memphis on Sunday “I told the guys this game represented the whole year in regards to things just not being fair,” he said. “I’m so proud of these guys. We were all dealt a blow that most people couldn’t get through.”

Hunter was not really talking about the foul call on KJ Greene that allowed Memphis’s Quante Berry to hit the decisive free throws with 2.3 seconds left in overtime although he definitely was angry about the decision as Tulane protected a one-point lead in a game with wild swings at the end of regulation and in the extra session.

On a senior day that honored center Gregg Glenn, who drowned in Florida in late July right before his senior year was about to begin, the Wave desperately wanted to win for him Glenn’s parents were on the court in the pregame ceremony as a video tribute played to the Wave’s spiritual leader and multi-dimensional talent.

But just when it looked like Tulane (17-14, 8-10) was about to complete an incredible comeback victory, Memphis (13-18, 8-10) snatched it away, winning 96-95 while ending a seven-game skid and clinching a spot in the American Conference tournament. The teams will meet again Wednesday at 6 p.m in the first round, but this one was painful for a group that felt like Glenn was watching them from above.

“Emotionally this has been the hardest year of my life,” Hunter said. “I feel like I’ve lost a son, I lost a brother, I lost a hell of a player and I thought these guys did the best they possibly could this year In 40 years of coaching, I will always remember these guys here for the fight that they gave, and this game was the same thing.”

Tulane, which watched a ninepoint halftime lead turn into a nine-point deficit with 1:40 left in regulation, rallied miraculously to force overtime. Rowan Brumbaugh started the furious run with a 3-pointer from the wing that was short and off line but somehow bounced into the

basket. After an offensive foul on Memphis, senior Asher Woods’ layup cut the deficit to 80-76 with 56 seconds left before Brumbaugh intercepted a pass in the backcourt, drove to the basket and converted a 3-point play on a goaltend and foul nine seconds later

KJ Greene strolled through the lane for an uncontested layup to tie it with 13 seconds left after the Tigers’ Thierno Sylla hit one of two free throws

Tulane appeared set for a dramatic victory when Brumbaugh scored on back-to-back layups against the shell-shocked Tigers and senior Percy Daniels put back a miss for an 87-81 lead in the first two minutes of overtime. Instead, Daniels picked up his third, fourth and fifth fouls in a span of seven seconds — the last one on an and-one that pulled Memphis within 87-85 and Tulane played without a big man the rest of the way because Tyler Ringgold had fouled out in regulation.

A Curtis Williams turnover in the final minute — the first OT possession when Tulane did not score — led to a go-ahead layup for the Tigers with 22 seconds left, but Brumbaugh hit a short bank shot to put the Wave up 9594.

Berry then drove toward the baseline for the final shot, and the whistle blew The Wave insisted Greene had done nothing to warrant the call, but Berry sank the Tigers’ 24th and 25th free throws.

“We thought he (Greene) did a great job staying down and showing his hands,” Woods said. “It didn’t go our way We’ve got to move on now, learn from it and stay connected.”

Brumbaugh almost connected on a 35-footer as time ran out, but the ball bounced off the back of the rim.

“I thought it was going in,” he said. “I made one yesterday in practice.”

Berry paced Memphis with 22 points. Dug McDaniel added 20 and six assists, while 7-foot-1 center Aaron Bradshaw scored six of his 11 points in overtime against the center-less Wave.

Tulane, which nearly overcame a free-throw shooting discrepancy of 38-18, was led by Brumbaugh’s conference-high 31 points. He hit nine of 13 shots after halftime, keeping the Wave in it while Memphis ripped the nets with 60% shooting after going 9 of 24 in a dismal first half. No Tiger player made more than one shot from the floor until Sylla scored on a putback layup with 2:36 left.

Momentum switched at the start of the second half, switched back again and changed a third time down the stretch of overtime.

Tulane’s fourth consecutive defeat was nothing like the previous three, which came by a composite 91 points “It shows we’re not done yet,” Brumbaugh said. “We’re coming with a head of steam for the conference tournament.”

Wave gets rematch in conference tourney

Tulane and Memphis are going to run it back again Wednesday in the first round of the American Conference men’s basketball tournament. Memphis (13-18, 8-10) will wear its home white jerseys as the No. 8 seed in Birmingham, Alabama, while Tulane (17-14, 8-10) will be the No. 9 seed in the opening game of a tournament with a new format that favors the top seeds. The winner of their 6 p.m. re-

match will face No. 5 seed Charlotte (15-16, 9-9) on Thursday at 6 p.m., with that victor advancing to face No. 4 seed UAB at noon Friday Tulane split in the regular season against the Tigers, lost its only meeting with the 49ers on the road and went 1-1 against the Blazers.

Regular-season champion South Florida is the No. 1 seed, followed by Wichita State and Tulsa. The top two seeds get byes to the

semifinals, and the No. 3 and 4 seeds will not play until the quarterfinal round. Charlotte and No. 6 seed North Texas have openingday byes.

Tulane and Memphis, along with No. 7 seed Florida Atlantic and No. 10 seed Temple, face the Herculean task of winning five games in five days to cut down the nets at Legacy Arena.

— Guerry Smith

Schwarber, U.S. beat Britain at WBC

By The Associated Press

Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer and Gunnar Henderson had four hits and two RBIs as the United States rolled to a 9-1 victory over Britain on Saturday night at the World Baseball Classic.

Team USA improved to 2-0 in Pool B at Houston, while Britain dropped to 0-2.

Nate Eaton homered on Tarik Skubal’s first pitch to give Britain a quick lead it held until the fifth inning But his teammates couldn’t muster anything else at the plate.

scoreboard with a 109.6 mph RBI single in a three-run sixth that pushed it to 8-1. Skubal allowed two hits with five strikeouts in three innings. It’s scheduled to be the only start of the tournament for the two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, who will return to spring training with the Detroit Tigers on Sunday Britain plays Italy on Sunday The Americans are off until reigning NL Cy Young Award winner and former LSU star Paul Skenes pitches Monday night against Mexico.

Bolds 9, Payton Jones 2; St. Joseph’s Academy: Evelyn Osborne 14, Emma Wilson 7, Adelaide Sanches 4, Ella Gisclair 4, Braylynn Valenti 4, Julia Haslauer 2, Brynne Chapoton 2, Kendall

1.

GOALS: John Curtis Christian 3 (Williams 2, Timmons 1) St. Joseph’s Academy 1 (Wilson 1) RECORDS: John Curtis Christian 25-0, St. Joseph’s Academy 21-7 Zachary 53, Slidell 52

Slidell 8 17 14 13 -52 Zachary 10 10 17 16 53

SCORING: Zachary: Ava Raymond 27, Kennedi Whitfield 12, Asia Bell 7, Marcia Robinson 5, Ayja Walker 2; Slidell: Madyson Parker 21, Jaelynn Elliott 13, Trista Gallien 8, Cianni Williams 5, Payton Rowbatham 5 3-POINT GOALS: Slidell 2 (Rowbatham 1, Parker 1) RECORDS: Zachary 29-3, Slidell 28-2

U.S. hitters had managed just one single when Ernie Clement reached on an error by third baseman Ivan Johnson to start the fifth. Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled before Clement scored on a wild pitch by Andre Scrubb to tie it at 1. Schwarber followed with a 427foot drive that landed near the back of the second deck in right field to put the United States on top 3-1. There were two outs in the inning when Henderson’s two-run single made it 5-1. Aaron Judge, who homered in Friday night’s win over Brazil, knocked out a panel in the metal

JAPAN 4, AUSTRALIA 3: Reigning champion Japan became the first nation to clinch a quarterfinal berth in the World Baseball Classic, then rallied on Masataka Yoshida’s two-run homer in the seventh inning to beat Australia on Sunday night in Tokyo and assure first place in its first-round group. Japan clinched advancement earlier Sunday when South Korea lost to Taiwan 5-4 in 10 innings, also at the Tokyo Dome. Japan’s win clinched first place in Group C for Shohei Ohtani and the Samurai Warriors (3-0).

After completing the group Tuesday with a game against the Czech Republic (0-3), Japan will

travel to Miami for a quarterfinal on March 14. Australia can clinch a quarterfinal spot by beating South Korea (1-2) on Monday DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 12, NETHERLANDS 1: In Miami, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Junior Caminero and Austin Wells homered as the Dominican Republic routed the Netherlands in seven innings to remain unbeaten in Group D. The game ended under the mercy rule when Soto’s two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh gave the Dominican Republic a doubledigit advantage It was the third game of the tournament that did not go nine innings; Japan beat Taiwan 13-0 and Taiwan routed the Czech Republic 14-0 in Group C. The Dominican Republic has outscored its opponents 24-4 through two games at loanDepot Park. Fernando Tatis and Ketel Marte had three walks each for the Dominicans. Starter Luis Severino allowed one run and three hits while striking out five over four innings.

The Dominicans broke it open with a six-run fifth. Caminero hit a three-run homer and Wells added a two-run blast. Marte’s sacrifice fly made it 10-1.

NFLseeinggigantic swings in trademarket

BY ROBMAADDI AP pro football writer

Defense wins championships. That’swhy NFL teamsare becoming more willing to partwith valuable draft picks forelite defenders.

Trading two first-rounders fora player has been rare withfewer than 20 such deals over the past 40 years. However,threeofthose have occurred in the past 61/2 months, and each was for asuperstar defensive player

Five-time Pro Bowledgerusher Maxx Crosby became thelatest premier talent traded for two No. 1s when the Baltimore Ravens acquired the 28-year-old star from the Las Vegas Raiders on Fridaynight.

The lasttwo Super Bowls were decided by superior defenses.Seattle’s“Dark Side” defense sacked Drake Maye six times in a29-13 victory over NewEnglandlast month. Last year,the Eagles sacked Patrick Mahomes six times in Philadelphia’s40-22 victory over the Chiefs in the Caesars Superdome Adding Crosby is asignificant boost for the Ravens, who’ve fallen short in the playoffs several times despite successful regular seasons

ledbytwo-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. Crosbyupgrades adefensethat had just 30 sacks in 2025, tied for 28th in theNFL. He could thrive undernew coach JesseMinter, a former defensivecoordinator

Here’salook at some other trades involving two first-round picksover thepast five years:

SauceGardner

TheColts senttwo first-rounders andwide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Jets forthe two-time All-Pro cornerback last November.Indianapolis was 7-2 at the time but injuries to quarterbackDaniel Jones and Gardner helped derail their season

MicahParsons

The Packers traded two firstrounders andthree-time ProBowl defensive tackle Kenny Clarkto Dallas forthe three-timeAll-Pro edgerushera week before the start of last season Parsons had 121/2 sacks in 14 games, helping Green Bay start 9-3-1. They didn’twin agame without him after he tore an ACL RussellWilson

The Denver Broncos made ablock-

buster deal to acquire the10-time Pro Bowl quarterback in March 2022, sending twofirst-round picks, two second-round picks, afifth-round pick, QB Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and defensive lineman Shelby Harris to Seattle. Wilsonwent 11-19 in onlytwo seasons in Denver before he was released.

DeshaunWatson

In March2022,the Cleveland Browns made what turnedout to be one of the worst trades in NFLhistory whenthey acquired Watson and a2024 sixth-round pickfrom the Houston Texans in exchange for three first-round picks, athird-round pickand two fourths.

The Browns then signed Watson to a$230 millioncontractfully guaranteed. He’splayed just 19 games in four years, going 9-10.

MatthewStafford

The Los Angeles Rams traded quarterback Jared Goff, twofirstrounders and athird to the Detroit Lions for Stafford in January 2021. The three-time Pro Bowl QB led the RamstoaSuper Bowl title that season and was NFL MVPin 2025.

Bhatia chargeslatetowin Arnold Palmer

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

ORLANDO,Fla. Arnold Palmer was famous forsaying, “You must play boldly to win,” and AkshayBhatia followed that script Sunday to astunning comeback and playoff victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational Bhatia started his back-nine charge with four straight birdies He nearly holed his 6-iron that went right at the flag on the par-5 16th to set up eagle. And he outlasted Daniel Berger with apar on the first extra hole to winatBay Hill.

“You just never know what can happen in this game,” Bhatia said after he closed with a3-under 69 and won his third PGA Tour title, all of them in playoffs. This wasthe biggest, a$20 million signature event that moves the24-year-old into thetop 20 in the world at the start of abig stretch in golf that concludeswith the Masters next month.

Berger looked like he had this won, walking confidently after shots in buildingafour-shot lead at the turn. He lost the leadbymissinga7-foot par putt on the 17th hole and showed plenty of moxie just to get into the playoff withan up-and-downfrom 70 yards forpar on the final hole for a70.

They finished at 15-under273, the first playoff at Bay Hill since 1999.

Berger,who hit his tee shot into theright rough on the 18th in regulation, pulled his drive in the playoff and did well to hammer a6-iron to the front edge of the green,106 feet away.Herolled thatto7feet below the hole, and his par putt to extend the playoff was weak and missed belowthe cup.

Bhatia, who took on thetraditional Sunday flag on the 18thover the rock-framed waterinregula-

Termstoknowas NFLfreeagency gets underway

BY ROBMAADDI AP pro football writer

Ready,set, negotiate multimillion contracts. The NFL’sfree agency period opensMondaywith a52-hour legal tampering period ahead of theofficial start of the new league year Wednesday Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walkerhead the list of high-profile players who will be free to sign acontract with anew team. Quarterbacks Kirk Cousins andKylerMurrayalsowill be seeking new teams because they’re going to be released by their teams. Here’sanexplanation of the rules and terms:

Legaltampering

At 11 a.m.Monday,teams can start negotiating withcertified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents when their contracts expire at the startofthe newleague year on 3p.m. Wednesday.Teamsaren’t permitted to speak directly to theplayers, whocan’tsign anew contract until the league year officially begins. The two-day negotiating period applies only to players who will be unrestricted free agents.

Unrestricted free agents

Any player with four or more accrued seasons —six or more regular-season games on aclub’s active/inactive, reserve/injured or reserve/physically unable to perform lists —whose contract hasexpired becomes an unrestricted free agent andmay negotiateand sign with any team.

Restricted free agents

Restricted free agents areplayers with threeaccruedseasons who have received aqualifying offer when their current deals expire on Wednesday Franchisetag

Each team can designate one potential free agent afranchise player. Cowboys receiverGeorge

BayHill on Sunday in Orlando, Fla.

tion and nearly pulled it off, played to the center of thegreen. He took two putts from just inside 30 feet for the win and the $4 million prize.

“Everyone knowswhenyou show up to Bay Hill, it’sgoing to be atest,” Bhatia said.

It was every bit of that. He was five shots behind at the turn when he ran off fourstraight birdies, one of them from just inside 60 feetonthe 11th hole. There was atwo-shot swing at the13th when Bhatiaholed a10-foot birdie putt and Berger had aplugged lie in a bunker,facinga shot to thecrispy green with water on the other side. He smartlyplayed back toward thefairway and salvaged abogey, hislead down to one shot.

The final hour turned electric on thepar-5 16th,with apin tucked to the leftnearthe water. Bhatiahit 6-iron high and true, and it nearly went into thecup on the second bounce to set up a3-foot eagle. Berger made birdietostay one ahead Bhatia saidcaddie Joe Greiner told him, “Just try to hit the best

6-iron of your life.”

“It was one of those professional pushes,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to aim at the flag.”

Berger,who haslost big chunks of time in recent years with aback injury and thenabroken finger sufferedlast August, was trying to becomethe first wire-to-wire winner at Bay Hill in 10 years.

“It’stough to win. It’s tough to battle,” he said. “A shot here or there was the difference.”

That goes for Bhatia, too. He and Berger returned Sunday morning to finishthe third round. Berger had athree-shot lead until the18th hole,whenhemadebogey from the right rough and Bhatia made birdie when his 10-foot putthung on the lip for just under 10 seconds and then dropped.

Berger’sconsolation prize, aside from the $2.2 million for finishing second, was earning aspot in theBritish Open andmoving well into thetop 40 in the world, which should make him safe to return to theMasters next month

Pickens, Falconstight endKyle Pitts and Jets running back Breece Hall received the tag before the March 3deadline.

An exclusive franchise player is notfreetosignwithanother club and is offered the greater of theaverageofthe top five salaries at the player’sposition for the current year as of the end of the restricted freeagent signing period on April 17, or the amount of the required tender fora nonexclusive franchise player

Anonexclusive franchise player can sign withanother team but that club will owehis previous team two first-round draft picks. All the players tagged this year are nonexclusive.

Transition tag

The transition tag is aone-year offer for the average of top 10 salaries at the position. It guarantees the original club the right of first refusal to match any offer the player might receive from another team.

The tagging team is awardedno compensation if it choosesnot to match adeal.Colts quarterback Daniel Jones received the transition tag this year

The signingperiodfor transition players begins at 3p.m Wednesday and ends on July 22

After July 22, the prior club has exclusive negotiating rights. Teams can decide to withdraw franchiseand transitiontags, and the player automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent. 2026 salary cap

The salary cap is $301.2 million perclub, up from$279.2 million last year.Teams must be under the salary cap by 3p.m.Wednesday

Salary-cap rollover

Ateam maycarry over salarycap space from one league year to the following league year by submitting notice to the NFL priorto3 p.m. on theday following the team’sfinalregularseason game. Ateam cancarry over 100% of its remaining 2025 room to its adjustedsalarycap for 2026.

Blaney endsReddick’s streak to give Penske a Phoenixweekend sweep

BY JENNA FRYER AP auto racingwriter

AVONDALE, Ariz. Ryan Blaney completed aTeam Penske sweep at Phoenix Raceway by winning the Cup Series race Sunday —a victory that denied TylerReddick afourth consecutivewin to start the NASCAR season. Blaney was therace favorite after winning last November in theseason-finale on the mile oval but he had to overcome at least three tire problems that costhim track position. He chased down Ty Gibbs —the 49th car he passed Sunday— to takethe lead with 10 laps remaining and seal his 18th career victory

“Just perseverance,”Blaney said. “Wehad acouple mistakes that we learned from, gotbetter,had to come from the back acouple times. It’s cool to win, especially after a day like that.Can’t sayenough about the (team) for keeping theirhead down and doing what they do.” As he celebrated on the frontstretch, hisparked Ford began to roll away andBlaney had to chase after it to ensure it was in park.

The victory came during a weekend celebration of Team Penske’s 60th season of competition andduring a“desert doubleheader” that bundled IndyCar and NASCAR together at Phoenix.

David Malukas won the IndyCar pole for Roger Penske and then Josef Newgarden wonSaturday’s race; Joey Logano won the pole for theCup race and then Blaney completed the sweep.

“Really proud of everybody at Team Penske,” Blaney said. “We swept the weekend,Newgarden

winningyesterday,uswinning today.Can’twait to see Roger.” The win wasthe first this season for Ford after Reddick —in aMichael Jordan-ownedToyota for 23XIRacing —set aNASCAR record by winning the first three races of the season. ChristopherBellfinished secondina Toyotafor Joe Gibbs Racing, reigning Cup champion KyleLarson was third in aChevrolet forHendrick Motorsports and Gibbs dropped to fourth.

Denny Hamlin, who lost the championship last November at this track, wasfifthasJGR drivers took three of the top five positions. Bell dominated the race thesameway Hamlin did in November and, just like Hamlin, lost because of the wrong pit strategy Hamlin in November took fourtires on thefinal stopand was beat forthe championship by Larson, who took two tires. On Sunday,Blaneytook two tireswhile Bell andHamlin each took four

“You winsome, you lose some,” said Bell, who led 176ofthe 312 laps. “This one stings,but on the positive side,I’m really proudof our entire team.It’ssomething to build on. It was aday that we needed.”

Bubba Wallace was sixthfor 23XI, William Byron was seventh forHendrick, andReddickwas eighth. Toyota drivers took six of the top 10 spots.

“It would have been nice to makeitfour,” Reddick said. “Scored the fourth-most amount of points on the day solid day.If we’re notgoingtowin, these are the kind of days we need to have.” The race was slowed by a record-tying 12 cautions, most caused by arash of tire failures.

Dior’s garden of earthly delights

Jonathan Anderson’s collection at ParisFashion Week invokesan Impressionistpainting

BY THOMAS ADAMSON AP fashion writer

PARIS The sun was outoverthe glasswalled runway at the famed Tuileries Garden in the French capital March3, flooding Jonathan Anderson’s fall-winter 2026 collection for Dior with agolden light that invoked Impressionist paintings. Among the celebrities at Paris Fashion Week packed into the glass walkways around the park’soctagonal basin —dotted with artificial water lilies in anod to Monet —were Anya Taylor-Joy,Charlize Theron, Jisoo, Priyanka Chopra, Willow Smith, Emily Ratajkowskiand Macaulay Culkin.

It was afitting mood foracollection steeped in flowers, water and the art of being seen. The greenhouse settingturned the surrounding Parisian strollers into an unwitting audience —anidea Andersonleaned into. He said he had been thinkingaboutthe promenade, about people who dress up to go somewhere, and abouthis own status as atourist in his adopted city

What emerged on the runway was Anderson’smost coherent women’scollection for Dior to date.

Deconstructed frock coats, peplum jackets and bustle skirts arrived in candied almond shades, Chantilly lace and metallic jacquards. Shrunkenblazers sat above lampshade skirts in baby-soft shearling. Sculptural knits heldtheir shape like origami.

ä See DIOR, page 2D

PRESS PHOTO By EMMA DA SILVA Amodel wears acreation from the Christian Dior Fall/Winter 2026-2027 Women’scollection presented in Parison Tuesday.

Adish

Acured

Is it art?

BY JAMES BROOKS Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark Imagine dining on “edible plastic” madefromalgae andcollagen from fish skins. While you ingest the dish, ocean-borne plastic pollution seemingly floats above you, projected across the restaurant’shuge domed ceiling. It’s an experience— anddish —inspiredbylarge garbage patches found in our seas. In Denmark, chef Rasmus Munk doesn’toffer dishesatthe Alchemist restaurant. Instead,he whisks guests on an “immersive dining experience” combining performance, music,projections in its planetarium-like domed dining room,and, of course, food. Opened in 2019 at the site of aformer industrial harborareainthe Danish capital,Copenhagen, Alchemist was namedthe world’sfifth-best restaurant in 2025. It has twoMichelin stars, signifying excellence in cuisine, out of amaximum three possible forone establishment.

Guests at this restaurant can experience 50 “impressions,” most of them edible.Diningthere meanstrying various foods —alarge eyeball dish featuring caviarand codfisheye gel, nettle butterflies served atop cheese and artichoke leaves —over manyhours, in aslow process that invites reflection on thefood andsurrounding projections

“Weconveymessagesthrough ourfood,our food

Denmark’smosttheatrical restaurantssit at thecenter of thedebateonwhether top-levelcooking counts as art ä See ART, page 2D

‘Brady Bunch’ housegetsLos Angeleslandmarkstatus

By the Associated Press

LOS ANGELES Here’s thestory of how amodestmid-century home became aLos Angeles landmark. The LA city council voted unanimously on Wednesday to designate the the so-called “Brady Bunch” house in the San Fernando Valley as ahistoric-cultural monument. The vote grants landmark protections to the house on Dilling Avenue that was used for exterior shots of the TV sitcom that ran from 1969 to 1974. Interior scenes were shot on a soundstage,withsets thatbore no resemblance to the property that become aphoto-op magnetfor “Brady Bunch” fans The show,which lived on for decades in syndication, featured the comic travails of afamily of

six blended-family siblings “the youngest one in curls,” as the themesong explained. The shingle-and-stone home with apeaked roof also appeared in the 1995 big screen film “The Brady Bunch Movie” and itssequel. Thelandmark status protectsthe home, built in 1959,from demolitionormajor renovations—but doesn’tprohibit them. If owners ever decide to make big changes, they would be subject to adesign review and theCulturalHeritage Commission can delay theprocess to find preservation solutions. The nonprofit LA Conservancy pushed forthe landmark status and CEO Adrian ScottFine said he wasthrilled it was approved. He said fans of the show have a personal connection to the property

“Ifyou watched the‘Brady Bunch,’ youknew this house.People make apilgrimage to seeit,” Fine said Wednesday. “Tohaveit designated like this, it makes it all thesweeter.”

When the house went on the market in 2018, the cable network HGTV won abidding war that drove the price up to $3.5 million —or$1.6 million over thelisting price for thethen-2,400-squarefoot residence. The housewas expanded, remodeled and redecorated to give it trademark elements of theset version,including thewood-paneled living room withafloating staircaseand an orange-and-green kitchen. The process was documented in afour-partHGTVminiseries called “A Very Brady Renovation.”

Thereasonfor yawningstill beingresearched

Dear Doctors: Ihave alwaysliked how yawning feels and wondered what it’sfor.Ijust read there is newinformation about how yawning affects your brain. Do you know anything about that?Also, do we know yet why yawning is so contagious? I’ve even been able to get my dog to yawn. Dear Reader: Your questionsabout yawning echo across millennia. A physical reflex still shrouded in mystery,the search for an answer to why we yawn dates back at least to the ancient Greeks. Aristotle and Hippocrates favored a theory of ventilation. Less scientific notions have leaned intothe mystical. Some have guessed soul slippage, aleaching of life force or spirits entering or leaving the body.What we do know for sure is that virtually all primates

is our medium of expressing ourselves,” saidMunk, whosedishes also explore issues suchasstate surveillanceand animal welfare.

Once known for bacon, herring, and rye bread, the Scandinavian country’scuisine has been in ascendancy since2003 when René Redzepi’sworld-beating Noma

first burst onto the scene, preaching a“New Nordic” philosophy that celebrated foraging, fermenting and Scandinavia’sseasonal larder

Emboldened by the success of the New Nordic movement, Denmark’sMichelin-starred restaurants are now askinga newquestion: Can gastronomy be art?

Culture Minister Jakob EngelSchmidt said in JanuarythatDenmark would explore whether gastronomy could be formally recognized as an art form. If realized, it could become the firstnation to legally place cooking —orat least the highest versions of it —ona similar pedestal to painting.

It’snot clear how theculture ministry’splans willbeimpacted by the country’sMarch 24 general election.

Munk, 34, who says he spent almost adecade honing his“artistic practices,” has been adrivingforce behind themoveand described it as a“big milestone.”

“I don’tthink all food is art …I think the craftsmanship needs to be on the highest level,” he said, noting that ultimately it’sapolitical decision what gets called art and what not and that, for now “thisisaclosedsociety forchefs.”

The change, still in its exploratory phase, would eventually require avote in Denmark’s179seat parliament to reclassify gastronomy from craft to art It could also make the country’s chefs eligible for statesubsidies and funding from privatefoundations —like writers and musi-

Dr.Elizabeth Ko

Dr.Eve Glazier

ASK THE DOCTORS

yawn. Thebehavior has also been observed in birdsand even some fish. Andyou’re right that it’s contagious. It would be surprisingifaportion of readers hadn’t alreadystifled,orgiven in to, a yawn while reading this column. Now,the results of asmall studysuggest theancient Greeks weren’t that far off themark. Researchers in Australia have

found that yawning can affect the movementofcerebrospinal fluid in the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF,isa clear liquid produced in the brain. It helps to cushion and protect this critical organ. CSF also carries nutrients and removes waste. In their study,scientists performed MRI scans of the brains of 22 healthy volunteers as they breathed normally,took deep breaths, yawned and stifled a yawn. Because deep breathing and yawning share similar physical actions, theresearchers expected tosee similar MRI results. However,the scans showed that during ayawn, cerebrospinal fluid was often transported away from thebrain. This was theoppositeofwhat happened during a deep breath.

This led the researchers to conclude that, rather than avariant of deep breathing, yawning is a distinct maneuver that reorients theflow of CSF.Asfor whythat is metabolically advantageous, the answer is not yet clear.Theories include the idea that the movementofCSF plays arole in cooling the brain, aids in the removal of metabolic waste or amps up the alertnessthat is critical to scanning for danger While the findings in this study took asurprising turn, it is importanttonote the small sample size. In addition, the movement of CSF during ayawn was not observed 100% of the time. Also, the effect was observed moreoften in women than in men.Inaninteresting side note, each person yawned thesame wayand in the same

pattern. Also, each study participant’syawn sequence was unique. Sadly,nolight wasshed on why yawns are so contagious. As with all preliminary research, larger and repeated studies are needed to affirm the results. However,even without aconclusive outcome, the study bolsters the existing idea that yawning likely serves aspecific purpose. It’s something to consider next timeyou give in to a yawn, or to the urge to get your dog to yawnalong with you. Send yourquestions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

cians —toget their projects off theground.

Other nationswith famed food cultures, including France andJapan, haven’tmade similar moves

Last year, UNESCO granted Italiancooking cultural heritage status.

Denmark has previously expanded what constitutes art and culture,for examplebyawarding alifetime national arts honor to heavymetal actKing Diamond.

Last year,the Sonning Prize, Denmark’slargest cultural award, was awarded to Frenchgastronomic artist and chemist Hervé This.

The Nordic nation of 6million people has become adining destination, home to 37 Michelinstarred restaurants, including Copenhagen’stwo-star Kadeau, which was opened in 2011 by head chef andcreative director Nicolai

TODAYIN HISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday,March 9, the 68th day of 2026. Thereare 297 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On March 9, 1945, during World WarII, over 300 U.S. B-29 bombers began Operation Meetinghouse, a massive firebombing raid on Tokyo.The raid killedan estimated 100,000 civilians, left 1million homeless and destroyed 16 square miles of the city Also on this date: In 1796, the future emperor of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte,married Josephine de Beauharnais. In 1841, the U.S. Supreme Court,inUnited States v. The Amistad, ruled 7-1 in favor of agroupofillegally enslaved Africans who were captured off the U.S. coast after seizing control of aSpanish schooner,La Amistad. The justices ruled that the Africans should be set free.

In 1862, during the American Civil War, the ironclad warships USSMonitor and CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimac) clashed for five hours to adraw at Hampton Roads, Virginia. The first engagement of ironclad warships opened anew era in naval warfare.

In 1916, more than 400 Mexicanraiders led by Pancho Villa attacked Co-

lumbus, New Mexico, killing 18 Americans In 1959, the Barbie doll was introduced at the American International ToyFair in New York In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in New York Times Co.v.Sullivan,raisedthe standardfor public officials to provethey’d been libeled in their official capacity by news organizations. In 1997, rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) was killed in astill-unsolved driveby shootinginLos Angeles at age 24. In 2022,a Russian airstrikedevastated amaternity hospital in the besieged Ukrainian portcity of Mariupol, killingfour people and wounding at least 17.

Today’sbirthdays: SingerJeffrey Osborne is 78.Actor Juliette Binoche is 62. ActorEmmanuel Lewis is 55. ActorOscar Isaac is 47. Comedian Jordan Klepper (TV:“The DailyShow”) is 47. Rapper Chingy is 46. Actor Matthew Gray Gubler is 46. Retired soccer player ClintDempsey is 43. Olympicskiing gold medalistJulia Mancusois 42. ActorBrittanySnow is 40. Rapper Bow Wowis 39. RapperYGis36. Social media personality Khaby Lame is 26. Olympic gymnasticsgold medalist Sunisa Lee is 23.

DIOR

Nørregaard.

“I approach it like Iwould approach making apiece of art, like an artwork or apiece of writing,” Nørregaardsaid. “It’sabout gettingsort of an experience.”

The46-year-old head chef, whose recipesreference the seasonal flavorsofDanish island Bornholm,said that such recognition would be a“big step.”

“Toacknowledge that this can also be looked upon as art …that’s what’simportantfor me,” he said. But not everyone, even some within the industry,are toasting theidea.

Nick Curtin, the American executive chef and owner of Copenhagen’sMichelin-starredAlouette restaurant, argues that art and gastronomy are fundamentally different

“Art’ssole purpose is expression. It’stoevoke emotion.Food

Continuedfrom page1D

The floral theme was everywhere but it was developed through silhouette and fabric rather than slapped on literally

Crinkled cardigans recalled the corolla of abloom. Asymmetrically fastened skirts anddresses evoked petals. Even thecrystaldetailingonembroidered jeanscarried abotanical echo. Anderson reprised his Donegal tweed takeonthe house’slegendary Bar jacket, but madeitlonger and looser

The spiralcage dressesthat wowed at his recentcouture show returnedas clouds of soft pleated fabric. With their houndstooth dark andlight checks,hand-pleated jackets and coats showed signs of trompe-l’oeil, atechnique to make the object appear threedimensional.

DottedSwissruffle skirtswithlong trains offered ayouthful riff on Christian Dior’siconic Junon gown.

Therewereivory hammered silk track pants with covered bridalbuttons jeanswith ribbonembroidery and plain robe coatsworn as dresses —garments rarely given thespotlight on arunway

The celebrity turnout was intense and so were theregal echoes.

Dior has held itsshows at the Tuileries since 2020 as part of apartnership with the adjoining Louvre Museum to help restore one of the oldest public gardens in Paris—originally commissioned by QueenCatherine de’ Medici and later redesigned for Louis XIV as aplace to see and be seen. On Tuesday,Anderson’sdesigns testifiedthatheissteadily finding his versionofthat centuries-old tradition. Five collectionsin, the picture is getting clearer —evenifthe designerinsists it will always remain amoving target

must be consumed,” he said. “(Art) can evoke disgust or disappointment or pain or sorrow or joy or longing. Food actually can’t express all of those things. It can, but it shouldn’t.”

Some in Denmark’sart scene also have expressed concern that such achange might seegreater competition forfunding between chefs and more traditional artists like painters.

HolgerDahl, thearchitecture and art critic at Denmark’s 277-year-old Berlingske newspaper,ismoreblunt: “I think it’s quitesilly,there’snouse, it doesn’t makeany sense.”

“It’s alittle bit like abicycle and acar —they have round wheels, they’lltake you from one point to anotherpoint,but it’s notlike avery good bicycle all of asudden turnsinto acar,” he said. “It doesn’thappen.”

DearHeloise: Therecentcomment aboutfolks grabbing the airline seat in front of them when getting outoftheir seats hit a nerve with me.Asmuch as Ihate to do this, Ihavenochoice. If the airlineswould give me enough room to stand up straight on my ownwithout needing to brace myself to even get out of my chair, Iwould happily do so

Don’tjust assume thata person is being willfully rude when they have no other option. Let’sall be more understanding. Also,we should write to ourgovernment officials anddemand more customer comfort! —Michelle, via email Michelle, I’m sorry to say that comfortand luxury on an airplane is no longera top priority Operating expenses have caused airlinestopack the plane with enough passengers to make the flight profitable. Most people understand thatitmight be necessary to hold onto the seat in front of youtostand up. Just try to do so without ripping the person’s hair out! —Heloise

Geographysound-off

DearHeloise: Youare right to advise us to contact our school districts when we have concerns aboutour schools. Politicians mean well, but theydonot have the knowledge to determine curricula.The lack of geography in schoolsisanexample. In 2002, schoolsbegan implementing “No Child Left Behind.” The mandate of only using highly qualifiedteacherstoteach geography resultedinthe subject being droppedbymany schools. This is because it wasn’trequiredfor graduation, and there areveryfew teachers with a teaching credentialingeography.Our politicians meant well but created newproblems with their untrained good intentions. —Former Teacher SaraD., in Spokane, Washington Sara,Iwas sadwhenIlearned thatgeography had been droppedfrommost classrooms. It was an interesting class and fueled my ambitiontosee more of the world. I’ve had teachers tell me thattheir students have no ideawhere the Middle East is or thattheyconfuse the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean Maybe it’stime to reintroduce geography to ourstudents! —Heloise

Aberry good question

DearHeloise: Ilovetoeat berries, including blueberries, blackberriesand raspberries. Iknow that theymust be washedbefore consumption, but Ihave heardmultiple opinions on how this should be done,including one suggestionthatIlet themsit in water thatismixedwith vinegar Whatisthe correct wayto wash them? —Hector G.,inTucson, Arizona Hector,one of the best ways to wash vegetablesand fruit is with baking soda.However,you can use salt or soak them in vinegar.These threewayshelp kill anybugs andalso remove dirt andwax.Somanyvegetables andfruits arecoated with athin layerofwax so that they look healthy andappealing to consumers.

—Heloise Sendahinttoheloise@heloise com.

PISCES(Feb. 20-March 20) You areoverdue for ashift that will rewrite your destination. It's up to you to let go of what'sstanding in your way and to make the changes necessary to reach your goal.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Put your energy into something you care about.Check into courses,governmentgrants or volunteer work that addressyour concerns. Make fitness and ahealthy diet part of your daily routine

TAURUS (April20-May20) Initiate change. Your words and actions will carry weight and resonatewith those who offer support. Fine-tune your skills and apply forpositions that exciteyou.

GEMINI(May 21-June 20) Say less and do more.How you reach out to others will determine whatyou get in return Ahelping hand will fetch better results than criticism. Put acap on your spending.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Listen, be reasonable and stick to the truth. Funnel your energyintokeeping up, recognizing your value and using your intelligence, knowledge and expertiseto uphold your reputation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Participate in eventsthat offerinsight into subjects, professions or hobbies that interest you. What you discover will motivate you to take on something new and exciting.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Keep your emotions to yourself.Someone will usethe informationyou share withoutcon-

cernfor your safety or your reputation. Don't reveal financial, personal or healthmatters.

LIBRA(Sept.23-Oct.23) Stickclose to home. Nurturerelationships and rearrangeyourspace to encourage greater creativity and initiative.Make healthy choices that encourage you to look, feel and do your best.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.22) Learn as you go. Avoid shared expenses and joint ventures that add stress to your life. Don't hesitate to say no or to change your mindifyou have doubts. Trust your instincts.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Invest more time in yourself. Payattention to your needs and what you can do to maintain thehappiness and lifestyle you desire.Make peace and love apriority.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.19) Be willing to help others, but don't pay forsomeoneelse's mistakes. Your foresightand spontaneity will change the dynamics of your professional relationships for thebetter.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Discipline will pay off. Apassionatedisplay of whatyou can do will have an impact on others. Personal growth and financial gainare within reach. Take achance and findyour bliss.

Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2026 by nEa, inc dist.Byandrews mcmeel syndication

CelebrityCipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

CLUE: yEQUALSV

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placingpuzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

BY PHILLIPALDER

Bertrand Piccard from Switzerland and BrianJones from England were the first to travel nonstop around the world in aballoon. Piccard said, “Very often, human beings are livinglikeonautopilot, reacting automatically with what happens.”

Some bridge players count at thetable almost without being aware they are doing it. These experts are on autopilot. That is good. There aremany moreplayerswho are on adifferent autopilot, following the typical“rules” of thegame, which is occasionally notgood

In this deal, for example, how should thedefenders playtodefeat three notrump after West leads his fourth-highest heart four?

In the auction, Idisagree with North’s using Stayman, because his doubletonis so strong. He should just raise to three no-trump.

We have all heard of “thirdhand high.”

Andmany Easts would not be able to resist using it at trick one, covering dummy’s heartfive with the seven —but it is thewrong play. Whenthird hand cannot contributea nine or higher,heshould give count. Here,withanodd numberof hearts, he should play the two Declarer willwin withhis jack,cross to dummy with aspadetothe queen, and runthe diamond10. West, on winning withhis king, should cash the heart ace,

wuzzles

knowing that declarer will have to drop hisking. Westwill then run hissuitfor down one.

If Eastplays the heart seven at trick one, Westshouldassume East started witha doubleton andshift to aclub, tryingtoget East on lead foraheart lead through declarer’sking.

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

Each Wuzzleisawordriddle which creates adisguised word, phrase,name,place, saying, etc. Forexample: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InStRuctIonS: 1. Words must be of four or moreletters.2.Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” suchas“bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” maynot be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAY’S WoRD tuMuLtuouS: tu-MUL-choo-us: Loud, excited and emotional.

Average

Can you find 18 or more

SAtuRDAY’S WoRD —RADIAtE

yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James4:7

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word fromthe lettersineach row. add pointsof each word, using scoring directionsat right.Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus “Blanks” used as any letter havenopoint value.all the words are in theOfficial sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer ken ken

Formore information on tournaments and clubs, email naspa –northamericansCraBBlE playersassociation: info@scrabbleplayers.org.Visit ourwebsite:www.scrabbleplayers.org.

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each columnmust containthe numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes calledcages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is

WiShinG Well