ABOVE: Jesus is crucified as The Ragin’ CajunCatholics present theirannual LivingStations of the Cross on Good Fridayat Girard Park. The Stations are aseries of 14 images depictingJesus Christ on theday of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers BOTTOM LEFT: Spectators watch as the LivingStations of the Cross are performedonFriday. BOTTOM RIGHT: The faithful prayduring Friday’s observance.
Rapidgenetic tests used at random eateries in Acadiana
BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer
The drive along U.S. 190 in Acadiana is adestination for those in search of authenticCajuncuisine, but new testing showssome of theseafood maynot be locally sourced.
The newest batch of shrimptesting from acompany sampling restaurants across the South found that half of the restaurants sampledalong a stretchof190 in Louisiana were serving imported shrimp, and that these establishments were mostly claiming to serve local catch.
“Wewere pretty surprised, because this area is known forits Cajun culture.When you go there, you expect to eat crawfish and shrimp.”
BY ADAM DAIGLE
SeaD Consulting, thecompany using arapid genetictestto identify shrimp species, is on a missiontohelp revitalize the state’sailing coastal industry by shining alight on seafood mislabeling at restaurants. Louisiana shrimpers have for years struggled to compete againstcheap foreign imports. The vast majority of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported from other countries.
DAVEWILLIAMS SeaDConsulting
For theirlatestround of tests, team members at the company tested 24 eateries in March along 190 between St. Landry and Allen parishes, starting in Krotz Springs and ending in Kinder “Wewere pretty surprised, because this area is knownfor its
5.8 quake rattles
Afghanistan, Pakistan
KABUL, Afghanistan An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 rattled parts of northern and eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan late Friday, killing at least eight people in Afghanistan, authorities said. The region is highly seismically active. Friday’s earthquake had an epicenter in the Hindu Kush mountain range, about 90 miles east of the Afghan city of Kunduz, according to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center and the U.S. Geological Survey
Hafizullah Basharat, a spokesman for the Kabul governor said eight people were killed and a child was injured when a house collapsed on the outskirts of the capital. He said all were members of the same family Kabul is roughly 180 miles southwest of the epicenter
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from areas closer to the epicenter The area is remote, and it can often take several hours before local authorities can relay information back to Kabul.
With the epicenter at a depth of over 180 kilometers, the quake jolted a wide swath of Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Pakistan, it was felt in the cities and towns of Islamabad, Peshawar, Chitral, Swat and Shangla, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries in Pakistan.
Sweden stops tanker suspected of oil spill
FRANKFURT, Germany
The Swedish Coast Guard said Friday it has boarded a tanker suspected of causing a 8-mile oil spill on the Baltic Sea, adding that the vessel is under European Union sanctions aimed at the “shadow fleet” transporting Russian oil. The spill was detected early Thursday east of Gotland island, and investigators identified the Flora 1 as the suspected source. The Coast Guard boarded the vessel early Friday and took it and its 24-member crew to anchorage near Ysted in southern Sweden.
“We act when we detect emissions. This is a result of our enhanced maritime surveillance that we are conducting as a result of the deteriorating security situation in the Baltic Sea region,” Daniel Stenling, deputy chief of operations, said in a statement. There were no immediate details on what caused the spill
It was unclear under what country’s flag the vessel was traveling and its destination was unclear, the Coast Guard said. It departed the Russian port of Primorsk, where a major Russian oil export terminal is located, on Tuesday according to the MarineTraffic maritime data company
The EU had sanctioned the vessel, meaning transactions involving it are forbidden, for carrying Russian oil while “practicing irregular and high-risk shipping practices.” Unsafe practices can include turning off its automatic tracking system to hide where a vessel is going N.J. state troopers rescue bear cub
UNIONTOWNSHIP,N.J State police troopers came to the rescue of a bear cub found in a ditch along the side of a major interstate highway in northern New Jersey Troopers from the Perryville station responded shortly before 1:40 p.m. Wednesday to milepost 12.2 on I-78 eastbound in Union Township. The animal was by itself, officials said The bear was soon safely secured and taken back to the state police barracks, where it was later turned over to staffers with the state’s Environmental Protection Department, who were caring for the animal.
It’s not clear how the cub ended up in the ditch or how long it had been there before it was spotted. Details on the bear’s condition were not available Friday
Lack of information frustrates Cuba’s advocates
BY MILEXSY DURÁN and ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ Associated Press
HAVANA Katia Arias buzzed with hope on Friday morning as she gathered at the gates of a prison on the outskirts of Havana, waiting with other families for their loved ones to be freed in one of the biggest prison releases by the Cuban government in years.
When her 20-year-old son Emilio Alejandro Leyva walked out of the doors of the detention facility with dozens of other prisoners bags and a small release document in hand, she wrapped her arms around her son, who was detained for a robbery, for the first time in years.
“It has been so difficult, but today God has given me so much joy,” said Arias, 43, breaking down in tears. “Today, I feel so happy. This is how all mothers who will have their children released today
should feel.”
The outpouring of joy from families comes the day after Cuba’s government said it was going to release 2,010 prisoners in what it said was “humanitarian gestures” ahead of Holy Week; it wasn’t immediately clear how many were released on Friday
The release comes as the Cuban government navigates extreme pressure and a crippling oil blockade by the Trump administration, which has openly expressed the desire for regime change and the release of those arrested for protesting.
It was unclear whether any of the prisoners released Friday are among the 1,214 people activist groups say are imprisoned for political reasons in Cuba. The government denies holding political prisoners.
On Friday, detainees in the La Lima prison on the rural outskirts
of Havana said they were woken up at 6 a.m. and heard their names called out. Hours later they were walking into the arms of loved ones awaiting them in front of blue prison gates. The majority of prisoners interviewed Friday by The Associated Press were not serving time for political charges, though it’s uncertain how many of those released were protesters — often charged with public disorder, contempt or terrorism. Many of the more than one thousand people the activist organization Prisoners Defended has registered as detained for political reasons were protesters from the 2021 mass demonstrations on the island, which were met with widespread arrests by the government. Sporadic protests have broken out in recent months as the island sinks into a deeper crisis. In one March incident, protesters burned the headquarters of the communist party in central Cuba, leading to five arrests. The lack of information over re-
Airstrikes fuel rising tensions, evictions
BY BASSEM MROUE Associated Press
BEIRUT When the Israel-Hezbollah war broke out in early March, Hussein Shuman
fled the heavy bombardment of the southern suburbs of Beirut, but he didn’t bother trying to rent an apartment elsewhere.
In areas deemed “safe” because the Lebanese militant group has no presence, he feels that Shiite Muslims like him are not welcome. Residents regard them with suspicion as potential Hezbollah members, and landlords charge exorbitant prices to rent to displaced families.
Instead, the 35-year-old, who works at a perfume company, headed to central Beirut where he set up a small tent where he has been staying, along with his wife, 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter
Shuman even rejected an offer from a friend who invited him to bring his family to the Christian mountain town of Zgharta. He preferred to remain in his tent, even though it has flooded twice in the past two weeks.
“By staying here I have my dignity and respect,” Shuman said, sitting on a chair near his tent as a barber gave him an openair haircut. “We will not stay in a place where we are going to be humiliated.”
In a country full of suspicion, the more than 1 million people — most of them Shiite displaced as a result of Israel’s
evacuation orders and airstrikes have limited options.
Some landlords in Christian areas refuse to rent to Shiites. Others demand inflated rents and deposits that few can afford. Fatima Zahra, 42, from Beirut’s southern suburbs, said she and her sister sold their finest jewelry to pay the $5,000 the landlord charged up front for two months’ rent
In some Beirut neighborhoods, displaced people who can afford to pay high rents are only allowed to take the apartment after landlords inform the security agencies to check on whether the family has any links to Hezbollah.
Sectarian tensions are a sensitive issue in Lebanon because the country fought a 15-year civil war ending in 1990 that largely broke down along sectarian lines.
Social frictions have worsened since Israel’s targeted airstrikes killed Hezbollah officials or members of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in predominantly Christian, Sunni and Druze areas, raising fears among the hosts that Hezbollah members are mingling within the civilian population.
The Lebanese are deeply divided over Hezbollah’s wars with Israel, with many in the small nation blaming the Iranbacked group for dragging the country into a deadly conflict that has so far left more than 1,300 people dead and over 4,000 wounded. Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, triggering the ongoing Middle East war
Descendants of Choctaw code talkers gather for marker
BY DAVID MORENO Fort Worth Report
Nuchi Nashoba grew up looking at a photograph of her great-grandfather Ben Carterby inside her grandmother’s Oklahoma home. But, she didn’t know much about the man in the frame other than that he was a World War I veteran. It wasn’t until 1989 — when Nashoba was in her late 20s — that she learned a deep secret about her ancestor Carterby was one of the
Choctaw code talkers — a group of 19 Native American soldiers who used their language to transmit encrypted messages to the Allies during campaigns in northern France. The soldiers were sworn to secrecy and hid details of their service from families for decades.
Over the past 20 years, Nashoba has led advocacy efforts to spotlight the group’s hidden legacy as president of the Choctaw Code Talkers Association. Now the soldiers’ contributions are recognized in
Fort Worth through a new plaque at the city’s Veterans Memorial Park. The Choctaw Code Talker Historical Marker was unveiled during an April 1 ceremony hosted by the Oklahoma tribe, the Texas Historical Commission and the city’s parks and recreation department. Several descendants of the Native soldiers attended.
“Seeing the marker really brings me a lot of joy,” Nashoba said. “This is what preserves the history for generations to come.”
leases on Friday fueled frustration among human rights and opposition groups, who said the releases were a good sign, but fell short of real change.
“The government presents it as a humanitarian gesture toward prisoners, not as the release of political prisoners,” said Manuel Cuesta Morúa, leader of the Council for Democratic Transition in Cuba the island’s main opposition platform. “By doing so, it mixes things up to avoid giving the impression that it recognizes political imprisonment in Cuba.”
The group has demanded a government amnesty law and says that people who were previously freed are often placed under house arrest or live under conditions where they can’t speak freely
The nongovernmental organization Justicia 11J wrote in a statement Friday that no partial release can be considered progress “as long as the criminalization of the exercise of fundamental rights persists.”
Pontiff is first to do so in decades
BY COLLEEN BARRY and TRISHA THOMAS Associated Press
ROME Pope Leo XIV lifted a wooden cross and held it aloft from his waist at the start of the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum on his first Good Friday as pontiff, marking the first time in decades that a pope has set out to carry the cross to every station.
“I think it will be an important sign because of what the pope represents a spiritual leader in the world today, and for this voice, that everyone wants to hear, that says Christ still suffers,” Leo told reporters this week outside of the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo. “I carry all of this suffering in my prayer.”
Inside the Colosseum, Leo began the procession flanked by two young people holding torches, and
followed by clergy At the first station, marking the moment Jesus was condemned to death, the meditation prepared especially for Leo’s first Good Friday underlined that those with authority will have to answer to God for how they exercise their power “The power to judge; the power to start or end a war; the power to instill violence or peace; the power to fuel the desire for revenge, or for reconciliation,” read the meditation written by Rev Francesco Patton, who was custodian of the Holy Land 2016-25, charged, among other things, with looking after sacred sites.
Thousands gathered outside the pagan monument, where the procession continued, following the stations as they were recited over loudspeakers. They included Sister Pelenatita Kieoma Finau from Samoa and a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary
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BY STEVE PEOPLES AP national politics writer
NEW YORK This is not the run-up to the midterm elections that Republicans wanted.
A year and a half after winning the White House by promising to lower costs and end wars, Donald Trump is a wartime president overseeing surging energy costs and an escalating overseas conflict.
The war in Iran was largely unpopular even before an American fighter jet was shot down in Iran, a development that dominated headlines on Friday and contradicted Trump’s claim that Tehran’s military capabilities have been all but destroyed. One crew member has been rescued.
Earlier in the week, the Republican president offered little clarity to a nation eager for answers during a primetime address from the White House, his first since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran more than a month ago, simultaneously suggesting that the war was ending and expanding.
“Thanks to the progress we’ve made, I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly,” Trump said.
“We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.”
Trump’s comments come roughly six months before voters across the nation begin to cast ballots in elections that will decide control of Congress and key governorships for Trump’s final two years in office. For now, Republicans, who control all branches of government in Washington, are bracing for a painful political backlash
“You’re looking at an ugly November,” warned veteran Republican pollster Neil Newhouse. “At a point in time when we need every break possible to hold the House and Senate, our edge is being chipped away.”
Evolving political landscape It’s hard to overstate how dramatically the political
landscape has shifted At this time last year, many Republican leaders believed there was a path to preserve their narrow House majority and easily hold the Senate. Now they privately concede that the House is all but lost and Democrats have a realistic shot at taking the Senate.
Republicans are also struggling to coalesce around a clear midterm message on Iran.
The Republican National Committee has largely avoided the war in talking points issued to surrogates over the last month. The leaders of the party’s campaign committees responsible for the House and Senate declined interview requests. Many vulnerable Republican candidates sidestep the issue, unwilling to defend or challenge Trump publicly
The president remains deeply popular with Republican voters, and he has vocal supporters like Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
“That was the best speech I could’ve hoped for,” he wrote on social media after Trump’s address on Wednesday evening. Graham said Trump “gave the American people a clear and coherent pathway forward.”
Trump made little effort to sell the conflict to Americans before the initial attack. Five weeks later, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed and hundreds more injured. Thousands more troops have converged on the region, and the Pentagon requested $200 billion in new funding.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for a fifth of the world’s oil, remains closed. The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. was $4.08 on Thursday, according to AAA, almost a full dollar higher than on President Joe Biden’s last day in office
On Wednesday, Trump insisted that gas prices would fall quickly once the war concluded but offered no solution for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he invited skeptical U.S. allies to do it themselves.
He insisted that the war would be worth it.
“This is a true investment
in your grandchildren and your grandchildren’s future,” Trump said. “When it’s all over, the United States will be safer, stronger, more prosperous and greater than it has ever been before.”
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who was once among Trump’s most vocal allies in Congress, lashed out against his Iran policy
“I wanted so much for President Trump to put America First. That’s what I believed he would do. All I heard from his speech tonight was WAR WAR WAR,” she wrote on social media. “Nothing to lower the cost of living for Americans.”
About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say the U.S. military action in Iran has “gone too far,” according to AP-NORC polling from March. Roughly a third approve of how he’s handling Iran overall.
The possibility of sending U.S. forces into Iran also appears politically unpalatable.
About 6 in 10 adults are “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed to deploying U.S. troops on the ground to fight Iran. That includes about half of Republicans. Only about 1 in 10 favor deploying troops.
At the same time, Trump’s approval ratings have remained consistently weak. About 4 in 10 Americans approve of how he’s handling the presidency, roughly in line with how it’s been throughout his second term. Republican strategist Ari Fleischer, a senior aide in former President George W. Bush’s administration, acknowledged that Trump has not received the polling bump in this war that Bush got after invading Iraq. Bush, of course, worked to build public backing for the Iraq War before going in. Immediately after the 2003 invasion, Bush’s popularity soared, as did the stock market.
Public sentiment and the economy soured only after the conflict stretched on. It ultimately spanned more than eight years, spawning a generation of anti-war Republicans and sowing the seeds of Trump’s “America First” foreign policy
Trump budget seeks more in defense spending, cuts elsewhere
White House asking for $1.5T
BY LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has proposed boosting defense spending to $1.5 trillion in his 2027 budget released Friday the largest such request in decades, reflecting his emphasis on U.S. military investments over domestic programs
The sizable increase for the Pentagon, some 44%, had been telegraphed by the Republican president even before the the U.S.-led war against Iran. The president’s plan would also reduce spending on non-defense programs by 10%.
“President Trump promised to reinvest in America’s national security infrastructure, to make sure our nation is safe in a dangerous world,” wrote Budget Director Russell Vought. The president’s annual budget is considered a reflection of the administration’s values and does not carry the force of law The massive document typically highlights an administration’s priorities, but Congress, which handles federal spending issues, is free to reject it and often does.
This year’s White House document is intended to provide a road map from the president to Congress as lawmakers build their own budgets and annual appropria-
tions bills to keep the government funded. Vought spoke to House GOP lawmakers on a private call Thursday
Trump, speaking ahead of an address to the nation this week about the Iran war, signaled the military is his priority, setting up a clash ahead in Congress
“We’re fighting wars We can’t take care of day care,” Trump said at a private White House event Wednesday.
“It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare — all these individual things,” he said. “They can do it on a state basis. You can’t do it on a federal.”
Among the priorities the White House called for:
n Supporting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement and deportation operations by eliminating aspects of a refugee resettlement aid program, maintaining Immigration and Customs Enforcement funds at current year levels and drawing on last’s year’s increases for the Department of Homeland Security funds to continue opening detention facilities, including 100,000 beds for adults and 30,000 for families.
n A 13% increase in funding for the Department of Justice to focus on violent criminals and the president’s promise to stop what the White House calls migrant crime.
n A $10 billion fund within the National Park Service for “construction and beautification” projects in Washington, D.C.
NASA releases crew’s photos
BY MARCIA DUNN AP aerospace writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The Artemis II astronauts have captured our blue planet’s brilliant beauty as they zoom ever closer to the moon.
NASA released the crew’s first downlinked images Friday 11/2 days into the first astronaut moonshot in more than half a century
The first photo taken by commander Reid Wiseman shows a curved slice of Earth in one of the capsule’s windows. The second shows the entire globe with the oceans topped by swirling white tendrils of clouds. A green aurora even glows, according to NASA.
“It’s great to think that with the exception of our four friends, all of us are represented in this image,” said NASA’s Lakiesha Hawkins, an exploration systems leader She added the mission was going well.
As of late Friday afternoon, Wiseman and his crew were more than 110,000 miles from Earth and were quickly gaining on the moon with another 150,000 miles to go. They should reach their destination on Monday
The three Americans and one Canadian will swing around the moon in their Orion capsule, hang a Uturn and then head straight back home without stopping. They fired Orion’s
main engine Thursday night that set them on their course. After Mission Control shifted the position of their capsule, the entire Earth complete with northern lights filled their windows.
“It was the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks,” Wiseman said in a TV interview They’re the first lunar travelers since Apollo 17 in 1972.
n A $481 million increase in funding to enhance aviation safety and support an air traffic controller hiring surge. Cuts to domestic programs
n Cancels more than $15 billion from the Biden-era bipartisan infrastructure law, including funds for renewable energy projects and cuts to the National Oceans and Atmospheric Association, or NOAA, grants.
n 19% cut in the Department of Agriculture, ending certain university grants, a 13% cut for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and about a 12% decrease to the Health and Human Services department, including cuts to a low-income heating assistance program
The White House is touting cuts of what it calls “woke programs” that often direct federal investments toward low-income communities. The budget used the word “woke” 34 times For example, the administration is looking to cut Community Services Block Grants, which funds activities such as financial and job counseling and helping people obtain adequate housing. The administration says its cuts would target grants “hijacked by radicals” to promote equity-building and green energy initiatives.
The president also seeks to cut $106 million in funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which it says has “pushed radical gender ideology onto children.”
Cajun culture,” said Dave Williams, who leads the company
“When you go there, you expect to eat crawfish and shrimp.”
The 50% authenticity rate in the area trails the New Orleans area, where over 80% of randomly selected restaurants were serving local shrimp. However, the results along U.S. 190 track with findings in areas farther from the coast, Williams said. In Shreveport, for instance, the testers found that nearly 60% of restaurants sampled were falsely promoting their seafood.
“When imported shrimp is passed off as local catch, especially in communities like Eunice where seafood traditions run deep, it harms both consumers and the livelihoods of Louisiana shrimpers,” said Andrew Blanchard, head of the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force.
The Louisiana Shrimp Task Force, which reports to the state wildlife agency, hired the company to conduct the testing.
‘No comparison in the taste’
The Acadiana shrimp testing coincides with efforts at the Louisiana Legislature to tighten regulations around imported seafood.
Last year, a new law took effect requiring establishments to clearly state the country of origin of the shrimp and crawfish that they’re selling, or face thousands of dollars in fines.
This year state legislators are considering measures that would give the commissioner of agriculture and forestry the ability to
seize imported seafood that fails to meet safety and testing standards.
Other laws would help the agriculture department track the seafood supply chain and fund efforts to promote Louisiana seafood.
Williams said that under the current landscape, enforcement of mislabeled seafood is subpar and that there are still ways for estab-
lishments to avoid fessing up to selling foreign imports.
Most of the restaurants found to be serving imported shrimp along U.S. 190 also claimed they were serving local shrimp. Some of this false advertising came from descriptions on the menu, Williams said, while in other cases, restaurant servers told the testers that they were selling local catch. Only three of the 12 restaurants selling imported shrimp correctly identified the source of their products.
Sharon Sebastien, the owner of Sebastien’s West End Seafood in Opelousas, said her business takes pride in its local seafood. Even though Gulf shrimp can cost a few extra dollars per pound for buyers than an imported variety, Sebastien said, 90% of customers want the local option.
“There’s no comparison in the taste,” she said. She said she does sell one kind of imported shrimp an easy-peel shrimp — but only because she hasn’t found anyone locally handling that product. EZ Peel shrimp include a slit along the back to make them easier to peel.
Sebastien keeps the imported version in a freezer separate from the local options, as she wants her customers to know that the entirety of her display box is “100% Gulf shrimp.”
“We pride ourselves on telling our customers exactly what we’re selling,” Sebastien said. Below are the 12 restaurants along U.S. 190 found to be serving domestic shrimp. SeaD declines to name the restaurants selling imported shrimp since doing so would let other restaurants mislabel their products, but not be randomly selected for the testing off the hook. The company also notes that fraud can occur throughout the supply chain, meaning restaurants might inaccurately believe they’re selling local catch.
1. B+B Boiling Shack, Port Barre
2. Billy’s Boudin & Cracklins, Krotz Springs
3. Crawfish Corner, Opelousas 4. DC’s Sports Bar & Steakhouse, Eunice
5. Fausto’s Family Restaurant, Kinder 6. Joe’s Sandwich Shop, Opelousas
7. Lawtell Food Mart, F&M Quick Stop, Lawtell
8. Mo’ Crawfish, Eunice 9. Morrow’s Diner, Krotz Springs 10. Rascal’s Cajun Express, Port Barre 11. Sebastien’s West End Seafood, Opelousas 12. Soileau’s Dinner Club, Opelousas.
Email Josie Abugov at josie. abugov@theadvocate.com.
bly market by transferring
Pentagon releasedpublic information about the downed planes.Ina brief telephone interview with NBC News, Trump declined to discuss the search-and-rescue efforts but said what happened would not affect negotiations withIran.
“No, not at all. No, it’s war,” he said.
Separately,Iranian state media said aU.S. A-10 attack aircraft crashed in the Persian Gulf after being struck by Iranian defense forces.
AU.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss asensitive military situation said earlier that it was not clear if the aircraft crashed or was shot down or whether Iran was involved. Neither thestatus of the crew nor exactly whereit went down was immediately known.
Those incidents came as Iran fired on targets across the Middle East on Friday, keepingthe pressure on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors despite U.S. and Israeli insistence that Iran’smilitary capabilities have been all but destroyed.
Neither the White House nor the Pentagon released public information about the downed planes. But the Pentagon notified the House Armed Services Committee that the status of asecond service member from the fighter jet was not known.
In an email from the Pentagon obtained by TheAssociated Press, meanwhile, the military said it received notification of “an aircraft being shot down” in the Middle East, without providing more details.
Iran’sattacks on Gulf energyinfrastructure and its tight grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which afifth of the world’soil and natural gas transits in peacetime, have roiledstock markets, sent oil prices skyrocketing, and threatenedto raise the cost of many basic goods, including food.
Before word of therescue, social media footage showed American drones, aircraftand helicopters flying over the mountainous region where aTVchannel affiliated with Iranian state television said earlier that at least one pilot bailed out of the fighter jet.
An anchor urged residents to hand over any “enemy pilot” to policeand promised areward.
It was the first time the U.S. has lost aircraft in Iranian territory during the conflict and could mark a newlevel of pressure on the U.S. military
Throughout the war,Iran has made aseries of claims about shooting down piloted enemy aircraft that turned outnot to be true. Friday was the first time that Iran went on television urging thepublic to lookfor a downed pilot.
Iranian state media said in apost on the social platform Xthat the military shot down aU.S. F-15E Strike Eagle. The aircraft is avariation of the Air Force fighter jet that carries apilot and
weapons system officer
AlanDiehl, aformer investigator for the Air Force SafetyCenter,saidthe Strike Eagle has an emergencylocator beacon in a survival kit that can be set to activate automaticallyor manually
News about the downed planes came after Iran attacked Kuwait’sMina alAhmadi oilrefinery.The state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corp. said firefighters were working to controlseveral blazes.
Kuwaitalso said an Iranian attack caused “materialdamage” toadesalination plant
Such plantsare responsible formost of the drinking water for Gulfstates,and they have become amajor target in the war
Also sirens sounded in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia said it destroyedseveral Iranian drones, and Israel reported incomingmissiles.
Authorities in theUnited Arab Emirates shut down a gas field after amissileinterception reportedlyrained debris on it andstarted a fire
Activists reported strikes around Tehranand the central cityofIsfahan, but it was not immediately clear what was hit.
In Lebanon, where Israel has launched aground invasion in its fight with the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militant group, anIsraeli drone strike on worshippers leaving Fridayprayers near Beirut killed twopeople, according to the state-run National News Agency
More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran sincethe war began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes. In areview released Friday,the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, aU.S.-based group, said it found that civilian casualties were clusteredaround strikes on security and statelinkedsites“rather than indiscriminate bombardment” of urban areas.
More thantwo dozen people have died in Gulf states andthe occupiedWest Bank, 19 have been reported dead in Israel and 13 U.S. service membershave been killed.
More than1,300 people have been killed and more than 1million displaced in Lebanon.Ten Israeli soldiers have also died there.
World leaders, meanwhile, have struggled to end Iran’s strangleholdonthe waterway,whichhas had far-reaching consequences for theglobal economy and has proved to be itsgreatest strategic advantage in the war
The U.N. Security Council was expected to takeupthe matter Saturday Trump hasvacillated on America’sroleinthe strait, alternately threatening Iran if it does not open the strait andtelling other nations to “go get your own oil.”On Friday he said in apost on social media that, “Witha little more time, we can easily OPENTHE HORMUZ STRAIT,TAKE THEOIL, & MAKE AFORTUNE.”
Spot prices of Brentcrude, theinternational standard, were around $109, up more than 50% since the start of the war,whenIranbegan restricting traffic through thestrait.
Zelenskyyopento potentialEastertruce
BY VOLODYMYR YURCHUK Associated Press
KYIV,Ukraine Russianstrikes killed at least eight people across Ukraine on Friday,including in a “massive” missile and drone attack near the capital, localauthorities reported. Ukrainianofficials claimthe Kremlin is changing itstacticsto increase civilian suffering, shifting to daytime barrages and preparing to target more key infrastructure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signaled Kyiv’sopenness to a potential Easter truce. The holiday is celebrated on April12in Ukraine and Russia.
Zelenskyy also said thatUkraine is preparing fora shiftinRussian aerial tactics, with intelligence indicating that future attacks will move beyond energy infrastructure. Russia’sDefense Ministrysaid 192 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight acrossRussiaand occupied Crimea.
“The Kyiv region is once again under amassive Russian missile and drone attack,” saidMykola Kalashnyk, head of the regional military administration,ina Telegram post on Friday Kalashnyk said one person died and at least eight others were wounded in strikes on three of Kyiv’s satellite towns— Bucha, Fastiv and Obukhiv.Earlier in the week,residentsofBucha marked the fourth anniversary of atrocities committed in the town byRussia’sinvading forces. Obukhiv resident Lesia Podoriako, 37, told The Associated Press she was at work with her child when she learned her buildinghad been struck.
“I found out about it through Telegram channels. Then all my friends and acquaintances started calling me, telling me that our building was attacked. Ihavenowords. The main thing is that everyone is alive and healthy,” she said.
Another person was killed in Ukraine’snorthernSumy region after aRussian guided aerial bomb struck an apartmentblock, local Gov.Oleh Hryhorov reported.
Authorities in the Kherson, Zhytomyr,Kharkiv and Donetsk regions also reported casualties from Friday’sattacks.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVGENIy MALOLETKA
People walk in front of ahouse damagedafter aRussian strikeona residentialneighborhood in Kriukivshchyna, Kyiv region, Ukraine, on Friday.Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least eight.
Ukrainian officials highlighted what they said were increased daytime attacks by Russia, which they said could lead to more civilian deaths. For months, Moscow pummeled Ukraine with nighttime missile and drone strikes that could involve hundreds of drones at atime.
Ukraine’sForeign Minister,AndriiSybiha, saidina post on Xthat “almost half athousand drones and cruise missiles” attacked Ukraine overnight.
“Thisishow Moscow responds to Ukraine’sEaster ceasefire proposals—withbrutal attacks,” Sybiha said.
Kyiv floats an Easter ceasefire Zelenskyy on Thursday signaled Kyiv’s continued opennesstoa potential truce on Easter,which falls next weekaccording to the Julian calendar followed by Orthodox churches in Ukraine and Russia.
Zelenskyy told reporters that the proposal had beencommunicated to Moscow through U.S. channels.
He added that the Kremlin’sresponse remains unclear
Zelenskyy has previouslyoffered aceasefire for theEaster period but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saidearlier this week that Moscow wants alasting peace settlement, nota temporary truce.
President Vladimir Putinunilaterally declared a30-hour ceasefire last Easter,but eachsideaccused the other of breaking it.
AchangeinRussian tactics?
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said Russia was increasingly striking the country duringthe day, an apparentdeparture from months
of nighttime barrages.
Andrii Kovalenko,headofthe Center for Countering Disinformation within Ukraine’sdefense ministry, said that the daytime strikes aimed to “increase civilian casualties.”
“That is why the combined attack is carried out on aworking day,using alarge numberofdrones and missiles,” Kovalenko wrote on Friday in aTelegram post.
Zelenskyy toldreporters on ThursdaythatUkraine is preparing for Russianaerial attacks that could target water systems, logisticsand othercriticalnetworks. Aftermonths of sustainedstrikeson power facilities,Kyiv now expects increased pressure elsewhere.
“According to intelligence documents we have received, theRussians will target logistics–railways and other infrastructure. They will also target thewater supply,” Zelenskyy said at apress briefing.
Around midday on Friday,Russianforces dropped five aerial bombs on the city of Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine. At leasttwo people were killed and three were injured, according to aTelegram update by VadymFilashkin, who heads the regional military administration.
Elsewhere in Ukraine on Friday, aRussian drone strike damaged a bus in the southern city of Kherson, leaving the driverseriouslywounded and at leasteight passengers hurt, according to regionalofficials
Separately,authorities reported sustained attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine’ssecond-largest city,beginning on Thursdayand continuing into early Friday
BY MARK LONG and EDDIE PELLS AP sportswriters
PresidentDonaldTrump tried to putsometeeth into hislatest attempt to save college sports. The threat of cutting fundingtocash-starved schools that don’tcomply is real, even if the stricter rulesthatcome outofthe executive orderhesignedFriday could take awhile to figure out. In the order signed hours beforethe women’sFinalFour tippedoff one of the biggest weekends in college sports Trumpwent after eligibility rules, transfers and the spiraling costs associated with an industry that now pays its players millions of dollars per year He calledonfederal agencies to ensure schools are following the rules and threatened to choke off federal grants and funding, a similar approach his administration hastaken to forceuniversities around the country to alter policies involving diversity, equity andinclusion, transgender rights and even the kinds of classes they offer In some ways, forcing those changesmight seem likechild’s play once college sports figures thisout.The NCAA, thenewly created College Sports Commission, thefour power conferences, dozens more smalleronesand hundredsofeducational institutions all have asay here: It’sabig reason Congress, which Trumpinstructed to act quickly,has been stuckfor more than ayearonthis Trump’sorder washis second sinceone last July and it was a laundry list of proposed fixes, many of whichlawmakers and college leadershavebeenpushingfor sincethe approval of a $2.8 billion settlement changed theface of games that were once played by pure amateurs. He called for“clear,consistent and fair eligibility limits, including afive-year participation window,” andwants to limit athletes to onetransfer with one more availableoncethey get afouryear degree.
At acollege sports roundtable last month, Trumpsaid he anticipated anyorder he signed would trigger litigation. Athletes have largely wonthe freedom to trans-
fer almost at will via the portal alongwith the ability to be paid by schoolsthatare nowdoling outmorethan $20 millionayear to their athletes. As much as the changeshedirects, Trump’scall for the Education Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the attorney general’soffice to evaluate “whether violations of such rules render auniversity unfit forFederal grants and contracts” stands out as away to force change. Several universities across thecountry have made policy changestocomply withfederal orders andavoid funding-related showdownswiththe government. Yetbig-named schools like PennState andFlorida State are facing huge debts.
“I haven’tread it, obviously, but Icertainly appreciatehis interest in the issue,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said at the women’sFinal Four in Phoenix. “And from what Isaw,someof the social media traffic, it’spretty clear that he made clear that we need congressional action to sort of seal the deal on anumber of these things, which is good, because we do.”
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips praised thepresident’sorder,saying “there continues to be significant momentum to preserve the athletic and academic opportunities forthe next generation of student-athletes and we appreciate the ongoing efforts.”
Attorney Mit Winter,who follows college sports law, saidthe order is likely to set up asituationwhere the NCAA andschools have to decide whether to follow afederal court order or an executive order
“Federal court ordersprohibit the NCAA frommaking athletes sitout aseasoniftheytransfer more than once and prohibit the NCAA from enforcing rules that limitcollectivesfrombeing involvedinrecruiting,” he said.
“The EO appears to direct the NCAA to create rules that would likely violate both of these court orders. Will the NCAA create rules that do that? And if they do, will schools follow them?
“Either way, we’re likely going to seelitigation challenging the EO by athletesand third parties.”
Narcotics found in ice cream machines, officials say
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
Representatives of the Homeland Security Task Force provided details Thursday on five drug busts around the state that took 335 pounds of methamphetamine, 253 pounds of cocaine and 25 pounds of fentanyl off the streets. The drug busts were conducted
between mid-February and midMarch in Lafayette, Calcasieu Parish, Shreveport, Alexandria and Breaux Bridge, where illegal drugs were found in ice cream machines.
The operations, according to U.S. Attorney Zachary Keller of the Western District in Lafayette, led to the arrests of more than a dozen people.
Two drug cartels, Jalisco Nueva Generacion Cartel and the Gulf Cartel, Keller said, are among those bringing drugs into Louisiana. There are others, he added.
“This is not a surge,” Keller said.
“This is not a special operation.”
This, he said, is what the Homeland Security Task Force is designed to do, root it out.”
One hundred kilograms of cocaine was discovered in a truck in Lafayette and 147 kilograms of methamphetamine were found in another, Steven Hofer, special agent in charge with the Drug Enforcement Agency, said during a Tuesday morning news conference in Lafayette.
“That’s hundreds of thousands of
doses,” Hofer said. In the Shreveport area, federal prosecutors are pursuing charges against 10 people described as being part of transnational criminal organizations that allegedly trafficked large quantities of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and methamphetamine through Houston to Shreveport.
One person who bought and used drugs from Willie Baker, charged in the Shreveport case, has died, Keller said. Some of the arrests stemmed from investigations. Others from routine traffic stops by Louisiana
State Police and local law enforcement agents, including a bust with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, where 15 kilograms of cocaine was seized on Feb 12, said Matt Wright, special agent with Homeland Security Investigations. Two illegal immigrants and one U.S. citizen were arrested, he said. State troopers are on Louisiana’s highways and interstates every day, stopping motorists for traffic violations. They are trained to look beyond the traffic violation for things like drug trafficking, Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Robert Hodges said.
Current version could mean a fine or time in jail
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
The Lafayette City Council is considering an ordinance that would establish rules and guidelines for removing homeless encampments in the city and make it illegal to camp or squat on public property Council member Andy Naquin confirmed the ordinance would “address camping in/on
public spaces,” he wrote in an email. The Acadiana Advocate received a draft copy of the ordinance from a source familiar with the council.
The draft, as it is Thursday, would make camping or squatting on public property illegal and punishable by a $500 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail, with a verbal warning required prior Naquin said the final version would be different because it’s too cumbersome for Lafayette police to enforce as is.
“I am understanding that the legal team is working on a simpler-worded ordinance to be easier to put into practice,”
Naquin wrote. “The council has not received a new draft as of (Tuesday).”
Naquin said the enforcement is being considered after the council received complaints about Lafayette’s homeless population, adding there is “no ordinance moving forward regarding making sleeping in public illegal.”
The ordinance follows in the footsteps of many U.S. cities that have banned homeless camps and sleeping in public in recent years, following a Supreme Court decision that made it easier to punish those living on the streets.
Other council members and
ä In partnership with The Acadiana Advocate, the705 is recognizing its annual Top 20 Under 40 Acadiana Leadership Award honorees, presented by Advancial Federal Credit Union. Honorees will be recognized at a banquet April 10 at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Student Union Ballroom. For tickets, visit bit. ly/20under40for2026.
the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, which would house arrested individuals in its crowded jail, did not respond to requests for comment. As it’s currently written, camping or squatting on public property could include:
n Claiming possession or exclusive use of public property for living accommodations.
n Sleeping or making preparations to sleep.
n Constructing or occupying an outdoor shelter, tent, shack, sleeping bag or other structure or material.
n Using or maintaining a campfire, camp stove or other
heating sources or cooking devices.
n Keeping or storing personal property
Public property can include rights of way, parking garages, lots, buildings, bus stops, parks and trails, alleyways, sidewalks, benches, vehicle entrances and corridors on public or private property
The draft ordinance would establish rules and guidelines for removing or “remediating” homeless encampments. The city would be required to provide a 24-hour posted notice to
‘I love how personal the work feels’
Teaching a professional development course was a fullcircle milestone, allowing me to give back to the place that shaped me. I created a hands-on course in public speaking, resume building and career readiness. Seeing students gain confidence along the way was the best part. I am excited to return to teaching again soon. What’s your favorite thing about
I create an alignment between university, community and industry and improve access to jobs in tech. Second is returning to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as an adjunct instructor for UNIV 100.
their sentencing hearings.
Personal injury attorney appealing her conviction
BY JAMES FINN Staff writer
Vanessa Motta, the New Orleans personal injury lawyer convicted last month of orchestratinga sprawling scheme to file bogus lawsuits in staged car crashes with big-rigtrucks, is appealing her conviction and seeking anew trial, according to court records.
Motta, who was convicted March 20 after athreeweek jury trial on wire fraud, conspiracy,obstruction andwitnesstampering for the yearslong insurance scheme, argued in newcourt filings that prosecutors made “repeated threats” during the trial to invoke the slayingofafederal witness, Cornelius Garrison.
Mottaworkedclosely with Garrison but was not charged with his 2020 murder,though her fiancé and other associates face charges for his death.
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“These errors substantially affected Ms.Motta’s rights, such that anew trial is warranted in theinterest of justice,”Motta’sattorney,Sean Toomey,wrote in aFriday filing in U.S.District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The Marchjuryalso convicted asecondattorney, Jason Giles, of fraud, conspiracy,obstruction and witness tampering fora similar parallel scheme. Athird defendant, DiamanikeStalbert,was acquittedofwirefraud but convicted of lying to federal agents after allegedly recruiting passengers for a single staged wreck Among otherarguments, Motta’smotion for anew trial alleged that closingargumentsbyGiles’ attorney created “prejudicial” conditions for her with the jury, and that jurors were improperlyinstructed about how to weigh thewitness tampering charge. Legal experts say both Motta andGilesface potentially hefty prison terms at least10 years —atsentencing, whichU.S. District JudgeWendy Vitter hasset forJuly. Vitter ordered both attorneys jailed pending
individuals that would require the date the notice was posted, the date and time range of removal of personal property and the location at which that property canbe retrieved. Removal of the notice would be considered illegal. Additionally,the citywould allow individuals to removethe property themselves. The citycould waivethe 24-hour notice if the encampment or siteposes an immediate hazard.
Following the removalof the encampment, the city would post a two-day notice informing people when the removal occurred and where property could be retrieved. Property would be held for 30 days before being disposed of or donated. The city could also create designated areas for routine removal in areas where homeless populations frequent, which would require signage listing the days and time ranges of routine inspections.
If the ordinance is introduced andpassed, the city would join an ever-growing roster of municipalities that have passed similar rules cracking down on homeless populations in light of the 2024 Supreme Court ruling that said such rulesdid notviolate the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment
Advocatesdecry proposals
The marathon trial punctuated asprawling federal probe dating back years. It featured acinematic parade of prosecution witnesses, including several “slammers,” or drivers whopacked cars with passengersand rammed them intomoving 18-wheelers on New Orleanshighways. Federal prosecutors alleged the slammers would then bring the passengers to injury at to rneys Mottaand Giles, who filed bogus lawsuits for big payouts.
To omey arguedduring Motta’strial that she was duped by Sean Alfortish, the disbarred attorney she was engaged to and with whom shehas a young child. He argued she hadbeen unawarethatthe accidents were staged.
Alfortish faces aseparate August trial date. He is accused not only of orchestrating the fraud, but of conspiring to murder a keyfederal witness —Garrison, aprolific“slammer” whobroughtpassengers to
Motta and Alfortish so she could file bogus insurance claims on their behalf.
Garrison was shot to deathonhis mother’s Gentilly doorstep in 2020. His slaying camedays after he was indicted for his alleged roleinthe scheme and about ayear after he began cooperating withfederal agents.
Motta was notcharged in Garrison’sdeath.But the murder cast abloody specter over her trial,even as prosecutorsand defense lawyers treaded carefully in addressing it —and sometimes clashed over how farthey could go in retreading thedetails surrounding it
Garrison’sformer defense attorney,FBI handler and one of his slammer protégés,RyanHarris, all testifiedlastmonth. Harris has pleadedguilty to helping Alfortish and another associate, Leon “Chunky” Parker,plot the slaying.
The thrust of Toomey’s argument in Friday’sfilings was that federal prosecutorspledged not to invoke Garrison’s slaying before the trial, thenlater backtracked.
Toomey wrote that pros-
Atemporaryshelter
Homeless advocatesacross the country have argued that the rules against camping andsleeping in public criminalize homelessness and do little to solveissues faced by homeless populations and cities whichare oftenstrappedwithlimited shelter space.
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What’syour favorite thing about what you do for aliving?
My favorite thing about being acounselor, especially aschool counselor,is watching my tiny humans grow every year as they learn to self-regulate, succeed and thrive. Seeing them independentlyuse acoping strategy we’ve practiced countless times never gets old.
You’ve earned multiple counsel-
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ingcredentials andhavesupervised interns since 2020 while finishing yourPh.D.coursework. What’s one lesson you teach new counselors that you wish every adult understood aboutkids’ mental health?
TheWIT method.My supervisor taught me the WIT method, and itstands for “Whatever It Takes,” andit’sall aboutmeeting the child where they are —either physically or mentally,gettingontheir level —because Iget kids whocome from all socioeconomic statuses. Ihave theones who have trauma
Lafayette andAcadiana are no different,having lostdozens of shelter beds since the COVID-19
from being in poverty, and then Ihave ones who have trauma from absent parentsorparents who put too much pressureon them. Youhave to meet them where they’re at, and sometimes that means that I’m walking with a kid down thehallway Sometimes that means not growling back when they pull ahoodie over their head and growl at you while they walk. Youhave to do whatever it takes to reach them, because alot of times these kids don’t trust adults. When we meet
ecutorshad warned him against publishing audio to the jury of a2023 statement by Harris in which Harris said the accidents were not staged. Toomey wrote that prosecutors threatened to ask Harris on the witness stand aboutMotta’salleged role in Garrison’sslaying if he played the audio. (Toomey did notend up playing theaudio during thetrial, and the killing was not discussed in detail during Harris’ testimony.)
“The government wielded this threat of introducing Ms. Motta’salleged involvement in the murder as a strategic lever throughout trial, whichcrippled Ms. Motta’sabilitytodefend herself,” he wrote.
Aspokesperson forthe U.S. Attorney’s Officefor theEastern Districtof Louisiana did notimmediately respond to arequest for comment on Toomey’s claims.
In asecond filing, Toomey saidMotta plans to appeal her conviction to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Contact James Finnat jfinn@theadvocate.com or on Signalatjamesfinn.82.
pandemic and currently seeing shelter space at capacity daily
Overthe past year,Lafayette has lost 20 beds, increasing the number of homeless people on the street despitea drop in the overall homeless population
There arecurrently410 homeless people in Lafayette, with half of the population being unsheltered, according to the Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness.
How harshly Lafayette would enforce these rules if passed remains to be determined, as does whether they would be challenged in court.
In 2021,signs went up around Lafayette’sbusy street corners stating, “Panhandling is NotSafe,” with thethen-Lafayette Police Chief Thomas Glover ordering all officers to enforce panhandling rules. Thesigns camelessthana year after theLafayette and Parish councils failedtopass an ordinance banning standing and sitting near roadways.
Thepolicesaidatthe time that they issueddozensofwarrants foralleged drug dealersposingas panhandlersand citedatleast 100 people over asix-month period, but sincethen, panhandling appears to have largely gone unenforced in the city
In 2022, George Henagan, ahomelessperson in Lafayette, challenged thecity’senforcement of panhandling in federalcourt afterhewas arrested twicein2020. He argued that enforcement violated the First Amendment andsettled withthe city for $42,000 in 2023.
In 2024, Louisiana passed alaw that made panhandling on public rights of way and interstate highways illegaland punishable by a $200 fineand/oruptosix months in jail.
them where they’re at, they start to trust us. And when they start to trust us, it makes them wanttostart to workfor us. Whether that’sbehavior work in actually doing what they need to do in theclassroom or actually wanting to succeed academically,they will want to do it morewhen they trust us. They trust us when we meet them wherethey’re at by doing whatever it takes to meet them there. If that means aSkittle,
it’saSkittle. If it’sgiving them ahigh-five or ahug every morning, I’ll do it, but it’sall about meeting them and building that relationship.
CynthiaCarroll Rogers, born in Gainesville, Texas on August 22, 1939 passed away at herhomeon March30, 2026.
Cynthia is survivedby herbeloved husband of 68 years, Charles William "Bill"Rogers; herthree children, KimForster (John), Charles William "Chuck" Rogers, Jr., and Jennifer Rogers(Kari Willey); and hercherished granddaughters, Madison Mottet and Avery Mottet (Kanen).
Cynthiaand Bill's love story began as highschool sweethearts in Gainesville, Texas—a love that would span nearly seven decades andserve as the foundation of alifefilledwith devotion,laughter, andpartnership.After abrief time in NewOrleans,theymade theirhomeinLafayette, wheretheybuilt alifecenteredonfamily, friendships, and community.
Cynthiawas the heartof herfamily. She was adevotedwife,a loving mother,and aproud grandmother whose greatest joy came from beingsurroundedbythoseshe loved. Shehad agift for makingpeople feelwelcome, valued, andcared for, andher home wasalways aplace of warmth andconnection. Hergenerousspirit extended far beyond her family. Cynthia gave freely of hertimetocauses close to herheart,including C.A.S.A the local women's shelter,and theJunior LeagueofLafayette. She believeddeeply in helping others andquietlymade a lastingimpact on hercommunity. Shebroughta sense of joyand lightness to everyday life, especially when surroundedbythose she loved. Atalentedtennis player,Cynthia,found happiness on thecourtand in thefriendships it fostered. Shetreasuredher mahjong games withdear friends, wherelaughter wasjust as importantasthe game itself. Sheand Billshareda love of travel, creatinga lifetime of cherished memories togetherand with friends. Amongher most treasured momentswere those spent withher granddaughters on the beach,searchingfor shells and simply beingtogether Thosewho knew Cynthia will remember herkindness, herstrength,her sense of humor, andthe wayshe made people feel. Herlegacylives on in the familyshe adored andin themanylives she touchedwith herlove and generosity.
Acelebration of Cynthia's life will be held on April 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at theEpiscopal Church of theAscension.
You’vehelped launch over100 tech careers locally asa campus recruiter and now lead earlycareer strategy while managing a$1M NSF grant.What’s one thing you’ve learned aboutbuilding real opportunity for youngprofessionals in Acadiana?
Ithink this goesback to the question about “What should we do to keep young peoplehere?”One thing that’sbeen very interesting formeisthat alot of young professionalsinLafayette don’twant to leave Lafayette. This is home for them or at least close to home. What I’ve learned throughthe programsthat
rewarding to design initiatives that meet both business needs and the needs of the people we serve. Ialso love that my voice matters. Ican share ideas and see them come to life. I’ll admit that I’m abit of anerd when it comes to project management. There’ssomething so satisfying about organizing tasks, driving progress and watching aplan come together.Atthe heart of it, Iget to be the bridge for early career professionals stepping into the workforce. Combining my two favorite things —working with people and managing projects—makes every day exciting and meaningful.
Imanage and through hiring over ahundred early career professionals is that we have some really amazing young professionals in this city coming right out of UL and there are just so manydifferent programs and groups that we have in Lafayette to support them. We just need tofind away to get that information to them. The705 is agreat example of that. They want to be involved. They want to stay here. They want to build careers here. And I’m thankful that Iget to be apart of that —going into theuniversity, finding people, hiring them and giving them their offer call for their first professional job is absolutely amazing.
Wall Street closed but futures inch lower
U.S.
Industrial Average lost 0.2% and Nasdaq futures were down 0.4%.
American employers added a surprisingly strong 178,000 new jobs last month, rebounding from a dismal February that saw 133,000 job losses. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.3% from 4.4%.
Energy markets were closed Friday following big price surges the day before on fears that the Iran war will drag on longer than expected. U.S. benchmark crude rose 11.4% to $111.54 a barrel on Thursday The price of Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 7.8% to $109.03 per barrel.
U.S. President Donald Trump late Wednesday vowed the U.S. will continue to attack Iran and failed to offer a clear timetable for ending the conflict in the Middle East
Amazon to surcharge third-party sellers
NEW YORK Amazon is slapping a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on third-party sellers using its platform starting later this month amid a spike in fuel prices since the war in Iran started.
The temporary charge is effective April 17 for many of the sellers who use Amazon’s fulfillment services, the online behemoth confirmed to The Associated Press in an email Thursday
“Elevated costs in fuel and logistics have increased the cost of operating across the industry,” Amazon said in the emailed statement. The Seattle-based company said it has absorbed these increases so far but similar to other major carriers, when costs remain elevated, it implements temporary surcharges to partially recover these costs. It noted the charge is “meaningfully” lower than surcharges applied by other major carriers.
“We remain committed to our selling partners’ success and to maintaining broad selection and low prices for customers,” Amazon added.
Amazon’s fuel and logistics-related surcharge will apply to U.S and Canadian sellers using its Fulfillment by Amazon option. Starting May 2, the surcharge will take effect with sellers using the Buy with Prime and Multi-Channel Fulfillment options.
United Airlines raises checked bag fees
Most travelers flying with United Airlines will now pay $10 more to check their luggage beginning on Friday, as rising jet fuel costs driven by the war in the Middle East pushes another major U.S. carrier to increase fees.
Customers traveling in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Latin America will now pay $45 for their first piece of luggage and $55 for their second bag, according to United.
“This is the first time in two years the airline has raised bag fees,” United said in a statement.
Some passengers will still receive a free first checked bag, including co-branded credit card holders, certain loyalty-tier members, active military personnel and travelers in premium cabins.
Customers who check bags less than 24 hours before departure will pay an additional $5. United joins JetBlue which raised checked baggage fees on Monday by up to $9 during peak travel periods, as the war in the Middle East continues to severely disrupt global oil supplies, particularly near the narrow Strait of Hormuz where a fifth of the world’s oil typically passes. That has caused crude prices to fluctuate wildly, which affects airlines’ operating costs because the fuel their aircraft rely on is refined from crude oil.
JetBlue said charging more for optional services used by select customers helps keep base fares competitive. Like United, it will continue offering a free first checked bag to some customers.
rebound from weak February
BY PAUL WISEMAN and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP business writers
WASHINGTON American employers
added a surprisingly strong 178,000 new jobs last month, rebounding from a dismal February And the unemployment rate dipped to 4.3%.
The Labor Department reported Friday that hiring marked a turnaround from the loss of 133,000 jobs in February The job gains were about three times what economists had forecast. But uncertainty surrounding the war with Iran — and
its impact on energy prices is clouding the outlook for the labor market.
The unemployment rate was down from 4.4% in February That is partly because the labor force those working and looking for work — dropped by 396,000 in March so fewer people were competing for jobs. In fact, the percentage of people in the labor force dropped to 61.9% last month, the lowest since November 2021
Health care companies added 76,400 jobs last month, boosted by the return of 31,000 Kaiser Permanente employees to work after the end of a strike in February Factories added 15,000 jobs last month but have still shed jobs for 14 of the
last 16 months. Construction companies added 26,000 jobs, probably partly because of warmer weather last month.
Average hourly wages were up 0.2% from February Compared to March 2025, they were up 3.5% — the smallest gain since May 2021 and one consistent with the Federal Reserve’s 2% annual inflation target. Labor Department revisions shaved 7,000 jobs off combined January and February payrolls.
The U.S. job market has been in a slump over the past year Most economists say the impact of the war and higher energy prices was probably not fully reflected in the March jobs numbers.
“The data is mostly backwardlooking, and likely does not incorporate any impact from the recent rise in energy prices, or other risks related to the war in Iran,” Thomas Simons, chief U.S. economist with the investment firm Jefferies, wrote in a commentary Diane Swonk, chief economist at the accounting firm KPMG, said that the economy is getting a lift from big tax refunds made possible by President Donald Trump’s 2025 tax cuts. “But those are now being eaten up by higher energy costs,” she said.
Last year employers added an average of just 9,700 jobs a month, the weakest hiring outside a recession since 2002.
BY THE NUMBERS
n $2.50 per dozen: Average U.S. price for a dozen eggs in February.
n $6.23 per dozen: Average U.S. price for a dozen eggs in March 2025, which was an all-time high.
n 315.8 million: Number of egg-laying hens in the U.S. as of March 1.That’s 8% higher than last year
n 45 million: Number of egglaying hens in Iowa, the top U.S. state for egg production.
n 205.7 million: Number of chickens and other birds in commercial and backyard flocks that died or were culled due to bird flu since February 2022.
n 5.22 million: Number of chickens and other birds that died or were culled because of bird flu in March 2026.That is more than double the number affected in March 2025.
BY DEE-ANN DURBIN AP business writer
U.S. egg prices have fallen 60% from last year’s record highs, making it easier for consumers to fill their Easter baskets and Passover
Seder plates.
Bird flu was to blame for elevated retail prices during the first five months of 2025, and the course of the highly contagious disease is a big reason why prices are much lower now. An outbreak forced farmers and commercial producers to slaughter entire broods of egg-laying hens, but ebbing cases in the second half of last year helped restore egg supplies, said Mark Jordan, the executive director of agricultural research firm LEAP Market Analytics.
BY MEGAN ULU-LANI BOYANTON
The Seattle Times (TNS)
Starbucks is extending its baristas the chance to earn $300 quarterly bonuses, on top of other changes meant to sweeten the retail employee experience. The Seattle-based coffee giant debuted its new incentive rewards program for hourly coffeehouse employees Thursday morning. The bonuses for baristas and shift supervisors will be based on performance. Employees could earn an extra $1,200 annually if their stores meet and exceed sales, operational and customer service goals, per the announcement.
“This reward recognizes teams that work together to deliver ex-
The stubborn outbreak is still affecting U.S. poultry flocks, with the number of infected commercial flocks rising in March. But farmers have been rapidly replenishing flocks that died or had to be destroyed. Between July 2024 and July 2025, the number of egg-type chicks hatched in the U.S. rose 8%. It was the first sustained and substantial increase in the availability of specially-bred layer chicks since the bird flu outbreak began in 2022, Jordan said.
The Trump administration’s decision to import nearly 1 billion eggs last year also helped lower prices, Jordan said, although imports have since returned to more normal levels. The U.S. also exported fewer eggs last year to help boost domestic supplies
But what’s good for consumers isn’t necessarily good for farmers, who are finding it difficult to recoup their costs as egg prices plummet. They also may have to pay more for feed, including corn and soybean meal, because of the Iran war “Farmers are no strangers to volatility It’s part of the business. But in recent months, many have been selling eggs at or below the cost of production,” said Emily Metz, the president and CEO of the America Egg Board, a trade group.
cellence and is part of our commitment to shared success,” Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams and Chief Partner Officer Sara Kelly wrote in a letter to employees Thursday Starbucks said the program is “subject to collective bargaining as required by federal law” at the U.S. stores that belong to the union. Starbucks Workers United, the union representing thousands of baristas, said the news is “clearly a reaction to our organizing and demands for higher take-home pay for baristas.” Starbucks estimates 5% of U.S. stores are represented by the union. For nonunionized stores, the
n 657%: The percentage increase in U.S. imports of shell eggs in 2025 compared to the year before.
n $1.05: Average cost for farmers to produce a dozen eggs, not including labor and transportation, according to the American Egg Board.
In late March, the national average wholesale price of eggs was $1.17 per dozen.
n 40,000: Number of real eggs that will be used for this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll.
change will take effect in July That month, employees will also begin receiving tips from additional ordering and payment methods, such as credit and debit cards for mobile order and pay At present, workers can only get tips in cash or through Starbucks card payments used at point of sale and for drive-thru orders. Starbucks estimates the combination of bonuses and tipping alternatives could boost earnings for employees by 5%-8%. However Workers United said: “It’s notable that these bonuses and tips will be largely out of baristas’ control, relying on customer tipping and store performance metrics as determined by Starbucks management.”
Other adjustments are part of the upcoming rollout. In August, the company will transition to weekly pay for all U.S. employees in response to feedback. Starbucks currently operates on a biweekly schedule. Starbucks will also begin hiring for a new position: coffeehouse coaches, described as “full-time members of management who, together with the coffeehouse leader, keep locations running smoothly” by the company It plans to fill 90% of retail leadership positions with internal candidates.
The company projects that its average total pay and benefits equate to over $30 per hour for hourly employees when they work 20 hours or more each week.
Whatever happened to songs that benchmarkhistoryand cultural change? For years, songwriters andmusicians gave us refrains that defined eras, from stirringhymns to evocative folk ballads and pop songs. But recently, thesoundtrack of public life hasbeen oddly muffled Buffalo Springfield got it right: “There’s something happening here.Whatitis ain’texactly clear” Era-defining songs often emerged during war and crisis. “Yankee Doodle” mocked British insults against the colonies. Francis Scott Key gave us anational anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which introduced sacred phrases —from “dawn’searly light” and “twilight’slast gleaming” to “broad stripes and bright stars,” “rocket’sred glare,” “land of the free” and “home of the brave.” The “Battle Hymn of the Republic” wasa riveting Civil Warpoem celebrating survival of the union andthe common thread of prayer.“Dixie” became the anthemfor theConfederacy;itlived on for decades in paradesand high school gymnasiums, buteventually fadedasa relic of thepast. GeorgeM.Cohan’s“Over There” wasa rallyingcry in the First World War. “Happy Days Are Here Again” offered Americans aray of hope during the GreatDepression “God Bless America,” writtenbyIrvingBerlin andfamously sung by Kate Smith, linked prayerwithloveof countryduring World WarII. “Praise theLordand Pass the Ammunition” was aphrase first used by aNavychaplain to reduce the monotony of sailors continuously passingammunition to gunners on the USS New Orleans
The civil rights movement supplied powerfulsongs, many of whichoriginated in African American churches. The best known included “WeShall Overcome,” “Lift Every Voice and Sing” andSam Cooke’s“AChangeisGonna Come.” The1960s birthed arich mixture of music basedon themes of societal change, relating to both therightsrevolution and theVietnam War. James Brown’s “SayItLoud— I’m Black and I’m Proud,” Bob Dylan’s“Blowin’inthe Wind” andPeteSeeger’s“Turn,Turn, Turn” are examples. Dion’s “Abraham, Martin and John” venerateddreams that were deferred by tragic assassinations
The Beatles’ “Revolution” warned us about thehigh cost of destruction and false prophets; theirhit “Blackbird” was about the long-delayed struggle forequality. Spanky and OurGang’s“GiveaDamn”focused onurban poverty. Popularsongs have made the case for genderequality, resilience and self-acceptance. ArethaFranklin’s“Respect,” Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,”Helen Reddy’s“IAm Woman,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” Dolly Parton’s“9to5” andDiana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” usedlyricstobreakstereotypes inways that wereentertaining andmotivating. After the tumult of the 1960s, Don McLean’seight-minute “American Pie” mourned the loss of national innocence. “Borninthe U.S.A.” was Bruce Springsteen’s odetoVietnam veterans. LeeGreenwood’s“God Bless the USA” caught thespirit of renewed patriotism during Ronald Reagan’spresidency Then came “WeAre the World” —aGrammy“record of the year”about poverty and hunger inAfrica that brought together the biggest names in music. Countryhits like Merle Haggard’s“Mama Tried” andToby Keith’s“Courtesyofthe Red, White and Blue”presented era-defining themes from patriotism and nationalism to rebellionand repentance.
Wikipedia lists 39 songs about Donald Trump. Demi Lovato’s “Commander in Chief,” released during thefinalweeks of the2020 election, was afull-throated attackonhis policies and values. “Fighter,” by Joe Kahn, portrayed Trump as an irrepressible leader who always “gets back up” even after an assassinationattempt.
To be sure, newer songs are taking on awide range of contemporary issues —preventable violence, abuse of power, digital anxiety and the implications ofAI. Jon Batiste’shighenergy “Freedom,” released in 2021, hasalreadybecomean anthemcelebrating Black lifeand culture. AndinJanuary, Springsteen’s“Streets of Minneapolis” becamethe foremost protestsongagainst the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
In time, new generations may elevate some of this decade’s songs to era-defining standards,muchasmygeneration did with the music of its own day Unfortunately,the gestation of landmark songs hasbecome increasingly difficult.
New music genres are more frequently looking inward than outward,and that works against creation of enduring anthems. While the digitalage has made musicmoreaccessible andimmediate,it’salsofragmentedaudiences,often alongpoliticaland ideological lines,disrupting appealsfor national unity and common purpose
As poet Heinrich Heine wrote, “Where wordsleaveoff, musicbegins.” Whatever the trends,let’shopemusic continuestocapture the temper of the times.
Ron Faucheux is anonpartisan politicalanalyst,pollster and writer based in Louisiana.
All theairline travelers are very frustrated with thedelays at the airport as they make their way through theTSA checkpoint
When considering theTSA screening, there are three specific activities. First,TSA personnel check your ID. Second, thetraveler walks through thebody scan. Both of these activities are usually completed very quickly
From my own experience, themajor delay is in screening thecarry-on items.
Ihave noticed when traveling that passengers are pushing thelimits of what is permitted for carry-on luggage. Each piece of luggage, purse
or briefcaseneeds to go through thescanning machine. This process takes the most time and delays the movementofthe line, causing significant delays. My recommendation is to require passengers to check luggage with the airline to speed up the screening of passengers. The airlines will need to control theamount of checked luggage to makesure there is sufficient space in the airplane’sstorage area. Iam old enough to remember when all luggage had to be checked with the airline.
BRIAN ALMON Metairie
In responsetothe recent letter by Michael Gallagher regarding the California motor-voter Law,Ithink it is important that the law be clarified, as it was misrepresented in the post The law does indeed allow voters to be automatically registered tovote when making atransaction at the DMV
However,it’simportanttonote that the participant must meet certain criteria. Youmust be aU.S. citizen, aresident of California, mentally competent and you must not be serving astate or federal prison term. Youmust indicatethat you are eligible, and individuals holding an AB 60 license are not eligible to participateinthe motor-voter program and are thereforenot eligible to vote.
The AB60 license clearly states “Federal Limits Apply.” It is alicense issued to California residents who cannot provideproof of legal immigration status but meet certain requirements set by the California DMV. According to California public records, there have been zero noncitizens registered to vote. There are protocols in place to ensure these license holders are not enrolled in the voter registration program.They are not granted the right to vote. Ithink it’simportant that facts regarding this program be clarified, as this is exactly how misinformation is shared, heard, read andthen repeated by any willing believer
DEBBIEGRACE Baton Rouge
Julia Letlow needstodecideifTrump
In her recent television ads, U.S. Rep.Julia Letlow characterizes herself as a“Trumpconservative.”
While Iamnot aconservative, I am old enough to remember honorable men such as Ronald Reagan, John McCain and Orrin Hatch, who adhered to true conservative principles in their political lives.
Irarely agreed with them, but I
respected their consistent conservatism
George Will’s column renewed hope that conservative viewsaren’trigid
Thank you, thank you, to George Will forthe truth he wrote about immigrants in his column on March 25.
Ican even hear my dead husband thanking him,one whorefused to read his column. Thank you! He has strengthened my faith that there are conservatives who actually speak the truth. My only wish is that all Americans could see and read it.
Yes, we should be valuing these people whohave graced our shores instead of arresting them.Finally,someone has done the research that proves that they are giving morethan they are receiving, that they are helping us morethan they are harming us. But Iguess that old saying is true —nothing happens until it happens to you. So happy Will’smissing Jose caused him to do the research that he shared.
The only part of his column I disagree with is that he blamed President Joe Biden forthe great number that came into the country during his tenure. He should put the blamewhere it belongs —onour Congress. There is aneed foranimmigration policy that Congress refuses to create.
But Iamreally happy there isn’tone being created now.Can you imagine one created by this Congress?
MERLE T. HARRIS NewOrleans
is allshe values
On theother hand, from his imposition of excessive tariffs to his militarization of our city streets, his dissing of NATO and threats to thesovereignty of Greenland, and far beyond, President Donald Trumphas taken the beliefsofthese men,flung them to the ground and stomped on them.
Ihave yet to hear Letlow challenge any of the aforementioned actions of Trumporany of his other harebrained ideas. So, Irequest that in the future, your newspaper identifyLetlow as what she truly is: a Trumper,and only aTrumper
PETE WILLIAMS Metairie
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
If there was one negative thought that crept into LSU coach Jay Clark’s mind Thursday night as his Tigers were nailing routine after routine in their NCAA gymnastics regional semifinal, it might have been this: Save a little for Saturday LSU thundered past its competition and into the NCAA Baton Rouge regional final at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center with a
stellar score of 198.375, the Tigers’ best mark this season, best-ever score in an NCAA regional and the program’s fourth-best score of all time
“I don’t care about score,” Clark said after the meet Allow him to expand.
“I do believe it was our best performance (this season),” Clark said. “But our score doesn’t mean anything.
“We have to duplicate it Saturday Everyone is hungry for the same thing. This was just step one.”
The big video scoreboards are indeed wiped clean going into Saturday The fact that LSU practically
lapped the second-place team in its session — Clemson at 196.800 — and was more than a full point ahead of Stanford’s first-place score of 197.175 in Thursday’s first session doesn’t count for anything. LSU, Clemson, Stanford and Michigan which also advanced Thursday afternoon with Stanford are all starting at zero when the final begins at 5 p.m. The top two teams from this meet are the two that will advance to the eight-team NCAA championships on April 16 and 18 in Fort Worth, Texas.
If LSU wants to make it to nationals for the fourth straight year and 35th time overall, the Tigers must finish first or second. The same for the other three teams on the floor
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
The first year of defensive coordinator
Brandon Staley’s scheme unlocked some of the New Orleans Saints edge defenders. Chase Young had a career year despite missing the first five games with a calf injury Cam Jordan turned back the clock by posting his first double-digit sack campaign since 2021. Carl Granderson exceeded his 2024 sack total despite playing 170 fewer pass-rush snaps. All of those players had been 4-3 defensive ends before Staley arrived, but all delivered quality snaps as standup edge rushers in Staley’s 3-4 scheme. Now the question is, what could Staley draw up
BY EDDIE PELLS
INDIANAPOLIS The concept used to be so simple: Professionals played sports for money College players did not. Now, it is not so clear-cut, and that confusion gets wrapped into virtually any conversation
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
One of the most interesting positions to monitor for the UL Ragin’ Cajuns between now and the start of the 2026 football season is safety Gone are longtime contributors Tyree Skipper and Jalen Clark.
With both of those guys missing games for various reasons over the last two seasons, several backups were pressed into action and earned valuable experience.
That’s created a competitive scenario during spring practices to earn time at safety
“All of those guys are competing and playing very well,” UL coach Michael Desormeaux said “It’s been good There’s certainly still a long way to go, but there are a lot of bright spots.
“If we can make as much progress in the second half of spring as we did in the first (half), you’ll feel really good about where we’re at going into the summer.”
Two years ago, redshirt junior Kody Jackson burst onto the scene and shined. Last year former walk-on Collin Jacob emerged as a playmaker in his first chance to start games before suffering his own season-ending injury As a result, redshirt sophomore Lake Bates and redshirt freshman Steven Ranel gained valuable experience down the stretch.
“Collin is a guy who has been in the system for a long time,” Desormeaux said. “He communicates really well on the back end. Lake is a really smart player and he plays fast. He’s way more physical than you’d think (at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds). He doesn’t look like Skip (Skipper), but he’s a physical player.”
The UL coaches were quite high on Ranel coming out of Central High.
“Ranel is one that we’re really excited about,” Desormeaux said. “He played really good last year when he was kind of forced into action a little bit.” That list doesn’t even include Star options in redshirt senior Maurion Eleam and redshirt freshman Jayden Gloston.
“Gloston is one that I’m excited about,” Desormeaux said. “He redshirted last year He’s playing in the Star spot for us. So yeah, I think there’s a lot of good competition in that safety room.”
The beauty of the defense’s approach is all of them can play UL has a history of rotating safeties.
“You go back to whenever coach (Billy) Napier and Patrick Toney were here, I mean Percy Butler didn’t start every game his senior year,” Desormeaux said. “Percy didn’t start, I think, five games out of the 14, because we had four guys that we played that we felt really good with playing.” Camp updates Desormeaux take a big-picture approach when discussing the spring season. It’s just the
have
BY AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer
INDIANAPOLIS Arizona coach
Tommy Lloyd said Friday he’s remaining with the Wildcats after being mentioned as a potential candidate to fill the coaching vacancy at blueblood program North Carolina.
“I’m happy to announce I’m staying at Arizona,” Lloyd said during his pre-practice news conference at the Final Four. “We’ve been able to get some things done the past couple days.”
The school also announced it had reached an extension with Lloyd through the 2030-31 season, though it didn’t release financial terms. Lloyd had previously been under contract through the 2029-30 season worth an average of nearly $5.5 million in base and supplemental pay for the coming seasons, along with a buyout that dropped from $11 million to $9 million on Wednesday Lloyd, 51, had been considered a top potential target for the Tar Heels, who fired Hubert Davis on March 24 after five seasons. He had deflected questions about the UNC opening as the Wildcats (362) kept advancing in the NCAA Tournament to their first Final Four since 2001 including as recently as Thursday in Indianapolis Lloyd praised UNC as “a firstclass organization” and said he appreciated “the way they’ve handled this.”
“Arizona basketball, you guys know what it means to me, and when I say it’s a special place, that always comes from the bottom of my heart,” Lloyd said.
“I didn’t want to make this entire Final Four about that because I’m just a small part of something much bigger. But on that same note, I’d also like to let you know that North Carolina is an amazing place. I mean, it’s a 1 of 1. It’s an honor to even be considered for that job.”
Lloyd’s comments came a day before the Wildcats were set to face Michigan in Saturday night’s national semifinals in a matchup of the two No. 1 seeds in Indianapolis.
Wolverines coach Dusty May has also been mentioned as a possible UNC candidate, but said Friday he’ll “never respond to any job speculation.”
“I think it’s well documented how happy I am at Michigan,” May said. “Obviously my private life, my personal life, my family, their happiness is very important. Yeah, I love it at Michigan, but you’ll never hear me comment on any other job unless Michigan lets me go and then I’ll comment on every job.”
Western Kentucky head coach Rick Stansbury reacts
Atlantic on Jan. 28, 2023, in Boca
Stansbury previously coached Miss. State for 14 seasons
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
Will Wade has made his first coaching staff decision since returning to LSU. He is adding former Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury as his associate head coach, according to CBS Sports. He most recently was an assistant on Penny Hardaway’s staff at Memphis from 2023-25.
Previous LSU associate head coach David Patrick will not be retained. He will have the same position at Arizona State, he told The Advocate Stansbury, 66, has a wealth of experience in the Southeastern Conference. He coached at Mississippi State for 14 seasons starting in 1998. He is the alltime winningest coach in the program’s history, accumulating a 293-166 record. In 2004, he was The Associated Press SEC Coach
of the Year
His 293 wins with the Bulldogs rank 11th in SEC men’s basketball history Stansbury led the Bulldogs to six NCAA Tournament appearances and 10 seasons of at least 20 wins. They won the SEC Tournament twice (2002 and 2009) and an SEC regular-season title in 2004.
Wade is in the early stages of formulating his team and staff since returning to LSU after being fired in 2022. He said at his introductory news conference on Monday that he’ll have a few assistant coaches hired by next week ahead of the transfer portal window opening on Tuesday, and he doesn’t plan on having a large coaching staff.
“Staffs have gotten so big now,” he said. “We’re not going to have the biggest staff in the world. I don’t want to have 100 people running around and walking on top of each other. But we’re going to have our shell recruiting staff in place here in hopefully by the first of next week.”
Stansbury also was the head coach at Western Kentucky (2016-23). He led that program to
a 139-89 record overall and one Conference USA regular-season title (2021). WKU didn’t reach the NCAA Tournament during Stansbury’s tenure. He also was an assistant at Texas A&M (2014-16).
Patrick leaves LSU after six seasons across two stints. He was on former coach Matt McMahon’s staff for the past two years, and his first time coaching in Baton Rouge was from 2012-16 under coach Johnny Jones With his move to Arizona State, he’ll reunite with coach Randy Bennett, for whom he was an assistant coach from 2006-10 at Saint Mary’s.
The Melbourne, Australia, native was instrumental in bringing Australian prospects to LSU. He recruited Ben Simmons to the Tigers in 2015, and during the 2025 offseason, he recruited Portland transfer and Australian guard Max Mackinnon, who led the team in scoring (15.7).
Patrick joins Jalen CourtneyWilliams as another assistant coach from last season who won’t remain at LSU. Courtney-Williams will join the staff of Butler in the Big East.
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
When Greer Rowell was barely a toddler, his dad Brian would have to sneak out of the house to go play golf.
“If he saw me leaving,” Brian Rowell said, “he’d throw a fit and I’d have to take him.”
On Sunday, Greer Rowell is the one taking his dad, his mom Britney and their entire family from their home in Broussard to Augusta National Golf Club to watch him play golf That’s where the 9-year-old will compete in the annual Drive, Chip & Putt national finals on the eve of Masters week Brian Rowell, a former professional golfer, attended the Masters back in the 1990s when he was in college.
“I said I wouldn’t go back until I played in it,” said Rowell, who played on mini tours alongside Lafayette native Ted Scott, Scottie Scheffler’s caddie “But this is the next best thing.”
A total of 80 finalists — 40 boys and 40 girls — will compete in four age groups on each side from ages 7-15. They will hit drives on the practice facility otherwise reserved for Masters competitors, chip on a nearby practice green and putt on Augusta National’s 18th green.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Greer Rowell of Broussard is all smiles after qualifying for the 2026 Drive, Chip & Putt national finals last year in a regional in Frisco, Texas.
“Chipping,” Greer said, “is my best thing.”
Greer is making a bit of history with his appearance in the event. He is the first boy ever from Louisiana to qualify and also the youngest participant from the state. The previous four participants, most recently Evelynn Artieta of Denham Springs in 2024, were all in the girls’ competition, ranging in ages from 10-15. It’s a long road to get to Augusta for Sunday’s finalists. Greer started with a local qualifier at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, then went to Mississippi for a
sub-regional and finally a regional qualifier in Frisco, Texas. Only the winner in each age group at the regional level moved on to Augusta “Over 20,000 kids competed,” Brian Rowell said, “and he’s one of the 80.” The Rowells play out of Le Triomphe Golf & Country Club just south of Lafayette, where there’s a watch party planned for Greer on Sunday morning.
The Drive, Chip & Putt finals will be televised on the Golf Channel starting at 7 a.m. Live leaderboards are available at DriveChipandPutt.com.
Four players hit homers for LSU softball in win
The No. 20 LSU softball team erased a three-run deficit in the first inning to rout Missouri 16-4 on Friday in Columbia, Missouri. Missouri (20-20, 4-7 SEC) scored three runs off of LSU starter Cece Cellura in the first inning, but LSU (25-12, 6-8) scored at least one run in the next six innings.
Jalia Lassiter Kylee Edwards, Alix Franklin and Tori Edwards all homered for LSU. Sierra Daniel and Kylee Edwards each had four hits to pace LSU’s 15-hit attack Lassiter Daniel and Tori Edwards scored three runs apiece. Cellura settled down after the first inning to pick up the complete-game victory She allowed five hits, four earned runs, two walks and struck out two during her seven innings of work.
Lakers’ Doncic to miss rest of regular season
LOS ANGELES Luka Doncic will miss the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers’ regular season with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring, the team announced Friday Doncic is the NBA’s top scorer and the driving force behind the Lakers’ surge into the third spot in the Western Conference standings, but he injured his leg during Los Angeles’ blowout loss to Oklahoma City on Thursday An MRI exam revealed the severity of the strain.
Grade 2 hamstring strains sometimes require several weeks of recovery, but Doncic also has prior experience with hamstring issues. He missed four games right before the All-Star break with another left hamstring strain, but returned to the lineup after the break.
Edge rusher Walker, Jaguars agree to 4-year, $110M deal
Edge rusher Travon Walker and the Jacksonville Jaguars agreed Friday on a four-year $110 million contract extension, his representatives said.
Elite Loyalty Sports said the deal includes $50 million fully guaranteed at signing and up to $77 million in potential guarantees.
Walker, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract and had been scheduled to make $15 million guaranteed in 2026. Walker has 27½ sacks over four seasons. He has 200 tackles including 36 for a loss, while playing in 63 games. He has yet to make a Pro Bowl and selecting him ahead of Detroit star Aidan Hutchinson appears to be a glaring mistake for the franchise.
TCU, coach Dykes agree to contract extension FORT WORTH, Texas TCU and coach Sonny Dykes have agreed to a contract extension after back-to-back 9-4 seasons, the school said Friday The private Big 12 school does not disclose contract terms, but his previously extended deal went through the 2028 season. This multiyear agreement would take Dykes at least a couple of years past that. Dykes is 36-17 in his four seasons with the Horned Frogs, who set a school record for wins while going 13-2 and making the four-team College Football Playoff at the end of his 2022 debut season after replacing longtime coach Gary Patterson. Dykes originally got a six-year contract, which was extended after that first season when they finished No. 3 in the final AP Top 25 college football poll.
Cubs pitcher Horton exits against Guardians CLEVELAND Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton was taken out of Friday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians due to right forearm discomfort.
The right-hander looked toward the Cubs’ dugout after throwing a 93.8 mph fastball to Bo Naylor low in the strike zone for a called strike. Manager Craig Counsell and a trainer came out and talked to Horton briefly before he came out of the game. Horton threw 17 pitches, including eight strikes. He retired the Guardians in order in the first and walked Kyle Manzardo to lead off the second.
Horton, the eighth overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft, did not pitch in the postseason for the Cubs last season due to a right rib fracture.
Lafayettegirls also claimmeettitle
BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer
Entering this track and field season, the Southsideboys teamnever had finished first in ameet
One week afteraccomplishing that feat at the Beaver Club Relays, the Sharks madeitback-toback first-placefinishes Thursday by taking the top spot at the Tom Nolan Relays held at Comeaux.
“Again, Iamsoproud of the boys,” Sharks coach Josh LaBorde said. “They put agreat effort out there, and nowI thinkthe confidence is built.”
The Sharks, who won three events and finished second in seven others, scored117 points.
“What I’m proud of is that everyone is buying into their role,” LaBorde said. “They are starting to push themselves by setting smaller goals and it’sfun to see. All have asked of them is to give me your best. Whatever yourbest is, give it to me.
“Wehad abunch of (personal records) set again this week. Now that we’re kindofseeing it, now it’slet’s keep accomplishing these smaller goals, which has madethe biggergoals become easy.”
Following the Sharks were Lafayette High with 93,Acadiana Renaissance with 83, Carencrowith
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drafted, the wayaplayermight if he was looking to go to theNBA. The topic is still so freshthatthe NCAA announced just this week it was considering changingrules to bar athletes who enterand stay in apro sports draft from coming back and competing in college, as happened in two instances earlier this season.
All of that is further jumbled by thefact that many of these players probably will make more in college than they would at their “pro” jobs —whether it be basketball, finance or coaching —thanks to the influx of name,image and likeness paymentsthatpermeate college sports.
“The way Iwould describe it is it’samiddle ground, between what collegeathletics used tobe about, whichwas not paying, to now,where you’re paying student-athletes,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said. “But in away,we’ve always paidstudent-athletes. We’ve giventhem ascholarship. We’ve given them something of value.Now,the only difference is, we’re adding cash to that for their name, image, likeness.”
That cash has widened the recruiting pipeline to Europe and
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for aplayer who is amore natural
fit for what he is trying to do? The days of the Saints zeroing in on edge defenders who fit their narrow prototypes are probably done. Young still will play aprominent role because his physical gifts fit alot of schemes. But this month’s NFL draft could be the timeNew Orleans goes outside of its usual box and selects aplayer high who doesn’tfitits previous archetype —which was tall, long andheavy. This draft has three players who could fillthat need at No.8,but it dries up alittle bit after that Top-10 talents
Ohio State LB Arvell Reese, 6-foot-4, 241 pounds:A team almost certainly will select Reese before the Saints’ turn comes aroundatNo. 8, so we’ll keep this short. But players do have surprising slides, and if Reese made it to the Saints,he would have to be in the mix for the pick.
Reese is atooled-up versionof Jalon Walker from ayear ago, one of anew breed of defensive players who are physically gifted enoughtoplayeither offthe ball or on the edge. He racked up 61/2 sacks for the Buckeyesa yearago while splitting his snapsbetween linebacker and edge. For someone like Staley,who has shown aknack for maximizing player’sstrengths, Reese wouldbe atantalizing piece.
Texas Tech edgeDavid Bailey,6-4, 251: Whobettertorev up the pass rush than the man who led the FBS with 141/2 sacks ayear ago?
KynadehDorseyofLafayette Highwins the 300-meter hurdles during the TomNolan RelaysatComeaux High on Thursday.
72 and Ascension Episcopal with 53 to roundout the top five.
Among the topperformances for theSharks was finishing first and second in the 100 meters (Davin Capdeville 10.92 and JustinWilliams 10.99) andthe 200 (Emanual Collins 22.30 and Cameron Allen 22.61). The only other first-place
other points overseas. Nobody has exploited it better this season than theIllini, whose“Balkan Bloc” —including twinsTomislav and ZvonimirIvisic and DavidMirkovic —accounts for 36% of both their scoringand minutes.
Illinois’ key recruiter in Europe, Geoff Alexander,explained that a European “pro” who comes to the U.S.for college is something much differentthana player withNBA experience.
“In Europe and around the world, theydon’t have high schoolbasketball,”Alexander said. “They go to these clubs as youths andfind their path. That’slike their high school So anyone who wants to pigeonhole these guysintoall this discussion aboutcollegeeligibility,it’sapples and oranges.”
The eligibility discussion concernsanNCAAproposal that came outthisweektotweak the rules aboutwho canplay and who can’t.Itwas partly areaction to twoplayers, Alabama’sCharles Bediako and Baylor’sJames Nnaji, who each played in college this seasonafterentering the 2023 NBA Draft.
Bediako’s case drewheadlines because he actually played three years in the NBA’s developmental GLeague.Hesuedthe NCAA afterit denied Alabama’s request to allowhim to return to college this season, arguing he remainedwithin his five-year eli-
Baileyused alot of tools to win at thecollege level, showing asophisticationtohis rush plan. Like Young, he is a“speed-to-power” edgerusher,but he showedoff an impressivearray of counter movesonpassblockers.
He likely would have been too small to fit the Saints’ previous rush end prototype,but under Staley,Bailey’straits shouldfit right in.Heisanother player who could hear hisname called within thedraft’sfirst fivepicks.
MiamiedgeRuebenBain, 6-2,263:If we’retalkingabout playerswho don’tfit old prototypes, Bain’s nameprobably would be at the topofthe list. He is theplayer in this year’sdraft cycle whose name drives the arm-length narrative. That may still be an issue for the Saints, who have prioritized physical traits. Bainisdecidedly not long, with his307/8-inch arms being atalkingpointatthe combine. The rest of his framealso doesn’tfitthe ideal 3-4stand-up edge. Therest of Bain’srésuméisas impressive as it gets.
He playswith controlled aggression and ahighmotor,and he was amenace for offensive tackles throughout hiscollege career with 201/2 sacks, 331/2 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles in his three years in Coral Gables. After hispro day, Bain said, “MikeTysonwasn’tthe tallest guy He wasn’tthe longest-limbed guy Butwhen you felthim, you felt him. Youkept yourdistance.”
Lateroptions
MiamiedgeAkheemMesidor,6-3,259: Bain’scollege teammate is not a candidate to gointhe top 10, but thereisagood chance he will come off theboard beforethe Saints’
finish for the Sharks was their 4x200 relayteam (1:29.06). Ryan Benoit (110 hurdles and 300 hurdles),GraysonGilley (1,600),Eric Buddecke (high jump) andthe 4x100relay teamall earned second place in their respective events.
“Last week’svictory was very special, but this onefeelsjust
gibility window. Onejudge issued atemporary-restraining order that allowed Bediakotoplay.That lasted fivegames until new rulings barred him again.
Looming next could be thecase of 22-year-old AmariBailey,a former UCLA star who played 10 gamesinthe NBA withthe CharlotteHornets.Hehas hired alawyer and is seeking areturn, telling ESPN, “Right now, I’d be asenior in college. I’m not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics.”
Neither are theEuropean transplants, though many certainlydo play against players 27 and older in theoverseas leagues before they arrive in theU.S. college system.
“If you’ve played in theEuroLeague, you are not afreshman,” Michigan coach Dusty May said, in reference to Arizona freshman IvanKharchenkov, whohas played at differentlevels for aclubteam in Munich since he was 12 and could end up in theNBA soon.
Another Arizona starter,MotiejusKrivas, is from Lithuania.
Illinois coach BradUnderwood acknowledges that no matter where the players come from, the business model of college sports haschanged.
“I’dargue thatintoday’sworld, allthese kids are finding opportunities that allow them to receive compensation,” he said.
turn comes in the second round. Thereare some factorsthat could push Mesidor down on draft boards, though. Like Tyler Shough lastyear,he’sanolder prospect whoplayedsix seasonsofcollege football (Mesidorturns 25 in April).Healso has some injury history,having missed most of the 2023 season with afoot issue that required surgery As apure rusher,there is alot to likeabout Mesidor,even if he is abit undersized. He deploys an impressive array of moves, displaying an ability to beat tackles with both finesseand power,and he playshard.Mesidor’scollege production speaks for itself: He racked up 351/2 sacks in his college career,including 121/2 during 2025. TexasA&M edge Cashius Howell,6-2 253:Howell is another player whose size and arm length could be ared flagfor some teams, but they’d have to overlook alot of positives. Howell is an explosive pass rusher whospecializesingetting after quarterbacks. He put up 25 sacks in his final three college seasons —one at BowlingGreen, two at Texas A&M —with 111/2 sacks and 14 tacklesfor loss last season on his way to Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. The question is whether he will maintain thatproductionagainst bigger,more athletic NFLlinemen. Hisarmsmeasured under 31 inches, and he’sone of the smaller players amongtop edge defenders in this class. He might be best suited forasituational pass-rushing role to begin his career
Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com
“Wekind of use this meet as a tune-up kind of adeal for the end of the year,” Lions coach Ron Baillargeon said.
Rounding out the top five after theLions were Acadiana Renaissancewith132, Southsidewith72, Carencro with 61 and Lafayette Renaissance with 47.
“I kind of expected that we would winthe meet,” Baillargeonsaid. “WeknewAcadiana Renaissance had been doing very well this year, so they’d be (in the running).”
The Lions had10first-place finishes from Kynadeh Dorsey (100 hurdles and 300 hurdles), Tay’lee Crump (200),Riley Siner(400), Shelby Burgin (800),Addison Aucoin (3,200), Scarlett Petticrew (pole vault), and their 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams.
“Timesweren’t as good as last week,but last week we had anice weather night,” Baillargeon said. “There was no wind and everything was perfect. (Thursday’s) conditions weren’tset up for fast times.”
Baillargeon said the Lions’ focus is on winning the state meet
as good. Every win is special,” LaBorde said. “Every single win has got its ownspecial feel to it, and we’re notgoing takeitlightly or for granted because these thingsdon’tcome all the time.”
The Lafayette High girls continued to perform well by taking first place with150 points.
Continued from page1C
Saturday That said, based on howthey performedThursdayshould have the Tigers in their best possible headspace, to Clark’sway of thinking.
“They ought to be superbly confident going into Saturday,” he said.
No one has areason to be more confidentthanLSU sophomore Kailin Chio. She added another brilliant chapter Thursday to her amazing story this season. She bookended her night with perfect 10s on vault and floor to give her 11 10.0 scores this season and 12 for hercareer.She also won theregionalall-around title (39.825) and sharedfirst place on uneven bars with teammates Ashley Cowan and KonnorMcClain (9.95).
Chio now has 37 individual wins and 60 for her career,just two back of LSU greats Ashleigh Gnat and Jennifer Wood in ninth place in school history
“Usually,wewin every meet all year long and then we don’t win state,” Baillargeon said. “So, it’s more aboutpreparing forthe state meet nowthantrying to win meets (in the regular season). So, I’ve changedthe philosophy alittle bit this year.”
Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.
At Pete Maravich Assembly Center First round Wednesday Nebraska 195.600,Air Force 194.475 Second round Thursday
Toptwo teams advance Session I, No. 7Stanford 197.175, No.10Michigan 196.600, NorthCarolina 196.250, Utah State 195.750. Session II, No. 2LSU 198.375, No. 15 Clemson196.800,Auburn 195.500,
“Kailin,” teammate Amari Drayton said, “isa different breed.” Drayton also played abig part in LSU’ssuperb night, posting two of the Tigers’ eight scores of 9.95 or better (beam, floor). Only one of LSU’s24scores dipped below 9.85 andthe Tigersdid nothave to count it. The Tigers aren’tthe only team that can count great scores from Thursday.Stanford’sAna Barbosu and Alana Walker tied for first on floor in the first session(9.95), and teammate Taralyn Nguyen wasfirstonvault withthe same score. Barbosuwas also first in the all-around with a39.575. Clemson, in aregional final for the first time, also got a9.95 on floor from Brie Clark. The meet will be shown on a streaming basis only on ESPN+.
Continued from page1C
over the first seven practice sessions this spring heading into the April 25 spring game.
“I think Darrell (Smith) has had areally good week and Steven Blanco is still playing good,” Desormeaux said about the UL running backs.“It’s been kind of fun to watch these guys compete. The play’sbeen pretty consistent.”
In addition to Conor McPherson at linebacker,“Micah Johnson’shad agreat spring,” he said. At cornerback —arguably the most critical spotthatneedssolutions for UL —“Avery Demery andJeremiah Mosesare stepping up andplaying really good, obviously along with Brent (Gordon).”
NewDLoptions
The defensive line also lost stal-
warts as Jordan Lawson, Jaelen Criderand Kadarius Millerare no longer with the program
ButDesormeauxlikesthe depththatisdeveloping in that unit already Redshirt senior Fitzgerald West and redshirt junior Chase Edwards, who combined for 37 tackleslastseason,lead the group. “Fitz wasalways in the rotation on the inside, and Chase is aguy that’sflashed throughout his timehere,” Desormeaux said. “Wehave alot of guys who played there. We feel good about that group.”
Some lesser-known names withperhaps bigger upside are redshirt sophomores Priest Ashe and Ashton Wright. “Ashton got some really meaningful snaps last year and did some good things,” Desormeaux said. Redshirt seniortransferTito Chikere “hasbeen agoodadditionfor us” in thetransfer portal.
UL running backDarrell Smith, right, and StevenBlanco top the listof running backs standing out so farinCajuns’ spring practice sessions.
Constantly connectedbut rarely seen? Here’s
howto fix that.
If you’ve ever been midsentence with ateenager and watched their eyesdrift back to their phone, you already know this: Being ignored is a special kind of irritation.
It’snot just annoying. It’s personal.
And yet, most of us are doing some version of that to each other all day long.
We live in atime wherewe are constantly connectedbut, strangely,not always seen We scroll past each other’s lives, like and heart certain moments, and keep moving Meanwhile,something quieter is happening underneath all thenoise —people are wondering if they matter
Recently,Iwas reminded of this while thinking aboutasimple idea from anovel Iread for theLouisiana Inspired Book Club, “Theo of Golden,” by Allen Levi. Aman moves into a small town and begins giving people portraits of themselves thatwere created by alocal artist —literally handing them an image and saying, in effect, “I see you.” No speeches. No agenda. Just attention. And it changes people. This shouldn’tsurprise us, but it does.
It’sbecause we tend to believe people change through big moments—major decisions, emotional breakthroughs and dramaticconversations.
But more often, people change through something much smaller and much more consistent: being noticed.
In my counseling office, I’ve sat with alot of teenagers who don’ttalk much at first. Parents sometimes worry: “He won’t open up.” Teacherssay: “She’s disengaged.” What I’ve learned is that most of them are not unwilling to talk. They’re just unconvinced anyone is really listening.
There’sadifference.
The turning point is rarely some brilliant insight Ioffer It’sactuallymuch simpler.It’s when they begin to feel like I’m actually paying attention —not justwaiting for my turn to speak, not trying to fix them, but genuinelyinterested in their world. Once that happens, things start to move. And it’snot just teenagers. Adults are carrying the same quiet need. The dad at theball field. The mom in the carpool line. The co-worker who seems alittle off lately.The neighbor you wave to buthaven’treally talked to in years.
ä See CONNECTION, page 6C
BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
Madama Butterfly’s silk kimono awaits in the LSU College of Music and Dramatic Arts’ costume shop,but TeresaPerrotta has yet to try it on, much less think aboutit. She’sbeen too busy rehearsingfor theleading role for Opera Louisiane’sproduction of GiacomoPuccini’s grand opera abouta young Japanese girlwho gives her heart to an American naval officer The curtainwill open at 7p.m. April 11 in Raising Cane’sPerforming Arts Theater,240 St. Louis St. And that’swhenaBaton Rouge audience will witness this story that so manyopera lovers knowand love yet dreadthe ending. Evennonopera-goers know that “MadamaButterfly” is hopelessin the end.
OperaLouisiane Artistic Director Michael Borowitz, left, talks withTeresa Perrotta during abreak in rehearsal.
Nota spoiler
Her plight hasbeen discussed in movies, songs, even TV shows, as has the story of herAmerican soldierhusband, aman audiences love to hate. His name is Pinkerton, and he’splayed by Joshua Dennis, whoisworking on his part
ä See 'BUTTERFLY', page 6C
‘MADAMA BUTTERFLY’
OperaLouisiane’s production of Giacomo Puccini’sgrand opera
WHEN: 7p.m.April 11.
WHERE: Raising Cane’s RiverCenter PerformingArts Theater,240 St Louis St ADMISSION: $51.51-$151.51. Visitoperalouisiane. com.
Staff report
BREC’s LibertyLagoonWaterpark will open its 2026 season on May23. Thepark, undernew management, features refreshed attractions and boasts arenewed focus on safety and the overall guest experience.
“We’re excited to turn the page and welcome thecommunity back to Liberty Lagoon,” said JanetSimmons, BREC interimsuperintendent.
ä See LAGOON, page 6C
3 events at St. James Baptist Church
St. James Baptist Church, 1105 N. 44th St., Baton Rouge, will hold a Resurrection Sunday service at 8 a.m. April 5.
A special Youth & Children’s Ministry program will be featured as the church celebrates the victory in Jesus with the message, “He Is Not Here, But He Has Risen.” For more information, call (225) 924-1550.
The church will also host its inaugural women’s brunch, “Radiant Women’s Ministry,” at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 25.
The guest facilitator will be author and speaker Netra Ford of Lighthouse Church in Houston, Texas.
The church will also celebrate National Autism Month at 8 a.m. Sunday, April 26. The guest speaker will
be Neiman Colbert, 14, of Houston, who was recognized by the State of Texas as the 2025-2026 Student of Character and honored with a certificate of merit by U.S Rep Charles Cunningham
The public is invited to all three events.
Communion Service at Berean Adventist
Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church, worshiping at 5100 Osborne Ave., Baton Rouge, will observe Communion (The Lord’s Supper) at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Ordinance of Humility (foot washing) will precede the service. Communion is open to all who have been baptized by immersion.
The church’s “Power Hour of Prayer” continues from 6:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. All are welcome.
By The Associated Press
Today is Saturday, April 4, the 94th day of 2026. There are 271 days left in the year
Today in history:
On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was shot and killed while standing on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. King’s death triggered a wave of unrest in cities across the United States that killed 43 people and injured more than 3,000.
Also on this date:
In 1841, President William Henry Harrison succumbed to pneumonia one month after his inauguration, becoming the first U.S. chief executive to die in office; Harrison’s vice president, John Tyler, was sworn in as president two days later In 1949, 12 nations, including the United States, signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C., establishing NATO.
In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico In 2012, a federal judge sentenced five former New Orleans police officers to prison for the deadly Danziger Bridge shootings in
the chaotic days following Hurricane Katrina. (The verdicts in the case were later set aside by the judge, who cited prosecutorial misconduct; the officers pleaded guilty in 2016 to reduced charges.) In 2023, Donald Trump surrendered at a Manhattan courthouse and pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from hush-money payments made on his behalf during his 2016 campaign to bury allegations that he had extramarital sexual encounters. He was convicted in May 2024 on all 34 counts but didn’t receive any punishment and is now appealing the verdict.
Today’s bvirthdays: Recording executive Clive Davis is 94. Golf Hall of Famer JoAnne Carner is 87. Actor Craig T. Nelson is 82. Actor Christine Lahti is 76. Football Hall of Famer John Hannah is 75. TV writer-producer David E. Kelley is 70. TV host-comic Graham Norton is 63. Actor David Cross is 62. Actor Robert Downey Jr is 61. Singer Jill Scott is 54. Magician David Blaine is 53 Baseball Hall of Famer Scott Rolen is 51. Hockey Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo is 47. Actor Natasha Lyonne is 47. Actor-comedian Eric André is 43.
Modern Asian
will open inside of the former Southern Pearl Oyster House at 9460 Perkins Road.
Continued from page 5C
to open June 1 of this year, Stacy Zheng said. The new restaurant comes after the opening of the Zheng’s Mid City location of Daruma Ramen in February at 3669 Government St. in Baton Rouge. The spot is the second location of the ramen restaurant, the first being in Prairieville. The couple is also opening Zuma Revolving Sushi Bar at 4914 Government St. in Baton Rouge. It will serve all-you-can-eat meals and individual rolls.
Continued from page 5C
Every one of them has a story you can’t see from the outside. We don’t need to turn every conversation into a deep therapy session. That’s not the point. But we might consider slowing down just enough to look people in the eye, ask one more question and actually hear the answer That alone is more powerful than we think. When people feel seen, they tend to settle down a bit. They open up They take a breath. They remember, even if just for a moment, that they’re not invisible. In a culture that is constantly pulling our attention everywhere else, that might be one of the simplest, yet most meaningful things we can offer each other You don’t need a grand plan. You don’t need the perfect words. You don’t need to fix anyone’s life. You just have to notice them — and stick around long enough to let them know you did.
‘BUTTERFLY’
Continued from page 5C
alongside Perrotta in a Monday morning sing-through two weeks before the performance. They stand sideby-side in the Manship Theatre’s Studio Theatre inside the Shaw Center for the Arts. Perrotta’s soprano notes weave with Dennis’ tenor as company artistic director Michael Borowitz conducts.
“This is my first time singing this part,” Perrotta said. And it’s Dennis’ first time portraying Pinkerton, a character he’s concluded is misunderstood.
“When you play a character, you have to understand them, and you have to find a way to like them,” he said. “And what I’ve come to realize about Pinkerton is he’s young, and I don’t think he’s malicious he’s ignorant.”
What’s the popular modern term for this? Young and dumb? That’s it.
Misunderstood?
Pinkerton was young when he entered the U.S. Navy in 1904, the year the story takes place and the year Puccini’s opera premiered Pinkerton arrives in Nagasaki, Japan, where he rents a house on a hill for him and his soonto-be 15-year-old wife CioCio-San, which translates to “Butterfly” in English.
For Pinkerton, the marriage is one of convenience while he’s in Japan. He intends to leave Butterfly once he finds a proper American wife.
But again, Dennis theorizes that Pinkerton’s scheme is due to his immaturity
Continued from page 5C
“With new partnerships, refreshed attractions and a renewed focus on safety and service, we’re confident the community will feel the difference this summer.”
Since opening in 2011, BREC’s Liberty Lagoon Waterpark has been a summer destination for local families Over the years, it has grown to include such attractions as the Shockwave, tube slides, plunge slides, a lazy river and a children’s play area. This season builds on that foundation with improvements designed to make visits smoother, safer and more enjoyable.
For the 2026 season, the waterpark is partner-
naive girl, but I don’t think that’s true,” Perrotta said.
the New Orleans Opera. Paris Opera costumes
“She may be young, but she’s lived a lot of life up to the time she meets Pinkerton. She’s also had to work her whole life, so I think she may be naive in that she doesn’t know about the world, but she’s not dumb And she knows what she needs to do to survive, and it’s about survival of what she’s getting out of the situation. So, it’s not just, ‘Hey, this young girl follows this man and just waits for him.’ There’s so much more to her.”
Perrotta made her Metropolitan Opera debut last season as First Lady in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” Dennis also has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, as well as the Washington National Opera.
“And we know, men’s brains don’t really start developing until 25-ish,” he said. “That’s when they start taking on a real understanding of their consequences. So, I think he’s just a little too young to understand his consequences, and when we last see him, it’s a few years later and he gets it. And he realizes he’s in too deep.”
So, he runs he hides from the young woman to whom he supposedly pledged his love and from their son she birthed while he was away Pinkerton knows nothing of the child until he returns to Japan with his American wife.
She’s not delusional
But Perrotta senses something different in Butterfly’s youth. The young mother is hopeful but not delusional.
“People see her as this
ing with SELA Aquatics to improve its operations. Through nationally recognized American Red Cross certification programs, SELA will support the development of a highly trained, safety-focused team.
Guests will experience several enhancements throughout the park this season with improvements to its waterslides, including Shockwave, and capacity levels have been thoughtfully adjusted to support a safer more comfortable family environment.
In addition, Liberty Lagoon Waterpark is introducing City Pork Catering & Events to provide food and beverage options.
Liberty Lagoon will operate daily from noon to 6 p.m. through July, with closures on Tuesdays for routine staff training and facility clean-
“Madama Butterfly” marks the duo’s first time performing with Opera Louisiane, and though it’s also director Josh Shaw’s first time working with the company, he’s well familiar with Louisiana, itself.
Shaw was born in Natchitoches and has family in Gonzales. These days, he lives in Los Angeles, where he works as founding artistic director and CEO of the Pacific Opera Project. He’s directed quite a few productions of “Madama Butterfly” and even collaborated on a project that translated the lyrics into both English and Japanese.
“The American characters sang in English, and the Japanese characters sang in Japanese,” he said.
But libretto in Opera Louisiane’s production will be performed in Puccini’s intended Italian on sets provided by
ing and condensed hours of 3-6 p.m. on Wednesdays to accommodate BREC Summer Camps. In August, the park will transition to weekend-only operations through Sept. 6. This season also introduces a simplified admission model, with entry fees starting at $12 per person.
Guests can personalize their visit with optional addons for waterslides and the Shockwave attraction, offering flexibility based on their preferred experience.
Tickets are valid for single-day, one-time use. A new online ticketing platform streamlines the purchasing process, allowing families and groups to secure passes in advance or on the day of their visit. Beyond daily recreation, Liberty Lagoon Waterpark
The costumes originally belonged to the Paris Opera, which gave them to the Castleton Festival in Virginia. Castleton has never loaned out the costumes until now because the festival has a working relationship with Opera Louisiane Executive Director Paul Groves. “I’ve worked in their vocal immersion program,” he said. “I drove up to Virginia and picked them up.” He lifts “Madama Butterfly’s” first-act kimono from the rack. Describing it as exquisite would be an understatement. The garment is made of silk, and its threadwork is intricate. This is what Perrotta will be wearing on the River Center Stage.
“I know it’s just beautiful,” she said. “I can’t wait to see it.”
And she will, but first there are parts to rehearse. Their voices play out the first act with Butterfly pouring out her love and Pinkerton also getting caught up in the moment.
Listeners in the room may not understand the words, but they definitely feel the vibe. Some of them may even hope that Pinkerton means it this time around — that he loves her and will always stand by her side. But not all stories are guaranteed happy endings, and if this story ended with the couple walking together in the sunset, “Madama Butterfly” wouldn’t be, well, “Madama Butterfly.”
Email Robin Miller at romiller@theadvocate.com.
is committed to advancing water safety and community impact by offering discounted swim lessons throughout June and July. Classes will be scheduled before and after regular operating hours to expand access and provide affordable, high-quality water safety education for participants of all ages. Also, Liberty Lagoon Waterpark is building its summer team, offering employment and leadership opportunities for youth and young adults ages 15 and older Competitive pay and flexible schedules support workforce development while strengthening service delivery for the community Apply at brec.org/careers. For a full calendar, ticket information, rental opportunities and more, visit brec. org/LibertyLagoon.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Focus less on what others are up to and more on what you can achieve behind closed doors. Secrecy will ensure less interference, encouraging you to finish what you start.
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Demonstrations may backfire if you are too aggressive. A little charm will go a long way if you want to get ahead. Be open and complimentary and go directly to the source, and progress will occur.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Keep an open mind and be quick to help others. The best solutions result when you work alongside those in need instead of doing things for them.
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Take part in community or work-related events that help you understand your associates better. Mixing business with pleasure will offer insight into how you can be more efficient and effective in life.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) If you are impatient or pursue emotional talks with someone close to you, situations are likely to turn sour. Your best path forward is to fulfill your promises without making a big deal out of it.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept 22) Don't put yourself in a vulnerable position regarding crowds and the potential risk of illness or injury. Personal relationships are on the rise, and romance is in the stars.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Deep-six the bells and whistles, and navigate your way toward a healthier and more profitable lifestyle. It's all the add-ons that
are holding you back and causing debt stress.
scoRPIo (oct 24-nov 22) Jump in, do your part and connect with people who share your beliefs. Set yourself up for success, and you'll gain followers and mark a path forward that leads to partnerships and a positive lifestyle change.
sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Honor your promises, finish what you start and let your actions speak for you. Think twice and choose to do something nice. Don't be tempted by gimmicks offering impossible results.
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Trust your instincts. Be a leader, not a follower; concentrate on home, family, love and personal satisfaction. Take the initiative to embrace the lifestyle that makes you happy.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Take precautions when in crowded situations You'll accomplish the most if you focus on home improvements or establishing space to make your chores and projects easier to carry out.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Sit tight, watch and examine what unfolds around you. Knowledge will help you deal with whatever situation you face. Social events will change your perspective regarding your next move.
The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another
toDAy's cLuE: W EQuALs P
InstructIons: Sudokuis anumber-placing puzzle basedona9x9 gridwith several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column andeach3x3 boxcontainsthe same number only once.The difficulty levelofthe Sudoku increasesfrom Monday to Sunday
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
By PHILLIP ALDER
Sam Levenson, a humorist and author who died in 1980, said, “It’s so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say, then say the opposite.” That seems to recommend an unnecessary step. Why not just think of something wise? Let’s try to find the simple line to make six hearts in today’s deal after West leads the spade queen to South’s ace. What should declarer do?
Note North’s two-heart rebid. This is preferabletooneno-trumpwithnospade stopper. Those three strong hearts will usually be as good as four low. Then South immediately wonders about a slam, but is nervous about two immediate club losers. He rebids two spades, knowing his partner will treat this as a game-try. And when North continues with two no-trump, guaranteeing at least one club stopper, South jumps to what he hopes he can make.
Declarer has two losers, one in each black suit. He might play to establish dummy’s diamond suit, but that would failhere.Themuchsimplerlineistogain an extra trick by ruffing a loser in the shorter trump hand
At trick two, South leads a club. Let’s suppose East takes dummy’s queen with his ace and returns his second spade.
Declarer wins with his king, plays a club to dummy’s king, takes the heart
ace, leads the heart seven to his queen, and cashes the club jack, discarding dummy’s remaining spade. Then South ruffs his last spade with dummy’s heart king, returns to his hand with a diamond, draws trumps, and claims 12 tricks: two spades, five hearts, two diamonds, two clubs and that spade ruff. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By
Andrews McMeel Syndication
Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be
Average
Can
today’s thought “He, that being often reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
Proverbs 29:1
