The Times-Picayune 02-04-2025 by The Advocate

‘THE WORLD IS AT OURDOORSTEP’

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

The teams have landed. The Vince Lombardi Trophy has been paradedaround town. The Caesars Superdome is lit up and ready.And though NewOrleanshas beentested by both a terrorist attack anda historic snowfall in recent weeks, city leaders said Monday they are excited and ready to host arecord-tying11th SuperBowl.

At the Super Bowl LIX kickoff news conference at the ErnestN.Morial Convention Center,SaintsownerGayle Benson, Mayor LaToyaCantrell and ahostof business and civic leaders said the city

MayorLaToyaCantrell speaks Mondayas NewOrleans kicks off SuperBowlweek.

will provide afestive —and secure —experience in the lead up to the big game on Sunday

“The NFL was unshaken, standing with thecity of New Orleans after Jan.1,” Cantrell said. “They wanted to makesure the soul and spirit of New Orleans was unshaken as well.

“Let this be areal testament not only of our faith, but how we are stronger and unitedinensuring that SuperBowlLIX will be thebest ever,” she added.

Eventsrelated to the game will take place across New Orleans over the next week. Some, like the SuperBowl Experience at the Convention Center,are aimed at fans in New Orleansand from elsewhere descending on the city,while other parties and ceremonies will feature strict invite lists with A-list guest attendees.

On Monday night,the ﬁrst major event

ä See SAFE, page 6A

S&WB chief Korban to exit

‘Mymission wasto stabilize theutility, andIbelieve that I have donethat’

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

Nearly seven years ago, veteran public works executive Ghassan Korban wastappedtolead aNew Orleans Sewerage &Water Board hobbled by drainage failures, century-old infrastructure, billing inaccuracies and widespread public distrust.

Disappearing town at center of land loss crisis

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

As Phyllis Melancon drives down La. 1toward the Gulf of Mexico, her husband Timmy points to where lost landmarks used to be:a bait shop, a chapel, their family home. For the couple in theirlate60s, married when they were14and 15, each siteevokes stories of family members and old friends in thetown of Leeville,

which haslost nearly allits land and peopleover recent decades.

“Since thelaststorm,there’s no more gas stations, no more restaurants,”Phyllis Melancon said of 2021’s Hurricane Ida.

“It’sjust aroad,” Timmy Melancon said. “That’sit.” Leeville is at the forefrontofLouisiana’scoastalland loss crisis,which has robbed the state of land the size of Delaware over the pastcentury— among the highest rates in the world. In 2021, Idadestroyed what was left

ä See LEEVILLE, page 4A

In May, Korbanwill leavebehind an agency that is still challenged but in better condition than when he found it, he said in arecent interview Among his accomplishments are twoinfrastructure projectstosupply reliable power to drainage pumps and installation of smart meters he says will eliminate problems with water billing.

Korban will resign on May2after nearly 40 years of public serviceand return to Milwaukeeto be with hisfamily. Theagencywill launch anational search forhis replacement, ofﬁcials said Monday “When Ifirst took over,this

WASHINGTON President Donald TrumponMondayagreedtoa 30-day pause on his tariffthreats againstMexicoand Canada as America’stwo largest trading partners took stepstoappease his concerns about border security and drug trafﬁcking. The pauses provide acool-down period after atumultuousfew days that put North America on the cusp of atrade warthat risked crushing economic growth, causing prices to soar and ending two

page 5A

PHOTO BY BRAD WEIMER

Workers and volunteers unload oyster shells to build areef on MondayinLeeville

Korban

STAFF PHOTO BY BRETTDUKE

STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER

The St.Augustine High School Marching 100 performs on the field during the SuperBowlLIX opening night at theCaesars Superdome on Monday.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Official: Pa.crash left

‘expansive’ impact zone

PHILADELPHIA The impact area

where amedical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia was notably “expansive,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday after viewingthe site withinvestigators and city ofﬁcials.

Duffy said he wasstruck by “how expansive it was. And the issues that ﬁre and policewere dealing with. Again, this is avery populated area.”

The crash Friday evening killed all six peopleonthe Learjet 55 air ambulance, including agirl who hadbeen receiving medical treatment at Shriners Children’sPhiladelphia hospital. Aseventh person inside avehicle was killed on the ground

MayorCherelle Parker said two more people who were hurt on the ground have been identiﬁed, bringing the total to 24.Four people remained hospitalized Monday,two in critical condition.

Parker said footage of the crash has made her “think about what couldhave been, had agas line been hit.”

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said the plane had been taking Valentina Guzmán Murillo, 11, and her mother,Lizeth Murillo Osuna, 31, home to Mexico. It plummeted within aminute of taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Jet Rescue identiﬁedits team members as Dr.Raul Meza Arredondo,41; the captain,Alan Montoya Perales, 46;the co-pilot, Josue de Jesus JuarezJuarez, 43; and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, 41. Valentina had recently completed treatment for acondition not easily treated in Mexico, hospital ofﬁcials have said.

Judge extends blockon Trump funding freeze

WASHINGTON Ajudge in the nation’scapital kepta temporary blockonaTrumpadministration plan for afreezeonfederal funding Monday after some nonprofit groups said they’re still struggling to getpromised grants and loans.

U.S.DistrictJudgeLoren L. AliKhan extended an ordershe issued last week that paused a sweeping plan to freeze potentiallytrillions in federal spending. While the memo outlining it has since been rescinded, the Republican administration has said some kind of funding freeze is still planned as part of his blitz of executive orders.

Asecond judge in Rhode Island hasalso blocked anyfederal spending pause in aseparate lawsuit ﬁled by nearly two dozen Democratic states In the Washington lawsuit, several groups reportedbeing unable to access promised federal funding evenafter the memo was rescinded.They ranged from childcare in Wisconsin to disabilityservices in West Virginia to asmall business research project on neutron generation and detection.

“For many,the harms caused by the freeze are nonspeculative, impending, and potentially catastrophic,” AliKhan wrote. California highway reopens after wildfires

LOS ANGELES The PaciﬁcCoast Highway reopened Monday nearly amonth after it wasclosed when flames from the deadly Palisades Fire ripped through hillside Los Angeles neighborhoods, destroying properties all the way down to the beach.

Trafﬁc along the scenic shoreline route began moving again at 8a.m. with just one lane in each direction and limited speed from Santa Monica northwesttothe Ventura County line.

“Essential traffic onlyis strongly encouraged,” Los AngelesCounty Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said in astatement. Cleanup and utility repairs continue, andHorvath warned that “this will not be the same PCH as before the ﬁres.”

Proof-of-residence or entry passes are still required to enter the Palisades burn zone.

The highwaypartially reopenedSunday morning on the northernmost section in Malibu.

Reopening of the remaining section in the Paciﬁc Palisades area was delayed as Los Angeles ofﬁcialsmade adecision to keep the checkpoints in place overconcerns of public safety and looting.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO

AUnited States Agency for International Development contract worker sits Monday in front of the USAID office in Washington holding amessagereading ‘Save USAID’ writtenona pieceofpaper

Trump, Musk move to dismantleUSAID

Action ignitesbattlewith Democratic lawmakers

BY ELLEN KNICKMEYER, ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trumpadministration and billionaireallyElonMusk movedto shutteranagencythat providescrucial aid tofund education and fight starvationoverseas, sparking ashowdown with congressional Democrats who blastedthe effortasillegaland vowed acourt ﬁght.

In one of the most dramatic efforts to push back on President Donald Trump’s bid to slash and reshape the federal government, some Democrats sought Monday to enter the agency’sheadquarters. They wereblockedbyofﬁcers from even broaching the lobby,and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was theacting administratorofthe agency despite it being an independent body for six decades.

WhileTrump has spentthe ﬁrst three weeks of his newpresidencymaking broad changes to the federal government, thefast-moving developments at USAID have emergedasaparticularly controversial ﬂashpoint with Democrats who argueitsymbolizesthe massivepower Musk is wielding over Washington.

Trump told reporters Mondaythatshutting down USAID “should have been done along time ago.” Asked whether he needs Congress toapprove such ameasure, the president said he did not think so.

Congressional Democrats, cheered by afew hundred supporters, vowed to act outside USAID headquarters, where federalofﬁcers and yellow tape blocked both employees and lawmakers from entering hours after Musk declared, “We’re shutting it down.”

“This is aconstitutional crisis we are in today,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said.

Added Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin: “Wedon’thave afourthbranch of government calledElon Musk. And that’s going to become real clear.”

Showing the extraordinarypowerof Musk and his budget-slashing Department of Government Efficiency,thousands of USAIDemployees have been laid off and programs shut down around theworld in the two weeks since Trump became president and imposed asweeping freeze on foreign assistance.

The U.S. is the world’slargest provider of humanitarian aid, and the moves have upended decades of U.S.policy that put humanitarian, development and security

assistance in thecenter of effortstobuild alliances and counter adversaries such as China and Russia. Trump, Musk and Republicans in Congress have made the U.S. foreign assistance program aspecial target,accusing it of waste and advancing liberal social programs.

The U.S. spends lessthan 1% of its budget on foreign assistance, asmaller share overall than some other countries. Trump accused theBiden administration of fraud, without giving any evidence and only promising areport later on.

“They went totally crazy,what they were doing and themoney they were giving to people that shouldn’tbegetting it and to agencies and others thatshouldn’t be getting it,itwas ashame, so atremendous fraud,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Ofﬁce.

Lawmakers sought to enter USAID ofﬁces in Washington, saying they wanted to speak to any staffers remaining about the dismantling of the agency.DepartmentofHomeland Security ofﬁcersand men identifying themselves as USAID employees blocked them. “Elon Musk’s not here,” one toldthe lawmakers.

Sen. Chris VanHollen, of Maryland, called it an “illegal power grab” andsaid it was “a corrupt abuse of power that is going on.”

“It’snot only agifttoour adversaries, but trying to shut downthe Agency for International Development by executive order is plain illegal,” he said.

Democrats saidcourt challenges already were in the works and pledged to try to block approval of Trump’sState Department nominations until the shutdown is reversed. Democratsare in the minority in the House and Senate after last November’selections, leaving them with reduced leverage.

Musk announced the closing of the agency early Monday as Rubio was outof the country on atrip to Central America.

Rubio toldreporters in SanSalvador that he was now the acting administrator of USAID but had delegated his authority to someone else. In aletter to lawmakers obtained by The Associated Press, Rubio designated Peter Marocco, apolitical appointee whose short stint at USAID in the ﬁrst Trump administration generated unusual staff protestsfor pushing program cuts and investigations that ambassadors and other senior officials complained slowed work to acrawl.

In his remarks, Rubiostressed that some and perhaps many USAIDprograms would continue in the new conﬁguration but that the switch was necessary because the agency had become unaccountableto the executivebranch and Congress.

Rebels whoseizedCongo city declareunilateralceasefire

BYCHINEDU ASADU and JUSTIN KABUMBA Associated Press

GOMA, Congo— The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized eastern Congo’skey city of Goma announced aunilateral ceaseﬁre in the region Monday for humanitarian reasons, following calls forasafecorridor for aid and hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

TheM23 rebels said the ceasefire would start Tuesday.The announcement cameshortly after theU.N. health agency said at least 900 people were killed in last week’s ﬁghting in Goma between the rebels andCongolese forces.

The city of 2million people is at the heart of aregion home to trillions of dollars in mineral wealth and remains in rebel control. The M23 were reported to be gaining ground in other areas of eastern Congoand advancing on another provincial capital, Bukavu.

But the rebels said Monday they did not intend to seize Bukavu, though they

earlier expressed ambition to march on Congo’scapital, Kinshasa, athousand miles away

“It must be made clear that we have no intention of capturing Bukavu or other areas. However,wereiterate our commitment to protecting and defending the civilian population and our positions,” M23 rebel spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka said in astatement.

There was no immediate comment from Congo’sgovernment.

The rebels’ announcement came ahead of ajoint summit this week by theregional blocs for southern and eastern Africa, which have called for aceaseﬁre. Kenya’sPresident William Ruto said the presidents of Congo and Rwanda would attend.

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven advanced economies, or G7, urged parties in the conﬂict to return to negotiations. In astatement on Monday,they called for a“rapid, safe and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians.”

WASHINGTON,D.C.,

Salvagecrews recoverengine, largepiece of jet

BY DAVID R. MARTIN, MICHAEL R. SISAK and CLAUDIA LAUER Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Va Salvage crews have recovered an engine and large pieces of fuselage and are working to retrieve awing from the wreckage of acommercial airliner involved in last week’smidair collision near Washington’sReagan National Airport, ofﬁcials said Monday

They also recovered more human remains from the Potomac River although they declined to offer speciﬁcs, reiterating only that 55 of the 67 victims have been found and identified since the crash Wednesday Authorities have said the operation to remove the planewilltakeseveral days and they will then work to remove the military helicopter involved. The crash between the American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter over Washington D.C., was the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001.

More than 300 responders were taking part in the recovery effort at any given time, officials said. TwoNavybarges were also deployed to lift heavy wreckage.

Washington,D.C., Fire Department Assistant Chief Gary Steen tolda news briefing that officials are confident all of the victims would be found.

Divers andsalvageworkers are adhering to strict

protocols andstopped moving debris at timeswhen human remainswerebeing recovered, said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Col. Francis Pera. The “digniﬁed recovery” of remains takes precedence over all else, he said.

Portions of the two aircraft that collided over theriver Wednesdaynight near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport an American Airlines jet with 64 people aboard and an ArmyBlack Hawk helicopter with three aboard —are being loaded onto ﬂatbedtrucks and will be taken to ahangar for investigation. Crews hoped to recoverthe jet’scockpit on Tuesday,Pera said. The crash occurred when the jet, en route from Wichita, Kansas, was about to land.The BlackHawk was on atraining mission. There were no survivors. On Sunday,family members were taken in buses with apolice escort to the Potomac River bank near where the two aircraft came to rest after colliding. The plane’spassengers included ﬁgure skaters returning from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita and agroup of hunters returning from aguided trip. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland; and Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina, were in the helicopter

BY MANUEL BALCE CENETA

Musk tightens grip on federalgovernment

Democrats raisealarms

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON— Elon Musk is rapidly consolidating control over large swaths of the federal government with President DonaldTrump’s blessing, sidelining career officials, gaining access to sensitive databases and dismantling aleading sourceof humanitarian assistance

The speed and scope of his work has beennothing short of stunning. In alittle more than two weeks since Trump took office, the world’srichest man has created an alternative power structure inside the federal government for the purpose of cutting spending and pushing out employees. None of this is happening with congressionalapproval, invitinga constitutional clash over the limits of presidential authority Musk has been named as aspecial government employee, which subjects him to less stringent rules on ethics and financial disclosures than other workers. Trump has given Musk office space in the White House complex where he oversees ateam of people at the so-calledDepartment of Government Efficiency.The team has been dispersed throughout federal agencies to gather information and deliver edicts. Some

of them were spotted on Monday at the Department of Education, whichTrump hasvowedtoabolish.

Republicans defendMusk as simply carrying out Trump’sslash-and-burn campaignpromises. Trumpmade no secret of his desire to put Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur behindthe electric automaker Teslaand the rocketcompany SpaceX, in chargeofretooling the federal government.

“Eloncan’t do and won’tdo anything without our approval,” Trump toldreporters in the Oval Ofﬁce on Monday.

TheRepublican president also played downsconcerns about Musk’sconﬂictofinterests as he ﬂexes hispower over the bureaucracy even

though his businessesface regulatory scrutiny andhave federal contracts.

“Wherewethink there’sa conﬂict or there’sa problem, we won’tlet himgonearit, but he has some verygood ideas,” Trump said.

Democrats, for their part, accused Musk of leading a coup from within the government by amassing unaccountable and illegal power

“Wewill do everything in our power in the Senate and the House to stopthis outrage,” Sen. Chris VanHollenofMaryland said.“And in themeantime, since we don’thave many Republican colleagues who want to help us, we are doing everything we can withour colleagues through the courtstomake

sure that we uphold the rule of law.”

The apex of Musk’swork so far came on Monday at theWashingtonheadquartersfor theU.S. Agencyfor International Development, or USAID, where yellowpolicetapeblocked accessto thelobby and hundreds of employees werelocked out of computer systems. Musk said Trump had agreed to let him shutter the agency

“It’s not an apple with a worm in it, what we have is just aball of worms,” Musk said of theworld’s largest provider of humanitarian, development and security assistance.“You’ve got to basically get rid of thewhole thing. It’s beyond repair.”

Musk hasalsoturnedhis attention to the General Services Administration, or GSA, which manages federal government buildings.An email sent last week from the Washingtonheadquarters instructed regional managers to begin terminating leases on roughly 7,500 federal ofﬁces nationwide.

The initiative is being led by Nicole Hollander,according to an agency employee whorequestedanonymity to discuss internal matters. Hollander describes herself on LinkedIn as an employee at X, Musk’ssocial media platform.

“Thishas gone beyond the pale. This is out of control. This is not anormalsituation,” said Keya Chatterjee, executive director of Free

DC, alocal advocacy organization. She participated in aprotest on Monday outside the Ofﬁce of Personnel Management, which is one of the lesser-known federal agencies key to Musk’sagenda.

Musk’s workhas unnerved federalemployees who are being nudgedtowardthe exits.OnSundaynight,concerns swept through the workforce that they could be locked out of internalhuman resources system, denying them access to their own personnel ﬁles that showed pay history, length of service and qualiﬁcations. Supervisors in some agencies encouraged employees to download their records, calledanSF-50, to personal computers so that they could prove their employment history in the event of disputes.

Musk has been tinkering with things his entire life, learning to code as achild in South Africa and becoming rich with the online payment companyPayPal.Hebought the social media platform Twitter alittlemore than two years ago, renamed it Xand slashedits workforce while turning it into his personal political megaphone.

NowMusk is popping open the hood on the federalgovernment like it’sone of his cars or rockets.

“The Silicon Valleyplaybook to disruptthe status quo —bydisregarding and disobeying rules that you don’t like —isinfull effect here,” said RobLalka,anexpert on entrepreneurship andinno-

vationinbusiness at Tulane University One of the most signiﬁcant steps was gaining access to theU.S.Treasury payment system, which is responsible for 1billion payments per year totaling $5 trillion. It includes sensitive information involving bank accounts and Social Security payments.

“No one outside of the staff doing the work ever asked to have access to the payment files,”saidRichard Gregg, who spent four decades working forTreasury and oversaw the payment system as ﬁscal assistant secretary It’sunclear what Musk wants to do with the payment system. He’sclaimed that he could trim $1 trillion from the federal deficit “just by addressing waste,fraud and abuse.”

“That’sthe biggest data hack ever in the world,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin, aWisconsin Democrat, told reporters in Madison.“Iamoutraged about it.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,aDemocrat fromNew York, said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent must revoke Musk’saccess to the payment system.

“Wemust halt this unlawful anddangerous power grab,” he said on CapitolHill Agroup representingretirees and union workers sued Bessent and the Treasury Department on Mondayto get them to stop sharing personal and ﬁnancial information with DOGE.

Senate confirms fossil fuel CEOChris Wright as energy secretary

BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press

Wright

WASHINGTON The Senate on Monday conﬁrmed fossil fuel executive Chris Wright to serve as energysecretary, a key posttopromote President Donald Trump’sefforts to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright, CEOofDenverbasedLiberty Energy, has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to ﬁght climate change. He says more fossil fuel pro ductioncan lift peopleout of poverty around the globe andhas promised to help Trump “unleash energysecurity and prosperity.”

TheSenate approvedhis nomination, 59-38. Eight Democrats —including bothsenators from Wright’s home state of Colorado voted in favor The centerpiece of Trump’s energy policyis“drill, baby, drill,” and he has pledged to dismantle what he calls Dem-

RubiovisitsEl Salvador to press forcrackdown on migration

BYMATTHEW LEE and JUAN ZAMORANO Associated Press

SAN SALVADOR U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was visiting El Salvador on Monday to press afriendly government to do moreto meet Trump administration demands fora major crackdown on immigration amid turmoil in Washington over the status of the government’smain foreign development agency Rubio arrived in San Salvador shortly after watching a U.S.-funded deportation ﬂight with 43 migrants leave from Panama for Colombia. That came aday after Rubio deliveredawarning to Panama that unless the government movedimmediately to reduce

or eliminate China’spresence at thePanamaCanal,the U.S. would act to do so. Migration, though, wasthe main issue of theday as it will befor thenextstops on his ﬁve-nationCentralAmerican tour of Costa Rica,Guatemala and the Dominican Republic after Panama and El Salvador. President DonaldTrump’s administration prioritizes stopping people from making the journeytothe United Statesand hasworkedwith regional countries to boost immigrationenforcement on their borders as wellastoacceptdeportees from theU.S.. One idea being floated is to negotiate aso-called “safe third country”agreement with El Salvador that would allow non-Salvador-

ean migrants in the U.S. to be deported to El Salvador. Officialshavesuggested this mightbeanoptionfor Venezuelangangmembers convicted of crimes in the United States should Venezuelarefuse to acceptthem.

Humanrights activists have warned,however,that El Salvadorlacksaconsistent policy for thetreatment of asylum-seekers and refugees andthatsuchanagreement might not be limited to violent criminals.

Manuel Flores, the secretarygeneral of the leftist oppositionparty Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, criticized any such plan,sayingitwouldsignal that theregion is Washington’s“backyard to dump the garbage.”

ocrats green newscam” in favor of boosting production of fossil fuelssuchasoil natural gasand coal thatemit planet-warming greenhouse gases.

“President Trumpshares my passion for energy,” Wright said at his confirmation hearing last month, promising that if conﬁrmed, he would “work tirelessly to implement (Trump’s) bold agenda as an unabashed stewardfor allsources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy.”

That includes oil and natural gas, coal, nuclear power andhydropower, alongwith wind and solar power and geothermal energy, Wright said. Trump’senergy wishes are likely to runintoreal-world limits, including the fact that U.S. oil production is alreadyatrecordlevels. The federal government cannot force companies to drill for moreoil,and production increases could lowerprices and reduce proﬁts.

of the small fishingvillage. Today, around three people liveinLeeville. The problem has longbeen a priority for the state, and nowthe NFL is lending ahand ahead of next weekend’sSuper Bowl.On Monday,agroup of specialoperations veterans left the bustling preSuper Bowl streets of New Orleans for the quieter landscapeofLeeville, where water laps against the highway After thetwo-hour drive down La. 1, ex-Navy Seals,restaurant workers, Chalmette High School students and other volunteersinstalled an oyster reef and planted marsh grasses as part of an initiative involving the nonprofit Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, government agencies, global corporations and the NFL’s sustainability program. Theeffort will extend beyond Monday,asthe nonprofit is trying to secure funding for alarger reef.

Taking abreak from reef building, themorethan150 volunteers ate fresh oysters from only afew miles away

Theﬁrstpart of theproject beganinDecember,when dozens of volunteers gathered to divide 59 tons of oyster shellsfrom restaurants into mesh bags —the smaller units that composethe reef.

“I’m kind of speechless,”MeganChampagne, the coastal zone management administrator for Lafourche Parish, said. “We’ve never had such abig agency collaboration.”

Emma Willis asenior at Chalmette High in her school’senvironment club, said the project brought to her attention that people are trying to address the coastal crisis in Louisiana. Before, she only knew that the land was disappearing.

The new ”living shoreline” will not bring back Leeville.Noone is underany illusions about that

But the faded community near Grand Isle is still apopular ﬁshing spot,and its remaining landhelps provide protection for locations farther inland. The reef will assist on both of those matters.

“Weget the ability to do aliving shoreline project andalso bring awareness to the nation of everything that we do,” Glenn Ledet, executive director of the state’s CoastalProtection andRestoration Authority,said.

Besides protecting theshoreline, it will invigorate the aquatic ecosystem around the Theogene B. Melancon Boat Launch, named for the ﬁrstperson to open aboat launch in the town, his greatgrandson TeeTim Melancon said. Alongside the veterans and coastal

KORBAN

Continued from page1A

utility was very unstable. It was in apoor state,” Korban said.“My mission was to stabilize theutility,and Ibelieve thatI have done that.” Unlike many of his predecessors, Korban took over the longtroubled utilityasaNew Orleans newcomer.Anengineer by trade, Korban built his career in the Milwaukee public works department, which he led before Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the S&WB governing board selected him over dozens of candidates in the early days of Cantrell’sadministration.

Cantrellsaid in astatement that Korban “left alasting impact.”

“SWBNO has made significant strides in improving efficiency, sustainability and the quality of serviceweprovide to residents,” the mayor said.

Korban arrived on the heels of devastating floods that consultants blamed on decades of S&WB mismanagement and neglect. And while Korban has overseen signiﬁcant improvements, the agency continues to face problems as he departs.

Infrastructure in allthreedistinct S&WB systems —drainage, water and sewer —still needs dire attention, and the nextdirector must navigate layers of state and local politics to secure morerevenue. Bill Hammack,aformer member of the Infrastructure Advisory Board, whichoversees theS&WB’s spending of tourism-relatedtaxes, credited Korbanwithrescuingthe S&WB from near bankruptcy,installingaprofessional executive team and setting the agency on a stable path —even if theS&WB still lacks the money needed for

organizations,someofthe families whohailedfrom —and then ultimately ﬂed —the small Cajun town also observed the reef installation, evoking complicated emotions.

who did not have insurance, would clean up and start again.

‘Livelihooderodesaway’

theGulf destroys the delicate wetlandecosystem,and canals dug for oiland gas exploration accelerate saltwater intrusion, Biros noted.

accounts foraround 15% of the country’soil supply andhelped provide the local fishing industry withreliablebusiness. In 1999, Mike Tidwell, atravelwriterwith The Washington Post, hitchhiked aboard fishing boats in the area, chronicling howland loss endangeredcoastalcommunities fora popular book, “Bayou Farewell.” Back then, Tidwellsaid, Leeville wasafunctional community. There was Griffin’scafe, Phyllis Melancon’sbaitshopand acadre of working shrimpers and crabbers. Lots of land had already been lost —the town looked nothing like the childhood homes of the elder Melancons —but “there wassome bustle there,” he said.

The Leeville population is abit under dispute. Curole said acouple hundred Cheniere Caminda survivors likely settledinthe town. Phyllis Melancon said thatatone point, apopulation sign in the town said 3,600, but TimMelancon said there wasnoway it was that high. Curole recalled the population being around 60 in the mid-20th century

The town’srelatively small population wasboosted by thesteady stream of industry workers, ﬁshers and campowners passing through.

“I missmeeting people that would cometothe shop,” Phyllis Melancon said. “Near the water, having our shop, that’swhat Imiss —the people.”

The onslaught of storms led to thedwindling populationofLeeville, which sits beyond thelevee system 8miles from the Gulf. But Leeville itself is disappearing, too. Landthatonceheld citrusgroves and cotton ﬁelds is not much more than anarrow street.

“Naturally,yourincome, your livelihood erodes away,” TeeTim Melancon said. “You can’t live off theland if the land’snot there.”

In 2011,the elevatedexpresswayfromLeevilletoPortFourchon opened, and it will eventually extend to Golden Meadow This means that people driving to the port andGrandIslecan bypass the near-empty town.

Asafehaven

“Every storm since we were born, we went through them all,” Phyllis Melancon saidaheadofthe event. “And then this last one, Ida, was the worst out of the 67 years that I’malive.She was theworst that youcould have, because the others we cleaned, painted and repaired with little This one, there wasnothing left to repair.There was nothing to comeback to.”

Ida washed away thehomethey had lived in for decades, elevated abovethe bait shop that Phyllis Melancon ran. Timmy Melancon said the samehappenedtohis grandfather’shouse of 100 years and his uncle’shouse of nearly 80 years.

“And we didn’tcry,” Timmy Melancon said. “Not once, nothing. We just wentonwith ourlives. We were raised likethat.”

They had endured so much already,Phyllis Melancon said.

When Hurricane Katrina hit Leeville in 2005, the house she grew up in with her parents andseven siblings was severely damaged.

“And then Rita (a fewweeks later) and it washed away,” she said.

After each storm, the couple,

critical upgrades.

“I really don’t think the public is aware of the enormous amount of progressthat’sbeen made now, said Hammack, whose ﬁve years on the board overlappedwithKorban.“All of that in asystem that hasbeen chronically underfunded, that has literally billions of dollars of more work tobedone.”

StateRep. Stephanie Hilferty, whohas authoredS&WB-related laws, said in atextshe appreciated Korban’swork and that hisdeparture “opens acritical window to address persistentchallenges.”

Theagency needs “someonewho understands our aging infrastructure, appreciatesthe frustration of New Orleanians and has thecommitment to bring the Sewerage andWater Boardsystemtothe standardsweexpect anddeserve,” said Hilferty,R-Metairie.

Wins andwoes

Korban said herecognized in his first week that the S&WB could notcontinue to rely on antiquated power for its drainage pumps. One of hisﬁrst tasks was to commission apower master plan, which led to construction of a$350 million power complex.

Thepower complex, often called thecity’stop infrastructure priority,isset to come online in August It is meant to provide continual, modern power to the city’sdrainage pumps,insteadofthe present equipment that produces an obsolete energyfrequency and often fails.

TheS&WBwillalsobyyear’s end replace 144,000 water meters withnewer devices that read usagein real time,tosolve pervasive billing slipups that have outraged residents.

Though the two projects are significant, even Korban concedes more work is needed.

Hundreds of milesofwater

Parts of Leeville have dropped around 4feet since 1900, said Windell Curole, wholed theSouth Lafourche LeveeDistrict forfour decades. Golden Meadow,where the Melancons relocated, is not much different. Curole saida 1982 study found thehighway in Golden Meadow 1.3 feet above sea level. Now,the same spot is 0.3 feet above sea level.

Curole lives northofGolden Meadow in Cut Off, buthehas strong Leeville ties —his greatgreat-grandfather,Pierre Lee, gave thetownits name.Overthe past 100 years, Leeville haslost around 90% of its land, Mike Biros, theCoalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’srestoration programs director,estimated.

Landsinking, called subsidence, is driving the disappearance. The levees constraining the Mississippi River protect communities from ﬂooding but deprive the delta of sediment to rebuild land and sustain itself. Subsidence is the biggest factor in the region’s land loss, Biros and Curole stressed,but there are others too.

Global sea level rise, faster in the warmGulfwaters, heightens the problemand is projected to worsen. Salt water encroachingfrom

mainsneed to be replaced. Water treatment facilities need to be outﬁtted for saltwater intrusion. The drainage system, already in terrible shape, isn’tdesigned to handle increasingly ferociousrainstorms. That’snot to mention the miserablecondition of 72,000 catchbasins that the S&WB recently agreed to takeover from CityHall, which is forking over $18 million to inspect and clean them.

But Korban and system ofﬁcials say between $25 million and $40 million ayear is needed to clean catch basins regularly andthoroughly

What’smore concerning, he said, is the S&WB’sinabilitytopay for deferred maintenance and capital improvements on the larger infrastructure it already controls.

“I don’tthink people recognize the criticalityand the conditions our drainage system is in,”hesaid. Governance achallenge

The next S&WB director will alsostepinto an oddball governing structure that places the utilityat the mercyofbothcityand state lawmakers, whichcan create political entanglements.Though the S&WB was establishedunderstate law,not local ordinance, themayor chairs the agency’sgoverning board and selectsmostofits members. TheCity Council, meanwhile, authorizes revenue through water ratesand propertytaxes,and has assumed otherregulatory power via new statelaws in recent years.

In recent years,Korban has accepted fault for billing ﬁascoes on behalf of the S&WB, but he has also bristled at some of thecouncil’sattempts to impose temporary measures while the smart meter project is underway.Heand the S&WB governing board have also fumed over the council’srefusal to consider new revenue proposals. Council members have insisted

Thepattern of rebuilding and relocating has been passed down through thegenerations. The town was founded by survivors of the 1893 Cheniere Caminada hurricane, which destroyed the small fishing communityofCheniere Caminada and killed around 2,000 people.

Forthe founders, Leeville was a safe haven, Bren Hasse, the director of theBarataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, said.

“It was higher ground; it had lots of wetlands around it for buffer,” said Haase, theformer head of the state’scoastal protection agency Located between someofthe mostabundant estuaries in the world,Leeville boastedlifelong fishers and shrimpers, like the Melancons. Afew decades later,it becamethe oilcapital of Lafourche after abig ﬁnd in the 1930s. Timmy Melancon described an ecosystem where thetwo industries —oil and ﬁshing —complemented each other,ifnot environmentally than communally and economically “Every gas station had alittle deli andbreakfastinthe morning becauseeveryone needed to pass through Leevilleonthe way to work,”hesaid.

Leeville is oneofthe last stopson the way to Port Fourchon, which

theS&WBget its billing under control as acontingency forconsidering new revenue proposals. “Wehavetobegiven the opportunitytomake acaseatCity Council, because they are the rate makers for us,” Korban said. “We have been deprived from that opportunity forfour years, and the reason for that is because we were having issues with our billing.”

Despitethe tensions, council members have consistently backed Korban on thepower complexand meter replacement, even amid delays andballooning costs. When it comes to the power complex, thecouncil has repeatedly stepped in to fill funding holes from contract overruns, leanerthan-expected state support and Entergy’sabout-face on aﬁnancing commitment.

CityCouncil President JP Morrell,a frequentS&WBcritic,said he is grateful for Korban’syears of service. Morrellapplaudedthe S&WB’s decision to conduct anational search and encouraged consideration of “qualiﬁed candidates whoare already familiar with our complex water system.”

What’s next forthe S&WB Korban and the S&WB governing board hope improved billing accuracy will fulﬁll afundamental duty,improve the S&WB’spublic image and smooth its relations with the council.

The clock is ticking on the image makeover.Voterswill be asked next year if they wanttorenew an expiring property tax for drainage, one of three millages that bringinabout $70 million every year.The expiring tax generates aboutone quarter of that amount, and Korban said losing it would be devastating Korban has also called fordrainage fees to fund the system,which he argues would be fairer and

“It’saworking coast, and we have retreated from that but continue to work there, so we have to travel further,”Curole said. “But it was also part of our culture being right there nearthe resource, and that made us alittlebit differentin thatyou could be dirtpoorbut then you eat freaking well.”

‘It’salmostwho Iam’

Fourth generationborn and raised in Leeville, TeeTim Melanconand Jerry Martin left their hometown for better opportunities. In their 40s and50s,respectively,they both work at Edison Chouest Offshore in Galliano, around 20 milesfrom where they grew up.

For TeeTim Melancon, he didn’t see opportunities forhimself if he stayedand followedhis parents’ path.

“You looked at your parents they were barely paying the bills; there was nothing newfor you if you stayed,” he said. “It’sa culture you’re losing as well. It’saway of living. It’s almost whoI am.” Martin’smom andstepfather are twoofthe approximatelythree people still living in Leeville.And their presence in the desolate town upsets him “Theydon’tleave forstorms. Theystaythere andtheyweather it,” he said. “It makes me kind of nuts. Like, whatare you guys doing? Youcan’twin this ﬁght.”

more effective than property taxes.Unlike millages, drainage fees would be tied to property runoff and paid by all property owners —including tax-exempt nonproﬁt, religious and perhaps government institutions that make up nearly half of the city’scombined property value.

The well-troddenideawould need both CityCouncil andvoter approval, and it has ﬂopped whenever it hascome up in thepast. Council members have said Korban needs to prove afee wouldn’t amount to adouble tax —heinsists it would not —and to show exactly what the fee revenue would pay for.

Korban and Cantrell seemed poised for abroad public pitch early last year to answerthose questions. Korban said then that an analysis forming thebasisofa detailed proposal was nearly done, and that 2024 would be “the drainageyear.” Cantrell promised to hold apublic “state of theutility” event to illustrate the needs of the drainage system

The analysis and event never happened. Korban said the effort stalledbecause he fearedanall-out public campaign would collapse with uncertain support from the council.

“I truly wanted to leave with this being amorepublic conversation and public dialogue, and Ifeel terrible that Iwasn’table to,” Korban said.

Hammack, the formerinfrastructure board member, said promoting anew drainage ﬁnancing method will be among the top priorities for Korban’ssuccessor “That is absolutely something that you could say without doubt is going to be one of the new director’s biggest challenges.”

Email BenMyers at bmyers@ theadvocate.com.

PHOTO BY BRAD WEIMER

ofthe United States’ most critical partnerships.

“I am very pleased with this initial outcome,and the Tariffs announced on Saturday will be paused for a30day period to see whether or not aﬁnal Economic deal with Canadacan be structured,” Trump posted onsocial media. “FAIRNESS FOR ALL!”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted Monday afternoon on Xthat the pause would occur “while we work together,” saying that his government would name a fentanyl czar,list Mexican cartels as terrorist groups and launch a “Canada-U.S. JointStrikeForce to combat organized crime,fentanyl and moneylaundering.”

The pause followed asimilar move with Mexico that allows for aperiod of negotiations over drug smuggling and illegal immigration. The 10% tariff that Trump ordered on China is still set to go into effect as scheduled on Tuesday,though Trump planned totalk withChinese President Xi Jinping inthe next few days

While the trade warfeared by investors, companies and political leaders now seems less likely to erupt, that doesn’tmean thedramaover Trump’stariff threats has ended. Canada and Mexico bought someadditional time, butTrump could easily renew histariffs and alreadyplans to announcetaxes on imports from the European Union.

All of that leaves the global economy uncertainabout whether a crisishas beenaverted or if a possible catastrophe couldstill be coming in the weeks ahead

Trump on Saturday had directed 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, with another 10% tariff on Canadian oil,natural gas and electricity.The U.S. president had repeatedly previewed these moves, yet they stillmanaged to shock many investors, lawmakers, businesses and consumers.

Multiple analyses by the Tax Foundation, the TaxPolicyCenter and the Peterson Institute for International Economics showed that the tariffscould hurt growth, lower incomes and push upprices. But Trump repeatedly insisted— despite promises to curbinﬂation —that tariffs were necessary tools to get other nations to stopillegal immigration, prevent fentanyl

smuggling and treat the United States, in his mind, with respect.

Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the monthlong pauseonincreased tariffs against one another after what Trumpdescribed on social media as a“very friendlyconversation,” and hesaid helooked forward to the upcoming talks.

“I look forward to participating inthose negotiations, with PresidentSheinbaum, asweattempt to achieve a‘deal’ between our two Countries,” the president said on social media.

Trump said thetalks would be headed by SecretaryofState MarcoRubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick and highlevel representatives of Mexico. Sheinbaum said she was reinforcing the border with 10,000 members of hercountry’s National Guardand thatthe U.S. government would commit“to work to stop the trafﬁcking of high-powered weapons to Mexico.”

In 2019, when Mexico’sgovernment also avoided tariffs from Trump’sadministration, the governmentannounceditwouldsend15,000 soldiers to its northern border

Butfor much of Monday,the outlook was worrisomelydifferent for Canada, only for an agreement to come together

AseniorCanadianofficialsaid Canada was not confident it could avoid the looming tariffs as Mexicodid. That’sbecause Canada feels as if the Trump administration has been shiftingits requestsofCanadamore than it did for Mexico. The official spoke on condition of anonymity,having not been authorized to speak publicly

Asked Mondayafternoon what Canada could offer in talks to prevent tariffs, Trump toldreporters gathered in the OvalOfﬁce: “I don’t know.” He mused abouttrying to make Canada the 51st state, part of ongoing antagonism despite decades of friendship with Canada in apartnershipthathas ranged from World WarIItothe response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The U.S. president also indicated that more import taxes could be coming against China: “If we can’t make adeal with China, then the tariffswillbevery,verysubstantial.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump would speak with Xi

in the next couple of days and that theWhite House would provide a report on the discussion.

Financialmarkets, businesses and consumers on Monday were still trying to prepare for the possibility of the new tariffs. For example, Stew Leonard Jr., president and CEO of Stew Leonard’s, asupermarket chain that operates stores in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey,said his buyers were considering stocking up on Mexico’sCasamigos tequila ahead of the tariffs and switching from Canadian to Norwegian salmon.

Stock markets sold off slightly suggesting some hope that the import taxes that could push up inflation and disrupt global trade and growth would be short-lived.Trump eveninquiredMondayhowthefinancialmarketsweredoingasreporters were leaving the Oval Office.

The situation reflected adeep uncertainty about aRepublican president whohas talked with adoration about tariffs, even saying the U.S. government made a mistake in 1913 by switching to income taxes as its primary revenue source.

Kevin Hassett, director of the

White House National Economic Council, said Monday that it was misleading to characterize the showdown as atrade war despite the planned retaliations and risk of escalation.

“Readthe executiveorder where President Trump was absolutely, 100% clear that this is notatrade war,” Hassett said. “This is adrug war.”

But even if the orders are focused on illegal drugs, Trump’s own remarks have often been more about his perceived sense that foreign countries are ripping off the United States by running trade surpluses.

On Sunday,Trumpsaidthat tariffs would be coming soon on countries in the European Union.

On Monday afternoon,hesuggested awillingness to keep using tariff threats because thesize of the U.S. economy as the world’s largest made them effective.

“Tariffs are very powerfulboth economically and in getting everything else you want,” Trump told reporters. “Tariffs for us,nobody can compete with us because we’re the pot of gold. But if we don’tkeep winning and keep doing well, we won’tbethe pot of gold.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOBYEVANVUCCI

President Donald Trump, flanked by TreasurySecretaryScott Bessent, left, and Commerce Secretarynominee Howard Lutnick, speaks withreporters as he

White House on Monday

SAFE

Continued from page1A

was set to take place in the Superdome, which was prepped to host some 30,000 fans and hundreds of members of the national andinternational press for Monday’sopening night.

“All the stretching has been done. All the pregame warm-ups have been completed. It is now time for the city of New Orleansto perform,” said Walt Leger,president of New Orleans &Co., the city’stourism marketing agency

“The world is at our doorstep.”

The kickoff caps morethan six yearsofplanning that brought infrastructure enhancements, citywide beautification projects and a $560 million Superdomerenovation.Inrecent weeks, construction crews and other workershave sprinted to put finishing touches on road and beautification projects, including amassive street resurfacing project in the French Quarter On Monday,large banners were being hung from the dilapidated Plaza Tower on Loyola Avenue, and artists were putting the finishing touches on murals aimed at welcoming visitors to the city.

Following the terror attack on New Year’sDay,the final plans also included for anewly hardened French Quarter security zone

At apublic safety news conference on Monday,Gov.Jeff Landry and other ofﬁcials detailed some of the security plans. NFL chief securityofﬁcer Cathy Lanierdescribed her team’s“security umbrella” as “the safest place to be this weekend,” pointingtoan“unprecedented” level of cooperation between multiple agencies tasked with keeping thebig gamesafe. She and hercolleagues, including New Orleans Police Department Superintendent AnneKirkpatrick, FBI special agent in charge Stephen Cyrus, Louisiana StatePolice Col. Robert Hodges andHSI special agentincharge Eric DeLaune, ran through security measures that have been upgraded since the attack: 350 National Guard troops and more than 2,000 law enforcement officers on the ground, a hardened French Quarter perimeter with checkpoints andsearches, and15,000-poundbarriersonand aroundBourbon Street.

“Thebiggest show on earthis going to go on without ahitch,”

Landry said

Thegovernor also defendedissuing an executiveorderthatallows ﬁrearmsinanewly fortiﬁed FrenchQuartersecurity zone, while banning icechests and explosives.

“Where concealedcarry is in place,the places are alot safer,”

Landry said. “Wewent to great lengths though the executiveor-

der we put together to balance the freedoms and constitutional rights enshrined in this state while making sure we had enough security to protect our citizens.”

Earlierinthe day,heappeared with Cantrell and Department of HomelandSecuritySecretary Kristi Noem at the Bourbon Street memorial to the14victims of the attack.

Some stood, while others sat atop massive metal barriers newly stationed at thecurb, waiting to be installed over bollards that gleamed in the sun.

State Police troopers occupied the French Quarter in heavy numbers on Monday.OnBourbon Street, Louisiana National Guard members werestationed at every intersection by early afternoon.

NationalGuard StaffSgt. Steven Epperson,afreight conductor who lives in New OrleansEast, said he’d responded forHurricane Laura in 2020 andthe 2016 ﬂoods in Baton Rouge, and wasready for this assignment.

“I will make the most impact on this mission, just because of what we’re out here doing,” said Epperson, 39, who hails fromShreveport.“This is what Isignedupfor.” Staff writer John Simerman contributed to this report.

STAFFPHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD

The Zulu Tramps and the St. Augustine HighSchool Marching 100 performduringopeningnight of Super Bowl week at the Caesars Superdome on Monday

STAFFPHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD

Young fans line the wall at the Super Bowl LIX opening night at the Caesars Superdome on Monday

STAFFPHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER

ADepartment of Homeland Security sharpshooter stands watch on arooftop across fromthe Caesars Superdome on Monday.

STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER

Department of HomelandSecuritySecretaryKristi Noem visits the NewYear’sDay terror attack victims memorial withMayor LaToyaCantrell on Monday.

STAFF PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD

William Wright, of NewOrleans, takes hissons, Colston, 6, left,and Noah, 8, to the Super Bowl LIXopening night on Monday

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NewOrleans Forecast

Report projects rise in costsduring coming decade basedondisasters

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

NewOrleanswillface some of the biggest increases in property insurance costsinthe nation because of increased risk from natural disasters, according to anew study that raises more alarms about the state’s insurance market.

An analysis released Monday by theFirst Street Foundationprojects that increased risk from disasters alonewill lead to a200%increase in property insurance rates through

2055 in New Orleans, abigger jump than everywhere but three Florida cities. When combined with inﬂation and other factors that put upward pressure on prices,premiums here will skyrocket”over thenext decade, accordingtothe report

Louisiana’sinsurancecrisiscame on the heels of several devastating hurricanes andled to the collapse of 12 insurers inthe state. Combined with turmoil in theglobal reinsurance market, escalating rates have stressedcommunities in the southern part ofthe state.

The report by First Street,a New York-based nonproﬁt, projects that areas like Louisiana with the biggest insurance increases could see declining property values as aresult. First Street produces climate models used by federal government agenciesand lenders.

Landry appoints five newmembers to 15-membergroup

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Amakeover to the state board that’sresponsible for enforcing campaign finance, nepotism and conflict-of-interest laws for Louisiana public ofﬁcials is well underway after Gov. JeffLandry appointed ﬁve new membersand named anew chair to the 15-personboard. Landry announcedFriday that Jason Amato willchair the LouisianaBoard of Ethics Amato, alifelong resident of Lutcher,served on the Board of Aldermen there for eight years and later on the St. James Parish Council for 16 years

He worked in operations at the Shell Chemical PlantinGeismar for more than 30 years beforeretiring recently.In2023, he sought aHouse seat representingparts of St. James, Ascensionand Livingston parishes in the Louisiana Legislature but lostthat race to former Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeff Wiley Along with Amato, Landry last month also appointed to theethics board:

n John Crigler, aretired 6th Judicial District judge, who served the parishes of Carroll, Madison and Tensas in that role for 26 years.

Criglerlivesoutside St. Joseph and still serves as ajudge parttime, overseeing cases on an ad hocbasis.

n Vanessa Guidry-Whipple, aformer chief judge at the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal, based in Baton Rouge. Guidry-Whipple retired in 2022 after serving there for three decades.

n RickeyNowlin is an engineer and abusiness owner.Heserved as Natchitoches Parish president from 2012 to 2020 andrepresented Natchitoches Parish in the Louisiana Housefrom 2008 to 2012. He was formerly amember of the Republican State Central Committee.

n Kenneth“Mike”SmithSr. is aformer Democratic statesenator from Winnﬁeld who served in the Legislature from 1996 to2008.

The Louisiana House also appointed anew member to the ethics board last month: former state Rep. Mike Huval. The Breaux Bridge Republicanserved in the House for 13 years until 2024.

At aHousecommittee meeting in December on his board appointment, Huval described himself as alawmakerwho workedacross party lines whenever possible.

The Louisiana Senate has yet to appoint amember to one vacant

NewOrleans mayfaceskyrocketinginsurance

“Climate change is no longer a theoretical concern; it is ameasurable force reshaping real estate markets and regional economies across the United States,” said Jeremy Porter,head of climateimplications research at First Street. “Our ﬁndingshighlightthe urgent need to understand how rising insurance costs and population movements are transforming the economicgeography of the nation.”

Thereinsurance market, composed of companies around the globe that decide in part how much homeowners in Louisiana pay,has struggled to catch up to rising natural disaster risk because of climate change. In particular,modelersare trying to understand the risks of the most severe types of disasters, such as major hurricanes hitting adensely populatedcity head-on,

such as Miami or New Orleans. The report found thatclimate risk is reshaping the nation’s$50 trillion real estate market, with insurance costs rising faster than mortgage payments. The phenomenon may help drive people to move to less risky places. By 2055, the report projects huge swathes of theU.S.may seeproperty values decline because of rising climate risk, adynamic that has drawn the attention of Congress. Louisiana lawmakers and Republican Insurance Commissioner TimTemplehaveushered in aseries of changes to makeiteasier for insurers to droppolicyholders and raise rates, saying the changes shouldallowmorecompaniesto enter the market. They expect the resulting competition will bring down rates.

But it hasn’tyet produced meaningful lower rates. Meanwhile, homeowners, businesses and even churches continue to struggle to pay elevated premiums. Temple has said he remains conﬁdent the strategy will work, though it may take time. Insurance is expected to be a central topic of the legislative session this spring, though it’snot yet clear what lawmakers will agree on. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry said in aDecember interview that he’sfrustrated the series of bills pushed by Temple, which Landry signed last year,haven’tshown results. Landry expressed an openness to afederal solution, and said he wants to see more consumerfriendly bills, like requiring insurers give discounts for fortiﬁed roofs.

and theLegislature have broad latitude to appoint whomever they would like. Before last year,Board of Eth-

ics appointees had to be made from aslate of nominees vetted and selected and by presidents of Louisiana’sprivate colleges. That procedure,intendedtolessenpolitical inﬂuence on the board, had previously been in placesince the late 1990s.

Leaders of two good-government advocacy organizations, the Public Affairs Research Council and Council for aBetter Louisiana, have raised concerns about removing these guardrails and increasing the politicization of the

Separately,the

Many of the governor’sboard chair and board member appointments must be conﬁrmed by the state Senate beforethe end of the 2025 regular legislative session. Landry faces charges by the ethics board from when he was attorney general. He allegedly failed to disclose free private ﬂights provided by apolitical supporter in 2021.

That case is pending, and settlement talks are ongoing. Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.

Emails detail archdioceseabuse crisis Saints officials’ involvementrevealedincase

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Hundreds of newly disclosed emails between the New Orleans Saints and the Archdiocese of New Orleans detail the extentto which two of the team’stop executives helpedtoshape the church’spublic relations strategy around the clergy sex abuse crisis as the scandal was coming to light sixyears ago. The emails, which wereobtained

N.O. schools warn of cuts

Educatorsdetail impact if city backs outof$20Mlegal settlement

BY MARIE FAZIO and JAMESFINN Staff writers

New Orleans schools could face devastatingconsequences if the city backs out of a$20 million legal settlement, school leaders said Monday,just days after Mayor LaToya Cantrellsaid she wants to renegotiate thedeal. Programs that providemental health services and job training to students, which were promised funding for the next decade, could be in jeopardy.Teachers couldlosetheirjobs. Schools could be forcedtocut afterschool and summer programs

Meanwhile, City Council members said they are prepared totakethe matter to courtif Cantrell won’tuphold the deal.

“Weneed the money,” said Sharon Latten-Clark, longtimeleader of Sophie B. WrightCharter High Schooland member of the state Board of Elementary andSecondary Education.

The school leaders were joined Monday by aslew of elected ofﬁcials, including Orleans Parish District AttorneyJason Williams, state Rep. Jason Hughes and several City Council and Orleans Parish School Board members. They presented aunited front in opposition to Cantrell’sdecision to back out of thedeal, which members of her administration agreedtoinNovember

“Theseare dollars that belong tothe children and families of the city of New Orleans,” said Hughes.

The settlement was meant to end along-running legalbattle in which the School Board accused the city of illegally diverting tax revenue that should have gone tothe district and charging an administrative fee. The parties agreed to a$20 million payment, as well as additional fundingover the next decade forprograms focused on student mental health, workforce developmentand incarcerated students.

School district officials had hoped to use themoneytohelp plug abudget hole, which could be as large as $50 million, caused by adistrict accounting error

On Saturday,acity attorney told City Council membersand school district leaders that Cantrell does not believe the city can afford to pay the settlement. Arguing that Cantrell never personally agreed to thedeal, the attorney said the mayorwants to negotiate anew settlement.

The mayor “stands onher recordofsupporting school children,” Cantrell’s ofﬁcesaidina statement, adding that she will

by WWL Louisiana, The Associated Press, TheNew York Times and The Guardian, center on crisis communications advice officials with the Saints organization gave Archbishop Gregory Aymond in 2018, as he was preparing to release alist of priests and deacons accused of sexuallyabusingchildren.

Aymond’srelease of that list, which originally contained 67 names and has grown to more than

80, and the ensuing flood of claims, eventually led thearchdioceseto file for federal bankruptcy protection in May 2020. Since then, morethan 550 abuse survivors have filed claims against some 330former priests, deacons and nuns.

The Saints’ role in helping the church manage fallout fromthe scandal has been previously reported by TheTimes-Picayune and other outlets, but the reports

on the emails suggested thatthe assistance went further than the team previously acknowledged.

Among the new details in stories published on Monday from the media outlets was the disclosure of an email from Greg Bensel, Saints senior vice president of communications, to Dennis Lauscha, the team’sgeneral manager.According to the reports, Bensel wrote to Lauscha that he “Had accwLeon Cannizzaro last night thatallowed us to take certain people off the list,” referring to then-Orleans ParishDistrict Attorney Canniz-

zarro and what the media reports inferred was an abbreviation for a conference call.

In response to the reports, the Saints organization said, “No Saints employee had any responsibility for adding or removing any names from that list or any supplemental list.”

Cannizzarro also denied any role in “removing any names from the list,” according to The Associated Press. He didnot respondtoarequest forcomment on Monday

STARSVS. STRIPES

JeffersonParishplays part in theSuper Bowl

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

Jefferson Parish is gearing up for one of itsbusiest weekends of the year as more than 100,000 people are expected to descend on the New Orleansareabeforethe Super Bowl

Many of those touristswill pass through Jefferson Parish as they head to New Orleans from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner

And with visitorsstaying as far away as Baton Rouge and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi,Jefferson Par-

ish business leaders are anticipating ahefty inﬂux of tourists at hotels and restaurants, andlocal law enforcement are coordinating with NewOrleans police on security measures for the big game.

“When New Orleansdoes well, Jefferson Parish does well,” said at-large Parish Council member Scott Walker.“With the Super Bowl, that’sinoverdrive.”

Jefferson Parish’sstreetlighting contractor,Harahan-based W.J. Bloecher,upgradedmore than500 light ﬁxtureswithwhite LED lights along Interstate10 between theairport and the Or-

leans Parish line for at least $2.2 million. Along Airline Highway and Veterans Boulevard, Super Bowl LIX banners sprinkle the roadways to welcome football fans as they commute to New Orleans.

Nearthe airport, owners of the Esplanade Mall say they have offered up unused space for an onboarding facility for Super Bowl personnel in an agreement with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation.

The Philadelphia Eagles are practicing at the Saints practice facility in Metairie as they pre-

pare to match up against the Kansas City Chief on Sunday. Areas of the nearby Shrine on Airline and La Salle Park will have restricted access or be closed entirely through Feb. 12.

Thewalking track will be closed from the northeast side of the Shrine scoreboard around to the southeast roll gate on Stable Drive and will be marked off by signs, barricades and locked gates. From Monday to Saturday,Stable Drive will be periodically blocked offbyJefferson Parish Sheriff’s

See JEFFERSON, page 2B

N.O. Tank andthe Bangas wins firstGrammy Band awardedin best spoken word/ poetry category

BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

Tank and the Bangas,the genre-blending New Orleans band that intermingles R&B, funk, jazz, hip-hop and spoken word, ﬁnally has its ﬁrst GrammyAward.

Duringthe pre-broadcast portion of Sunday’s67th GrammyAwards, the Bangas’ “The Heart,the Mind, the Soul”was voted the Best Spoken Word Poetry album.Bangas vocalist Tarriona“Tank”Ballwrote poetry and participated in spoken

word “battles” before the band’s formation. She has incorporated her poetry background into the Bangas’ output and hasnow won aGrammy for it. Tank and the Bangas earned aBestNew Artistnomination at the 62nd Grammy Awards. The band’s“Red Balloon”was nominated forBest Progressive R&B Album at the 65th Grammy Awards. But Ball and her bandmatescame away empty-handed those years. They fared much better Sunday Three other winners Sunday have strong tiestoNew Orleans Jazz pianist Sullivan Fortner,a NewOrleans native andgraduate of theNew Orleans Center forCreativeArts, later earned degrees from the Oberlin Con-

servatory of Music and the ManhattanSchool of Music. He was alongtime member of bands led by vibraphonist Stefon Harris and trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Fortner released his debut album as aleader,“Aria,” in 2015. On Sunday,Fortnerwon Best Jazz Performance for his collaboration with singer Samara Joy on the song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me.” The Samara Joy album that included “TwinkleTwinkle Little Me,”“AJoyful Holiday,” won for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Fortner is featured on several songs on that albumbut wasn’tlisted as a nominee. His album with singer Kurt Elling, “Wildﬂowers

Vol. 1,” was also nominated for Best Jazz

STAFFFILE PHOTOBYSOPHIA GERMER Tank and the Bangas vocalist Tarriona ‘Tank’ Ball has incorporated her poetry background into the Bangas’ output and has nowwon a Grammy for it.

STAFFPHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS

The Starsget into position for akickoff during the USA Wheelchair Football League Veterans All-Star Game at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Monday.

LSUfires back in legalbattle against professor

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

The legal battle has intensiﬁed over LSU’sdecision to suspend a tenured lawprofessor whoused profanity whilecriticizing Gov Jeff Landry, withthe university urging ajudge to “diffuse the public ﬁasco.”

The professor,Ken Levy,sued to be put back in the classroom, and state district court Judge Donald Johnson on Thursdayordered LSU to do so. The university’sattorneys in aﬁling Friday argued the order was legally unsound, and on Monday asked the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal to undoit.

The state appeals court had not acted on LSU’srequest as of early evening Monday.Levy’snext scheduled class lecture is Tuesday afternoon. Through its attorneys, LSU also argued thecase itselfis“wildly premature and without merit.”

It said the disagreement was “simplyanemployment dispute in the early stage of an administrative process where the employee’srights are fully protected.”

After the first week of class this semester,the university suspended Levy from teachingwith full pay. In aletter addressed to Levy, it cited apending “investigation intostudent complaints of inappropriate statements made in your class during the first week of the SpringSemester 2025.”

LSU, whichisbeing represented by Faircloth Melton Bash & Green, in court documents said the complaints pertainedto“inappropriate, vulgar,and harassing statements.”

According to the petition ﬁled on Levy’sbehalf, Levy said “F*** the governor” in front of students“in ajoking manner.” He also told students he was a Democrat and gavehis “rather colorful opinion” on the outcome of theNovember presidential election.

Jill Craft, who is representing Levy,has said the professorwas removed from teaching in violation of his academic freedom, free speech and due process rights.

The fact that Levy was suspended from teaching on account of what he saidinthe classroom is unconstitutional and “chills the rights of academic freedom,” she argued.

The university,however,said Levy’scharacterization of the questionable statementsis“inaccurate” and that “an audio recording of the lecture reveals that his statements were far more inappropriate than his sterilized version.”

“Tenure ensuresdue process prior totermination,” the university said in courtfilings.“It does not create aright to seek judicial relief priortoa ﬁnal administrative decision norcreate aright to perform certain job duties, such as lecturing students.”

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work with school district leaders“to secureasettlement that is also ﬁnancially feasible for the city.”

Schoolsimpacted

One after another,the speakersMondayexplained why schools desperately need thesettlement money and what could happen if it goes away School Board member Olin Parker said the district might have to cut student services or eliminate teaching positions if the moneydoes not come through.

“Wecannot pull the rug outfrom our schools and our students and our teachers this late in the game,” he said. Alex Jarrell, head of Benjamin Franklin High School, said it could be hard to hire enough teachers and other staffers without the funding.

“If we don’thave areso-

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EMAILS

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The reports saidemails also showed Lauscha drafted talking points for Aymond before his interviews with local journalists in relation to the release of the list. In addition, around the same time period, thereports said Benseltried to usehis connections with local media to inﬂuence coverage of the brewing scandal.

According to The Associated Press,Bensel urged the city’s twonewspapers at thetime, The Times-Picayune and The New Orleans Advocate, to “work with” the church, telling them, “Weneed to tell thestory of how this archbishop is leadingusout of this mess.”

In astatement provided to the media outlets Kevin Hall, publisher of Georges Media, which owns the newspapers, said the paper welcomesengagement from community leaders but that outreach “does not dilute our journalistic standards or keep us from pursuing the truth.”

“No onegets preferential treatmentinour coverage of the news,” the statementsaid. “Over thepast sixyears,wehaveconsistently published in-depth stories highlighting the ongoingserious issues surrounding the archdiocese sex abuse crisis, as well as investigate reports on this matter by WWL-TV andbyThe Associated Press.”

The Advocate, which purchased The Times-Picayune in 2019, reported extensively on the clergy abuse crisisinthe years before the release of Aymond’slist. Speciﬁcally,The Advocate reported on how Deacon George Brignac was allowed to participate in Masses

lution on this, we’rein trouble having the best people serve our kids,” Jarrell said TanyaBryant, CEO of ReNew Schools, said the charter network already was grappling withthe end of federal pandemic recovery aid

“This(settlement) provided agap-fill whenwe needed itthe most,” she said.

Programs that prepare students for careersand the Travis Hill School, whichserves incarcerated students, could lose moneyifthe deal collapses. Khalil Bell, asenior atWarren EastonHigh School,isenrolled in a pre-nursing course at the New Orleans Career Center,whichwould receive fundingthrough the settlement The program hasbeen “abig stepping stooland a way of preparingmefor myadult life,” Bell said, adding that he plans to study kinesiology in college.

Also at risk is funding forThriveKids,apartner-

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Officedeputies as Eagles practice takes place. On the day of the game,the Shrine will serveasatransportation hub for players and personnel to and from theSuperdome, Walker said. Across the river,the Alario Center in Westwegowill be used for parking for halftime show performers, according to Walker.Rapper Kendrick Lamarwillbeheadlining the halftime show,joined by R&B singer-songwriter SZA. The Sheriff’sOffice and the Jefferson Parish Emergency Operations Center will work in coordinationwithNew Orleans police to provide security for the game. The parish Emergency Operations Center, in coordinationwithNew Orleans officials, plans to establish up to eightcommand posts during the game and provide portable lighting equipment. Various Jefferson Parish departments, including emergency management and information technology,have been meeting with Super Bowl committees for over ayear in preparation forthisweekend, according to astatement from ParishPresident Cynthia Lee Sheng’soffice.

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate. com.

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and other ministries despite having been removed from ministry decades earlier over abuse allegations. TheAdvocatealsoreported on allegations of clergy abuse involving Jesuit High School, among dozens of other stories on the local abuse crisis.

Saints owner Gayle Benson has previously acknowledged that the Saints provided free public relations advice to help manage the church crisis in its early days but downplayed the extent of the team’sinvolvement.

Saints respond

The news outlets published reports based on the emails all before 7a.m. Monday,asthe Saints and Benson welcomed the NFL and fansfrom around the country to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.

Benson is aclose friend of Aymond and adevout Roman Catholic, who has donated millions of dollars to the local church and its charitable organizations.

In its statement over the weekend provided to themedia outlets, the Saints suggested that the coordinated release of thenews reports was intentionally designed to embarrass theteam at atime when the eyes of the worldare on New Orleans.

“It is unfortunate that the media has used the occasion of Super Bowl week to exploit the disclosure, in violation of court order,of leaked emails for the purpose of misconstruing awell-intended effort,” the statement said.

Naseem Amini, aspokesperson forThe Times, said thenewspaper “reported the news as soon as feasible, after thorough editing, review and fact-checking.”

Astatement from TheGuardian’s

ship between the school district andChildren’s Hospital New Orleans that connects students withmental and physical health services. Theprogram hashelped students struggling with depressionorthe deaths of loved ones and who lacked access to health care, Parker said. “If this agreement is not signed, the promise of mentalhealth services for ourpoorest studentswill be lost,” he said.

Lawsuitsettlement

City Council member Joe Giarrusso said Monday that the council would file a motion in court to force the mayor to uphold the city’s end of the agreement. He and other elected officials said they were confounded by the Cantrell administration’sclaim that the mayor had been personally unawareofthe settlement terms, even after her top deputies signed off on it and appeared at news conferences touting it alongsideother city officials.

spokesperson Minhee Cho, said the news organization won’t“discuss pre-publication conversation with subjects or sources” and that they stand behind their reporting.

The Associated Press and WWL Louisiana did not respond to emails from The Times-Picayune requesting comment on why their reports were timed simultaneously for the start of Super Bowl week in the city

At anews brieﬁng Monday afternoon at the Caesars Superdome, where Benson sat on the front row, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called Benson and the Saints “great corporate citizens” who have been transparent about their role in trying to help the Catholic church.

“I’m confident that they are playing nothing more than asupportive role to help the church be more transparent,” Goodell said in response to aquestion about the media reports of the emails.

The release of the emails comes as the local Roman Catholic Church is in the midst of its ﬁve-year Chapter11bankruptcyand settlement talks between the church and abuse survivors are at asensitive point.

The two sides remain far apart in how much it will take to settle the case, with the church offering $62 million and the survivors seeking nearly $1 billion.

The bankruptcy case is one of the longest, most contentious and costliest of the nearly 40 church bankruptcies thathavebeen ﬁled over the years as church leaders have tried to settle, once and for all, the claimsrelated to abuse.

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

City Council members said they had conversations with Cantrell administration ofﬁcials throughoutthe budget process that indicated the mayor was beingbriefed on the deal. Giarrusso notedthat Cantrell had signed the City Council-approved budget that included the settlement money.And Parker said he had “personal outreach”with Cantrellabout the matter in December

“There was no way she could have left that conversation without knowing the deal wasinplace,”he said.

In astatement issued late Monday,Cantrell said the issue hadbeen“politicized,” and that the council chairhad made an agreement without being authorized to do so.

“No one, especially me, wants to see our children and educatorssuffer,” Cantrell said. “But at the same time, we cannot ignore the ﬁnancial mismanagement that led to this $36 million shortfall. For the administration to step

in irresponsibly would be aviolation of our ﬁduciary duty to the residentsofthis city.”

Politicalobservers said Monday that the backlash sparked by Cantrell’s backtracking on the deal wasone of aseries of gaffes that have left the mayor increasingly isolated and unpopular near the end of her time in ofﬁce.

“Why is she doing this?” Silas Lee, aveteran political analyst at Xavier University and former Cantrell adviser,asked in atext message. Among those frustrated with the mayor was School Board member Carlos Zervigon, who said the city likely owes the board more than $100million from diverting tax collections over the years. The settlement would help schools recoup some of that money

“It is shocking to me,” he said, “that the mayor would take the position that the city cannot afford to stop stealing money from the schoolchildren.”

Vocal Album. Fortner’sown “Solo Game” was nominated as Best Jazz Instrumental Album but lost to “Remembrance” by Chick Corea and Béla Fleck. LuckyDaye, whose“Algorithm” was nominated for BestR&B Album,was born David Brown in New Orleans. He moved to Texas, then Atlanta following Hurricane Katrina, and is now based in Los Angeles. He launched hiscareerin Atlanta by competing on season four of “American Idol.” He went on to write or cowrite songs for Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men, Ne-Yo, Keith Sweat and Beyoncé while also guesting on dozens of songs. He released his debut full-length album, “Painted,” in 2019. His 2021 EP “Table For Two” won the Grammy for best Progressive R&B Album, an awardfor nontraditional R&B singers. On Sunday,Daye’s“That’s You” won for Best Traditional R&B Performance.

JonBatiste’s Albumof the Year Grammy Award in 2022 represented the highest proﬁle win forany musician from the New Orleans area. Neither Batiste norany other act with local ties made the listof2025 nominees in the major categories.

Batiste’sdocumentary “AmericanSymphony” earned two nominations, including best music film. “It Never Went Away,” asong in the film by Batiste and Dan Wilson, won for Best Song Written for Visual Media. He’ll be back in his hometown to sing the national anthem at Super Bowl LIX in the Caesars Superdome on Sunday The odds favored aNew Orleans, or at least aLouisiana, winner in one other category Four of the five nominees in the Regional Roots Music Category were native to south Louisiana: Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & theGoldenEaglesfeaturing J’Wan Boudreaux, the New Breed Brass Band featuring Trombone Shorty,The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.and Sean Ardoin &Kreole Rock And Soul. But the fifth nominee in the category,the Hawaiian artist Kalani Pe’a, ended up taking home the trophy

Email Keith Spera at kspera@theadvocate.com.

PHOTO BY JOHN McCUSKER

Signagefrom the Greater NewOrleans Foundation goes up Monday across the lower floors of the Plaza Tower, partofSuper Bowl beautification efforts.

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Antonini,Anna Bankston,Betty

Cristina,Willa Cusachs,George Freeman,George GuillotJr.,Emmanuel Heckel,Judie Heiss,Dottie Howson,Claire

Jackson,Ann LaForestJr.,James McBride,Leola Perelli,Mary Plaisance,Gary Stevens,Joey

EJefferson

Garden of Memories

Cristina,Willa Heiss,Dottie

Leitz-Eagan

Cusachs,George

NewOrleans

Lake Lawn Metairie

GuillotJr.,Emmanuel

LittleJohn FH

Freeman,George

St Tammany

Honaker

Heckel,Judie

West Bank

DavisMortuary

McBride,Leola

Mothe

LaForestJr.,James Plaisance,Gary

Obituaries

Antonini,Anna Lou

Anna Antonini, 81, passed away peacefully on January 30,2025. She was born, February 4, 1943, in Springfield, MO to the late Paul and Elizabeth Shelton.

Anna graduated from Drury College with her BA and served two years in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. She completed her graduate workinSpanish at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. She married the loveof her life Charles Antonini, December 30,1969, and together they served in the military for 26 years. They retired in Hot Springs; AR. Anna was an original member of the Hot Springs Music Festival and member of the St Luke's Episcopal Church where she was active in the choir.

Anna is survived by her husband Charles Antonini, her loving daughters, Lydia (Neil) Antonini and Celia (Sean) Antonini, and five grandchildren. Anna will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Alabama, predeceasedbyher brother Judge Sam C.Pointer, Jr. She attendedVanderbilt University, where she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority; and she received her Bachelor's degree from Loyola University. She was previously marriedtoCarl L. Bankston, Jr., now deceased. Mrs. Bankston had along career at St Martin's Episcopal School inMetairie,and retired in 1995 as Assistant Director ofAdmissions. She has been an activemember of Parkway Presbyterian Church since 1960. Active, giving, and loving are threeofthe best adjectives to describe Betty Bankston. She enjoyeddancing and performedintoher 90's with a Line Dancing group, often entertaining at Senior Living homes. Gardening was one of her passions. She was aStephen Ministerand servedin many leadershiprolesat her church. Aloving mother, grandmother, and friend, Betty willbemissed by many.

Mrs. Bankston is survivedbyher children: Katharine Cross (Tom); Dr. Carl Bankston, III (Cynthia); Elizabeth Cavenaugh (Rick); and Marianne Higgins (James); as well as 10 grandchildren and8 great grandchildren. Also surviving are her sister-in-law PaulaPointer and nephewSam C. Pointer, III.

Acelebration of Mrs. Bankston'slife will be held at alater date.Memorial donations may be made to Parkway Presbyterian Church, 6200 Camphor Street, Metairie, LA 70003.

WillaRuthCristina(nee Sloan),98, of Harahan, Louisiana, passedaway peacefully on February 1, 2025, at herhomeatThe BlakeAssisted Living Harahan, surrounded by herlovingfamily. Willawas born on August 29,1926, in ElkCity, Oklahoma to Roy andEdnaSloan.She gradu‐ated from Oklahoma Col‐lege forWomen andwent on to work in accounting formanydecades.She was adevoted mother, grand‐mother,great-grand‐mother,and friend,known forher quickwit,warm smile, kindness,generos‐ity, andloveofall puzzles (jigsaw, crossword, su‐doku,etc). Willanever backed down from an ad‐ventureasevidenced by completionofhalf marathonsatage 81,sky‐diving at ages 85,89and 91, andplaying in theSe‐nior Olympics in basketball in her80’s. Herbasketball team wona silver medal, andWilla wona Gold medal for free throws (The Hot Shot competition).The worldhas lost averybright star with Willa’spassing Sheissurvivedbyher chil‐dren VickiMorse (John) NancyClark,Janna Clark (Carol), JulieJohns,and WilliamPaulSpencer,Jr., hergrandchildren Kristin Carleton(Dave), Robin Vukoje (Dejan), ErrinLema (Corey), Eric Johns (Rachael), Robert Johns (Madeleine), TylerSpencer (Adelle),and Nicolette Manzo(Tyler),and 10 great-grandchildren.She wasprecededindeath by her parents, hersister, WandaLee Gould, andher husband of 32 years, Robert Cristina.A celebra‐tion of Willa’slifewillbe held on Saturday,February 8, 2025, at Garden of Mem‐oriesFuneralHome, 4900 AirlineDrive,Metairie, Louisiana70001.The cele‐brationwillbeheldfrom 4:00pm-6:00 pm.Please wear blue,orbrightcolors. Willaloved colors!Ifyou areunabletoattend, please sharememories, photos or condolencesto Janna.Clark@gmail.com.In lieuofﬂowers, donations maybemadetoDisabled AmericanVeteransor Leukemiaand Lymphoma Society. Thefamilywould liketoextenda very spe‐cial thankyou to Tish Al‐barado at TheBlake As‐sisted Living,and Koryn Nichols,Georgette Aldrete, andValerie Miller at Care Associates fortheir com‐passionate care during Willa’slastyears of life Condolencesand tributes canbesenttodaughter Janna Clark, 1056 Callaway Trail, Reno,NV, 89523,or Janna.clark@gmail.com.To send ﬂowers to thefamily or planta tree in memory of WillaSloan Cristina, li it d

please visitwww.gardeno fmemoriesmetairie.com

Cusachs, George Leonard

George LeonardCusachs,88, of Metairie passedawayonJanuary 30,2025athome, sur‐rounded by family.Hewas born June 17,1936inNew Orleans, Louisianatothe late Mauriceand Lucile (Soniat-Dufossat)Cusachs He wasthe belovedhus‐band of 65 yearstoThelma Fourcade Cusachs. After joiningthe United States Navy in 1955 andserving fortwo years, George was adedicated electricianand member of IBEW Local130 for60years.Heenjoyed hunting, ﬁshing,and spending time with his family.Hewillbegreatly missed by hisfamilyand allwhose liveshetouched George wasprecededin deathbyhis parentsand sister,ElaineCusachs Guidry.Heissurvivedby hislovingwifeThelma, two siblings,Maurice Cusachs Jr.and Yvonne Cusachs Eiswirth,and sister-in-law, JoyceFourcade. He loved his four children,George Cusachs(Shawn),Susan CusachsKimble(Randy), Donald Cusachs(Robin) andBonnieCusachs Moran (Billy). George adored his grandchildren, Stephanie Kimble Caro (Cameron), TylerKimble(Keegan), Cathleen Cusachs, Molly Cusachs, CharlieCusachs Isabella Moran, Samantha Moran, MariaMoran,Dylan Cusachs, andhis stepgrandchild BrookeCas

tiglione (Stick). He loved watching his young greatgrandchildren, Scarlett Ryder, andKaiserCaro; Chandler Kimble;and stepgreat-grandkid Maxwell Castiglione. He will also be missed by many nieces andnephews andgood friends. Friendsand family areinvited to attend avisi‐tation on Wednesday, Feb‐ruary5,2025, from 11:00 am-1:00pmatSt. Clement of Rome Church,3990West EsplanadeAvenue in Metairie,LA. AFuneral Mass will followat1:00pm. In lieu of ﬂowers,Masses maybeoffered. Fond mem‐oriesand condolencesmay be shared at www.leitzea ganfuneralhome.com.

CusachsSr.,GeorgeL. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, LocalUnion #130 TheOfﬁcers andMembers areinvited to attend the FuneralMassofGeorgeL Cusachs, Sr., at 1:00 PM at St.Clement of Rome Church,3990W.Esplanade Ave.,Metairie, LA on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, with visitation begin‐ning 11:00AMuntil Mass time.ByOrder of:ErnestC “Corky” Cortez,President Attest: Rodney R. Wallis, Business Manager. Freeman, George 'Pickle'

George "Pickle" Free‐man, age85, enteredthis life on May13, 1939, born to thelateHazel andLouis FreemanSr. Alifelongresi‐dent of NewOrleans, Louisiana, he wascalled home to be with theLord on Wednesday, January22, 2025, at theVASoutheast LouisianaHealthCareSys‐tem. George wasthe belovedfatherofGaynell Ellis-Conner andGeorge Cleggett Sr.(Deirdra).He wasa devotedbrother to Lola Harris,MarshallNew‐ton, andJosephFreeman andwas preceded in death by hissiblingsLouis Free‐manJr.,Grace Provost, and DeloresWilliams. He wasa cherishedgrandfather to DominiqueDezalone Cleggett,Domanik Kameron Cleggett,Gemaje' ElizabethConner, andthe late George Cleggett Jr., anda proudgreat-grandfa‐ther to Sabelo Kameron Cleggett andMazantZeus Cleggett.Heis also sur‐vivedbya host of nieces nephews, otherrelatives,

p, , anddearfriends.George wasa graduate of Joseph S. ClarkSeniorHighSchool andlater attended South‐ernUniversityinBaton Rouge. When thecountry went to war, he selﬂessly volunteeredfor enlistment in theU.S.Army. During his service, he earned multiple medals andwas promoted to therankofSpecialist Fourth Class, specializing in heavyweapons.Helater joined theAirbornedivi‐sion,traveling extensively throughout Europe and otherparts of theworld, gaininginvaluableexperi‐ences. Afterhis military service, George worked at MenteBag Factory, theU.S Post Ofﬁce, andthe Ameri‐canCan Company. In his free time,hefound joyin singing, dancing, and bowling. He wasalso knownfor hisimpressive barberingskills, often showcasing histalent amongfamilyand friends. George "Pickle" Freeman will be deeply missed but foreverrememberedfor hisservice,passion forlife, andthe love he shared with thosearound him. Relativesand friends, also priest andparishionersof OurLadyofGuadalupe Catholic Church areinvited to attend theMassof ChristianBurialon Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at OurLadyof GuadalupeCatholic Church,411 NorthRampart beginning10am. Father Tony Rigoli, OMI, cele‐brant. Church visitation 9 am until time of Mass.In‐termentSoutheast LouisianaVeteransCeme‐tery.ProfessionalService Entrustedto: Littlejohn Fu‐neralHome, 2163 Aubry Street,Cal K. Johnson, Fu‐neralDirector/ Manager. Info:504-940-0045.

Emmanuel J. "Mr. Mike" Guillot,Jr., born October 29, 1937, in NewOrleans, LA passed away on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at the age of 87. He attended De La Salle Highand furthered his educationat Loyola University. He was the former president at Manny's Sanitation Supplies, he was also a parishioner at St. Angela Merici Catholic Church. He was alifelong New Orleans Saints fan and aseason ticket holder. He took many tripstoAtlanta and to the Super Bowl. He was proud of his Tchoupitoulas Street heritage and the city of New Orleans Emmanuel is preceded in death by his wife, Anna Ledet Guillot; parents Emmanuel J. "Manny" Guillot,Sr. and Mary Flynn Guillot.Emmanuel is survived by his children, Becky Guillot Pitfield (Wayne), Emmanuel J. "EJ" Guillot III(Cindy), Michael J. Guillot (Jeanne); grandchildren, Emmanuel J. Manny" Guillot IV, Rene Louise Guillot, Elijah Jude Guillot,Mary Grace Guillot, and Molly Claire Guillot. The family would like to give special thanks to Danielle Schroder for her love and care. Family and friendsare invited to attend services on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd New Orleans, LA 70124.Visitation will begin at 10:00AM followed by a mass at 12:00PM. Interment will be at All Saints Mausoleum.

JudieAnn Pichon Heckel,a lifelong resident of Slidell, Louisiana, passedawaypeacefully on January30, 2025. Born on August 14,1942, in NewOr‐leans, shewas adevoted wife,mother, grand‐mother,and great-grand‐mother whose love and kindness touchedthe lives of allwho knew her. She wasprecededindeath by herbeloved husband, William“Billy” Anthony Heckel,and herson,Sean

,, PeterHeckel.She wasalso welcomed into heaven by herparents,LawrenceFelix Pichon andMarie Bernice Craft Pichon,her brother, Lawrence (Buddy)Felix Pi‐chon Jr.and sister,Patsy Pichon Cosse’.Judie is sur

vivedbyher loving daugh‐ter, RobynHeckelKline andher son-in-law,Steven Kline. Shewas acherished grandmothertoJennifer ElizabethKlineDupree (Jimmy M. Dupree Jr.) KristopherSteven Kline, andBreck Steven Kline. Shewas also blessedwith great-granddaughters Presley ElizabethDupree, Parker Kate Dupree, and many belovedniecesand nephews. Judiewas the heartofher family, creat‐ingtraditionsthatwillbe carriedonfor generations. Agracioushost, she opened herhometofamily andfriends forholidays, Sunday lunches, andspe‐cial gatherings,making everyone feel welcomeand loved. Hercareer in bank‐ingallowed hertomakea lastingimpactonher com‐munity,and shehad agift forkeepingthe familycon‐nected,alwayswanting to hear aboutevery detail of theirlives.Judie foundjoy in tendingtoher beautiful ﬂowers andyard, cooking deliciousmeals,and pass‐ingdowntreasured family recipes. Shehad adeep love forjewelry,especially herpearls, butabove all, hergreatesttreasurewas herfamily. Ashining exam‐pleofstrength, grace, and love,Judie will be deeply missed butforever remem

beredinthe hearts of thosewho lovedher.Rela‐tivesand friendsofthe familyare invitedtoattend theCatholicFuneralMass at OurLadyofLourdes Catholic Church,400 WestchesterPl, Slidell, LA 70458 on Saturday,Febru‐ary8,2025, at 12:00P.M Visitation on Saturday after 10:00A.M.until fu

Heiss, Dottie Dean Cannon

DottieDeanCannon HeisspassedawayonFeb

ruary1,2025atthe ageof 92,leaving behind alegacy of love,laughter, andcher‐ishedmemories. Aproud graduate of Louisiana StateUniversity, Dottie earned herdegreewith honors before dedicating 20 yearstoteachinghis‐tory at East JeffersonHigh School,where shealso served as department chair. Sheand herhus‐band,Bob,built abeautiful life together in RiverRidge, surrounded by dear friends andneighbors who be‐came like family. Afterre‐tiring,Dottieand Bob movedtoPassChristian where they foundjoy and community at thePass ChristianYacht Club.Some of herhappiestmoments were spentthere,and she oftensaidher greatest re‐gret washavingtoleave after HurricaneKatrina Dottiewas knownfor her warmth,generosity, and love of entertaining.She hada passionfor ﬁshing, cooking, shopping,and most of allspendingtime with thepeopleshe loved. Shewas preceded in death by herbeloved husband, Bob, andher dear friend PeterCutt. Sheissurvived by herniece,Cathy Hov

land Winters; hergreatniece, MackenzieWinters; andher extended family: Mark Smith, Beth Incar‐d

neraltime. Intermentwill follow in Forest Lawn Cemetery.Pleasevisit www.honakerforestlawn. comtosignguestbook Arrangements by Honaker FuneralHome, Inc.,Slidell, LA , dona,Gretchen McAlpine andtheir lovedones. She also leaves behind herlife‐long best friend of over 90 years, Charlene Haik.The familyextends heartfelt gratitudetoCharleneHaik, DebbieStovall,the Stringer family, andJoanand Jack Donnow fortheir many yearsofloveand friend‐ship.A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at Garden of Memories FuneralHome &Cemetery at 4900 Airline DriveinMetairie, Louisiana. Visitation be‐gins at 1:30 p.m.,followed by aservice at 2:00 p.m. followed by interment. In lieu of ﬂowers,donations maybemadetoRaintree Family andChildrenSer‐vicesatwww.raintreeser vices.org. Online condo‐lences maybeofferedat www.gardenofmemorie smetairie.com.

born on February 19, 1935, in New Orleans, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on January 30, 2025, in Harahan,Louisiana. She was adevoted wife, mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, and motherin-law whobroughtlove and warmth to all who knew her. At theage of fourteen, Claire met Robert (Bob) Edward Howson That evening, she confidently told her parents that she hadmet the man they would one day be proud to call their son. Four years later, they married and began an extraordinary journey together that spanned an incredible seventy-one-and-a-half years. Their marriage was atestament to enduring love and friendship. Claire was the steadfast support behind Bob throughouthis career, standing proudly by his side as they traveled the world together. Her talent for decorating and her joy of entertaining brought her immense pleasure and enriched their shared experiences. Claire cherished traveling with Bob and their three daughters: Elizabeth Burcham (John), Cynthia Howson, and Jennifer Willem (David), along with their families. She found great joy in being agrandmother to Christopher Willem (Haley), Allison Willem Caillouet (Nicholas), Nicole Weinmann Manfré (Ross), Bobby Weinmann(Megan), Emily Weinmann, and Elizabeth Burcham Renfro (Donald). Her legacycontinues through her beloved great-grandchildren: Howson, Emma Grace, David Bradley, Rex, Reese, Logan, andMaisie. Claire was the daughter of the late Marie Seput Accardo and Frank Coleman Gillis and the stepdaughter of Anthony Joseph Accardo. She was predeceased by her only sibling, Jane Gillis Pitre. Blessed with wonderful friendships that often spanned decades, Claire delighted in opening their home to countless friends andfamily. Whether hosting long weekends or intimate gatherings, shecreated a warm and welcoming atmosphere that left lasting memories for all whovisited. Together with Bob, Claire shared apassion for remodelingand decorating their homes—a love that began with the purchase of their first house and continued through every home they owned. Their appreciation for antiques and beautifulfurnishings

When youneed thenews. Wherever youreadthe news

of record for NewOrleans

Howson, Claire Gillis

Claire Gillis Howson,

GuillotJr., Emmanuel J. 'Mr. Mike'

Howson,Claire Stevens,Joey

Cristina,Willa Ruth Sloan

Heckel,Judie AnnPichon

Bankston,Betty Pointer

Betty Brown Pointer Bankston passed away peacefullyonJanuary 21, 2025 in Metairie, LA. The daughter of Sam Clyde and Elizabeth Brown Pointer, she was born March16, 1928 in Birmingham, Alabama, and was predeSee more DEATHS page

Welcome, SuperBowl fans,tothe wonderfulstew that is La.

Super Bowl week has finally arrived, andthe result of months of planning andpreparationto make New Orleans —and our beloved Caesars Superdome —shine is on full display. Fans comingfromall parts will immediately beenveloped by the hospitality that is ahallmark of our state. We hope they come away with an appreciation of all Louisiana hastooffer.Wewelcome you, Eagles fans, but we’d putupany po-boy against your best cheese steak. And we welcome you, Chiefs fans, butyou’ll soonrealize, we’ve gotalot to showyou “Show Me”staters. Yes, aSuper BowlinNew Orleansisjust different. Youcan see it in the logo, designed by NewOrleans artistTahj Williams to evokethe traditions of Mardi Gras Indians.You’llbe able to hear it in thepre-gameshow featuring Louisianaartists,including JonBatiste, LaurenDaigle and Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. And of course, you’ll be able to tasteitasLouisiana chefsand restaurants pull outall the stops in their Super Bowl food and drink menus. While Super Bowl fans arefocused on fun, we also know the game brings anational spotlight on some of the issues withwhich ourstate struggles. Our coastal land loss crisis thankfully will get attention as the NFL’s sustainability program is partnering on aproject in Leeville to plant marsh grasses and install an oysterreef And as this year marks the 20thanniversary of Hurricane Katrina,manywill be lookingto measure the progress of thecity’srenaissance, including that of the Superdome itself, which was the site of so much tragedy in 2005. Most pressingly,after the New Year’sDay terrorist attackonBourbon Street, security issues haverisen to thefore. We were more than pleased to see officials announcean enhanced security zone for the busiest part of the French Quarter Starting Wednesday,checkpointswill be set up at eachentry to the Quarter.Largebags will be searched, with no coolers or ice chests allowed. Other zones operated by theU.S. Department of Homeland Security andthe NFLwill be set up around the Superdomeand otherSuperBowl venues. We are proud of theway local, state and federal officials have cometogether on security forthe Super Bowl. We wantall the visitorsand local fans to enjoy the game anda city thatisall about leavingyour cares behind. Andwhile the FrenchQuarter and downtown offerplenteous attractions, do be sure to explore thewhole metro area,asevery neighborhood offers charms aplenty.

Though New Orleans has hosted the Super Bowl arecord 11 times, tying with Miami, each time feels unique. No matter how many times you’ve been to New Orleans, thecity can ﬁnd newways to delight. So enjoythe game, fans, and we hope y’all come back soon

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

The Advocate |The Times-Picayune requireastreet 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 A LETTER SCAN HERE

Supportsenatorswho follow conscience on Trumpnominees

Iwould rather have asenator who votes his or her conscience than because of pressure from their party As astaunch Democrat,Ihave disagreed with many of Sen. Bill Cassidy’spositions and votes on issues. However,Irealize what agold mine he has been for thestate of Louisiana and this country.His willingness to work in abipartisan manner has resulted in manypositive beneﬁts for our state. Now he is playing a critical role in cabinet conﬁrmation votes.

LouisianaRepublicans and anyone who voted for Donald Trumpisin for arude awakening. Trumpisnot really interested in helping Americans or furthering the Republican platform.Heisinterested in only one thing—revenge against the people who he perceives did him wrong during the past four years. His tariffs will hurt Americans,

upset theeconomy and possibly could result in atrade war with Mexico and Canada. Andfor absolutely no reason. His purge of FBI agents whodid their job by prosecuting Jan. 6rioters is chilling. The bombingofinsurrectionistsinSomalia was out of left field and shows he is willing to sacrifice our armed forces with little thought or planning. Iurge Sens. Cassidy and John Kennedy to stand firm in their beliefs and use common sense in their votes for these cabinet appointments to critical positions that will define our country for years to come.

Ihope both Louisiana Republicans and Democrats will support our two senators in their votes of conscience and support the best candidate for thejob. Make Louisiana proud.

MAYLEE SAMUELS Baton Rouge

Bidenshowedhow to follow Constitution,beliefs

The letter writer who asserted that former President Joe Biden can’tbea“devout Catholic” becauseheis“pro-abortion” seems to be confused about what those descriptions entail.

Adevout Catholic is one who faithfully believes and practices theteachingsofthe Catholic Church. Since Catholicismteaches that abortion is morally wrong, a devout Catholic would be expected to avoidhaving an abortion in his or her own life. While the Catholic Church encourages its members to set avirtuousexample for others by following itsteachings, it is not so dictatorial as to requireits memberstodemand that those who have different moral standards follow Catholic teachings.

Apresident who is elected by,and therefore represents, ourdiverse American population needs to be judicious enough to understandthe constitutional meaning of “freedom of religion,” regardless of the spiritual value system he himselfhas personally chosen to follow The same principle holds true for agovernor misguidedly at-

tempting to legally require that all public classrooms in the state post acopy of the TenCommandments indicating his chosen belief system. The recentguestcolumnist Kelly Shackleford illustratedasimilar confusion when he addressed this issue. The desire to keep religious and legal matters separate is notmeant to be interpreted as “secular outrage” or an expression of “aggressive hostilitytoreligion.” Rather it’saneffort designed to create the space necessary for everyone to have thefreedom to followtheir own individual conscienceinspiritual matters, andprevent political leadersfrom forcing their personal moral values on others regardless of how well-intentioned they might be. This is theprecise reason that America’sfounders, whothemselves had diverse religious beliefs, endeavored to clarify in the First Amendment that all Americans are entitled to this basic humanfreedom regardless of their positionin society

SUE GISCLAIR Baton Rouge

Local sports writers were surprised that Aaron Glenn chose to sign with the Jets rather than the Saints. Could Mickey Loomis, the longest-tenured general manager in the NFL, be the problem? He has put this team in so-called “salary cap hell” foryears. For 2025, we are projected to be almost $70 million over the cap (dead last) and are $48 million in dead money over the cap (dead last). He kept Marcus Davenport and let Trey Hendrickson walk into free agency (35 sacks in the last twoyears with the Bengals and athree-timepro-bowler). He let Zack Baun walk into free agency after playing mostly special teams during the three years he washere. In Baun’sﬁrst year with the Eagles, he had 151 tackles and was up fordefensive player of the year Loomis hired Dennis Allen to replace Sean Payton, and then after afew losing seasons, he comically tried to justify it by comparing Allen to four of the alltimegreatest coaches ever: Bill Belichick, Bill Walsh, Chuck Noll and Tom Landry.Ishedelusional? That alone should be enough to consider replacing him We can’tattract top-namecoaches, nor can we sign top players in free agency, because of how he keeps kicking the can downthe road year in and year out. To Gayle Benson, how much longer will you waitbefore you face the reality that your GM is the common denominator forthe sorry state your football team is in?

ARTHUR LECOMPTE Destrehan

Louisiana has twomembers of the House of Representatives whoare Democrats. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, and Troy Carter,D-New Orleans. Fields did not vote on the Laken Riley Act for somereason. However,Troy Carter voted against this bill. The Laken Riley Act called forthe deportation of any illegal alien found guilty of asex crime. How could anyone vote against this bill? Iwould love the newspaper to ask Carter the reason for his vote.

LARRYLANGEVIN

Kenner

History,dynasty andfuture

clashinJefferson councilrace

Special elections are usually sleepy little affairs, intense but tightly contained. But aspring special election for Jefferson Parish Council is shaping up as afascinating political battle between the old, the new —and quite possibly the future On the parish’swest bank, three candidates have signed up to run in one ofthe five Parish Council districtsinthe March 29 election. The District 1seat,which representsmost of Gretna and Terrytown andall of Lafitte and Grand Isle cameopen when its previous occupant, Marion Edwards, retired lastyear Unlike in many Louisiana parishes, council seats in Jefferson arepowerful positions. The council memberoften holds sway over who is awardedcontracts, and the district offices getdiscretionary funds to spend everyyear

When Edwards announcedhe would step down, Ricky Templet wasthe ﬁrst tojump in.

Templet, who turns 62 this week, is afamiliar face, having represented District 1onthe council from2012 to2020. He also served as an at-large council member from 2020-2024. Templetisdeeply connected to Gretna’s entrenched power structure,which stretches back acentury or more.

Also runningisTim Kerner Jr., the 34-year-old mayor of the town ofJean Laﬁtte.Kerner has deep roots in local politics. His father and grandfather both served as mayors of the town. For awhile, it looked as if the two might square off in an old-fashioned Republican suburban showdown. Kerner has referred to Templet’sstyle as “disconnected and ineffective leadership,”and Templet has said Kerner is full of “empty rhetoric.”

And then came awild card.

OnThursday,the second day of qualifying, Andrea Manuel —aBlack Democrat who, by the way,also teaches Spanish —jumped in. The59-year-old life coach told reporter Lara Nicholson that she got into the race becauseher districtisa“melting pot.”

She’sright about that. The minority populations on the West Bankhave

been growing steadily for years. In 2021, when theParish Council approved the decennial redistricting plan, District 1was 39% White, 26% Black and 17% Hispanic.

In other words, Gretna and Terrytown couldbecomethe closest thing in our area toabattleground.

Manuel is not entirely new to politics.

Sheserves on the Democratic State Central Committee and she ranfor state rep in 2023, ﬁnishing second to White Republican Vincent Cox for a west bank seat.

Even with the demographic trends in her favor,she faces astifftest

Thedistrictisstill dominated by tradition-boundvoters.One hasonly to look at Gretna —the biggest chunk of the council district —where the regular city election is being held the same day as the specialcouncil election. Of seven ofﬁces up for grabs in the city, onlyone had more thanone candidate qualify.The mayor,police chief, and four of theﬁve council members were all elected unopposed.

In therace for police chief, Brett Lawson was the lone qualifier to take over thejob his father hasheldfor the past two decades. When the younger Lawson takes office, he will be the city’s fourthpolicechiefsince1925, all from just two families.Suffice it to say, tradition is strong there.

Also makingithard for Manuel is theold maxim that newcomers don’t fare wellagainst seasoned political machines, especially in local races where

namerecognition is key

Or do they? Manuel needs only to look up Interstate 10 to Baton Rouge for apotential blueprint

There, high school football coach Sid Edwards, aRepublican, jumped into the race for mayor-president almost on awhim. Edwards had no political experience, no fundraising apparatus and, at times, seemed at alossfor the fundamentals of campaigning. He was also at ademographic disadvantage. Even many conservatives believed aRepublican couldn’twin thatrace, especially since he faced two well-funded and well-known Democrats, one atwo-termincumbent.If one of the Democratsgot intoarunoff, the thinking went,that person would cruisetovictory over an overmatched Edwards. Twomonths later,Edwards is settling into the mayor’sofﬁce. Can Manuel pull off the sametrick in Jefferson? It’s impossible to say. The dynamics of the district are different from those in BatonRouge. Still, even if she makes arunoff, it would be signiﬁcant

Regardless of the outcome, however, the demographic trends are unlikelyto change. That means more candidacies like Manuel’sare likely on the horizon. That will makeWestBank politics veryinteresting to watch well beyond this spring’selection.

Faimon A. Roberts III can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com.

JusticeDepartmentbecomes Trump’sinstrumentofrevenge

Every president at some point during his administration chafes atthe independence of the Justice Department. None have moved as swiftly or definitively as President Donald Trump to put the department firmly underhis thumb. With brutal efficiency,Trump’s underlings moved to execute that plan during hisfirst week back in office. Now,with the firing of career lawyerswho workedon the legal cases against the president, the new administration has crossed a dangerous red line: retaliating against prosecutors for doing their job. Trump’saides didn’thidetheir punitive motive —they flaunted it. “You played asignificant role in prosecuting President Trump. The properfunctioning of governmentcritically depends on the trust superior officials placeintheir subordinates,” James McHenry,the previously obscure department official now serving as acting attorneygeneral, informed the prosecutors. “Givenyour significant role in prosecuting the President, Idonot believe that the leadership of the Department cantrust you to assist in implementingthe President’s agenda faithfully.”

protectmigrants. These actions have no precedent During the George W. Bush administration, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales ordered the ﬁring of seven U.S. attorneys, seemingly for political reasons, with questions about whether they were “loyal Bushies.”An uproarunderstandably ensued, with congressional investigations and areportbythe department’sinternal watchdog.

The move was foreshadowed by Trumpand his allies both during the campaign and after hisreelection. Yet its execution is nonetheless shocking. Career lawyers enjoy civil service protections against being summarily ﬁred, particularly on the basis oftheir political views, whether real or perceived. The top career experts in the department’sranks —lawyers with decades of experience in publiccorruption, civil rights, environmental enforcement were shunted to anewly formed workinggroup to go after citiesthatdareto

But it’simportant to remember: Thesewere political appointees of the president, serving at his pleasure. By contrast, theseactions wereanassault on career prosecutorswho serve from one administration to thenext.Theydo notpledge fealty to any president but rathertothe Constitution and thelaw Whereinall this is theattorney general-designate, Pam Bondi? These firingsconveniently occurred before her inevitable confirmation. Did Bondi, herself acareer prosecutor,agree with or authorize them? If so,this should disqualify her from serving as the nation’schief lawenforcement officer.If not, sheshould reverse theseactions forthwith.Unlikely,Iknow.Bondi is a Trump ally,his lawyer during thefirst impeachment Lastweekbrought therevelation thatthe interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, the office that brought the Jan. 6prosecutions,has launched an internal investigationinto theconductofthose probes.

Edward R. Martin Jr.isthe fox appointedtooversee thehenhouse. His résumé reveals no evident prosecutorialbackground normuch in the way of criminal law experience No matter:Martinhas the credentials that apparently count.Heisa former

chair of the Missouri Republican Party and aclose associate of conservative activist Phyllis Schlaﬂy.Heisa fervent election-denier —inarally the day beforethe insurrection, he called on “die-hard true Americans” to workuntil their “last breath” to “stop the steal” —and astaunch defender of theJan.6 protesters, who likened the ensuing riot at the Capitol to “Mardi Gras in DC.

Now,Martin has ordered up what he calls the “1512 project,” an emergency investigation into prosecutors’ use of an obstruction statute known as Section 1512 in their pursuit of anumber of the Jan. 6defendants.The Supreme Court ruledlastyear that the law was basically limited to document destruction and couldn’tbeusedagainst protesters who triedtoobstructcertiﬁcation of the 2020 election results. “Obviously,the use was agreat failureofour ofﬁce,” Martin said in an email to staff, adding that “we need to get to thebottom of it.” Oh, please. This was not some secret plot by rogue prosecutorsbent on misusing thelaw.Beforethe Supreme Court decision, all but one of 15 trial judgesand twoofthree appellatejudges had upheld prosecutors’ ability to use the statute in this way

Maybe the 1512 project is all just for show, part of Martin’sbid to securethe D.C. attorney jobpermanently.But it’s all of apiece, thefirings of the prosecutors and the probe intothe supposed “great failure.” Prosecutorsmustfall in line,orelse —and thereisgrave reason to worry about what that “else”could entail. Punitive transfers, vindictive firings and criminal investigations areonthe horizon. Complacency in theface of a first week like this one would be foolish. Ruth Marcus is on X, @RuthMarcus.

On Feb. 1, the Democratic National Committee gathered in suburban Maryland to elect a new chair.Every indication suggests they still don’tfully appreciate what happened to them in the 2024 election. The twomain contenders were Ken Martin, head of the Minnesota state Democratic Party, which is actually knownasthe Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and Ben Wikler,chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party.Martin ultimately got the nod, after acampaign in which alot of the discussion involved internal party matters, such as the distribution of resources, and not the details of Democratic positions on various hot political issues.

It’s on the big issues that the broader party is currently foundering, and there is no evidence they’ll ﬁnd their way anytime soon.

The fundamental question they face is how to focus and moderate their instinct to ﬁght every single thing President Donald Trumpdoes. The reason is obvious and simple. If some—perhaps many—ofthe things the president does are popular,then across-the-board Democratic resistance will serve to makeDemocrats unpopular.Some Democrats see the problem and wanttopick their spots to criticize, but others can’thelp themselves.

“There are going to be people that are going to respond to everything that Trumpsays and wanttoform somesort of narrative,” Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas told The Washington Post. “I do think that we have to be careful on which ﬁghts we pick with him and what we choose to respond to. Otherwise, he is going to wintoacertain degree if we’re not really carefulinthat area.”

On the other side, another House Democrat, Rep. Pat Ryan of New York, argued that in Trump’sfirst week in office, Democrats “set the termsofthe fight ahead,” by which he meant an ongoing billionaires vs. the people battle. He advocated constant political warfare. “Ifpost2016 was like asort of street fight —alittle bit sloppy,alot of wild swinging —then Ithink 2025 has to be morelike the close-quarters combat that Ilearned in the Army,”Ryan told Politico Playbook, “which is like amix of jiujitsu and judo and afew other things where you’re using your enemies’ mistakes against them.”

What about those times, like now,when many Americans support what Ryan’s“enemies” that would be President Trumpand his supporters —are doing? The answer is not clear.We’ll see.

As this goes on, the Democratic Party’smedia/intellectual base is deeply worried. In an essay headlined, “The Right Is Winning the Battle forHearts and Minds,” The New York Times Thomas Edsall —employing classic Times language —noted that, “The full-scale assault by the conservative movement on liberal domination of the nation’sculture has begun to deliver key victories.”

The Right has moved beyond old strengths like talk radio to new strength in podcasts and social media, Edsall said, to challenge the Left’s domination of “academia, the literary world, the press, television, and streaming video.”

That’snosmallset of strengths on the Left, and no one should ever suggest that the Right has anything to match it. Nevertheless, Edsall suggests that the Lefthas been misusing its strengths forthe wrong purposes, quoting a professor whosaid, “The big story from 2010 on is not Republicans growing moreeffective at messaging but Democrats growing increasingly out of step with the median voter as they catered ever morearound the preferences of knowledge economy professionals.”

As all this talk goes on, inside the Democratic Party and its supporting groups, there’sone morething to consider.Ashestarts just his second week in office, President Donald Trump is on aroll. On top of abarrage of executive actions, mostnotably on the border and immigration, Trumpscored avictory over the weekend when the socialist president of Colombia, GustavoPetro, unexpectedly refused to acceptplanesfrom the U.S. bringing deported illegal immigrants back to their homecountry Trumpimmediately responded with athreat of immediate retaliation —tariffs, visa holdups and more. Within an hour,Petro caved. Trump looked strong, and his adversaries looked weak. The episode appeared to vindicate everything Trumphas been saying —and Democrats have been denouncing —about his strategy to deport illegal border crossers, especially those whohave committed additional crimes. Will it profit Democrats to engage in political jiu-jitsu against that? Probably not. The party still has to figure out how to address the new president’s successes.

Email Byron York at byronyork@yorkcomm. com.

Faimon Roberts

Ruth Marcus

Former Jefferson Parish Council member Ricky Templet, Jean Lafitte MayorTimothy Kernerand Democratic State Central Committee member Andrea Manuel qualified for the Parish Council District 1election on March 29.

Byron York

culminated in spaces that were both elegant and cozy. Their final residence at The Blake reflected this same sense of care and comfort. Famously known for always wearing lipstick, Claire never went without atubeortwo nearby. She had agentle cue for her daughters to apply theirs—a special gesture understood only by those closest to her. For the past three-and-ahalf years, Claire and Bob lived at The Blake at Colonial Club in Harahan. There they formed many cherished friendshipsthat enriched their later years. The familyextends heartfelt gratitude to Claire's "fourth daughter," Gina Barrera, whose devotion over more than twentytwo years will always be remembered with deep appreciation. Special thanks are also extended to Meca Honoré, Tish Alvarado, George Boucher, Compassus Hospice, Compassionate Senior Care, Visiting Angels and the staff at The Blake for their friendship and care. The family would like to express gratitude to Reverend Hulen C. Warren, Jr. for officiating at the funeral service. Claire's memory will forever be a source of comfort andinspiration to those who loved her. May her legacy of love, grace, and kindness continue to shine brightly in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to have known her. Aprivate funeral will be held. In lieu of flowers, please make online gifts in memory of ClaireG Howson to the Dementia Society of America www.DementiaSociety.org /donate or mail to: Dementia Society of America, PO Box 600, Doylestown, PA. 18901. To view and sign the online guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m

Jackson M.D.,Ann Long

Ann Long Jackson, M.D., 93, died peacefullyon February 01, 2025.She and her husband JamesW Jackson, M.D. had along happy marriage lasting6 days shy of 66 years blessed with 6loving children. Avisitation will be held at SaintJoseph CoCathedral on Thursday, February 6, 2025 from 9:00 AM until service time. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:00 AM at the church with burial following at Saint Joseph Cemetery.Ann is survived by her husband James, her children, James William Jr "Will", John Guider "Jack" (Alma), Stacy Ann (Bubbie), Edward Ray "Ted" (Carolyn), Mary Zita "Mitzi" (Nolan) and Courtney Carol "CeCe", her grandchildren James William III "Jaime", Carolyn Ann "Cara", Abigail Lauren "Abby" and Elizabeth Renee "Lizzie" and her step-grandchildren Lan (Molly), Jessie, Taylor (Dan), Ross, Rachel, Allie (Bernard), and Nolan and

her sisterZita Sandmeyer (Richard) and her sister in law JanetHughes as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her brother Horace Taggart Jr and her sister Mary Pearse Schlottman. Ann was born on November 6, 1931 in Vicksburg, MS to parents Horace Taggart Long and Mary Pearse Guider Long. She was agraduate of St Francis Xavier Academy and the nuns there had a special place in her heart, instilling in her strong faith and alifelong love of learning. She continued to pursueher studiesand was admittedtoTulane Medical School where she graduated with honors. She was aTulane intern and resident at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. She ultimately practiced pathology in Thibodaux, establishing the laboratories at StJoseph Hospital in 1962 and at Thibodaux General until her retirement in 2006. She had a lifelong dedication to education which she instilled in herchildren and which she fostered in her support of and involvement in St Genevieve Catholic School and E. D. White Catholic High School. She was avalued mentor and leaderfor numerouspeople in the community, and she inspiredand aided manyin pursuing careers as physicians and in otherareasof healthcare, academics and life. Ann was atrue servant of God and had astrong Catholic faith, attending mass daily. She was involvedinall of her parishes as lector and Eucharistic minister as well as serving in any capacity needed. She loved singing in the StJoseph choir for many years. Paramount to Ann wasthe importance of family. Her energy and limitless love inspire all of her children on adaily basis and we are forever grateful for her guidance and love.Inlieu of flowers, please consider donations to St Genevieve Catholic School and E. D. White Catholic High School. Special thanks to the many who helped to care for herinher final years. Online condolences can be made at http://ww w.ordoynefunerals.com/. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Ordoyne Funeral Home, 1489 Saint Patrick Street Thibodaux, LA 70301.

La Forest Jr., James 'Jimmy

Mr.James La Forest Jr passedonSaturday, Febru‐ary 1, 2025 andhas goneto restinthe Lord.Toevery‐bodyhe wasknown as Jimmy or CoachLaForest. Hewas alifetimeresident ofMarrero,LA. Born in Lockport, LA to thelate James J. La Forest Sr.and the late AngelleLeblanc La Forest. He wasanhonor‐ableMarine, policeman, councilmanofJefferson Parishand taught forover 40years in theJefferson ParishSchoolSystem. He workedatJakes Seafood and Jake wasa lifelong friend. Jake andDonna along with theirfamily wereveryclose to Jimmy. Heissurvivedthe mother oftheir child,Eva Billiot. His sonJames J. La Forest III andhis granddaughter

Darian La Forest were his life-long loves. He wasal‐wayspresent andprovided for them.I love youDAD! And to theFatherin heavenfor blessing my life withhim.Hallelujah! In his lastmonthshebefriended Candace,his caretaker, and shegavehim happi‐nessand he lovedher too!!! We arethankfulthat the Lord blessedmyDad withher andhis salvation beforethe end. Therewill bea gravesidecommittal onThursday, February 6, 2025at9:00amsharp at WestlawnMemorialPark, 1255Whitney Ave, Gretna, LA. In lieu of ﬂowers pleaseconsidera donation toyourfavoritecharity The family kindly invites you to sharethoughts, fondest memories,and condolences online at www.MotheFunerals.com MotheFuneralHomehas beenentrusted with fu‐neral arrangements

McBride, Leola Florence Medice

LeolaFlorenceMedice McBride,age 96,transi‐tionedpeacefullyintoeter‐nal rest at herresidence on Wednesday,January 22 2025, surrounded by her lovingfamily. Shewas a nativeand resident of New Orleans,LA. Leolawas a graduateofXavierUniver‐sityPreparatory High School andSouthernUni‐versity of BatonRouge,LA, where sheearneda Bache‐lor of ScienceDegree. WhileatSouthernshe be‐camea member of Delta Sigma ThetaSororityInc Leola wasa retiredEduca‐tor andReading LabSpe‐cialist of theJefferson ParishPublicSchool Sys‐tem.Beloved wife of the lateStanley McBride. De‐voted mother of Cheryl McBride BrownofMilwau‐kee,WIand Andrea McBride Bocage of Gretna, LA. Loving grandmotherof D’ArtagnanBrown (Kelly Lewis), D’AraunBrown, and MartiniqueBrown (Daniel Morgan) allofMilwaukee, WI Damian Bocage (Nedra Dubuclet) andCorey BocagebothofGretna, LA Great grandmotherofthe lateAlexiaBrown. Daugh‐ter of thelateJohnand MargaretCollins Medice Sisterofthe late John, Jr., Joseph, Sr., Edward,Alvin, Vivian, andLillian Medice Ethel M. DeVore,and Ruth M.Fernandez.Alsocher‐ishingher memories are8 great grandchildren, 1 great greatgrandchildren, and ahostofnieces, nephews,cousins,other relatives andfriends.Rela‐tives andfriends of the family, also priest and parishionersofAll Saints Catholic Church andall neighboring churches are invited to attend aMassof Christian Burial at All SaintsCatholicChurch, 1441Teche Street,Algiers LAonWednesday,Febru‐ary 5, 2025, at 11:30a.m.Fa‐therFredKaddu,celebrant Visitationwillbeheldfrom 9:00a.m.-10:30a.m. at the church.Interment:Rest‐lawnParkCemetery-Avon‐dale, LA.Arrangementsby Davis Mortuary Service, 230 Monroe St., Gretna,LA. Toviewand sign theguest‐book,pleasegotowww davismortuaryservice.com

Face MasksAre Recom‐mended.

Mary Louise Anderson Perelli

Mary Louwas born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the lateStanley Anderson and Yvonne Melancon. She is preceded in deathbyher husband GeorgeAlton Perelli.

Mary Lou is survived by her six children: Beth (Joseph), Mark, Wendy, Keith, Eric, Kerry (Jennifer); grandchildren Blake, Amanda (Blake), Derek (Kristen), Haven, Shelby, Lila, Alec, Elin, Kate; greatgrandchildren Blake Jr., Frankie, Gage, Brooklyn, Brady, Myles and Madden; sisters Rita Dowd, Sherry Chimento and brother Stanley Anderson, Jr.

Mary Lou was raised in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans whereshe attended Capdau School and John McDonough High School. She was agraduate of Soule Business College and worked as a legal secretary, and then as asecretary at Regal Beer of NewOrleans. In the earlyyears of their marriage, she and her husband Alton moved to St.Bernard where they raised theirsix children.

She had anurturing heart,loved and appreciated her childrenfor their unique gifts and what made each of them special.Her heart was in the home and home was always where Mary Lou was to her children and grandchildren.

She was part of the Constant Vigil of Prayer program at Prince of Peace Catholic Church and served as aprayer promoter forthe Central Association of the Miraculous Medal.

Following Hurricane Katrina, she relocated to Texas, where she embraced lifeand participated in many activities, including traveling to Italy, visiting National Parks all over the U.S.and Canada, and was an avid cruiser. She loved cultural events and museums. She was an active member and volunteer of the Grand Prairie Women's Club and the Grand Prairie Summit where she enjoyed playing Texas hold'em. Relatives and friends areinvitedtoattend the Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church in Chalmette, LA on Sat February 15, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Visitationinthe church will beginat10:00 a.m. Interment will be in St. Louis #3 Cemetery in New Orleans. Reception following. Sleep well, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, friend. Your warmth, kindness, and strengthwill always be remembered

Gary AnthonyPlaisance peacefullypassedawayon January 23,2025at69 years old. Gary waspre‐ceded in deathbyhis fa‐ther, Odon MauricePlai‐sance;mother, Bernice Arceneaux Plaisanceand sisterRuthPlaisance Faucha(late Floyd).Heis survivedbyhis wife,Cyn‐thiaMelling Plaisance; sonsAndrew, Matthew (Rayanna),and David (Danielle); brothers Larry Plaisance (Elizabeth, late Paula former sister-in-law) MorrisPlaisance (Nancy, lateCherylformersisterin-law),and Lester Plai‐sance (Kathleen); godchil‐dren, Shelly Plaisance Schonekas andBenjamin Plaisance;and numerous niecesand nephews. Gary was born on January29, 1955, andhelived in Mar‐rero, Louisianafor most of his life.Garywas always a hardworker, andhe started workingatten years oldasa paperboy to savefor hisfuturecollege education.Garyhad alove oflearning, andheespe‐ciallyenjoyed science, math, andhistory.With fervor, he pursuedhis pharmacydegree, earning his DoctorateofPharmacy in1978. He passionately servedasa pharmacist in the GreaterNew Orleans areafor over 30 yearsuntil his diagnosisofCIDP (chronicinflammatory de‐myelinating polyneuropa‐thy)forcedhim to relin‐quish hiscareer in 2010 Since 2010, Gary fought thisdisease with strength, courage,and patience Gary'sfamilywas very im‐portant to him. Hisfamily genealogy wasone of his favoritetopicsofconver‐sation. He wasa loving and verydevoted husbandand father. He prided himself onleading hisfamily through guidance andex‐ample of hislife. He was immenselyproud of the familyhemadetogether withhis wife,Cindy.Gary remaineddevoted to his familyuntil hislastbreath. Gary'slegacywas that of a loyal son, husband, father, and compassionatehealth careprofessionalwho en‐sured that allhis patients receivedthe best of care Gary’sengagingpersonal‐ity brightened thelives of somany. In lieu of flowers, pleasedonatetoa charity close to your heart. Gary's favoritecharities included Daughters of St.Paul, the Paralyzed Veterans of America,and theVeterans ofForeign Wars.Family and friendsare invitedto attend theMemorialVisi‐tationatVisitationofOur LadyCatholicChurch, 3500 AmesBlvd.,Marrero, Louisiana on Friday,Febru‐ary 7, 2025 from 10AM until 12PM. AMemorialMass willtakeplace at Visitation ofOur Lady Catholic ChurchonFridayat12PM. A Memorial Intermentwill takeplace at Westlawn MemorialParkCemetery, Gretna, LA.Mothe Funeral Homeisassisting thefam‐ily during this difficult time The familyinvites youto share thoughts,fondmem‐ories andcondolences on‐lineatwww.mothefunera ls.com

Stevens, Joey L.

JOEY L. STEVENS- It is with heavy hearts that we announcethe passingof Joey Lee Stevens,a belovedfriend,husband, father, and compassionate nurse, who found peace on 27 January2025, after a courageousand inspiring battle with cancer.Joey wasbornon27September 1968, in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, to the late Gary Stevens andPaulette Alexander.

Joey's journey took him to SoutheasternLouisiana University andthe Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge, wherehe earned hisnursing degree in 1994. For thirty years, Joey dedicatedhis life to caringfor othersasa Registered Nurse, working across variousplaces includingHammond, New Orleans, and finally San Francisco, wherehis empathyand warmth touched countless lives.

He is welcomed into eternity by hisparents and cherished grandparents, Millard Pete Stevens and Olivia Brown and Neal Alexander andClara Hebert (Jerry) Louque. Joey is survived by aloving family that includeshis devotedspouse of 25 years, John A. Wolford of San Francisco; his son, Joshua M. Stevens of New Orleans; and hisbrothers, Michael (Alfredo) Stevens of San Francisco, Gary Stevens Jr., Cheyenne Joiner,and Colt (Lacey) Joiner,aswellas hissisters, Barbara Alexander andSonya April (John), all from Ponchatoula. Together they carry forward his legacyoflove andcompassion.

In hislife,Joey radiated kindness and made alastingimpact on everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed, notonlyfor hisprofessional dedication butalso forhis vibrantpersonality andthe joy he brought to others.

Funeral services will be heldonSaturday, February 8, 2025 at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, locatedat5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124. Public visitation will begin at 11:00AM followed by aservice at 2:00PM.Interment will be at theadjacent All Saints Mausoleum.

In honor of Joey's legacy,his family encourages anyone wishingtomake a tribute to considerdonatingtocancer research at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital (StJude.org), continuing thefight against this illnessthataffected so many lives, includinghis own.

Perelli, Mary Lou

Plaisance, Gary Anthony

SPORTS

‘FOOTBALLGENIUS’

Eagles want to keep Moore, butOCismum abouthis intent with Saints

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Every time KellenMoore was asked about possibly coaching the New Orleans Saints on Monday,the Philadelphia Eaglesoffensive coordinator smiled and gave asimilaranswerthat he undoubtedly had plenty of time to prepare.

The questions came in allsorts of different ways, addressing the reports over the last week that have named him theleading candidate for the NFL’s last coaching vacancy.Ineach instance, Moore politely stuck to his script—offeringananswer that didnot offend but tried not to create headlines either.

But to be clear,Moore wants thejob, right?

“It’sbeen an incredible experience (with) Mickey and thatleadership group, having acoupleofopportunities to meetwith those guys,” Moore said, referring to Saints generalmanager Mickey Loomis. “The thing’sset up in away that allowsustofocus on this game, and then we’ll see how it progresses from there.”

“Kellen is agreat leader,a great communicator,a tireless worker and agreat person. He’sgot alot of great qualities about him.He’s been fantastic as our offensive coordinator.I’m hoping Iget to keep him, but we’ll see as this process plays out.”

NICK SIRIANNI, Eagles coach

That, moreorless, was thesame answerMoore gave throughout thenight. But if other candidates pulling out of considerationhas affected Moore’s thought process— or if he’s notready to becomeaheadcoach —hedidn’t say so whileheinstead triedtofocus on the fact that he and theEagles are preparing for Sunday’sSuper Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Moore said Monday that he’snot worried “about asingle thing” other than focusing on theSuper Bowl. Still amid the electric scene of the Super Bowl’s openingnight at theCaesarsSuperdome, with fanspacked in thestands

anda swarm of people on theﬁeld’s sidelines, Moore’splayers andfellow coaches endorsed Moore to become the Saints’ next coach —ifthat’swhat happens.

Theformer Boise State quarterback has been an NFLcoordinator for the last six seasons, but it’sthis season his ﬁrst withthe Eagles —that has him seeminglyonthe doorstep of landing his ﬁrst head coaching job

“Kellen is agreat leader, agreat communicator,atireless worker and a great person,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “He’sgot alot of great qualities abouthim. He’s been fantastic as our offensive coordinator.I’m hoping Iget to keep him, but we’ll seeasthis process plays out.”

Due to NFL rules,the Saintscannot hire Moore until after theSuperBowl. That, in themeantime, creates an awkward dance for the team and Moore. If Moore is the Saints’ selection,hehas to go aboutbeing preparedtoform a coaching staff —all while handling his duties as theEagles’ play-caller

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Playingman defense against the LSU women’sbasketball team bucks conventionalwisdom. Most opposing teams choose instead to spend most of their time in azone look, trading open shots on the perimeter forless space inside the 3-point arc. That calculus doesn’talways work. Just ask coach Sam Purcell, whose Mississippi State squadvisited the Pete Maravich AssemblyCenter on Sunday and lost 81-67. In certain stretches of play, theBulldogs trieda zone defense. But Mikaylah Williams, Flau’jae Johnson and the No. 6 Tigers were shooting toowell from beyond the arc for it to succeed.

“So,you gotta pick your poison,”Purcell said. LSUdrained nine 3-pointers againstMississippi Statetwo days after it buried 12 in awin over No. 15 Oklahoma. In each game,the Tigers took at least 20 shots from beyond thearc.

Across coach Kim Mulkey’s ﬁrst three seasons at LSU,they hit that threshold of attempts in only four regular-season gamesagainst Southeastern Conference teams This year,LSU alreadyhas done it three times Three of its ﬁve best 3-point shooting games against regular-season SEC competition over thelast four seasons are nowcontests playedin2025 —ayear in which the Tigers might just be more dangerous from beyond thearc than they have been so far under Mulkey “It makes us better,” the LSU coach said. “It opens up things alot for your post play.Ifyou can hitperimeter shots, then it’snot so crowded in that paint. We see zone (defense) in just about everygame, andI’m like, ‘OK, stay in it.We’re gonna hit those shots.’“ LSUstill isn’tconsistently

BY RODWALKER

45-minute question-and-answer session. Here are the top ﬁve things Goodell addressed:

WhyisNew Orleans agood SuperBowlhost?

Goodell: Lots of reasons. This community has such away of putting an event on. The people here wrap their arms around the event and makethe event better,because of their attitude, because of whothey are, because of their pride in this community.Their resilience. That starts with the people. The folks in this community are extraordinary.The workthat’sbeen done by this community on this stadium is amazing. To see what they have done with this facility is off the charts. We realize that this is aplace that is sorta perfect for theSuperBowl.

Thecountryhas been hit with severaltragediesto start2025, starting with the Bourbon Street attacks and continuing to the fires in Los Angeles to two plane crashes.What is the NFL’s role in helping citiesget through those tough times?

Goodell: Ithink it’sanunderstanding of our place in society,frankly.That’s evolved over aperiod of timewhere the people expect the NFL to respond in a positive way.And to take the opportunity to observe the tragedy and mourn that and also be able to share amoment and be able to inspire people. Ithink in each tragedy,you see that in those communities, people cometogether and help one another.Weare able to use our platform in away where we can show compassion, show the ﬁrst responders, show how people help each other.Ithink it’sinspiring.

Diversity,equity and inclusionhas been ahot topic lately.What will your legacy be when it comes to DEI? Goodell: Ireally don’thave much of a chance to reﬂect. I’mnot at that stage. I’malways looking at what we have to do tomorrow.I am proud of it in this sense: Ibelieve our diversity efforts have led to making the NFLbetter.It’sattracted better talent. We think we are better when get different perspectives, people of different backgrounds. Whether it’swomen

ä See GOODELL, page 4C

FEB. 9•NEW ORLEANS

Counting down to the big game

STAFF PHOTO BY DAVIDGRUNFELD

Philadelphia Eaglesoffensivecoordinator Kellen Moore talks withthe NewOrleans media during Super Bowl media dayat the Caesars SuperdomeonMonday.

On TV BASEBALL (CARIBBEANSERIES)

4p.m. Puerto Rico vs. Domin. Rep. MLBN

9 p.m. Japan vs.Venezuela MLBN

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

5:30p.m. Marquette at St. John’sFS1

6 p.m. Notre Dame at Florida St. ACCN

MinnesotaatPennSt. BTN

La Salle

8 p.m.Georgia

St.Bonaventure at Loyola CBSSN

BayloratTexasTech ESPN2

Indiana at Wisconsin PEACOCK

Oklahoma at AuburnSECN

9 p.m.Michigan St. at UCLA PEACOCK

10p.m. Boise St. at UNLVCBSSN

Arizona at BYU ESPN

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

9:30p.m. Colorado St. at NewMexico FS1

Iowa

Southern Caltumbles to No.7

USCdropped after loss to Iowa;LSU movestoNo. 6

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

Southern Cal’ssecond lossof the season dropped the Trojansto seventh in The Associated Press Top25women’sbasketballpoll

Monday

The previously No. 4Trojans were shocked in Iowa when the Hawkeyes beat them 76-69Sunday on aday Caitlin Clark’s jersey was retired. USC’sonly other loss came at home to Notre Dame in November UCLA, South Carolina and Notre Dameremained the topthree teams in the rankings.The Bruins received all 32 first-place votes in the poll from anational media panel, picking up the one that the

Gamecocks garnered last week.

The Bruins beat Minnesota 7953 in their lonegame lastweek to remainasthe onlyunbeaten team in thecountry.South Carolina knocked off then-No.18Tennessee and Auburn.The victory over the Tigers onSunday cameona day when the Gamecocksretired thejersey of A’ja Wilson. Texas, UConn and LSU moved up to Nos. 4-6, following the Fighting Irish. Ohio State, TCU and Dukeremained eight through 10. Rising Wildcats

No. 11 Kentucky has its best ranking in four years behind ﬁrstyear coach Kenny Brooks. The Wildcats (19-2), who last were ranked this high in 2021, have their bye week before hitting a tough stretch of the Southeastern Conferenceschedule to close the regular season.Theystill have games leftagainst SouthCarolina, LSU, Texas andTennessee.

The only twolosses this season came against North Carolinaon

Dec. 5and Texas A&M on Jan. 23.

Conference breakdown

With no new teams in the poll this week, the SEC remained atop the standings with eight teams ranked. The ACC had seven. The Big Tenwas next with ﬁve. The Big 12 has four ranked teams and the Big East one.

Gamesofthe week

No. 9TCU at No. 12 Kansas State, Wednesday.First place in the Big 12 will be on the line when the Horned Frogs visitthe Wildcats. Both teams are 9-1 in conference play No. 5UConn at No. 19 Tennessee,Thursday. These twowill renewtheir rivalrywiththe Huskies visiting the Lady Vols. It will be the ﬁrst time that UConn sees Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell’s pressing style. No. 2South Carolina at No. 4 Texas, Sunday.The Longhorns will try and avenge a17-point loss in Columbia last month. South Carolina has aone-game lead in thestandings on theLonghorns Kentucky and LSU.

LSU footballexpected to add Rattay to staff

LSU football is expected to hire former Oklahoma State quarterbacks coach TimRattay as an offensive analyst, multiple sources told The Advocate on Monday,as it ﬁlls spots on its staff.

Rattay,aformer Louisiana Tech quarterback, coached the position at Oklahoma State forthe past ﬁve seasons until he wasﬁred amid a complete overhaul under head coach Mike Gundy

Before he went to Oklahoma State, he was thequarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders in 2019 and spent six seasons at Louisiana Tech. He overlapped there with LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan.

Rattay,anArizona native, set Louisiana Tech records for single-season and career touchdown passes.

Browns star defensive end

Garrett requests trade

CLEVELAND— Star defensive end

Myles Garrett has requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns with the hope of better positioning himself to play in aSuper Bowl.

That’saccording to astatement he sent to media outlets.The Browns ﬁnished last in the AFC North with a3-14record and general manager Andrew Berry said last week that he would nottrade Garrett.

Garrett is under contract with theBrowns fortwo more seasons underaﬁve-year,$125 millionextension he signed in 2020.

Garrett, The Associated Press NFL defensive player of theyear last season, is afinalist for the award again. His 14 sacks ranked second in the league.

WR Kupp doesn’t likethat Rams want to trade him LOS ANGELES Wide receiver Cooper Kupp says the Los Angeles Rams are attempting to trade him after eight seasons with the club, and he doesn’tlike the move. The Super Bowl 56 MVP and 2021 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year essentially bade farewell to the city where he hasspent his entire career “I don’tagree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA,” Kupp wrote. “Still, if there’sone thing that I have learned over the years: there are so many things that are out of your control,but it is howyou respond to these things that you will look back on and remember.” Kupp is under contract forthe next two seasons as part of athreeyear,$80.1 million contract extension.

Florida State’sHamilton to step down after season

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Longtime Florida State basketball coach Leonard Hamilton is stepping down at the end of the season.

Hamilton, who is being sued by several former players over allegations he failed to deliver on name, image and likeness promises, announced his decision Monday following ateam meeting. The 76-year-old hascoached the Seminoles for23seasons, winning an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title in 2012.

BY AARON BEARD AP basketball writer

Auburn and Duke remain 1-2 atop TheAssociatedPress Top 25 men’scollege basketball poll for the third straightweek,while Maryland is back in the rankings for the first time in nearly two years.

Bruce Pearl’sTigers (20-1) held the No. 1ranking for the fourth consecutive week in Monday’s poll and the third in arow as the unanimous choice. Auburn has claimed 246 of 248 first-place votes over the past month while remaining unbeaten in arugged Southeastern Conference with nine rankedteams.

Auburn’sonly loss came to Jon Scheyer’sBlue Devils(19-2) who enterthe week with the nation’s longest winning streak at 15 games afterrolling past rival North Carolina

The two teams offered theonly stability after 15 teams in last week’sAPTop 25 lost last week, with three of those losing twice.

Thetop tier

Alabama moved up aspottoNo. 3, followed by Tennesseejumping four spots to No. 4inanSEC-heavy top tier.Houston climbed one spot

to No. 5despite an overtime loss to now-No. 13 Texas Tech to end a33game homewinning streak.

Florida was next at No. 6, followed by Purdue, Iowa State, Michigan State andTexas A&Mto round out the top 10

Rising

Texas Tech (17-4) had the biggest jump among last week’s ranked teams, risingnine spots to 13th after beating TCU at home and then beating the Cougars despite coach Grant McCasland and forwardJTToppin being ejected early

Two-timereigning national champion UConn climbed six spots to No. 19 after winning at Marquette, while Missouri jumped ﬁve spotstoNo. 15 after beating MississippiState. In all,10teams moved up from their positions last week. That included Rick Pitino’sSt. John’s team rising three spots to No. 12, the highest ranking for the program sinceﬁnishing the 1999-2000 season at No. 9.

Sliding

Mississippi State had the week’s biggest tumble,falling eight spots to No. 22 after home losses to Alabama and Missouri.

Iowa State joined the Bulldogs in atwo-loss week, fallingfive spots afterlossestoArizonaand Kansas State. No.16Kansasand No. 23 Illinois also fell ﬁvespots,pushingthe list of sliding teams to 10.

Welcome

No. 18 Maryland, No. 20 Arizona and No. 24 Michigan were the week’sthree new additions. Kevin Willard’sTerrapins (17-5) jumped into thepoll at No. 18 after pushing its winning streak to four games, astretch that includes winning at then-No. 17 Illinois and beating then-No. 17 Wisconsin at home last week. That gave Maryland its ﬁrst poll ranking in nearly twoyears, the last coming with aweek at No. 21 in late February 2023. Arizona (15-6) returned to the poll for the first time since November The Wildcats opened the year at No. 10 and peaked at No. 9, but they’reback in afterwinning11of 12 —including against Iowa State after Caleb Love hit ahalf-court shot to force overtime. Michigan (16-5)has twoprevious stints in the pollthis season, peaking at No. 14 in early December

(for now)

The Seminoles also won the 201920 regular-season conference title beforethe pandemichaltedpostseason play But the NIL lawsuit has taken center stage thepast two months. Hamilton says he is leaving with “no regrets.”

Ump Hoberg fired by MLB for sharing gambling info

NEW YORK Umpire Pat Hoberg was ﬁred by MajorLeague Baseball for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with afriend who bet on baseball games and for intentionally deleting electronic messages pertinent to the league’s investigation.

MLB opened the investigation last February when it was brought to its attention by the sportsbook, and Hoberg did not umpire last season. While MLB said the investigation did not uncover evidence Hoberg personally bet on baseball or manipulatedgames,MLB senior vice president of on-ﬁeld operations Michael Hill recommended on May 24 that Hoberg be ﬁred. Commissioner RobManfred said Monday he upheld Hill’s decision.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO BY CHARLIE NEIBERGALL

Iowa forwardHannah Stuelke, left,tries to stealthe ball fromSouthernCal center Clarice Akunwafo duringthe second halfSunday in

City, Iowa. Iowa knocked off then-No. 4USC 76-69.

Raptorsfanscontinuetrend of booing U.S. national anthem

BY IAN HARRISON Associated Press

TORONTO— FansataToronto Raptors

game continued an emerging trend Sunday of booing the American nationalanthem at prosportingevents in Canada.

Fans of the NBA’s lone Canadian franchise booed the anthem after similar reactions broke out Saturday night at NHLgames in Ottawa,Ontario, and Calgary,Alberta, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump made his threat of import tariffs on America’snorthern neighbor reality

After initially cheering forthe 15-year-old femalesinger,fans booed throughout “TheStar-Spangled Banner” performance. At the end, mixed boos and cheers could be heard before the crowd eruptedin applause for the Canadian anthem, “O Canada.”

Fans also booed Sunday night when Agasha Mutesasira began herperformance of the American national antheminVancouver, British Columbia, when the NHL’s Canucks hosted the Detroit Red Wings.

“I mean, it’stoo bad, right? It is what it is,” Red Wings forward Patrick Kane,

who was born in New York, said after Detroit’swin. “I guess you can maybe understand it from this side but seems like it’sathing that’sgoing around the league right now.”

Trump declared an economicemergency Saturday in order to place taxes of 25% on imports from Canada and Mexicoand 10%onimports from China.Energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas and electricity, would be taxed at a10% rate.

Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau and Mexico’spresident orderedretaliatory tariffs on goodsfrom America in response.

Raptors forwardChris Boucher,a Canadian citizen,was asked after his team’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers whetherhe’deverexperienced something like that.

“No, no,no,” he said. “But have you ever seen usgetting taxed like that?”

JosephChua, aToronto resident who wasatthe Raptors game, said he’sgoing to be feeling thetariffs “pretty directly” in his work as an importer

Still, he said he doesn’tthink booing is “the right thing to do in this situation.” He chose to stay seated instead.

“I have abunch of American family,friends that live in thestates that

are Americans, we travel to America allthe time, but Ithought chanting, ‘Canada,’ would be amore appropriate stance,” said Chua, whowas deliberately wearing his redCanada Basketball cap. “Usually Iwill stand. I’vealwaysstood during both anthems. I’ve taken my hatoff to show respect to theAmerican national anthem, but today we’re feeling alittle bitter about things.

“Wewerealreadytalking aboutwhat businessesare Canadian, specifically what are American, specifically,what toavoid. WhenI go groceryshopping, I will definitely be trying to avoid American productsand groceries.”

U.S. national anthem boos in Canada are rare, but not unheard of especially when tied to world events. In theearly 2000s,fans at games in Canada booed to showtheir disapproval of theU.S.led war against Iraq.

Clippers star KawhiLeonard,who won an NBA championshipwith the Raptorsin2019, and coach Tyronn Lue declined to comment on the booing.

Lue, however,sang along to “O Canada.”Hesaid he just likes thesong.

“I heard it alot of times being in the playoffs here,soIknowitbyheart,” he said.

Ex-safetyBrookstalks lawsuitvs. LSU

BY RASHAD MILLIGAN Staff writer

Former LSU football player Greg Brooks Jr.ispublicly speaking out inthe media after ﬁling alawsuit lastyear against the footballprogram. The former LSU safety is ﬁling alawsuit against his former college football program because of whathebelieves was mistreatment that led to hispermanent physical limitations.

“Now,people cannot understand me,” Brooks Jr.told“Good Morning America” with astutteredand slurred speechMonday In August 2023, Brooks Jr.claimed he started to feel dizzy,had aheadache and was nauseous. He also alleged he passed out beforevomiting in front of his coaches andathletic trainers Brooks claimed the athletic trainer told him he had vertigo, and he was cleared to return to practice. He reported the symptoms on adaily basis,

LSU

Continued from page1C

STAFF PHOTO BY HILARYSCHEINUK

Brooks cutline: LSU defensive

backGregBrooks, left, standswith linebacker Micah Baskerville as he lookstowardthe scoreboard in thesecond half of agame against Tennessee on Oct. 8, 2022, in Tiger Stadium.

but it wasn’tuntil 39 days after the symptomsstarted that the team made an appointment withaneurologist who discoveredhis brain tumor

“The one call Ireceived was, ‘I need

shooting ahigh volume of 3s. In SEC play,it’sboth taking and makingthe 12th-most 3-pointers in the league per game and converting them at arate of 31% —better than only four conference rivals. The differencethis season is the efﬁcient shooting the Tigers have received from their two star guards Williams has hit 19 3-pointers through nine games against SEC opponents, matching the number of long-range shots she hit in 16 contestslastyear. She’s also now converting 41% of the 5.13-pointersshe’staking per gamein 2025 —up from 29% on 4.1 shots in 2024. Johnson is also starting to ﬁnda groove from beyond the arc. She’snow hit six long-range shots over her last two games after shehit only four across her first seven in SEC play On Thursday,3-pointers helped LSUgainanedge over an Oklahoma team that scored 100 points. On Sunday,those shots were the Tigers’mostefficient source of offense. Theyhit 39%oftheir twopoint field-goal tries, yet 45% of their 3s. Mississippi Statecouldn’t keep up. “(Williams) is asmooth operator,” Purcellsaid, “be-

youtoget here,’ “his father,Greg Brooks Sr., told “Good Morning America.”“ ‘Your son is having emergency surgery tomorrow morning.’

“He’s at LSU, one of the best colleges in theUSA. Iwould have neverthought his best interest wouldn’thave been at heart.”

The Brooks family believedthe surgery was theonly option at thetime, and according to the lawsuit, they claimthe surgeon wasn’t qualiﬁedto do theprocedure.The brainsurgery resulted in Brooks Jr.sufferingmultiple strokes and suffering severe and permanent injuries, according to the lawsuit.

“Honestly,Ithought it was fake, Brooks Jr.said. “Like,I was in disbelief. Like, anightmarethat Icouldn’t wake up from.”

BrooksJr.,23, is now cancer-free, but he’shad to relearnhow to eat, write and speak.

“I just want young athletes in thesame spot Iwas [to know that] if something is hurting, tell them,” Brooks Jr.said.

cause her ability to go in transition with aleft to right push cross. If you backpedal, shecan pull up on you on adime, and then her strength and hershoulders whereshe could postyou up —itjust separates her.

“Shewas just able to ﬁnd herpocket, andright when we were about to make it (close), she made abig shot. She’s aheck of aplayer.”

All of Williams’ scoring numbers are better now than they were aseason ago.Inleague play last year,she scored 12.1 points per game while shooting 43% from the field and 29% from 3-point range This season, the sophomore from Bossier City is scoring 18 ppg while shooting

Cubanisn’t to blame forMavs’ shocking tradeofstarDoncic

KEVIN SHERRINGTON

TheDallas Morning News (TNS)

DALLAS From what we can tell, Mark Cuban didn’thave anything to do withthe trade that will define thecareer of the general manager he hired. Nico Harrison acted on hisown. Forthatmatter, the Adelson family may have forked over $3.5 billion for the Mavs alittle morethana year ago, but Patrick Dumont didn’tgiveCubansomuchas aheads-up thatLuka Doncic was outthe door Dumont supposedly laughedwhenNicoproposed it, by the way, thinking it ajoke. Of all the things Nico’s called these days, “funny” isn’tone of them.

Anyway, if you’re looking for otherstoblame for the worst sports weekend in local lore, Cuban’snot yourman He told 660 AM’sMark Davis he found outDoncic was aLaker after the deal wasdone. When he got the news, former Mav ChandlerParsons, nowa ﬁxture on FanDuel’s“Run It Back,” texted Cuban.

“I’m so confused,” he wrote.

“That makes two of us,” Cuban reportedly replied.

From other reporting, our Brad Townsend got only “MFFL” after asking Cuban’sreaction. Better than the response I got, which was crickets

NewYear’sgoal: Improve relationship with past/present owners in market. Even if Cuban’snolongercalling theshots —or hearing aboutthemahead of time —the Mavs remain close to his heart. And wallet. As he noted on the “AllIn” podcast in October,he remains aMavsminority owner.Shouldthe Adelsons ever get the lieutenant governor to cave, Cuban toldthe podcast a“Venetian-style” casino with a newarena in themiddle of downtown would have a valuation of $20 billion.

“I own 27% of that,” he said.

Pretty good reason not to risk his investment, then, by going full-metaljacket on the trade.

Seemslike Cubanshowed remarkablerestraint when he told Davis, “Nico believes in defense. Thebright side is we’llhave3ofthe top 5 shot blockers in the NBA We can be atop 5defense andstill agood offense.”

This wasall the nostalgia he could muster:

“What we will miss is Luka’s end-of-game heroics.”

Of course, we’ll miss alot morethan that, as I wrote in the hours after therelease of thenews. Cuban knowsthat, too. He spent agreat deal of his tenure trying to ﬁnd asuperstartopair with Dirk Nowitzki only to watch one after another turn him down. Enough to make you think it was personal. Then oneday awunderkind from Slovenia falls into hislap andalters the course of thefranchise, nottomentioninternationalrelations.

morebyheart than science. He should have started afull-blownmakeover after the 2015-16 season ended with athird straight one-and-done. Donnie Nelson, the Mavs’ GM, if in name only,wanted to break it down. Let Dirk moveon to aplayoffteam and finish his career on ahigh note. Donnie’scase was so compelling, Iwrote it. Didn’tendear myselfto any MFFLers, either Bottom line: Cuban couldn’tbring himself to let Dirk go, even if it was the smart thing to do. Since then, alot has happened, not all of it afairy tale. Cuban hired Nico, an NBA newbie, as his first real GM. Cuban’swords, not mine. He didn’tstep on the new guy’stoes as much as he did Donnie’s, though he still stuckhis nose where he shouldn’t. The sale effectively cut off Cuban’snose while making the Mavs’ org chart conventional. As governor, Dumont leftall basketball calls to Nico.Adecision universally applauded, too, especially after Nico put together an NBA Finals team on the fly last season. The Mavs, flush with cash andpromise,looked like amodel franchiseuntil Nico’sfacelift. By the way: No matter what you may read or hear from theconspiracy-mongers, Dumont isn’tmelting downthe organization so he can takeithome in his carry-on.PeoplefromVegas don’tspend $3.5 billion on something just to blow it up. Bad economics. Adam Silver isn’t sanctioninga movefrom one of the nation’slargest markets to a place that can’tguarantee it’ll supportanNBA team half as well. Vegaswould get an expansion team, not Dallas. Besides, the Adelsons’ intent is to reap the windfall of avirgin market They can afford to wait. Nico madethis crazy move because he’s not afraid to stick his neck out, as the deal for Kyrie Irving proved.Hebelieves in defensemorethanhe believesinLuka’s longterm prospects. His points have somevalidity,just not enough to justify dumping a25-year-old icon Why didn’tDumontstop him? Because, unlike Cuban, he apparently believes in thechain of command. Admirable, but, when Nico told himhis plan,and he finally stopped laughing, the new owner should have told him no.

Theold owner would have.

If Cubancouldn’tstomach getting rid of a38-yearold superstar on ateam going nowhere, why would he deal aperennial MVP candidate more than adecade youngerwho’d just led them to the NBAFinals?

Luka’s notaslikeable as Dirk —for thatmatter whois? —but Cuban’srecognition of the kid’sappeal has long been apparent.

50% from theﬁeld and41% from beyond the arc.

On Sunday,Williams and Johnson combinedtoscore 42 points on 14-of-28 shooting. They eachhit four 3-pointers on acombined 14 attempts. Williams also assisted four shots.

She set up one of them with across-court feed to Johnson, who was standing open in the right corner after herdefendergot lost in the paint. Williams crossed over,planted her feet, made sure to keep hereyes up and lofted apassover the defense to Johnson, who buriedthe corner 3. “I thinkshe just found her consistency,” Johnsonsaid. “It’s beautiful to watch.”

For allthe rags-to-riches storiesand cross-culture investments and high-falutin’ rhetoric, Cuban ruled

“IfIhad to choose between my wife and keeping Luka on the Mavs,” he said in 2020, “catch me at my lawyer’soffice prepping foradivorce.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY FRANK GUNN

From left to right,Toronto Raptorsforwards Bruce Brown, Scottie Barnes and Chris Boucher react as fans boothe United States national anthem beforeagame against theLos Angeles ClippersonSunday in Toronto

Middle mencould decide SuperBowl

There’snobetterway to spoilaplayinthe NFLthese days than with strong pressure throughthe middle

BY DAVE CAMPBELL AP pro football writer

Once Josh Allen backpedaled from the shotgun snap after the Buffalo Bills had just gone ahead of Kansas City,this crucial twopoint conversion play late in the third quarter of the AFC championship game quickly turnedinto chaos.

Allen retreated to the14-yard line, sized up thepressure anddesperately darted right as two pass rushers converged. ChrisJones, the star of the Chiefs defense,ﬁttingly ﬁnished the strip-sack.

Over those few unfortunate seconds for Bills left guardDavid Edwards, Jones provided yet another vivid example of why he’s been a ﬁrst team All-Pro for three years in arow

With astraight-forward bull rush, Jones overpowered Edwards from his defensive tackle position and single-handedly destroyed the pocket around Allen. Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis, after pushingright tackleSpencer Brownbackmorethan5 yards, shrewdlyveered lefttokeep Allen from scrambling around the end and then deftly shed the block with ajump back inside. Karlaftis helped corral Allen low,whileJones hit him high to dislodgethe ball. There’snobetter way to blow up aplay in the NFL these days than with strong pressurethrough the middle.

“It’sthe most direct path to the quarterback,” NFL Network analyst and former offensive lineman Brian Baldinger said. “The evolution of the quarterback position and the ability of these guys to either extend plays or just become a runner,it’schanged theway people have to rush these guys now. If you cancollapse the pocket on the inside, you canmake it alot harder on them.”

The outcome of Super Bowl LIX on Sunday between Kansas City and Philadelphia mightwell hinge on which team can betterprotect

theinterioragainst the ﬁerce pass rush lurking on theother side. The Eagles, led by Pro Bowl pickJalen Carter, accounted for three of the top eight interior pass rushers in the league this season, as ranked byPro Football Focus.

Jones got the highestoverall grade for interior defenders in 2024 and also was ranked as the bestpass rusher at his position in PFF’sindependent analysis.

“He’sgot very light feet for abig guy.He’sverybig, size-wise. He’s gottremendoushands, andhis feet and hishandsare alwaysmoving. He’svery slippery.It’shardtoget hands on him, and he’sexcellent at getting hishands off you. He’s constantly gainingground while getting to your edge,”Baldinger said. “He just knows when those keymoments are and howtowin those moments.”

As aresult,interior offensive linemen have become increasingly more valuable Left tackle always has been a premium position for the vital role of blocking theright-handed quarterback’s blind side,and as thequalityofpass rushers spread acrossthe league, aright tackle who alsocould consistently hold hisown against adominantplayer on theedge became equally important to have. There are 32 tackles in the NFLwith contracts carrying an annual average valueof$10 million or more,according to salary data compiledbyOverThe Cap. But the guardsand the centers arecatching up in value. Thereare 20 guards and six centers whose currentdealsaverageatleast $10 million per year,according to OTC, beginning withEagles left guard Landon Dickerson. Creed Hum-

Barkleynot concernedwithrushing record

BY DANGELSTON AP sports writer

PHILADELPHIA The framedphotoshang on the wallatthe far end of thePhiladelphia Eagles’ locker room, above the sofa in aspace used as alounge area. The picture on the left is of Saquon Barkley,anaction shot from agame against the Commanders. Under the frame, there’sa strip of masking tape inscribed with “THE CHOSEN ONE.” On theright, another Barkley snapshot froma gameagainst the Rams, andunder it the tape reads, “OURSAVIOR.”

An offensive lineman constructed the shrine, somewhat in jest, but also to pay tribute to thegreatest season by arunning backinEagles’ history Maybe —arguably,atleast—in NFL history

The best individual season can be debated on any sportstalkradio show.Barkley canonly boost his credentials with his perfor-

Continued from page1C

or men or people of color.We make ourselves stronger and we make ourselves better when we have that. Ithink it’ssomething that will have atremendous impact on this league for many years. We win on the ﬁeld with the best talent and the best coaches, and Ithink the same is true off the ﬁeld.

The NFL expanded its season from 16 to 17 games in 2020. There has been speculation about going to 18 games. Where does that stand right now?

Goodell: We haven’thad any formal negotiation sessionsabout an extension. There is alot of work to be done. We committed in 2011 when we signed the collective bargaining agreement thatplayers would not only have asay

manceSunday in the Super Bowl against theKansas City Chiefs.The numbers are already staggering, starting with his2,005 yardsrushing and his seven (postseason included) touchdown runs of 60-plus yards.Heisone of only twoplayers in NFL history with at least 400 yards rushing and ﬁve touchdowns in asingle postseason.

The other? Terrell Davis.

Barkley is 30 yards shy of breakingthe NFLseasonrushing record postseason included,set by Davis in 1998 with theDenver Broncos. Barkley has 2,447 yards (442 in the playoffs); Davishad 2,476 yards and led theBroncos to theSuper Bowl title.

“Theonly thingthatmakesit special,” Barkley said, “is winning aSuperBowl.”

Barkley could be the differencemakerfor the Eagles this year after their 38-35 loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs two years ago. Barkley watched some of that game on theplane ride home

in that, but they would actually be able to prevent it from happening or support it happening. We were able to do that when we moved to 17 games back in 2020. Ithink it’salarge part in the safetyofour game. The data around safetyhas been extraordinary.Concussions are at ahistorically low level this year.The way we train. All of those are factors. We know that fans love football and want more football, but we have tobesensible and smart

This is New Orleans’ 11th Super Bowl. Ithas been mentioned in the past that a Super Bowl could be played outside the country. Is that something that could still happen?

Goodell: Idothink there is potentialsomeday we are going to have an international franchise. If we do, it would not surprise me at all if the Super Bowl was played there. This is agreat

from Arizona, the site of that Super Bowl, where theformer New York Giants star spent several days making various media rounds promoting this and that but certainly notplaying.

“Thatstuffisfun, Radio Rowand allthat,” Barkley said. “I likethisa little bit better.”

Barkley andthe Giants hadactuallybeen knocked offthatseason by theEagles in theNFC divisional round,the only time in hissix seasons in New York he made the playoffs. Barkley might have been more likely to wear aTravisKelce jersey on theplane ride home than to ever considercheering Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and the rest of the hated NFC East rivals.

“Of courseIwas rooting against them,” Barkleysaid. “There was no part of me that wanted them to win.”

Twoyearslater,Barkleyisan MVPﬁnalist in his ﬁrst season with theEaglesand playinginthe Super Bowl.

ON THE WEB

Join the Saints Insider podcast livefrom Radio RowatSuper Bowl LIX from10a.m.-noon Tuesday. Host Zach Ewing will be joined by special guests to talkabout the NFL, the Saints and muchmore all week.Watch liveonthe NOLA.com home pageoronthe Saints on NOLA.comYouTube channel.

example of it being here in New Orleans. It’sgreat for theNew Orleans Saints to be thehostof theSuper Bowl and have the world’sattention. AndIthink the same would be trueifwehad an international franchiseand to play aSuper Bowl there to supportthat franchise.

EmailRod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

could move Thuneyback to his natural spot if D.J. Humphries is deemed healthy enough to return to left tackle.

For the Eagles, Dickerson was selected forhis third straight Pro Bowl.CenterCam Jurgens gothis ﬁrst such honor after stepping in this season for retired stalwart Jason Kelce. Right guard Mekhi Becton, a2020ﬁrst-round draftpickby the NewYork Jets, was aformer tackle who signed with Philadelphia andquickly took to his new position. Dickerson started the NFC championship game at center because Jurgens was dealing with aback injury.ThenDickersonhurt his knee, forcing Jurgens back into duty

“These guys are playing through pain. Ijustcan’tsay enough about how much Irespect these guys of what they have to do with their bodies,” Eaglescoach Nick Sirianni said. “I don’tthink anyone knows the half of it, what they have to do to play the long season.”

phrey of the Chiefs is the league’s highest-paid center Just like withthe defensive linemen they’ll be trying to fend off, this SuperBowlwill be ashowcase of some of the best interior blockers in the game —whose success hasbeen aided by revered veteran offensive line coaches. Kansas City’sAndy Heck is in his 12th season with the team and 21st as an NFL coach.Philadelphia’s Jeff Stoutland is also in his 12th season with theteam, spanning threehead coaches, andhis 41st year of coaching. Humphrey and left guard Joe Thuney,who recentlymoved over to left tackle to help shore up an unsettled position, gave the Chiefs apair of ﬁrst-team All-Pros. Right guard Trey Smithwas aPro Bowl pick who’ll be aprize free agent at age 25 next month. The Chiefs

MOORE

Continued from page1C

Increasingly, thelatterhas become ahot topic in the NFL as fans have wondered whether coaching candidatescan truly multitask ahead of crucial games fortheir teams.SomeDetroit Lionsfanswereincensed, for instance, that two days after the team’splayoff loss to theWashington Commanders, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left to become the Chicago Bears next coach.Daysafter that, theNew York Jets hired Lions defensive coordinator AaronGlenn to fill their coaching vacancy In Detroit, Johnson’sunit had an uncharacteristic performance with ﬁve turnovers. Glenn’sunit alsogave up 38 of the Commanders’ 45 points.

That characterization may not be fair to JohnsonorGlenn, but NFL coaches have hadtodeal withthe stigma in recent years. Moore said he isn’tdistracted.

“It’sjust pure focus on this,”

The teams with more vulnerability in the middle play at their own peril. Take theVikings as another example,with interiorpassprotection that has been aproblem for the past several years. Their 14win season went up in ﬂames when they were blown out in Week 18 by the Detroit Lions and in their wildcard round playoff game by the Los Angeles Rams. Quarterback Sam Darnold was swallowed up by the rush in those games,starting up the middle TheChiefsand Eaglesare here because they’vekeptthatfrom happening.

“Howmanypressuresyou gave up and how many sacks you gave up, those are the stats that we all know,” Sirianni said. “Sometimes youonly getfocused on forthe negative thing. But Ilove offensive linemen. I’ve always loved offensive linemenbecause of that selﬂessness they have.

“They’re protectors, right? They’re there to protect and serve other people.”

Moore said. “You don’thave to worry about asingle thing except for this opportunity.”

Moore’sfocus so far has helped theEaglesland in theSuper Bowl With the key signing of star running back Saquon Barkley in free agency,Moore has overseen an Eagles’ rushing attack that has ledthe NFL this season. He also has formed an offense that has looked quitedifferentthanhis previous stops in Dallas andLos Angeles, where he was more of apass-happy coordinator

But Moore said coaching is part of adapting to your players And Moore’splayers have said that the coordinator is able to do just that.

“He’sagreat football mind,” Eaglestackle LaneJohnsonsaid. “I think he’safootball genius and his best days are ahead of him, too.” Are those days with New Orleans? Good luck getting an answer out of him.

“It’sobviously been agood process,” Moore said.

EmailMatthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com

STAFFPHOTO BY BRETT DUKE NFLcommissioner Roger Goodell speaksduring anewsconferenceat the Caesars Superdome on Monday

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOBYASHLEY LANDIS

Kansas CityChiefs defensivetackle ChrisJones, left, hits Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to cause a fumble during the second half of the AFC championship game on Jan. 26 in Kansas City,Mo.

Dominican’s clutch OT free throws netwin

Mitchell sparks victoryagainst MountCarmel

BY DARRELL WILLIAMS Contributing writer

Senior center Zoie Mitchell

scored 19 points and pulled down 15 rebounds, and Dominican sank four big free throws in the ﬁnal 40 seconds to fight pastMount Carmel 46-40inovertime in a District 9-5A game betweentwo

Dominican 46, Mount Carmel 40 Mount Carmel 12 8137 0—40 Dominican 13 413106—46

Scoring: MOUNT CARMEL:Jordyn Hanley 18, Lauren Fowler 10, Julia Kirsch 7, NoraKarl 3, Katie Cerise 2; DOMINICAN:ZoieMitchell 19, Sophia Naquin 7, Molly Baker 6, Rachel Zamjahn 6, Addison Shannon 5, VidaAvarado 3.

longtime rivals. Dominican (20-4, 2-2),No. 5in the LHSAA power rankings, has one 9-5A game remaining —on Feb. 13vs. Karr.Mount Carmel (15-7) slipped to0-4 in district.

“(Mount Carmel)outrebounded us, but we got somebig rebounds at the end,” Dominican coach RyanReuter said. “Wegot in transition late in the game, they fouled us and we made four big

free throws.”

Power forward Rachel Zamjahn scored alow-postbasket with 1:56 left in overtime, giving Dominican the lead for good, 42-40, as it held MountCarmel scoreless in theperiod.

Mount Carmel turned the ball over twice in the next 50 seconds, and Dominican guardSophia Naquin was fouled intentionally with 40 seconds left. Sheknocked down bothfree throws.

After Mount Carmel misseda 3-pointer, Mitchell grabbedthe rebound—the 1,000thofher career —and was fouled.

Mitchell also made both free throws with 24.3 secondsleft,

Driving to the basket DenverNuggets center Nikola Jokic makesamovetothe basket against NewOrleans Pelicans center Yves Missi in the first half on MondayinDenver. This game endedafter press time. For areportonthe game go to nola.com.

sealing the victory Senior point guard Jordyn Hanleyled Mount Carmel with 18 points, and senior forward Lauren Fowler had10. Cubs coach Jamie Thomatis saidDominican, nonetheless, did agood job of focusing on the duo.

“They played alittle junk defense andforced ourother players to take shots and try to contribute more,” Thomatis said. “And, they are not used to being in that situation.”

The Cubs led33-30 at the end of the third quarter.However,the score was tied three times in the fourth, the last at 40-40, sending it intoovertime.

The Cubs ralliedtwiceintaking a20-17 halftime lead. With 5:52 left in the second quarter, Jordyn Hanley sank a3-pointer that gave Mount Carmela 1513 lead. That started an 8-2 run, ending in Nora Karl’s 3-pointer fora20-15leadwith2:05 before halftime Dominican came out with intensity,taking a10-3 lead with 4:28 remaining in theﬁrst quarter behind its defense After atimeout, Dominican went on a9-0 run for a12-10 lead with 1:30 left in the ﬁrst and ended the quarter leading 13-12 after a free throwbyMitchellwith24.3 seconds left.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY DAVIDZALUBOWSKI)

LSUgym learns from ‘growing pains’

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Sports columnist

Someone asked Aleah Finnegan how muchgymnastics is mental compared to physical at her level.

The 2024 Olympian laughed

“It’sall mental,” she said The gymnastics LSUput on display in Friday’s198.000197.175victory over Missouri, just thesecond score of 198 or higherfor any teamthis season, was proof the 2025 Tigers have what it takes to repeat as NCAA champions.

But LSU’s196.875-196.600 loss the previous week at Arkansas also shows how important it is thatthe Tigers work on theirconsistency as they head back on the road Friday to face Alabama (8 p.m., ESPNU).

“These guys know how to physically do their gymnastics,” LSU coach JayClark said. “There’snot a lot of learninggymnastics at this point. It’sdoing it day in and day out, preparing mentally to compete in the mindset you want to be in. That’sdifficult for some, easy for others. Sometimes we go through thesegrowingpains.”

The Tigers held ateam meeting after returning from Arkansas,

eagertoput the “growing pains” of that loss behind them and learn from it.

“We’re looking to improve in all areas of competition,” Finnegan said. “There’sstill alot of work to do.”

Bryant,Johnson update Clark said senior All-American Haleigh Bryant performedacompetitive vault Sunday in practice for the ﬁrst time this season and had no ill effects.

Bryant injured the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in her elbow Dec. 16 during LSU’sGymnastics 101 exhibition meet. She missed LSU’sseason opener against Iowa State and has been limited to balance beam andfloor since, but Clark indicated she could soon reenter the lineup on vault.

“She doesn’thave alot of numbers in the tank, so Iwant to stop short of saying we’ll seeher compete (on vault) this week,” he said.

“But nothingﬂared up.Hopefully being judicious with herwill help us when we need it in the back third of the season.”

Clark said senior KJ Johnson,who returned to thelineuponvault after suffering asprained ankle three weeks ago, is close to being

SCOREBOARD

Pro football

SuperBowlLIX

Sunday’s game At New Orleans Kansas City vs.Philadelphia, 5:30 p.m. (FOX) College basketball

Men’s state schedule

Sunday’s games Tulane 59, Tulsa 56 Monday’s games

Southeastern 81, Lamar 79 Northwestern State 79, Texas-Rio Grande Valley 63 Southern 91, Jackson State 89 Stephen F. Austin 88, UNO,85 NIcholls 75, Houston Christian 67 Alcorn State at Grambling, n Men’s national scores

EAST Lehigh 94, Colgate 68 Virginia 73, Pittsburgh57

SOUTH Alabama St. 67, Florida A&M 66 Bethune-Cookman 89, Alabama A&M 75

McNeese St. 67, Incarnate Word 65 Nicholls 75, Houston Christian 67 Norfolk St. 81, NC Central 78 Northwestern St. 79, TexasRio Grande Val-

able to return on ﬂoor, where she shared the 2024 Southeastern Conference title. The same for freshman KaliyaLincoln,who so far has also only done vault.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” Clark said of Johnson and Lincoln. “It’saslow process.”

LSUholds in rankings

The Tigers remained No. 3inthe national rankings this week based on their season average.

LSU’sscore against Missouri lifted the Tigers’ season average from 197.275 to 197.420. LSU is behind only Oklahoma(197.730) and Florida (197.456) and just ahead of No. 4Utah (197.204).

Florida, whichlost Jan. 17 at LSU 197.550-197.450, beat Georgia 198.125-196.825 the next week.

The Tigers are ranked first nationally on vault after aseasonbest 49.550 against Missouri. LSU is second on uneven bars, third on floor and fifth on balance beam. Freshman Kailin Chio is ranked third nationally on vault (9.905), while Finnegan is seventh (9.895). Bryant is tied for 10th on floor (9.908).

5, Sungjae Im, 473. 6, Collin Morikawa, 400. 7, JustinThomas, 338. 8, Jhonattan Vegas, 337. 9, Nicolas Echavarria,327. 10, Thomas Detry,319. Scoring Average 1, Rory McIlroy, 68.503. 2, Webb Simpson, 68.573. 3, C.T. Pan, 68.823. 4, Bud Cauley, 69.073. 5, James Hahn, 69.323. 6, Sepp Straka, 69.691. 7, Matt Kuchar, 69.844. 8(tie), Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, 69.897. 10, Gary Woodland, 69.913. Driving Distance 1, Rory McIlroy,336.6. 2, Aldrich Potgieter, 328.7. 3, Gary Woodland, 324. 4, Tim Widing, 321.7. 5, AlejandroTosti, 320.9. 6, Jeremy Paul, 320. 7, Rico Hoey,319.2. 8, Ricky Castillo, 317.2. 9, TomKim, 317.1. 10, Norman Xiong, 316.8 Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Takumi Kanaya,80.61%. 2, Collin Morikawa,77.59%. 3, Ben Kohles, 76.79%. 4, Brice Garnett, 76.16%. 5, Sepp Straka,75.88%. 6, Aaron Rai,75.00%. 7, Russell Henley, 72.67%. 8, Lucas Glover, 72.08%. 9, 2tied with 71.43%. Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. Total Driving 1, Rory McIlroy,20. 2, Kensei Hirata, 34. 3, Kevin Roy, 40. 4, Daniel Berger, 48. 5, Gary Woodland, 50. 6(tie), Rico Hoeyand Taylor Pendrith, 72. 8, AlejandroTosti, 74. 9, Henrik Norlander, 81. 10, K.H. Lee, 88. SG-Putting 1, Francesco Molinari, 1.841. 2, Kevin Tway, 1.763. 3, BrendonTodd, 1.455. 4, JamesHahn, 1.441. 5, Brandt Snedeker, 1.433. 6, Jesper Svensson, 1.334. 7, Trey Mullinax,1.267. 8, Adam Schenk, 1.231. 9, Sami Valimaki,1.188. 10, LeeHodges, 1.161. Birdie Average 1, Collin Morikawa, 6.5. 2, Adam Scott, 6.25. 3, Sepp Straka, 6. 4, Russell Henley, 5.92. 5, Patrick Cantlay, 5.83. 6, Cam Davis, 5.79. 7, Matt Fitzpatrick, 5.63. 8, Sam Burns, 5.58. 9, 3 tied with 5.5. Eagles (Holes per) 1, Rory McIlroy,24. 2, David Skinns, 42. 3, Justin Thomas, 43.2. 4, Corey Conners, 45. 5, AlejandroTosti, 48. 6, JacksonSuber, 49.5. 7, Cam Davis, 50.4. 8, 6tiedwith 54. Sand Save Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. All-Around Ranking 1, Rory McIlroy,226. 2, Collin Morikawa, 294. 3, Sepp Straka, 313. 4, Patrick Cantlay, 371. 5, Cam Davis, 379. 6, KeithMitchell, 404. 7, Alex Smalley,416. 8(tie), LeeHodgesand Shane Lowry,428. 10, Austin Eckroat, 432. LPGA Tour Statistics Through Feb. 2 Scoring 1, ALim Kim, 67. 2, Nelly Korda, 67.5. 3, Linn Grant, 68.25. 4(tie), Jin Young Ko and Minjee Lee, 68.5. 6, LydiaKo, 68.75. 7, Lauren Coughlin, 69. 8, Rio Takeda, 69.25. 9, Leona Maguire, 69.5. 10, 4tiedwith 70. Driving Distance 1, Bailey Tardy, 278.88. 2, ALim Kim, 275.38. 3, Nelly Korda, 270.75. 4(tie), Linn Grant and Elizabeth Szokol, 268.63. 6, HaeranRyu, 267.38. 7, Angel Yin, 266.63. 8, Rio Takeda, 263.38. 9, Patty Tavatanakit, 261.13. 10, Alexa Pano, 260.88. Greens in Regulation 1, Megan Khang, .86%. 2, Pajaree Anannarukarn, .85%. 3(tie), Lauren Coughlin, Linn Grant and Rio Takeda, .83%. 6(tie), ALim Kim and Haeran Ryu, .81%. 8(tie), Jin Young Ko and Rose Zhang, .79%. 10, Nelly Korda, .78%. Putts per GIR 1, Leona Maguire, 1.65. 2, MinjeeLee, 1.67. 3, Jin Young Ko,1.68. 4, Yuka Saso, 1.7. 5, ALim Kim, 1.71. 6, Nelly Korda, 1.73. 7(tie), Pajaree Anannarukarn and Rose Zhang, 1.74. 9, Bailey Tardy, 1.75. 10, Cheyenne Knight, 1.76. Birdies 1(tie), ALim Kim and Nelly Korda, 24. 3(tie), Linn Grant and Leona Maguire, 20. 5(tie), Jin Young Ko and LydiaKo, 19. 7(tie), Bailey Tardyand Rose Zhang, 18. 9, 2tiedwith 17. Eagles 1, Minjee Lee, 2. 2, 8tiedwith 1. Sand Save Percentage 1(tie), ALim Kim, HyoJoo Kim, Cheyenne Knight, Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda, 1.00%. 6 (tie), Celine Boutier, AyakaFurue, Jin Young Ko and Patty Tavatanakit, .67%. 10, Hannah Green, .60%. Rounds UnderPar

1(tie), Pajaree Anannarukarn, Linn Grant, ALim Kim, Jin Young Ko,Nelly Korda, Rio Takeda and Rose Zhang, 1.00%. 8, 10 tied with .75%.

ChampionsTour Statistics Through Feb. 2 Charles SchwabCup MoneyList 1, Ernie Els, $340,000. 2(tie), Alex Cejka, Miguel AngelJimenezand BernhardLanger, $150,000. 5(tie), Steven Alker and Jerry Kelly $93,000. 7, KenTanigawa,$77,000. 8(tie), Stephen Ames, Doug Barron, Stewart Cink and Justin Leonard, $58,000. 12 (tie), Thongchai Jaidee, Tim O’Neal and VijaySingh, $42,333. 15 (tie), Darren Clarke, Fred Couples, Steve Flesch and RodPampling, $35,000. 19 (tie), KenDuke, David Duval, Ricardo Gonzalez, Mark Hensbyand SteveStricker, $27,200. 24, 2tied with $23,500. Scoring 1, 11 tied with Driving Distance 1, Padraig Harrington, 308.2. 2, David Bransdon, 301.3. 3, CameronPercy,300.8. 4, Ricardo Gonzalez, 298.6. 5, Tim O’Neal, 297.4. 6, Scott McCarron, 296.2. 7, Greg Chalmer, 295.5. 8, Retief Goosen, 293.9. 9, Robert Karlsson, 293.5. 10, SteveAllan, 293.3. Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, SteveFlesch, 95.24%. 2(tie), Scott Dunlap, Jerry Kelly and Justin Leonard, 92.86%. 5 (tie), Darren Clarkeand JayHaas, 90.48%. 7, 4tied with 88.10%. Greens in Regulation Pct. 1, Jerry Kelly,88.89%. 2(tie), Steven Alker, Alex Cejkaand SteveFlesch, 87.04%. 5(tie), Ernie Els, Mark Hensby, ThongchaiJaidee and BernhardLanger, 85.19%. 9, KenTanigawa,83.33%. 10, Brett Quigley,81.48%. Total Driving 1, Darren Clarke, 44. 2(tie), RichardGreen and Boo Weekley, 46. 4, StephenAmes, 48. 5, Alex Cejka, 49. 6(tie), StephenAmes and BernhardLanger, 52. 8, Heath Slocum, 54. 9, Scott Parel, 56. 10, 2tiedwith 62. Putting Average 1, Olin Browne, 1.606. 2, Y.E. Yang, 1.632. 3, Ernie Els, 1.652. 4(tie), DougBarron andStewart Cink, 1.675. 6, SteveStricker, 1.69. 7, Bernhard Langer, 1.696. 8, Fred Couples, 1.7. 9, David Duval, 1.707. 10, Miguel Angel Jimenez, 1.718. Birdie Average 1(tie), Ernie Els and KenTanigawa,6.67. 3, Doug Barron, 6. 4(tie), Alex Cejka, Stewart Cink and David Duval, 5.67. 7, 10 tiedwith5.33.

LIVING

BY ENDIA GETER-HAWKINS

Endia Geter-Hawkins, lead planner and designer at Outsidethe Boxx Events based in Ponchatoula, set up

this 2023 Draft party.For parties where people aren’t particularly invested in either team, Geter-Hawkins recommends going general and just decorating with football-themed centerpieces.

Game changer

Here’s howtoplanaSuper Bowl party, accordingtolocal eventplanners

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

After more than adecade, the Super Bowl is comingback to New Orleansina rematchbetween the KansasCity Chiefs and the PhiladelphiaEagles.

While the fortunatestrokeof serendipity that the Saintswould be playing in the Super Bowlthis year is unfortunately not happening, there’sstill room to have fun for the game.

“I think people are going to be more inclined to get together,even though it’snot the Saints. They’re still playing in New Orleans, so we have alittle bit of ownership with it,” said Cheryl Palmer,owner of CherylPalmer Designs in Baton Rouge.

Super Bowl partiesare generally amore casual affairand don’thave to be amassive headache for the host, but they can also be adelicate balance. The parties can beboring for people who aren’tinvested in football, and the people who are solely invested in thecommercials and hanging outcan ruin it for the people whoare actuallythere to watch the game.

We consulted three event planners to help you plan the best Super Bowl party.Here’stheir advice

Justin Burnett, co-owner of Free Agents Marketing,said abuffet-style setup with favorites likechicken wings with aselection of sauces facilitates conversation and interaction outside of the game.

Food

“The food piece is always critical for every event and every gathering,” said Palmer.“But Ifeel like it can be easy on the host.”

Hosts can cook the maindishand have others bring theirfavorite appetizer or dessert. Palmer suggests making this more funbypresenting it as a“cook off” and providing ballots forguests to vote on their

favorites in different categories.

Justin Burnett, co-owner of Free Agents Marketing, recommends setting up afood bar for guests to serve themselves.

“When you serve food, it must appeal to everyone,” he said.“Igo with the build-your-own bartype of setup, just to makeita more inter-

ä See SUPERBOWL, page 2D

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

TheBalboni cannolikingcake is amarvel. The subtly cinnamon and citrus-scented ring of doughisstuffed with sweetened ricotta cheese, drizzled with pistachio-flavored icing and surmounted with acircle of crisp-shelled cannolis —an Italian pastry— arranged like cannons atop afortress. From the chocolatechips that speckle the ﬁlling, to the golden candy beads sprinkled on top, the Balboni king cakeis as beautifully designed as it is delicious.

As theepicurean mobster Peter Clemenza would surely advise, this Carnival season, “Leave the gun, takethe Balboni cannoli king cake.” Clemenzawasn’ta real person, of course, he was aﬁctional character in the classic movie “TheGodfather.”Fiction is an important ingredient in the Balboni cannoli king cake.

Amurky past

The history of the Balboni bakery is asubject of spirited social media debate. According to online lore, the New Orleans neighborhood bakerywas established in 1956 by a25-yearold Sicilian immigrant, Rick Balboni, who came to be known as “The Cannoli King.”

The cannoli king cake that Balboni inventedbecamea sensation in the 1960s. But like bell-bottoms and peace signs, its popularity eventually waned. Thebakery closed in 1970 and was forgotten. So forgotten that even Google never heard of it. Until last year anyway, when Matt Balboni, 33, and his brother Ryan, 36, set out to resurrect the famous recipe and provide the Crescent City with Balboni’s cannoli king cakes once more. The Balboni brothers were conﬁdent of success. After all, in its Lyndon Johnson-era heyday,the Balboni cannoli king cake even exceeded the popularity of the Strudel king cake, created by rivalGerman baker Heinrich Braunschweiger

PROVIDEDPHOTO

FILEPHOTO BY SHAWN FINK

Role of the‘strong one’ ends up feelinglikethe ‘alone one’

Annie Lane DEAR ANNIE

Dear Annie: I’ve always been the person who people turn to for support —friends, family,even co-workers come to me when they need advice or ashoulder to lean on. And while I genuinely lovehelping others, I’m starting to realize Idon’t have anyoneI can turn to when Ineed the same kind of support.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve built this “strong one”personaor if people just assume Idon’t need help. Either way,it’slonely,and I don’tknow how to breakthe cycle. How do Ilet people know Ineed

support, too, without feeling like I’m shattering their perception of me? —The Strong One Dear Strong One: It sounds like you carry theweightofthe worldon your shoulders. You’re amoderndayAtlas. Let someofthatgo. That kind ofgenerosity speaks volumes about your character.But even thestrongest people need a hand. In fact,it’sasign of wisdom to recognize when you need support,too. The “strongone” persona can be trickybecause people may genuinely believe you don’tneed help, or they might not knowhow to offerit. The best way to get help is to be vulnerable. Begin by opening uptosomeoneyou trust. It doesn’t

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday,Feb. 4, the 35th day of 2025. There are 330 days left in the year

Todayinhistory On Feb. 4, 1997, acivil jury in Santa Monica, California, foundO.J. Simpson liable for the deaths of his ex-wife, NicoleBrownSimpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, ordering Simpson to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ families.

On this date: In 1789, electors unanimously chose George Washington to be the ﬁrst president of the United States.

In 1801, John Marshall took ofﬁce as chief justice of the United States, aposition he would hold for arecord 34 years.

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began awartime conference at Yalta.

In 1974, newspaper heiressPatricia Hearst, 19, was kidnapped in Berkeley,California, by the radical Symbionese Liberation Army.In 2004, Facebook had its beginnings as Harvard student

Mark Zuckerberg launched “Thefacebook.” In 2013, Britishscientists announced that the skeletal remains they had discovered during an excavation beneath aLeicester,England parking lot were, beyond reasonable doubt, the remains of 15th century monarch King Richard III. In 2021, avoting technology company,Smartmatic USA,sued Fox News, three of its hosts and two former Trump lawyers —Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell for $2.7 billion, for allegedly conspiring to spread false claims that the company helped “steal” the presidential election. (The case remains ongoing.)

Today’sbirthdays: Former Argentinian President Isabel Peron is 94. Former Vice President Dan Quayle is 78. Rock singer AliceCooper is 77. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is 72. Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor is 66. Country singer ClintBlack is 63. Boxing Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya is 52. SingerNatalie Imbruglia is 50. Rapper Cam’ron is 49. Singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw is 48.

Treading backstagechitchat

have to be dramatic; something as simple as, “Hey,I’vebeen feeling alittle overwhelmed lately,and I’d really value your advice,” can go a long way

Youmight be surprisedhow eager people are to return the kindness you’ve shown them. Often, they just need permissionto see you as someone whoalso has needs.

Dear Annie: LatelyIfeel very boredwith my life. On paper,my lifelooksgreat. Ihaveadecent job that pays the bills, acircle of friends Ican count on anda daily routine that’ssteady andpredictable.But lately,I ﬁnd myselfwondering if “good enough” is really enough.

SUPERBOWL

Continuedfrom page1D

active experience and enjoyable for all patrons.”

He saidthe barfacilitates conversationand interaction outside of thegame. This particular food setupisalso great for people who might have speciﬁc dietary restrictions or preferences.

Some ideas include, but are notlimited to:

n Tacos or fajitas, with toppings like grilled bell peppers and onions, mushrooms, cilantro,lettuce, cheeseand limes

n Loaded fries, with toppings like bacon,cheese, ranch, jalapeños, gravy,mac andcheese andgreen onions.

n Burgers, withtoppings like grilledonions, pickles, tomatoes, cabbage slaw,garlic aioliand onion rings.

n Salad, withtoppings like cucumbers, carrots, sunflower seeds, rawramen noodles,strawberries, grilled chicken,avocadoand goat cheese.

n Nachos:Or, for somethingdifferent, set out toppings andmakeFritos in a Bag. Toppingscan include ground meat, beans, cheese, green onions, jalapeños, sour cream andsalsa.

n Loaded bakedpotatoes, with toppings like green onions,bacon,sourcream, grilledmushrooms,cheddar cheeseand butter.

For example, I’ve been at my job for afew yearsnow,and while Idon’t hate it,I’m notexcited by it either.Iwakeup, do thework andcome home feeling like I’ve just checked abox forthe day. My friendshipsare solid, but Ifeel like we’re allstuck in surface-level conversations, as if we’reavoiding the biggerquestions. It’snot that anything is wrong andI feel guiltyfor even questioning my life when so many people arestruggling. ButI can’t shake the feeling that I’mstuck in arut, living alife that’sjust OK when it could be something more Is it normaltofeel this wayeven when nothing is falling apart? How do Iﬁgure outifthere’s something

Italian sausage,meatballs, roasted vegetables, basil, Parmesan, ricotta, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokehearts, olivesand pine nuts.

n Chicken wings:Set out grilled chicken wings then prepare differentsauces for afun selection

n Pizza: For smaller parties, andifthere are people over earlyenough before the game, make your own pizzas.

If cookingisa challenge, catering is alwaysanoption.

If hosting on abudget, Endia Geter-Hawkins,lead planner and designer at Outsidethe Boxx Events based in Ponchatoula,recommends serving food like green beans, pasta and ricebased entrees, because there aren’tset serving sizeslike sandwiches.

“You can getmoreout of those food items,”she said. “They’re stretchable.”

Decor

For parties with fansof dividedloyalties, Burnett said that one idea is to split theroom into two differentcolorssothe opposing teams canhaveseparate areas of the room. This also allows for fair-weather fans who might want to root for whoever is winning to physically showtheir changes in allegiance.

he said.

missing —orifI’m just overthinking everything? —Stuck Between Fine and Fulfilled

Dear Stuck: Youare completely normalfor feeling this way. If anything, it shows you’re adeep personwho seeksa more purposedrivenand fulﬁlling life.There is nothing wrong withwanting to LOVE your life With that said, takeaninventoryofwhattruly excites you. Are thereany hobbiesornew skills that interestyou?It’sreally about exploring different daily activities andﬁnding theonesthatgive you arenewed sense of energy andjoy Send your questions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

For partieswhere people aren’t particularly invested in either team, GeterHawkins recommends going general and just decorating with football-themed centerpieces.

The decor doesn’thave to be complicated,Palmer said. If Mardi Grasdecor is already out, just leave it there and add some football items—it’sacelebration of New Orleans that way

Activities

set of eyes, the person who placed them takes adrink or gets apoint. Whoever ends up withthe most drinks/ points wins.

It’s important to note that this is probably not the game to play at abig party or with many invested football fans. However,inBurnett’sexperience, it’sa crowd-pleaser forsocial gatherings centered on aTV. Away from the TV,Palmer recommends a“football whiteelephant”wherein everyone brings afootballthemed gag gift, and guests play out the gift exchange. But the important thing, she said, is to respect the people who are there for different reasons. Some people really want to watch the game, and as ahost, it’s important to make space for that. Some people really don’tcare about the game, andsimilarly,it’simportant to make space for those people as well. She recommends having zonesofthe partyset up so that people can gravitate toward theirpreferences without disrupting others andso hosts can adjust on the ﬂy This mightlooklikehaving the kitchen set up with food, the dining room or patio set up with activitiesand thelivingroom set up with theTV —orsimply playing games before the game starts.

Judith Martin

MISS MANNERS

Dear Miss Manners: My wife and Isaw atheatrical production that was written by, and starred, afriend of a friend. This person used to live in our city.Our mutual friend suggested we convey their greetings after the show

My wife was very reluctant to do so, but Iwas not.The star was incredibly happy to see us and to receive our friend’s greetings. We chattedfor a long time about the production, joined by other cast members who also knew our mutual friend. They all said it was apleasure to see somebody from home. The production itself was truly wonderful, so it felt great to be able to tell those involved ﬁrsthand how much we enjoyed it and what the experience meant to us. To anyone in a similarsituation, wondering what to do, Isay go for it!

Gentle reader: Your wife had

Continued from page 1D

Since 1994, the postmark design has been picked from an annual competition among Valentine ISD students. This year’sdesign, featuring aWestTexaslandscape and campﬁre, wasdrawnby seventh grader Ellie Terrazo, athird-generationValentine resident.

The middle schooler was inspired by memories of campﬁres burning during family gatherings at her grandfather’shouse and similar ﬁres throughout theevent grounds at the annual Valentine’s in Valentine outdoor concert. Lastyear’sstampdesign was atractor pumpingout hearts,inspiredbythe student’sfather who died. Other recent designs include acowboy on ahorse

acase of backstage fright, which is understandable. What if she hadn’tlikedthe show?

Backstageetiquette is not easy.Honest criticism is rude, and insincere praise is —well, insincere. (Itshould be noted, however,that insincerityis not the majormoral transgression some make it out tobe. In many cases, it is preferable tothe full unloading of every thought and feeling, no matter how harmful.)

Youwere fortunatein being able to offer honest praise. But how should you handle cases where the show is so awful that you justcannot choke out kind words?

Miss Manners has resorted to “That was something!” or asimple “Wow,” with hand over heart

Send questions to Miss Mannersather website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106

branded with aheartand aTexas sotoladornedwith heart blooms. To getmailspeciallypostmarked, put your Valentine’s Daymailinanenvelope,addressittothe recipient and add therequired postage stamp. Placethatmailinalarger envelope or box, also with the appropriate stamps. AddressittoValentine’s Day Postmark, Postmaster, 311 W. California Ave., Valentine, TX,79854-9998. Thepostmaster will open the larger envelopeorbox stamp each valentine that was inside and send itoff to its ﬁnaldestination. The earlier you send the mail, themore likely it’ll be delivered in time forValentine’sDay

The service is free forupto 50 pieces of mail, and the cancellation is availablethrough March 14.

n Pasta, with toppings like

“They can moveback and forth from one side of the room as akindofjoke to makelight of thesituation,”

For Geter-Hawkins, setting up acraft table and a kid’scorner are nonintrusive, fun activities for people to do. She recommends crafts such as T-shirt decorating or painting footballthemed art. Foranadded twist, make it acompetition andvoteonthe best ones at halftime or after the game is over “You never wanttoblock the TV because that’swhere all of the action is, but you can position your table to theside,” she said. “You can still see the TV so when youhear everybody holler, you can look that way.But you’re still having fun sipping your drink/beverage of choice and painting or doing aT-shirt.” Burnett recommends playing the googly eye TV game while watching the matchup. For this, every person playing wouldpaste googly eyes at random places on the TV, andwhen aface lands on a

EmailSerena Puang at serena.puang@ theadvocate.com.

KING CAKE

Continuedfrom page1D

Braunschweiger is a sortofluncheonmeat like baloney. And that’s what the whole Rick Balboni bakery history is. Pure baloney

Therealdeal—maybe Matt, aNew Orleansborn entrepreneur and entertainment producer, confessed that during the Chewbacchusparadea year ago, he and abuddy began kicking around the concept of aphony family bakery. Alcohol aided in theconceptualization of the benign hoax.

In ahistory-richcity like New Orleans, Matt believedthatpeople would easily buy an invented back story,which he plannedtospread via that greatestsource of questionable information,the internet.From the beginning, he said, the project “was asocial media experiment in king cake hype.”

Of course,ifyou’regoing to promote amythical, rediscovered king cake, you’ll need aking cake, right? And where better to create unreal bakedgoods, than on an artificial intelligence image-generating app. Voilà, with afew prompts, theBalboni brothers whipped up agorgeous, glinting, AI pastry

Social media interestin theas-yet imaginaryking cake immediately “blew up,” Mattsaid.

Taking baking seriously

This is wherethe brilliantbaker and film industry food stylist JillianDurancomes in.The Balbonis asked Jillian if she could produceaversion of theAIking cake in actual ﬂour,sugar and Italian cheese. After re-

peated experiments, Duran did just that, transforming Matt’svision intosplendid reality. Working feverishly in her home bakery, Jillian turns outcannoli king cakes as quickly as she’sable. Since there’snoactual Balboni’s bakery,the rare cakes are sold at pop-up locations, promoted on social media see below.Atthe ﬁrst sale in mid-January,the cakes and Mardi-Gras-coloredeclairs were snapped up in mere minutes.

Funnything, Matt Balboni —who says his career often takes him outoftown tasted samplesduring the research and development phaseofthe king cake. But, at this writing, he hasn’tyet tasted acompletedBalboni’sking cake.

Like watching Atlantis rise from the sea or seeing

Big Foot interviewedon CNN, authenticity maynow be overtaking myth. There was no past Balboni bakery, but there maybeafuture one. Matt says he’seyeing an out-of-business coffee shop, which maybecome a brick and mortar manifestationofhis hoax To his astonishment, he said, “we went fromnot being real,tobeing in the samecategory as Dong Phuong, Randazzo’sand Tartine.”

Apostmodernkingcake

The Balboni brothers’ cannoli king cake project was, in away,apostmodernart performance. And a very good one. Theyblended unreality and reality pretty darnedwell.

To preserve the faux-historic mystique as best he can,Mattiscagey about his

ownbio. Online references to him and Ryanare nonexistent, and he declined to providea photoofhimself for this story All the Balboni King Cake recipe needs to achieve perfection is apinchofsalt. Take it allwith apinch of salt. This much seems certain: Balboni’sking cakes are $76, and the eclairs are $8. Look for pop-up sales at Turkey andThe Wolf restaurant on Feb. 18 andBayou Beer and Wine Garden on Feb. 20. Or place orders withFrancolini’sCatering on Feb. 22-23 or March 1-2. Visit balboniskingcakes on Instagram for more detailedinformationasthe datesapproach

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate. com.

BRIEFS

Google seekstooverturn Play Store verdict

Google went to appeals court Monday in an attempt to convince athree-judge panel to overturn a jury’sverdict declaring its app store for Android smartphones as an illegal monopoly and block the penaltiesimposed by afederal judge to stop the misbehavior Video game maker Epic Games, which brought the case alleging Google’sPlay Store has been abusing itsstranglehold over the Android app market, countered with arguments outliningwhy both the verdict and punishment should be afﬁrmedtofoster more innovation and lowerprices.

In anearly hourlong presentation in San Francisco’s9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Google lawyer JessicaEllsworth explained why the company believes the judge overseeing amonthlong trial in 2023 improperly allowed the market in its case to be deﬁned differently than it hadina similar antitrust trialrevolving around Apple’santitrust trial in 2021. Ellsworth also asserted the trial shouldn’thave been decided by ajury in the ﬁrst place because Google exercised its consent to that process anddemanded the case be decided by ajudge instead, as had the trial by Apple.

SoftBank, OpenAI setup joint company to push AI Japanese technology giantSoftBankGroup and OpenAI stepped up their AI partnership Monday, setting up a50-50 held company called SB OpenAI Japan. SoftBank Chief MasayoshiSon and OpenAI ChiefSam Altman appearedatanevent in Tokyo, talking up their collaboration and inviting Japanese companies to join. Son said the AI service Cristal couldbeused by companiesfor planning, marketing, emails and ﬁguring out old sourcecodes. Cristal willﬁrst roll out in Son’s own SoftBank Group companies, which include Arm,asemiconductor and softwarecompany and PayPay,anelectronic payment service. SoftBank said it plans to spend $3 billion ayear to integrate Cristal across its companies.

Crypto prices, including Trump’smeme coin, fall Cryptocurrency prices tooka hit from the prospect of atrade war betweenthe U.S. and its major trading partners, with some well-known digitalassetsand President Donald Trump’sown memecoin taking big hits.

The price of bitcoin started falling from about $105,000 shortly after Trump announced plans Saturday to start putting large tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China.

The world’smost popular cryptocurrency fell to about $92,000 Sunday nightbefore rebounding back over $100,000 Monday afternoon following Trump’sannouncement of apause on the tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods.

Bitcoin proved more resilient than other cryptocurrencies Ethereum, dogecoin and other popular cryptocurrencies have seen significant price drops since the tariff announcements. Trump’smeme coin was trading at about $19 Monday,which is about 75%below the all-time high it reached right afteritwas launched on the eve of his second inauguration.

Tariff threatssinkWallStreet

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK Thethreat of apunishing trade war sent Wall Street on aroller coaster Monday.After initially falling sharply on worries about President Donald Trump’s tariffs, U.S.stocks pared their losses after Mexico saidithad negotiated aone-month reprieve.

The S&P 500 ended up falling after Asianand European indexes logged worsedrops. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq compositealso sank.

The U.S. stock market had been on track foramuch worse loss at the start of trading on worries abouthow much pain U.S. companies would feel because of the tariffs. The S&P 500 was brieﬂy

down nearly 2%, and the Dow dropped as many as 665 points. Some of the heaviest losses hit Big Tech and other companies that could be hurt most by higher interest rates that could result from theU.S.tariffsannounced on importsfrom Canada, Mexico and China.

The fear hanging over Wall Street is thatTrump’stariffs couldpush up prices forgroceries, electronics and all kinds of other bills for U.S. households, adding upward pressure on a U.S. inﬂationratethat’slargely been slowing since itspeakthree summers ago. Stubbornly high or acceleratinginﬂation could keep the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates, which it began doing in September to give the U.S.

economy aboost. Proﬁts for U.S. companies, meanwhile, could face downward pressure from slowing global trade. But U.S. stocks pared their losses after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said tariffs on her country’sgoodsare on hold for amonth following aconversation with Trump. TheDow even turned brieﬂy turned higher in the afternoon for asmall gain. After the U.S. stock market closed for the day,Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeausaida conversation he had with Trump also ledto a30-day pause. Much of Wall Street had been hoping Trump’stalkoftariffs through the presidential campaign was just that, talk, and an opening point for negotiations

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft whoturns 70 this year,dissects the inner workingsofhis thought process in ‘Source Code: My Beginnings.’The memoir is the

HARD-WIRED

Microsoftfounder BillGates explores themaking of hisinternaloperating system in newmemoir

BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP technologywriter

As he preparestoturn 70 later this year,Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ new memoir explores how hischildhood quirks, upbringing, friendships and experiences coalesced into shaping his internal operatingsystem.

In “SourceCode:MyBeginnings,” the ﬁrst installment of atrilogy retracing his journey from an often misunderstood kid to apolarizing technology titan to an inﬂuential philanthropist, Gates dissects his brain’sunusual wiring, delves into the emotional trauma of hisbestfriend dyingwhile they were both in high school, andrevisitsthe birthofTrafO-Data, astartup thathe launchedinAlbuquerque, New Mexico, with another childhood friend,Paul Allen. Traf-O-Data, conceived to create software for the groundbreaking Altair computer made Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, becameMicrosoft in 1975 —a

year it booked $16,005 in revenue while Gates andAllen were making $9 per hour

By 1977, Microsoft had become successful enough to embolden Gates to drop out of Harvard University.In 1979, he had decided to move Microsoft to the Seattle area where he grew up. Although Gates stepped down as Microsoft’sCEO 25 yearsago,the Windows operating system and other software created under his reign remain the main pillar in acompany that now generates $212 billion in annual revenue, boastsa $3.1 trillion market value, and accounts for most of Gates’ $100 billion personal fortune.

“Source Code”endswith Gates’ drive back to Seattle in 1979, meaning it doesn’ttouch upon his 1994 marriage to Melinda French, nor their 2021 divorce.

“I am being reﬂective, which is not my normal mode, but it’s kind of time,”Gates said during an interview about the book with The Associated Press. “As we went back and

got teacher’scomments or people Iworked with at Harvard, it was fascinating. Ihad confused myselfinto thinking Igot straight A’sinninth grade.”

Gates’ mind is now being blown by the recent advances in artificial intelligence —a technology being planted into Microsoft’ssoftware as part of its partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI.

“When Iﬁnally see ChatGPT-4, where the OpenAI guys show me avery early version, Iamjust blownaway completely,” Gates said. He views AI as an “amazing and scary” technology that should be rigorously monitored.

“You should be nervous. We have to acknowledge that AI is almost uniquely dangerous because it’sunboundedinterms of how good it will get and it’s happening within ageneration,” Gates said. “Hopefully, the politicians andthe technologists will share witheach other,and we can shape this thing. We better get on top of that now.”

with U.S. trading partners instead of apermanent policy.Monday’s swivels on Mexico and Canada leave open the questionofwhether Trump is using tariffs as merely atool for negotiations.

But when traders came into Monday morning thinking tariffs were imminent, fear rose quickly about the potentialfor an escalating trade war that could damage economiesworldwide,including the United States.

“Living in the Midwest, Imight feel the trade war soonest and most,”said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management, because of how much crude oilﬂowsover the northern U.S. border to make gasoline. “Our reﬁners can’teasily switch away from Canadiancrude.”

Investors puttingtheir faithinTesla, Elon Musk

BY BERNARD CONDON AP business writer

NEWYORK For Elon Musk fans, it’sthe half a trillion-dollar bet.

That is howmuch the stock market value of Tesla has rocketed since the presidential election, avertiginousclimb uninterrupted in recent days despite adisappointing ﬁnancial report that would have sunk the stock of nearly any other company Investors are wagering that President Donald Trump will help Musk’scompany more than hurtitwith his plans to take an axe to reams of Washington regulations and wield tariffs to get his way with key trading partners. Less regulation? Fantastic. Trade war?No biggie.

“It’sgoing to be agolden age for Tesla and Musk,” said Wedbush Securities ﬁnancial analyst Dan Ives, adding after an investor conference call Wednesday,“This is the most bullish I’ve ever heard Musk.” Investing in Tesla has long been agamble. Odds were against Musk creating asuccessful electric car company,never mind growing it to become the world’smost valuable automaker —and in the process makinghimself the world’srichest person. But this latest bet seems particularly risky Musk said the true value of his company lies in afuture of Tesla robots, thousands of them possibly by the end of the year,and in unsupervised, driverless vehicles. He promised in Tesla’sinvestor conference call to start offering such robotaxis in June in Austin, Texas, and across the country by the end of next year Besides the business, Tesla shareholders must always keep one eye on the CEO himself. Lately,that’smeantweighing Musk’sforay into politics.

In Europe,amajor market forhis cars, Musk has endorsed the far-right Alternative for Germany and called British Prime Minister Keir Starmer an “evil tyrant” who is running a“tyrannical police state.”

On Inauguration Day in the U.S., Musk made astraight-arm gesture during aspeech that many interpreted as Nazi salute. He scoffed at the criticism, but the backlash was ﬁerce nonetheless. In Germany,animage of Musk making the salute was projected onto his massive Tesla factory outside Berlin in protest. In Italy, acommunist youthgrouphung an efﬁgy of Musk upside down in the same square in Milan where the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was strung upside down, too.

“How many of these Tesla buyers agree with Musk?” said Felipe Munoz, asenior analyst at auto researcher Jato Dynamics. “I don’tsee the point of alienating potential customers.”

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILE PHOTO BY JAEC.HONG

first installment in atrilogy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Takeyourtime, or you'll misssomething that can set you back. You will flourish if you question everything and look for opportunities. It's all about choice, astuteness and follow-through.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Simplify your life.Walkawayfrominstabilityandfocus on what you can achieve. Get involved in pastimes thateasestressand give you something to look forward to.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Emotions will complicate yourdecision-making. A change may be necessary, but uncertainty will throw your timing off if you don't act. You can slow things down, but you must refrain from appearing indecisive.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Follow the money. Keep your thoughts to yourself and barrel ahead untilyou feel comfortable with the results. Speed and accuracy are compulsory to getting your way.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Learn all you can, double down andstrike while the iron's hot. Control situations, and you'll deter others from taking you for granted. Use your charm, do your research and proceed with compassion.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Youare the glue that holds everything together. Use your imagination, and you'll develop solutions that will help you gain respect. Change may not be welcome, but it will be insightful and beneficial.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Putyour best foot forward.Howyoulookandpresentyourself to others will determine how events

unfold. Sport asmileand loving attitude, and the reception will be overwhelmingly in your favor.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Incorporate change into your routine. Followyour heart, and you'll discover something about yourself and the people you encounter.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Opportunity knocks; open thedoor and letitin. Today is notthe time to hesitate;take control and make things happen. Network, charm and share your vision with someone you want to work alongside.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Let your feelings, intuition and experience guide you. Refuse to let the jibber-jabber you encounter get in your way. Participate in networkingfunctions,talktoexpertsand put your energy toward your goal.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Refuse to drag your feet when there is much to do. Lettingsomeonesidetrackyouwillcause anxietyand regret.Look for opportunities and forgeahead instead of waiting for approval.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Achange will spark your imagination. Discovering what makes you happy and implementing it into your routine will encourage lively new connections. Being open about what you want will put your mind at ease.

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

TODAY'S CLUE: GEQUALSJ

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

peAnUtS

zItS FrAnK And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

dooneSbUrY

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

When you play Chicago and everybody passes, it can be fun to have agoulash (or ghoulie). Each player sorts his hand: spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs. The cards are stacked, cut once, and dealt in groups. (I like 4-3-3-3/3-4-3-3/3-3-4-3/3-33-4, but some people prefer 5-5-5-5/5-5-55/3-3-3-3.)Longsuitsabound,andbidding must be adjusted because most suits will break something-zero.

This deal occurred during one of my playclassesafterapassout.Southopened four spades. West, the most cautious player in the group,characteristically passed. He should have overcalled four no-trump, showing atwo-suited hand. This would presumablyhave resulted in afinal contract of five hearts by East after five clubs -five diamonds (both red suits) -five hearts. No doubt Southwould have doubled and the likely result would have been down one.

The play in four spades was fascinating. West led thediamond ace and East discarded the club two. South ruffed, cashed the spade ace, and continued with the spade queen, throwing diamonds from the board. East won and shifted to the heart king, which declarer brilliantly ducked. South took the next heart trick with his ace and played three more rounds of spades, giving East the lead when he had only clubs left. He had to bringthe dummytolife, anddeclarer’s three remaining hearts evaporated. Contract made!

Did you see East’s resource? Under the spade ace, he should have kept the spade two. Then when South led the fifth spade, trying for the endplay, East would have beenabletounderplaywithhistwo,leaving South on lead, forced to lose three more heart tricks and go down two.

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying,

Previous answers:

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

TODAY’S WORD REVERENT: REV-er-ent: Giving or expressing veneration; worshipful.

Average mark17words Time limit 20 minutes

Can you find 21 or more words in REVERENT?

YESTERDAY’S WORD —DELICT

whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” Colossians 1:14

loCKhorNs

Thereisonly

with

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

ken ken

InstructIons:

WiShinG Well

is your key number.start atthe u

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

DuStin Drabble

Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

Theagreement will be on alumpsum,ﬁxedprice basis, with payments termstobenegotiated with theselectedofferor TheIberville Parish Councilshall evaluate each respondent on the basisofthe writtenma‐terialssubmitted andac‐cording to thefollowing l i i i

g g selection criteria:

1. Experience of theﬁrm with this particular type of construction pro‐ject(s)asdescribed above- Maximumof30 points

2. Experience of thefirm with theother typesof federallyfunded con‐structionprojects- Maxi‐mumof30points 3. Currentcapacitytoac‐complishwork- Maxi‐mumof30points 4. Referencefromother clientsattestingtofirm’s qualityofwork- Maxi‐mumof5 points 5. Referencefromthe otherclients attestingto firm’scompliance with performanceschedulesMaximumof5 points

Allresponses received will be evaluatedinac‐cordance with theselec‐tion criteria andcorre‐sponding pointsystem. Questionsshouldbead‐dressedtoRandall Dunn, ChiefOperating Ofﬁcer at (225) 687-5190.Re‐sponsestothisRFP should be hand-delivered and/or mailed to Randall

Water Pd.New decor$800. No Pets Allowed 504-421-9772

ESPLANADERIDGE TheCarsonCompany Inc. 5900 HayneBlvd.,1Bd/1Ba...........$650 2716 Loyola Ave#204, 1Bd/1Ba...$750 2712 Loyola Ave#201, 2Bds/1Ba.$850 616S.Alexander,2Bds/1Ba..........$795 1124 Columbus St 3Bds/1Ba....$1095 5910 Hayne(Up Frt),4Bds/1Ba..$1195 2300 N. BroadSt.,1Bd/1Ba.........$1195 2757 OrleansAve Comm'l.........$1200 753S.GenoisSt.,2Bds/1Ba........$1350 1221 N. Miro

*427-4646

METAIRIE 3201 RICHLAND AVENUE 1/2Block offVets* by Paretti Jaguar 1Bed *Prkg* Pool *Rent$675/mo 504-320-6958 *504-454-1333

Dunn,Chief Operating Ofﬁcer,IbervilleParish Council, 58050Meriam Street,Plaquemine, LA 70764. Responsestothis RFQmustbereceivedno laterthan2:00p.m., Wednesday, March5 2025 TheIberville Parish CouncilisanEqual Op‐portunity employer Smalland/orminority ownedﬁrms, and women’sbusinessenter‐prises areencouragedto participate. 124985-JAN 29-FEB 4-113T $156.55 ing: RFxNo. 3000024235, March2025 Meat and

served to reject anyand allbidsand

Heirsand Estate of Myra Mae Pierre& James Pierre, Sr.c/o James Pierre, Jr •769 MEDFORD DR,SOUTH ELGIN, IL 60177-2550

Heirsand Estate of Myra Mae Pierre& James Pierre, Sr.c/o Ayshantai Pierre •1108 TENSAS DR APTC,HARVEY, LA 70058-4531 •1108 TENSAS DR,HARVEY, LA 70058-4531 •18TENSASDR, HARVEY,LA70058

Heirsand Estate of Myra Mae Pierre& James Pierre, Sr.c/o ShannonHoward •1016 FRANKLIN ST,PORTALLEN, LA 70767-2018

Heirsand Estate of Myra Mae Pierre& James Pierre, Sr.c/o Jacelyn Pierre •1913 ESTHER ST,HARVEY, LA 70058-3511

Heirsand Estate of Myra Mae Pierre& James Pierre, Sr.c/o Kendal Taylor •3721 SHANNONDR, HARVEY,LA70058-1904 •608 OAKPARKWAY,GREENWOOD, AR 72936-3806

Heirs and Estate of Myra Mae Pierre& James Pierre, Sr.c/o NigelTaylor •7867 GOV BLANCHARD DR,BATON ROUGE,LA70811-2014 •12083 RIVER RD,BATON ROUGE,LA70820-9756 •710 NJEFFERSONAVE APT15, PORT ALLEN, LA 70767-2457

2. Legaldescriptiononthe noticemust be as follows: THAT CERTAIN PIECE OR PORTION OF GROUND, together with all the buildings and improvements thereon and all of the rights, ways, privileges, servitudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining, situated in the Parish of Jefferson,StateofLouisiana, in HARVEY CANAL SUBDIVISION, according to plan of subdivision by Elbert

121954-FEB 28-28T

LIMITATIONOFLIABILITY Notice is hereby given that Inland Dredging Company, LLC, as owner and/or operator of the Anchor Barge#1(here

after,"Petitioner"),has ﬁled aComplaint,pur‐suantto46U.S.C.§ 30501, et seq.,for exoneration from or limitation of lia‐bility forall claims for anyand alllossoflife, in‐jury,lossofproperty, de‐struction, or damage arisingout of or related to an incidentinvolving theAnchorBarge #1 whichhappenednearan offsitestorage area lo‐catedonnavigable wa‐ters near theBarbours Terminal Channelofthe HoustonShipChannel on or aboutAugust26, 2022, allasismorefully de‐scribedinPetitioner's Complaintfor Exonera‐tion From or Limitation of Liability(the"Com‐plaint") Allpersons having such claims must ﬁletheir re‐spective claims,aspro‐videdinRuleF of the Supplemental Rulesfor AdmiraltyorMaritime Claims of theFederal RulesofCivil Procedure, with theClerk of Court forthe EasternDistrictof Louisiana, 500 Poydras Street,New Orleans, LA 70130, andmustserve a copy thereofoncounsel forPetitioner, Jefferson R. Tillery, AbigailJ.Wei

land,and Sara B. Kuebel of thelaw ﬁrmJones Walker LLP, at PlaceSt. Charles, 201 St.Charles Ave, Suite5100, NewOr‐leans, LA 70170, on or be‐fore Tuesday, July 22, 2025,orbedefaulted If anyclaimantdesires to contesteitherthe righttoexoneration from or theright to limitation of liability, that claimant shallﬁle andserve on counselfor Petitioner an answer to theComplaint on or before theafore‐said date unless the claimhas included an answer,sodesignated, or be defaulted.Personal attendance is notre‐

June 11th 1986, registered instru‐ment number86-37416, JeffersonParish„ Louisiana. UPON THEFOLLOWING TERMSAND CONDITIONS TO-WIT: Cash proceedsof $74,000.00, at actofsale, less normal andcustom