Philadelphia dominates Kansas City from start to finish
ä See complete coverage of the Super Bowl.
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ä Trump meets with N.O first responders at Super Bowl. PAGE6A
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean scores on a pick-six during Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday. The Kansas City Chiefs arrived in New Orleans on a mission to make history, attempting to become the first team to ever three-peat as Super Bowl champions. The Eagles weren’t having it. The domination was swift and thorough. At one point in the second quarter, the Eagles had 10 first downs and the Chiefs had 10 offensive plays. Then Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw two interceptions before Kendrick Lamar could take the halftime stage, including a pick-six by rookie DeJean on his birthday. The Eagles had more points (24) at the half than the Chiefs had yards (23). The second half served as a Philly coronation.
BY JOSIE ABUGOV | Staff writer
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Rescuers recover 1 body in landslide in China
BEIJING Emergency teams in China’s southwestern Sichuan province raced against time Sunday to locate 28 people after a landslide triggered by rains killed one person and buried homes.
Nearly 1,000 personnel were deployed following the landslide in the village of Jinping in Junlian county on Saturday. Some officers navigated through the remains of collapsed buildings, using drones and life-detection radars to locate any signs of life with the help of locals who were familiar with the area, state broadcaster CCTV said.
Two injured people were rescued and about 360 others evacuated after 10 houses and a manufacturing building were buried, CCTV reported.
At a news conference Sunday, authorities said preliminary assessments attributed the disaster to heavy rainfall and local geological conditions. They said these factors transformed a landslide into a debris flow more than half a mile long, with a total volume exceeding 3.5 million cubic feet. The rescue operation was hampered by continuous rainfall and more landslides. According to estimates, the collapsed area was about 16 soccer fields in size and many houses were carried far by the debris flow
Storms drop fluffy snow across New England
CONCORD,N.H.— New Englanders stocked up on both Super Bowl snacks and staples like bread and milk this weekend ahead of a fast-moving storm that dropped up to a foot of light, fluffy snow.
The parking lot was packed and the checkout lines were long at a Market Basket grocery store in Epping, New Hampshire, on Saturday, WMUR-TV reported. None of the shoppers seemed to panic about the storm, which cleared out by Sunday morning well ahead of kickoff time
Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service, said the storm moved from the Great Lakes into the Northeast, with accumulated totals of 6 to 12 inches in upstate New York and New England and 3-5 inches around Boston and New York City. While northern areas enjoyed the powder, the snowfall in New York City was wet and dense, clogging storm drains and creating ponds of water at sidewalk intersections in Northern Manhattan.
Airports in Boston and New York saw increased flight delays and cancellations Sunday
Earlier Saturday, heavy snow fell in sections of northern and central Wisconsin, with the community of Medford reporting 13 inches on Saturday Some places in northern Michigan got more than a half a foot on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
The next storm is also expected to move quickly, Oravec said. It is forecast to form across the plains on Tuesday and push eastward, bringing a swath of snow to areas south of the states hit this weekend.
More than 500 eggs stolen from Seattle cafe
SEATTLE More than 500 eggs were stolen from a cafe near Seattle on Wednesday morning.
The thieves hit the Luna Park Cafe in West Seattle at about 4:42 a.m., according to Seattle police.
Security footage shows two men entering the restaurant’s refrigerator and stealing about 540 eggs, some bacon, ground beef and “liquid egg products,” police said. About $780 in goods were stolen, with eggs accounting for $387. The breakfast goods were loaded into a van and the thieves left the scene. They later returned but quickly left when they realized an employee was there, police said. The heist comes as egg prices
soar in the U.S. Most Americans are paying $4 a dozen or more, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicting a 20% price hike in 2025. In 2022, eggs cost $2 a dozen on average. This isn’t the first egg theft either Last week, 100,000 eggs were stolen from a truck in Pennsylvania. Seattle police are investigating the theft.
Pressure mounts to extend ceasefire
Details on emaciated Israeli hostages released by Hamas emerge
BY MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH and TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press
MUGHRAQA, Gaza Strip New details and growing shock over emaciated hostages renewed pressure Sunday on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a fragile Gaza ceasefire beyond the first phase ending in three weeks.
Talks on the second phase, meant to see more hostages released and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, were due to start Feb. 3. But Israel and Hamas appear to have made little progress, even as Israeli forces withdrew Sunday from a Gaza corridor in the latest commitment to the truce
Netanyahu sent a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator, but it included low-level officials, sparking speculation that it won’t lead to a breakthrough. Netanyahu, who returned after a U.S. visit to meet with President Donald Trump, is expected to convene security Cabinet ministers on Tuesday.
Families of remaining hostages said time is running out as some survivors described being barefoot and in chains.
“We cannot let the hostages remain there There is no other way I am appealing to the cabinet,” said Ella Ben Ami, daughter of a hostage released Saturday, adding she now understands the toll of captivity is much worse than imagined.
The father of a remaining hostage, Kobi Ohel, told Israel’s Channel 13 the newly released men said his son, Alon, and others “live off half a pita to a full pita a day These are not human conditions.” Ohel’s mother, Idit, sobbed as she told Channel 12 her son has been chained for over a year.
Michael Levy said his brother, the newly released Or Levy had been barefoot and hungry for 16 months. “The decision-makers knew exactly what his condition was and what everyone else’s condition was, and they did not do enough to bring him back with the urgency that was needed,” he said.
On Saturday, as Israelis reeled, former
defense minister Yoav Gallant said on social media that the deterioration in hostages’ conditions was something “Israel has known about for some time.”
The ceasefire that began on Jan. 19 has held, raising hopes that the 16-month war that led to seismic shifts in the Middle East may be headed toward an end.
The latest step was Israel forces’ withdrawal from the 4-mile Netzarim corridor separating northern and southern Gaza, which was used as a military zone. No troops were seen in the vicinity Sunday
As the ceasefire began last month, Israel began allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to cross Netzarim and return to the north.
But the deal remains fragile. On Sunday, civil defense first responders in Gaza said Israeli fire killed three people east of Gaza City Israel’s military noted “several hits” after firing warning shots and warned Palestinians against approaching its forces.
Cars piled with belongings headed north. Under the deal, Israel should allow cars to cross Netzarim uninspected. Troops remain along Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif Al-Qanoua said the troops’ withdrawal showed the militant group had “forced the enemy to submit to our demands” and thwarted “Netanyahu’s illusion of achieving total victory.”
Israel has said it won’t agree to a complete withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas’ military and political capabilities are eliminated. Hamas says it won’t hand over the last hostages until Israel removes all troops.
During the ceasefire’s 42-day first phase, Hamas is gradually releasing 33 Israeli hostages captured during its Oct 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and a flood of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel has said Hamas confirmed that eight of the 33 are dead.
Families of the hostages gathered in Tel Aviv to urge Netanyahu to extend the ceasefire, but he is also under pressure from far-right political allies to resume the war
“They are dying there, so we need to finish this deal in a hurry,” said Ayala Metzger, daughter-in-law of hostage Yoram Metzger, who died in captivity.
U.S. officials bound for Europe for top-level talks on Ukraine
ByTheAssociated Press
President Donald Trump’s national security adviser said Sunday that top administration officials will meet with European officials this week about how to end the war in Ukraine, nearly three years after Russia launched an all-out invasion.
Less than a day earlier, the New York Post reported that Trump had a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to discuss steps toward a negotiated solution. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, Trump declined to discuss his reported phone conversation with Putin.
“I don’t want to do that. We’re trying to end that war It’s a war that would have never happened if I were president, it would have never happened, but we’re making progress. But I can’t tell you,” he said.
Asked to clarify whether his conversations with Putin took place before he took office or after, Trump said, “I’ve had it.
Let’s just say I’ve had it. And I expect to have many more conversations. We have to get that war ended. It’s going to end.
There was no immediate confirmation of the call by the Kremlin.
In a television interview, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said the Russian economy is not doing well and that Trump
“is prepared to tax, to tariff, to sanction” Moscow to get Putin to the negotiating table. Waltz also underscored that the Trump administration is looking to use this week’s engagements to begin talks on clawing back some of the United States’ assistance to Ukraine. He said European allies will also need to take a greater role in supporting Ukraine going forward.
“We need to recoup those costs and that is going to be a partnership with the Ukrainians in terms of their natural resources and their oil and gas and also buying ours,” Waltz said in an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press. “Those conversations are going to happen this week. And I think an underlying principle here is that the Europeans have to own this conflict going forward. President Trump is going to end it. And then in terms of security guarantees, that is squarely going to be with the Europeans.”
Vice President JD Vance will be in Paris on Monday for an artificial intelligence summit that’s gathering government officials and will head later in the week to the Munich Security Conference, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will lead the battle-weary country’s delegation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump’s special envoy on Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, will also be in Munich.
Federal consumer protection agency told to stop work
Trump administration effectively shuts down bureau
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer
WASHINGTON The Trump administration has ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop nearly all its work, effectively shutting down an agency that was created to protect consumers after the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal.
Russell Vought, the newly installed director of the Office of Management and Budget, directed the CFPB, in a Saturday night email confirmed by The Associated Press, to stop work on proposed rules, to suspend the effective dates on any rules that were finalized but not yet effective, and to stop investigative work and not begin any new investigations. The agency has been a target of conservatives since President Barack Obama pushed to include it in the 2010 financial reform legislation that followed the 2007-08 financial crisis.
require a separate act of Congress to formally eliminate it. But the head of the agency has discretion over what enforcement actions to take, if any Yet Elon Musk commented, “CFPB RIP” on social media site X on Friday And the CFPB homepage on the Internet was down Sunday, replaced by a message reading “page not found.” Also late Saturday, Vought said in a social media post that the CFPB would not withdraw its next round of funding from the Federal Reserve, adding that its current reserves of $711.6 million is “excessive.” Congress directed the bureau to be funded by the Fed to insulate it from political pressures.
Vought
The email also ordered the bureau to “cease all supervision and examination activity.”
On Sunday, administration officials also said that the CFPB’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. would be closed through Friday, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press. No reason was given for closure.
“Employees and contractors are to work remotely unless instructed otherwise,” the email to headquarters workers said.
The order follows similar efforts by the White House to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Since the CFPB is a creation of Congress, it would
“This spigot, long contributing to CFPB’s unaccountability, is now being turned off,” Vought said on X. The CFPB says that it has obtained nearly $20 billion in financial relief for U.S. consumers since its founding in the form of canceled debts, compensation, and reduced loans. Last month, the bureau sued Capital One for allegedly misleading consumers about its offerings for high-interest savings accounts and “cheating” customers out of more than $2 billion in lost interest payments as a result, the bureau said. Dennis Kelleher president of Better Markets, an advocacy group, said, “That’s why Wall Street’s biggest banks and Trump’s billionaire allies hate the bureau: It’s an effective cop on the finance beat and has stood side-by-side with hundreds of millions of Americans Republicans and Democrats — battling financial predators, scammers, and crooks.” The administration’s move against the CFPB also highlights the tensions between Trump’s more populist promises to lower costs for working-class families and his pledge to reduce government regulation.
A Palestinian man wearing a red shirt, left, stands amid the rubble of destroyed buildings on Sunday while watching Israeli soldiers, bottom right, take position in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel.
CHAMPS
Eagles topChiefs fortheir second Super Bowl title
Vance, Musk question authority of the courts
Trump’s agenda faces legal pushback
BY JILL COLVIN Associated Press
WASHINGTON Top Trump administration officials are openly questioning the judiciary’s authority to serve as a check on executive power as the new president’s sweeping agenda faces growing pushback from the courts
Over the past 24 hours, officials ranging from billionaire Elon Musk to Vice President JD Vance have not only criticized a federal judge’s decision early Saturday that blocks Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury Department records, but have also attacked the legitimacy of judicial oversight, a fundamental pillar of American democracy, which is based on the separation of powers.
should be impeached.
“A corrupt judge protecting corruption He needs to be impeached NOW!” said Musk who has been tasked by President Donald Trump with rooting out waste across the federal government.
Musk also shared a post from a user who had suggested that the Trump administration openly defy the court order
“I don’t like the precedent it sets when you defy a judicial ruling, but I’m just wondering what other options are these judges leaving us,” the person had written, in part.
“If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power,” Vance wrote on X on Sunday morning.
That post came hours after Musk said overnight that the judge who ruled against him
The court order against Musk barred his team temporarily from accessing a Treasury system that contains sensitive personal data, such as Social Security and bank account numbers for millions of Americans. Musk and his team say they are simply rooting through government systems to identify waste and abuse at the direction of the Republican president.
Deputy White House chief of staff of Stephen Miller called the ruling “an assault on the very idea of democracy itself.”
“What we continue to see here is the idea that rogue bureaucrats who are elected by no one, who answer to no one, who have lifetime tenure jobs, who we would be told can never be fired, which, of course is not true,
Trump says he is serious about Canada becoming 51st state
BY JILL COLVIN Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said he is serious about wanting Canada to become the 51st state in an interview that aired Sunday during the Super Bowl preshow
“Yeah it is,” Trump told Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier when asked whether his talk of annexing Canada is “a real thing” — as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently suggested.
“I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen,” he said “Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?”
The U.S. is not subsidizing Canada. The U.S. buys products from the natural resource-rich nation, including commodities like oil. While the trade gap in goods has ballooned in recent years to $72 billion in 2023, the deficit largely reflects America’s imports of Canadian energy Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada
would be better off if it agreed to become the 51st U.S. state — a prospect that is deeply unpopular among Canadians.
Trudeau said Friday during a closed-door session with business and labor leaders that Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state is “a real thing” and is linked to his desire for access to the country’s natural resources.
“Mr Trump has it in mind that the easiest way to do it is absorbing our country and it is a real thing In my conversations with him on,” Trudeau said, according to CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster “They’re very aware of our resources of what we have and they very much want to be able to benefit from those.”
In the interview which was pretaped this weekend in Florida, Trump also said that he has not seen enough action from Canada and Mexico to stave off the tariffs he has threatened to impose on the country’s two largest trading partners.
“No, it’s not good enough,” he said “Something has to happen. It’s not sustainable. And I’m changing it.”
that the power has been cemented and accumulated for years, whether it be with the Treasury bureaucrats or the FBI bureaucrats or the CIA bureaucrats or the USAID bureaucrats, with this unelected shadow force that is running our government and running our country,” Miller said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”
The pushback comes as the administration’s efforts to dismantle government agencies and eliminate large swaths of the federal workforce are being held up by the courts. Judges have also blocked Trump, at least temporarily, from moving forward with mass federal buyouts, from placing thousands of USAID workers on leave and from implementing an
executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship for anyone born in the U.S.
Early Saturday, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction after 19 Democratic attorneys general sued, alleging the Trump administration allowed Musk’s team access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system in violation of federal law
“We’re very disappointed with the judges that would make such a ruling, but we have a long way to go,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while he flew from Florida to New Orleans to attend the Super Bowl. He added: “No judge should frankly be allowed to make that kind of a decision.”
The payment system handles tax refunds, Social Security benefits, veterans’ benefits and much more, sending out trillions of dollars every year while containing an expansive network of Americans’ personal and financial data. A hearing is set for Friday
Democrats have been sounding alarms over Musk and Trump’s efforts, including efforts to halt spending that has already been appropriated by Congress. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress is the body in charge of spending.
“I think this is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly, since Watergate,” Sen Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said on ABC’s “This Week.” “This is
a red alert moment when this entire country has to understand that our democracy is at risk.”
Murphy expressed concern that the courts are illprepared for the onslaught they are facing.
“The pace of this assault on the Constitution in order to serve the billionaire class, it is absolutely dizzying. And so, you have to run a fullscale opposition,” Murphy said. “Ultimately, you’ve got to bring the American public into this conversation because we need our Republican colleagues in the House and in the Senate ultimately to put a stop to this. You cannot just rely on the court system.” Republicans, who have largely stood in lockstep behind the president since he was sworn in for a second term, did so again on Sunday Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan blasted the court ruling for the Treasury Department case while arguing that the president should be able to implement his agenda as he sees fit.
“I assume we will argue this out in court, like the other 17 or 18 decisions we have seen in the last several days. That all is going to get argued out in court. And, frankly, we knew the left, we knew the Democrats were going to do this,”
ByTheAssociated Press
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A
U.S. Marine from California was identified by military officials Sunday as one of four people killed when a plane contracted by the U.S. military crashed in a rice field in the southern Philippines.
Sgt. Jacob M. Durham, 22, of Long Beach, died Thursday in the crash of an aircraft that was conducting a routine mission “providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies,” officials at Camp Pendleton, California, said in a statement. Officials said the cause of the crash was under investigation.
Three defense contractors also were killed in the crash, military officials have said.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines confirmed the crash of a light plane in Maguindanao del Sur province. The bodies of the four people were retrieved from the wreckage in Ampatuan town, said Ameer Jehad Tim Ambolodto, a safety officer of Maguindanao del Sur
U.S. forces have been deployed in a Philippine military camp in the country’s south for decades to help provide training and advice to Filipino forces battling Muslim militants. The region is home to minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catho-
lic nation. Windy Beaty, a provincial disaster-mitigation officer, told The Associated Press on Thursday that she received reports that residents saw smoke coming from the plane and heard an explosion before the aircraft plummeted to the ground about half a mile from a cluster of farmhouses. Durham was trained as an electronic intelligence/electromagnetic warfare analyst assigned to 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, officials said. He joined the Marines in January 2021 and was promoted to his current rank on Feb. 1. Durham’s awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, a Meritorious Mast, and Naval Aircrew Insignia, officials said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ROD LAMKEy
Vice President JD Vance speaks Wednesday at the International Religious Freedom Summit at the Washington Hilton in Washington.
Musk
CAESARS
ORLEANS
Staff and wire reports
President Donald Trump met briefly with first responders and family of victims of the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans before watching the pregame pageantry from Saints owner Gayle Benson’s suite alongside NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Entering through the tunnel of the corner of the Chiefs’ end zone, he greeted the New Orleanians for a few minutes and took pictures before going to the suite, where his daughter Ivanka joined him. A mix of cheers and boos went up when he emerged.
“While thousands of fans from across our Nation gather in New Orleans to cheer on their favorite team, we remember that 14 families will be missing a loved one who was tragically murdered during a senseless terrorist attack while celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street,” Trump said in a statement Sunday afternoon. “Our thoughts are also with the 35 individuals injured during the attack whose lives were changed forever that fateful night, and our prayers will remain with them for continued strength, comfort, and healing.”
Trump is the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl.
While aboard Air Force One en route to Louisiana, the flight crew announced that the plane was flying over the Gulf of America. It was the first time Trump had flown over the Gulf since he ordered the federal government to refer to it by that name, instead of the Gulf of Mexico.
Trump held a 30-minute, in-flight news conference to announce that he had declared Feb. 9 “Gulf of America Day” to honor the fact that the Gulf is “an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America,” according to a copy of the declaration provided by the White House.
During the news conference, Trump also said he planned to impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum Monday Air Force One landed around 3:30 p.m. at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base
ed a
him
New Orleans and Trump departed around 3:45 for the Superdome. During the 27-minute drive, supporters along the route waved flags, held signs and saluted. There was plenty of other national politicking going on in New Orleans Sunday U.S. Sen.
on the social
R-Louisiana,
app X
Frank
the payment processing company Fiserv and Trump’s nominee to run the Social Security Administration.
STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
Jon Batiste performs the national anthem before Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday.
STAFF
PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Pregame activities are seen before kickoff of Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday.
Bill Cassidy,
post-
photo
media
of
with
Bisignano, chair of
Two of Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr and Barron Trump, ate at Antoine’s in New Orleans on Sunday afternoon. Huffington Post reporter
We need to push back just enough in our areas where we’re making the point that this is still pro-American, American-built, American jobs for American all-ofthe-above energy,” said state Rep. Joe Orgeron, a Lafourche Parish Republican who helped lead the building of the country’s first offshore wind farm in Rhode Island.
Trump signed an executive order on the first day he took office last month pausing new offshore wind leases in federal waters and thrusting the larger wind industry into uncertainty.
Trump and other conservative politicians have demonized the industry, the nation’s largest source of renewable energy, while championing a “drill, baby drill” expansion of oil and gas.
But Louisiana politicians and industry leaders have been largely supportive of offshore wind as part of an “all of the above” energy strategy
“Having that alternative revenue stream a viable, continuing-to-grow revenue stream, basically provides stability for our oil and gas bread and butter companies down here,” said Orgeron, who co-founded 2nd Wind Marine, which develops jack-up vessels for the industry
Unlike the Northeast, Louisiana does not have any operating offshore wind farms off its coast, though German company RWE secured a lease for one in federal waters. Last year, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, cancelled the second lease auction in the Gulf due to a lack of prospects.
It later received an unsolicited request from Hecate Energy Gulf Wind LLC to lease two areas off Texas.
Despite the slow start in the Gulf, Louisiana plays a strong role in the offshore wind supply chain due to its robust oil and gas workforce and infrastructure. Shipbuilders and vessel operators, for instance, continue to build and maintain offshore wind turbines on the East Coast.
Otto Candies LLC, a vessel operator based in Des Allemands that traditionally served the oil and gas industry, has expanded to support offshore wind projects in the Northeast. The company provides service vessels, large ships that can accommodate more than 100 people.
“I think you’re going to have a vibrant oil and gas market for decades to come, I really believe that,” company CEO Otto Candies III said. “So I think as a supplier of services to the energy industry, if you have more sources and more places to go and work, I think that helps our industry.
Trump’s approach could affect thousands of jobs in Louisiana, said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, or NOIA, which serves
allow states to share in revenue from offshore wind while also increasing the amount received from oil and gas production.
In November Louisiana voters approved a constitutional amendment dedicating future offshore wind revenue to coastal restoration and protection, an initiative sponsored by Orgeron.
‘All about industry’
While offshore wind will help the nation address climate change, it also has industrial benefits in Louisiana
Orgeron explained that the state’s facilities manufacturing chemicals that go into plastics, rubbers and fertilizers want to buy renewable energy so their products are more competitive on the global market.
neighbor,” Orgeron said. “It’s all about industry here.” Offshore wind is among the more expensive forms of new power generation, at about $100 per megawatthour for projects connecting to the grid within the next few years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In contrast, new natural gas plants are estimated to produce electricity at more than $40 per megawatt-hour. Onshore wind is one of the cheaper forms of renewables, at over $30 on average.
“The wind market for every household in the state of Louisiana is not a good market when you think about it just from a sheer cost perspective,” Chet Chiasson, the director of Port Fourchon, said. “Where I think wind has a role in all this is in the industrial sector side, the ability to purchase wind energy to offset carbon footprints for the industrial base.”
Orgeron’s district includes Port Fourchon, which accounts for around 15% of the country’s oil supply and services and more than 95% of the Gulf of Mexico’s deepwater oil production.
The port is set to benefit from an offshore wind expansion in the Gulf. Louisiana has awarded operating agreements to two offshore wind companies for
The
the offshore oil gas and wind industries.
“There’s a lot of questions now that companies are being confronted with when it comes to what they do with their assets moving forward,” Milito said. “Do they start shifting assets to other parts of the world? Do they start thinking about layoffs?”
Trump’s order
During his campaign, Trump decried renewable energy, especially offshore wind, vowing instead to expand the production of oil and gas. His day-one executive order pauses offshore wind lease sales in federal waters as well as approvals and permits for offshore and onshore projects that already have leases.
The order also allows Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to conduct a review of the environmental and economic “necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases.”
In the wind withdrawal, Trump touted the need to meet growing energy demand, the importance of marine life and energy costs for low-income Americans.
Many offshore wind critics have said that the industry kills whales, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
states that there are no links between large whale deaths and offshore wind activities. Unlike traditional fossil fuels, wind energy does not create air pollution or produce planet-warming carbon dioxide.
‘A promising industry’
Orgeron has reached out for meetings with most of Louisiana’s congressional delegation, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
Whether the highest-ranking Louisiana officials will counter the executive order is yet to be seen. Republican members of the delegation did not respond to requests for comment.
U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, one of Louisiana’s two congressional Democrats, said Trump’s order “risks stalling a promising industry in Louisiana, where offshore wind could create jobs, strengthen national security diversify the economy, and drive clean energy growth.”
“This order is done under the erroneous auspices that offshore wind somehow harms the oil and gas industry, which it does not,” he said in a statement.
Louisiana Republicans have been vocal champions of the state’s role in the wind industry Scalise has previ-
ously praised a novel offshore wind vessel created by the Houma shipbuilder Edison Chouest, saying “wind is the newest form of energy we will dominate.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, Scalise and Carter have sponsored bills in Congress that would
“Here in Louisiana, anytime you see renewable energy, especially offshore wind, it’s not for that sign in your neighbor’s yard that says, ‘my house powered by green energy’ and I pay three times more than my
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Aviation disasters cause fears about safety of flying
BY JOSH FUNK Associated Press
The spate of recent aviation disasters and close calls have people worried about the safety of flying.
The midair collision that killed 67 near Washington, the fiery plane crash in Philadelphia and now a missing plane in Alaska are only the most high-profile disasters
There was also a Japan Airlines plane that clipped a parked Delta plane while it was taxiing at the Seattle airport earlier this week and a United Airlines plane caught fire during takeoff at the Houston airport Sunday after an engine problem sparked a fire on the wing
That’s not even to mention the security concerns that arose after stowaways were found dead inside the wheel wells of two planes and aboard two other flights. And don’t forget about the time that a passenger opened an emergency exit door on a plane while it was taxiing for takeoff in Boston.
So of course people are wondering whether their flight is safe?
What happened in the worst incidents?
The Jan. 29 collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter killed everyone
aboard both aircraft. It was the deadliest plane crash in the U.S. since Nov 12, 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five on the ground. There hadn’t even been a deadly crash of any kind involving a U.S. airliner since February 2009.
Crashes are more common involving smaller planes like the single-engine Cessna that crashed in Alaska on Thursday Ten people including the pilot were killed A medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia on Jan. 31, killing the six people onboard and another person on the ground. That Learjet generated a massive fireball when it smashed into the ground in a neighborhood not long after taking off from a small airport nearby.
How worried should I be?
Fatal crashes attract extraordinary attention partly because they are rare. The track record of U.S airlines is remarkably safe, as demonstrated by the long stretch between fatal crashes. But deadly crashes have happened more recently elsewhere around the world, including one in South Korea that killed all 179 people aboard in December There were also two fatal crashes
2 mass graves with bodies of migrants found in Libya
BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
CAIRO Libya authorities have uncovered nearly 50 bodies from two mass graves in the country’s southeastern desert, officials said Sunday, in the latest tragedy involving people seeking to reach Europe through the chaosstricken North African country
The first mass grave with 19 bodies was found Friday in a farm in the southeastern city of Kufra, the security directorate said in a statement, adding that authorities took them for autopsy Authorities posted images on its Facebook page showing police officers and medics digging in the sand and recovering dead bodies that were wrapped in blankets.
The al-Abreen charity, which helps migrants in eastern and southern Libya, said that some were apparently shot and killed before being buried.
A separate mass grave, with at least 30 bodies, was also found in Kufra after raiding a human trafficking center, according to Mohamed al-Fadeil, head of the security chamber in Kufra. Survivors said nearly 70 people were buried in the grave, he added. Authorities were still
searching the area. Later on Sunday, authorities said they freed 76 migrants from the trafficking center, and arrested three people — a Libyan and two foreigners on suspicion of detaining and torturing migrants Prosecutors ordered the suspects to remain in detention pending investigation. Migrants’ mass graves are not uncommon in Libya. Last year authorities unearthed the bodies of at least 65 migrants in the Shuayrif region, 220 miles south of the capital, Tripoli. Libya is the dominant transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to make it to Europe. The country was plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Oil-rich Libya has been ruled for most of the past decade by rival governments in eastern and western Libya, each backed by an array of militias and foreign governments. Human traffickers have benefited from more than a decade of instability, smuggling migrants across the country’s borders with six nations, including Chad, Niger, Sudan Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia.
A boat on the Potomac River cruises past emergency response vehicles staging at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling on Jan. 30 in Washington, as seen from across the river near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., after a midair collision between a passenger jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67.
involving Boeing’s troubled 737 Max jetliner in 2018 and 2019. And last January, a door plug blew off a 737 Max while it was in flight, raising more questions about the plane.
And federal officials have been raising concerns about an overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control system for years, especially after a series of close calls between planes at U.S. airports. Among the reasons
they have cited for staffing shortages are uncompetitive pay, long shifts, intensive training and mandatory retirements.
President Donald Trump added to those concerns Thursday when he blamed the midair collision on the “obsolete” air traffic control system that airports rely on and promised to replace it. But even with all that, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy went on Fox
News earlier this week and tried to assure viewers that air travel is “way safer than traveling in a car and train. This is the safest mode of transportation.”
And the statistics back that up.
The National Safety Council estimates that Americans have a 1-in-93 chance of dying in a motor vehicle crash, while deaths on airplanes are too rare to calculate the odds. Figures from the U.S
Department of Transporta-
tion tell a similar story
What is being done?
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating these recent crashes and close calls to determine what caused them and look for ways to prevent similar incidents. There have already been troubling revelations about the midair collision, but it will take more than a year to get the full report on what happened.
The NTSB always recommends steps that could be taken to prevent crashes from happening again, but the agency has a long list of hundreds of previous recommendations that have been ignored by other government agencies and the industries it investigates.
But Duffy said the public is right to say that crashes like the recent ones are unacceptable. That is why he plans to make sure “safety is paramount” as he leads the agency that regulates all modes of transportation.
“I feel really good about where we’re at and where we’re going and the plans we have in place to make sure we even make the system safer and more efficient than it is today,” Duffy said in the Fox interview
BY HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said an elevated U.S. security partnership with South Korea and Japan poses a grave threat to his country and vowed to further bolster his nuclear weapons program, state media reported Sunday Kim has previously made similar warnings, but his latest statement implies again that the North Korean leader won’t likely embrace President Donald Trump’s overture to meet him and revive diplomacy anytime soon.
In a speech marking the 77th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army on Saturday Kim said the U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral security partnership established under a U.S. plot to form a NATO-like regional military bloc is inviting military imbalance on the Korean Peninsula and “raising a grave challenge to the security environment of our state,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency
“Referring to a series of new plans for rapidly bolstering all deterrence including nuclear forces, he clarified once again the unshakable policy of more highly developing the nuclear forces,” KCNA said. Amid stalled diplomacy
with the U.S. and South Korea in recent years, Kim has focused on enlarging and modernizing his arsenal of nuclear weapons. In response, the United States and South Korea have expanded their bilateral military exercises and trilateral training involving Japan. North Korea has lashed out at those drills, calling them rehearsals to invade the country
Since his Jan 20 inauguration, Trump has said he would reach out to Kim
again as he boasted of his high-stakes summit with him during his first term.
During a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday, Trump said that “We will have relations with North Korea, with Kim Jong Un. I got along with him very well, as you know I think I stopped the war.”
During a Fox News interview broadcast on Jan. 23, Trump called Kim “a smart guy” and “not a religious zealot.” Asked whether he
will reach out to Kim again, Trump replied, “I will, yeah.”
Trump met Kim three times in 2018-19 to discuss how to end North Korea’s nuclear program in what was the first-ever summitry between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea. The highstakes diplomacy eventually collapsed because Trump rejected Kim’s offer to dismantle his main nuclear complex, a partial denuclearization step, in return for broad sanctions relief.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By KEVINWOLF
Donaldsonville strives to retain historic culture
Town briefly became La.’s political seat 200 years ago
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
Strolling Railroad Avenue in Donaldsonville, you’ll see the second-oldest synagogue in Louisiana, now housing an Ace Hardware Across the street is Louisiana Square, an open park of live oaks and Spanish moss hanging from crepe myrtles at the site of the state capitol building nearly 200 years ago.
Average home sale price ticks up
Regional numbers help boost Lafayette
BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor
January topped $200,000 for the third time in recent months. The 149 homes sold outside Lafayette Parish sold at an average price of $206,278, according to data from analyst Bill Bacque, of Market Scope Consulting. It was a jump of nearly 10% from a year ago, data shows. It helped bump up the average price of all 318 homes sold in the region to $251,208, which is up 3% from a year ago and slightly above the 2024 average of $248,221. In Lafayette Parish, total sales dropped 12% from a year ago while average sale prices for new construction and existing homes went in opposite directions, data shows. The average cost of a new build dropped 6%, but existing homes jumped 7%. New listings increased by nearly 8% across the region and almost 10% in Lafayette Parish compared to a year ago.
Suspect arrested in shooting death
A Lafayette woman was killed early Sunday morning on Pinhook Road and a suspect has been arrested according to Lafayette police. Police responded to a hospital about 1 a.m. Sunday after a woman with an apparent gunshot wound arrived for treatment The woman, later identified as 21-year-old Keiara Ledet, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Advocate staff reports
Detectives determined she was shot on Pinhook Road near Carmel Drive and identified 20-year-old Wikeem Smith as a suspect. Smith was arrested and booked at Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on counts of second-degree murder, resisting an officer and possession of marijuana. Smith also had an active arrest warrant from Fort Smith, Arkansas, according to police. The investigation remains ongoing.
Unrestrained driver killed in Acadia Parish crash Louisiana State Police are investigating a crash that occurred just after midnight Sunday on Interstate 10 near Trumps Road in Acadia Parish.
Although it was a short-lived move, the small city still prides itself on the governmental distinction and holds it dear as one of several historical touchstones in the community The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill two centuries ago this week to pave the way for the state government seat’s transfer from New Orleans to Ascension Parish Mayor Leroy Sullivan said the significance of the city’s history
“is monumental.” “That’s history that could never be rewritten,” he said of the little city being the Louisiana capital from 1830-31. “It’s something that no one can take away from the city.” As that milestone anniversary approaches, Donaldsonville finds itself at an inflection point. Following decades of declining economic and political power — despite its status as the parish
seat — new industries are looking to move into the region on the east bank of the Mississippi River How this wave of economic development shakes out could determine the community’s trajectory for many years. Companies such as CF Industries hope to construct new ammonia plants in the area, while carbon sequestration proposals have brought significant pushback from residents. Some local leaders think the city should prioritize smaller businesses and tourism in light of its historic appeal.
The push to move the capital to Donaldsonville was driven by multiple factors, including an attempt to draw power away from New Orleans, LSU history professor Alecia Long said.
“The city had, you know a very powerful dynamic, a growing economic reputation. And for a lot of people up country, they considered New Orleans had too much influence over the state’s politics,” Long said.
“And so moving the capital in
PLENTy TO SEE
ABOVE: Shoppers browse tables filled with crafts along Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette. RIGHT: Tables filled with crafts line the street.
TOP: A jazz ensemble performs as guests shop artwork at Sans Souci Fine Crafts Gallery during Art Walk on Saturday in downtown Lafayette. Art Walk is a free event held on the second Saturday of every month to showcase local artists.
STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD BOWIE
Nation heading into ‘political twilight zone’
This nation once depended on a rule of law
If someone broke a law there was a consequence. The rule of law for one individual who has become president is no longer true. Wanting to be president for life (“I am not leaving”), he incited a riot where law enforcement officers were injured and some ultimately died. If United States senators had recognized the law, this man would now be in a federal penitentiary looking out through bars, but instead, he has now become president again. What was once right (the law) is no longer paramount. Now his administration is set to undo what has seemed the right thing to do. Climate change is occurring — snow in New Orleans, fires in Los Angeles, etc. The sensible policy would be to do all that can be done to minimize or reverse this trend. Yet his policy is “Drill, baby, drill.” Only in America are parents concerned about the safety of their children in schools due to gun violence. The sensible policy would be to do everything possible to reduce the abundance of guns. The integrity of the federal government should not be challenged for partisan purposes Now the civil service is to be altered so individuals can be hired and fired without cause. The FBI and CIA are responsible for the nation’s security Now the former is to be used to seek out citizens who dissent.
This nation has now entered into a political twilight zone. What was once right, the law is no longer of consequence. Whether this nation can survive this political twilight zone is unknown
BYRON ALMQUIST New Orleans
YOUR VIEWS
Church wants immigration policy based on dignity of all
We write with hearts full of compassion and a deep desire to express our solidarity with migrants during this stressful time. We recognize the immense challenges migrants face, and we want to assure them that they are not alone. Compelled by the gospel of Jesus Christ and recognizing the inherent dignity of each person as a child of God, we stand in firm solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters. As bishops, we will advocate for their just treatment and dignity within the framework of the law
The Church has always recognized the responsibility of nations to control their borders and create migration policies. What is clear is the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of our country’s immigration system. Catholic social teaching identifies principles that should be included in any reform. It is necessary that the root causes of forced migration should be addressed. Any law enforcement efforts should be tar-
geted, proportional and humane and should guarantee humanitarian protection and due process. Longtime residents should have an earned pathway to citizenship. Family unity should remain a cornerstone of the U.S. system and legal pathways to migration and citizenship should be expanded, reliable and efficient.
We also hope that our country can develop an effective asylum system for those fleeing persecution and an immigration system that keeps our borders safe and secure. Enforcement policies should focus on those who present risks and dangers to society — and in particular, aim to reduce gang activity stem the flow of drugs and end human trafficking.
Sacred scripture provides us with countless examples of God’s love for the stranger and the sojourner These words remind us that we are all pilgrims of hope on this Earth.
TOM COSTANZA executive director
Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’s city of residence.The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street 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.
TOSENDUS ALETTER SCANHERE
In view of recent criticism, I would like to offer a novel idea: Our proven and devoted civic leaders ought to be celebrated rather than condemned and subjected to a public hatchet job.
I have worked in New Orleans as a rabbi and appointed civic leader for almost 40 years, and I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of unstinting civic leadership in so many instances. Following Hurricane Katrina, when we were challenged to secure failing schools, address broken levees, protect from soaring crime and mammoth homelessness — our civic leadership selflessly stepped forward to help lead in each of these crises.
Without question, the scandals and offender wrongdoings within the Catholic Church of New Orleans present us with some of the saddest moments in our city’s history All of us acknowledge both the unnecessary agony experienced by the victims and their families, and despair over how it was so slowly addressed I take exception, however to the recent attacks by the national media and a local TV station, which chose Super Bowl week to highlight criticism of some of our city’s most respected and trusted leaders — almost suggesting that they themselves were accomplices in something sinister Federal Judge Jay Zainey is a champion of causes on behalf of the homeless. Newell Normand
has kept us safe as a sheriff and continues to serve by means of his daily radio show.
John Georges stepped forward and saved the locally owned newspaper, preventing it from shutting down.
Gayle Benson has supported nearly every charitable cause in the city since taking ownership of the Saints and the Pelicans. I trust these leaders to generously continue to work alongside so many others to help solve our city’s problems and do the right thing.
We should consider ourselves fortunate to have these people in our great city
RABBI EDWARD PAUL COHN New Orleans
Ten
Commandments
law doesn’t respect traditions of our country
The Jan. 24 guest column by Kelly Shackelford in support of Louisiana mandating display of the Ten Commandments is, in places, laughable. But I’m not laughing. He justifies his stand because “the Ten Commandments were widely displayed in schools for the first century of our nation.” Really? We have to do this now because that’s the way it used to be when lynchings were common, segregation was rampant and women couldn’t vote?
He warns “secular outrage” will lead to “public schools across the nation canceling all field trips to our nation’s capital.”
I went to Catholic schools for 10 years, and agree it is an important historical document. I agree that troubled kids should learn “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” But tell me please, when you meet your Jewish friends for a beer have you asked them their thoughts on Commandments I and II: “I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” When you invite your Muslim friends over for dinner have they mentioned that in the Quran there are 10 commandments given by Allah to mankind?
Would Shackelford favor that the life-guiding commandments of the Quran be posted in Louisiana classrooms also for the good of society, alongside the Ten Commandments? In Arabic? It’s only fair Bottom line: The way the U.S. was “for the first century” included Thomas Jefferson writing in 1802, “Religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
That’s the “history and tradition” of our nation and should continue to be.
TOM ROCHE New Orleans
Ignoring justice with Jan. 6 pardons will have consequences
President Donald Trump has issued a blank pardon to over 1,500 people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6 riot. Granted, some were not extremists and were, in fact, innocent dupes of Trump‘s urging to “fight like hell” and his statement that “if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country to protect anymore.”
However, these words and Trump’s false statements that the 2020 election was stolen paved the way for the insurrection by the White supremacist insurrection groups, The Oath Keepers and The Proud Boys.
Trump‘s recent election in turn also paved the way for the release of these dangerous extremists. They were found guilty by a 12-person jury of a duly constituted court of law that required a unanimous verdict of all 12 members of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. They were found guilty of the serious felony of seditious conspiracy to overthrow the government. For Trump to totally ignore the facts and circumstances of the most dangerous threat to the cornerstone of American law and justice that “no man is above the law“ is without conscience. It is, in the end, simply an action of a duly convicted felon, commuting sentences of duly convicted felons.
THOMAS GUILBEAU Lafayette
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
Families wait after being processed by the U.S Border Patrol and then dropped off at the Central Station bus terminal in downtown McAllen, Texas.
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson
COMMENTARY
HIGH STEPPING!
Carnival parade prep is in full swing, and it looks like this krewe is gonna take their fun to new heights! you never know what you’ll see around here this time of year!
So, what’s the little girl telling her friend in this cartoon? you tell me. Be witty, funny, crazy absurd or snarky — just try to keep it clean There’s no limit on the number of entries
The winning punchline will be lettered into the word balloon and run on Monday, Feb 17 in our print editions and online. In addition, the winner will receive a signed print of the cartoon along with a cool winner’s T-shirt! Some honorable mentions will also be listed.
To enter, email cartooncontest@theadvocate.com.
DON’T FORGET! All entries must include your name, home address and phone number Cell numbers are best
The deadline for all entries is midnight on Thursday, Feb 13.
Have fun, folks! — Walt
I.G. firings are blatantly illegal
Contempt for law
Contempt for Congress. Contempt for oversight. That is the lesson of President Donald Trump’s Friday night massacre of at least 14 inspectors general most appointed by Trump himself in his first term.
The blatantly illegal action is troubling in itself — nonpartisan inspectors general play a critical role in assuring the lawful and efficient operations of government, in Democratic and Republican administrations alike. An administration supposedly focused on making government more efficient would be empowering inspectors general, not firing them en masse.
But this episode is even more alarming than that. It offers a chilling foreshadowing of Trump unbound, heedless of the rule of law and unwilling to tolerate any potential impediment to his authority
Over a period of six weeks late into his first term, Trump ousted five inspectors general who had crossed him, a move that was deeply concerning but within his power as president. In a nod to the president’s constitutional prerogatives, the 1978 law establishing independent inspectors general authorizes the chief executive to dismiss them but requires that he provide Congress “the reasons for any such removal” at least 30 days beforehand.
In 2020, Trump complied with that minimal notice. Two years later Congress, with bipartisan support, tightened the statute, specifying that the president must inform lawmakers of the ‘‘substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons,” for the action.
On Friday night, the newly emboldened president ignored all that, summarily firing the inspectors general at the departments of Defense, State, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy Commerce and Agriculture as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, Small Business Administration and the Social Security Administration. The email, from White House head of presidential personnel Sergio Gor said the firings were “due to changing priorities” and announced that the dismissals were “effective immediately.”
The changing priority would appear to be letting the president function
without fear of oversight.
“This is unprecedented, this is unfortunate and it doesn’t seem to comport with the law,” said Glenn Fine, one of the inspectors general removed during Trump’s first term. “It undermines the credibility and independence of IG’s and their effectiveness if they’re viewed as tied to one political party or another rather than as independent and objective.”
Fine, who served as the Justice Department’s inspector general from 2000 until 2011 and acting inspector general at the Defense Department from 2016 to 2020, is the author of “Watchdogs: Inspectors General and the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government.”
One of the few presidentially appointed inspectors general who appear to have been spared is the Justice Department’s Michael Horowitz, a well-regarded Obama appointee whose reports on the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation were campaign trail fodder for Trump allies. Trump also did not dismiss the widely criticized inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security Joseph V. Cuffari Jr
Some of the inspectors general, I’m told, might turn up for work because they view their removal as unlawful.
“I recommend that you reach out to White House Counsel to discuss your intended course of action,” Small Business Administration inspector general Hannibal “Mike” Ware replied to Gor in a letter obtained by Politico. “At this point, we do not believe the actions tak-
en are legally sufficient to dismiss Presidentially Appointed, Senate Confirmed Inspectors General,” added Ware, who heads the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency
The firings don’t just pose a fundamental challenge to the inspectors general and the agencies they serve they are a threat to the authority of Congress itself. What is the point of laws if lawmakers permit them to be so cavalierly ignored? Yet the response of Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who has been a thundering champion of inspectors general, was disturbingly muted.
“There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so. I’d like further explanation from President Trump,” Grassley said in a statement. “Regardless, the 30-day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress.” Well, that sure tells them what’s what. Congress and the rest of us need to closely watch what comes next. Presumably, Trump didn’t remove the incumbent inspectors general just to let their deputies continue business as usual. “You can weaponize these jobs,” one of the ousted inspectors general told me. “You can ignore bad things. You can go after the prior administration. You can try to filter or edit work that comes out. They’ve taken away one of the huge checks and balances.” And that was precisely the point. Ruth Marcus is on X, @RuthMarcus.
The perverse defense of DEI
If you think meritocracy inevitably means White domination, you’re either a White racist or a supporter of DEI. Stephen A. Smith, the sportscaster is the latter and is convinced that talk of neutral standards is a tool of White supremacy Riffing off President Trump’s comments about DEI at the FAA after the Reagan National crash, Smith opined, “The way that the Trump administration is handling it — ‘we want the most qualified, we want the smartest, we want this, we want that’ — what you’re really saying is we want White dominance again. That’s what you’re really saying. You want White dominance!”
“You’re always using the word qualified, qualified, qualified,” Smith continued scornfully, objecting to the notion that “everybody that got a position through DEI is not qualified.”
“We know what you’re implying,” he added. “We know what you’re insinuating!”
Smith’s position amounts to saying, “How dare you suggest that a system to hire and promote people based on race and gender and other characteristics is hiring and promoting people based on race and gender and other characteristics.”
This is a common trope in the DEI debate, where the defenders of an overtly race-conscious ideology perversely impute race-consciousness to the defenders of colorblindness.
The New York Times ran a story on Trump’s attacks on DEI in the wake of the midair crash above the Potomac River asserting: “The meaning behind his words was clear, that diversity equals incompetence. And for many historians, civil rights leaders, scholars and citizens, it was an unmistakable message of racism in plain sight at the highest levels of American government.”
This, of course, conflates opposition to DEI with opposition to any diversity as such, in what is a ridiculous smear
The critics of DEI have no problem with qualified — to use the word Smith finds so offensive people of all backgrounds filling various jobs or getting accepted at elite universities. It is the DEI ideologues who care deeply about the racial and gender composition of every institution.
The Times quotes Margaret Huang, who is, sad to say, the president and chief executive of the Southern Poverty Law Center, declaring that the message of DEI’s enemies is “that women, Black and brown communities are inherently less capable, and if they hold positions of power or authority in government or business, it must be because the standards were lowered.”
No, the contention is that if standards are lowered in the name of DEI, then standards have been lowered to the detriment of the institution that has lowered them.
If proponents of DEI want to stop having a debate about qualifications, they could simply support across-the-board, race-neutral standards — but then they wouldn’t be proponents of DEI.
There is another, opposite tack of DEI’s defenders, who want to portray it as a form of meritocracy itself.
On This Week with George Stephanopoulos recently, Donna Brazile said that DEI “includes every American, women, minorities, people with disabilities, veterans” — apparently not noticing that she left out a large category of Americans, White males, in her list of “every American.”
For Brazile, DEI is “a tool that enables the government or corporations or individuals to open the door, to remove barriers, to bring in the best and the brightest.”
In her account, DEI is simply equality of opportunity Obviously, if the DEI regime meant nothing more than opening up doors to hire the best applicants, contract with the best companies, and admit the best students, there’d be no controversy over DEI. Brazile’s version of DEI runs counter to the welter of quotas, race-conscious trainings, and race-exclusive programs that actually make up the regime.
If she opposed all of that, she’d indeed be a staunch defender of meritocracy, but, again, then there’d be no disagreement. It’s a sign of the growing political and intellectual fragility of DEI that its defenders steadfastly refuse to cop to what they’re defending.
Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry.
Ruth Marcus
Rich Lowry
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVANVUCCI
President Donald Trump speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday
HISTORIC
Joseph mentioned the construction of Interstat
Continued from pag
some to the state Orleans.”
original seat mo to of 19, passed ing legislature in Donaldsonville in 1830 the home across Parish in “They meet in Donaldsonville only very briefly and come back. It’s kind of like a Pyrrhic victory,” Long said of the Legislature. “They win, but it turns out it’s not really what they want.”
all the time about before
State lawmakers moved the capital back to New Orleans in early January 1831, and Long said one reason was the capitol building itself had a leaky roof In 1846, Baton Rouge became the Louisiana capital city and remains the government lots sons leans) cosmopolit of said. differ that Sh munity ernment Parish, li Gonzales, the power me called he the growing you The there, m ment,” and the ’90s, the economics changed.”
significant political power within the parish when the population boom in Gonzales and Prairieville led to the creation of more council districts there. In 1960, the West Bank had four police jury representatives, while the east bank had six. Now, Joseph, the Ascension council member represents the entire west bank and a portion of the east bank north of the Sunshine Bridge. Depending on the future Throughout its history
cross over into an area where there’s prosperity for those that live here in the city.”
Several industries and businesses — including ammonia plants, carbon sequestration and automaker Hyundai — want to move into areas near Donaldsonville. Some local leaders think they can bring jobs, although many residents fear pollution from additional manufacturing plants. Hyundai promises
leaders of this community to make sure that we
“When I came up money was tight. If you had
LOTTERY
BLOTTER
traffic congestion from a previous crash. The Honda failed to stop and struck the rear of the Kenworth’s trailer Sowell, who
which owner Vincent Starwood opened bought last summer and has since worked to put back into commerce. Abody contour shop and a laundromat will openinthe development,which wasthe former Hanger Prosthetics& Orthotics. It already houses asmall grocerystore,called Starwood Marketplace, and a
Accord
on
behind a 2024 Kenworth tractor-trailer The Kenworth came to a stop in the right westbound lane because of
it along with another in Lafayette in December,isdoublethe size of their old building. Louvierre said they may expand the menu
Starwood said. “And Isaid I’ll put asmallgrocerystore there to help the community out. It was
SATURDAY, FEB 8, 2025
“I called everyresourcein Lafayette to help me, even with thiscoronavirus,” he said. “The
a dollar, you had something,” Boudreaux said.
“... All we’ve got now is the pollution, you see?”
L’Oréal Evans, executive director of the nonprofit River Road African American Museum, said Donaldsonville could prioritize its location and history to “clutch that sunshine” and attract financial resources and visitors.
“They have a great op-
portunity to develop a cultural economy that can bring in some of that money and foster an appreciation for the people who are there,” she said. “Because the people who are there have many talents. They have to be drawn out.”
Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher cartwright@theadvocate. com.
Unof
STAFF FILE PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS
quare. The rural town outside Baton Rouge
Bench brigade
Gilbert, reserves spark first-ever sweep by LSU of Lady Vols
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
When Aneesah Morrow picked up her third foul, forcing coach Kim Mulkey to put her on the bench, the LSU women’s basketball team was clinging to a onepoint lead over Tennessee. About five minutes still had to tick off the third-quarter clock.
Flau’jae Johnson, with three fouls of her own, sat on the sideline. So too did both of the LSU post players, relegated to supporting roles against a Lady Vols team that likes to run the floor and take 3s.
On Sunday, Mulkey didn’t have much of a choice. She had to throw Mikaylah Williams and a small, rag-tag lineup of reserve guards on the floor asking them to carry her offense through a crucial stretch of LSU’s 82-77 win over Tennessee.
“That might have been where the game was won,” Mulkey said.
The No. 6 Tigers (25-1, 10-1 SEC) outscored the No. 19 Lady Vols by four points across those five minutes. Williams orchestrated the offense. Kailyn Gilbert, in the midst of quashing a monthlong shooting slump, scored 12 of her game-high 23 points. Even Jada Richard, a freshman who saw the floor for just five minutes, nailed a jumper in the paint
That shot widened LSU’s lead to six points — all the cushion it needed to hang on to a win and sweep a home-and-home series with Tennessee for the first time in program history
“When you take two of your three main players,” Mulkey said, “and they’re sitting over there on the bench, you wonder how your bench and your players that you have on the floor are gonna respond. And I thought that they handled themselves beautifully.”
Exactly a month ago, these two teams met for a frenetic battle of offense, a clash that Gilbert decided with a driving, last-second hook shot. LSU has since proven it has a knack for winning close games, and Tennessee has since cemented its status as a player on the national scene.
The Lady Vols (17-7, 4-7) threatened upsets over No. 4 Texas and No. 2 South Carolina, then toppled No. 5 UConn on Thursday for the
first time since 2007, picking up a statement victory on their way to Baton Rouge. The Tennessee offense converted an efficient 48% of its shots against LSU. But LSU countered by forcing enough turnovers and grabbing enough offensive rebounds. The Tigers may not have shot it well from the field only 38% but they turned 19 Lady Vols’ giveaways into 24 points and scored 16 second-chance points off 15 offensive boards.
Under first-year coach Kim Caldwell, Tennessee wants to take lots of shots and earn lots of possessions But on Sunday it attempted 12 fewer field goals than LSU.
“We’re developing those that aren’t on the floor,” Mulkey said, “to be ready to go, and we don’t miss a beat.”
Williams scored 16 points and dished out seven assists. Johnson and Morrow combined to notch only 26 points on 8-of-26 shooting while battling foul trouble, but reserve guards Gilbert, Richard and Mjracle Sheppard picked up most of their scoring slack.
Sheppard chipped in eight points, and Gilbert broke the 20-point mark for the first time since the Tigers’ last matchup with Tennessee. The LSU bench
scored 34 points. Tennessee’s reserves, on the other hand, accounted for only six. Jewel Spear, Talaysia Cooper, Ruby Whitehorn and Zee Spearman each scored in double figures, but their contributions weren’t enough to beat a more balanced LSU team
“They did some special stuff in the skills that they have,” Mulkey said. “(Sheppard) just brings that energy, that defensive intensity You better know where she is because she’s gonna go in there and get an offensive board She’s gonna go in there and block a big shot. She’s just active, and she makes everybody else play just a little bit faster.”
LSU now has hosted seven games against ranked SEC opponents since Mulkey took over the program in 2021. Before Sunday, it was 4-2 in those matchups, with both losses coming to South Carolina.
The Tigers have only five games left in the regular season, and four of those contests likely will be Quad 1 games.
LSU’s next matchup, a road clash with Texas, is one of those games. It will tip off at 2 p.m. next Sunday
Because the Longhorns beat South Carolina 66-62 on Sunday, the Tigers are now in a tie for first place in the SEC.
Sixth straight loss ‘crushing’ for LSU, McMahon
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
Enthusiasm seeps through Cam Carter’s pores. The senior is more than LSU’s leading scorer He is the neighborhood superstar from Donaldsonville, the Tigers’ jovial leader with a relentless work ethic. Outside of his 3-point shot, Carter’s animated spirit is what he’s most known for At the end of Saturday’s game, his effervescence was gone.
The Tigers’ 72-70 loss to No. 25 Ole Miss at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center drained Carter of his liveliness more than it ever has in a season in which LSU has lost 9 of its last 10 games after starting 11-2 Carter, who had 16 points, walked off the PMAC floor stunned just like the rest of his LSU (12-10 1-9 SEC) teammates after their opponent went on a 13-0 run in the final three minutes and 15 seconds. The run was capped off by a game-winning putback by Dre Davis who had a game-high 22
ä LSU at Arkansas. 8P.M WEDNESDAy,ESPN2
points for Ole Miss (18-6, 7-4).
“I blame myself a little bit because I got caught in the moment,” Carter said on the Rebels’ game-winning score. “Started watching, had (Daimion Collins) battling by himself.”
Carter entered and left the postgame presser deadpan after answering questions sounding crushed from the contest that extended his team’s losing streak to six.
The pain surpassed that of the 31-point loss to Texas on Feb. 1 because LSU is now even more desperate for a victory and played clean enough to earn an 11-point lead late against a ranked opponent that is 19th on KenPom as of Sunday
“Heartbroken (I) wasn’t able to help our players to the finish line there at the end of the game,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “I thought for 36 minutes, we played our best basketball in league play against a legitimate top 15 team in the country And to not be able to finish, to not be able to make the
plays we needed to make down the stretch is devastating.”
The final minutes for LSU were an epic collapse that showcased the team’s deficit in poise compared to an Ole Miss unit that has played six games that were decided by three points or less this season.
LSU’s loss to Ole Miss was its first of that distinction.
The Tigers went 12 of 25 from the free-throw line, making less than 50% for the first time since the 2022-23 season. Ole Miss made 6 of 8 free throws in the final three minutes
LSU’s lack of composure when it mattered most makes the positives for the majority of the night feel erased.
“I’ve got a lot of respect going to LSU basketball and the coach,” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard said. “They gave us all we could handle tonight, obviously, all the way to the buzzer I thought they were the most aggressive team for most of the game.”
Is this a new low for the 202425 season? McMahon doesn’t think like that but acknowledged
Hernández agrees to new deal with Dodgers
LOS ANGELES After welcoming a flurry of new faces to the organization this offseason, the Dodgers brought back a much more familiar face on Sunday
The team and Kiké Hernández have agreed on a contract that will see the veteran utilityman re-sign with the club for its World Series defense in 2025, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Terms of the deal, which is still pending a physical, were not immediately clear Hernández signaled the news himself by posting a video to social media Sunday afternoon, with the caption “walking through the open door.”
The Dodgers left the door open for a reunion with Hernández this offseason, even amid their other signings in recent months.
Jets tell QB Rodgers they are ‘moving on’ from him
The New York Jets organization has told the 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers it is “moving on from him,” Fox Sports reported Sunday Rodgers said toward the end of the Jets’ 5-12 season he was undecided on his playing future, saying he wanted to take “a break mentally to kind of refresh and put my feet in the sand, and see where I’m at after that.”
But there was uncertainty as to whether the Jets would even want to move forward with the four-time MVP as the team’s quarterback. The Jets recently hired general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn, and owner Woody Johnson said at their introductory news conference on Jan. 27 the new regime would have the final say in that decision.
Another knee surgery a possibility for Embiid MILWAUKEE Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid acknowledged Sunday he may have to undergo another surgery on the left knee that has bothered him the last year if it isn’t feeling any better by the end of the season. During the telecast of the 76ers’ 135-127 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, ABC reported that Embiid said he believes his knee would likely require another surgery and long recovery period. The 76ers star wasn’t as definitive about it when talking to reporters after the game, but indicated offseason surgery could at least be a possibility “I think the straightforward answer is that when you’ve got something that’s inconsistent, at some point, you’ve got to do something about it,” Embiid said. “We don’t know what it is. We’re looking into every option.”
Detry gets first PGA Tour victory at Phoenix Open
Thomas Detry claimed his maiden PGA Tour title with a convincing Phoenix Open win at TPC Scottsdale.
The Belgian began the final round with a five-shot lead over Jordan Spieth, Rasmus Hojgaard, Daniel Berger and Michael Kim. However, while that would have given him plenty of confidence ahead of Sunday’s action, some in the chasing pack threatened to quickly eat up his lead in the opening holes.
After making birdie at the first, Detry then bogeyed the second. However, a second birdie followed on the next hole before he began to find his rhythm.
how it is agonizing for a strong effort not to be rewarded with a win.
“I’m not sure,” the third-year coach said when asked if this was his team’s lowest moment. “I mean, it just happened. It is crushing when you pour everything you have into it. Players really were connected as one. I felt we really competed at a high level, played the game the right way We played with more physicality than we shown in our last two outings. And to not be able to close it out is difficult to handle, certainly.”
The way McMahon knows how to move forward is by learning from the game film, seeing how his team — with a record that it’s not proud of was able to push a ranked foe to the brink.
For the players, they’ll lean on each other
“I just feel like staying together as a team staying the course, trusting the process,” Collins said. “And just coming back, getting back in the lab, going to work and just trying to come out the next game and get a win.”
“Today I paid more attention,” Detry said. “Yesterday, I actually felt pretty comfortable and I did the exact same routine, and I actually felt comfortable on the first tee.”
Noh claims maiden LPGA Tour title at Founders Cup BRADENTON,Fla Yealimi Noh turned a one-shot deficit into a three-shot lead over Jin Young Ko in the span of two holes on the back nine on Sunday and cruised from there to her first LPGA victory in the Founders Cup.
The 23-year-old from Northern California closed with a bogey-free, 3-under 68 for a four-day total of 21-under 263 at Bradenton Country Club, four shots better than Ko (71). Noh made her last bogey of the week on her final hole of Friday’s second round, then surged into the lead Saturday with a 63. Noh was making her 111th career start, the first of her sixth season on tour “To really get it done, and especially in the first tournament of
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU guard Kailyn Gilbert finishes a layup past Tennessee guard Talaysia Cooper (55) in the fourth quarter Sunday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Gilbert scored 23 points as LSU defeated Tennessee 82-77.
UL softball wins third straight game
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staffwriter
In many ways, UL’s business-like 8-1 win over Longwood on Sunday was the prototypical formula for victory for this year’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball team.
No, there weren’t a ton of balls pounding or going over the wall.
It was good pitching, solid defense, aggressive baserunning and concocting ways to score runs.
“Absolutely, that’s what we envisioned,” UL coach Alyson Habetz said. “We’re just trying to play fast and create chaos for people.”
The result was a comfortable win that got the Cajuns over the .500 mark for the first time this season at 3-2. UL will play Northern Illinois at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational.
“It was tough for me and some of the seniors too,” shortstop Cecilia Vasquez said of the 0-2 start.
“That’s not how we wanted to start the season, but since we’re bought in to what coach Aly is saying — just supporting each other and doing the little things right that it was kind of easy to bounce back.”
It began with freshman pitcher Mallory Wheeler in the circle.
The tall right-hander dominated the Lancers’ lineup to earn her first win at UL after entering with a 0.00 ERA over 3 2/3 relief innings.
“I definitely was waiting to go in (as a starter),” Wheeler said. “I was really happy to get my chance today I was a lot calmer than the first time I went out. I feel pretty comfortable right now I’m able to trust my stuff. Throwing to my team in the fall definitely helped.” Wheeler gave up one run on five hits, walked two and struck out four in seven innings. She threw 100 pitches.
“(Catcher) Savannah (White) and I are definitely on the same page,” Wheeler said. “She knows what I’m going to do in different counts and where I want to locate the ball. She’s really good back there and relying on what I’m really good at.”
The Lancers’ run came in the sixth. With two outs and no one on, two singles and a hit batsman scored the run with help from a fielding error after the first single
“To see her (Wheeler) settle down and get four strikeouts with only two walks and just go after people was just awesome,” Habetz
said. “She just has a look in her eye that she wants the ball. She’s a freshman who is not scared. She wants the ball.”
Offensively, the Cajuns’ charge began with three runs in the first inning. Emily Smith’s RBI single followed a walk and hit batsman ahead of Laney Credeur’s RBI ground-out.
“That was big right there to show that we can still score when the leadoff hitter doesn’t get on,” Habetz said.
Sam Roe followed with an RBI single to right for the third run.
Maddie Hayden then helped UL manufacture insurance runs in the second and fourth innings. Hayden got a bunt single to lead off
the second, stole second, took third on Kayla Falterman’s bunt and scored on Cecilia’s Vasquez’s sacrifice fly to right.
“I’m feeling good,” Vasquez said. “I feel like I’m seeing the ball well and making adjustments pitch to pitch. I don’t really think it’s a different mentality at the plate, but a different philosophy I would say We’re definitely doing more squeezes, but it’s going to win some big games for us in tight situations.
“We work on it a lot. I think that’s what you have to do, because in the big moments, there’s going to be a lot of pressure.”
In the fourth, Hayden singled, advanced on Falterman’s bunt and Vasquez knocked in the
HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER PLAYOFFS
AES advances to semifinals after victory in 2 OTs
BY NEAL McCLELLAND
Contributing writer
The Ascension Episcopal boys soccer has a problem clearing a certain hurdle recently
Three times in the past four seasons the Blue Gators have reached the Division IV semifinals only to come away empty each time.
On Saturday night in Youngsville, two seniors gave AES another shot to end that streak.
Senior forward Rubens Vega and senior goalkeeper Les Schouest provided the muscle as Blue Gators, the No. 2 seed in Division IV rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit to beat seventh-seeded Covenant Christian 2-1 in two overtimes in the quarterfinals to advance to their fourth semifinal in five years.
“We went to the semifinals my eighth grade year, my freshman year and last year,” Schouest said.
“I’ve been there three times, never made it out.
“But now we’re are going to host the semifinals for the first time, and that is new We know that we are better than the team that we are going to play
“Not that we are an overconfident team but we know our quality We know how hard we play our game, the results will come.
“It’s nerve-wracking, but we are ready for the challenge.”
Ascension will play the winner of Northlake Christian and Episcopal of Baton Rouge in the semifinals, which must be played by Saturday Northlake Christian and Episcopal are set to play Tuesday at Northlake.
Coach Ricardo Caliman said it took the Blue Gators a little longer to get going in the quarterfinal than normal.
“It did but at the same time we stayed true to who we are,” the Brazilian native said. “Regardless of the result, we don’t change the way we play and that;s what gave us the result.”
Ascension Episcopal trailed 1-0 in the first five minutes, tied the game on Vega’s first goal four minutes into the second half, then Vega’s second goal, in the finals second of the second overtime period, pushed AES to the win.
“We kept the same pace throughout the game,” Caliman
run on a squeeze bunt.
Entering the sixth inning, 2-3 hitters Falterman and Vasquez were a combined 0-for0 with three sacrifice bunts, a sacrifice fly, a walk and a hit batsman.
In that inning, Falterman singled and Vasquez collected an RBI single to left.
“Cis (Vasquez) was awesome at the plate,” Habetz said. “She goes from a squeeze to score a run to a single that scores two runs just making things happen.”
Credeur followed with a two-run single to give her three RBIs.
“It’s about timely hitting and executing,” Habetz said.
said. “Even when we were behind in the first three minutes of the game, we never had a doubt that we were going to win.
“We stayed patient, we stayed true to what we do, and that is why we came out ahead.”
AES fell behind four minutes into the match as Covenant Christian buried a free kick from 40 yards out that just got by Schouest.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware that they were bangling top corner free kicks from 40 yards out,” Schouest said. “But after that, we played pretty stout and limited them on offense.”
But on offense, the Blue Gators came up empty despite numerous
chances. Even with the missed opportunities, the Blue Gators never lost hope.
“We just have to wait and be patient because we knew that one goal would come,” Schouest said. Enter Vega. Four minutes into the second half, that one goal came as the AES senior striker connected on his first bicycle kick goal to tie the game.
“It was a throw-in and a little behind me and I never did a bicycle kick for a goal,” Vega said. “Once that kick went in, it gave us a lot of confidence and really spurred us on.”
The two teams battled for the
rest of the second half and a scoreless first 10-minute overtime period but with less than 20 second left in the second overtime, Vega came through with the game-winner.
“We have a bunch of shots at the target and one of them came back to me and I was there to put it in,” Vega said.
Ten seconds later, the referee blew the whistle and AES was on to the semifinal again.
“Last year, we lost to our rival ESA in the semifinal,” Vega said.
“Now we have a chance to redeem ourselves and get a shot at competing for the state title.”
Adams keeps the ball rolling in first year as STM head coach
BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer
St. Thomas More’s Dane Adams isn’t new to the Cougars’ boys soccer program. Adams had spent the past seven years serving as an assistant coach on John Plumbar’s staff. So, when he was hired before the start of this season as Plumbar’s successor, Adams and the Cougars didn’t need to get acclimated.
“There hasn’t been a lot of change,” Adams said. “The boys appreciated that because they knew what they were getting with me.”
As a result of that familiarity, Adams and the Cougars had more time to focus on getting the program back to their state championship winning ways.
The Cougars lost in the quarterfinals a year ago after winning back-to-back state championships.
“We were able to just pick up right from where we left off,” Adams said.
“We know the culture that has been established here. We know we are here to win state championships and to be the best that we can possibly be We have a large culture, a great culture and our goal is to elevate that culture.”
Adams credited his coaching staff and the players for making a smooth transition.
“This season has exceeded all of my expectations,” Adams said. “My staff has made it easier for me because they have lived the culture and have been part of the culture. We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for my outstanding coaches and the receptiveness of the players. They have all done a phenomenal job.”
The fifth-seeded Cougars, who are 17-4-3, will look to continue their winning ways when they travel to face No. 4 Central Lafourche at 6 p.m. Monday in the Division II quarterfinals.
“We are excited,” Adams said of the quarterfinals matchup. “I’m getting to go home to my alma mater.”
Led by Luke Finley Noah Bloom, Christian Breaux and Connor Smith, Adams said the Cougars have the perfect combination of offensive and defensive firepower to make things difficult for opposing teams.
“We’re a team. When we have a group of four or five players attacking with patience and finishing, that’s lethal,” Adams said. “Defensively, we have had more than 10 clean sheets on the year We are hard to get around. Even when we substitute, we are still
coming after you.” When asked the key to the Cougars extending their season by knocking off Central Lafourche, Adams quickly replied “continuing to be us.
“We have to win the ball, work hard, make smart passes and control the two things we can control attitude and effort,” Adams said. “We are experienced in our senior class. Those guys have won two state championships, so they know what it takes to be great. We just have to stick to our identity and execute.”
Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.
STAFF
PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
UL pitcher Mallory Wheeler, left, celebrates with catcher Mia Norwood after the Cajuns’ 8-1 win over Longwood on Sunday at Lamson Park
HISTORY DENIED
Eagles stop Chiefs’ quest for first-ever three-peat in dominant fashion
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staffwriter
Super Bowls aren’t supposed to sound like this. They aren’t supposed to sound like a home game in South Philadelphia. Team chants and theme songs aren’t supposed to reverberate from the walls and acoustics of the stadium.
Super Bowl crowds are usually made up of corporate bigwigs and celebrities. They typically have little tolerance for fandom and passion
But inside the Caesars Superdome, home of Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles’ sound could not be denied They had plenty of reasons to celebrate. On the field, where confetti showered as soon as the clock hit zero, the Eagles delivered just as dominant of a performance.
The Eagles emphatically denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ attempt at a threepeat with a stunning 40-22 victory, delivering a master class of a defensive performance that will likely be remembered for years to come.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, regarded as the sport’s best passer, was held to only 257 yards passing and sacked six times The Eagles did so by rushing only four defensive linemen and trusting the secondary to prevent explosive plays.
It was a stunning performance, one accompanied by an excellent showing from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (221 yards passing) and the rest of the offense.
Just two years ago, the Eagles failed to beat the Chiefs in a Super Bowl Hurts had said that game ignited a fire inside him, and it appeared it did the
same for many of his teammates who shared the pain of that defeat.
But these aren’t the same Eagles of two years ago And this past offseason had a lot to do with it. After a disastrous end to the 2023 season a flameout that saw a dominant 10-1 start turn into an 11-6 finish with a first-round exit Eagles coach Nick Sirianni overhauled key parts of his coaching staff. On offense, he turned to Kellen Moore, a brilliant but young play-caller who could seamlessly blend the existing ideas already in place to bring a fresh approach to the Eagles. And on defense, Sirianni poached Vic Fangio, the well-respected defensive mastermind who left the Miami Dolphins after just one season to oversee Philadelphia’s defense.
But coaching alone would not fix the Eagles.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman set out to correct the main flaws on the roster And he arguably did it better than anyone this past year In free agency, he landed star running back Saquon Barkley on a three-year, $37.5 million deal. And in an era when paying big money to the position had become toxic, Roseman said he felt the narrative had shifted too far the other way — and he was rewarded for that confidence. Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to finish with at least 2,000 yards rushing and the 28-year-old became the identity of Philadelphia’s offense.
Roseman’s other moves also paid off.
Zack Baun, on a one-year, $3.5 million deal, turned into one of the league’s best feel-good stories as he transformed from a seldom-used reserve with the New Orleans Saints to a Defensive Player of the Year finalist. In the draft, the Eagles dramatically overhauled
their secondary with back-to-back picks of cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first and second rounds.
But the Eagles have been seemingly annual contenders, and the organization’s philosophy was on full display in the Super Bowl.
Repeatedly on Sunday, in ways that hadn’t been seen since his first Super Bowl loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mahomes ran for his life.
He ran for his life when Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter burst through the line of scrimmage. He ran for his life when Eagles pass rusher Josh Sweat used his superiority to bend around the edge. He ran for his life when the rest of the Eagles defensive line gave him little to no breathing room.
The strength of the Eagles’ trenches — which Philadelphia invests in time and time again — forced Mahomes into uncharacteristic mistakes.
No sequence demonstrated that better than in the second quarter, when Philadelphia recorded a pair of sacks on first and second downs before Mahomes threw an interception that DeJean returned for a touchdown.
On the turnover, which gave the Eagles a 17-0 lead, pressure forced Mahomes to roll out to his right as the quarterback tried to force a careless throw in a desperate attempt to make something happen. But DeJean, whose 22nd birthday was Sunday read the play perfectly
At halftime, the Eagles had a higher pressure rate (47%) on Mahomes’ passes than the quarterback’s completion percentage (42%).
Mahomes’ 33 yards passing in the first half were the lowest in a Super
Bowl since Chicago’s Rex Grossman in 2007.
The Eagles offensive line, meanwhile, also put its imprint on the game. While Kansas City was more than prepared for Barkley who had a quieter day of just 57 rushing yards, the Eagles’ front was still able to make an impact by how it created time — and open lanes — for Hurts.
The Chiefs often dared Hurts to beat them with his arm, and he did. On Philadelphia’s second drive, the Eagles quarterback hit wide receiver Jahan Dotson for a 27-yard strike that put Philadelphia just short of the goal line. Then, in a play everyone saw coming, the Eagles ran their unstoppable Tush Push that resulted in a Hurts touchdown. Hurts, too, made up for any lack of Barkley’s rushing success. Whether by design or improvisation, Hurts rushed for 72 yards on 11 carries — which helped Philadelphia keep moving the chains.
The dagger happened when Mahomes threw his second interception — a pass that went right to Baun, his first in the Superdome, no less. With starting field position at Kansas City’s 6-yard line, Hurts soon found A.J. Brown on an underneath route that resulted in a touchdown.
At that point, the Eagles took a 24-0 lead before halftime.
The Chiefs would score three times a 24-yard pass to Xavier Worthy a 7-yard strike to DeAndre Hopkins and a 50-yarder to Worthy — but the Eagles, by that point, were never in danger of losing.
Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com
42231118 Sacramento24304524—123 3-Point Goals—New Orleans 14-36 (McCollum 6-11, Boston 3-5, Murphy III 3-8, Reeves 1-3, Alvarado 1-5, Green 0-2, Hawkins 0-2) Sacramento 11-41 (Ellis 3-5, K.Murray 2-8, Monk 2-8, LaRavia 1-2, Sabonis 1-3, Lyles 1-5, LaVine 1-7, DeRozan 0-3). Fouled Out—New Orleans None, Sacramento 1 (Sabonis). Rebounds—New Orleans 39 (Missi 13), Sacramento 51 (Sabonis 16). Assists—New Orleans 27 (Alvarado 9), Sacramento 24 (Monk 7). Total Fouls—New Orleans 24, Sacramento 22. A—17,832 (17,608) College softball Saturday’s games McNeese State 1, Marist 0 Southeastern Louisiana 10, 1 McNeese State 6, Bucknell 1 Southeastern Louisiana 10, Central Arkansas 1 LSU 10, Charlotte 1 Seton Hall 4, UL 2 LSU 6, Central Arkansas 0 UL 9, George Mason 1 Southern 17, Utah Tech 2 Cal-State Fullerton 8, Southern 0 Sunday’s games UL 8, Longwood 1 LSU 3, Southeastern Louisiana 2 Wednesday’s
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
The Eagles celebrate a touchdown during Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday.
‘The power of the organ ’
An Arkansas organist is playing
BY ANDREW DEMILLO Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.
— It was hushed inside a 140-year-old cathedral on the outskirts of Little Rock’s downtown as about five dozen people sat in the pews during a recent lunch break in January
The nave filled with the sounds of the Gothic church’s pipe organ, and a screen showed a man performing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach Those gathered weren’t there for church, but for the third concert in a series Colin MacKnight is performing over the next year to commemorate the 275th anniversary of Bach’s death MacKnight, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral’s music director, is performing all of Bach’s organ works throughout 2025 one lunch break at a time. The ambitious plan entails performing 18 hours of music in half-hour increments nearly every Wednesday “I’ve wanted to for a really long time because it’s, I think, the most thorough way of immersing myself in the brilliance of Johann Sebastian Bach,” MacKnight said one morning as he rehearsed in the empty cathedral the day before a
tive’s funeral when he was about 12 years old.
“Something about hearing it that time just really mesmerized me and that was the beginning of my love of Bach,” he said.
The 31-year-old’s hands move easily between the four keyboards of the organ console, flanked by knobs controlling different sounds that are assembled into various combinations.
Underneath, his feet press on the pedalboards — combining to create the notes of Bach’s works.
MacKnight, who has played the organ since he was 16, acknowledges how dizzying the sight of the instrument can be for newcomers.
“If you don’t know what you’re looking at, it’s a little overwhelming, like an airplane console,” he said.
concert.
The concerts in Little Rock are among several events around the world this year commemorating the German composer’s legacy and the anniversary of his death.
MacKnight, who is from Bethesda, Maryland, has been music director at Trinity for three years. He said the first time he remembers hearing Bach was at a rela-
MacKnight’s concerts — which are free and open to the public — are also mini-lessons for those who come, with a glossary of terms like concerto and fugue included in the program. In between pieces, MacKnight gives audience members some background on Bach and his organ works.
Singer-songwriter
Turn to ‘5 Love
Languages’
to show love, affection to patient
JOHNSON Does someone with Alzheimer’s disease lose their need for love and affection during the progression of the disease?
Alzheimer’s disease can affect a person’s relationships in many ways, including how they feel about love and intimacy According to the book, “Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade: The 5 Love Languages and the Alzheimer’s Journey,” by Debbie Barr, Gary Chapman and Edward Shaw, it is possible to sustain an emotional connection, or emotional intimacy with a memoryimpaired individual, as the affected individual’s need for love does not disappear with the diagnosis.
The authors define the “5 Love Languages,” (5LL), as: n Words of affirmation n Quality moments n Gifts for “receiving gifts” n Acts of services n Physical touch.
Words of affirmation, the first of the 5LL’s describes the power of unsolicited compliments or words of appreciation. “I love you” or “You did an amazing job” are examples of encouraging and thoughtful phrases and are important to say in making the affected partner feel loved. Loving considerations under this love language focus on the partner’s feelings rather than facts. Even as the disease progresses and the affected partner has difficulty understanding the affirmations, they still respond to the warmth of the caregiver’s voice and may even nod their head or make a gesture to reply The next of the 5LL’s is “quality moments.” The spouse/ partner of the affected individual — or caregiver and loved one should think in terms of quality moments instead of quality time, noting how important it is to live in their reality at that moment. The book describes these special moments as soul connections, which run much deeper than just shared experiences.
Of all the love languages, giftgiving and receiving is arguably the most often misconstrued. “Gifts for ‘receiving gifts,’” the third 5LL, demonstrates love with a tangible item. The giftgiving isn’t an extravagance; it’s all about sentiment. It says to the individual, “I was thinking about you when I saw this,” and serves as a reminder that they are loved. These expressions could include flowers, a favorite snack, or tickets to a concert, and especially nearing Valentine’s Day, these gifts enhance the relationship and are always a means of promoting dialogue and connection. In the fourth 5LL, “Acts of Service” describes the preservation of identity and individuality Caregivers perform numerous acts of service (caregiving responsibilities) for their affected partners during the disease journey, but it is the creation of meaningful and purposeful activities that sustain emotional intimacy in this
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By KATIEADKINS
Colin MacKnight, director of music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Little Rock, Ark., rehearses for his upcoming lunchtime concert series featuring the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Living in zero gravity causes many changes to body
Dear Doctors: Our 11-year-old son is fascinated with those astronauts who are stuck on the space station. One of the things he asks about a lot is how being in space for that long affects the human body Do you know what the latest research says about that?
Dear reader: You are referring to two American astronauts who arrived at the International Space Station last June for what was planned to be an eight-day mission. When the experimental spacecraft they had piloted developed technical difficulties, however, NASA decided the pair should wait for the arrival of a replacement spacecraft to make the return trip. As of New Year’s Day, the two astronauts had logged more than 200 days in space. They are not scheduled to return to Earth until at least March
ByTheAssociated Press
Today is Monday, Feb. 10, the 41st day of 2025. There are 324 days left in the year
Today in history
On Feb. 10, 1962, on the Glienicke Bridge connecting West Berlin and East Germany, the Soviet Union exchanged captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy held by the United States.
On this date
1736, the treaty ending the Seven Years’ War was signed in Paris, with France ceding its territory in Canada to Great Britain.
In 1936, Nazi Germany’s Reichstag passed a law investing the Gestapo secret police with absolute authority, exempt from any legal review.
In 1959, an F4-intensity tornado tore through the St.
Dr. Elizabeth Ko Dr Eve Glazier ASKTHE DOCTORS
As the astronauts await their ride home, they are undergoing significant physiological changes That’s because our bodies have evolved to both overcome and to utilize the pull of gravity The absence of that constant resistance affects every cell, tissue, structure and biological system. That’s why astronauts in space spend hours each day exercising. Without the pull of gravity to work against, muscle mass
TODAY IN HISTORY
Louis area, killing 21 people and injuring 345. In 1967, the 25th Amendment to the U.S Constitution, dealing with presidential disability and succession, was adopted as Minnesota and Nevada ratified it.
In 1981, eight people were killed when a fire set by a busboy broke out at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino.
In 1996, world chess champion Garry Kasparov lost the first game of a match in Philadelphia against an IBM computer dubbed “Deep Blue.” (Kasparov ended up winning the match, 4 games to 2; however, he was defeated by Deep Blue in a rematch the following year.)
Today’s birthdays: Opera singer Leontyne Price is 98.
Actor Robert Wagner is 95 Singer Roberta Flack is 88. Olympic swimming gold
decreases and muscles begin to atrophy Within several weeks, astronauts lose up to 10% to 20% of their lean muscle mass. Weightlessness erases the physical cues that trigger bone remodeling. This is the process in which new bone continuously replaces old bone. As a result, bone mass in astronauts decreases by 1% to 2% every month they spend in space. Fluids change their behavior in the microgravity of space, as well. This adversely affects the heart, circulation and blood pressure; leads to persistent nasal congestion; causes tissues of the face and upper body to become swollen; affects the inner ear and vision; and even results in increased flatulence and constipation. The vacuum of space also interferes with the production of
red blood cells, resulting in a condition dubbed “space anemia.” Astronauts are exposed to higher amounts of ionizing radiation, which can increase cancer risk. There is also emerging evidence that space travel affects the structure of the human brain. The newest research has found that living in space even causes changes to human DNA. This was discovered in a fascinating study of identical twin brothers Scott and Mark Kelly Both are astronauts who have spent time in space. From March 2015 to March 2016, while Mark remained on Earth, Scott lived on the International Space Station.
Upon Scott’s return after a year spent living in zero gravity, genetic analysis found that almost 1,000 of his chromosomes and genes worked differently than
those of his twin brother. The good news is many of the adverse effects of space travel resolve upon return to Earth. Some, such as the effects of fluid shifts, take only a short time. Others, including loss of muscle mass, bone density and cognitive effects, can take many months and intense rehabilitation to overcome. Some can be permanent. That has made the development of space suits and space craft to mitigate these effects a priority within the global space community
Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.
medalist Mark Spitz is 75.
Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman is 70. Basketball Hall of Fame coach John Calipari is 66. Filmmaker Alexander Payne is 64. TV host-political commentator George Stephanopoulos is 64. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., is 63. Political commentator Glenn Beck is 61. Actor Laura Dern is 58. Writer-producerdirector Vince Gilligan (TV: “Breaking Bad”) is 58. Football Hall of Famer Ty Law is 51. Actor-filmmaker
Elizabeth Banks is 51. Basketball Hall of Famer Tina Thompson is 50. Reggaeton singer Don Omar is 47. Actor Uzo Aduba is 44. Actor Stephanie Beatriz is 44.
Actor Emma Roberts is 34.
Olympic swimming gold medalist Lilly King is 28.
Actor Chloe Grace Moretz is 28. Actor Yara Shahidi is 25.
Continued from page 5C
“These pieces are in the unfortunate category of being much, much harder than they sound,” he says. Generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time, Bach is known in particular for his organ works and their heavy use of pedals and complex structures. Few organists perform the composer’s complete organ works, given the difficulty and quantity of the music They include Grammywinning organist Paul Jacobs, who taught MacKnight at the Juilliard School. Jacobs performed an 18-hour nonstop concert of Bach’s organ works to mark the
LOVE
Continued from page 5C
250th anniversary of the composer’s death in 2000.
The free concerts so far have drawn a mix of church members, classical music aficionados and newcomers who say they want a quiet break from the daily bustle.
“I like the complexity of the music and the power of the organ which stirs me internally,” said Barry Coplin, a member of the church who has attended two of MacKnight’s concerts.
Ben Wiley, who lives about 30 minutes away, is a classical music fan who was attending his third of MacKnight’s shows and said he appreciates being able to hear Bach’s works in halfhour increments.
“It’s a good way to be able to get it done in short bursts, to be able to absorb it better
and come back to get the next batch,” he said.
MacKnight is also performing a 100-minute concert of Bach’s most extensive organ work the Clavier-Ubung III, sometimes referred to as the German Organ Mass — on July 28, the day the German composer died in 1750 at 65.
The Rev Thomas Alexander, a priest at Trinity, said the concerts allow the public to enjoy MacKnight’s talents, come together and learn more about Bach in a way they normally wouldn’t be able to.
“It’s like reading someone’s complete collection of novels. You get to really get to know someone in a comprehensive way,” Alexander said. “But it also builds a sense of community.”
Financial stress causes feelings of severe isolation
Dear Harriette: I’m feeling completely overwhelmed by my financial situation. With paying off student loans, covering my living expenses and trying to save for the future, I feel like I’m barely keeping my head above water Rent alone takes up half of my paycheck, and despite budgeting carefully, I’m struggling to make any real progress. I don’t want to move in with my parents, because I value my independence and feel like it would be a step backward, but it’s starting to feel like my only option. I desperately want to build financial stability and work toward a more secure future, but I don’t even know where to start. On top of that, I often feel isolated since I can’t afford to spend money on social activities like my friends do. I worry that all of these sacrifices will lead to burnout, and I need help finding a balance between financial security and enjoying my life. What steps can I take to get back on track without sacrificing my independence or feeling completely defeated?
share the cost of your dwelling. Otherwise, you could move back home for a specific period of time, during which you focus on saving as much as possible toward your future goals. Since you seem to have developed discipline around your finances, if you can take a break from some bills for a period of time, you may be able to get a jump on your savings. You should try to work toward getting a promotion and raise. Finally, if you have the bandwidth, consider taking on a second job to help move yourself toward financial security
Memory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.
— Striving Dear Striving: It takes time to build financial security especially if you do not have a high-paying job. You may want to consider getting a roommate to
Dear readers: We received hundreds of comments about couponing, and I’m absolutely delighted to see that so many people use them. So many times, you might think, “Well, it’s only 25 cents,” but here are a couple of my readers who have some very interesting thoughts on coupons:
Dear Harriette: I’ve been working as an associate product manager for two years, and I’m ready to take the next step in my career by interviewing for a new position. However, I’m terrified because I’ve always considered myself a terrible interviewee: I struggle with answering questions on the spot, I feel like I come across as nervous and unprepared and I blank when it’s time to talk about my accomplishments. The idea of facing another round of interviews makes me so anxious that I’ve been putting off applying for jobs altogether I know that preparation is key, but I’m unsure how to
effectively practice and build confidence without getting overwhelmed. Should I focus on mock interviews, improving my storytelling skills or something else? How can I work on presenting myself confidently while staying authentic and not sounding rehearsed? I’m worried my nerves might hold me back from landing a role that could be a great opportunity for growth. — Getting Ready Dear Getting Ready: You need to practice to become familiar with what you want to say in your interviews. Map out the basic answers to all of the questions you think they may ask. Write down your answers, and then repeat them as you look at yourself in the mirror Practice speaking confidently It will take time, but you can get comfortable if you put in enough hours. Do your best to memorize the main points so that even if you are nervous, you know the core information you want to share. Breathe! Engage your breath to help keep you calm and steady Remind yourself that you are prepared, and you can do it!
Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
Thanks. — Pat D., an avid fan of “Hints From Heloise”
Unsigned check cashed
Dear Heloise: I don’t usually write in to things, but the letter from the woman who uses coupons, much to her husband’s embarrassment, hit a nerve. My husband (now retired) always goes through digital coupons online and clips the ones we use. Last time, we saved about $80! I love him for it. He is great at saving money while still buying what we need! Just wanted to give a different perspective.
RED DRAGON
Continued from page 5C
has a packed schedule of shows they’re calling “The Farewell Tour.” It includes artists like Rodney Crowell, Bill Kirchen and a huge blues show, among other concerts. The final show, featuring
Dear Heloise: We read a letter in your column about the woman who did not sign checks for her grandchildren’s gifts, which then got her a visit from them so that the grandchildren could get the checks signed. We had heard about this idea, and after five years with no response from an adult grandchild for his birthday gifts, we thought we would try it. We made the check out with no signature, put it in the greeting card, and mailed it. When our bank statement came, we saw the check had been deposited to an ATM at the grandchild’s bank. Apparently, the check still cleared our grandchild’s bank and our bank without a problem. Our bank then told us that we could protest the check and send it back to our grandchild’s bank. Our bank had a $30 fee for the protest, and the grandchild’s
the Chris Knight band, is set for June 5. Following that, the Maxwells will host a big party for their musicians and patrons.
“I knew this was going to happen, but that only makes hearing this news worse,” said Buddy Roussel, a friend of the owners who established the outdoor music venue Buddy’s Backyard during the pandemic. “Chris Maxwell has built a legendary music venue by working tirelessly for 24 years. I can’t imagine the live music scene in Baton Rouge without the Red Dragon Listening Room.”
Harriette Cole SENSEAND SENSITIVITy
Hints from Heloise
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Set boundaries, share your priorities and stick to your game plan. Trust your instincts and focus on self-improvement and what brings you joy. It's time to take responsibility for your happiness and move forward.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Explore the lighter side of life by participating in something that makes you feel good. Love, romance and personal improvement are attainable. Share your thoughts and feelings.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) How you deal with the choices others make and what you do to ensure positive results will be key. Don't let yourself become a martyr. Make a last-minute adjustment if necesssary.
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Keep life simple Put home family and yourself first. Do not let outside influences affect your choices or plans. Set an inspiring precedent.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) A change of plans will lead to a change of heart. Stretch your mind, learn something new and take the path that leads to something that stimulates your mind, body and soul. It's time to help yourself.
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Put your effort and resources into making financial gains, upgrading your qualifications and reaching your goals. Choose a positive attitude and a worthwhile purpose, and change whatever isn't working for you.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Consider what you enjoy doing most and pick up information and skills that make you feel good about your choices. An encounter with someone will spark your interest.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) A reset will be uplifting. The people and prospects you meet along the way will give you something to consider and encourage you to adjust your schedule. Dig in and make things happen.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Look over the rules and regulations before you adjust or conform to demands. Set standards and stick to what's realistic. Travel, learning and networking will pay off.
scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Keep your discussions to a minimum until you better understand what you want and what's possible. Discipline and mapping out a unique path will give you hope for a brighter future.
sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Make your position clear, and don't hesitate to walk away from any unreliable or unreasonable situation. Hold your head high and be the one who maintains integrity. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Protect against exhaustion. Focus on what's necessary and beneficial to you. Good choices will raise your value and make those you deal with daily appreciate who you are and what you can do.
InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Saturday’s Puzzle Answer
nea CroSSwordS
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
Bridge
By PHILLIP ALDER
Sebastian Vettel, four-time and youngest-ever Formula One World Drivers’ champion, said, “As a driver, your target is always to be with the most competitive team possible.” As a bridge player, your target is always the number of tricks needed to make or to break a contract. When on defense, always ask yourself where your side might take those tricks — what I call the defensive target.
In this deal, how should East defend against three no-trump after West leads the club queen? West might have made a takeout double on the first round, which would have shown four spades and four or more clubs. His point-count was low, but if he could have found a fit with his partner, maybe his side could have done well. North was a trick too strong for his three-diamond rebid, but nothing else was better. And South went for the ninetrick game.
Itiscommoninno-trumptoreturnyour partner’s suit. (In a trump contract, this happens much less often.) Here, though, if East wins with his club ace and leads back the club nine, how many tricks will declarer take? Even if South is void in diamonds, he must have at least 10 win-
