The Times-Picayune 04-06-2026

SUNDAYSTROLLS

Political wedgeon rightgrows

push back on opposition

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

In avideo posted online, Gov. Jeff Landry called State Treasurer John Fleming aflip-flopper; Fleming shot backthat Landry was“aliar.”

In aHouse committee hearing at the Louisiana Legislature,two representativesinvokedthe TenCommandments against lying, stealing and covetousness. And in anew social media promotion, a new conservative advocacy group called MAGA Energy Project has accused community and environmental groups of being in bed with “liberal extremists like George Soros” and Michael Bloomberg. These skirmishes are all part of apolitical battle that is becoming one of the fiercest in Louisiana: The fight over carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS. That process pumps carbon dioxide deep underground and stores it there permanently in abid to cutindustrial emissions thatcontribute to climate change and create so-called “low carbon” products. State economicdevelopment officials say $75 billion in economic development —about three-fourths of the totalcapital investment announced underLandry’s tenure —istied to the technology,which the energy industry says is critical for the future of Louisiana’sfossil fuel-reliant industrial base.

Butstrong discontent hasstirred in rural andsuburbanLouisianaamong residents concernedabout property rights, environmental impacts and safety

BY MATTHEW LEE, BASSEMMROUE, KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran President Donald Trump on Sunday made expletive-filled threats against Iran and its infrastructure if it doesn’topen the Strait ofHormuz by his Tuesday deadline, after American forces rescued awounded aviator whose Irandownedplanefell behind enemy lines

Adefiant Iran struck infrastructure tar-

gets in neighboring Gulf Arab countries and threatened to restrict another heavily used regional waterway, theBab el-Mandeb Strait off the Arabian Peninsula.

Trump on social media vowed to hitIran’spower plants andbridges andsaid thecountry wouldbe“living in Hell” if the Strait of Hormuz,crucial for global trade, isn’topened. He ended with “Praise be to Allah.”

Trumphas issued such deadlines before but extended them when mediators have claimed progress towardendingthe war, which has killed thousands, shakenglobal marketsand spiked fuel prices in just over fiveweeks.

“It seems Trump has become aphenomenon that neither Iranians nor Americans areable to fully analyze,” IranianCulture MinisterSayed Reza Salihi-Amiri told visitingAssociated Press journalists in an interview in Tehran, adding that the U.S. president “constantly shiftsbetween contradictory positions.”

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Gasoline tanker burns after hitting power lines

FORT WORTH, Texas A tanker truck in Texas hauling gasoline

erupted into a fiery blaze Sunday after colliding with another vehicle and knocking over power lines, leaving the truck driver in critical condition, Fort Worth authorities said.

The 18-wheeler was carrying 9,000 gallons of gasoline that began leaking after the truck spun off the road near a gas station. The downed power lines then sparked a fire around 1 a.m., Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Craig Trojacek said.

“The driver of the 18-wheeler was trying to do everything he could to keep the gas from draining into the parking lot of the Valero gas station when it lit off,” Trojacek said.

The driver was hospitalized with burns, but no one else was injured, Trojacek said. Fire crews spent hours spraying the tanker with water and used sand to try and contain the gasoline, he said. Firefighters left the scene about 7 a.m.

Videos of the fire show what appears to be front of the truck engulfed in flames as plumes of smoke rise.

Toddler hurt by wolf at Pennsylvania zoo

HERSHEY, Pa A toddler was lightly injured by a wolf at a Pennsylvania theme park zoo after he crawled under a fence and stuck his hand into the animal’s enclosure, officials at the zoo confirmed Sunday

The child was never inside the wolf habitat at the ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park, which is part of the Hersheypark theme park, and the officials characterized the injuries as minor without elaborating

After the “unsupervised” child reached the metal enclosure around the wolf habitat on Saturday morning and put his hand through, a wolf approached “and made contact with the child’s hand,” according to a statement from the zoo.

“This type of response is consistent with natural animal behavior, and was not a sign of aggression,” the zoo said in a statement. “Our habitats are designed with multiple layers of protection, and clear signage and barriers are in place to help ensure safe viewing. Guests are expected to remain within designated areas and closely supervise children at all times.”

4 killed in Alabama car crash during pursuit

TROY, Ala. — Four people died when a car that was being pursued by an Alabama state trooper went off the road and hit a tree, authorities said Sunday.

The driver was trying to elude the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s highway patrol on a rural road in southeast Alabama’s Pike County when the crash occurred late Friday night, ALEA spokesperson Amanda Wasden said in an email No other vehicles were involved.

Wasden said the crash was under investigation, and no additional information was available. Her email did not say what prompted the pursuit.

The driver and two passengers, one of them a 17-year-old, were not wearing seat belts and were thrown from the sedan. The third passenger was not ejected, but all four were pronounced dead at the scene.

A story in Sunday’s Books section listed incomplete information about the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival and Rick Bragg’s appearances. The Rick Bragg Great Southern Writer and Book Club event will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Doc Voorhies’ Wing of the Bayou Teche Museum, 131 E Main St., New Iberia, and the Great Southern Writer Symposium and Book Signing featuring Bragg will be at 3:30 in the Sliman Theater at 129 East Main St., New Iberia. Organizers recommend registering for the events. For a complete schedule and more information about the event, visit booksalongthetecheliteraryfestival.com. The Times-Picayune regrets the error

Pope urges peace in first Easter Mass

Christians celebrate in Jerusalem, Gaza and Tehran

BY COLLEEN BARRY and PAOLO SANTALUCIA Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Pope Leo XIV cel-

ebrated his first Easter Mass as pontiff with a call Sunday to lay down arms and seek peace to global conflicts through dialogue, but he departed from a tradition of listing the world’s woes by name in the Urbi et Orbi blessing from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, emphasized Easter’s message of hope as a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection after being crucified.

“Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us! Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!” the pope implored.

With the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in its second month and Russia’s ongoing campaign in Ukraine, Leo acknowledged a sense of indifference “to the deaths of thousands of people to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow to the economic and social consequences they produce.”

Without mentioning the wars by name, Leo quoted his predecessor, Pope Francis, who during his last public appearance from the same loggia last Easter reminded the faithful of the “great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day.”

Francis, weakened by a long illness, died the next day on Easter Monday.

The Urbi et Orbi blessing, Latin for “to the city and the world,” has traditionally included a litany of the world’s woes Leo followed that formula during his Christmas blessing. There was no immediate explanation for the shift

Earlier, Leo addressed some 50,000 faithful from an open-air

St. Peter’s Basilica at the end of Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

altar in St. Peter’s Square flanked with white roses, while the steps leading down to the piazza where the faithful gathered were filled with spring perennials, symbolically resonating with the pope’s words He implored the faithful in his homily to keep their hope in the face of death, which lurks “in the abuses that crush the weakest among us, because of the idolatry of profit that plunders the earth’s resources, because of the violence of war that kills and destroys.”

Speaking from the loggia, the pope announced a prayer vigil for peace April 11 in the basilica.

Small shifts in traditions Leo greeted the global faithful in 10 languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Latin, reviving a practice that his predecessor Pope Francis had let lapse.

Before retreating into the basilica, Leo stepped forward out of the loggia’s shadow and waved to the cheering crowd below He later greeted people in the piazza from the popemobile that took him all the way down Via della Conciliazione

toward the Tiber River and back.

During the marathon that is Holy Week, Leo also reclaimed the tradition of washing priests’ feet on Holy Thursday, a gesture of encouragement toward clergy, after Francis had chosen a more inclusive path, traveling to prisons and homes for the disabled to wash the feet of women, non-Christians and prisoners.

The 70-year-old pontiff also became the first pope in decades to carry the light wooden cross for the entire 14 stations during the Way of the Cross on Good Friday Christians in the Holy Land

Traditional ceremonies at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, revered by Christians as the traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, were scaled back under an agreement with Israeli police. Authorities have put limits on the sizes of public gatherings due to ongoing missile attacks.

The restrictions also dampened the recent Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr holiday, as well as the current weeklong Jew-

ish festival of Passover On Sunday, the Jewish priestly blessing at the Western Wall — normally attended by tens of thousands was limited to just 50 people.

The restrictions have strained relations between Israeli authorities and Christian leaders. Police last week prevented two of the church’s top religious leaders, including Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from celebrating Palm Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Gaza’s Palestinian Christians

At the Holy Family church in Gaza City, Catholics young and old gathered for a traditional Easter Mass. Singing, they formed a queue in the aisle, waiting for their chance to kiss a sketch of Jesus held by a member of the clergy who wiped the glass frame between turns.

“There is great joy, especially after the ceasefire and after nearly three years of suffering and being unable to celebrate all the holy holidays,” said George Anton from Gaza City “People are somewhat relieved and more stable.”

Armenian Christians

Armenian Christians observed Easter at a church in Iran’s capital on Sunday, striving to maintain a sense of normalcy five weeks into the war Families embraced and children exchanged painted eggs at the St. Sarkis Cathedral in central Tehran. Iran’s capital has been targeted by daily airstrikes since the United States and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28.

“Whether we like it or not, we have young children who do not understand what’s going on,” said Juanita Arakel, 40, an English language teacher “They just need to feel normal.”

The Islamic Republic, with a population of about 90 million, is home to some 300,000 Christians, mostly Armenians, and three seats in parliament are reserved for Christians.

“Our calls and prayers are that we will be able to end this war,” said Sepuh Sargsyan, the archbishop of the Armenian Diocese of Tehran. “Our calls and prayers are that we will be able to end this war.”

3 killed as tree falls at Easter egg hunt in Germany

BY DAVID MCHUGH Associated Press

FRANKFURT, Germany

Three people, including a 10-month-old girl, were killed Sunday when high winds toppled a tree in northern Germany during an Easter egg hunt, police said.

Around 50 people from a nearby residential facility for new mothers, pregnant women and children were attending the event in woods near the town of Satrupholm at about 11 a.m. when a 100-foot tree fell on the group, police said in a statement.

Four people were pinned under the tree.

A 21-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl were treated by first responders but died at the scene, while the woman’s 10-month old daughter died later in the hospital.

Sunday in a wooded area southeast of Flensburg, Germany. Three people were killed Sunday when high winds toppled a tree during an Easter egg hunt, police said.

An 18-year-old woman suffered serious injuries and was brought to the hospital by helicopter

The facility is part of the state-funded child welfare system and supports pregnant women and new mothers who need help, according to its website.

Grief counselors were sent to the scene. Pictures from the scene published by the Bild

news site showed several Easter eggs scattered on the ground and two of the victims covered in white sheets.

The area had been under a high winds warning from the German weather service.

Government officials from the Schleswig-Hol-

stein region where the facility was located said they were “deeply shaken” by the accident.

“Our thoughts are with the family members of the dead, with the injured, and with everyone who had to

experience this terrible occurrence,” regional Gov Daniel Günther, Interior Minister Magdalena Finke, and Youth and Families Minister Aminata Touré said in a joint statement carried by the dpa news agency

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Congo to receive third-country deportees from U.S.

By The Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo Congo will receive some migrants as part of a new deal under the Trump administration’s third-country program, its government said Sunday, the latest such African nation to receive migrants being deported from the U.S. The deportees will start arriving in Congo this month, the Congolese Ministry of Communications said in a statement, without further details on the date or the number of deportees expected.

It described the arrangement as a “temporary” one that reflects Congo’s “commitment to human dignity and international solidarity.” It would come with zero costs to the government with the U.S. covering the needed logistics, it said.

The U.S. has struck such third-country deportation deals with at least seven other African nations, many of them among countries hit the most by the Trump administration’s policies that have restricted trade, aid and migration. The Trump administra-

under deal

tion has spent at least $40 million to deport about 300 migrants to countries other than their own, according to a report released recently by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Lawyers and activists have raised questions over the nature of the deals with countries in Africa and elsewhere. Several of the African nations that have signed such deals have notoriously repressive governments and poor human rights records — including Eswatini, South Sudan and Equatorial Guinea.

Iran rescue considered acomplicated extraction

BY SEUNG MIN KIM, MATTHEW LEE and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

The United States pulled off adaring rescue of two aviators whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran, plucking the pilot from behind enemy lines before setting off acomplicated extraction of the second service member who hid deep in the mountains as Tehran called for Iranians to help capture him.

The CIA looked to throw off Iran’s government before the crew member was found, launching adeception campaign to spread wordinside the Islamic Republic that it had already located him

CO IN T MI EAST NFLICT HE DDLE AST

Even as PresidentDonald Trump and other U.S.officials described an almost cinematic mission, rescuers faced major obstacles, including two Black Hawk helicopters coming under fire and problemswithtwo transport planes thatforced the U.S. militarytoblow them up.

“This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately,deep in Enemy Territory,”Trump wrote early Sunday on his Truth Social platform. “WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICANWARFIGHTER BEHIND!”

In apair of social media posts, Trump said the operationoverthe weekend required the U.S. to remain completelysilent to avoid jeopardizing the effort, even as thepresident andtop members of his administration continuouslymonitored the airman’slocation The White House and the Pentagonrefusedto publicly discuss details about the downed fighter jet for well over 24 hoursafter the initial crash, particularly about the first crew member rescued from theF15E Strike Eagle— an effort that Trump later said took seven hours in broad daylight overIran.

The United States and Iran’sgovernment then were both racing to find the second crew member,aweapons systems officer, whoselocation neither side knew

The CIAspread wordthat the U.S. had found himand were moving him by ground to get him out of Iran, according toasenior Trump administrationofficial who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

The confusion allowed the CIA to uncoverthe location of theservice member, who was hiding in amountain crevice, the official said.The intelligence agency sent the coordinates to the Pentagon and theWhite House, where Trump ordered arescue op-

Wreckageisshown at what Iran’sstate TV claimed wasthe site of adowned American transportplane and twohelicopters involved in arescue operation in Isfahan province, Iran.

eration.

Meanwhile,ananchoron achannel affiliated with Iranian state television had been urging residents in the mountainous region of southwest Iran where thefighter jet went down to hand over any “enemypilot” to police andpromised arewardfor anyone who did.

Trump said the American aviator was being “hunted down” by enemies who were “getting closer and closer by thehour.”The UnitedStates wasmonitoringhis location continuously,hesaid.

At theright moment, Trumpsaid,hedirectedthe militarytosenddozensof heavily armed aircraft to rescue the crew member,

whothe president said is “seriously wounded” but will recover Iranian state media reported that airstrikesin southwestern Iran on Saturday killed at least three people and wounded others, in the same areawhere themissing American crew member was believed to be.

The American rescue mission ran into major challengesbehind enemy lines.

Iran’sjoint military command claimed it struck two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters takingpart in theoperation.

Apersonfamiliarwith the situationsaid the two helicopters were able to navigate to safeairspace, although it’s unclear if they

landedorifcrewmembers wereinjured. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive information.

Then, the U.S. military was forced to bringinadditional aircraft to complete the rescue of the second service member due to atechnical malfunction, according to aregional intelligence official briefed on the mission

The U.S. blew up two transport planesitwas forced to leave behind because of the mishap, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the covert mission.

Iran’s state televisionon Sunday aired avideo showing whatitclaimedwere

parts of aU.S. aircraft shot down by Iranian forces, alongwith aphoto of thick, black smoke rising. The broadcastersaidIranhad shot down atransport plane and twohelicopters that were part of the rescue operation. Iran’s joint military commandsaid the destroyed aircraft included two C-130 militarytransport aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters in the province of Isfahan, where the rescue took place.

“The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without aSINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance andSuperiorityoverthe Iranian skies,” Trumpsaid on social media.

Trump, however,did not mention that asecond military jetalso went down the sameday as the F-15E. Iranian state media said Friday that aU.S. A-10 attack aircraftcrashed after being struck by Iran’s defense forces.

AU.S. official, speaking on conditionofanonymityto discuss asensitive military situation, confirmed asecond U.S. Air Force combat aircraftwent down in the Middle East on Friday.The official provided no other detailsonwhat happened and no information on the status of the crew

Ukraine’sleaderconcerned Mideastwar couldpullawaysupport

Zelenskyyworries

Iran conflictcould furthererode U.S. support

BY SERRA YEDIKARDES and SAMYAKULLAB Associated Press

ISTANBUL Ukrainian

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concern that aprolonged U.S.-Israeli war on Iran could further erode America’ssupport for Ukraine as Washington’s global priorities shift and Kyiv braces for reduced deliveries of criticallyneeded Patriot air defense missiles. Ukraine desperately needs moreU.S.-made Patriot air defense systems to help it counter Russia’sdaily barrages, Zelenskyy said, speakingtoThe Associated Press in an exclusive interview late Saturday in Istanbul.

Russia’srelentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line following its fullscale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago has killed thousands of civilians. It has also targeted Ukraine’senergy supply to disrupt industrial production of Ukraine’s newly developed drones and missiles, while also denying civilians heat and running water in winter

“Wehavetorecognize that we are not the priority fortoday,” Zelenskyysaid.

“That’swhy Iamafraida long(Iran) war will give us less support.”

Loss of focusonUkraine

Thelatest U.S.-brokered talksbetween envoys from Moscow and Kyivendedin February with no sign of a breakthrough.Zelenskyy whohas accused Russiaof “trying to drag out negotiations” while it presses on with its invasion, said Ukraine remains in contact with U.S.negotiators abouta potentialdeal to end the war andhas continued topress for stronger security guarantees.

But, he said, even those discussions reflectabroader loss of focus from Ukraine.

His most immediate concern,Zelenskyysaid,are the Patriots—essential for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles —asUkraine still lacks an effective alternative.

These U.S.systems were never delivered in sufficient quantities to begin with, Zelenskyy said,and if the Iran war doesn’tend soon,“the package —which is notvery big for us —I thinkwill be smaller and smaller day by day.”

“That’s why,ofcourse,we are afraid,” he said. Interlinkedwars Zelenskyy hadbeen counting on European partners to help make the Patriot purchases despite tight supply and limited U.S. production capacity

But the Iran war,now in its sixth week,has sent shock waves through the global economy and pulled in much of thewiderMiddle East region,furtherstraining these already limited resources, diverting stockpiles andleaving Ukrainian cities more exposed to ballistic strikes

For Kyiv,akey objective is to weaken Moscow’seconomy and makethe war prohibitively costly. Surging oil prices driven by Iran’sclosure of the StraitofHormuz are undermining thatstrategy by boosting theKremlin’s oil revenuesand strengthening Moscow’scapacity to sustain its war effort In his interview withthe AP,Zelenskyy saidRussia draws economic benefits from the Mideast war,citing the limitedeasing of American sanctionsonRussian oil. “Russiagets additional money because of this, so yes, they have benefits,”he said.

Russianofficials said Sunday afire broke out at amajoroil refinery in theNizhny Novgorodregionafter a drone attack, while another drone damaged apipeline at theRussian Baltic Sea port of Primorsk,hometoamajor oil exportterminal. No casualties werereported.

Russia could reap awindfall from asurge in oil prices and the U.S. temporary waiveronRussianoil sanctions designedtoease supply shortagesasthe Iran war continues. Russia is one of the world’smain oil ex-

porters, andAsian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts

In response, Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone attacksonRussianoil facilities, which have rattled Moscow

Reneweddiplomaticpush

To keep Ukraine on the international agenda,Zelenskyy has offered to share Ukraine’shard-earned battlefield expertisewiththe United States and allies to developeffective countermeasures against Iranian attacks

Ukraine hasmet Russia’s evolving use of Iranian-made Shahed drones withgrowing sophistication,technological ingenuity and low cost Moscow significantly modifiedthe originalShahed-136, rebranded as the Geran-2, enhancing itsability to evade airdefenses andbemass produced. Ukraine responded withquickinnovation of its own, including low-cost interceptor drones designed to trackand destroy incoming drones.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to share withGulf Arabcountries targeted by Iran itsexperience and technology,including interceptor drones and sea drones,which Ukraine produces —more than are used up —with funding fromAmericans and its European partners.

In return, these countries could help Ukraine “with anti-ballistic missiles,” Zel-

enskyy said.

In late March, as the Iran war escalated, Zelenskyy visited Gulf Arab statesto promote Ukraine’s singular experience in countering Iranian-made Shaheddrones, leading to new defense cooperation agreements.

Zelenskyy hasalsopositioned Ukraine as apotential partner in safeguarding globaltrade routes, offering assistance in reopening the Strait of Hormuz by sharing Ukraine’sexperiences securing maritime corridors in the Black Sea.

Zelenskyy was in Istan-

bul fortalks withPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a dayafter theTurkish leader spokewithRussian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy saidthey discussed peace talks and apossible meeting of leadersin Istanbul. He also said there could be newdefense deals signed between the two countries soon. Followingthe talksinIstanbul, Zelenskyy andTurkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Syria on an officialvisit Sunday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

Notice is hereby givenpursuanttoArticle 7, Section23(C) of theLouisiana Constitution andR.S.47:1705(B)thata public hearingof SoutheastLouisianaFloodProtectionAuthority– East on behalf of theEastJeffersonLevee District in JeffersonParishwill be held at its regularmeeting placeinJosephYenni Building,SecondFloorCouncilChamberslocatedat 1221 ElmwoodParkBoulevard,Jefferson, LA on Thursday,May 21st at 10:00a.m.toconsiderlevyingadditionalorincreasedmillagerates withoutfurthervoterapprovaloradoptingthe adjusted millagerates after reassessment and rollingforwardtoratesnottoexceedtheprior year’smaximum. Theestimatedamountoftax revenues to be collectedinthe next year from theincreased millageis$12,933,462 andthe estimatedamountofincreaseintaxes attributabletothemillageincreaseis$612,807.

Sixyearsago, Act 61, abill that set the stage for carbon capture, passed the Legislaturewithout drawing asingle“no”inany committee or floorvotes. But now,for the fourthyear in arow,some legislators —including several who voted forAct 61 —are trying to limitorblock the technology in response to their constituents, who haveraised concernsabout environmental impacts, land rights and safety

As opposition grows, the energy industry is pushingbackwithincreasingurgency

Texas is nipping at thestate’s boot heel on CCS, industry officials say.The federal government recently gave Texas the abilityto regulate the technology on its own, eliminating an advantage that Louisianapreviously enjoyed.

“Wewant to be competitive. We want to bringinvestment to Louisiana.Wewant to bring the jobs and economic opportunities, but we know if we don’tget it right or if we stall, then companies are goingtogoacross the state line,” said Tommy Faucheux, executive director of the Louisiana MidcontinentOil and Gas Association.

Earlierthismonth,duringa legislative committee hearing, Paige Carter,the state Departmentof Economic Development’schief business officer,said billions of dollars areatstake.

A$2billion projectrelying on the potential reuse of captured industrial carbon dioxide backed out of afinal investment decision tolocateinBeauregard Parish, where technology has faced fierceopposition, because of a“lack of confidence around” carbon capture in Louisiana, she said.

Carter said the state is still competing forthe project buthas shiftedfrom being afront-runner with the Beauregard site to starting over to locate “that typeofbillion-dollar asset in another parish withinLouisiana.”

Yetthe oppositioncontinuesto spread.

Hours after Carter spoke to the House Commerce Committee on March 17, the St. Bernard Parish

IRAN

Both sides have threatened and hit civilian targets like oil fields and desalination plants critical fordrinking water.Iran’sU.N. mission called Trump’sthreat “clear evidenceof intenttocommit war crime.” Iran’sjoint military command warned of stepped-up attacks on regional oil and civilianinfrastructure if the U.S. and Israel attacksuch targets there, according to state television. The laws of armed conflictallow attacks on civilian infrastructure only if the military advantage outweighs the civilian harm, legal scholarssay.It’sconsidered ahigh bar to clear,and causing excessive suffering to civilians canconstitute awar crime.

Dramaticrescue

An intense search followed Friday’scrash of the F-15E Strike Eagle, while Iranpromised areward for the “enemy pilot.” It was the first known American aircraft to crash in Iranian territory sincethe U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28. Trump said that the service member was “seriously wounded and really brave” and rescued from

Councilunanimously adopted a resolution opposing carbon captureand sequestration due to “significant public concern” in the parishand state.

Near the bottom of Louisiana’s MississippiRiver industrialcorridor,the parish has been alongstanding home for oilrefineries anda well-paying, blue-collar workforce tied to fossil fuels. But, with its vote,itbecame the 16th in thestate to formally oppose carboncapture, based on anti-CCS advocates’ count.

Spillingintothe Senate race

One sign of theincreasing prominenceofthe carbon capture debate is thatithas spilled into the marquee contest in this year’s elections: theracefor U.S. Senate. Sen. Bill Cassidy is locked in atoughrace for reelection against U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,who has endorsements from President Donald Trumpand Treasurer Fleming.

Fleming has sought to make carbon capture a major issue,repeatedly calling on state officials to block theprojects.

Las tm onth, Landry—who is backingLetlow directly attacked Fleming on carbon capture, accusinghim of voting for bills that supported it whilein Congress.

“Aren’tyou tired of politicians doing one thing and saying another?

Landry wrote on social media, linking to the website of MAGA Energy anew advocacy group thatdefends carbon capture. The group pointed to severalbills for which Fleming voted that funded carbon capture research or pilot programs.

Flemingargues Landry is mischaracterizing his votes, since they were part of broader energy and water bills that addressed more than carbon capture —and carbon captureprojects didn’tre-

ally gain steam until after he left Congress. He said Landry’s attacks reveal the governor is nervous aboutthe threat the issue posestohis economicagenda and Letlow’scandidacy “It’s aseriously flailing campaign,” he said. Pearson Cross, apolitical science professor at theUniversity of LouisianaatMonroe, said Fleming “needs abreakthrough issue and maybe he feels like thisisthe issue to do it”after Letlow received Trump’sendorsement

Crossisn’tsurecarbon capture is well-known enough to break through as astatewide concern.

Buthesaid the governor’sattack on Fleming was noteworthy

“Any time the governor wastes somebreathonaparticular thing, it indicatesthathetakes it seriously,right?” Cross said. “So it’s alittle flattering toward Fleming, you know,that Landry chose to go after him, but it mayalso reveal whateverthe pollsare duringthe campaigns.”

Letlowsaid in astatementthat Landry was right to call out Fleming’sshiftingpositions on carbon capture. She said thestate doesn’t need another politician “who finds his principles during an election year,” as Cassidy already does.

Cassidy hassaid decisions on carbon capture are alocal issue that should be decided there.

‘Anindictmentofthe politicians’

Meanwhile, pressureonlocal governmentsand the legislature continues to grow

Traditional environmental and social justicegroups argue the technology is afalsesolutionto climate change that will delay a transition away from fossilfuels. Opposition is also mounting in conservativeparts of thestate that normally arepro-oil-and-gas, where some residents see the technology as athreat to theirproperty rights,inadditiontotheir health and aquifers —and as an acknowledgment of climate change,of which they are skeptical.

Thecentral Louisiana-based group Save My Louisiana, which arose las summer,falls in thelatter camp.

Mark T. Guillory, aretired U.S AirForce colonel and one of the group’sleaders, arguedthatLoui-

“deep inside the mountains” in an operationinvolving dozens of armed aircraft. He saida second crew member was rescued in “broad daylight” within hours of the crash

AseniorU.S. administration of-

ficial said that before locating the secondaviator,the CIAspread word inside Iran that U.S. forces hadfound him and were moving him out, creating confusion for Iranians.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

Iran also shot down anotherU.S militaryplane Friday,demonstrating theperils of the bombing campaign and the ability of Iran’s degradedmilitary to hit back Neither the status of the A-10attack aircraft’screw nor whereit crashed is known.

On Sunday, Iran’s state televisionaired avideo showing what

siana’scarbon capture policy was quietly developed among state leaders and parties with afinancial interest.

“It’sactuallyanindictment of the politicians that have kept this thing underthe radar and did not let people know exactly what it was or what it would do,” he said.

As groups like Save My Louisiana hold community meetings and outreachtoelectedofficials across the state, they arestarting to convince some leaders.

Take state Rep. Mike Johnson, theconservative speaker pro tempore whorepresents RapidesParish. Johnson voted for Act 61 in 2020 and usually is asolid supporter of business and industry groups —heonce served on the board of theinfluential Louisiana Association of Business and Industry

But this year,hehas sponsored bills that would limit the use of eminent domain to take property for CO2 pipelines and give local governments more power to reject theprojects. Johnson has said that constituents’ concerns have convinced him his earlier support for carbon capture was amistake.

“All three of my bills were requested by the Rapides Parish Police Jury,which is my parish and my people,”hesaid.

Before avote last week on one of Johnson’sbills, he argued the laws violated thestate andfederal constitutions andalso the biblical prohibitions against theft and coveting aneighbor’sproperty

The biblical comparison wasn’t received wellbyall on the committee, which rejected HB 7amid industry concerns. Before the vote, stateRep.Jerome “Zee” Zeringue, R-Houma, reminded Johnson about the Ninth Commandment.

“Yeah, well, you conveniently skippedover nine, that ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor,’ so,again, Iwould offer that we would remove thelog from oureye before we start pulling out splinters, so that’smycontention, Mr.Chairman,” he said.

More than 20 other bills on CCS await consideration this session.

‘We’re losing’

With no signs that the opposition to carbon capture is ebbing, industry groups are gearing up to push

it claimedwereparts of U.S. aircraft —atransport plane and two helicopters —shot downby Iranian forces during the rescue operation.

However,aregional intelligence official briefed on the missiontold theAPthat the U.S. military blew up two transport planesbecause of atechnical malfunction and brought in additional aircraftto complete the rescue.The official spoke on conditionofanonymity to discuss the covert mission.

Iran’sjoint military command latersaidthe U.S.bombarded its own aircraft to “prevent embarrassment forPresident Trump.”

TwoBlack Hawk helicopters were hitbut navigatedtosafeairspace, according to apersonfamiliarwiththe situation whospoke on conditionofanonymitytodiscuss thesensitive information.

Diplomacycontinues

Trump’sdeadline centers on alarm over Iran’sgrip on the Strait of Hormuz, critical for global shipments of oiland gasfrom the Persian Gulf as well as humanitarian supplies. Some ships have paid Iran for passage.

An Iranianpresidentialspokesperson, Seyyed MohammadMehdi Tabatabaei,saidonsocial media that the strait canreopen only

back moreforcefully

Theyargue oppositiongroups arespreading misinformation aboutthe risks posed by carbon capture, which hasa scientific grounding and is similar to processesthathavebeensafely used fordecades.

During an energy symposium at LSU in October,Desiree Lemoine, wholeads aBaton Rouge nonprofit that promotes Louisiana’sindustrial sector,tolda panelthatcritics have discounted this expert advice as compromised by industry funding. She said industry can’tspeak for itself because it has“skin in the game” and wanted to know what could be done to have that information considered fairly “Whatisthatbalance? Iameager to learn, ’cause we’re losing,” Lemoine said.

In arecent interview, Lemoine said her organization has started working with smaller groups to try to spread its message.

Meanwhile,MAGAEnergy the group Landry cited in attackingFleming —has sprung up to push back against carbon capture opponents with social media campaigns andadvertising.

The nonprofit advocacy group said it is nonpartisanand was formed to push back againstmisinformation about carbon capture andPresident Trump’senergy agenda. With legally confidential donors, it hasn’tshied away from amorebare-knuckled response.

TheMAGAEnergy Project hasaccusedoppositiongroups like Save My Louisiana of being beholden to outside, left-leaning influences andFleming,a Republican anda former Trump administration official, of joining their ranks in his opposition to CCS.

“Now,he’sflip-flopped, turned hisbackonPresidentTrump’s agenda, and has joined theside of liberal extremists like George Soros, Mike Bloomberg, andradical groups like the Sierra Club,” MAGA Energy says.

Save My Louisiana says it’salocal organization that is not affiliated with nationalenvironmental groups.

DavidJ.Mitchellcan be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

if sometransit revenues compensate Iran forwar damages. Atop Iranian adviser,Ali Akbar Velayati, warned on social media that Tehran also could disrupt trade on theBab el-Mandeb, akey chokepoint to andfrom theRed Sea. Diplomaticefforts continued. Oman’sForeign Ministry said that deputyforeign ministersand experts from Iran and Oman metto discuss proposals to ensure “smooth transit” through thestrait.

Egypt said that Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had spoken with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoffand Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, andwith Turkishand Pakistani counterparts. Russia said that Araghchi also spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Bahrain urged the U.N. Security Council to act on its draftproposal with language authorizing defensive action to ensure safepassage through the strait.

Iran strikesGulftargets

In the United Arab Emirates, authorities said that four people one Nepali and three Pakistani were hurt in fires caused by debris from the interception of an Iranian projectile at Khor Fakkanport, and interceptiondebris caused firesatapetrochemical plant in Ruwais, halting operations.

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

If you ask any bartender in New Orleans which day of the year they love to work most, Toby Lefort says they’ll likely have a quick answer After 13 years tending bar at Bourbon Pub and Parade, a popular gay bar in the French Quarter Lefort’s is surprising.

“Believe it or not,” he said, “my favorite day to work here is Easter Sunday.”

It’s not that hard to imagine once you’ve experienced an Easter in the French Quarter, where you’ll find bunny ears as far as the eye can see, outfits that elaborately exaggerate the holiday theme with eggs, chicks, spring flowers and more. It’s a thumping street party akin to Mardi Gras — except bathed in pastel.

There’s only one place in the world where you’re as likely to find drag queens parading through town on horse-drawn carriages on Easter Sunday as you are to find kids on the hunt for eggs and processions of locals headed to church for Mass. Only in New Orleans will you hear bartenders complain annually that bonnets are impossible to work in and find tourists who come to town specifically to celebrate Easter

“I’m really amazed with the amount that Easter has attracted people now,” Lefort said. “Easter has become a destination weekend for the city.”

In the 25 years since its inception, the Gay Easter Parade has become a staple among the Crescent City’s many eccentric celebrations, drawing visitors from out of town, spawning days of spinoff events at gay bars across the city and emerging as one of the biggest events of the year for the local LGBTQ community — bigger to some than Christmas and even Pride and Decadence.

Even this year’s dreary weather couldn’t stop festivities, as hordes of revelers braved the rain Sunday to don floppy hats overflowing with colorful eggs and watch the shortbut-sweet parade in the late afternoon, the third and final procession to roll through the French Quarter each Easter

Tony Leggio, a board member for the Gay Easter Parade who has been involved with the event for the past two decades, said it’s been heartwarming to watch his hometown embrace the unexpected celebration of such a holy day

“It’s been wonderful to watch how the community has accepted this parade and made it one of their favorites,” Leggio said “And I think it’s a testament to the people in the parade and the organizers of the parade since its inception in 2000.”

Advocacy, but make it fashion

Like so many things in New Orleans, the Gay Easter Parade is ultimately about costuming

“It’s all about dressing up, being

flamboyant, being colorful,” Leggio said, “which kind of falls under the gay purview a lot.”

Leggio said the parade was originally founded simply as a way to showcase family-friendly Easter fashion and costumes. When else might you wear a vintage tweed suit or giant plastic egg purse?

Costuming was the forefront of the parade’s mission when the late Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain, editors at local LGBTQ publication Ambush Magazine, took the reins early on But as its popularity has grown, the event has also come to mean so much more to so many

The annual procession is the public face of a year-round fundraising effort on behalf of Crescent Care’s Food for Friends program, which makes hot meals available to people living with HIV.

Leggio said the Easter Parade’s charitable events — annual cocktail receptions, drag shows and other soirees have contributed a total of $400,000 to the cause over the years.

And at its core, the Gay Easter Parade has become a way for people who have historically been left out of traditional religious Easter festivities to enjoy the spring holiday

“A lot of the gay community doesn’t really have family that they hang out with,” Leggio said.

“So this is, for the community, a wonderful opportunity to be around our chosen family.”

It’s also a boon for business in the French Quarter each year between crowded Carnival and spring festival weekends. Attendees often arrive early in the morning for Mass or the Chris Owens parade

and stay out all day until the Gay Easter Parade. Sunday’s crowd drew all different types of people — young and old, tourists and locals, religious and not all intermingling to cheer for rubber duckies and candy throws from the parade. Children played catch with a rainbow football on St. Ann Street as crowds of drunken carrots and geese and Peeps danced outside Good Friends Bar just a few feet away, and the colorful costumes brightened the gloomy day Dressed head-to-toe in rainbow colors and handing out rainbow flags and stickers to giddy passersby, Meaghan Dorn said she’s been coming to New Orleans for Gay Easter for the past four years, ever since she and her husband stumbled upon the event

while visiting for their April wedding anniversary

“Where we are in rural Pennsylvania, you don’t have this,” she said.

They come back every year around this time, both to enjoy all the food and culture the city has to offer and to celebrate Easter the New Orleans way

“You can just be yourself down here,” she said.

Good friends, good strangers

Inflatable eggs were already hanging from the ceiling of Good Friends on Dauphine Street the Wednesday afternoon before Easter weekend, but days of intermittent rain had foiled manager Kory

Poole’s plans for house bunnythemed décor outside the bar

Poole said he’d been preparing

for the onslaught of Easter revelers — which he described as a “St. Ann situation” — for days, putting up decorations and planning events and staff costumes.

“It gets bigger every year,” Poole said with a tinge of weariness in his voice, as “I’m Just Ken” blared through the mostly empty bar

Still, Poole was clearly excited, pulling up photos of Easters past and the cropped polo shirts that staff planned to pair with fluffy bunny ears, tails and cuff links on Sunday He hired drag queen Lexis Redd D’Ville to host the bar’s annual bonnet contest, which brings crowds of paradegoers to Good Friends shortly after the main event. By Sunday the exterior design plan and staff costumes had both come to fruition, and all was well at the packed neighborhood bar. Poole said this year is his first Easter back in New Orleans since the COVID-19 pandemic, when he moved back home to Texas to help take care of his family His eyes welled up with tears as he described the joy he feels watching people of different backgrounds and beliefs blend in the French Quarter on Easter

It’s a happy and supportive day in New Orleans, one that he missed dearly while he was away.

“I grew up in Houston, and they have nothing like this. Nothing like this whatsoever,” he said. “ I think this city is just full of different avenues — I think it’s awesome.”

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey bubnash@theadvocate.com.

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Auditors: RTA may have overspent

Canal Street Ferry contract concerns raised

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

The Regional Transit Authority

didn’t properly oversee and manage parts of its contract for the construction of the Canal Street Ferry Terminal, potentially causing the agency to spend millions more than it needed to on the project, according to the findings of two internal reviews by agency auditors.

Glass recycling program begins in Quarter

Waste would be diverted from landfill, officials say

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

A pilot program to expand glass recycling to French Quarter bars and restaurants could help divert thousands of pounds of bottles and cans from the landfill and bring some of it to Louisiana’s coastline.

The French Quarter Management District launched an initiative in March with the local recycling organization Glass Half Full, which collects glass around the Gulf South and converts the waste into sand and gravel for coastal restoration projects and other uses

The French Quarter district will cover the costs of the first month of glass recycling, typically the most expensive component of the service due to setup and onboarding Franziska Trautmann, the founder of Glass Half Full, said first-month costs can run up to $500 for larger commercial businesses, and that subsequent months are significantly lower Glass recycling is not covered under the city’s sanitation services.

“When we talk to bars and restaurants about starting to recycle glass, they’re hesitant about trying it out while also having to pay for the service,” Trautmann said. “It’s nice to basically remove any barriers to entry for recycling in the Quarter.”

The French Quarter district received an $8,500 grant for the project from Keep Louisiana Beautiful, a state agency under Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser’s office focused on litter prevention and recycling. The initiative began in mid-March and will run through April 15. After that, the businesses can decide whether to pay for the glass recycling services themselves.

“This is good for cleanliness. This helps our businesses save money in that way,” said Michelle Courseault, executive director of the local district.

“We hope that all of those things come together smoothly so that it can be environmentally impactful, but also really be a better quality of life in the Quarter.”

The relatively small recycling project comes amid controversy around the future of recycling across the city New Orleans officials in March gave up the majority of a federal grant aiming to expand curbside recycling to all households, arguing that it could result in additional costs

The reviews, completed in 2022 and 2023 by the RTA’s Office of Internal Audit and Compliance, looked at dozens of change orders for the construction project and raised concerns about the agency’s failure to follow proper procedures in approving the change orders.

The focus of the reviews was a $22.9 million contract for the con-

struction of the new ferry terminal, barge and wharf, which grew by at least $5.8 million by the time the ribbon was cut on the project in August 2023.

The findings which the RTA and its CEO Lona Edwards Hankins disputed in a statement last week, arrived around the same time that agency leaders were dealing with the fallout from an unrelated contract with BRC Construction

Group LLC for facilities maintenance work. After auditors examined the BRC contract, the RTA’s board of commissioners launched their own investigation, which determined that an RTA executive had improperly authorized roughly $1 million work. The findings led half of the eight-member board to resign in February 2024 and Jefferson Parish to pull out of the agency The FBI later launched an investigation.

Though the 2022 and 2023 re-

views related to the ferry contract raised similar concerns over internal procurement procedures, the RTA board never received copies of them.

In a prepared statement, RTA officials said the reviews weren’t shared with the board because they weren’t formal internal audits, so the agency wasn’t required to develop a corrective action plan or share them with the board. The RTA also defended its

A homeless encampment is illegally erected

‘Being

out here is very challenging’

Homeless encampment springs up at ‘End of the World,’ highlighting need for shelters, housing

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

In January after years living inside the abandoned Navy base on Poland Avenue in Bywater, Tracey Gilbert ended up in a tent at the “End of the World.”

The apocalyptically nicknamed spit of land where the Industrial Canal meets the Mississippi River has long been a spot for dog-walking and fishing. But this year it became the site of another homeless encampment, as developers broke ground on a $300 million residential and retail redevelopment of the former base.

Gilbert and dozens of others who had been living in the property gathered what they could before city officials arrived to clear them out and moved into the nearby grassland. Now, about a doz-

en remain as others scattered or moved into subsidized housing.

On Wednesday afternoon, Gilbert and her friend Janessa Hokey sat on a fallen tree trunk, surrounded by what they had carried months earlier: furniture, bicycles, shoes and clothes laid out to dry across the skinny branches of batture brush. And also, like other members of what Gilbert called their “artist community,” collection of paintings and sculptures made while living inside the vast concrete structure sat nearby

“We’re all family,” said Amelia Nottingham, another resident who moved from the base. “We’re a little different, we’re free, we’re away from society but we ain’t hurt nobody either.”

Bywater residents walking dogs along the Industrial Canal said they generally weren’t bothered by the small encampment, but its presence has created another challenge for homeless services providers who have found housing for more than 1,500 people with the help of a federal grant over the past two years. That money has since run out, and due to the city’s financial crisis, the Office

of Homeless Services budget has been slashed.

Jeffrey Schwartz, the housing director for Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration, said city workers will conduct sweeps in the coming weeks to relocate the few dozen people estimated to live along several riverbank encampments from the “End of the World” down to the wharves in Crescent Park.

A new park atop the Gov. Nicholls Street Wharf is set to open to the public on April 16. And there are broader plans by City Hall and the Audubon Nature Institute to transform and connect longneglected parts of the riverfront, from the Industrial Canal upriver to Spanish Plaza and the Riverwalk.

Schwartz said that the administration hopes to “get people housed and connected to resources” rather than get law enforcement involved.

He acknowledged that permanent housing options are slim but said that the city can use its limited number of shelter beds and permanent housing slots to

Laureate Academy charter in Harvey buys campus

Leaders say move will allow expansion with full site control

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

Laureate Academy, a Jefferson Parish charter school recognized by the state last year as one of the most improved in Louisiana, has bought its campus after nearly a decade of renting — a move school leaders say will allow the school to expand The K-8 public school in Harvey last month purchased the former Catholic school campus from the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The deal’s closure follows a year of negotiations over the 6-acre plot, which includes six buildings, said Laureate founder

and President Claire Heckerman Whitehead.

School officials declined to say how much Laureate paid for the Oakmere Drive property, saying the terms of the sale prevent them from disclosing any details about the amount until a later date. The sale gives Laureate full control over the site, allowing the charter to expand if it wants. It also provides peace of mind for students and school leaders who no longer need to worry about whether St. John Bosco, the church that previously operated on the property, will reclaim its buildings, Heckerman said.

“This is a really big deal, particularly for a single-site charter school,” she said. “Most can’t afford it.”

Laureate, which has about 550 students, first opened its doors as a small K-1 school at the Harvey

Kindergarten School on Sixth Street in 2015 before moving to its current location in 2018.

Last year, the Louisiana Department of Education recognized Laureate as the second mostimproved public school in Jefferson Parish and the sixth mostimproved in the state.Now, leaders say they’re excited to expand Laureate’s offerings for students, which could include adding more grade levels and increasing the number of after-school activities.

“There are a lot of ideas on the table, but being a pillar in the community is really important to everybody,” said Caitlyn Scales, Laureate’s board chair “Having more of an impact on more kids in the area is a top priority.”

The Archdiocese of New Orleans, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020, is currently selling off many of its properties. Last year,

the archdiocese agreed to a $230 million settlement with hundreds of survivors of clergy sex abuse. Over the last few years, it has closed dozens of Catholic schools in the greater New Orleans area, including several in Jefferson Parish. Around 65 of its schools still operate regionwide, according to the archdiocese website, down from about 106 in the early 2000s. Many of those closed schools remain empty In 2022, the archdiocese announced plans to shutter three schools in the Greater New Orleans area — St. Rita in New Orleans, St Mary Magdalen in Metairie and St. Rosalie in Harvey — after enrollment at all three dropped below 200. The following year, the organization closed St. John of Arc School in New Orleans, also due to low enrollment.

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internal controls and said that construction of the Canal Street Ferry Terminal included “multiple layers of oversight, including project management,procurement, finance, and compliance review in accordance with the agency’scontractingprocedures.”

“Change orders were developed and technically justified by project management staff andengineering consultants, supported by independent cost estimates, and processed through the agency’sstandard approval framework,”the agency said.

Along-delayedproject

The RTAfirst raised the prospectofbuilding anew ferry terminal in 2015, afterthe statehandedover control of the Canal StreetAlgiers Point ferry service to the agency

MayorMitch Landrieu had hoped to complete the project before the city’s tricentennial in 2018, but aseries of design changes pushed back that timeline.

In 2019, the RTAhired WoodwardBuild+Design and APC Construction to redesign the project, and ayear later,the agency signed off on the joint venture’sproposal. The RTA agreed to pay the firms no more than $22.9 millionfor its construction, unless the scope of work changed. The

GLASS

Continued from page1B

forthe city.Meanwhile, Mayor Helena Moreno has raised thepossibility of nixing curbsiderecycling altogether and raising trash fees as her new administration deals with adeep budget deficit

TheFrenchQuarter has three recycling drop-off locations for residents. Restaurants and bars in the area have previously participated in the growing Mardi Gras recycling efforts.

“Wereally are going to havetocontinue to push our drop-off locations to truly support the community,it seems, until the recycling bins for Orleans Parish as awholeconversation is really ironed out,” Courseault said.

Trautmann said that almost all establishments

HOMELESS

Continued from page1B

make sure that it isn’t“just pushing folks into other places.”

The encampment is the latest to pop up throughout the city after officials cleared the much larger encampments under the Pontchartrain Expressway and Claiborne Avenue overpass in recent years.

People can be found sleeping on sidewalks and stoops throughout Central City,the French Quarter,and Bywater. Outlying neighborhoods that have rarelyseen homelessness are also being affected,and some residents are questioning whether the city’shomelessnesscrisis is simply being pushed around, rather than solved In Algiers, an encampment popped up under the Crescent City Connection last year,and larger groups have been sleeping in abandoned buildings, said Shantrice Norman-Dial, executive director of Concerned Citizens for aBetter Algiers, ahousing organization.

“We’ve never really seen it in Algiers like we seeit now,” said Norman-Dial. “Wewill see more of that on the West Bank if we don’t provide the services that constituents need, whether that’saffordable housing, transitional housing.”

Housingfunds runout

City officials have celebrated some wins when it comes to homelessness in recent years —housing people from eight once-

project broke groundinOctober 2020.

An internal review At therequest of the agency’sprocurementdepartment,auditors began looking into the contract in 2022. By then, the RTAhad approved 31 changeorders, increasingthe project’s priceto$24.8 million

Auditors analyzed each changeorder andidentified 15 areas of concern, including the agency’srepeated failure to get independent cost estimates before reviewing the contractor’s proposalstoensureit was receiving market price for the extrawork. Federal grants paid for much of theferry terminal project. But auditors said the procurement files lacked documentation showing that the RTAgot thenecessary approvals from federal regulators to modifythe scope of work

Auditors alsofound several change orders lacked the appropriate signatures fromthen-CEOAlex Wiggins and documentation showingthe RTAhad conducted conflict-of-interest assessments.

Auditors reexamined the contract in June 2023and foundthatvery little had changed.Bythen, the RTA hadapproved atotal of 83 change orders, pushing the contract’s price to $28.7 million.

When auditors reviewed agency records, theyfound that thecapital projects department hadn’tpro-

videdthe procurement department with 26 of those change orders —leading to anearly $1 million discrepancy in the agency’sfinancial managementsoftware.

Auditors alsofound that someofthe extra work was completedbefore change orders were fully approved.

“The lack of effective change order management and the circumventing of procurement procedures could have ledtothe unnecessary spending of $5,842,832.98 on change orders,”the auditors wrote.

“The need for change ordermanagementand procurement procedures are rooted in the need to control costs, manage budgets and expectations,and to prevent project scope creep,” they added, warning that a failure to adhere to the process couldleadtoanabuse of funds, higher costs or a violation of federal grant guidelines.

RTArespondstoreview

Hankins oversawthe terminalproject as theagency’schief infrastructure officer beforebeing named CEO in 2023. In aprepared statement, the RTAsaid she reviewed change orders that had already undergone other internal and technical reviews and moved to address any concerns.

“When an internalreview later identified gaps in documentation within some projectfiles, Hankins directed project stafftolocateand compile those records …sothe procurement

files could be brought fully up to date,” the RTAsaid.

The RTAsaidtheydidn’t share the reviews withthe Federal Transit Administration, butthatfederal officials reviewed “several of the change orders”last year as part of areview of agency operation “and there were no exceptions or findings related to any of those.” TheFTA didnot respond to arequest for comment.

In the years since the auditors’ reviews were received, the RTAsaid it has “undertaken abroader review of procurement practices and capital projects oversight,”hired achief legal officer to advise on complianceand procurement matters and put in place improved financial managementsoftware.

The auditors’ reviewof theferryterminal change orders was limited to the RTA’sinternalprocesses. They didn’tengage with theproject’s contractors, review agency spending or attempttodetermine the validity of each changeorder

In an emailed statement, Ken Flower,president of Woodward Design+Build, said thejoint venture performedits workinaccordancewith its contract and “theprocedures established by theproject team, including thecontractual change order process.”

“Change orders were driven by scopemodificationsinitiated through the design andownershipteam,

Franziska Trautmann, co-founder and CEO of Glass Half Full, on top of apile of glassthat will be recycled, now has apilot program to expand glass recycling to French Quarter bars and restaurants to help divertthousandsofpoundsofbottles and cans from the landfill.

continue the glass recycling program after first implementingit. Theprogram involvesrecycling pickups usually between one and

threetimes aweek, depending on the size of thebar or restaurant GlassHalf Full is aiming to collect more than 10,000

poundsofglass through the monthlong trial project at six French Quarter businesses, including Hotel Provincial, Prytania The-

largeencampments across downtown.

But the city hasfallen shortwhen it comestothe other piece of that goal: finding sustainable funding to achieve, as officialspromised, “low or no unsheltered homelessness.” Housing slotsare now availableonly whenacurrent participant leaves the housing program.

At the End of the World on Wednesdayafternoon, thepeoplelivingthere said they were frustrated that promised housing hadsofar failedtomaterialize

“Beingout here is very challenging,” said Hokey “Theexposure,it takes atoll on you after awhile.”

Riverwindrippedthrough the camp, scattering trash and rattling Hokey’sblue tent,held inplace by a fence she constructed of driftwood. Hokey saidshe became homeless in 2021 after therent on her 9th

Ward apartment outpaced her income in service industry jobs. She’sonthe list for housing with UNITY but nothing has come through so far The camp was busyas residents seized asunny moment between spurts of rain. Nottingham gathered trash to burn by the water’sedge. Gilbert’spartner,Joshua Kaehler,clinked ahammer to acircuit board, searching for scraps of precious metals Kaehler said that alease thecouple recently signed withUNITY’s help had fallen through.Other apartments cheap enough for their voucher to cover were either too smallfor both of them or located in NewOrleans East,orfar from JacksonSquare,where Gilbert can sell herart During their time at “the base,” as former residents call it,Gilbert,anartist,had

including site upgrades coordinatedwith the neighboring Audubon Nature Institute,” Flower said.

“Each change was documented,reviewed, and approved by the RTAand its consultants in accordance with theproject’s established procedures.”

“When requested, our team provided additional information to support that review process,” Flower added. “The resultwas a transparent, well-managed project that delivered strong value to the RTAand the public.”

The RTAboard is scheduled to hold its next meeting on April 28, the first since Mayor Helena Moreno’sboard appointees receivedCityCouncil approval.

Among the biggest questions the new board members will face is whether to keep Hankins as CEO In October,the RTAboard under the control of former MayorLaToyaCantrell’s appointees,extendedHankins employment contract through 2031.

At acouncil confirmation hearing in March, Barbara Major,aHankins critic and one of Moreno’sappointees, said she intends “to clean up someofthe alleged foolishness” at the RTA.

“But I’ll wait until Iget there to see if it is what they say it is,” Major said. “If it is what theysay it is, youknow, Igot no problem telling people to leave, you know,correctly and lawfully.”

atres at CanalPlace and Antoine’s.

Nicole Maddox, sommelier and beverage manager at Antoine’s,said implementing Glass Half Full’s program at the historic restaurant was a“dream project,” as shehad previously volunteered withthe organization andunderstood its benefits.

“Forour bars, the majorityofour trash is glass, so it made amassive difference,” Maddox said.

The establishment is definitely planning to continue the service after the trial month, shesaid, andestimates that the pilot program saved them between $600 and$700withthe costs of bins, startupfees andother aspects of the service.

Courseault said the French Quarter district is reapplying forthe state grant next year and would like to see the funding award amount doubled.

the encampment hasn’t impacted theconstruction work. But nonetheless, as the citylooks toward connecting park space along the river, he said, “It’sa problem that needs to be dealt with.”

Several dog walkers at the End of the World this week said that they have shared thespace withthe encampment without issue.

“It’speaceful —nobody bothers anybody,” said Bywater resident Alexius Coley

As she waited to tour an apartment on St. Claude on Friday,Gilbertsaidshe can understand the city’smove to clear the encampment.

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Benton, Barbara Blunt Jr., Manuel Foto,Jacob Jeanfreau,Frances Kirk, Pierre O'Callaghan, Dennis Rock,Ann Unsworth,John Williams,Kathleen WininghamJr.,George

EJefferson Leitz-Eagan

Foto,Jacob Williams,Kathleen

NewOrleans DW Rhodes Greenwood

WininghamJr.,George

JacobSchoen

Jeanfreau,Frances

Lake Lawn Metairie

Unsworth,John

Obituaries

Benton, Barbara

Barbara Benton,born October15, 1952, in New Orleans, Louisiana, passed away on January 25, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee Sheresidedwith hersister, Jean Ibosh,inMemphis. Mayher memory bring comforttoall whoknew her.

Blunt, Manuel 'Turk'

Manuel "Turk"Blunt Jr., born September2,1959, in NewOrleans,passed away on March 25, 2026. Alifelong residentofNew Orleans, he was educated within theOrleans school system. Manuel was known for hislove of cooking, watchingmovies, and listeningtomusic. Above all,hevaluedspending time with hisfriends and family. Manuel is survived by hissister Tanya Blunt Wilson, brotherRodney Blunt, and Aunt AnnieMae Bell. He is also survived by numerousnieces, nephews, and cousins. He waspreceded in death by hismotherRosalie Blunt, father ManuelBlunt Sr sister DebraBlunt Butler, son Chad Burns, and nephew Ricky P. Butler.A private service will be held forfamily.

Foto, Jacob John

grown accustomed to using the wide cavernous space as her canvas.

Despite the violent and property crime flaggedby city officials in andaround thefacility,Gilbertand otherssaidthe base was asafe haven for artists

“My art galleryinthere, Icall it my ‘SparkleFactory,’”said Gilbert, whohung mobiles madeofmirror fragments in one room and madeabstract paintings on file folders —thousands of them, she said —inanother

“Surelythere must be some two-bedroom apartment that’s affordable,” Gilbert said. “But rents have really gone through theroof —I’m amazed. Idon’tknow how people can afford it.”

Neighborsreact

Peter Aamodt, oneofthe developerswith the Navy base project, known as NSA East Apartments, said that

“It’s understandable mostpeople go there not to see us hanging out,” said Gilbert. But she said she wishes the city would allow residents more time to find housing before clearing the encampment.

And shesaid shewould miss the community that haddeveloped amongthose living on the edge of the Bywater

“I’mjustthankfulIhad the time that Idid have over there,” Gilbert said.

LOTTERY

SATURDAY,APRIL4,2026

PICK 3: 4-0-0

PICK 4: 0-7-8-6

PICK 5: 1-9-6-4-7

EASY 5: 11-23-26-28-35 LOTTO: 4-10-12-26-35-40

3-6-13-41-

Jacob John Foto, known to all wholoved himas Jake,passed away on March31, 2026, at the age of 76. Born to the late DominicJ.and Angelina Christina Foto, Jake was shaped by the rich culture anddeep familybonds for whichNew Orleansis known.After high school, Jake enlisted in theUnited StatesMarineCorps,servingwith courage anddistinction in theVietnam War wherehewas awarded twoPurpleHearts, a Presidential Unit Citation, andnumerous othercampaign medals. After his years of service,Jake built alifefilledwith love,loyalty, andlaughter.He shared that life with his wife, Mary Gail Heffron

Foto, for just shy of 40 years. Together they created ahome where family meant everything and where the sounds of a Saints game were nothing short of sacred. Jake's spirit will live on in every family gathering, every Saints touchdown, and every bowl of gumbo shared among his family and friends. Jake was preceded in death by his parents; his siblings,DominicFoto, Mary Angelique Foto, RSM (née Catherine), Marian Weilbaecher, and Anthony Foto; and Rose Rita Christina. He is survived by his wife, Mary, and their family: Salvador "Sal" Christina (Margaret), Angelina "Angie" Christina, Saverio "Shava" Christina, LaurenChristina (Jessica Ward), Joseph "Roch" Weilbaecher (Kat), Dominic Weilbaecher (Amy), Desiree Adams (Phil), and several greatnieces and nephews. Family and friends are invited to the Visitation on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, beginning at 10:30 a.m. with Mass at noon at St. Clement of Rome Catholic Church, 4317 Richland Avenue, Metairie, Louisiana. Interment will follow at Lake Lawn Park Cemetery Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers,please consider adonation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, www.stjude.org. Fond memories and condolence expressions may be shared at www.leitzeaganf uneralhome.com

Frances Decker

FrancesDeckerJeanf‐reau passedawayatthe ageof85onthe morningof Monday,March 30, 2026. Franceswas thedaughter of Williamand MayLee Decker,a graduate of Mt Carmel Academyand New‐comb CollegeofTulane University.Frances wasa lifelong NewOrleanian even when shebrieflylived in west Texas. Shewas an active member of St.An‐gela Merici Catholic Church and, when nottrav‐elingaround theworld or visiting grandchildren, en‐joyedbridge, tennis, mahjong, andtellingsto‐ries.Whenshe became friendswithsomeone,she stayed friendswiththem forlife. Francesispre‐cededindeath by herhus‐band CharlesJeanfreau andher granddaughter ChristianMay Jeanfreau. Sheissurvivedbyher brotherBob (Marsha), threesonsCharles (Laura), Andre(Jennifer), andMark (Jennifer),her grandchil‐dren Ella,Miles,Charles, Dylan, Shelby,Taylor, Katherine, Lilah, Samantha andMolly,and by numer‐ousniecesand nephews. Shewillbegreatly missed, notonlybyher immediate andextendedfamilybut also by herextremely wide circle of friendsand ac‐quaintances. Thefamily will receivefriends on Sat‐urday, April11from11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at St.An‐gela Merici Church in Metairie.A mass of Christ‐ianBurialwillbecele‐brated at St.AngelaMerici at 1:00 p.m. with interment to follow at Greenwood Cemetery.Inlieuof flow‐ers, thefamilyrequest do‐nationstoSt. Jude Chil‐dren’s Research Hospital

Kirk, Pierre Colonel Pierre Josephle Mercier du Quesnay Kirk U.S.Army (Ret.), le Comte de Jumécourt, died March 4, 2026 He was the son of Rear Admiral Joseph Leo Delaney Kirk,USNR, and Marie Louise Valérie le Mercier du Quesnay Kirk la ComtesseHanus de Jumécourt, of theFrench familyleMercier du Quesnay and Hanus of New Orleans, whose origins lie in Normandy and Lorraine in France. Born a citizen of the United States, he was also a French citizen by filiation through his mother. He was educated in New Orleans at St. Anne's Grammar School, conducted by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Bourges, and at Jesuit High School. He later attended Loyola University New Orleans. Commissioned in the

UnitedStates Army, ColonelKirk volunteered fortwo tours of combat duty in Vietnam, wherehe was decorated forhis serviceand wounded in action.Healsoserved in Fulda, West Germany during the Cold Warand elsewhere, and continuedhis service in the Army Reserve.

Followinghis active military career,heworked in naval and airtransportation andlogistics and later servedfor ten years in Londonasa civilian with the UnitedStates Navy, supporting operational logistics during Operation DesertStormand subsequent conflicts in Iraq. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales, sponsoredbythe United States Navy, and laterpractised lawonits behalfasa barrister,and as anotary in the Commonwealth of Virginia. While in Europe, he remained closelyconnectedwith hisextended family in Franceand made frequent visitstoParis

AlifelongRoman Catholic, he was an active parishionerofthe Jesuit parish of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, London, anda regular attendee of the LatinMass. He was predeceasedby his son,John David duQuesnay Kirk (Sharon), of Melbourne,Australia He is survivedbyhis wife, Rosalind Kirk;his children,Jennifer Anne leMercierduQuesnay Lutin (Benjamin), of Jacksonville, Florida, and PierreEdmond CharlesleMercier du QuesnayKirk (Monica), of London, England; his grandchildren, Agnes Constance,Clara Felicity, GilbertEdmond and Sylvia Bernadette le Mercierdu QuesnayKirk,and Zack and Ella du Quesnay Kirk; and extendedmembers of the du Quesnayand Kirk families.

La famille recommande son ame avos prieres. Family and friends are invited toa Tridentine Requiem Mass at St Patrick's Church,Camp Street, on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. Interment will take place in the du Quesnay family tomb, in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.

The family of Dr.Dennis John O'Callaghan is sad to announce his passingon March 30, 2026,in Shreveport, Louisiana,after anearlyfour-year fight with cancer. Dennis, or "Doc" as he was known to many forboth hisdoctorate and his use of hispreferred initials,DO'C, wasa scientist,a teacher,and a beloved family manwho served the LSU Health Science Center and its communityfor thelast 42 years. Denniswas born in New Orleans in 1940toJohn Jeremiah O'Callaghan and Odeal Fitzpatrick O'Callaghan. He attended St. Rita School and Jesuit High School. Dennisdeveloped his legendary work ethicyoung, throwing two paperroutesduringthe schoolyearand holding summer jobs unloading box cars and workingina sheet rock factoryonthe IndustrialCanal. To earn money for college,Dennis servedasanordinaryseamanonthe S.S. Hastings on aEuropeancargo run, setting ashiprecord for overtime earned in asingle voyage Dennis attendedLoyola University in New Orleans. Despite his heavy courseloadand continuing to work his paper routes, Dennis found time to join Sigma AlphaKappa fraternity and enjoy the scene at the famous La CasadeLos Marinos in the French Quarter. Dennis graduated in 1962 with aB.S.in Biology with aminorin Chemistry.Hethen enrolled at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (never call it OleMissto him) in Jackson forgraduate studies in microbiology. While there, Dennis metthe love of hislife, HelenFrancesBriscoe (Frances), who was working as ageneticsresearcher afterobtaining her masters in microbiology. They weremarried June24, 1967, forming a unionthat wouldlast51 years until Frances'sdeath in 2018.AfterDennis received his Ph.D. in 1967, the couplemoved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, forDennistocomplete apostdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta Medical.In Edmonton, Francescontinued to work as aresearch geneticist while Dennis completed his postdoctor-

al studies. In 1971, Dennis returned to theUniversityof Mississippi as an Assistant Professor and rose to full Professor in 1977. In 1972, Dennis and Frances welcomed theironlychild, son BradyDennisO'Callaghan Dennis was recruited as Professorand Head of the Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyatLSUHSC in Shreveport in 1984. He was selected as theWillisKnightonChair of Molecular Biology in 1995, thefirst endowed Chairon theShreveport campus. He was subsequently appointed as the63rd Boyd Professor of theLSU System, thehighest academichonorbestowedto faculty in thestate-wide network of nine universities and research centers. Dennis retired as chairman in 2018 and served as Boyd ProfessorEmeritus in the department until his final retirementinDecember of 2025. In his research career, Dennis was personally awardedgrants totaling nearly 40 milliondollars.

Dennis's greatest joy and purpose forhis work was his family.His wife Frances was an accomplishedscientist herself, havinggraduated from MillsapsCollege at 19. She turnedfrom science to art and became anationally publishedwatercolorist. Frances was also atireless volunteer at theFeistWeiller CancerCenter and otherlocal charities.

Dennis was also proud of his onlyson, who attended Yale University and LSU Law School and served several years as aprosecutor before being elected aDistrict courtjudge in Caddo Parishin2013. He adored hisdaughter-in-law Amy Vogel O'Callaghan, and took greatprideinher expertisemanaging numerous largecommunity events forthe Louisiana Prize Foundation in Shreveport and New Mexico. His greatest honor was receiving thetitle of "PopPop" whenhis twin grandsons Logan and Marshall were born in 2006. He and Frances, or "GiGi" would keep theboys at every opportunity. PopPop cheerfully pulled them up hillsfor sledding when it snowed and filledhis home and theirswith toys and happiness. He was proud of their many accomplishmentsand was thrilled that they are presentlyattending Brown University together.

Dennis and Frances were also close to Dennis's brotherand sister-in-law, Dr. Richard O'Callaghan and Jackie Marziale O'Callaghan.Richard followedDennisinto Microbiology and served as aprofessor formany years at LSU's medical school in NewOrleans before becoming Chairofthe Microbiology department back at theUniversity of Mississippi.For many years, astudent couldnot receive amedical degree fromLSU without being taught by an O'Callaghan, afact that gaveDennis greatsatisfaction and pride

Denniswas preceded in death by his parents, John and Odeal,his wife Frances, and his sister-inlaw, Jackie.Heissurvived by his son, Brady, his beloveddaughter-in-law Amy,and his grandsons Logan Brady O'Callaghan and MarshallDennis O'Callaghan.Heisalso survivedbyhis brother Richard, hisnephew Kevin O'Callaghanand wife Stephanie, his nephew Dr. Patrick O'Callaghan and wife Heather, hisgrandnieces CaitlinO'Callaghan and Lauren O'Callaghan and grandnephew ChristianO'Callaghan "Doc" had too many professional accomplishmentstolist, buteventhe highlightsare voluminous. Dennis was afounding member of theAmerican SocietyofVirology and was elected as its President in 2000. He was an elected Fellowofthe American Associationfor theAdvancement of Science. He was on the editorial board of numerous scientific journals and chaired or served on numerous scientificreview

panels for theNational Institutes of Health,the United States Department of Agriculture,and others. He developed one of the largestgroupsofmolecularand tumorvirologistsin thecountry, which is organized as theCenter for Molecular and Tumor Virology. ThisCenter is comprisedof27faculty members working in allareas of virologyand was funded by over 22 million dollarsinNIH Center grants.

As ateacher in Mississippi,Denniswas selectedasProfessorofthe Year sixtimesbythe medical students and Teacher of theYearonce by the dentalstudents. He was grateful forhis own mentors, Dr. JosephCooney at Loyola, Dr. Charles Randall in Jackson, and Dr. John ColterinEdmonton Dennis took greatpridein buildingthe Departmentof Microbiology and Immunologyfaculty at LSUHS Shreveportdepartment to itscurrent nationally recognized status for teaching and research underthe continuing leadershipofDr. Matthew Woolard. Dennis taught over 10,000 medical students over hiscareerand over 150 doctoral students. Many of Doc's former students now serveonthe facultiesofmedical centers and universities or holdleadership positions at biomedical research institutions, biotechnology companies, and national and global scientificagencies. Denniswillberemembered by many as the hardest working man they had theopportunityto know, and he never asked studentsorcolleagues to putinmoreeffortthan he was willing to give Dennis was grateful to thenumerous medical professionalswho attendedto him during his fight with cancer, with toomany outstanding nurses, doctors, and medical support personnel to name. He was particularlyappreciative of Dr. TerryLairmore and Dr. Mindie Kavanaugh. The family willholda celebration of Dennis's life laterthis summer, as he was adamant that his grandsons not miss class because of his passing.In lieu of flowers,the family notes that Dennisand Frances were long-time supporters of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital(stjude.org),the Tunnels to Towers Foundation(T2T.org),and theLSU HealthSciences Foundation (lsuhsfoundation.org).

Ann PendletonRock, May 14, 1959 -March 15, 2026. It is withgreat sadness we announce thepassing of Ann Pendleton Rock, aged 66, of Birmingham, Alabama. She passed away peacefully on March 15, 2026, at her home in Kenner, La. surrounded by theloveofher family.She was preceded in deathby her parents, Earl Henderson Pendletonand Maxine Coggins Pendleton and sister Edith Rachel Givens. Annleaves behind alegacy of grace, warmth, and devotion Ann was thebeloved wife of John Daniel Rock Sr. for 34 years, and adevotedmothertoCarrie, Adam, and John, Jr. She is also survivedbyher cherishedsister, Denise Pendleton Allotto, and her adored nieces, Stephanie and Tiffany. Known forher quietstrengthand gentle spirit, she found joyinfamilygatherings, gardening, and thesimple pleasures of home. Her laughter, wisdom, and unwavering kindness touched all who knew her.

Aprivate family service willbeheld. In lieu of flow-

IN LOVING MEMORY OF Kellé Hankton-Parrales Oct 09, 1977 -Apr 06, 2025

"Your memory is akeepsake from which we will never part, God has you in His keeping, we have you Forever in our hearts".

Love and Miss You, Kim, Winston, N'Dia, Bailey, Momma and Brandon

ers, the familysuggests donations to alocal ASPCA —orsimply sharing astory abouther with someone wholoved her. In ourheartsforever

Unsworth, John Elliott

John Elliott Unsworth, Jr affectionately known as "Buster," peacefully passedaway on March 26, 2026. Born in NewOrleans on December 21, 1941, Buster remained deeply connectedtothe city,its people, andthe relationships he cherished the most. He is survived by his wife, Betty Unsworth; his son, John E. UnsworthIII andhis wife, Pat;and his grandchildren, Cullenand ErinUnsworth andAbby Unsworth, whobrought himimmense pride and happiness. He is also survived by hissister,Bettie Nolin andher husband, Allen,aswell as hisniece, nephew,cousins, andextended family, all of whom were importanttohim. He waspreceded in death by hisparents, Rita andJohn Elliott Unsworth.

Aproud Jesuit High School graduate (Classof 1959), Bustercarried his loyaltytoJesuitthroughouthis life. He earned his law degree from Loyola University Law School in 1967 and builta respected legal career,retiringasa partneratHailey McNamara, and Larmann. In 1968, he marriedhis belovedwife,Betty, beginning a58-year partnership rooted in love,support andunwavering commitmenttofamily. He was a devotedhusband, asteady presence, and someonehis familycould always rely on Buster foundgreat joyin giving back. For 25 years, he coachedand served as treasurer of theCarrollton Boosters,impacting generationsofyoung people. He wasalso amember of the KnightsofColumbus anda faithfulparishionerofSt. CatherineofSiena Catholic Church Buster will be rememberedfor his loyalty, his generosity, andthe quiet, steady wayhesupported thepeople in hislife.

Thefamilyextendstheir heartfelt thanks to the many friends andloved ones whooffered friendship, support,and love over theyears.

Avisitation will be held at Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home on April 7, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.,with aMass to follow at 1:00 p.m. Intermenttofollow within MetairieCemetery In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to ManningFamilyChildren's Hospital, 200 Henry Clay Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70118, or online at www.manningchildrens.or g.

Williams, Kathleen A. KathleenA.Williams passedawayonSunday, March22, 2026 at the age of 77. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare invited to attendher Mass of Christian Burial at St Maria Goretti Catholic Church,7300 CrowderBlvd on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 11:00 am. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am. Interment: Mt.Olivet Cemetery Arrangements by D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933

Washington Avenue. Please visit www.rhodesfuneral.com to sign the guestbook. WininghamJr.,GeorgeA.

George A. WininghamJr. wascalledhometorest with theLordonMarch 27, 2026. He passedawayfrom this life fartoo soon,in waythathas left us all heartbroken, at theyoung ageof40. He waspreceded in deathbyhis father, George A. WininghamSr., andhis grandmothers,Sue Siderand KarolM.Wining‐ham. Georgieissurvived by hismother, Stefanie St Angelo stepmother Melissa B. Winingham (JamesShirah),his sisters, TiffanieWiningham (Bran‐donDupeire), MeganWin‐ingham andbrothers, Allen Polizzi(Ashley)and Jacob St.Angelo. He is also sur‐vivedbyhis grandfather, George H. Wininghamand step-grandmother,Carole T. Batt. He wasa wonderful UncleGeorgie to 5nieces andnephews,Ava,Porter, Penelope,Anthony and Thea.Hewillbedeeply missedbyhis beloved aunt,Stacie Grace, lovingly knownas“Nanny,”and her children,MaddieGrace and EmmieHeaslip.Hewillalso be remembered by his aunt,Karen Breath (Jerry) as well as thecousins he grew up with,Justinand Nick.Georgie wasa life‐long resident of Metairie andattendedSt. Christo‐pher,ArchbishopRummel High School andSouth‐easternLouisiana Univer‐sity.Heregularly attended Catholic church wherehe oftenran into longtime friendsfromClearyPlay‐ground andScouts. The gymwas away of life for Georgieand wasevident in hisdaily routineand lifestyle, which naturally made personal training andlandscaping theper‐fect profession forhim.He remained loyaltoeveryone he befriended,despite time anddistanceseparat‐ingthem. Hislovefor fam‐ilywas immeasurable.He wasa protectorofhis lovedonesand always had an incredibly optimistic at‐titude,evenwhenthe odds were notinhis favor. He will be missedbeyond measure, andwewillfor‐ever mournhis future that wastaken toosoon.Rela‐tivesand friendsare in‐vitedtoattenda visitation at Greenwood Funeral Home,5200 CanalBlvd. in NewOrleans,onTuesday April7,2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m mass at 11:00 a.m.,followedbya burial in Greenwood Cemetery.As Georgiehas nowbeen re‐unitedwithhis treasured pup, Gino,hewould find comfortindonations being made to VillalobosRescue Center (vrcpitbull.com)

Changing rules to benefit crimevictims deserves support

State Sen. Jay Morris is proposing aconstitutional amendment giving prosecutors and crime victims the right to ajury trialin criminal proceedings —aright presently reserved for criminal defendants alone under existing Louisiana law

The U.S. Constitution gives defendants the right to trial by jury but no right to ajudge trial. In the federal system and 30 other states, the prosecution must agree to ajudge trial. At ahearingonMarch 17, several criminal defense advocates spoke against the amendment Not asingle opponent addressed therights of the victims.For that matter,they never even uttered the word “victim.”

It is curious how criminal advocatescelebrate differences between Louisiana and federal law when they benefit violent criminals and sexual predators but are quicktocriticize differences and argue for parity with federal law when they do not.

They argued that the amendment should be rejected because prosecutors cancharge some felony offenses without agrand jury indictment and that the amendment would mean defendants would have to wait longer for atrial. These arguments, however,are redherrings, given that under existing law,defendants have a right to apreliminary examination and can file aspeedy trial motion.

If opponents can tell me why a13-year old little girl gunned down in her grandparent’s home by agang member who initiated astreet war in aquiet residential neighborhood in Shreveport or an infant who was tossed to her death off the Cross Lake bridge by her mother should have less righttoajury of their peers than thecriminals who killed them, then please do so. If theycannot, then Ifind their opposition unpersuasive.

CHRISTOPHERS.BOWMAN assistant district attorney—Special Victims Unit, CaddoParishDistrict Attorney’sOffice

YOUR VIEWS

PROVIDED PHOTOByCPRA

West Belle Headland wasrecently restored as partofthe state’sbiggest coastal restoration to be completed to date.Three barrier islands in Terrebonne Basin were restored as part of the project.

CPRA leadershipseems lost andmission forgotten

While listening to Executive Director

Michael Hare give testimonyregarding the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s2027 annual plan, Iwondered if the top brass atthe agency had forgotten acritical aspect of their mission. It’sintheir name.

Restoration

During this year’spresentation, Iwas struck by the overwhelming focus on the protection aspect of the mission.Little talk was given to restoration, as the current administration has declined to follow that aspect of their mandate, focusing instead on the festival-ready slogan of “rock the coast.” What happens to rocks on the soft substrate of Louisiana’scoast? They sink. Then they either become boating hazards or require more rocks; rocks piled on rocks. The leadership seems to think this is aprudent use of resources. When the agency does grant attention to therestoration side of its mission, it is toward thevigorous pursuit of land bridge projects. These are not new projects, but

theway they are being modified and touted gives thereal impression that those atop the CPRA’s chain of command think of these as massive levees. These projects are nowhere near shovelready,extremely vulnerable to storms, require expensive and extensive dredging and don’trely upon thenatural processes of the river to build. Putanother way,these projects will not sustain themselves. They will cost billions and be subject to the sameincreasingly astonishing erosion and sea-level rise rates that our entire coast faces. All that money,work and diesel spent dredging washed away Without projects that engage the river’s land-building capability at ascale that matches thecrisis our coast and the communities face, this version of the agency can hardly be taken seriously.They are missing acritical component of their mission, and the irony is, it is right there in their name.

DONALD DAVIDSON NewOrleans

KennedyatBookFestwas illuminating

Living in La., youtake thebad with thegood

Ilove getting the paper.It’salifelong habit.

As an 88-year-old devoted New Orleanian, Ihave manyreactions to what Iread.

Today,I am overcome and moved to share areaction and opinion. Ron Faucheux writes, “numbers tell whyLouisiana lags other Southern states.”

An example: “Our population fell by about 40,000 between 2020 and 2025. Texas’ population wentup by 2.6 million. Florida’sbynearly 2 million.” And later in the article, he says that “Louisiana’seconomy has been built on the foundation of oil and gas, petrochemicals, refining, ports, agriculture and tourism.” He concludes the interesting and informative article by reminding us that “wehave along way to go.”

Well, Iamovercomeeven further to read Alex Lubben’sreport on the front page that there is a“push to shield oil companies” with a“trio of bills” that “would block climate change suits.”

What adisaster forour population! Once again, an obviously uninformed and uncaring legislative schemeisapparently driven by ego and self-absorbed concern over personal financial status. It is ahorrible timetolive in Louisiana, but Iamgrateful beyond words to be aNew Orleans resident and enjoy the benefits and delights of acity of tourism, beauty and joy where “la vie est belle!” Tourism surely is better forusthan the injuries inflicted by oil and gas and petrochemicals.

DEANNE AIME NewOrleans

Retiredfolks canhelpshoulder burden of jury duty

Irecently completed aweek as a jurorona federal trial.

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

Iapplaud U.S.Sen. John Kennedy for agreeingtoa conversation with Walter Isaacson at therecent NOLA Book Fest, at which there was apacked audience in the 1,000plus seat Dixon Hall. Isaacson was afair and persistent interviewer,and Kennedy was honest, forthcomingand open about some of his positions, which were not particularly popular withthe audience, as well as acknowledging the frequent dysfunction of Congress. He was also clear on anumber of issues, including dignity and respect for all immigrants collared by ICE, and he noted that the Constitution mandates they are presumed innocent until proven guilty by due legal process.Hecondemnedthe politics of hateand anger

He was clearthat thebombing of achildren’sschool in Iran was amistake, and as such,shouldbeadmitted openly.Hewas candid aboutsome of the mechanics of the

Senatethat he would change werehegiven thechance. He is against U.S. “boots on the ground” in Iran for regimechange, and he offered many more clearly reasonable opinions on current events, to the agreement of theaudience, for which frequentapplause signified approval. Not surprisingly,hewas often entertaining, yet theconversation was packed withsubstance.

Iwas left with amost favorable respect for Kennedy,even though I, and manyinthe audience, disagree with some of his political stances. For anyone seeking to understand Kennedy better,Istrongly suggest watching his conversation on YouTube.

Thank you, Sen. Kennedy.And, Icould not agree with your quote more when talking about different races and ethnic origins: “To abear we all taste like chicken.”

DAVID ELIZARDI Metairie

Inspection stickers arenecessary in La.

The talk in the jury room about serving andthe sacrifice to do so was eye-opening. Missed school andpaycheckswerementioned. WhenIreceived my jury duty summons, there was abox to opt outifIwas 70 or older.Idid not check thatbox Iurge those of youwho are in thatcategorytoopt in and maybe spare some youngerworker a missed paycheck.Comeon, Boomers, stepup.

DEBRA BOUDREAUX Gretna

Renewables need to be in theenergymix, especially now

Theidea of gettingrid of inspection stickers is abit ridiculous. Yes, it’saninconvenience, but for good reason. Whether it be window tinting, working headlights,working tail lightsorworking brake lights, those items need to be checked for public safety.How does getting rid of inspection stickers in any way help lower auto insurance rates, which Ithought was apriority? And then theproposed $6 ayear sticker which has theVIN or other information like insurance, which can change every six months, is completely ridiculous and atotal waste of money.That is acash grab.

While you’re at it,Iwould like to complain about those pesky stop signs and red lights. They are an inconvenience as well.

HERB WILSON Mandeville

If there was ever atime to emphasize the strategic value of renewable energy,itisnow We may be the largest producer of oilonthe planet, but we still paythe world pricefor oil. Ajudicious mix of EVs, biofuel andregulargas for transportation, andwind, solarand natural gasfor home electric use, would go alongway toward insulating us frominterruptions in any one source.

DANIEL DELAUREAL Lacombe

Honor, don’tmock,the plumbers

Evidently,Jimmy Kimmel dis-

agrees. The late-night host took ashot at newly confirmed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who used to run aplumbing business,bysaying, “We have aplumber now protectingus from terrorism.”

Rich Lowry

The gibe was asetup for aline about SuperMario —the Italian plumber starring inthe Nintendo game —but the premise was that there was something inherently ridiculous about aplumber ascending to aposition of major responsibilityin Washington, D.C. Yes, why couldn’t Markwayne Mullinhave madesomething of himself by getting, say,alaw degree rather than devotinghimself to afamily business involvingnasty little things like pipes and joints?

One problem with callingMarkwayne aplumber is that it drips—no pun intended —with condescension. The other is that it significantlyunderstates his businessbackground, which involved leveraging asmall, struggling family concern intoa mini-business empire in Oklahoma, including areal estate firm, construction company andrestaurant

Anyone doubting the drive and acumen it takes to create and manage such enterprises shouldtry doing it himself.

Before ascendingtoDHS secretary Mullin was the only member of the U.S. Senate without afour-yearcollege degree, which is considered ademerit by the same kind of people who tend to look down on plumbers.

But Mullin’spath is afamiliar one for many Americans. He was in collegewhenhis father fell ill, andhe quit his studiestotake over thebusiness. Washesupposed to shirk that responsibility and instead complete, say,adegree in sociology or ethnic studies?

In the scheme of things, that Mullin was aU.S. senator is agreater reason to be suspicious or dismissive of him than that he once ran aplumbing business.

No one who has had their life disrupted by some disastrousleak is

ever sad to see the plumber show up —it’salittle like how someone who has chest painsmustfeel when seeinga cardiologist. Plumbing requires problem-solving and attention to detail, as well as physical dexterity and stamina. A plumber often has to come up witha hypothesisabout an unseen problem, fashion away to test it with minimal disruption, and then undertake the work to fixitinclose, suboptimal spaces.

Years ago, Iwas moving my late mother out ofthe house she had lived in for decades, and therewas —perfect timing —abad leak in the basement

Aplumber showed up, aguy in his 20s, and while looking around the cellar,hestopped and stared at the ceiling After along,awkward silence, I asked,“What are you doing?”

“Thinking,” he replied. He was figuring out where thepipes likely were in the ceiling, and which he shouldtry to cut and join —a puzzle he couldn’tget wrong without inadvertently doing damage and addingtothe problem. It should never be underestimated

how plumbing and other trades require considerable thought and analysis, even if they exist outside the college-education industrial complex. Becomingaplumber takes years of training, just not at acollege campus; plumbers learn their craft during onthe-job apprenticeships

It’sa paththat leads to well-compensated work. The median salary of aplumber is about $62,000, while the median salary of all U.S. workers is roughly$49,000.

That ourculture nonetheless systematically undervalues practical, hands-on skills and, instead, mindlessly valorizes the four-year college degree is adisservice to all the talented Americanswho work in the trades; pushes people to get four-year degrees that they might not need and will saddle them with student debt; and makes it harder to develop the workers that manufacturers —including in the defense industry —are seeking.

In short, that we now have aCabinet secretary that is aplumber is somethingtobewelcomed, rather than mocked.

Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry

Panicthreatens august Starsand Stripes

Oh, no. Stars and Stripes is under fire again.

Controversy is not exactly unknown to the legendary military newspaper Born during the Civil War, Stars and Stripes has taken all sorts of flak and survived, impressively for apublication owned and operated bythe U.S. militarythatnevertheless calls itself an “independent” voice.

As someone who served overseas as adrafted Vietnam-era army journalist, Ican tellyou that military journalism is not an oxymoron. Or,at least, it’snot supposed to be.

commercial messaging app Signal. Included in thechat group was the editor of TheAtlantic, who later revealed details he had learned.

Hegsethalso imposed apledge on journalists nottogather or transmit information about military affairs that hadnot been approved by his department for release. Most credible media groups refused to sign his pledge and have been denied Pentagon press credentials.

But “Stripes,” as its commonly called in the service, has anew and imposing critic: Secretary of Defense PeteHegseth, famous —orinfamous —for his personal crusade against“woke” culture and its imagined effectson the nation’s“warfighters,”the Trump administration’sideologically loaded term for the people most of us call service members.

lie and Joe portrayed for the folks back homethe thoroughly miserable conditions faced daily by our GIs —and managed to squeeze afew chuckles of knowing laughter out of thereaders.

Thesudden politicalstarof TrumpII: MarcoRubio

“White House deploys Marco Rubio to clarify messaging aboutIranconflict.” So readsthe headline on the front page of the Washington Examiner’s website in the early hours of April 1, the third month of U.S. military operations against Iran, which have been taking place since Feb. 28.

Thatprominence was overtakenasitwas announced thatPresident Donald Trump would address the nationonthe waronWednesday night. But it’sstill worth noting and could turn out to be more significantasthe end of the secondTrump term comes into view.

Rubio’s videomaking the case for the Iran offensive is only two minuteslong, straight to the camera, with adarkbackground relieved only by the redand white stripesof the flag. Succinctly,hemadea case for military actionnow

“Undernocircumstances,” Rubio said, “can acountry run by radical Shia clericswith an apocalyptic vision of the future ever possess nuclear weapons, and under no circumstancescan they be allowed to hide and protect thatprogram and their ambitions behind ashield of missilesand drones that no one cando anything about.”

At greater length but in asimilar fashion, he made the same casethat day in atelevisioninterviewonAlJazeera, in terms pitchedtoits audience notjust in the United Statesbut also in the Gulf. Only oneotherpersonbefore hasheldthe offices of secretaryofstate andnationalsecurity adviser: Henry Kissinger,from 1973 to 1975. In thatcapacity,Kissinger conducted high-level diplomacyinthe Middle East and left no distance in his public statements between his views and those of the president he served, although behind the scenes,aslater revealed, there were differences

Similarly,Rubio obviously speaks carefully to leavenodistancebetween his statements and those of the president he serves, to whom he refers in respectful terms. But he’s able to do this andtoappeal to others, including inveterate Trump haters, allatthe same time

Thatwas apparent in his Feb. 14 speech at the MunichSecurity Conference where he earned standing applause fromhis predominantly European audienceeven as he repeated,diplomatically phrased, the same criticisms of what Donald Rumsfeld called“Old Europe”voiced numerous timesbyTrump and, at the same conferencea year before,toaverydifferent reaction, Vice President JD Vance.

Simultaneously pleasing antagonistic audiences is ararepolitical talent, not often seen in anation where most who climb to high elective office do so as candidatesofdefinitionally adversarialpolitical parties.

Some presidents have hada charmand sense of humorthatextendedtheir appealsacrosspartisanlines. Some have done so in rallying voters to respond to attacksonAmerica. Trump, perhaps recognizing thatthis is notagift to which he owes his rise to the presidency,makes little visible effort at this.

Clarence Page

Stars and Stripes is owned by the Defense Department but is run by civilian editors. Thepaper’sstaff does include service members, who work underthe mentorship of civilian journalists. Congress members of both parties have consistently supported the publication’s mission to produce independent journalism consistent with theprinciples of theFirst Amendment.

As Stars and Stripes revealed, the Defense Department issued a“modernization plan” for the paper with alarming stipulations. It “limitsthe use of wire services,bars comics and other syndicated features,”and,rather ominously,requires that “content must be consistent with ‘good order and discipline,’ aphraseborrowed from the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” the paper reported As afan of Stripes goingback to my military days, Iimmediately wondered what changes Hegseth’s culture warmight bring. It looks a lot like an attempt to make thepaper less interesting to its readers, not to mention less credible as anindependent voice of news and analysis. It’snot exactly asurprise coming from Hegseth. This is the same secretary of defense, you may recall, who famously shared sensitiveinformation regarding U.S. military strikes on Houthi rebels in YemeninMarch of last year over the unsecured

Thememo says that Stars and Stripes will continue to “operate with editorial independence.” However,as Stars andStripes reported, Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell asserted that going forward, the paper would be “by the warfighter and for the warfighter.”

Stars andStripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavintold NPR that the phrase “good order and discipline” raises concerns that reporters who are in the U.S.military might face courtmartial.

“If they were to complete astory that the Defense Department did not like, and did not find ‘consistentwith good order and discipline,’ would they be in legal jeopardy?” Slavin asked.“We don’tknow theanswer to that.”

The prospect immediately brings to mindone of the most famous stories in Stars and Stripes history: theclash between Generals George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower during World WarIIoverthe wildly popular “Willie andJoe” cartoons of Bill Mauldin. Grimy,mud-caked and weary,Wil-

Patton,anotoriously tough and humorless commander,considered “Willy and Joe” tobeathreat to discipline and morale —quitethe opposite of the way many fans saw thecartoon. Patton threatened to ban Stars and Stripes, but Eisenhower defended thepaper as more of asupport for morale than athreat.The paper remained independent.Mauldin went on to win two Pulitzers and the Army’s Legion of Merit.

Asimilar story is told about the cartoon GI “Beetle Bailey.” The strip was starting to build an audience in theearly 1950s when the Tokyo edition of Stars and Stripes banned it out of fear it would encourage service memberstoadopt Bailey’s generally lackadaisical attitude and behavior

Asecond ban was imposed in 1970 after the introduction of the strip’s first Black character,Lt. Jackson Flap,whose Afrotechnically was way too voluminous to pass regulation in thereal world, afact that delighted me andmany of my fellow Black service personnel in the late stages of theVietnam Warera.

Sometimes in media, you don’t know what’s going towork until you tryit. Afree press enables journalists and others to express themselves and react honestly and candidly,which in thelong run builds trust and credibility with skepticalaudiences.

It’sunclear what threat Hegseth perceives in Stars and Stripes as it is currently run, but Isuspect he’sgoing to find out that alot of Americans still believe that afree press is worth defending, even and especially when it serves the people who serve our nation.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@gmail.com

There aremanydifferences between the two men who were secretary of state and national security adviser. Kissingerwas adazzling scholar who impressed everyone at Harvard University Rubio first went to college on afootball scholarship, thenearneddegrees from the University of Florida andthe University of Miami Law School. Kissinger, in his prime, dated movie stars. Rubio is alongtime family man.

OnceinAmerica, Kissingeralways lived in the Northeast Corridor (Manhattan, Cambridge and Washington), Rubio in semitropical Miami and raffish LasVegas.Kissinger never ran for public office. Rubio was elected to the West Miami Councilat27and to the term-limited Florida legislature at 29 (winning aprimary runoff by 64 votes), andhegot his colleagues to elect him as speaker six yearslater

But the biggest political difference is that Kissinger, born acitizen of Weimar Germany,was ineligible to run for president. Rubio notonly ran for president in 2016 but might conceivably have won in the absenceofTrump’scandidacy and the millions spent against him by backers of his former mentor,former Florida Gov.Jeb Bush. And Rubio might conceivably run and win in 2028, though he says he will support Vance, and VancesaysthatRubio is “my closest friend in the administration.” There are obviously some differencesbetween them on foreign policy: Rubio plainly favors the Iran attacks. Vance seems dubious. Of course,there’s lots of time before 2028, and we don’tknowwhat’sgoing to happeninthe Strait of Hormuz over the next week

But Idofeel sure that Rubio, who showed impressive rawpolitical talent in his rise to oneof Florida’s U.S. Senate seatsinthe first decadeof this century andwho made aserious presidential run in the seconddecade, has now shown impressive skills as anational leader in the third decade. Is there more ahead in the fourth? Michael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarone.

with meteorologist Damon Singleton

Pels fall to Magic foreighth straight loss

BY LES EAST

Contributing writer

The New Orleans Pelicans had an opportunity to endthree losing streaksSunday night in the Smoothie KingCenter

But their 112-108 loss tothe Orlando Magic extended their losingstreak to eight gamesintheir ninth consecutivelosstothe Magic and their ninth straight to Orlando in New Orleans.

The Pelicans (25-54) led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, but the Magic (4236) completed their comeback by outscoring New Orleans 31-20 in the fourth quarter.

“It’stoughwhen you’re notscoringand they go down and get buckets,” Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego said of the fourth quarter.There’snothingtrickygoing on outthere.It’sjust, cangoget bucketsin the fourth quarter.”

Desmond Bane scored 27 points,Paolo Banchero had 23 points and 16 rebounds, Wendell Carter Jr.scored 13 andFranz

See PELS, page 5C

Mulkey facing keyquestions as o

SPORTS

‘INTHE ZONE’

LSUrides

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

KNOXVILLE,Tenn. Chaos hasdefinedLSU baseball’sseries finales for thepast two weeks.

An error cost theTigers aseries victory against Oklahoma twoweeks ago. Last Sunday,theyscored 17 runs against Kentucky to take down theWildcats after falling behind 7-0 in the early innings.

But Easter Sundaywas awhole newlevel of bedlam for LSU, as theTigers came back from a5-0 deficit to win 16-6 over Tennessee in 12 innings.

“I think this is one of the better wins thatI’vebeen a partofsince I’ve been here, honestly,”redshirt junior right-hander Gavin Guidrysaid. “It was tough early,and we hadevery opportunity to kind of just say, ‘Here we go again, things aren’tgoing our way.’ ”

“… And (instead) justeverybody in thedugout refused to say that and just kept fighting, staying in it, and good

things are going to happen. Especially on aSunday,anything can happen.”

LSU scored 10 runs in the 12th to pullaway from the Volunteers. Junior Steven Milam gave the Tigers a7-6 lead on an infield single before sophomore Cade Arrambide hit agrand slam that gave the Tigers afive-run advantage. Redshirt juniorEddie Yamin, sophomoreDerek Curiel and Milam then tacked on five more runs with a two-run single, arun-scoring triple anda two-run homer, respectively In ahistoric performance, Arrambide’s blast was his fourth of the day.Hehit three solo homers,includinga solo shot in the 11th inning that gave LSU a6-5 lead, before the grand slam. Arrambide entered Sunday’sgame with just four homers. He finishedthe daysetting the LSU recordfor homers in asingle game andbecoming the first player to ever hit four homers in agameagainst

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Last offseason, the LSUwomen’sbasketball team underwent abit of afacelift. Eight players cycled out of the program, either because they exhausted their eligibility or decided to enter the transfer portal. This year should be quieterfor theTigers. Just ask coach Kim Mulkey, whotoldWAFBTV on Thursday that she expects only one of herpotential returners to enter her name into theportal when it openson Monday: freshman point guard Divine Bourrage. Thingscan change. The portal will be open through April 20, and players who have already decided to transfer have begun the early stages of finding anew school. But as of Monday,itlooks like LSU will have to replaceonly two regular contributors this offseason: guardFlau’jae Johnson and forward AmiyaJoyner.Star guards Mikaylah Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley should return. So, too,should pointguard Jada Richard, center Kate Koval andthe bulk of the nation’stop-ranked 2025 freshmanclass:ZaKiyah Johnson, Grace Knox and Bella Hines.

ä See MULKEY, page 4C

whonow seemstobe everywhere. That includes being back at the Masters this week as part of Amazon Prime’sinaugural coverage of the fabled tournament during Thursday and Friday’sfirst tworounds (noon2p.m.).

Would he love to own agreen jacket? Who wouldn’t? But the unexpected path his career in golf has taken since that Sunday a decade ago has fit Kaufmanlike a 42-regular “I happened to be in the right place at the right time,” he said. “Once I got in, Iknew Iwanted to workhard to stay there.”

Anative of Birmingham,Alabama, both of Kaufman’s parents (Jeffand Pam) graduated from and played golf forLSU, ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

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Teams already eyeing loaded 2027 class

BY RAY FITTIPALDO Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

PITTSBURGH

— The NFL draft coming to Pittsburgh later this month is a big deal for the city

The league’s signature offseason event will span three days and is expected to draw more than 500,000 people to the downtown and North Shore areas.

But there are plenty of NFL teams, including the Steelers, who already have an eye toward the 2027 draft. Personnel evaluators are calling the ’27 draft one of the most talented classes in recent history, and the quality and depth of the quarterbacks are a big reason why

The jockeying for extra picks in next year’s draft has already begun, and the Steelers are one of the teams trying to position themselves to be a player in quarterback sweepstakes.

General manager Omar Khan already has nine projected selections with two extra coming via the NFL’s compensation pick formula, which is based on the players a team loses and signs in free agency The Steelers are projected to have fifth- and seventhround comp picks next year

That’s nice, but those picks won’t help Khan move up to get a quarterback You need earlyround picks to make a big move up in the draft.

With five picks in the top 100 of this year’s draft, the Steelers have options to trade for picks into next year’s draft.

“The Steelers have three thirdround picks. I’d use one and then trade the other two for secondround picks in next year’s draft,” said Doug Whaley, formerly the general manager of the Buffalo Bills. “Then you would have some ammunition. Now that’s easier said than done. It’s easy to say trade back, but someone has to want to come up.”

Whaley was involved in one of the best known draft-day trades when he sent Kansas City the No. 10 pick in the 2017 draft for the Chiefs’ first-round pick (No 27 overall), a third-round pick and a 2018 first-round pick.

The Chiefs used the No. 10 pick to select Patrick Mahomes, who has led the Chiefs to three Super

Bowl victories in his first nine NFL seasons.

“I’m the guy who traded away Michael Jordan,” Whaley said, poking fun at himself.

But there were reasons for Whaley’s decision. For one, Mahomes was not a universally praised prospect. He came out of the Texas Tech’s “Air Raid” system, an offense which had produced a number of quarterbacks who busted out in the NFL.

Whaley said the Bills would have drafted Mahomes had he fallen to No. 27, but he was interested in future picks for the same reason Khan is this year

In 2015, Whaley hired former Steelers scout Ron Hughes as a consultant He asked Hughes to do a three-year quarterback study looking at the younger quarterbacks who were coming up through the college ranks Whaley worked with Hughes when he was a scout with the Steelers and trusted his eye for quarterbacks.

Hughes’ study concluded the 2018 draft was just as strong, if not stronger, than the 2017 draft.

Baker Mayfield Sam Darnold Josh Allen and Josh Rosen were selected in the top 10 and Lamar

Jackson was taken with the final pick in the first round. Whaley didn’t get to see his plan come to fruition. He was replaced by Brandon Beane after the 2017 season, but Beane used the draft capital Whaley acquired to move up from No. 12 to No. 7 to get Josh Allen, who, if not for Mahomes, might have a couple of Super Bowl titles of his own.

This year’s quarterback class is viewed as weak among NFL evaluators. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is expected to be taken No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders, but there might not be another quarterback selected in the first round.

The 2027 and 2028 quarterback classes, however, are viewed as strong and deep. Texas’ Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, USC’s Jayden Maiava and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellars are a few of the quarterbacks who could go in the first round. Manning, Moore and Sellars returned to college this year rather than turn professional. The 2028 class, with several quarterbacks who burst onto the scene last fall as freshmen, has

just as much buzz. Bryce Underwood of Michigan and Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele are two of the top names to watch in that class.

Trading future picks was a hot topic at the NFL owner’s meetings last week in Arizona. The Cleveland Browns proposed a rules change that would allow teams to trade future picks five years out rather than the current rule of three. They later withdrew the proposal when it was obvious it would not pass, but it could resurface in future years because GMs are always searching for ways to acquire their future franchise quarterbacks.

Browns GM Andrew Berry, before the proposal was withdrawn, said being able to trade picks five years out would give teams more “flexibility and creativity” in how they build out their rosters.

The other side of the argument comes from the NFL analytics community, which believes future draft picks are overvalued. But as long as quarterback remains the most important position in the game, desperate teams will be willing to do whatever it takes to be in position to draft one.

In Orlando, Woods’ journey comes full circle

BY MIKE BIANCHI Orlando Sentinel (TNS)

ORLANDO, Fla. — It all started here

Commentary

That’s the part that’s hard to shake if you live in Orlando, covered Tiger Woods in Orlando, watched Tiger Woods in Orlando, and, in many ways, watched Tiger Woods unravel in Orlando. Before that fateful Thanksgiving night in 2009, Tiger wasn’t just the best golfer in the world; he was something more than that He was pristine. Corporate-clean. Carefully constructed. He was the fist pump at Bay Hill, the Sunday red, the aura of invincibility. And before all of that, there was Augusta in 1997 — Tiger in that red shirt, hugging his father, Earl, after winning his first Masters. And for many, Tiger wasn’t just a golfer. He was a breakthrough A symbol. Proof that the world, even the old, stubborn, stodgy, white golf world could change. Those are the memories we used to have of Tiger Woods. Now the image is body-cam footage of a puffy-eyed 50-yearold man hiccupping and nodding off in the back of a police car after another DUI arrest It’s Tiger pathetically trying to impress the police officers as they approached him by telling them he had just gotten off the phone with the president. It’s deputies pulling pills out of his pocket. It’s a once invincible athlete looking confused, injured, medicated and, more than anything, lost And if you trace the line from that police car back to the beginning of the fall, it leads right back here to Orlando; to the gilded gates of Isleworth; to that strange, surreal Thanksgiving night in 2009 when his wife, Elin, confirmed and confronted him

about his marital indiscretions. Woods then jumped into his Cadillac Escalade and promptly ran over a fire hydrant and crashed into a neighbor’s tree. In a split second, the most carefully protected image in sports detonated It’s almost hard to explain now just how fast it all fell apart. One minute he was a global icon, billionaire athlete, loving father and husband, the most dominant golfer who ever lived and seemingly a lock to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors. The next minute he was a tabloid punchline who was having sex with a local Perkins waitress in a church parking lot. As one woman after another came forward he was the poster boy of the National Enquirer, TMZ and the New York Post. His scandalous behavior was on the Post’s front page for 20 straight days, breaking the record set by the tragic aftermath of 9/11. His image didn’t just crack; it shattered. Sponsors ran. His marriage ended. His reputation never recovered. And the golf part was never the

same either When that Escalade hit the fire hydrant, Tiger had 14 majors and was only 33 years old. Everyone assumed he would pass Nicklaus. It wasn’t a debate; it was a countdown. Then he didn’t win another major for 11 years. Eleven years. That’s not a slump. That’s a reckoning. The multiple scandals ruined his image; the countless injuries derailed his golf game. After 2009, we saw everything: the affairs, the divorce, the surgeries, the mugshots, the painkillers, the car wrecks, the comebacks, the relapses, the Masters win in 2019 that felt less like a victory and more like a national group therapy session. But here we are again. Another arrest. Another report. Another sad snapshot of a man with a swollen face and baggy eyes. And it makes you wonder if that night in Orlando didn’t just change our image of Tiger; it changed Tiger’s own self-image. Obviously, his life was already unraveling, but, until that night, he believed he was untouchable

Spaun wins Texas Open for first title since U.S. Open

SAN ANTONIO J.J. Spaun came up with two big shots at the end of a long, wet Sunday one leading to birdie and the other for eagle that carried him to a 5-under 67 and a one-shot victory in the Valero Texas Open for his first title since the U.S. Open last summer Spaun won for the second time at the TPC San Antonio, with one big difference. His victory four years ago got him into the Masters. This time, his spot at Augusta National has already been secured. Robert MacIntyre, who had led for so much of the tournament, completed 12 holes Sunday morning in the storm-delayed tournament for an even-par 72 to stay ahead by one shot going into the final round. MacIntyre closed with a 70 to share second place with Matt Wallace (68) and Michael Kim (69).

Coughlin wins LPGA event in Las Vegas by 5 shots

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev After coming oh-so-close to winning at Shadow Creek last year, Lauren Coughlin made sure victory was never truly in doubt Sunday in the Aramco Championship in rolling to a five-shot win over Nelly Korda and the rest of the star-studded field. Coughlin shot an even-par 72 for a 7-under total and her first victory in two years, earning the 33-yearold from Virginia $600,000. She won her third LPGA Tour title and first in the United States, after winning in Canada and Scotland in 2024. Korda was runner-up yet again after shooting a 75 and finishing at 2 under This was her third consecutive second-place finish after opening her season by winning in Orlando, Florida, moving up a spot to No. 1 in the world ranking.

Astros place ace Brown on 15-day injured list

WEST SACRAMENTO,Calif.— The Houston Astros placed ace right-hander Hunter Brown on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right shoulder strain. Brown, who won 12 games with a 2.43 ERA in 2025, pitched six strong innings to lead Houston to a 9-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night. He earned the win by allowing only one hit with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Brown reported shoulder discomfort during a routine throwing session on Friday according to manager Joe Espada. Brown then flew to Houston to be examined by team doctors. Espada told MLB.com a timetable for Brown’s return is pending further examinations.

— on and off the course. Ever since that night, his life has felt like a series of crashes. Some literal. Some personal. Some professional. Over and over, the story has repeated itself: Tiger tries to come back, and something else falls apart. I always believed there was something a little distant about Tiger and Orlando. He lived here for nearly 15 years, won all but one of his majors while living here, built his brand here, but he never really did anything charitable for this city He never felt like he belonged to the community the way Arnold Palmer did. Arnie built a hospital and a legacy here. There are streets named after him and statues built for him. There’s not even a park bench in Orlando with Woods’ name on it. The only monument we have to remember Tiger by is a long-ago broken fire hydrant in Isleworth. Which is why, in Orlando, the story always feels a little more personal. Because the rise happened in front of us. And the fall started in our backyard. What’s left now is a complicated legacy Yes, Tiger is still the most influential golfer who ever lived. He changed the sport. He changed who played it, who watched it, who felt welcome in it. He made golf cool, powerful, global. He made it athletic. He made it young. He made it diverse.

But he also became a cautionary tale about fame and entitlement and about someone who spends his entire adult life being told he isn’t just great; he’s bulletproof. Tiger Woods was never supposed to be a punchline. He was supposed to be a legend carved in marble. Instead, he became something else; something more complicated and more sad.

Oats, Alabama agree to extension after Sweet 16

TUSCALOOSA,Ala. — Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne announced Sunday he has finalized a contract extension with basketball coach Nate Oats.

Byrne announced on social media Oats has signed the deal “that will make him one of the top five compensated men’s basketball coaches in the country.”

Byrne said “appropriate members of the board of trustees have been notified of the proposed terms of the new agreement and it will soon be formally approved through the board process.” Oats led Alabama to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, where the Crimson Tide lost to Michigan 90-77 on March 27. Alabama reached the Elite Eight each of the previous two years and the Final Four in 2024, where it lost to UConn.

Georgia hires McNeese women’s hoops coach

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia on Sunday announced Ayla Guzzardo, who led McNeese to a school-record 29 wins this season, has been hired as the Lady Bulldogs basketball coach.

The move announced by athletic director Josh Brooks came only one day after Georgia announced it had reached a mutual decision to part ways with Katie AbrahamsonHenderson after four seasons. In her first season at McNeese, Guzzardo led a 19-win improvement for the Cowgirls, who finished 29-6. McNeese lost to Stephen F. Austin in the Southland Conference Tournament final after winning the regular-season conference championship. Guzzardo spent one season at McNeese after three at Southeastern.

THE MASTERS

Scheffler arrives in Augusta

BY DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler arrived at Augusta National on Sunday, and he brought the whole family with him. All four of them.

Scheffler, who tends to keep his golf separate from his home life, had not shared any information since withdrawing from the Houston Open two weeks ago because of the impending birth of his second child. He said wife Meredith gave birth to a boy on March 27 They named him Remy “We just liked it,” Scheffler said about the name. His first son, Bennett, was born in 2024 before the PGA Championship. “We didn’t have very many good boy names, to be honest with you.” There he was, in a stroller Meredith was pushing under the famous oak tree by the clubhouse, 9 days old and already at his first Masters.

It added to the sights rarely seen anywhere else on the Sunday before a major That holds true with so much about the Masters Reigning champion Rory McIlroy has been at the club all weekend, watching the Augusta National Women’s Amateur on Saturday and handing out trophies to a group of boys in the annual Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals on Sunday McIlroy has talked about how much he looked forward to returning as the Masters champion and enjoying all the perks that go with it He was in his green jacket during the Drive, Chip and Putt, and

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C

where he played from 2010-14 before turning professional. He quickly shot up through the ranks and won the PGA Tour’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in October 2015, earning him an invitation to the 2016 Masters.

Kaufman said growing up playing in his hilly hometown and at LSU’s windy University Club prepared him well for Augusta’s challenges

“I grew up on a course with slopey greens and fairways,” he said. “And it was a windy week. My time in Baton Rouge really helped me as a golfer because it can get really windy out at the UClub, and you have to be able to shape your ball.” Kaufman opened the Masters with rounds of 73-72, then shot a 3-under par 69 in the third round that was Saturday’s only sub-70 score. That vaulted him into the final group, one stroke back of his friend and Masters champion, Jordan Spieth.

Both men struggled. While Kaufman shot 81, Spieth shot 73, a round marred by two balls he dumped into Rae’s Creek at the 12th hole. Spieth would finish three shots behind Englishman Danny Willett, who closed fast with a 67 to finish at 5 under

“It would have been great to have played a great round of golf and have had a chance coming down the stretch,” Kaufman said “Obviously that didn’t happen.”

posed with Maria Jose Marin, the ANWA winner and first Colombian to join the roll call of Augusta National winners.

Then he headed out to the golf course with his father, Gerry, and Augusta member Jimmy Dunne. Next up is the Masters Club dinner Tuesday and the elaborate menu he has put together

“It is the most exclusive dinner club in all of sport, and I think we should all feel very fortunate that we are there,” he told Golf Channel after his part in the trophy presentation Sunday “But we’re there because of the hard work and the good play that we’ve been able to produce.”

He also mentioned two players who won’t be at the dinner — Tiger Woods, arrested and briefly jailed for suspicion of driving under the influence during a March 27 car crash, and Phil Mickelson, who is tending to a personal health matter at home.

“Unfortunately there will be a couple of guys that won’t be in that room, which is a shame, but I want to make sure that they’re acknowledged as well,” McIlroy said.

“They’ve been two of the greatest champions that the Masters has ever seen But it’s going to be a really cool night. I can’t wait. I hope everyone enjoys the dinner and enjoys everything that I’ve selected.”

Bryson DeChambeau also was at Augusta National on Saturday for the end of the ANWA, consoling Asterisk Talley after the 17-yearold hit two shots into Rae’s Creek for a quadruple-bogey 7 on the par3 12th hole that cost her a chance to win

DeChambeau grew up about 45 minutes away from where Talley lives in the central valley of California. They know each other well.

“Obviously, I’ve had difficult moments in my career, and if there’s anything I can do to support her that’s what I’m here for That’s why I’m here to support,” DeChambeau told reporters Saturday He teed off Sunday by himself after the DC&P was over, walking to slap hands and pose for photos with kids and spectators some 100 yards down the right side of the tee. “I’ve got to go play,” he told them before running to catch up with his caddie. There are exceptions for running at Augusta National.

Also there was Gary Player, the three-time Masters champion who will be hitting the honorary tee shot on Thursday. The Black Knight was on the putting green as the Boys 7-9 division was preparing for its putting competition on the 18th green.

There was 8-year-old Landyn Kelly from Henderson, Nevada, rapping 40-foot putts toward the hole with 90-year-old Player watching with amazement.

“What a touch! What a touch he has, man!” Player exclaimed. Scheffler took this Sunday to play with Blake Smith, his longtime manager who had never played Augusta National. Scheffler and McIlroy are fighting some history this week. Adam Scott in 2013 is the last player to win the Masters after having three weeks off.

“I’ve been practicing,” Scheffler said. “I’ve been able to do a good amount at home.”

Augusta’s ‘beautiful little hole’ at No. 7 has turned much nastier

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Go back through 89 previous editions of the Masters, every shot on every hole, and no one will ever match what Byron Nelson did on the par-4 seventh hole at Augusta National. Nelson drove the green and twoputted for birdie in 1937 on his way to his first Masters victory Share that with any of the 91 players in the field, and some explaining is required.

The hole was 340 yards and had no bunkers, only a gully in front of the green. Alister MacKenzie wanted it be similar to the “Valley of Sin” on the 18th hole at St. Andrews, so the best approach would be to run shots up to the green. That shot by Nelson changed everything.

Horton Smith, who won two of the first three Masters, suggested the green be elevated and moved some 20 yards back and to the right, with several deep bunkers guarding the front. Augusta National’s co-founders, Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, agreed. They hired Perry Maxwell, renowned for his work at Southern Hills and Prairie Dunes, to do the work at a cost of $2,500.

Trees were planted on the left side to along along with those on the right, creating a tight drive And then in a span of five Masters from 2002 to 2006, the tees twice were moved back some 40 yards. That puts it at 450 yards on the scorecard now Nelson wouldn’t recognize it.

“You have to hit it in the fairway,” two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler said. When it was suggested that such strategy would hold true on many holes at Augusta National, he stopped walking to emphasize his point.

“No,” he said. “There’s certain holes you don’t have to be in the fairway. If you hit a really good tee shot (on No. 7), it’s not a difficult hole. But if you miss the fairway, you can’t hit it on the green.”

The par-4 seventh is called “Pampas” for the grass bush native to Argentina that grows just left of the members’ tee box. No.

7 was never a favorite of Roberts and Jones. Roberts once referred to it as “the only weak hole of the 18.”

It was inspired by the 18th on the Old Course, a short hole with a boomerang-shaped green that gave players the option to run the ball through the gully in front. Nelson drove the seventh at Augusta in 1937. Players still drive onto the 18th at St. Andrews, most recently Cameron Young.

What eventually happened for Kaufman was broadcasting golf. He got his first chance at the 2022 PGA Championship, which led to a full-time gig in 2023. Again, it was something he felt his experience at LSU helped him with.

“LSU really prepared me for broadcasting,” Kaufman said. “I was a marketing major and Dr (Tommy) Karam really prepared a lot of us LSU athletes

“Once I started getting into this field, I realized how much I enjoyed it. It’s a sink-or-swim job. You can do it or you can’t.” Kaufman has played an expanding role with NBC and Golf Channel’s coverage. Starting as a roving on-course reporter, Kaufman has also worked as an analyst in the booth. Recently, he’s taken on an enhanced role with Golf Channel’s “Live From …” telecasts from the bigger tournaments, doing shot reenactments or illustrating how players might have played a key shot differently Then there’s “Happy Hour with Smylie” at select tournaments televised by NBC/Golf Channel, where he will sit down to chat with players after their rounds, like his old buddy Spieth at this past week’s Valero Texas Open.

“I was lucky to get the op-

With the first change, it became a tight drive that was typically a 2-iron and a wedge. That led Jack Nicklaus to once call the seventh “a beautiful little hole — a little, short par 4. You got to be pretty precise with your tee shot. Then it’s a very demanding little second shot. It’s very difficult to recover from if you get off track.” Throw in an additional 100 yards, and it’s no longer a hole where players can build some scoring momentum. Par is more than acceptable. The all-time scoring average is 4.156, the 10th-toughest hole at Augusta National.

“You’re not licking your chops unless you’re in the fairway,” Xander Schauffele said. “Even then, you’re conceding a 20-foot putt as a really good golf shot. Maybe even before I was on tour you could think, ‘If I birdie this, I get some momentum.’ Now it’s, ‘Oh boy, I need to hit a good drive or I’m going to have to make a tough par.’”

It’s not as simple as hitting a straight drive on a straight hole. The fairway cants to the right And the trees have grown, so a tee shot too far to the right means the approach is blocked by trees.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only 20% of players have hit the seventh green after missing the fairway in the last five years. Only No. 5 and No. 11 have a lower percentage. It can be done. There have been some remarkable recoveries from the trees. Jon Rahm once holed out after chipping out from the trees Joaquin Niemann once threaded a running shot through two bunkers. Those shots are rare.

“If you get out of position, it’s like No. 10 at Riviera you’re trying to put it in a spot to get the next one on the green,” Harris English said. “You can get in some bad spots. But if you hit a good tee shot, it could be a birdie hole.”

Still fresh was Rory McIlroy in the left trees last year, hitting a 9-iron because of a tiny gap he saw His caddie, Harry Diamond, wasn’t seeing it.

“He wasn’t for it at all, but I just kept seeing this gap up in the trees,” McIlroy said, referring to the shot as “achievable.”

“That’s when Harry does a great job and says, ‘Look, if you feel like you can see it, go ahead and hit it,’” McIlroy said. “My mindset was this is the final round of the Masters, and I have a chance to win the only tournament that I’ve wanted to win for such a long time If that isn’t the time to take a risk, I don’t know when the time is.”

portunity (to do Happy Hour) in Phoenix in 2023,” Kaufman said. “They were looking for someone to host on the 16th green and no one was saying yes. I got a call from the producer who said, ‘Would you mind doing this?’ and I was like, ‘Heck, yeah!’ I was nervous and scared, but I didn’t pass up the opportunity

“I know all the guys. I know how we talk about golf, communicate about it. What players like and don’t like to be asked. Maybe I can ask a question a non-player wouldn’t ask.”

Kaufman’s media reach also includes the podcast realm with “The Smylie Show,” which has gone from SiriusXM and Apple podcasts to being a regular segment on the Golf Channel.

It’s a hectic life, especially now that Kaufman and his wife, Francie, have a 3-year-old daughter and a 5-month-old son. No, it’s not playing and winning on the PGA Tour or teeing it up in the Masters. But for Kaufman, in some ways it’s better

“I really do miss playing on the PGA Tour,” Kaufman said.

“But it’s such a changed landscape. When I started struggling with my game, and seeing how the PGA Tour has shrunk as it’s gone on, I think about my quality of life and not having to chase something in golf and still being fulfilled.

“Something would be missing if I wasn’t around golf. It’s my passion and a great opportunity to cover a great game that I love.” The game, with a guy named Smylie calling the shots, loves him right back.

DYNASTYBREWING

UConnmust overcome Michigan’s dominancetowin national titlegame

BY EDDIE PELLS Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS— There’sadynasty brewing in college basketball. And, in aperfectly fittingtwist, UConn can cement that status by overcoming aMichigan powerhouse that is rackinguphistorically impressive numbers, hoping to go down as one of the sport’s greatest teams itself.

Thoseare thestakesinMonday night’stitle game between the Huskies and Wolverines.

Connecticut is trying to become the first program since John Wooden’sUCLA behemoth of the 1960s and ‘70s to winthree championships over afour-season span, while Michigan is trying to cap off aMarch Madness string of dominance, the likes of which were last seen by this very UConnprogram that won it all in 2023and ’24.

“This run they’re on is oneofthe best —probably the best —since John Wooden,” Michigancoach Dusty May said. “If we think riding in on awave is going to take care of UConn, then we’re goingto be very disappointed atabout 11 o’clock tomorrow night or whenever the game concludes.”

TheWolverines(36-3),seeded first in theMidwest, are listed as a61/2-point underdog by BetMGM Sportsbook. Even with his team’s front-runnerpedigree, coach Dan Hurley of UConn (34-5), aNo. 2 seed out of the East, is leaning into the underdog role, not fighting it “There’sbeenplenty of times in the history of this tournament where the best team hasn’twon it, Hurley said. “You’ve just got to be better one night. The good thing for us,it’snot aseven-gameseries.”

In yet another twist with plotshifting potential, the status of both Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborgand UConn guard Solo Ball could play heavily into this game. Ball was walking around in a boot Sunday after spraininghis left foot in the first half of UConn’s 71-62 win overIllinois.Lendeborg tweaked his knee and ankle when he landed awkwardly on the foot of Arizona’sMotiejus Krivas in the first half of Michigan’s91-73 semifinal beatdown of the Wildcats.

PHOTO By JEFF ROBERSON UConnheadcoachDan Hurley speaksduring anewsconference ahead of anational championship game against Michigan on Sunday in Indianapolis.

ä UConn vsMichigan. 7:50 P.M.

MONDAy,TBS

Both have vowed they won’tmiss Monday’sgame.

“He played the second half like a38-year-old at the YMCA —and areally good 38-year-old at the YMCA,”May said of his 15-pointper-game All-American.“Whatever version of Yaxel we get,it’s going tobesomebody that helps us play better basketball.”

The Wolverinesare thefirst team to score 90-plus points in five straight tournament games. They are trying to become the fifthteam to winsix tournament games by doubledigits. The other four: 2009 North Carolina, 2018 Villanova and bothofthe recent UConn teams

“When you get to the Final Four and you know youhave the best team, thatwas adifferent level of pressure than in ’23 wherewe weren’t really sure,” Hurley said of his ‘24 squad. “But there’salso some pressure even if you’re —whatever —the underdog,because we’re one gameawayfromhaving anational championship with this team.”

Roster building

The Wolverines roster is areflection of what college hoopslooks like in the transfer-portal era. Four of theirstarterscametoMichigan this season, as May fashioned aquick rebuild in his second year in Ann Arbor.This is May’ssecond tripto theFinal Four in four seasons.His first came with Florida Atlantic.

“What makes Dusty May special as acoach is obviously his eyefor talent, hisabilitytocon-

By JEFF

Michigan head coach DustyMay speaks during anewsconference ahead of anational championship game against UConn on Sunday in Indianapolis.

struct aroster,the fact that he insulates himself withanexcellentcoachingstaff, andhis ability to build team and culture,” Hurley said.“He’sgot aspecial eye forhow to put together a great team.”

UConnisbuilt differently —with what Hurleywould calljudicious useofthe transfer portal (Tarris ReedJr.,for instance,camefrom Michigan)combinedwithplayers whohave become entrenchedona campus with 18 nationalbasketball titles—six forthe men and 12 for thewomen. Thebestexampleof that:AlexKaraban, who, withatitle could become thefirst playersince theUCLA dynasty to winthree national titles over his college career

FabFivehistory

UConn isn’tthe only program withadeep history. Michigan redefined collegebasketball in the 1990s with the Fab Five. JuwanHoward, Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King came to theschool together as freshmen in 1991. They made thetitle gametwice and lost

But they’re most remembered for bringing abaggy-shorts, massmarketing brashness to thegame, oneunderpinned by thequestion: Whyare allthese coaches andshoe companies raking in dough while we play for free?

“Wegot to college andstarted understanding the hypocrisy in thegame, with the schools making millions and us sitting around poor as hell,” Jacksonsaidina 2023 interview with TheAssociated Press.

UCLA womenstorm past Gamecockstoclaim title

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

PHOENIX It’smissionaccomplished for UCLA.

Gabriela Jaquez, Lauren Betts and the rest of the UCLA seniors secured the first NCAA women’s basketball national championship in school history —agoal that was set after losing in the first Final Four last season.

Jaquez scored 21 points, Betts added 16 and UCLA routedSouth Carolina 79-51 Sunday in the title game.

“I knew we were going to do it. Coming to UCLA, we all set out for agoal, and Iimagined this moment,” Jaquez said. “I imagined it so many times, and Iamjust so, so proud. Crying alot, the confetti,all of the fans beinghere to support us, my family being here, it just means everything. Celebrating with this group, like I’m so happy.”

The near-record lopsided victory completed the Bruins’ journey through this year’sMarch Madness. The Bruins ran through their opponents this season with their only loss coming in November,toTexas in a Thanksgiving tournament.

“It’simmeasurably more than Icould askorimagine,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “It’sbeyond my wildestdreams.”

UCLA (37-1) was led by Betts and her fellowseniorsand graduate students,like Jaquez who played all four years with theBruins. Shealsohad 10 rebounds and five assists in front of her brother Jaime, who plays forthe MiamiHeat andflew in to attend the game to watch his alma materwin.

The group that coach Closeput together through acombination of high school commitments and transfer portal playerscapped off their stellar careerswitha championship, scoring all the pointsin

the title game

“Connectivity.Attention to detail. Youknow I lookedthem in the eyes before in the locker room, before the game, and Isaid, ‘I’m so proud to be able to say this,” Close said.“Because all year we’ve been saying the talent is our floor,but ourcharacter will determine ourceiling.’”

The title is UCLA’s first sincewinning the 1978 AIAWchampionship, whichwas thepostseasontournament for women’sbasketball before theNCAA took over in 1982.

The championship gameloss was the second straightfor the Gamecocks,who won thetitle in 2024. Dawn Staley andher Gamecocks (36-4) will be favored to return to the game’s biggest stage with atalented group of expected returnees, led by Joyce Edwards andAgot Makeer

Like their 51-44 semifinalwin over Texas, theBruins were locked in defensively,anchored by Betts. She finished with 11 rebounds and exitedthe game with 3:45 left, giving Closeahuge hug.

The 6-foot-7 senior earned Most Outstanding Player honors of the Final Four “UCLA is aquality team with very experienced players who got ataste of being in the FinalFourlast year, and you make adjustments,” South Carolina’s Staley said. “From last year to this year— they played determined last year,but they played more determined this year because they were so close.”

Offensively,the Bruins hada much easier timethan in thesemifinal game that saw the team score only 20 points in the first half. The Bruins surpassed that total in the opening 10 minutes against South Carolina. Kiki’sRice 3-pointer just before thefirst-quarter buzzer made it 21-10 as the Bruins got off to astrongstart andSouthCarolina struggledwith 17% shooting,

UConn’sBall, Michigan’s Lendeborgdealing with injuries aheadoftitle game

BY MICHAEL MAROT AP sportswriter

INDIANAPOLIS UConn starting guard Solo Ball limpedfrom room to room Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium,aprotective boot on his sprained left foot. Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg didn’t even do that much because of an injuredleft ankle and an injured left knee. Just oneday before theteams meet in Mondaynight’snational championship game, the big question forboth was thehealth of two key playmakers. Neither was expected to practice Sunday as theyfocused instead on getting as much treatment as possible, even as teammates andthe players themselves insisted the stars would play Monday night. The coaches, Dan Hurleyand Dusty May, also tried to lighten the mood before college basketball’sbiggest game of the season.

“I’msurehe’ll give it agotomorrow,but that will be entirely up to him and the medical staff, May saidasheupdated the playingstatus of Lendeborg, afirst team All-American. “He’ll tell me if he can go andwewerelaughing because he played the second half, but he played the second half like a38-year-old at the YMCA areally good 38-year-old at the YMCA. So whatever version we get of Yaxel we get, it’sgoing to be somebody that helps us play better basketball.”

Lendeborg playedjust five minutes of the first half before getting hurtinSaturday’s91-73 victory over Arizona, which sent Michigan (36-3) to itsfirst title game since 2018. He finished with 11 points and three rebounds in 15 minutes andmadetwo 3-pointers in the second half

Buthehardlyresembled the guy who was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Year

MULKEY

Continued from page1C

“You cannotunderstandthe value of having allofthem come back,” Mulkey told WAFB. “That’s how you build it. That’s how you get over the humpofan Elite Eight.” If Mulkey andher staffcan indeed hang on to those players this offseason, then what parts of the roster will they still have to address? Let’stake alookatthe top questionsfacing the 2026-27 Tigers before thetransfercycle heatsup.

Who’srecruiting?

it’spoorest quarter of the season.

TheBruins extendedthe leadto 15 points in thesecond quarter by clogging up the paint on defense and working the ball inside on offense for a36-23 lead at the half.

UCLA put thegameawayinthe third quarter, opening the period with a12-3run. Jaquezhad five points during the spurt. South Carolinanever threatened again as the Bruins outscored them 25-9 in the period.

SouthCarolina avoided the most lopsided loss in championship historyof33points, setin2013 when UConn defeatedLouisville. The Gamecocks also surpassed the title game recordlow of 44 points by Louisiana Tech in 1987 against Tennessee.

The Gamecocks were trying to cement their name as thepremier program in thesport withafourth championship and thirdinthe past five seasons. It just wasn’tmeant to be Sunday as they had their worst shooting game of theseason against atalented UCLA team

“This is not theending we wanted, but we got here. No one thought we would, and we did it,” said Tessa Johnson, wholed South Carolina with 14 points. Makeer added 11 for the Gamecocks.

“The score speaks for itself.” said Gamecockssenior Raven Johnson, who played in five Final Fours in her career

Close has been at UCLA for 15 seasons, but her connections go deeper with theschool as she was mentored by thelegendary Bruins men’s coach John Wooden, who won 10 national championships at the school.

Their bond beganwhenshe was 22 years oldand he was 83. She shares the same first name with one of his great-granddaughters Close visited Wooden bi-weekly adopting his Pyramid of Success

WhenLendeborg was asked whether missing Monday night’s game wasa possibility, Lendeborg emphatically told reporters in the locker room,“absolutely not.” He reinjured the ankle he initially hurt in the Big TenTournament championship game. The knee injury wasa new oneand Lendeborg said, at worst, he was told it wasasprained medial collateral ligament. May said MRI results came back clean Sunday Still, the combination prevented him from doing the traditional between-games media circuit. While everyone saw Lendeborg’sinjury Saturday’s, Ball’s injury seemed to surprise everyone including Hurley,who said he saw Ball in awalking boot before being told what happened. Ball has played akey role in helping UConn (34-5) reach its third title gameinfour years, averaging 12.9 pointsand starting all 38 games he appeared in this season.

He scored 10 of his13points in thesecondhalf of Saturday’s91-72 victory over Illinois —after getting hurtinthe first half —and told reporters played through the injury on pure adrenaline.The injury occurred when Ball andteammate Tarris Reed Jr.got tangled “I’ve just been doing everything Ican to takecare of it,” Ball saidSunday. “It’s just abumpin theroad,soyou’vegot to keep moving forward. Pain is temporary.People sayitpushesyou through your toughest performance, so it’sonly what you’re made of. This is the championship game.” Hurley had other questions, though, as UConn attempts to win its third national championship in four years and the seventh in school history.The Huskies are tiedwith North Carolina forthe third-highesttotal of national championships, behind UCLA (11) and Kentucky (eight).

sitionoffense. The Tigers scored only four fast-break pointsand assisted just eight field goalsthatnight That’swhy they didn’tget a chance to playfor atriptothe FinalFour.

“Wejust couldn’tget three stops in arow,” Mulkeysaid. “We couldn’trebound the ball so that we could take offintransition. It was kind of like we were moving in mud.”

Mulkey thought she had addressed thisquestion, but then the assistantshe hiredtoreplace GaryRedus accepted UCF’shead coaching job —and he did it a week after he agreed to work at LSU. Now Mulkey’sbacktosquare one. Shestill hastohirenot one, but twoassistantcoaches to replace thepair wholeftfor Rutgers:Redus andDaphneMitchell. They ran alarge chunk of the Tigers’ recruiting operation forthe past three years, but theywon’t this offseason. As of Monday,the only three coaches on staff are Bob Starkey,Kaylin Rice and SeimoneAugustus.

Mulkey told The Advocate on Saturday that she plans to hire twonew coaches “soon.” She can’t waste much time, but the good news for the Tigers is that they don’tnecessarily need to sign a large transfer class this cycle. Who’splaying in thepost? Perhaps LSU’s mosturgent needs lieinthe frontcourt. Joyner’sout of eligibility,and sheled the Tiger posts in minutes played this past season. Mulkey and herstaff need to land at leastone transferto round out their frontcourt, and they need to sign at leasttwo if they want to move ZaKiyah Johnson back to hernatural position. She was recruited as aguard,but LSUslid herdown to the post before her freshman year to balance out the roster and maximize her playing time. LSU’slast-second loss to Duke exposed somepotential issues here.InthatSweet 16 clash, theTigers struggledtograbrebounds.The Blue Devilspulled down 20 offensive boards, and each time they earnedanextra possession, they denied LSUa chance to run its signature tran-

Kovaland Knoxcould form a dependablestarting frontcourt duo next season.Koval, a6-foot5sophomore, improved as adefender,screener and rebounder as the year rolled along. Knox, an athletic 6-2freshman, proved that she coulddefend, run the floor and finish tough shots around therim againstSEC competition.

But LSU could still use some more size. All of Mulkey’sbest teamshave had imposing post players. The portal should have afew she and her staffcan recruit.

Will LSUadd anotherfreshman?

The transfer portal isn’tthe only avenue through which Mulkey and her staff can round out their roster They can also dip back into the high school ranks, especially because twoofthe players they’ve pursuedhave nowreportedly reopened their recruitments. Oliviyah Edwards is now reconsidering herchoicetoenroll at Tennessee, and Trinity Jones is rethinking her decision to begin her career at Clemson.

Both arefive-starrecruits, according to ESPN. Edwards, a 6-foot-3 forward whocan dunk, is the second-best player in the country.Jones, a6-1 guard, is the nation’sNo. 11 recruit. Because LSU signed five freshmen in 2025, it took amore selective approach to recruiting the 2026 cycle. In November,Mulkey and her staffinked only one high school prospect: Lola Lampley,an Indiana wing and McDonald’sAllAmerican. Joneswas down to LSU, Tennessee, TCU, UCLAand Clemsonbeforeshe signed. Edwards considered LSU,South Carolina, Southern Cal, Florida and Washington before she committedto the Lady Vols. She’ssaid that she hasa particularlyclose relationship with Gabe Lazo —the former Tennessee assistant coach who just recently backed out of the deal he signed to join Mulkey’s staffsohecould becomeUCF’s next head coach instead.

The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morningafter Hurricane Milton hit the regiononOct. 10, 2024, in St.Petersburg, Fla.

Rays eagertoreturn to TropicanaField

BY ROBMAADDI Associated Press

Asellout crowd will welcome the Tampa Bay Rays back to renovated Tropicana FieldonMonday for the first time in 18 1/2 months.

The quirky stadium with the tilted roof and unique catwalks underwent major repairs after Hurricane Milton swept through downtown St. Petersburg on Oct. 9, 2024, and caused extensive damage.

High wind ripped sections of the original roof, allowing rain to fall into the stadiumbowl for months. Water caused mold and damage to electrical, sound and broadcast systems. There was thought initially the Rays wouldnever play another game at the only ballpark they had called home since the franchise’s debut in 1998. Instead, nearly $60 million was spent to replace the roof and rebuild the Trop.

While the Rays played their 2025 home games across thebay in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field —the spring training home of the New York Yankees —their stadium got amakeover

The new roof was installed lastAugust, and the final panel

LSU

Continued frompage1C

Tennessee.

Arrambidesaidafterwardsthathe had never even hit threehomers in a game before Sunday,let alone four

“I was just in there focused on my plan… compete, rungood(atbats), and get apitch Ican drive,” Arrambide said. “And Iknew this morning, Iwas feelinggood, my batting practice (and) everything. Ifelt likeIwas in the zone.”

AfterArrambide’s 11th-inning blast, Tennessee tied it in the bottom half of the inning after catcher Levi Clark hit asacrifice fly to center field that scored the tyingrun and was afew feet awayfrom becominga walk-off homer.But Guidry, despite giving up the run, finished the inning to allow LSU (22-11, 6-6 SEC) to retake the lead in the 12th. Guidry tossed 51/3 innings in relief after entering the game with twoouts in the seventh. He allowed just two hits and one run

“(I was) just competing in the zone, letting my defense play,” Guidry said. “And then just the offense (came) through big late.”

LSU clawed its way back into the game thanks to four solo home runs, including three consecutive blasts in the seventh inning, that cut its deficit to onebefore an infield single from junior Jake Brown with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth inning tied the game at 5-5. Additionally,inthe midst of the ninth-inning drama, Johnsongot ejected after Arrambidestruck out on aquestionable third strike call that resulted in the secondout of theninth.

“WhenI getkickedout of the game, most of the time Iexplainit like I’m dead and watching my life happen,” Johnson said.“I’ve never felt more alive in my life than

wasput in place Nov.21. Luxu-

ry suites and the stadium video board were upgraded. The stadium hasnew artificial turf, homeplate clubseats, clubhouse carpet and lockers, and new flooring on the outfield deck.

“I think guys are excited, and rightfully so,” Rays manager KevinCash said about the team’sreturn home.

“Our organization hasworked incredibly hardand the city and the county, to get it back up to speed Ibriefly walked through there, couldn’tbemoreimpressed with theway it looks,and excited to see ourfans.Ithink ourguys are going to appreciate just having our fans in thebuilding,cheering us on for our opening day”

It’llbe the 20th consecutive seasonthe Rays have sold outtheir home opener,excluding 2020 when fans weren’tallowed inside the stadium because ofthe COVID-19 pandemic

“I’m just reallyexcited to get back in the Trop,” said reliever Griffin Jax, who joinedthe team last July.“I always enjoy going thereasa visitor

It’ll be cool to see allthe new renovations and upgrades they made along the way. We’veseenita handful of timeswalkingthrough andseeing

pictures and stuff. It looksgreat.

It’ll be good to be back in our home.”

After spending aseason playing in aminor league ballpark, theRays arelooking forwardtogoing back to big league amenities

“It was difficult,” Jax saidabout playing at SteinbrennerField.“I don’tthink anybody expects to play in asituation like that. It’s just one of those things you have to make any adjustment you can andget ready to play because there is still baseball to be played that night. The situation isn’t great. The environment wasn’t awesome, but it’sstill baseball. Youjusthave to rollwithit. Iwas only therefor two months. Shout outtoall these guys whowere there foranentire year because it was not ideal.”

TropicanaField may notbehome for theRays for much longer.The Raysare under lease to play there through at least the 2028 season, butthe team’s new ownership group is pursuing anew ballpark that would be built in Tampa, in the shadows of theYankees’ spring training complexand across the street from Raymond James Stadium, home to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

LSU CATCHER SERNA EXITS GAME WITH INJURY

LSUfreshman catcher OmarSerna was not diagnosedwitha concussion, but he wasnot healthyenough to returntothe game on Sunday, coach JayJohnson said following the Tigers’ dramatic 16-6 win in 12 innings.

Sernaexited the game after colliding withTennessee center fielder Garrett Wright on aplayathome plate in thethird inning.Hewas eligible to returnifLSU athletic trainer Isaac Trujillo had medically cleared him to play,but Trujillo didn’t believeheshould returntothe game,Johnson said.

“He was coherent,”Johnson said.“I mean, he talked to the team (after the game).”

Wright, whowas tagging up from homeplateona flyball to right field, raninto Sernabeforescoring and giving Tennessee a1-0 lead.Junior right fielder Jake Brown’s throwhome had forcedSerna to positionhimself furtherupthe third base line, leaving himvulnerable to crashing into Wright Trujillo examined Serna beforethe freshman exited for redshirt junior Eddie yamin. yamin finishedSunday’sgamegoing 2for 5withadouble and an RBI.

watching the extra innings there.”

LSU’safternoon was anything butpretty before the extra innings, particularly in thethird,whenthe Tigers committedthree errors and surrendered five unearned runs that placed them in a5-0 hole.Four of thefive runs Tennessee(20-12, 4-8) scoredoff LSU in thethird came with two outs.

First, with center fielder Garrett Wright on secondand oneout, senior first baseman Zach Yorke droppeda routine throw from second basethat allowedTennessee to put runners on the corners. The Volunteers then scored on the next playafter asacrifice fly to right. Brownhad achancetogun down Wright at home from right field after catching the flu out, but his throw was too far up the third base line,and Wright endedupbeing safe at the plate

The throw wasruled an error, and the play resultedinfreshman catcher OmarSerna exiting the game because he collided with Wright on his way home. LSU athletictrainer Isaac Trujillo checked outSerna before he wasreplaced by Yamin.

After an intentional walk put two runners on base, another LSU errorloaded thebases for Tennes-

Road to theplayoffs

Alookatthe NBA’s stretch run

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

Finally,aseed has been clinched in the NBA playoffs The road to theEastern Conference title will run through Detroit, which locked up the No. 1 seed on Saturday with awin over Philadelphia. ThePistons are12-3intheir past 15 games, even while Cade Cunningham has been out for much of that stretch while recovering from acollapsed lung. And while the East is locked up, technically,there is still something to play for —home-court advantage in the NBA Finals. Detroit will be no worsethanthe No.3 overall seed but still hasa shotofcatching San Antonio for the secondbest record

Alsoinplay forthe Pistons: the third-best record in team history At 57-21, they could still get to 61 wins. Only the 2005-06 Pistons (64-18) andthe 1988-89 Pistons (63-19) won more games than that.

Who’sinand who’sout?

Here’swhat we know so far regarding the NBAplayofffield for this season.

EasternConference playoffteams: Detroit haslocked up the No 1seed and will open the postseason on April 19. Boston, New York, Cleveland are in. At this point, Atlanta and Toronto would getthe other two guaranteed spots, butthose are not clinched.

East play-inteams: Nobody is locked into theplay-in yet, butentering Saturday,the four teams headed thereare Philadelphia, Charlotte, Orlando and Miami. East eliminated teams: Milwaukee, Chicago, Indiana, Brooklyn and Washington. WesternConferenceplayoff teams: Oklahoma City,San Antonio, theLos Angeles Lakers, Denver and Houston are in. Minnesota is likely to grabthe sixth and final guaranteed spot. West play-in teams: Phoenixisprobably going to the play-in tournament. Portland, the LosAngeles Clippers andGoldenState definitely are. West eliminatedteams: Memphis, New Orleans, Dallas,Utah and Sacramento.

Saturday recap

Heat 152, Wizards 136: Good news for Wizards, Bam Adebayo didn’t score 83.Bad newsfor Wizards, everything else. Nuggets136, Spurs 134, OT: Nikola Jokic scores 40, Victor Wembanyama scores 34 in this potential West semifinal matchup.

PELS

Continued from page1C

Pistons116, 76ers93: Detroit clinches No. 1seed in East, Philadelphia falls back to play-in range fornow Monday’s schedule

New York at Atlanta: Hawks are 18-2 in their last 20 games, likely No. 5 seed in East. Knicks could make a statement here. Detroit at Orlando: Magic have threeplayers who finishedat Michigan,Pistons have two. This, during the NCAA title game, is just wrong.

Cleveland at Memphis: Cavs could still catch Knicks,withsome help. Aslipup here wouldn’tbe ideal.

Philadelphia at San Antonio: Spurs won’t play another road gameuntil Game 3ofWest quarterfinals. Portland at Denver: Trail Blazers in extremely close race with Clippers forNo. 8seed in play-in tournament.

Bettingodds

Oklahoma City(+130) is favoredtowin theNBA title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, followed by SanAntonio (+450), Boston (+550), Denver (+1200), Cleveland (+1200)and New York (+1900). Detroit, the No. 1seed in the East, is +2500. And after Luka Doncic’sinjury sent the Los AngelesLakers’ odds soaring, from +2500 beforehand to +12500, Austin Reaves’injury made them even biggerlongshots. They’re at +50000 now

Keydates

Friday: All 30 teamsplaytheir 81st games of the season. April 12: All 30 teamsplay their regular-season finales.

April 14, 15 and 17: NBA play-in tournament dates.

April18and 19: NBAplayoffseries openers. May2,3 or 4: Conference semifinals begin.

May10: NBAdraftlottery

May10-17: NBAdraftcombine. May17or19: Eastern Conference finals begin on ESPN and ABC. May18or20: Western Conference finals begin on NBCand Peacock. June 3: Game 1, NBA Finals on ABC. (Other finals dates: June 5, June 8, June 10,June13, June 16 and June 19).

Numberswatch SanAntonioisnow 37-2 this season when scoring 121 points or more.Bothlossesare to Denver— andineachofthe first three meetings between those clubs this season,both teams have reached at least 131 points. Stat of theday

The Heat had zero instances of scoring 150 points in their first 3,264games.They’ve scored 150 or more threetimes in their past 86 games.

—Koki Riley

see. Fifth-year senior Seth Dardar dropped shortstop Milam’sthrow to second withtwo outs. The big mistake allowed left fielder Blaine Browntocome up to theplate and blast agrand slam that gave Tennesseea5-0 lead

“It is what it is. We can’t do that,” Johnson said when he wasasked aboutthe errors. “Like, we can’t do that. That’smyquote.”

If it weren’tfor their late rally, the Tigers’ defensive struggles would have wasted astrongday for their pitching staff.

Fifth-year seniorright-hander GrantFontenot, in hisfirst start at LSU, would’ve tossed three scorelessinnings if it weren’tfor the errors in thethird. Senior righthander Zac Cowan gave up just one hit in fourinnings in relief.Sophomore left-handerDanny Lachenmayer only faced one batter after Cowan, buthehandedthe ball off to Guidry,who wentontohave hisbest outing of theseason LSUreturns home for amidweek nonconference matchup against Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday before hittingthe road again next weekend. First pitchfor Tuesday’s gameisset for 6:30 p.m., and the gamewill be available to stream on SEC Network+.

Wagner, Jalen Suggs andJevon Carter scored11eachfor Orlando. Saddiq Beyscored 32 points, Jeremiah Fears added 19, Yves Missi had aseason-high 18 points and 13 rebounds and Zion Williamson scored 17 to lead the Pelicans, whowill play their final homegame of the season against the Utah Jazzat7 p.m. Tuesdayin theSmoothie King Center New Orleansplayedwithout leading scorer Trey Murphy (ankle), starting point guard Dejounte Murray (hand) and reserve center Karlo Matkovic (back) as well as reserve guard BryceMcGowens(toe),who missed his 13th consecutive game Borregotook advantageofthe absences to give added playing time to the team’s youngest players. RookieMicah Peavy (three points and five rebounds in 28 minutes) started the second half in place of Herb Jones,who didn’t play after halftime. Missi’s40minutes werea season-high and tied his careerhigh, Fears’ 37 minutestied the rookie’sseason-high and Jordan Hawkins’ 26 were aseason-high Two-way players Hunter Dickinson (four minutes) andTreyAlexander (11 minutes) received rare playing timeasDickinson played for thefirst timesince the season opener andAlexander played in his sixth game of theseason and his first in 39 games. “These are big moments,” Borrego said. “You can’treplicate this.There’snopickup game, no workout for this. They have to go throughit.ThesearerealNBAminutesagainst teams that are fighting for the playoffs or seeding and are trying to play at their peak.” NewOrleans will conclude the

seasonwithgamesatBostononFriday and at Minnesota next Sunday Fears scored the first five points of the third quarter,giving the Pelicans a65-52 lead. The Magic scored thenextfive points, but Bey’s3-point lead completed a7-0 run that gaveNew Orleans a15-point lead. Bane’sthree-pointplaystarted a 13-4run that pulledOrlando within 76-70. The Pelicans rebuilt the lead to 13 before a7-0 run helpedthe Magic trimthe lead to 88-81 at the endofthe thirdquarter Bane made a3-pointer to start the fourth-quarter scoring, but Bey had five points to help New Orleanstakea96-88 lead.Banchero’sthree-point play and Suggs’ 3-pointer completed a10-0 run thatgaveOrlando its first lead since the second quarter,98-96. The lead changedhands twice and the score was tied once before Wendell Carter’sput-back gave the Magic the lead forgood, 103-101. Orlandoextendedthe lead to sixpointsbefore Fears ended anearly 41/2-minute fieldgoal drought forNew Orleansto trim the lead to 108-104 with 34 seconds left. Bane made four free throwsinthe final 27 seconds. The score was tied four times andthe lead changedhands four times during the first quarter The Magic led by as manyas seven points before the Pelicans ledbyeight on twooccasions but former Pelican Jamal Cain and Wendell Carter scored four points eachduring aclosing 10-1 run that gave Orlando a29-28 lead at the end of the period.

The Magic extended the lead to 45-39 early in the third quarter before going cold.Williamson scored seven points and Bey, Fearsand Hawkins addedfour each during a21-7 run that left New Orleans with a60-52 halftime lead.The Magic made just 2-of-20 3-pointers in the first half

Still skating at 87 LIVING

BY PANASHE MATEMBA-MUTASA

The

SAN JOSE, Calif. — As players in the San Jose Sharks Masters League streak across the ice, Ed Asato trails behind the play, stick ready At 87, he still skates in the league’s over-60 division.

Though he isn’t as quick as he was when he first picked up the sport decades ago, his enthusiasm hasn’t faded.

“I’m having fun, and I’m thankful,” he said.

Every Monday at midday, teams of older hockey players gather at Sharks Ice in San Jose to face off. Many are fathers. Some are grandfathers.

They say hockey keeps them physically active, socially connected and in touch with their younger selves. At this stage of life, the game is less about speed or winning and more about staying active while maintaining camaraderie.

The recreational league draws players from around the Bay Area, many of whom first stepped onto the ice as children.

The hiss of blades gliding over the ice mixed with George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone” as a home team player chased the puck. Sticks clacked in quick succession as passes moved up the ice. Every so often, a shot sailed wide, the puck banging loudly against the glass behind the net.

During a shift change, Dean Tait watched from behind the glass, removing his helmet and taking a drink from his water bottle.

“My first skating lesson, my dad tied my skates, pushed me onto the rink and closed the door,” said Tait, 61 the adult hockey manager at Sharks Ice.

Tait grew up in Quebec, where hockey is woven deeply into everyday life.

“In Quebec, there’s an outdoor rink on every block,” he said. “We’d take our sticks, no helmet, no equipment, and just play.” Tait later moved west and eventually to the Bay Area in 2002, where hockey remained part of his routine even while working in tech and raising two young children Inside a hockey league where age doesn’t stop the game

ä See HOCKEY, page 2D

Multi-series microdramas project headed for Louisiana with a Hollywood titan involved

BY JUDY BERGERON | Staff writer

Microdramas could help revive Louisiana’s film industry

Irrevocable Designee LLC executives say they are finalizing a three-year, 72-series deal with Hollywood producer Tommy Harper’s Tiny Verticals, with production expected to be based at Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge and the series distributed globally on Harper’s new VeYou platform.

Last agreements are yet to be signed, but production in Baton Rouge could begin as early as May

The camera captures Louisiana native Emily Lemoine on the set of the DramaBox microdrama ‘Hero Should Never Stay Low.’ Lemoine has acted in more than a dozen microdramas, or verticals.

The new small screen

What’s a microdrama?

A relatively new, but soaring streaming entertainment trend originating in China, microdramas are sometimes called vertical series. They are short-form shows designed to be watched on a phone held upright. Episodes typically run 60 to 90 seconds, with full seasons binged in about two to three hours.

Subscribers download the streaming platform’s app and receive a few free episodes before being charged a fee to view more episodes. Average costs can range from $10 to $20 a week.

Irrevocable’s Patrick Mulhearn and Baron K. Davis compare

ä See PROJECT, page 2D

By The Associated Press

It is possible to getfalse positive TB test

Dear Doctors: Igot atuberculosis skin test for my health care job and tested positive. Afollowup blood test was also positive, and Iwas diagnosed with latent TB. However, Ihad no known exposure. Seven months later, both tests were negative.I never received any treatment. How can this happen?

Dear Reader: Your experience is agood example of some of the challenges withtesting for latent tuberculosis. Let’sexplore abit about the disease and thetesting process for health care workers. We hope this will help shed light on what may have happened in your case.

Dr.Elizabeth Ko

Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious respiratory disease caused by abacterium known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It spreads through droplets expelled by an infectedperson. This could happen when coughing,sneezing, laughing or speaking. People living with weakenedimmune systems, whether due to illness or medical treatment, have ahigher risk of infection. Symptoms include asevere coughthat laststhree weeks or more, chestdiscomfort or pain, fatigue,feverand chills. TB can also causelossof appetite, night

sweatsand unexplained weight loss. For some people withTB, coughing will produce sputum that is tingedpink with blood. Screening for TB is commonin health care settings. The tests are meant to identify people who have been infected withtuberculosis bacteria. This includes finding those with something known as latent TB. This is when thebacteria arepresent in thebody,but the immune system is able to contain them. Someone withlatent TB is not infectious. However,itispossible for the microbe to become active and trigger an infection. The skin testfor TB is atiny injection on the inside of the arm. It delivers asmall amount of purified protein called tuberculin. The skin will have areaction to the protein if the person’simmune

system has seen tuberculosis bacteria before. Bottom line: The skin testisdetecting an immune memoryofthe bacteria, and not themicrobe itself. Like the skin test, aTBblood test measures whether the immune system has amemory of the TB bacteria. If so, this would suggest aprior or existing infection. The difference is that the blood test is even more specific than the skin test. Given your lack of symptoms, the doctorsoverseeing your tests were led to the diagnosis of latent TB. Falsepositives in these types of tests, which identifyimmune markers rather than thediseasecausing bacteria, can happen for afew reasons. One possibility is exposure to non-tuberculosis mycobacteria. These are found in water,dust and soil. They have

proteins that are similar to TB bacteria. Another is abrief exposure to TB bacteria that, thanks to astrong immune response, did not result in alasting infection. Laboratory and testing errors are also possible. In your case, you had no knownexposure to TB and negative results on your repeat tests. It is likely those initial positive tests caught aborderline immune response that wasnot connected to aTBinfection. This response had faded by the time you wereretested.

Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

microdramas to classic soap operas —addictive stories designedtokeep viewers coming back day after day

Typically with asmall, young and attractive cast, their titles are meant to be tempting to the teen/ young adult crowd

“Don’tMess With aPrep SchoolPrincess,” or “The Millionaire’sBillionaire Wife.”

But Harper doesn’tplan to stop there. He sees action series, mysteries and more in Tiny Vertical’sfuture, Davis said.

WhoisTommy Harper?

Tommy Harper is aveteran Hollywood producer often described as a“franchise whisperer,” with credits that include major studio hits such as “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and work on the Star Wars franchise, as wellas television projects like “Wednesday.” He previously worked in Louisiana as unit production manager on the Baton Rouge-shot “Battle Los Angeles”(2011) and remained connected to the state. More recently,as Harper began his search for ahome base for microdrama production, he reachedout to former Celtic Studioshead Kevin O’Neil, who brought the proposal to Mulhearn. Firstthings first

“I’ve been in several vertical microdramas with millions of views. My mostrecent show,‘In the Palm of His Hand,’ has over 110 million views after only amonth on ReelShort,” said Lemoine.

In addition to theChinese-owned ReelShort, herwork can be seen on majorvertical video streamers DramaBox and GoodShortaswell as other smaller apps.

LemoineportraysFrancescaFranconi, daughter of the head of the Franconi family,in“Palm of His Hand.”

“The malelead, Matteo, is my adoptedbrother whoIamtrying to marry so that Ican lead the mafia family,” she explained. “I am the primary female villain. It was such afun role to play.”

$175,000.

In addition, “Becauseof Her” will receive money upfront from the new GeauxldenOpportunityMedia Fund. Through Irrevocable Designee, Mulhearn andDavis created thefund for Harper’sproductions as wellasotherindependent Louisiana projectstheyplan on financing in the future.

Such mafia verticals are heavy-hitters in the trending market

The 2018 Parkview Baptist graduate said she’d jump at the chance to return to BatonRouge to workonmore microdramas

“It would be so special. And Iwould love to show my co-stars around my hometown. Ithink it could be agreat place to shoot,” she said.

‘Aslongasthe storyisgood’

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday,April 6, the96th day of 2026. There are 269 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On April 6, 1917, the United States entered World WarIasthe House joined theSenate in approving adeclaration of war against Germany that was then signed by President Woodrow Wilson.

Also on this date:

In 1830, Joseph Smith and others met in Fayette, New York, to form the Church of Christ —now known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In 1862, the Civil War BattleofShiloh began in Tennessee as Confederate forces launched asurprise attack against Union troops, who beat back the Confederates the following day

In 1896, thefirst modern Olympic Games formally opened in Athens, Greece.

In 1954, Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy,R-Wis.,

HOCKEY

Continuedfrom page1D

TODAYINHISTORY

responding to CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow’s broadside against him on “See It Now,”claimed in remarks filmed forthe program that Murrow had, in the past, “engaged in propaganda forCommunist causes.”

In 1968, 41 people were killed by apair of explosions spurred by anatural gas leak at asporting goods store in downtown Richmond, Indiana.

In 1994, Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira were killed when the jet they wereriding in was shot downbysurface-to-air missiles as it attempted to land in Kigali, Rwanda.

In 2009, apowerful predawnearthquake rocked central Italy,leaving more than 300 people dead, morethan 1,500 injured and thousands of buildings heavily damaged in the historic city of L’Aquila and surrounding villages.

In 2012, five Black people wereshot, three fatally,

in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Jake England and Alvin Watts, whoadmitted to targeting the victimsbecause of their race, pleaded guilty to murder and were sentenced to lifeinprison without parole.

In 2018, asemitrailer truck collided with abus carrying ayouth hockey team to aplayoffgame in western Canada, killing 16 people and injuring several others. Today’sbirthdays: Actor Billy Dee Williamsis89. Film director Barry Levinson is 84. Actor John Ratzenberger is 79. Baseball Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven is 75. Actor Marilu Henner is 74. Actor Michael Rooker is 71. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is 62. Football Hall of Famer Sterling Sharpe is 61. Actor Paul Rudd is 57. Actor Zach Braffis51. Actor Candace Cameron Bure is 50. Musician Robert Glasper is 48. Musician Jack Stauber is 30. Actor Peyton List is 28. Formula 1driver Oscar Piastri is 25. Actor Casey Simpson is 22.

“Because of Her,” the first seriesslatedfor Baton Rouge, is already written and moving into casting It will star Kasey Esser, aprolific microdrama actor whose workhas drawn more than 500 million views acrossdozens of projects.

The production will also lean into brand integration and product placement acommon feature of the format —with aLouisianabased clothier in asupporting role.

“We’re going to start with Louisiana’sversion of ‘brand entertainment,’”explained Mulhearn. “Haspel clothing will be prominently featured in ‘BecauseofHer.’ Laurie Lipsey Aronson, CEO/owner of the clothier (known forits signature seersucker suits), will be serving as an executive producer

“Also lookfor cameos by some local notables you’ll recognize,” Mulhearn added.

And that’sall he’ssaying about the debut series, taking advantage of the unofficial golden rule of soapoperas —“Leave them wanting more.” Show them themoney Financing for film and TV projects is multi-layered, with Louisiana’s filmtax credits luring some companies to head south. But often, it takes more than that.

Tiny Verticals is set to receive a40% tax credit from the state on all qualifying production spends in the state. Expenses incurred outside Louisiana, such as any pre- and post-production costs in Los Angeles, for example, are not eligible for the credit.

Microdramas require small casts, short shoots and minimallocations. The average cost per series is

“Mythinking is this:ifyou’re going tofinance an independent film, it’svery rare that you’re going to have onlyone sourceoffinancing or one person who’s going to be writinga check,” Davis began. “You need to be abletokind of divide thatup among anumber of people. So, we want mom-and-pop investor types. It could be adentist anda lawyerand awelderand whoever, you know,who might want to go in together.

With investors forthe first few months of vertical drama production in place,the fund will be seeking more interested parties in the nearfuture,Davis said

“We’ve got to get on this path ofevolving as an industry.And that, youknow, means accesstocapital,” Mulhearn said.

Mulhearn credits the relationship with Harperasthe potential difference maker for theprojects.

“I’m not saying that it’s going to, you know,bring ‘Top Guns’ here for years, but Iamsaying that this relationship, it’spriceless that somebody at that level would wanttosee us succeed here,” Mulhearn said.

Harper’sVeYou platform will be available for download on April 7. Go toVeYou. com for more info. Adozen-plusand counting Louisiana native Emily Lemoine already has more than adozenmicrodramas to her credit.

Lemoine,26, headed for Los Angeles just afew weeks after graduating from LSU in December 2021 with abachelor of arts in theatre performance.

“I did not want to wait tables, so Istarted doingPA (production assistant) work and also audience coordinating for showslike ‘AGT’ (‘America’sGot Talent’), ‘American Idol’and ‘Dancing with the Stars’,”she said.

Lemoine beganlanding paying actinggigs just last year,and is looking for new representation to take her to thenext level in her career

Microdramas would be something new forNew Orleans actor KC Simms (“Boots,” “HitMan,” “Mike”),and acting back in hisBaton Rouge hometown wouldonly addtohis interest.

“In terms of auditioning for one of these, as long as the story is good andit’s paying decently,I’m all for it and being back at home would mean the worldto me,” Simms said. “Being able to go on set to shoot something, then being able to see my mom and dad afterwards, or even just driving back down Plank Road or Corporate (Boulevard) after getting off set.”

Simms,26, is all for people tellingstories in newand creative ways.

“It seemsthat with microdramas it also might open up adoor for new filmmakers to tell their stories as well, with howinexpensive andrepeatable they are to create,” he said.

He says he is concerned about the reliance on speed prompting some to take more shortcuts with artificial intelligence. Since COVID-19 and the writers’ andactors’ strikes of 2023, Simms,aUNO graduate, has pivoted tolive theater

In January,hestarred as JohnPrentice in Lorna NCompany’sproduction of “Guess Who’sComing to Dinner?” in Thibodaux, which he said was “one of themostimportant acting experiences I’ve had.”

He is now portraying poker-playing Steve Hubbell in Irene Collective’s“AStreetcar Named Desire” at Big Couch New Orleans. If the Baton Rouge deal is finalized,microdramas may not replace blockbuster filmmaking in Louisiana, but they could fill agap —bringing steady work and new op-

In 2008, he joinedthe over35 divisionatSharks Ice.Today, he manages therink’s adultleagues,which include about 2,500 players, 16 referees and 40 scorekeepers. Divisionsrange from18and older to special bracketsfor players over 35, 50 and 60.

Like many players in the older divisions, Tait has felt therealities of aging on the ice.

Games are slower now,he said,and injuries take longertoheal. In 2016,hedislocated hiskneeand spent six months recovering before returning to play Still, the draw of hockey remainsstrong.

“It’sa drug,” said Mark Belinsky, 69,who hasbeen playing since he was a 10-year-old boyinChicago. “You get high when you’re on the ice.”

For Belinsky,the game still delivers thesame rush

—the feeling of gliding acrossthe ice, thesatisfaction of aclean shot, the bite of cold air filling his lungs.

But experience has also taught caution.

“If ajumbo-sized guy’s gotthe puckand Iwanna chase him down, I’ve gotta reconsider now because of physics,” he said with a laugh.

His teammates chuckled nearby Bob Gianni, 70, who has been playing since he was 8, said he now spends more time strategizing to avoid getting hurt. He’s already hada hip replacement and creditshis abilitytokeep playing to “good doctors.”

“At our age, you gotta keep moving,” Gianni said.

Asatolives by that principle as well. The shortest playeronthe team, he is often dwarfed by younger,faster skaters. When thepuck comesnear him, amore agile player usually reaches it first.

Still, Asato follows the play,determined.

Before each game,he mentally runs throughhis rules: recognize the situation, make adecision, execute.

“But when Iget on the ice, Iforget everything,” said Asato, whopickedupthe sport at 59.

Whatkeepshim playing at nearly 90, he said, is the community,the mental focusthe game requiresand the occasionalsmall victory along the way “I don’ttouch thepuck muchanymore,” he said. “But once every couple of years I’ll score agoal.”

ARIEs (March 21-April19) Participate in something that helps you recognize your talents. Choose to fine-tune your spending or projects to avoid unnecessary debt. Peace of mind comes from doing what's right andbest for you.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Scrutinize what lies ahead before you take achance, make amoveorstart something new. Time is on your side, and ironing out all thekinks is necessary to avoid backtracking.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Personal and financial growth are within reach. A positive attitude will lead to rewards and opportunities to get ahead and to make adifferencethat will encourage you to broaden your scope and agenda

cAncER(June 21-July 22) Focus on work, notpersonaloremotional issues. Too muchofanything will defeat the purpose. Take astep back and consider the outcome before youinitiatechange or take on more than you can handle.

LEo (July 23-Aug.22) Learn and explore thepossibilities. You'll gain insight into what's possible if youtry something neworvolunteer foracause dear to your heart. Clear the path, and go after your heart's desires.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Truth matters, and being on the right side of history will make adifference. Sign up for events, projectsorpastimes thatwill give you the boost youneed to build confidence.

LIBRA(sept. 23-oct. 23) Hold your thoughts before sharing. Enjoy your

timewith people who make your life better. Refuse to let raw emotions take over aconversation thatcan influence your relationships.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) You can talk your wayinand outofanything if you are factual and bold. Opportunities will sprout from your ability to be frank and to follow through with confidence.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Emotions anddomestic issues will require patience, planning and setting boundaries. Shared space andexpenses will lead to stressful situations.Change begins with you.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Observe before stepping into something thathas the potential to backfire on you. Get the lowdown, consider the consequences andfocusonmaintenanceand lowering your overhead.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Makeabudget, andimproveyourliving space, lifestyle or qualifications. Set yourself up for success, and you'll findyour niche. It's time to letyourpast go andtoturn your dreams into areality.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Expand your mind;considerthe possibilitiesand the cost to reach your goal. Adiversion or change of location will spark your imagination and encourage you to revise your plans.

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 fromquotationsbyfamous people, past and present. Each letter in thecipherstands foranother.

toDAy's cLuE: cEQuALs M

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

Bridge

By PHILLIPALDER

William Arthur Ward, who coined many inspirational maxims,said,“A true friend knows your weaknesses but showsyou your strengths.” Abridge playerwith aweak hand can sometimes do well by sounding strong. Look at today’s Southhand. North opens onediamond. Whatshould South do?

The textbooks tell South that without sixpoints,heshould pass. However, he has twofive-card majors —and we love majors. He ought to bid one spade. Yes, it is not without risk, but he has areasonable chancetoimprove thecontract.

Here, North will raise to four spades. That would perhapsgiveSouth momentarypause,butwhenheseesthedummy, it will easehis concerns.

AfterWestleads theclub queen, how should declarer plan theplay?

If South hadpassed over onediamond and West had passed also,thatcontract wouldprobablyhavegonedownone.But maybe West would have balanced with twoclubs or (better)a takeout double Then, though, North-South would have hadasecond chancetofind theirspade fit. South has three top losers: two hearts andone club. He needstoestablishhis heartsuit. Andusually, in this situation, declarershouldimmediatelyplayonthat suit.

So, South wins with dummy’s club ace and leads aheart to,say,his nine and

West’s jack. West cashes the clubjack, then shifts to the diamond10. Declarer wins with dummy’s ace andplays another heart South trumps the next diamond and ruffs aheart high.Whentheysplit 3-3, he draws trumps ending in his handand cashes his hearts. ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrewsmcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOngOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1.

Average

Time

Can

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition. For more information on tournaments and

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

ken ken

WiShinG Well

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) withoutrepeating. 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErEisaplEasanTliTTlE

the number of letters is

left