TROPICAL STORM: Bertha makes quiet landfall in St. Bernard 1B THE
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T h u r s d ay, J u ly 23, 2026
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‘It’s not over’
Felony charges for Murrill dismissed amid pressure AG accuses New Orleans leaders of weaponizing grand jury Special prosecutor criticizes ‘extraordinary interference’
VERMILION PARISH
Parish leaders urged to prepare for projects State senator talks possible aerospace economic booms BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer
More than 200 people packed the Erath Community Center on Wednesday to hear state Sen. Bob Hensgens address months of speculation about a possible SpaceX or Blue Origin project in Vermilion Parish. Hensgens, R-Abbeville, emphasized that he has no confirmation that either company plans to purchase land or build a facility in the parish and said he is not involved in any Hensgens negotiations. “We are talking Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos levels of important here,” Hensgens told the crowd. “This is way above me, so whenever
ä See AEROSPACE, page 5A
STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
Gov. Jeff Landry begins to speak as Attorney General Liz Murrill gives a statement about the felony charges pressed against her from an Orleans Parish grand jury during a news conference in Baton Rouge on Wednesday. BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer
Less than three weeks after an Orleans Parish grand jury handed up felony charges against Attorney General Liz Murrill, special prosecutor Laurie White dismissed the indictment Wednesday morning under pressure from the same elected New Orleans leaders who were Murrill’s purported victims. The decision to dismiss the 16-count indictment drew approval from Murrill and Gov. Jeff Landry, but little sign that it had ended a raging political drama. At an afternoon news conference, Landry and Murrill backed state and federal investigations into the origins of the grand jury probe. Landry said he supported a request by U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins for an FBI investigation, on top of a Louisiana State Police probe the governor ordered shortly after
Murrill’s July 2 indictment on counts of public intimidation and malfeasance in office. Landry went further on Wednesday, calling for Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams to “have his law license ripped from him” for urging the New Orleans City Council to back an election for a citywide court clerk and appoint an interim. The council’s move prompted Murrill in May to warn Mayor Helena Moreno, Williams and five City Council members in letters that they were violating the law and risking their elected posts. The grand jury decided those letters amounted to crimes. Murrill blamed Williams — “He’s not a victim. He started all of this.” — and cast their relationship as deeply damaged by the indictment. Their two offices have collaborated in a partnership that Williams called “a hallmark of my adminis-
tration” in his letter to White on Tuesday. Murrill said Williams knew better as she accused city leaders of weaponizing the grand jury. “It’s not over,” she said. “That dismissal of that indictment today was not an effort to simply get us all back together to be friends again. First of all, you can’t be friends with somebody who wants to put you in jail for 80 years. So, you know, friendship is not really on the table.” Williams did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. The dismissal came amid mounting repercussions to New Orleans from Landry and state political leaders. Landry vetoed more than $33 million in state funding lawmakers intended to send to New Orleans, and Moreno withdrew a request for State Bond Commission approval of a $110 million bond sale,
ä See MURRILL, page 5A
Lafayette man sentenced to 150 years in 2023 shootout Gunfire left a child dead, one officer disabled, two injured BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
A Lafayette man was sentenced Wednesday to spend the rest of his life in prison for the attempted murder of three police officers in a 2023 shootout that left officer Hali Bradford permanently disabled and a 19-month-old child dead. John Nicholas, 33, was convicted in April of three counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of
ä See SENTENCE, page 5A
Trump: U.S. will destroy power plants, bridges if strait is attacked President warns Iranian infrastructure would be targeted in retaliation BY JON GAMBRELL and COLLIN BINKLEY
Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that the U.S. will destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
WEATHER HIGH 89 LOW 77 PAGE 6A
Trump’s latest threat to target civilian infrastructure came as the unpopular war spirals with no clear off-ramp, threatening further worldwide economic disruption and sending fuel prices up ahead of midterm U.S. elections this fall. Both sides have dug in on their dispute over the strait, a crucial waterway for global en-
ergy that remains largely closed because of Iranian attacks. Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said his country would adopt an “eye for an eye” defense doctrine. “Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response,” he posted Wednesday on X.
doorstep, and alerts were issued in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. With negotiations largely stalled, both sides have sought leverage by targeting civilian infrastructure. Iran has responded to U.S. attacks by targeting energy infrastrucThe U.S. carried out another ture and desalination plants that wave of strikes on Iran overnight provide drinking water in parched into Wednesday, and air defenses neighboring Gulf countries. opened fire over the capital, TehInternational law generally ran. Iran launched a missile atä See IRAN, page 5A tack on a Jordanian city on Israel’s
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