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W e d n e s d ay, J u ly 9, 2025
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The USS New Orleans lost its bow battling the Japanese in the Southwest Pacific in 1942. PROVIDED PHOTO
113-home addition at University Club gets go-ahead Roundabout, buffer zone added in attempt to appease residents
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
FROM THE DEPTHS
Bow from USS New Orleans, lost during WWII, found in Pacific Ocean BY MARK BALLARD | Staff writer
WASHINGTON — On a dark night with no moon and heavily overcast skies on Nov. 30, 1942, the USS New Orleans was one of 11 cruisers and destroyers sailing in formation into the waters near the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific Ocean. “A light southeast breeze scarcely ruffled the surface of the water,” a Navy report on that night’s events states. Then came the surprise attack.
Eight Japanese destroyers and an unknown number of submarines pounced on the American ships. The Battle of Tassafaronga — one of the U.S. Navy’s most disastrous days of World War II — was underway. A few minutes after the USS New Orleans opened fire, the American force’s lead cruiser, the USS Minneapolis, was struck by two Japanese torpedoes on the left side, according to the damage report. To avoid a collision, the New Orleans abruptly made a sharp right turn and was struck by a Japanese “Long Lance” torpedo, which ignited ammunition stored at the front of the ship. An explosion tore off the front third of the vessel. More than 180 sailors were killed in the blast;
three were posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for their actions. The ship’s bow tore loose and was observed floating intact and upright behind the New Orleans before sinking, according to the damage report. But somehow, the surviving crew managed to keep the rest of the ship afloat. “By all rights, this ship should have sunk, but due to the heroic damage control efforts of her crew, USS New Orleans became one of the most grievously damaged U.S. cruisers in World War II to actually survive,” said Samuel J. Cox, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral and director of the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington.
ä See WRECKAGE, page 7A
Court clears way for federal workforce cuts BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s plans to downsize the federal workforce despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. The justices overrode lower court orders that temporarily froze the cuts, which have been led by the Department of Gov-
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ernment Efficiency. The court said in an unsigned order that no specific cuts were in front of the justices, only an executive order issued by Trump and an administration directive Trump for agencies to undertake job reductions. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only dissenting vote, accusing her colleagues of a “demonstrated enthusiasm for green-
lighting this President’s legally dubious actions in an emergency posture.” Jackson warned of enormous real-world consequences. “This executive action promises mass employee terminations, widespread cancellation of federal programs and services, and the dismantling of much of the Federal Government as Congress has created it,” she wrote. The high court action continued a remarkable winning streak for Trump, who the justices have allowed to move forward with significant parts of his
plan to remake the federal government. The Supreme Court’s intervention so far has been on the frequent emergency appeals the Justice Department has filed objecting to lower-court rulings as improperly intruding on presidential authority. The Republican president has repeatedly said voters gave him a mandate for the work, and he tapped billionaire ally Elon Musk to lead the charge through DOGE. Musk recently left his role.
The proposed addition of 113 new homes in the University Club neighborhood has gotten a green light, with a promised traffic roundabout and a new development condition to appease some residents who have publicly opposed the proposal for months. The St. George Planning Commission approved Monday the rest of the preliminary plat for the 113-home development that now includes a 30-foot nature buffer zone behind a handful of homes directly in front of wetlands. Developer Sinclair Kouns and his team redesigned the buffer zone into the plat after a contentious June planning commission meeting about the development. This buffer would provide a green space between property lines for a few homeowners contiguous to wetlands and the areas of proposed homes. “Hopefully that helps their view. It’ll be required to have landscaping, so it’ll stay green,” said attorney Erik Piazza, about the 30-foot buffer. The proposal is split in two sections and would build 113 single-family homes in the neighborhood. Most of the wetlands adjacent to the University Club subdivision would be destroyed to build the new homes. Residents have expressed concern and dissatisfaction with the plan since it was first proposed in 2024 over potentially losing their scenic views as well as worries about flooding, traffic issues and loss of wildlife.
ä See HOME, page 7A
Bill will bring changes for Medicaid, tax breaks BY JULIA GUILBEAU Staff writer
After months of infighting and political haggling, Republican congressional lawmakers in Washington, D.C., came together to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill, President Donald Trump’s main policy agenda, last week. The act, which Trump signed into law at a ceremony Friday, sets out a spending plan and tax cuts for the country. With nearly 900 pages included in the far-reaching law, the legislation will affect health care, taxes, social safety nets, immigration and more. Here’s a look at the main components and how the changes could play out in Louisiana.
Tax cuts and changes What’s changed: Much of the focus of the One Big Beautiful Bill surrounded creating additional tax cuts, while offsetting much of the subsequent revenue loss by
ä See CUTS, page 6A
Business ......................3B Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
ä See BILL, page 6A
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