BY TIMOTHY BOONE
Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, Rhorer Plaza and the Downtown Greenway Now a third master plan has been launched that officials said will focus on attracting more residents from all income levels to downtown and bringing more activity to the riverfront. “Downtown Baton Rouge should be a place to live, play
shift draws criticism from Cassidy, health officials
BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer
Days after Louisiana’s top health official ordered to an end to mass vaccination efforts and promotions in the state, Louisiana doctors, New Orleans health officials and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, are defending immunizations as a necessary medical intervention and say the decision comes with serious risks.
A group of nine medical organizations representing thousands of Louisiana doctors said in a statement Monday that vaccines “should not be politicized.” The head of the New Orleans Health Department, meanwhile, said the city would continue its own vaccine promotion and distribution efforts, despite the state’s decision to withdraw its support.
“We are looking to alternative ways to find resources so that we can fill the gap left by the state not supporting mass vaccination events as they have in the past,” said Dr Jennifer Avegno. And Cassidy a gastroenterologist, said the policy “ignores the reality of people’s lives.”
The comments come after Dr Ralph Abraham, Louisiana’s surgeon general, warned state employees in a memo to refrain from recommending that people “receive any and all vaccines” and instead to provide data about the reduced health risks that result from being vaccinated.
The memo emphasized personal choice and said “conversations
BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer
Jim Morgan, one of two candidates running to be the first elected mayor of St. George, dropped out of the race Tuesday — meaning Dustin Yates is set to take office
unopposed.
“Today I’m announcing that I’m dropping out of the race for the mayor of St. George and will suspend all my campaign activities,”
Jim Morgan said in a statement.
“After a couple of weeks trying to mount a campaign against an extremely well funded opponent, I can see the writing on the wall. I want to continue to be a voice for solutions for St. George.” Morgan abruptly withdrew after The Advocate asked his campaign about a 1997 guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of soliciting a prostitute. The crime happened in 1996, when Morgan, now 62, was 34, according to court records.
Morgan’s name will still appear on the March 29 ballot because the deadline to remove a name has passed, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office said.
An Army veteran, Morgan currently serves as a board commissioner of the St. George Fire Protection District and declared his candidacy last month.
In January, Morgan told The Advocate he was “disillusioned” by the salaries proposed for St. George officials, which generated significant controversy in the weeks leading up to their adoption at a City Council meeting Jan. 14. Yates issued a statement reacting to Morgan’s exit from the race.
Mexican border arrests drop 39% in January
WASHINGTON Arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico plummeted 39% in January from a month earlier authorities said Tuesday, an early gauge of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The Border Patrol made 21,593 arrests during the month, down from 47,316 in December and the lowest mark since May 2020 near the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“Call it the Trump Effect,” the White House said in a statement Border arrests fell sharply well before Trump took office from an all-time high of 250,000 in December 2023. Mexican authorities increased enforcement within their own borders and then-President Joe Biden introduced severe asylum restrictions in June.
Arrests sank even further after Trump was sworn in on Jan. 20 and issued a slew of orders on immigration, including one to suspend asylum on grounds that the United States is under “invasion” at the southern border Border czar Tom Homan said Monday that there were 229 border arrests in a 24-hour period, the lowest he remembered since becoming a Border Patrol agent in 1984. Homeland Security Department officials say they want to drive that to zero.
Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said Friday in Edinburg, Texas, that he will “not be satisfied that our border is secure until we have operational control of our border, which means anyone that crosses illegally is apprehended or no one crosses.”
Homeland Security said Tuesday that it launched a multimillion-dollar video ad campaign in the U.S. and internationally that features Secretary Kristi Noem warning people to leave or not to come. “If you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return,” she said in the video.
Kids found ‘abandoned’ for years in Mich. home
DETROIT Donations of clothes and money are pouring in for three children who were “basically abandoned” by their mother for years, living alone in a suburban Detroit home among trash and feces, a sheriff said Tuesday
“You wouldn’t do this to an animal let alone your child,” Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said.
Bouchard said the mother would occasionally leave food on the porch at the Pontiac home but lived elsewhere and had little contact with the children, a 15-year-old boy and two girls, ages 13 and 12. She’s now in jail while prosecutors consider filing charges.
Police found the children Friday after a landlord said the mother was behind in paying rent and wondered if there was a problem at the house. The scene was so extreme that investigators wore hazmat suits.
“Trash was piled in some places three and four foot high. Everything was covered with feces and trash,” Bouchard said. “The toilet had become nonfunctional That’s the kind of situation these poor kids had been living in for years, not just hours or days — for years.” The boy indicated that he had left the house only two times, “once because he wanted to feel the grass, which by itself is heartbreaking,” the sheriff said.
Bouchard said they were “basically abandoned” and afraid to leave He said the children might have been living alone for more than four years. Bouchard said the mother and a delivery businesses would drop off food, though drivers apparently were not aware there were children inside.
BY WILSON MCMAKIN Associated Press
DAKAR, Senegal Rwanda-backed rebels appeared to be heading toward a third major city in eastern Congo, residents said Tuesday, as international pressure rose over the M23’s expansion in a mineral-rich region that’s critical for global technology
The M23 rebels on Tuesday attacked all the main Congolese army positions on the road to Butembo, a city of 150,000 people, and the situation was rapidly deteriorating, said Auguste Kombi, a civil society leader in Kitsombiro, a town along the road.
“We’re afraid that the enemy will advance to Butembo,” Kombi said.
Butembo is about 130 miles north of Goma, the city of over 2 million people that the M23 rebels seized last month as about 3,000 people were killed.
The advance on Butembo means the rebels are spanning out both north and south of Goma. The rebels this week seized another provincial capital to Goma’s south, Bukavu, near Burundi. The region is rich in gold and coltan, a key mineral for the production of capacitors used in most consumer electronics such as laptops and smartphones.
Also Tuesday, the M23 captured the town of Kamanyola, about 15 miles south of Bukavu, after they overcame resistance from the Congolese army in the evening, said Steve Mubalama, a civil society representative in the town
Mubalama expressed fears that the M23 rebels would advance a further 45 miles to the south to take the strategic city of Uvira. The M23 is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vy-
ing for control of eastern Congo’s trillions of dollars in mineral wealth. The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march as far as Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, over 1,000 miles away
“We’re worried because we’re in danger of experiencing a situation similar to that in Goma, with the loss of human lives,” said Kambale Nyuliro, a Kitsombiro civil servant He told the AP that Lubero town, on the way to Butembo, was surrounded on three sides by M23 fighters but still under Congolese army control.
“Since the fighting began, the enemy has only advanced,” he said.
Analysts have said the rebels are eyeing political power, unlike their brief capture of Goma, a major security and humanitarian hub, in 2012.
The rebel-appointed mayor of Goma said Tuesday they would carry out a census, in a sign of their intention to maintain control of the city. And ferry service resumed between Goma and Bukavu, the only way to travel between them for now Rwanda has accused Congo of enlisting ethnic Hutu fighters responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda of minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus. M23 says it’s fighting to protect Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination and wants to transform Congo from a failed state to a modern one. Analysts have called those pretexts for Rwanda’s involvement
On Tuesday, the U.K. Foreign Office summoned the Rwandan ambassador in London and in a statement condemned the rebel gains, calling them “an unacceptable violation of (Congo’s) sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
BY FATMA KHALED Associated Press
CAIRO — Attacks by Su-
dan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Force have killed hundreds of civilians, including infants, in White Nile state, Sudanese officials and rights groups said Tuesday.
Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the paramilitary group targeted civilians in the past few days in villages in the al-Gitaina area after they were “overwhelmed by its devastating defeat” by the Sudanese army. The statement put the death toll at 433, while the Preliminary Committee of Sudan Doctors’ Trade Union put that figure at 300.
Emergency Lawyers, a rights group tracking violence against civilians said in a statement Tuesday morning that more than 200 people, including women and children, were killed in RSF attacks and hundreds of others were injured over the past three days.
“The attacks included executions, kidnapping, forced disappearance, looting, and shooting those trying to escape,” the group said.
Minister of Culture and Information Khalid Ali Aleisir said on Facebook that recent attacks by the RSF in Al-Kadaris and Al-
Khalwat villages in White Nile state are the latest “systematic violence against defenseless civilians.”
The Sudanese military said Saturday it had advanced in White Nile and “liberated more cities and villages,” cutting crucial supply routes to the RSF, a rival group it has battled for control of the country since April 2023.
The war in Sudan has killed more than 24,000 people and driven over 14 million people — about 30% of the population — from their homes, according to the United Nations.
An estimated 3.2 million Sudanese have escaped to neighboring countries.
The U.N. on Tuesday said that throughout 2024, its human rights office documented more than 4,200 civilian killings, adding that the total number is likely much higher
The U.N Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs appealed on Monday for $6 billion for its 2025 humanitarian response in Sudan, to help about 21 million people in the country and the millions who fled the war abroad.
“This is a humanitarian crisis that is truly unprecedented in its scale and gravity,” said UN aid chief Tom Fletcher in a statement, “and it demands a
BY JACK DURA Associated Press
BISMARCK, N.D — More than 95 million people are facing gripping cold Tuesday as a polar vortex sends temperatures plunging to record levels, closing schools, bursting pipes and forcing communities to set up more temporary shelters for the homeless.
“Some of the coldest temperatures of the entire winter season right now across the central United States,” said Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The harsh cold descended on the nation’s midsection Monday on the heels of weekend storms that pummeled the Eastern U.S. killing at least 17 people. Some areas in the Midwest have wind chills as cold as -50 to -60 degrees, Orrison said.
It is so dangerous that hundreds of public school districts canceled classes or switched to online learning Tuesday in Oklahoma, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Kansas and Missouri. And in Kansas City, Kansas, dozens of tents were set up in one building to house the homeless.
The biggest batch of record-setting cold temperatures are likely to hit early Thursday and Friday, Orrison said. But North Dakota already felt more like
the North Pole on Tuesday as Bismarck hit minus 39, breaking the record of minus 37 set in 1910 for the same date.
Stephanie Hatzenbuhler’s family has been contending with the cold in many ways on their farm and ranch west of Mandan, North Dakota, from their calving operation, to vehicles and equipment starting, to their coal-fired furnace keeping up.
“There’s always something new to learn and something new to experience. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done this, so you have to adapt,” said Hatzenbuhler, who called the cold spell “the Siberian experience.”
Conditions were rapidly deteriorating across northeast, east and central Oklahoma as residents in these parts of the state were dealing with freezing rain, ice and snow, according to the National Weather Service.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said U.S. Highway 75 between Tulsa and Okmulgee was shut down in both directions because of the amount of vehicles and semi-tractor trailers that were stuck on the road due to ice.
“Our troopers are working to get salt and sand trucks to the area to treat the roads but it is extremely slick in that area,” the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said in post on X.
response unprecedented in scale and intent.”
Meanwhile, Norway’s Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust denounced the escalation in violence and attacks against civilians.
“I am deeply concerned about the sharp increase in civilian deaths caused by the intensified conflict in Sudan. I am also shocked by reports of indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Any such attacks must stop immediately,” Aukrust said in a statement published on the web portal for the Norwegian Government
The developments on the ground have given the military the upper hand in the war as the paramilitary suffered multiple blows, including losing control of the city of Wad Medani, the capital of Gezira province, and other areas in the province. The Sudanese military also regained control of the country’s largest oil refinery
The RSF appears to have lost control of the Greater Khartoum area and the cities of Omdurman and Khartoum Bahri.
The war has shown no end in sight despite international mediation attempts, including a U.S. assessment that the RSF and its proxies are committing genocide.
CustomerService: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COMor225-388-0200 News Tips /Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM
BY MATTHEW LEE and DASHA LITVINOVA Associated Press
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia Russia and the U.S agreed Tuesday to start working toward ending the war in Ukraine and improving their diplomatic and economic ties, the two countries’ top diplomats said after talks that reflected an extraordinary about-face in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump.
In an interview with The Associated Press after the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two sides agreed broadly to pursue three goals: to restore staffing at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks and to explore closer relations and economic cooperation.
He stressed, however, that the talks — which were at-
tended by his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and other senior Russian and U.S. officials — marked the beginning of a conversation, and more work needs to be done.
Lavrov echoed Rubio’s remarks and told reporters that “the conversation was very useful.”
“We not only listened, but also heard each other,” he said.
Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz, and special Mideast envoy Steven Witkoff joined Rubio at the table, along with Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov.
No Ukrainian officials were present at the meeting, which came as the beleaguered country is slowly but steadily losing ground against more numerous Russian troops in a grinding war that began nearly three years ago
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country would not accept any outcome from the talks since Kyiv didn’t take part, and he postponed his own trip to the kingdom scheduled for Wednesday
European allies have also expressed concerns that they are being sidelined.
Improving relations
Ties between Russia and the U.S have fallen to their lowest level in decades in recent years — a rift that has been widening ever since Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and only worsened after Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
The U.S., along with European nations, imposed a raft of sanctions on Russia in an effort to damage its economy And embassies in Washington and Moscow have been hit hard by expulsions of large numbers of
BY AMANDA SEITZ, ANDREW DEMILLO and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON Republicans are weighing billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, threatening health care coverage for some of the 80 million U.S. adults and children enrolled in the safety net program. Millions more Americans signed up for taxpayer-funded health care coverage like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace during the Biden administration, a shift lauded by Democrats as a success
But Republicans, who are looking to slash federal spending and offer lucrative tax cuts to corporations and wealthier Americans, now see a big target ripe for trimming. The $880 billion Medicaid program is financed mostly by federal taxpayers, who pick up as much as 80% of the tab in some states. And states, too, have said they’re having trouble financing years of growth and sicker patients who enrolled in Medicaid
To whittle down the budget, the GOP-controlled Congress is eyeing work requirements for Medicaid It’s also considering paying a shrunken, fixed rate to states. All told, over the next decade, Republican lawmakers could try to siphon billions of dollars from the nearly-free health care coverage offered to the poorest Americans.
Weeks before Congress began debating those changes, Republican governors in Arkansas, Ohio and South Dakota were making moves to implement Medicaid work rules of their own, likely to be approved by President Donald Trump’s administration. And other cuts could be on the way Already on Friday,
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J SCOTT APPLEWHITE Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, arrives to talk to reporters after a closed-door meeting with fellow Republicans to find agreement on a spending bill at the Capitol in Washington on Feb 11.
the Republican administration announced it would shrink the Affordable Care Act’s navigator program annual budget by 90% to $10 million. Navigators are stationed throughout the country to help people enroll in ACA and Medicaid coverage and are credited with boosting the programs’ enrollment in recent years.
What GOP is proposing Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana has floated the idea of tying work to Medicaid.
“It’s common sense,” Johnson said “Little things like that make a big difference not only in the budgeting process but in the morale of the people. You know, work is good for you. You find dignity in work.”
But about 92% of Medicaid enrollees are already working, attending school or caregiving, according to an analysis by KFF, a health policy research firm.
Republicans have suggested a work requirement similar to the conditions for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called food stamps. Those ages 16 to 59 must work or volunteer at least
80 hours a month if they are not in school, caring for a child under age 6, disabled, pregnant or homeless. On average, a SNAP enrollee’s monthly household income is $852, and the enrollee typically receives $239 in benefits.
During a GOP House retreat last month at Trump’s golf resort in Doral, Florida, Republicans said the requirement could motivate people to find employment — maybe even a job that comes with health insurance.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, said the spending cuts should not be “on the back of the poor and needy” but instead target those who shouldn’t be getting the benefit.
“Why should somebody literally sit on the beach and surf, buy their sandwiches from the food truck with their food stamps and then pick up low-cost housing and so on, while writing a book,” Issa said, noting that he was describing a constituent from more than a decade ago.
Other cuts on the table include a proposal to change the federal government’s reimbursement to a per-person limit.
diplomats, as well as other restrictions.
Rubio said Tuesday that ending the war in Ukraine could “unlock the door” for “incredible opportunities that exist to partner with the Russians geopolitically on issues of common interest and, frankly, economically on issues that hopefully will be good for the world and also improve our relations in the long term.”
His comments were further evidence of the remarkable U.S. reversal on Russia after years in which Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, led international efforts to isolate Moscow Tuesday’s meeting was meant to pave the way for a summit between Trump and Putin. After the talks ended, Ushakov and Waltz said no date has been set yet for that summit. Ushakov told Russian television that a meeting was “unlikely” to take
place next week, while Waltz said he thought it could be arranged in the coming weeks.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Lavrov mentioned the same three goals as Rubio and said that Washington and Moscow agreed to appoint representatives to carry out “regular consultations” on Ukraine.
“I have reason to believe that the American side has started to better understand our position” the Russian foreign minister said.
Witkoff said the meeting was “positive, upbeat, constructive. Everybody was there to get to the right outcome.”
The meeting marked the most extensive contact between the two countries since Moscow’s Feb. 24, 2022, invasion. Lavrov and then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked briefly on the sidelines of a G-20 meeting in India nearly two
years ago, but tensions remained high.
Concerns from allies
The recent U.S. diplomatic blitz on the war has sent Ukraine and key allies scrambling to ensure a seat at the table amid concerns that Washington and Moscow could press ahead with a deal that won’t be favorable to them. Kyiv’s absence at Tuesday’s talks rankled many Ukrainians, and France called an emergency meeting of European Union countries and the U.K. on Monday to discuss the war Kyiv’s participation in such talks was a bedrock of U.S. policy under Biden.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said the talks were aimed at determining how serious the Russians are about achieving peace and whether detailed negotiations can start.
As we approach the final days of our Sale Event, we want to take amoment to expressour heartfelt gratitude forthe incredible support we’vereceived from our customers and friends.Your kindnessand loyaltyhave meant the world to us
Our sale will officially end on Saturday, February 22nd, at 4PM, but there’s still time to find something special! We continue to have abeautiful selection of fine jewelry and diamonds available at exceptional prices
If you’ve been considering anew pieceofjewelry or a meaningfulgift, we’d love to help youfindthe perfect one beforeour sale comes to an end
Stop by and let us assist youinchoosing something beautiful to treasure foryears to come.
With appreciation,
Bayardo Hannon Jirón
12 months and involve largescale public meetings, online surveys and focus conversations with downtown stakeholders. The first public meetings will probably take place in April or May
Josh Brooks, a principal with Sasaki, said Plan Baton Rouge I and II changed the downtown job base, cultural fabric and visitor experience. Parking garages with retail space were built. The Raising Cane’s River Center underwent multiple expansions. Parks were built and renovated.
Brooks, a native of Baton Rouge who earned a bachelor’s in landscape architecture from LSU, said a big focus of the new plan will be to use economic incentives and development opportunities to increase the downtown population.
“When you look across the country, successful downtowns and successful urban districts have a very strong base of residential population,” he said.
About 10,000 people live downtown, said Whitney Hoffman Sayal, executive director of the Downtown Development District. That is a 20% increase from the number of people who lived in the area in 2012, which she credits to mixed-use development and redevelopments, such as 440 on Third, the Commerce Building and Rivermark Centre.
The apartments in the central business district have a 90% occupancy rate, despite many of the developments being luxury housing.
“The demand to live downtown is very high,” Hoffman Sayal said. “We need to find ways to increase our housing supply.”
At the same time, planners will also look at ways to better use the riverfront by increasing development and programming along the Mississippi River The river is an asset that many cities would love to have, Brooks said.
Recommendations from Plan Baton Rouge III will identify funding opportunities and strategic partnerships to cover the expenses, Brooks said.
Implementing Plan Baton Rouge III is estimated to
cost $1 million. Funding has come from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Visit Baton Rouge, the Downtown Development District, the city-parish and private donations.
Chris Meyer, BRAF president and CEO, said the best compliment the community received was when Brooks said a lot of cities make plans for their downtowns, but not a lot actually take action and make things happen.
“Baton Rouge has done that through plan one and plan two,” he said. “Now it’s our moment with plan three.”
Continued from page 1A
“I know that has to be difficult for my opponent, and I want him to know he and his family will be in my thoughts and prayers,” he said.
“I am more energized than ever and filled with optimism about our future as a new city,” the statement continued. “Together, we have an incredible opportunity to build the best city in Louisiana and the United States.” Yates, who has been serving as interim mayor said he
is now turning his attention to “supporting the remaining candidates who share our vision and working diligently to pass our new city charter.” Yates was appointed by Gov Jeff Landry to lead the new city until the first round of elections could be held. On Tuesday, a campaign spokesperson for Yates said the interim mayor had already raised more than $200,000 in less than a month after qualifying on Jan. 29. The election will still feature two contested City Council races in St. George. Five candidates are vying
for two at-large seats, while an incumbent and three challengers are competing for the council’s District 4 seat. One major issue those candidates have debated is how much leaders of the new city should be paid. The original $175,000 proposed for the mayor was revised to $160,000 after major pushback during a public meeting last month. Salaries were also reduced for the City Council and police chief.
Email Patrick SloanTurner at patrick.sloanturner@theadvocate.com.
about specific vaccines, and whether or not a vaccine is right for a specific person, are best had with the individual’s health care providers.” Louisiana Department of Health officials did not respond to requests for comment. The directive underscores a widening rift between politics and medical expertise, both in Louisiana and nationwide. The announcement came the same day vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr was confirmed to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, amplifying concerns about the future of public health policy
The state Health Department is powered by federal funds, with the U.S. government providing around 70% of its $19.8 billion budget.
State health officials did not respond to questions about how much of the department’s funding goes to vaccination programs.
Last year, the federal government budgeted $682 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Immunization Program, which is also known as Section 317. This program supports state and local vaccine clinics, education and epidemic prevention. The CDC did not answer questions about how much of that funding goes to Louisiana.
Louisiana has a history of providing free vaccinations statewide. During the pandemic, the state set up mass vaccination clinics that reached thousands In 2019, before the COVID-19 crisis, the state provided around 3,500 flu shots to residents.
Abraham’s memo, released Thursday, suggested those sorts of clinics won’t be held again. State health officials also did not respond to requests for more information.
The about-face sparked fierce backlash from Louisiana’s medical community this week. Cassidy said in
a statement that he ran large-scale immunization programs as a physician to help busy parents get their children vaccinated Advertising the benefits of vaccines and connecting parents to them improves the health of children
“Removing these resources for parents is not a stand for parents’ rights,” Cassidy said. “It prevents making health care more convenient and available for people who are very busy.”
Cassidy voted to confirm Kennedy, a vaccine critic, last week, after he said he extracted promises from the Trump administration that officials would not change vaccine policy without approval from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which Cassidy leads.
In an open letter to Louisiana patients Monday, nine medical associations called vaccines “one of the most significant medical innovations of our time,” an “invaluable thread in the fabric of our society.”
can College of Emergency Physicians, the American College of Physicians and the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecologists; the Louisiana Society of Addiction Medicine; MedicineLouisiana; and the Radiological Society of Louisiana.
The Louisiana State Medical Society alone represents 4,000 physicians in the state. The Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians has 1,600 members.
Avegno said New Orleans leaders have worked “very closely” with the state in past years to provide vaccines. The state receives federal funding for immunizations and typically has a large supply The two agencies have distributed about 8,100 vaccines together since 2020, according to the
New Orleans Health Department.
“(LDH) would bring the vaccines, but we would have our staff there to publicize and to help give vac-
cinations,” Avegno said. “So we could reach a lot more people.”
The city plans to increase its communications about vaccines because the state’s directive has likely caused confusion about whether they are available at all, Avegno said. Louisiana residents with Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance can still get vaccinations, usually at no cost, at pharmacies and health care providers.
The health department will also ask the New Orleans City Council for more funding, Avegno said.
Last week, Avegno, also an emergency room physician, pointed the council to Louisiana’s high flu rates this year and an outbreak of measles in Texas, where 58 people have been infected, most of whom were unvaccinated. Thirteen have been hospitalized.
“This is not the time to be causing confusion and removing access to lifesaving treatment,” she said at a council meeting Thursday
“This is the time to better understand how we can promote access for all.” After her testimony, the City Council adopted a resolution supporting the health department’s efforts to continue vaccination campaigns. The resolution, which passed unanimously is a statement of support that has no force of law
“We couldn’t just sit back and not say anything on this issue,” said City Council Vice President Helena Moreno, who is running for New Orleans mayor Other local doctors, who remember overflowing hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic and who see high census levels during respiratory illness season, also blasted the state’s decision.
“It becomes a tremendous burden on the health care system,” said Dr MarkAlain Dery, an infectious disease specialist in New Orleans.
“Why are we taking away tools of public health practitioners that will make life better for people?”
The letter was signed by the Louisiana State Medical Society; the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians; the Louisiana chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Ameri-
Everyonewants to avoidtax.Whenpeoplethink about avoiding taxes, they usually thinkabout avoiding income tax. But, Louisianaresidents have to be concernedwithseveraltypesoftaxeswhentheyareplanningtheirestates
FederalEstateTax–DidYouKnow?
Thefederal estate taxappliestoestates of peoplewho areresidents in anyof the50states. When it applies, it is significant. Essentially,whena person dies, we have to addupthe fair market valueofeverythingthe deceased owned–their house, cars, bank accounts, IRA’s, 401(k)’s,lifeinsurance, stock, businessestheyown,real estate andmore. Since2013, newfederal estate tax lawswerepassed.Theexemptionamountis$13,610,000fordeathsoccurringin 2024,andtheestatetaxrateis40%
WhatAboutTheSurvivingSpouse?
Before 2010, eachspousehad an estate taxexemption. If theestateofthe first spouse to diedid not usetheir exemption, it wouldbelostand thesurviving spousecouldnotuseanyoftheexemptionofthefirstspousetodie.Howeverin 2013,“portability”was kept in place –the survivingspousecan now increase theirexemptionbytheamountoftheunusedexemptionamount ofthedeceased spousewhodiedafter2010. Butportabilitymustbeexercisedtimely HowToAvoidCapitalGainsTax
Thetaxthatoftencreepsuponpeoplepeopleiscapitalgainstax.Capitalgains is paid when you sell an assetthathas appreciated in value. Example: you buy astockfor$20,000andlatersellthestockfor$100,000.Youwillhave$80,000 ofcapitalgain,andyoumustpaytaxonthis.Howyoustructureyourbequests to your spouseand your familycan have asignificantimpact on how much capitalgainstaxyourheirswillhavetopay.Whenyoudie,yourassetswillbe “stepped-up”andyourheirswillgetanewvalue
Giftsof$19,000PerYearPerPerson (UsedToBe$10,000PerYearPerPerson)
Youmayhaveheardyoucandonateorgive$19,000eachyearperpersonwithout gifttaxconsequences.Typically,noonepaysincometaxonagiftregardlessof thevalueofthegift.Asizeablegiftwillhaveestateandgifttaxconsequences.
•Minimizeoravoiddeathtax;
•Makesureyourestateutilizestheexemptionavailablefordeathsoccurringin 2024; •ProperlysetupyourWillorLivingTrustsotherewillbenotaxuponthedeath ofthefirstspouseregardlessofthesizeoftheestate; •Ensurethatyourheirsreceiveastep-upintaxbasis–notjustwhenthefirst spousediesbutagainwhenthesurvivingspousedies;
•Utilizethe2024annualgifttaxexclusiontomakegiftsof$18,000peryearper person duringyour lifetime to reduce your taxableestateatyour death…and MUCHMORE!
knowledge is
thechoice is yours. Butyou MUSTACTNOW to put yourestateplaninplace. ItallstartsbyattendingoneofLauraPoche’sfreeeducationaleventswhich makesitclear that regardless of your networth,ifyou want to preserve your hard-earnedassets or have peopleinyour lifeyou need to protect or havecausesthatyouwanttopromote,EVERYPERSONNEEDSALEGALESTATE PLAN. LetLaura Pocheand herprofessionaland knowledgeable staffmakethis processaseasyaspossiblesoyoucanlivewithPEACEOFMIND.
Baton Rouge
MondayFebruary24th 2:00pm–4:30pm PocheLawOffice 4960Bluebonnet,Ste.C RefreshmentsProvidedAfter
TuesdayFebruary25th 5:30pm-8:00pm PocheLawOffice 4960Bluebonnet,Ste.C DinnerProvidedAfter
TuesdayFebruary25th 11:00am-1:30pm PocheLawOffice 4960Bluebonnet,Ste.C LunchProvidedAfter
WednesdayFebruary26th 9:30am–12:00pm PocheLawOffice 4960Bluebonnet,Ste.C LunchProvidedAfter Baton Rouge
Allofour learning
workshops employ strict social distancing standardsfor everyone’s safety Workshops areopentoFIRST-TIMEATTENDEES ONLYand aregeared towards peoplewhowantorneedyourlegalestateplaninplacequickly.(*)Pleasehaveyour personalcalendarhandyat theworkshop soyoucan choosetostart yourplan NOW! Ifmarried,bothspousesmustattendaworkshoptoensurethatalldecision-makersare involvedinyour family’s coordinatedplan. Allpeoplewho attend will receive a FREEcopyoftheupdated2ndeditionofLauraPoche’sBook,“EstatePlanning Advice by aWoman forLouisiana Women:A Guidefor Both Men andWomen AboutWills,Trusts, Probate, Powers of Attorney,Medicaid, Living Wills and Taxes.” *Non-Louisianaresidentsmayattendforanominalfee.
BY SAMY MAGDY and NATALIE MELZER Associated Press
CAIRO — A top Hamas offi-
cial says the militant group will free six living Israeli hostages on Saturday and return the bodies of four others on Thursday, a surprise acceleration in releases that apparently comes in return for Israel’s allowing mobile homes and construction equipment into the devastated Gaza Strip.
The six are the last living hostages set to be freed during the ceasefire’s first phase in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The warring sides have yet to negotiate the second and more difficult phase, in which Hamas would release dozens more hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.
Hamas leader Khalil alHayya, in prerecorded remarks released Tuesday said the “Bibas family” would be included in the handover of four bodies, apparently referring to Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, who for many Israelis embody the captives’ plight.
Israel has not confirmed their deaths, and the prime minister’s office urged the public not to distribute “photos, names and rumors” after the announcement by Hamas.
“In the past few hours, we have been in turmoil,” surviving members of the Bibas family said in a statement released Tuesday by
also due to release all women and children seized from Gaza since the war began. Equipment allowed in An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to allow long-requested mobile homes and construction equipment into Gaza as part of efforts to accelerate the hostages’ release.
of the Rafah border crossing. An Egyptian driver told AP that dozens of bulldozers and tractors were at another crossing, awaiting Israeli permission to enter
Rebuilding Gaza could cost $53.2 billion, according to a report released Tuesday by the World Bank, the U.N. and the European Union. The report identified almost $30 billion in damage from the war nearly half reflecting destruction of homes.
a group representing the relatives of hostages. “Until we receive definitive confirmation, our journey is not over.”
Israel has said it was gravely concerned about the Bibas family, while Hamas said they were killed in an Israeli airstrike early in the war Yarden Bibas, the husband and father, was kidnapped separately and released this month.
Kfir, who was 9 months old at the time, was the youngest hostage taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war A video of the abduction showed Shiri swaddling her redheaded boys in a blanket and being whisked away by armed men.
The six living hostages slated for release are Eliya Cohen, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Hisham Al-Sayed, and Avera Mengistu, the Hostages and Missing Families Fo-
rum said Tuesday Cohen, 27, Shem Tov, 22, and Wenkert, 23, were abducted from a music festival. Shoham was taken from the hard-hit community of Kibbutz Beeri. Al-Sayed, 36, and Mengistu, 39, have both been held since crossing into Gaza years before the Oct. 7 attack.
The release of all six this week would mark an acceleration of the ceasefire deal, which called for Hamas to release three living hostages Saturday, with three more to be freed a week later When the deal was made, it called only for the bodies of the dead to be returned by the end of the first phase. Israel is expected to continue releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including many serving life sentences for deadly attacks, in exchange for the hostages. Others were detained without charge. During the first phase, Israel is
BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla
President Donald Trump on Tuesday was set to sign new executive orders from his Florida home while his first joint TV interview with adviser Elon Musk airs in prime time.
Trump’s Florida home will also be the setting for an awards program by a conservative group led by Mike Flynn, who briefly served as national security adviser in the Republican president’s first term.
Trump was spending part of Tuesday at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The White House had no immediate comment on the executive actions Trump was signing later Tuesday at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Palm Beach.
In the first weeks of Trump’s second term, he has used executive orders — signed statements about how the president wants the federal government to be managed to address issues including border security, the environment and transgender rights, among
others.
The White House said the event will be opened for press coverage, after initially saying it would not be allowed.
Trump and Musk, head of the new Department of Government Efficiency gave their first joint interview to Sean Hannity of Fox News Channel.
The interview was taped on Friday at the White House and is set to air as Musk leads Trump’s effort to cut federal spending and slash the federal workforce.
Musk has drawn criticism from Democrats in Congress and others for the methods he and his team at DOGE are using to cut spending, including foreign aid, and eliminate jobs across the bureaucracy
The Fox News interview also follows Musk’s appearance with Trump in the Oval Office last week, when both defended Musk’s approach to federal cost-cutting.
In an excerpt from the interview that Fox News released on Sunday, Musk said he “used to be adored by the left” but “less so these days” because of the work he’s doing at Trump’s
direction.
“They call it Trump derangement syndrome. You don’t realize how real this is until you can’t reason with people,” Musk said, adding that normal conversations with Democrats about the president are difficult because “it’s like they’ve become completely irrational.”
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club is the setting Tuesday night for an awards program by America’s Future, which is led by Flynn to preserve individual rights and promote American values and traditions, according to its website.
The event, celebrating American exceptionalism, will honor one member from the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force and the Space Force.
The event includes a poolside reception, musical performances and dinner in Mar-a-Lago’s Grand Ballroom, where other award presentations are expected from a lineup that includes such names as Russell Brand, Ted Nugent and Mike Tyson.
It’s unclear whether Trump will participate in the event.
Hamas last week threatened to hold up releases, citing the refusal to allow in mobile homes and heavy equipment among other alleged violations of the truce. Israel began allowing entry of rubble-removing equipment Tuesday, according to an Associated Press journalist in southern Gaza and Egypt’s state-run media. The AP journalist saw two bulldozers clearing rubble in an area near the Palestinian side
Palestinians want to stay
The ceasefire that began in mid-January has paused the deadliest fighting ever between Israel and Hamas, surged aid into devastated Gaza and allowed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to their homes as Israeli forces withdrew from much of the territory
Israelis and Palestinians marked 500 days of war on Monday
Major challenges are ahead. Israel’s government says it wants to eliminate Hamas’ military and governing capabilities in Gaza But the militant group quickly reasserted its control of the territory during the ceasefire despite losing leaders and many fighters. In addition, U.S. President Donald Trump ’s proposal to permanently remove Gaza’s population of some 2 million Palestinians so the U.S. can redevelop the territory has been rejected by the Arab world and by the Palestinians who say they want to stay in their homeland.
“We will not leave our country, no matter what happens,” Muhammad Shaaban, a resident of Jabaliya in northern Gaza, told the AP. The area was hit by some of the fiercest bombardment of the war and most of its buildings and infrastructure was destroyed or damaged.
BY TY ONEIL Associated Press
LAS VEGAS
A Nevada judge on Tuesday postponed the murder trial of the only suspect ever charged in the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur for nearly a year saying she had little choice given new developments presented by his defense attorneys and the need to ensure a fair trial.
The trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, previously set for next month in Las Vegas, has been rescheduled for Feb. 9, 2026. The judge ordered prosecutors and the defense to return to court over the summer for a status hearing.
“It looks like there are quite a few things that are left to be done to get this case prepared so that Mr. Davis can have effective assistance of counsel,” Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny said during a short hearing. When asked by the judge if he was OK with moving the trial that far out, Davis agreed. Davis’ defense team filed a motion Friday seeking more time, saying critical investigative work had to be done and witnesses needed to be interviewed to ensure he gets a fair trial. The lawyers said a private investigator
identified witnesses who can testify that Davis was not at the scene of the shooting.
Attorney Carl Arnold, who is leading the defense, said the case involves decades-old allegations and critical facts have yet to be fully examined.
On the night of Sept. 7, 1996, Shakur was in a BMW being driven by Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight. They were waiting at a red light when a white Cadillac pulled up next to them and gunfire erupted.
Davis, an ex-gang leader who is accused of orchestrating Shakur’s killing near the Las Vegas Strip, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and has been jailed since his September 2023 arrest.
Davis has acknowledged in interviews and in his tellall memoir that he provided the gun used in the drive-by shooting and that he was in the car But his court filings say his descriptions in recent years of orchestrating the shooting were “done for entertainment purposes and to make money.”
Arnold has argued that Davis never should have been charged because of immunity agreements that Davis says he reached years ago with federal and local prosecutors while living in California.
BY LEA SKENE, HOLLY RAMER and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press
CUMBERLAND, Md. — The leader of a cultlike group connected to six killings in three states was ordered held without bail Tuesday in Maryland, where she faces trespassing and other charges.
Jack LaSota, 34, and two others arrested with her on Sunday appeared via videoconference for bail hearings in Allegany District Court A judge ordered all three held without bail, describing them as dangerous flight risks.
Allegany County State’s Attorney James Elliott said during the hearing Tuesday that LaSota has faked her own death in the past and “appears to be the leader of an extremist group” called the Zizians that has been linked to multiple deaths.
But LaSota, who is known online as Ziz, asked for pretrial release, saying she was homeless with no means of traveling. Speaking haltingly, she also repeatedly requested a vegan diet, saying she could starve otherwise and was already “in a mild state of delirium” due to lack of food.
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” she told the judge Members of the group have been tied to the death of a woman during an attack on a California landlord in November 2022, the landlord’s subsequent slaying in January, and the deaths of a Pennsylvania couple in between. Most recently, the group has been linked to a highway shootout in Vermont that left a U.S. Border Patrol agent and a car passenger dead. The Pennsylvania victims were the parents of Michelle Zajko, who was arrested with LaSota and Daniel Blank. All three were charged with trespassing and ob-
structing law enforcement after a Frostburg Maryland, resident told police that three “suspicious” people had parked two box trucks on his property and asked to camp there for a month. The trucks were found in a largely remote wooded area near the Maryland-Pennsylvania line, according to police.
Zajko, 32, also was charged with resisting arrest and carrying a handgun; LaSota was charged with having a gun in a vehicle. They were dressed in black and two wore gun belts holding ammunition, according to police. Officers found a rifle in the back of one truck and a handgun on the front floorboard Zajko, who refused to put her hands behind her back and was taken to the ground, also was carrying a handgun, police said.
Elliott, the prosecutor, said two other guns Zajko purchased were recovered
in connection with the Jan. 20 shooting death of Border Patrol Agent Chris Maland, 44, following a traffic stop in Coventry, Vermont. Felix Bauckholt, a passenger in the car also died, and the driver, Teresa Youngblut, has pleaded not guilty to federal firearms charges.
Officials have said the guns they were carrying were bought by a person of interest in the Dec. 31, 2022, deaths of Richard and Rita Zajko in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania, and that Youngblut had been in close contact with a person of interest in a homicide in Vallejo, California.
Maximilian Snyder, who applied for a marriage license with Youngblut in November, is charged with the Jan. 17 stabbing death of Curtis Lind, a Vallejo landlord who had survived an earlier attack by members of the Zizian group and was set to testify against them.
Officials have offered few details of the cross-country investigation, but Associated Press interviews and a review of court records and online postings tell the story of how a group of young, highly intelligent computer scientists met online, shared anarchist beliefs and became increasingly violent. Their goals aren’t clear, but online writings included topics such as radical veganism, gender identity and artificial intelligence. At the middle of it all is LaSota, a transgender woman who published a dark and sometimes violent blog under the name Ziz.
Rebecca FrancoeurBreeden, a public defender representing LaSota, said she had spoken with LaSota’s mother twice since the arrest. The attorney noted LaSota’s educational achievements, including a degree in computer engineering.
BY GRAHAM LEE BREWER and CURT ANDERSON Associated Press
SUMTERVILLE, Fla. — Native American activist Leonard Peltier was released from a Florida prison on Tuesday, weeks after then-President Joe Biden angered law enforcement officials by commuting his life sentence to home confinement in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents.
Peltier, 80, left Coleman penitentiary in an SUV according to a prison official. He didn’t stop to speak with reporters or the roughly two dozen supporters who gathered outside the gates to celebrate his release.
Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota, was headed back to his reservation, where family and friends will celebrate his release with him on Wednesday and where the tribe arranged a house for him to live in while serving his home confinement.
Throughout his nearly halfcentury in prison, Peltier has maintained that he didn’t murder FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams during a confrontation that day on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Native Americans widely believe he was a political prisoner who was wrongly convicted because he fought for tribal rights as a member of the American Indian Movement.
“He represents every person who’s been roughed up by a cop, profiled, had their children harassed at school,” said Nick Estes, a professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe who advocated for Peltier’s release.
Biden did not pardon Peltier
But his Jan. 20 commutation of Peltier’s sentence to home confinement, noting Peltier had spent most of his life behind bars and was in poor health, prompted criticism from those who believe Peltier is guilty
Among them is former FBI Director Christopher Wray, who called Peltier “a remorseless killer” in a private letter to Biden obtained by The Associated Press. One of his attorneys, Jenipher Jones, said Peltier was looking
forward to going home.
“We’re so excited for this moment,” Jones said before his release. “He is in good spirits. He has the soul of a warrior.”
His supporters outside the prison, including some who waved flags saying “Free Leonard Peltier,” were elated.
“We never thought he would get out,” said Ray St. Clair, a member of the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe who traveled to Florida to be there for Peltier’s release. “It shows you should never give up hope. We can take this repairing the damage that was done. This is a start.”
Peltier was active in AIM, which formed in the 1960s and fought for Native American treaty rights and tribal self-determination.
Peltier’s conviction stemmed from a 1975 confrontation on the in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in which the two FBI agents were killed.
According to the FBI, Coler and Williams were there to serve arrest warrants for robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Prosecutors maintained at trial that Peltier shot both agents in the head at point-blank range. Peltier acknowledged being present and firing a gun at a distance, but he said he fired in self-defense and that his shots weren’t the ones that killed the agents.
A woman who claimed to have
seen Peltier shoot the agents later recanted her testimony saying it had been coerced.
He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and given two consecutive life sentences.
Two other AIM members, Robert Robideau and Dino Butler, were acquitted on the grounds of self-defense.
Many of Peltier’s supporters and even some prosecutors have questioned the fairness of his trial and the evidence presented against him.
But Michael J. Clark, president of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, pointed out that numerous federal judges have denied Peltier’s appeals.
“We strongly oppose the commutation of his sentence,” Clark said, calling the decision a “poor reflection” on Biden. “This was kind of sprung on everyone at the last minute. Literally in the last minute of his presidency It’s just tough.”
Peltier was denied parole as recently as July and was not eligible to be considered for it again until 2026.
As a young child, Peltier was taken from his family and sent to a boarding school. Thousands of Indigenous children over decades faced the same fate, and were in many cases subjected to systemic physical, psychological and sexual abuse.
BY LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press
NEWYORK New York City Mayor Eric Adams will face the federal judge on Wednesday who will decide whether to grant the Justice Department’s request to dismiss corruption charges against him after lawyers explain the abrupt change in position just weeks before an April trial.
Judge Dale E. Ho in Manhattan scheduled an afternoon hearing in a written order Tuesday as his first response to the government’s Friday request to dismiss the charges after a weeklong clash among government lawyers that led to resignations by several top prosecutors in Washington and New York who refused to seek dismissal. Ho said the parties in the case must be prepared to address the reasons for the government’s dismissal request, the “scope and effect of Mayor Adams’s ‘consent in writing,’” and the “procedure for resolution of the motion.”
At the start of his two-page order, Ho quoted from an opinion by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan that said Rule 48(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, which governs the government’s request, was not created to shift absolute power from the Executive to the Judicial Branch but was intended “as a power to check power.”
The appeals court also wrote that the Executive Branch is “presumptively the best judge of whether a pending prosecution should be terminated” and advised that “pending prosecutions should not be judicially disturbed unless clearly contrary to manifest public interest.”
Ho also cited legal history noting that a judge has independent obligations once the government has involved the judiciary by obtaining an indictment or a conviction. And he quoted from one judicial opinion that said a judge must be “satisfied that the reasons advanced for the proposed
dismissal are substantial” before approving a dismissal.
The hearing will occur as a growing number of former prosecutors express concerns about the past week’s events, with some calling on Ho to conduct an inquiry that could put Washington’s Justice Department leadership under a spotlight.
Late Monday, Justice Connection, which supports Justice Department employees, released a letter from over 900 former federal prosecutors to career federal prosecutors that said they have “watched with alarm” as values “foundational to a fair and justice legal system” have been tested in the past week.
In the letter the former prosecutors said they “salute and admire the courage many of you have already exhibited. You have responded to ethical challenges of a type no public servant should ever be forced to confront with principle and conviction, in the finest traditions of the Department of Justice.”
The letter was released after three former U.S. attorneys from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut submitted papers to Ho suggesting that he appoint a special prosecutor if he finds the Justice Department acted improperly or that he order that all evidence be made available to state and local prosecutors. Adams has pleaded not guilty to charges that while in his prior role as Brooklyn borough president, he accepted over $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and lavish travel perks from a Turkish official and business leaders seeking to buy his influence.
The last week has featured an unusual public fight between Emil Bove, the second-in-command of the Justice Department, and two top New York federal prosecutors: interim Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon and Hagan Scotten, an assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan who led the Adams prosecution.
BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Trump administration has fired about 1,000 newly hired National Park Service employees who maintain and clean parks, educate visitors and perform other functions as part of its broad-based effort to downsize government
The firings, which weren’t publicly announced but were confirmed by Democratic senators and House members, come amid what has been a chaotic rollout of an aggressive program to eliminate thousands of federal jobs. The plan is led by billionaire Elon Musk and the new Department of Government Efficiency, an outsidegovernment organization designed to slash federal spending. Adding to the confusion, the park service now says it is reinstating about 5,000 seasonal jobs that were initially rescinded last month as part of a spending freeze ordered by President Donald Trump.
Seasonal workers are routinely added during the warm-weather months to serve more than 325 million visitors who descend on the nation’s 428 parks, historic sites and other attractions each year Park advocates say the permanent staff cuts will leave hundreds of national parks — including some of the most well-known and most heavily visited sites — understaffed and facing tough decisions about operating hours, public safety and resource protection.
MARTIN
A federal employee, who asked not to use their name for fears over losing their job, protests with a sign saying “Federal Employees Don’t Work for Kings” during the “No Kings Day” protest on Presidents Day in Washington, in support of federal workers and against recent actions by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Monday by the Capitol in Washington.
“Fewer staff means shorter visitor center hours, delayed openings and closed campgrounds, said Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group. Trash will pile up, restrooms won’t be cleaned, and maintenance problems will grow, she predicted. Guided tours will be cut back or canceled and, in the worst cases, public safety could be at risk
The Trump administration’s actions “are pushing an already overwhelmed Park Service to its breaking point,” Brengel said. “And the consequences will be felt in our parks for years.”
A spokesperson for the Interior Department, which oversees the park service,
declined to comment Monday. A separate email to the park service received no answer
Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees confirmed the firings as part of a larger list of terminations ordered by the Trump administration.
“There is nothing ‘efficient’ about indiscriminately firing thousands upon thousands of workers in red and blue states whose work is badly needed,” said Sen. Patty Murray D-Wash., vice chair of the Appropriations panel, who blamed both Trump and Musk.
“Two billionaires who have zero concept of what the federal workforce does are breaking the American government — decimating essential services and leaving
BY FATIMA HUSSEIN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Social Security Administration’s acting commissioner has stepped down from her role at the agency over Department of Government Efficiency requests to access Social Security recipient information, according to two people familiar with the official’s departure who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly
Acting Commissioner Michelle King’s departure from the agency over the weekend — after more than 30 years of service was initiated after King refused to provide DOGE staffers at the SSA with access to sensitive information, the people said Monday.
The White House has replaced her as acting commissioner with Leland Dudek, who currently works at the SSA, the people said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields released a statement Monday night saying: “President Trump has nominated the highly qualified and talented Frank Bisignano to lead the Social Security Administra-
tion, and we expect him to be swiftly confirmed in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the agency will be led by a career Social Security anti-fraud expert as the acting commissioner.” Fields added, “President Trump is committed to appointing the best and most qualified individuals who are dedicated to working on behalf of the American people, not to appease the bureaucracy that has failed them for far too long.”
King’s exit from the administration is one of several departures of high-ranking officials concerned about DOGE staffers’ potential unlawful access to private taxpayer information DOGE has accessed Treasury payment systems and is attempting to access Internal Revenue Service databases.
Since Republican President Donald Trump has retaken the White House, his billionaire adviser Elon Musk has rapidly burrowed deep into federal agencies while avoiding public scrutiny of his work through the DOGE group.
Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works,
an advocacy group for the preservation of Social Security benefits, said of DOGE’s efforts that “there is no way to overstate how serious a breach this is. And my understanding is that it has already occurred.”
“The information collected and securely held by the Social Security Administration is highly sensitive,” she said.
“SSA has data on everyone who has a Social Security number, which is virtually all Americans, everyone who has Medicare, and every low-income American who has applied for Social Security’s means-tested companion program, Supplemental Security Income.”
“If there is an evil intent to punish perceived enemies, someone could erase your earnings record, making it impossible to collect the Social Security and Medicare benefits you have earned.”
The future of Social Security has become a top political issue and was a major point of contention in the 2024 election About 72.5 million people, including retirees, disabled people and children, receive Social Security benefits.
all of us worse off,” Murray said. Among other cuts, 16 of 17 supervisory positions at Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park were eliminated, Brengel said, leaving just one person to hire, train and supervise dozens of seasonal employees expected this summer at the popular park where thousands of visitors marvel at grizzly bears and bison.
At Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, meanwhile, fee collectors and trail maintenance employees were laid off, potentially making trails at the popular park near Washington, D.C., unpassable after heavy rains.
“They’re basically kneecapping the very people who need to train seasonal” employees who work as park rangers, maintenance staff and trail managers, Brengel
said in an interview “It puts the park in an untenable position. You’re going to hurt tourism.
The firings may force small parks to close visitor centers and other facilities, while larger parks will have to function without cultural resources workers who help visitors interpret the park, fee collectors and even wastewater treatment operators, she said.
Chris hasbothfostered and adopted numerous dogs over the years from Friends of the Animals BatonRouge.
By Amanda McElfresh
This article is brought to youbyFriends of theAnimals Baton Rouge
While dogsatFriends of the Animals BatonRouge (FOTABR) wait to find their foreverhome, manyare fortunate to be taken in by temporary foster families for weekend, short-term or long-term stays BecauseFOTABRtakes in dogsof all breeds,agesand sizes,that means familiesare able to chooseafosterdog thatfits in with themthe best “Fostering has been great forus,”said Chris,alocal man whosefamily has both fostered and adopted numerous dogsoverthe years. “Theygiveyou an idea about the dog’s personality.They do the background first,then thatgives youanopportunitytodecide whatdog you want to taketoyour house.”
Whenchoosing afoster,Chris said he and his wifetaketheir lifestyle into account. She worksfromhome and is able to look after the dogsduring the day. Chris has amoreflexible schedule thatlets him takeonmoreofthe dog transportation duties.
Being dog parents is away of lifefor Chris and his wife, and something that makes themwanttohelp as manydogs as possible find loving homes.Chris said he feels fortunate thatmanydogsthey have fostered areadopted from FOTA BR quickly,some within acouple of weeks. Arecentfoster,Blondie,spentlonger at FOTA BR beforebeing adopted in early January
“We’ve come closetoadopting moredogs manytimes,” he said. “The longer youkeep the dog, the harder it is to let go.” FOTA BR is in constantneed of temporary foster homes fordogsinits care forovernight, weekend and long-term stays.Visit www.fotabr.org/foster-1 formoreinformation. If youare interested in adopting adog or puppy, avarietyofadoptable animals are available at the FOTA BR Dog Adoption House. All animals are spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccinations and microchipped. If someone wantstohelp dogs but is unable to serveasa foster or adoptivehome, FOTA BR accepts financial donations to help payfor medication, spaying and neutering, food, toys and necessities. Visit www.fotabr. org/donate to find out howtomakea monetary contribution. Friends of the Animals BatonRouge is locatedat8476Highland Road. Formore information, visit www.fotabr.org
Your hearing is an integral part of your overall health andwellbeing. Studiesshow that untreated hearing loss has been linkedtomanyhealthissues,including cognitive decline and dementia.1
We arehosting aSpecial Event during the month of April! During this event, we will be offeringthese FREE services:
February!
•FREE HearingTests
•FREE Video Otoscope Exam: Hearing loss or just earwax?
•FREE Clean &Check on currenthearing aids
•FREE Baseline Audiogram Assessment
•FREE Familiar Voice Test
•FREE Demo of Audibel’s latest hearing technology!
AreYou or Anyone YouKnow Experiencing the Following?
1. Asking people to speak up or repeat themselves?
2. Turning theTVuploud tounderstandwhat is being said?
3. Ringingornoisesinyour ears?
4. Hearing but not understanding certain words?
Simply call one of our offices belowtoschedule your FREE hearing test.
Appointments areavailable on afirst-come, first-served basis andthereis NO COSTfor these services.
THEADVOCATE.COM | Wednesday, February 19, 2025 1bn
BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer
Text messages subpoenaed by federal authorities related to a $6 million housing project show one of the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council members who voted on the deal has had a financial relationship with the developer In May, a federal grand jury issued a subpoena to all council members and other city-parish officials asking for a wide range of documents concerning KMT Holdings and Development LLC. Owned by real estate developer
Bradly Brown, KMT Holdings has a contract with the city-parish for an affordable housing project in Scotlandville called “Housing for Heroes.
Among the documents handed over were text messages from the phone of council member Cleve Dunn Jr
The subject of the investigation remains unclear A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Baton Rouge declined to comment.
The Advocate obtained copies of the subpoenaed text messages through a public records request.
Texts turned over between Dunn
and Brown capture discussion about a payment to one of Dunn’s companies, a question by the council member about a “return on invest payment” and an exchange about a property the developer calls an “ideal prospect.”
Asked for comment, Dunn said he “was not in business” with Brown. He said he was providing “bridge funding” for one project, adding that it happened after the Metro Council approved the Scotlandville deal.
“We’ve talked about a number of deals, but never done a deal together outside of me loaning him
money for bridge funding to complete a deal,” Dunn said.
Another public official — former council member LaMont Cole, who is now the Baton Rouge school system superintendent — also provided texts to comply with the subpoena. Those texts show Brown asking questions about blighted properties in Cole’s district and if the council member knew the status of the city-parish contract for the Scotlandville project.
Dunn turned over messages sent from July 2022 through February 2023. In them, he and Brown regularly spoke of various real estate
deals, as well as the Scotlandville project, which is funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Dunn said Monday that no federal authorities have contacted him about the investigation. The text exchanges took place months after Dunn and 10 others on the Metro Council voted in November 2021 to award Brown $6 million for the Scotlandville development. It took until July 2023 for Brown to reach a deal with thenMayor-President Sharon Weston Broome’s office to get the first $1 million disbursed on the project. Most of the texts between Dunn
Board, parish president act after months of turmoil
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD
Staff writer
After months of turmoil, the Livingston Parish Library Board of Control restored the libraries’ 2025 budget at its Tuesday meeting, bringing back from the chopping block multiple programs, events and access to online services hosted by the library system. The majority of the board along with Parish President Randy Delatte using his ex-officio status to vote, approved restoring the 2025 budget. The former Library Board in December had approved an amended budget that cut or decreased funding across multiple areas. The former board’s cuts were
Battery committed in BR workplace
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
An Addis man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Tuesday, after pleading guilty to sexual battery charges connected to a 2017 assault of a woman at her Baton Rouge workplace.
District Judge Louis Daniel handed down the prison stint and ordered Andre Louis Johnson, 38, to serve five years pro-
bation following his time in lockup.
Johnson was set to be tried this week in the 19th Judicial District Court on a charge of second-degree forcible rape and faced 40 years in prison if a jury found him guilty The lesser charge he pleaded guilty to is punishable by up to 20 years behind bars. According to Baton Rouge arrest affidavits, the assault occurred late the night of July 4, 2017. The victim, then 26, told officers she was cleaning up a storefront along Airline High-
way when Johnson showed up unannounced She said they had previously dated, but she cut all ties with him a year earlier The day of the sexual assault, Johnson had messaged her on Instagram asking to meet up. According to a statement the victim gave at Woman’s Hospital, Johnson tried talking to her before forcing himself on her She told investigators he grabbed her arm, pinned it behind her back and then forced her to the ground, then he assaulted her
Eight days after the ordeal, the victim called Johnson from a Baton Rouge police precinct as special victims unit detectives listened, according to police reports. The woman told Johnson how uncomfortable he made her by showing up to her place of business unexpectedly and told him she made it clear she didn’t want to have sex with him.
Johnson said he had been trying to call her to apologize and told her he drank too much the night of the assault and thought he was trying to please her
Port Allen incident under investigation
BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
A Port Allen police officer allegedly used pepper spray on a crowd at an indoor party Saturday, leading to criticism from the community and an internal investigation
She said attendees were enjoying music when she heard someone yell around midnight “Oh my god, he sprayed the building, y’all! Everybody get out!” “People were coughing, running, throwing up, falling over tables,” Phillips said. “I fell in the process of it all.”
“That one situation was contained early on, and I just feel like he wanted to shut the event down because he was ready to go,” Phillips said. She said the officer left the building after using the pepper spray The event, which started at 8 p.m. and was slated to go until 1 a.m., was abruptly over attendee Clerice Lacy said.
The Westside Alumni All Black Affair at the West Baton Rouge Community Center was set up for 480 people, said Daniell Phillips, a decorator for the event
and will provide an update after completing the investigation. He declined to comment further while the investigation is underway Residents were divided on social media over the incident, with some voicing outrage at the officer and others calling for more information on why pepper spray was used. Phillips said she doesn’t want people to remember the event only for the pepper spray “One moment turned it into a whole total disgrace, when it’s been nothing but positivity from the beginning,” she said. Officer accused of pepper-spraying
She said her leg was injured in the chaos, making it painful for her to go up stairs this week. Phillips said she wasn’t aware of any cause for using the pepper spray In her recollection, about 30 minutes before the incident, two women got in an altercation near the stage, but the issue was resolved.
“It was like a horror scene,” Lacy said. Port Allen Police Chief Donovan Mitchell said he is gathering information about the incident
CRIME BLOTTER staff reports
The Livingston Parish Coroner’s Office on Tuesday identified the teenagers killed Feb. 11 in a single-car crash on Linder Road near Denham Springs. Jayden Moore, 15, was alongside Jaheim Ordon, 16, and three others the morning of Feb. 11 when Moore was speeding in a Toyota Corolla and crossed to the opposite side of the road, struck the lip of a culvert and flipped the car on its nose, authorities said.
Moore and Ordon died at the scene of multiple traumatic injuries, while the other three unidentified occupants were taken to a hospital for their injuries, the Coroner’s Office said.
Moore, Ordon and the three other unidentified occupants were all at one point students at Denham Springs High School, officials with Livingston Parish School District confirmed None of the teens was wearing a seat belt, according to the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Linder Road is a narrow two-lane street with deep shoulders, no painted lanes, no lights and no reflectors. Residents on the road say Linder is dangerous, but officials with the parish say fixing it is out of their hands.
Man turns self in after family arrested
A man whose family members were arrested for their alleged involvement in a drug-running operation in Baton Rouge turned himself in Tuesday, police said.
Clifton Earl, 43, was arrested by East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputies on counts of operating a clandestine fentanyl lab, possession of drug paraphernalia and seven counts of possession of a controlled
Continued from page 1B
and Brown don’t mention the Scotlandville project, and it’s unclear what developments or proposed projects are being discussed.
In a text exchange on July 27, 2022, Dunn said, “we are less than a month out from the return on invest payment. How are things going with the project?”
Brown replied: “Still slow motion on the caprice project but your return is still on schedule as planned. Let me know who to write the cashier check out to. Dunn Enterprises, LLC?”
When asked about the exchange, Dunn said he didn’t recall what “caprice project” referred to.
“I don’t remember I’m a real estate investor. Bradly is a real estate investor We talk about deals and potential deals all the time. I don’t even know what ‘caprice project’ is,” he said. Dunn said the phrase “return on invest” referred to “a bridge loan, return on investment for the loan.”
On Aug. 27, 2022, Brown requested that a deadline for a payment be pushed back a few weeks, telling Dunn “I may need you to extend me for 2-3 weeks to get closed on the 3 pending so that I can get you cleared out and still keep things rolling.” He then mentioned another project he had secured a contract for in the “2100 block of North Boulevard.”
“I gotta put together $100k to close and cover predevelopment on this one. Will do direct equity on this deal if interested,” Brown messaged Dunn. “Check out the property in the PDF when you get a sec.” Dunn replied, “I can ex-
Festival International scheduled for April 23-27
substance with intent to distribute.
Each possession count is for a different controlled substance, including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, the opioid tapendatol, the stimulant ethylbuphedrone, and the tranquilizer clonazepam
Members of Earl’s immediate family were arrested last week on similar charges. In an operation that included raids at six addresses, EBRSO deputies arrested Earl’s two daughters Keishira Lindsey, 18, and Keishimie Lindsey 20; Earl’s girlfriend Karita Lindsey, 42; and Earl’s father Clifford Williams, 64. Earl had fled a residence during a raid in the 7000 block of Plank Road and was wanted by ERBSO.
Detectives were originally tipped off by jail phone calls to and from Keishira Lindsey while she was held at the parish prison.
Man found dead with gunshot wound in car
A man was found shot dead inside his vehicle on Plank Road on Monday afternoon David Chambers, 32, was found dead of a gunshot wound in the 1700 block of Plank Road around 5:30 p.m., Baton Rouge police said. His car was near a convenience store at the time of his death but had rolled a couple of blocks before stopping, according to a police spokesperson The investigation is ongoing.
One booked on suspicion of DWI
One person was booked Monday into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Christopher Adams, 38, of Baton Rouge, was booked on one count each of DWI and reckless operation of a vehicle
tend my portion, but I’d like to keep the agreement in place with the partner that I brought to the table. It’s important to me to get her return on invest to her as scheduled Get me the $25,000 this week and let’s meet this week to discuss those other options you mentioned in person.”
On Oct. 12, 2022, Brown asked Dunn about another property.
“When you get a moment fill me in on the apartments you mentioned behind the mall,” the developer said. “788 North Donmoor Baton Rouge, La. Go look at it and let talk afterward,” Dunn replied.
“That’s the ideal prospect right there. 12 units with solid structure,” Brown said later that evening. In a recent interview, Dunn downplayed the financial relationship between him and Brown. Dunn said he and Brown are both alumni of Capitol High School and are on the school’s alumni committee together
“Bradly is a real estate investor like I am, so we talk about deals, and have talked about deals all the time,” Dunn said. “We’ve never been on a deal together, but I have loaned him money as bridge funding, to do a deal in the past. That’s the extent of our business relationship.”
R. Gray Sexton, a former counsel to the Louisiana Board of Ethics, said state law generally prohibits elected officials from voting or taking any action to award a government contract to people they have, or have had, a substantial economic interest in.
Whether a loan between a council member and a developer with a city contract is an ethics violation depends on the circumstanc-
BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer
In 65 days, Lafayette will host performers from around the world in a global celebration of international Francophone and Louisiana culture.
Last weekend, the Festival International de Louisiane team dropped a lineup of more than 60 bands who will take to downtown stages in late April for one of Lafayette’s premiere music events.
The 39th annual Festival International de Louisiane will take place April 23-27 in downtown Lafayette.
Here is the full lineup of bands for Festival International 2025:
n Black Uhuru (Jamaica)
n Yágody (Ukraine)
n Zachary Richard (Louisiana)
n Red Baraat (India/U.S.)
n Dobet Gnahoré (Ivory Coast)
Continued from page 1B
met with backlash from parish residents and ultimately led the Parish Council to wipe the board clean in January and reappoint new members. Since then, the majority of new board members have worked to restore parts of the budget and on Tuesday restored it in its entirety
The public comment period for the budget proposal lasted over an hour, with some residents urging the board to bring back the full allotted money and others saying that the library wastes taxpayer money Members of the former board also gave comment in support of cutting back library spending.
Jordan Gonzalez, who has spoken against the amended budget in several previous meetings, said that if the
es, he said.
Sexton said an official would need to “have a bona fide loan made by duly licensed lending institution” to avoid ethics problems.
Brown, when called for comment, also classified the dealings as “bridge loans.”
When asked if he and Dunn ever made a loan agreement involving a bank or third party, Brown said “no.”
Dunn said no bank was used when he lent Brown money The council member added that on one occasion he “found a third party” individual to match $25,000 he had lent to help Brown complete a project.
“Real estate investors don’t always use banks and financial institutions,” he said. “They’re private lenders. There are other investors that come in and help you out. So, no, there was no bank involved.”
Brown said he ran into financial challenges during the business downturn caused by COVID and that Dunn was “just one of a lot of people who were concerned about me that really just stepped up and tried to help me out as much as they could.”
The Scotlandville housing project named in the grand jury subpoena created controversy on the council and, though some money has been approved, hasn’t broken ground.
A two-year delay stemmed from a public dispute involving Brown, then-council member Chauna Banks and then-Mayor Broome’s office over how much government oversight the project needed.
n Salebarbes (Canada)
n Mucca Pazza (U.S.)
n Bingo Avec Johanne
ft. Belinda & Kev Kevin (Canada)
n Etran de L’Aïr (Niger)
n Grupo Fantasma (Mexico/U.S.)
n Zar Electrik (France/ Morocco)
n Shavit (Canada)
n Baie (Canada)
n CJ Chenier & His Red Hot Louisiana Band with Marcia Ball (Louisiana)
n Donna the Buffalo (U.S.)
n Tommy McLain + CC Adcock with Tiffany Lamson & Kelli Jones (Louisiana)
n Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band (Louisiana)
n Nattali Rize (Jamaica/ Australia)
n Yallah Yallah (France/ Morocco)
n Bab L’Bluz (France/Morocco)
n JigJam (Ireland)
n Mixanteña de Santa Cecilia (Mexico)
n Son de Madera (Mexico)
n RAM (Haiti)
n CC Adcock & the Lafayette Marquis (Louisiana)
n Tribute to Dege Legg — The Brethren (Louisiana)
budget was not restored, that people who love the libraries would continue to advocate for its restoration.
“I think it’s important we go ahead and put this behind us. I think it’s clear this is a continuation of a very loud, vocal small minority of people in this parish who really just have an issue with public goods No matter what, they are going to try to take anything out of this budget that they possibly can,” he said.
Board member Trey Cowell wanted to restore only a select number of line items from the budget, but his substitute motion was voted down by the majority
“I think it sets a precedent to taxpayers that we are striving to be accountable,” he said.
At its last meeting in January the board in a similar move voted down restoring the whole budget. It instead restored specific line items, including eMusic, eVideo
insistence that certain federal requirements applied to the project.
After the council voted for the project but while the developer was still negotiating an agreement with the mayor, Brown texted Dunn on Jan. 4, 2023 that Banks — in whose district the Scotlandville project is located — asked for a meeting.
“She’s been asking us to meet too,” Dunn replied.
“Chauna is not letting the plan that was put in place play out.”
A week later, Banks prompted a discussion about the project’s funding at a council meeting.
Timestamps of text messages between Dunn and
n Double Dare with Tiffany Lamson & Kelli Jones (Louisiana)
n Fermin Ceballos & Merengue4 (Dominican Republic/Cuba/U.S.)
n The Debtors (Louisiana)
n The Figs Reunion: Remembering Jillian Johnson (Louisiana)
n Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band (Louisiana)
n Luke Winslow-King (Spain/Italy)
n Cedric Watson & Bijou Créole (Louisiana)
n Belles of the Boot with Connie G, Donna Angelle, Sarah Russo & Charlene Howard (Louisiana)
n Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie (Louisiana)
n Brass Bed (Louisiana)
n Pine Leaf Boys (Louisiana)
n Julian Primeaux (Louisiana)
n The Holiday Playgirls (Louisiana)
n Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners (Louisiana)
n The Rayo Brothers (Louisiana)
n Russell Cormier & Homegrown Reggae (Louisiana)
n Bluerunners (Louisi-
and eMagazines, in order to bring back media streaming platform hoopla, which was deactivated at the beginning of the year and met with a large outcry on social media.
The library system will be able to start using funds that were decreased immediately, said Library Director Michelle Parrish after the meeting.
Aside from the budget, the board also tackled other issues as well. After years of public concerns there might be sexually explicit content in children’s books available at the libraries, the system has now moved all young adult content at its five branches into the the adult sections while it’s under review
The board unanimously approved creating a sexually explicit material checklist that summarizes the state law to make it easier to understand while reviewing books.
Brown show the two discussing Banks during that meeting. As Dunn sat beside his fellow council members, Brown sent him a message. “I did tell her not to do anything to bring any attention to our project,” Brown texted Dunn.
LOTTERY MONDAY, FEB 17, 2025
PICK 3: 6-3-4 PICK 4: 2-0-7-9 PICK 5: 8-1-5-1-6 POWERBALL: 4-44-4752-57 (9) Unofficial
ana)
n T’Monde (Louisiana)
n Wilson Savoy & His Soul-O Piano (Louisiana)
n Chère Élise (Louisiana)
n Dr Daylights Jazz Company (Louisiana)
n Que Beleza! (Brazil/ Louisiana)
n Mike Larson & the Ones That Got Away (Louisiana)
n Acadiana Symphony Youth Orchestra (Louisiana)
n Soul Express Brass Band (Louisiana)
n Major Handy & the Louisiana Blues Band (Louisiana)
n Leif Meche Band (Louisiana)
n Voices of Progressive Gospel Choir (Louisiana)
n Kid Charleroi (Louisiana)
n LeTrainiump (Louisiana)
n Conor Donohue (Louisiana)
n School of Rock Lafayette (Louisiana)
n Not Our Sons & The Slackers (Louisiana)
n Rockin’ Trojans — LJ Alleman Fine Arts Academy House Band (Louisiana)
n Brazos Huval Student Showcase (Louisiana)
Emails obtained by The Advocate through another public records request show Broome and Banks were at odds over the council member’s repeated public criticism of the mayor’s
Wall Street hits record on S&P 500 gain
U.S. stocks crept to a record as the S&P 500 nudged higher after a quiet Tuesday of trading. The main measure of Wall Street’s health rose to finish just above its all-time closing high set last month. Most of the stocks within the index rose, as it danced around the milestone through the day
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq composite were both up slightly Entergy helped lead the way after rallying 6%. The electric company, which serves customers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas, reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected
That helped offset a 5.5% drop for Conagra Brands, which lowered its forecasts for upcoming profit and other financial measures. The food company said supply issues have hurt two of its product lines: frozen meals containing chicken and frozen vegetables. It also said shifting values of foreign currencies are hurting its profits.
Meta Platforms weighed on the market after falling 2.8% It was the first drop for the parent of Facebook and Instagram since Jan. 16, and it had leapt more than 20% over that 20-day winning streak.
U.S. stocks have climbed back to record heights thank in large part to stronger-than-expected profit reports, even after big disruptions recently seemed set to derail Wall Street’s long, upward trend that began in 2022.
Hanging over everything has been the threat of a punishing global trade war following President Donald Trump’s announcements of tariffs. But Wall Street has been taking such actions increasingly in stride, believing they are merely tools for negotiations and that they’ll ultimately prove to be less painful for markets and the economy than they may seem initially KFC moving corporate office to Texas
Kentucky Fried Chicken is being uprooted from its ancestral home state in a shake-up that will relocate its U.S. corporate office to Texas, the chain’s parent company said Tuesday The KFC chain — launched by Colonel Harland Sanders and his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices — will be based in Plano, Texas, and about 100 KFC corporate employees will be relocated in the next six months, said Yum Brands, which owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.
Moving the corporate office from Louisville brought a swift response from the city’s mayor.
“I am disappointed to learn that Yum Brands will move its KFC employees to Texas — especially since the brand was born here and is synonymous with Kentucky,” Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement. Yum said the move is part of its broader plans to designate two brand headquarters in the U.S. — in Plano and Irvine, California. KFC and Pizza Hut will be headquartered in Plano, while Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill will remain based in Irvine, it said.
BY TIMOTHY BOONE Business editor
Baton Rouge-based H&E Equipment Services, which announced last month it had reached a $4.8 billion deal to be purchased by United Rentals, said it has received a nearly $5.3 billion offer from Herc Rentals
Herc is offering to purchase H&E with a combination of cash and stock that comes to about $104.59 a share. That’s more than the $92 United Rentals said it would pay per share of H&E.
When H&E announced the United Rentals deal on Jan. 14, the company said it had a 35-day “go shop”
period to negotiate a better offer. That period ended Monday
Florida-based Herc has 440 locations in the U.S. and Canada. It has 16 locations in south Louisiana.
H&E said it plans to enter into a merger agreement with Herc on Wednesday, after it satisfies requirements under the United Rentals agreement. That includes paying a $63.5 million termination fee, which Herc said it will cover the cost of.
The deal is set to close in the middle of the year, although H&E noted in a news release there are no assurances the Herc deal will happen.
H&E, founded in 1961, is the fifth largest rental equipment compa-
nies in the U.S., with more than 160 branches in 31 states. Its rental fleet is valued at $2.9 billion. While both companies have a strong concentration of locations in the South, Herc has a major presence in New England, the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest.
H&E has a heavy concentration in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Idaho.
H&E is a general rental business, while Herc specializes in products for areas such as power generation, pump, HVAC and floor care. In recent years, H&E has taken aggressive measures, selling off its crane business in 2021 and its earthmoving distributorships in 2022 to concentrate on equipment rental. H&E also bought up smaller equipment companies in the Midwest and West. Analysts say the larger an equipment rental company is, the better its chances are of getting new equipment from manufacturers and the better price it pays. Herc was
Shortages and price hikes impacting all from farms to bakeries
BY MAE ANDERSON AP business writer
NEW YORK
Small-business owners that rely on eggs for their products are facing sticker shock because the usually reliable staple is in short supply
Avian flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, causing U.S egg prices to skyrocket. The average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities reached $4.95 in January, eclipsing the previous record of $4.82 set two years earlier and more than double the low of $2.04 that was recorded in August 2023. The Agriculture Department predicts prices will soar another 20% this year
Most owners are taking the increase in stride, looking at it as just one of many hurdles they constantly face. But if the problem persists, they could be forced to raise prices or adjust their products.
Liz Berman is the owner of The Sleepy Baker in Natick Massachusetts She specializes in custom, from-scratch cakes but also sells cupcakes, cookies, pies and other baked goods.
Eggs are just one of the baking ingredients experiencing price shocks. Items such as cocoa powder and butter have gone up as well. And price isn’t the only issue.
“It’s not just the cost of eggs, right? It’s also just the availability,” she said. She prefers to buy medium-sized white-shelled eggs, buying a box with 18 dozen eggs, but two weeks ago those were unavailable, so
she had to buy brown eggs in individual cartons of 12.
“It sounds kind of silly but when I’m the sole proprietor and I have a huge volume of work, to have to take a dozen eggs out of my walk-in at a time as opposed to a flat of eggs, it’s just it’s a pain,” Berman said.
She doesn’t think prices will ease anytime soon. Cocoa powder prices have been elevated for years.
“I think ultimately I’m going to have to increase my prices, which is hard because that’s going to mean that there’s a category of customer that won’t order from me anymore,” Berman said.
At Daisies, a pasta restaurant in Chicago, chef/partner Joe Frillman and chef/partner Leigh Omilinsky haven’t raised prices but are thinking of adjusting menu items. Omilinsky said she is thinking of adding more vegan and egg-free desserts to the menu and has been working more with flaxseeds. She said the shortage has made her more conscious of the ingredients she is using and wasting less.
“You know, if we need egg yolks we are absolutely saving those whites,” she said.
Depending on how long the egg shortage lasts, they could adjust menu items too, Frillman said.
BY FABIANO MAISONNAVE Associated Press
BRASILIA, Brazil
Brazil’s government on Tuesday approved joining OPEC+, a group of major oilexporting nations, signaling the country’s evolution into a major oil state just nine months ahead of hosting the United Nations’ annual climate summit.
The National Council for Energy Policy’s approval came in response to an official invitation in 2023. The group includes the 12 members of OPEC, the longstanding group set
up to coordinate oil production to stabilize markets, plus 10 more significant oil-producing nations with Russia by far the largest.
Though non-OPEC members agree to cooperate with OPEC nations, Brazil won’t have any binding obligation such as production cuts, Mines and Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira said at a news conference. The participation will be limited to the Charter of Cooperation, a permanent forum for OPEC and OPEC+ countries to discuss industry-related issues. The South American country will not partici-
pate in decisions.
Silveira called the charter merely “a forum for discussing strategies among oil-producing countries. We should not be ashamed of being oil producers. Brazil needs to grow, develop and create income and jobs.”
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva began his third term in 2023 touting himself as an environmental defender and has worked to reduce deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and to protect Indigenous rights.
But he has also argued that new oil revenues could finance a transition to green energy
In recent weeks, he has pressed the country’s environmental regulator to approve exploratory drilling near the mouth of the Amazon River, one of the most biodiverse regions of the world.
Brazil is the world’s seventhlargest oil producer, with about 4.3 million barrels daily, or 4% of the world´s output, according to Energy Information Administration, a U.S. government agency In 2024, crude oil became the country´s top export product, accounting for 13.3% of Brazil’s foreign sales, surpassing soy
Doucet, Tanna
Tanna Doucet, abeloved daughter, sister, and aunt passed awaypeacefully on February 15th surrounded by her family. She was 66 years old. Tanna was born in New Roads, Louisiana and was aresident of Fordoche. She retired from LA DOTD after 37 years of service. Tanna was awoman of many talents and gifts, and her creativity knew no bounds. She was atalented florist, awedding photographer, and agifted seamstress. Tanna wasa member of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church where she served for many years as aLector. Sheis survived by her sister, Deadra (David) Bourke; Godson, Josh (Nikki) Sonnier; niece, Kaylie (John) Disotell. She is also survived by 10 great nieces and nephews, to whom she was affectionately known as "Nana Ree". Tanna is preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence and Joyce Doucet and brother, Patrick Doucet. Avisitation will be held at St. Frances Cabrini CatholicChurch in Livonia on Friday, February 21, 2025 from 9:30 am until Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am. The interment will follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Joshua and Chance Sonnier, John Disotell,Spencer Cormier, Jerome, Brad and Jonah Doucet and Jared Gray.
LeBlanc, Gloria Knight
Gloria Knight LeBlanc,of St. Francisville, Louisiana, passed awayonFebruary 17, 2025, at the age of 83. She was born on December 22,1941,inShreveport, Louisiana to Delma Henderson and Sterling Knight. Gloria was married to Virgil LeBlanc for 25 years. She was known for her sweet smile and devotion to her family. She had a love for animals and absolutely adored her fur babies. She also enjoyed scrapbooking, taking road trips in her camper, gardening and had astrong interest in genealogy. Gloria was agraduate of Bossier High School. After graduation, she went on to work for LSU in the accounting department for fifteen years. She is survived by her daughter, Aline grandchildren, Cazenave Bownds grandchildren, Bownds, Cazenave Cazenave. ceded band, parents and tation held 20, 11:00 Home, Gonzales, followed vice be Haven 604 Louisiana
graduation, she went on to work for LSU in the accounting department for fifteen years. She is survived by her daughter, Aline Lemoine (Ken); grandchildren, Danielle Cazenave (Beau) and Katie Bownds (Logan); great grandchildren, Ellie Grace Bownds, AdalineJean Cazenave and Lainey Ann Cazenave. Gloriawas precededindeath by her husband, Virgil LeBlanc and parents Delma Henderson and Sterling Knight. Avisitation for Gloria will be held Thursday, February 20, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Ourso Funeral Home, 13533 AirlineHwy, Gonzales, Louisiana 70737, followed by afuneral service at 11:00 AM.Gloria will be laid to rest in Hope Haven Garden of Memory, 604 E. Hwy 30, Gonzales, Louisiana 70737.
Alvin M. Mix III, 64, passed away into hisheavenly home on February 16, 2025, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Born on November 18, 1960. He lived his entire life in Baton Rouge and was affectionately known to many as Bee." Al was agraduate of Lee High School and retired from Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) with 33 years of service. In his retirement, Al spent his days with his wife Leslie, completing crossword puzzles, watching jeopardy and alot of golf. He was a natural with aquick wit and making others laugh. However, his biggest passions were his kids and grandkids. He fought his entire life just to spend one more day with them. Al was amemberofSt. Aloysius Catholic Church. He wasa loving fatherand husband. Al is survived by his wife, Leslie Mix; his motherLois Mix; his sister Tommie Jo Hunt and husband, Tommy; hisdaughter Lauren Salvailand husband, Scott; his son Michael Mix; hisgrandchildren Lucas and Whitt Salvail, and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father Alvin Michael Mix, Jr. Services will be held at St. Aloysuis Catholic Church, 2025 Stuart Ave,Baton Rouge on Thursday, February 20, 2025. Visitation at 10:00 a.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 p.m. followed by the interment at Greenoaks Memorial Park, 9595 FloridaBlvd Pallbearers areHunter Blouin, Kelly Cragin, Kimberly Gremillion, Cody Hunt, Scott Salvail, Lucas Salvail, Whitt Salvail, and Taylor Wax. Avery special thanks to Dr. JoelSilverberg, for not onlyhis lifelong compassionate care of Al but his friendship as well. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Louisiana Kidney Foundation or the JuvenileDiabetes Foundation.
Charles Dennis Mon‐teilh, 79, a resident of Zachary LA died on Friday February 14, 2025 unex‐pectedly at his home
Known as Dennis by his family and Charlie by his friends and workmates, he built a lifelong career with Exxon that enabled him to travel the world. He was a veteran of the U.S Navy Seabee Battalion and served in Vietnam. He was an active member of the Men’s Club at St. John the Baptist Church, forming lasting friendships and giv‐ing back in any way he could He was all about good food, good company, and good times - whether it was around the dinner table at home or at his fishing camp, making memories that always seemed to come with a great story (and maybe a little exaggeration about the one that got away.) An avid fisherman, he shared some of his best days on the water with a group of fishing buddies any man would be lucky to have. He loved all sports, but had a special passion for any‐thing LSU especially LSU women’s basketball. Above all he was a devoted hus‐band, father, grandfather, and soon-to-be greatgrandfather He loved his wife passionately never missing an opportunity to spoil her and their chil‐dren. His friendships were as deep as they were unique, and he remained a loyal friend and mentor to many. He leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and unwavering loyalty to those he held dear. He will be profoundly missed. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Joyce Huguet Mon‐teilh; three daughters: Mel‐onie Monteilh of Columbia; Christie Monteilh Bearden of Barataria; Jeanne Stagg and husband Dan Stagg of Baton Rouge; one son, Paul Monteilh and wife Laura of Baton Rouge; one sister, Margaret Gibson; and five grandchildren: Nicholas Monteilh Madison Gomer Charles Roby Bearden, Katherine Monteilh, and Leighton Stagg Sens He was preceded in death by his parents Charles and Alice and siblings Charles Frederick Leona, Jerry and Mary Alice. Pallbearers in‐clude Paul Monteilh Dan Stagg, Charles Roby Bear‐den David Ruhl Dylan Huguet, and Monty Mon‐teilh Honorary pallbearers include Nicholas Monteilh and Julius Stewart Visita‐tion will be at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Zachary LA on Thursday February 20, 2025 from 9:00 am until funeral Mass at 11:00 am, conducted by Fr Lamar Partin. Share sym‐pathies, memories, and condolences at www Cha rletFuneralHome.com Do‐nations in his memory may be made to the St John the Baptist Catholic Church Maintenance Fund in lieu of flowers
Gerry Satterlee, alongtime resident of Chalmette, Louisiana, passed away suddenly on Saturday, February 15, 2025. Born and raised in St. Bernard Parish, Gerry spent his youthfinding snakes in the woods, catching pigeons in the city, raising chickens at home, and sneaking any or all of theabove ontoa bus or intohis school.
With atwinkle in his eyes, Gerry's telling of madcap life-stories entertained for hours. If not relaying tales of adate's hair wilted by the steam of a hundred pounds of boiled crawfish in the backseat of his car, or describing an evening mistakenly trapped in atrailer by junkyard dogs, he might be found quizzing his grandchildren about his latest secret password. He had a special place in his heart for his grandchildren, and could always elicit agiggle with his favorite silly words Cheecheebaba, Nidjoo, or Rasputin.
Gerry was agraduateof Holy Cross High School, LSUNO, and UNO, joining the U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers in 1969 as a Professional Engineer, Geotechnical Branch, and retiring in 2003 as Chief, Engineering Division, New Orleans District,receiving numerous performance, engineering, and exemplary service awards throughout his career.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Gerry was also aconsummate Louisiana sportsman and home gardener. He immensely enjoyed hunting and fishing throughout his life with his cousin and friend, Donald Belsom, and kepta constant eye on his persimmons, lest a varmint approach.
Addressed throughout his life as either Sheldon, Shel, Mac, The Good Provider, Gerry, Pawpaw, or Papa Gerry, he was first and foremost known as a loving husband,father, grandfather, brother, cousin, and continual friend full life, missed.
Gerry death Sheldon Satterlee; his mother, Shirley Belsom Satterlee; his brother, Timmy Satterlee; and his wife of 40 years, Patricia "Patti" Dewailly Satterlee. He is survived by his sisters, Adele Cook, Lydia Christen, and Agatha Borrouso; his daughters, Amy Satterlee Trahan (husband Joseph), Windy Satterlee Rachal (husband Christopher), and Melanie Becnel Broga (husband Jonathan); his grandchildren, Sophia and Sydney Trahan, Nathan and Eleanor Rachal, and Ellery, Haley and Avery Broga; and his companion of recent years, Eileen Farley. He is also survived by numerous loving sisters-inlaw, brothers-in-law nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Shel, Mac,The Good Provider, Gerry, Pawpaw or Papa Gerry, he was first and foremost known as a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, cousin, and continual friend to many. He lived a full life, and will be dearly missed. Gerry was preceded in death by his father, Gerard Sheldon Satterlee; his mother, Shirley Belsom Satterlee; his brother, Timmy Satterlee; andhis wife of 40 years, Patricia "Patti" Dewailly Satterlee. He is survived by hissisters, Adele Cook, Lydia Christen, and Agatha Borrouso; his daughters, Amy Satterlee Trahan (husband Joseph), Windy Satterlee Rachal (husband Christopher), and Melanie Becnel Broga (husband Jonathan); his grandchildren, Sophia and Sydney Trahan, Nathan and Eleanor Rachal, andEllery, Haleyand Avery Broga; and his companion of recent years, Eileen Farley. He is also survived by numerouslovingsisters-inlaw, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, and extended family. The Satterlee Family wishes to thank Dr. Gerald Militello for his care, and extends aspecial thank you to the ICU staff at Our Lady of the Lake of Baton Rouge for their attentive kindness anddedication Relatives and friends are invited to the visitation at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. in New Orleans, on Friday, February 21, 2025 from 9:00AM until 11:00AM. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated in thechapel at 11:00AM. The interment will follow the Mass in Metairie Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider adonation in Gerry's memory to The
memory to The American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org. To view and sign the online guest book, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com
The Satterlee Family wishes to thank Dr. Gerald Militello for his care, and extendsa special thank you to the ICU staff at Our Lady of the Lake of Baton Rouge for theirattentive kindness and dedication.
Relatives and friends are invited to the visitation at LakeLawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. in New Orleans, on Friday, February 21, 2025 from 9:00AM until 11:00AM. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated in thechapel at 11:00AM. The interment will follow the Mass in Metairie Cemetery. In lieuofflowers, please consider adonation in Gerry's memory to The American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org
To view and sign theonline guest book, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com
School and Louisiana Col-
lege. He spent decades as acoach at Central Middle School, where he not only shaped young athletes but also guided them with wisdom, kindness, and unwavering support. His influence extended far beyond the field, touching the lives of countless students who carried his lessons with them long after their school years ended.
Ken's presence was a gift to all who knew him. With his infectious smile quick wit, and generous heart, he became apillar of the Central community—a friend to many and a brother to all. He embodied the values of faith, integrity, and service, leading by exampleand inspiring those around him.
Above all, Ken was a devoted Paw Paw, arole he embraced with boundless love. Whether cheering from the stands, lining up aperfect golf shot, listening to apiano recital,or watching afirst pirouette, he was his grandchildren's biggest fan. His unwavering support and gentle encouragement will remain a guiding light in their lives.
Ken is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Tamara Guidry Wall;his children, Kenny Wall and wife Megan, and Tiffany Burnham and husband Bryan; and his adored grandchildren, Matthew, Ben, and Georgia Wall, and Bradley, Amelia,and Audrey Burnham. He also leaves behind his brother, Don Wall and wife Pat; sister-in-law Tara Guidry; and brothers-in-law Sonny Guidry and wife Libby, and Russ Guidry and wife Ellen, and many beloved nieces and nephews.
Ken is now reunited in Heaven with his parents, Luther and Vera Wall,and his beloved in-laws, Audrey and Roland Guidry, Sr. Though his physical presence will be deeply missed, his spirit, love, and laughter will live on in the hearts of those he touched.
ACelebration of Life will be held at Resthaven Gardens of Memory &Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Hwy in Baton Rouge, on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Visitation will take place on Thursday, February 20th, from 5:00-8:00 p.m., and Friday, February 21st, from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Interment will follow the service.
Pallbearers will be Kenny Wall, Bryan Burnham, Don Wall, Jason Wall, Jared Wall, Russ Guidry, John Cashio, and Chris Meisner Honorary pallbearers are Matthew Wall, Ben Wall, and Bradley Burnham.
children, Kenny Walland wife Megan, and Tiffany Burnham and husband Bryan; and hisadored grandchildren, Matthew, Ben, and Georgia Wall, and Bradley,Amelia, and Audrey Burnham. He also leaves behind his brother, Don Wall and wife Pat; sister-in-law Tara Guidry; and brothers-in-law Sonny Guidry and wife Libby, and Russ Guidry and wife Ellen, and many belovednieces and nephews.
Ken is now reunited in Heavenwith his parents, Luther and Vera Wall, and his beloved in-laws, Audrey and Roland Guidry,Sr. Though his physical presence will be deeply missed, his spirit, love,and laughter will live on in the hearts of those he touched.
ACelebration of Life will be held at Resthaven Gardens of Memory& Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Hwy in Baton Rouge, on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Visitation willtake place on Thursday, February 20th, from 5:00-8:00 p.m., and Friday, February 21st, from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Interment will follow the service.
Pallbearers will be Kenny Wall, Bryan Burnham, Don Wall, Jason Wall, Jared Wall, Russ Guidry, John Cashio, and ChrisMeisner. Honorary pallbearers are Matthew Wall, Ben Wall, and BradleyBurnham. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave apersonalnote to the family at www.resthav enbatonrouge.com.
Certainly, we in Louisiana have known the vicissitudes of the oil and gas industry over the decades. Cycles of boom and bust, of millions made and millions lost, are so woven into our history that talk of the 1980s oil bust can still evoke nightmares. It was after that shock that the state began talking seriously about the need to diversify its energy economy But it is only recently that it has actually seen a window to make that happen in a significant way
And that’s because of new industries that, like oil and gas, rely on technical expertise and the unique resources of our state. Renewable energy projects — wind and solar — have found fertile ground in the prairies and marshes of Louisiana. In 2023, Arizona-based First Solar began building a $1.1 billion facility to manufacture solar panels in New Iberia. Last year at the Port of New Orleans, Houma shipbuilder Edison Chouest christened the first American-made service operations vehicle for offshore wind. And there are dozens of other potential investments around clean energy statewide: Factories for making batteries for electric vehicles and numerous carbon capture projects are on the drawing board.
The Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed to spur these budding industries, especially in places in Louisiana. However, all that promise has been thrown into doubt by the Trump administration’s recent moves to halt funding for clean energy projects.
We feel this is misguided for several reasons, but first and foremost, because it is a selfinflicted wound.
Just as we did when the Biden administration arbitrarily decided to halt permitting for new liquefied natural gas exports, we must question why the current administration would throw projects that are creating the jobs of the future in America into such uncertainty The price of oil, as we well know here, is affected by many factors, often in countries half a world away and out of our control. Our clean energy future depends only on our ability to invest and develop it.
Especially in Louisiana, where we are desperate for industries that support high-paying jobs to keep our young people here, this is a terrible blow We have embraced an “all-ofthe-above” energy strategy, and clean energy doesn’t threaten oil and gas jobs, which are dwindling anyway due to more efficient processes. In fact, many petrochemical companies have invested in carbon capture projects for their own future.
While the funding freeze may be prompted by an urge to reduce waste in government or suspicion of anything related to climate change, and while there may be questions about the impact of some wind and solar projects, that’s no justification for toying with Louisiana companies and jobs.
We hope our elected leaders will stand up and not let ideology kill innovation that could greatly benefit our state. And we hope Louisiana oil and gas industry leaders will unite in supporting clean energy They most of all, should understand what it means when an industry’s fortunes change overnight
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title 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.
Decimation of USAID will have untold
As a political scientist who focuses on international economics and politics, I must point out the tremendous damage that the federal administration’s actions toward the U.S. Agency for International Development will do to the U.S. and the global community Foreign aid has been an important tool of U.S. foreign policy since the Marshall Plan at the end of World War II. It was used to support democracies as they painfully rebuilt following the conflict and was an important check on the spread of alternative ideologies. Assistance would continue to be used as a policy tool through the Cold War for much the same purpose. In the years since, aid has been used to foster economic development, spread and support democracy and civil society and provide relief to those affected by conflict and disaster More recently, it has been an indispensable tool in opposing Chinese attempts to increase their influence through their Belt and Road Initiative. In short, at less
than 1% of the annual federal budget, on average, it provides tremendous value in burnishing the United States’ image globally and increasing its soft power Halting all aid programs and demonizing the agency is an unforced error that will have long-term ramifications. Individuals will suffer for lack of support and the country’s reputation will be significantly damaged, causing us to cede power to states like Russia and China, with whom we compete for global influence. The enormous downsides and arguably illegal impoundment of USAID funds should lead us to ask: Why is the administration sending us hurtling toward a constitutional crisis on the separation of powers and checks on the authority of the executive branch? Perhaps insight could be found by contemplating the following question: How would we describe these events if we saw them happening in another country?
DANIEL TIRONE Baton Rouge
Nothing new about geographical name changes
Regarding Will Sutton’s column Jan. 29, I find it ironic to be upset with the renaming efforts for the Gulf of ??? and Mount ??? in Alaska.
Renaming has gone on forever In fact, I still have, in my keepsake scrapbook, schoolwork from my elementary years with maps of southeast Asia, eastern Europe and Africa where some country names are no longer Even in our United States, we have pre-1776 records defining what’s presently a state as a British
colony More recently, geographical landmarks with names of Confederate generals have been changed, such as several army bases and even our own Lee Circle in New Orleans.
Although I am not a fan of changing Denali or the Gulf’s names, I am keenly aware changing is often used as a political tool to satisfy the political base of powerful leaders. At least the process does not raise taxes.
KENNETH MUSICK Baton Rouge
Banner should not have been hung at tragic location
In the past I’ve written about the Canal and Rampart Street intersection. This time is no different. Recently, I saw a huge banner wrapped around the empty lot’s perimeter where the tragic Hard Rock Hotel once stood. The banner in large letters and bright colors read, “New Orleans Super Bowl LIX.” Because of the location of that banner instead of feeling jubilant and happy about the Super Bowl and what it means to New Orleans, I felt a sense of anger coupled with disrespect.
How could anyone in good conscience put a celebratory banner advertising and promoting an exciting occasion when lives were tragically lost at the banner’s site? It was a slap in the face to the families and especially to those whose remains remained in what was left of the compromised and collapsed structure. It’s a bad look to those of us who know and respect the history and its meaning to the intersection.
LINDA DOUGLAS New Orleans
Trump not focused on campaign promises A Canadian longing to celebrate in N.O
Our governor, state and U.S. representatives and senators should take note: Your constituents have noticed that since Jan. 20 promises have not been kept. Egg prices have not come down. The war is still happening in Ukraine. There’s no sign of any bills to lower middle class taxes. Voters are watching what is happening in Washington. We see how many of our Louisiana elected officials step in line with the cruel agenda, and how many of them are owned by billionaires. We will not be distracted by the flurry of executive orders and lies that they are making American safe.
DENISE PADDOCK New Orleans
We have been planning a vacation to New Orleans for six years, but then COVID happened. Then the border from Canada was closed. Then we had a death in the family We finally rebooked (for the ninth time) a trip in May and paid for it on Dec. 31 Then the Bourbon Street attack happened. But nothing is going to stop us. Not a punishing exchange rate. Not a 97-year-old mother convinced that we are going to a war zone. Not a tenuous political situation. (No sir we do not want to be your 51st state.) Not anything. New Orleans is strong, and we are going to celebrate it! Finally
JANET POLE London, Ontario, Canada
Musk’s hand gesture taken out of context
A recent editorial cartoon poked fun at Elon Musk for his awkward attempt at a “from the heart” gesture at a President Donald Trump inauguration event. It is common knowledge that anyone remotely associated with Trump is fair game for your left-leaning editorialist, but to label Musk as a Nazi based on a split-second innocent hand gesture is going too far even by your publication’s standards. If a hand raised in the air is a definite sign that someone is a Nazi sympathizer, be prepared because the city of New Orleans is about to be invaded by a million Nazis begging for beads and trinkets from passing Mardi Gras floats! DAVID PALMISANO Marrero
Anyone who doubts that President Donald Trump wants to rule like a strongman should pay attention to the chilling pronouncement made by Vice President JD Vance on a recent Sunday: “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”
Acting in its constitutional role, the federal judiciary has slowed the blitzkrieg launched by Trump and his field marshal, billionaire Elon Musk, against the federal government and the law One of the latest roadblocks was erected in the early hours of last Saturday morning when U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ordered that Musk and his U.S. DOGE Service vandals be locked out of the Treasury Department’s vital payment systems, which are full of sensitive data.
The volatile Musk, predictably, raged on his social media platform X that Engelmayer was “a corrupt judge protecting corruption” and “needs to be impeached NOW!” But Vance’s post on X, though calmer in tone, was far more menacing — because it fundamentally challenges the Constitution’s system of checks and balances.
I need to quote Vance in full: “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.”
There are two possibilities here. Vance might just be blowing off steam. Or he might be presaging an attempt by the administration to take the unthinkable step of defying federal court orders which would create an existential constitutional crisis. Federal judges have temporarily blocked several of Trump’s sweeping executive orders and stalled Musk’s pillaging of some federal agencies, pending further judicial consideration. The president has been stopped from
unilaterally ending birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment; freezing up to $3 trillion in domestic spending that was authorized by Congress, to which the Constitution gives the power of the purse; purging the U.S. Agency for International Development and immediately putting its 2,200 employees on leave; imposing an impossibly tight deadline for a questionable “deferred resignation” offer to most civilian federal workers; and enacting other radical measures. These rulings have been made by judges appointed by Democratic and Republican presidents — including by Trump himself during his first term. They are fulfilling their duty according to the Constitution and the landmarkof-all-landmarks Supreme Court ruling Marbury v. Madison, which in 1803 established the principle of judicial review When a federal judge issues a ruling the president does not like, the president can appeal to a higher court Ultimately the dispute might reach the Supreme Court, which makes a decision by which all parties, including the president, must then abide.
Vance, who is a graduate of Yale Law School, obviously knows all of this He also knows that the examples he cites are specious. No, federal judges do not review a general’s battle plans — but five civilian judges do sit as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, which has appellate jurisdiction for the military court system. No, federal
judges do not usurp the attorney general’s discretion — but Judge Aileen M. Cannon, a Trump appointee, did rule that former attorney general Merrick Garland acted improperly when he appointed Jack Smith to prosecute the classified documents case against Trump. It is safe to say that every president has been frustrated by some decision made by some federal judge. If Trump is more exasperated than most “No judge should frankly be allowed to make that kind of a decision. It’s a disgrace,” he said of Engelmayer’s ruling — that is because he is claiming a vast and un-American expansion of executive power
The Founders expected each branch of government to defend its prerogatives.
The Republican majorities in the House and Senate have shown no willingness to challenge Trump as he ignores laws and withholds expenditures mandated by Congress. The judiciary, by contrast, is doing its job. But judges have no way to enforce their decisions. Implicit in Vance’s words is a threat to simply ignore rulings about matters the administration believes judges “aren’t allowed to control.”
Amid his vice-presidential duties, Vance somehow finds the time to fight culture-war battles on X, often hurling juvenile insults. For example, he responded to a critique from Rory Stewart, a British academic and former cabinet secretary who has taught at Harvard University and is now a professor at Yale, by posting that Stewart “has an IQ of 110 and thinks he has an IQ of 130.” In another spat, Vance told Rep Ro Khanna, D-California, to “grow up” and called him “whiny.”
Actually, Vance’s post about disobeying judicial review is the very definition of “whiny.” But it also sounds like a grave threat to the absolute, inviolable principle that a president is not a king.
Eugene Robinson is on X, @Eugene_ Robinson.
It’s too late for progressives to be careful what they wish for
Progressives have the presidency they have long desired, but a president they abhor James Madison warned them: “Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm” (Federalist No. 10)
Theodore Roosevelt’s “stewardship” theory of the presidency was that presidents may do anything they are not explicitly forbidden to do. Woodrow Wilson considered the separation of powers a dangerous anachronism impeding enlightened presidents (e.g., him). He postulated a presidential duty of “interpretation”: discovering what the masses would want if they were sensible, like him. Wilson’s former assistant secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt, used radio to enable the presidency to mold opinion. Lyndon B. Johnson, who became an FDR-loyalist in Congress in 1937, commanded a large and obedient congressional majority (1965-1966) as no subsequent president has.
Progressives’ indiscriminate hysteria is helping Trump. Does the Constitution or democracy or something require the U.S. Agency for International Development to remain forever as it always has been — ill-focused and inadequately supervised?
The first sentence of the first paragraph of the lead story in a recent Sunday Washington Post reported Elon Musk’s “vision” of a “dramatically smaller” government. If so, of his many “visions,” his one about making humanity an “interplanetary species” (Mars, here we come) is not his least realistic.
Four years from now, the government will be larger than it is today Here is today’s government, about which Musk evidently knows as little as he knows about politics:
Thirty-six percent of the budget is Social Security and Medicare, which Trump says are untouchable. Unless the population instantly (and miraculously) stops aging, spending on both programs will grow a lot in four years.
As the investigation into the air disaster in Washington was still getting underway President Donald Trump didn’t bother to wait for actual evidence to figure out what was to blame: “DEI.”
Donald Trump’s rampant (for the moment) presidency is an institutional consequence of progressivism. Progressives, who spent recent years trying to delegitimize the Supreme Court and other federal courts, suddenly understand that courts stand between Trump and the fulfillment of his least lawful whims. Including his disobeying Congress’s unfortunate, but detailed and lawful, ban of TikTok. Politico recently published a wellreported story that partially refuted its headline, which was: “As Trump steamrolls Washington, courts flex their power to slow him down.” Steamrollers are not what they used to be, given that at least 10 federal judges have impeded him regarding birthright citizenship spending freezes, the dismissal of federal workers and the structure of some agencies.
TO
Twelve percent of the budget funds defense, which Trump wants to increase. Fourteen percent is for debt service, which now costs more than defense. It is not optional and will be higher in 2029 because the debt will be at least $7 trillion larger than it now is.
Democrats should more carefully pick the hills they are willing to die on. The country is heartily sick of illegal racial discrimination and unconstitutional compelled speech that is the diversity, equity and inclusion industry (which, per a Goldwater Institute report, costs $1.8 billion in education alone every four years). Corporate America adopted DEI programs pellmell following the moral panic after the murder of George Floyd. Corporations are jettisoning DEI not to placate Trump but to avoid the nuisance and
litigation DEI entails. (A theory: Woke college graduates, with degrees in gender studies or similar intellectual culde-sacs, dislike business but acquire MBAs so they can join corporate human resources departments and continue grinding their ideological axes.)
Considerable employment churning is a constant and generally wholesome consequence of economic dynamism. On average, more than 1.5 million private sector workers are laid off per month. Few Americans are sad that eternal job security is not an ironclad entitlement for 3 million federal civilian employees. And about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, without which America prospered during its first 235 years: Is it really wrong to favor extinction of this anti-constitutional contraption that can “declare,” without congressional guidance, what business practices are “abusive”? Unlike any entity created by Congress since 1789, the CFPB is untethered from oversight: Its funding, determined unilaterally by its director, comes not from Congress but from the Federal Reserve. There is a perennial progressive lament that the Constitution’s framers — with their annoying separation of powers and a pesky because independent, judiciary — made swift, radical zigs and zags by government too hard. Too bad.
A prediction: On Jan. 20, 2029, whomever is inaugurated on the West Front of Congress’s building will inherit a presidency more circumscribed than today’s. Courts, especially the one across First Street NE from the Capitol, will have done their duty regarding presidential overreaching. And Congress, provoked by the same, will have begun to flex its atrophied muscles. Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.
That’s shorthand, in case you haven’t heard, for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, a controversial hiring practice that has become a one-size-fitsall bludgeon for the president and his allies to use against Democrats — even when facts don’t support them.
Clarence Page
Such partisan eagerness to demonize DEI for every disaster reminds me of the liberal critics whom former United Nations ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, a Ronald Reagan appointee, labeled the “blame America first” crowd for their habitual response to foreign policy challenges.
Now Trump, with his notoriously casual regard for inconvenient facts, habitually responds to disasters by blaming DEI first.
We saw that as wildfires recently burned through the hills of Los Angeles and internet trolls blamed DEI, apparently because Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is Black and the city’s fire chief Kristin Crowley, a 22-year veteran of the department, is the first woman and openly queer person to lead it.
Among the trolls beating that bogus drum was Trump’s billionaire buddy Elon Musk who shared screenshots of the fires and wild accusations like “DEI means people DIE.”
Similarly, waves of trolls blamed the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key bridge on “Baltimore’s DEI mayor,” Mayor Brandon Scott, who happens to be Black, as soon as he appeared on TV to update the public.
The X account of something called the Young Conservative Federation posted a picture of a Black woman, Karenthia Barber who served as a port commissioner Her bio listed her experience in DEI audits and consulting.
That led Phil Lyman, a Republican and gubernatorial candidate in faraway Utah, to chime in with an attack on Maryland’s Gov. Wes Moore, who also, yes, happens to be Black. Lyman wrote on X: “This is what happens when you have Governors who prioritize diversity over the well-being and security of citizens.”
The allegation might have risen above ignorant innuendo if Lyman had tried to show any evidence that the governor, the mayor or the port commissioner had anything to do with the container ship striking the bridge.
But that’s the exciting life DEI has taken on in the MAGA imagination. It’s no longer merely a set of principles in the realm of hiring and workplace relations. It now elects “diverse” agents of destruction into government.
In another twist to the craziness, a trans woman wrongly named as one of the pilots in the recent deadly air collision urged the public to spread the word on how fake this news really was.
“Some craziness has happened on the internet and I’m being named as one of the pilots of the DC crash,” posted Jo Ellis, a Chief Warrant Officer 2 who is a UH60 Black Hawk pilot for the Virginia National Guard. “It’s insulting to the victims and families of those lost and they deserve better than this BS from the bots and trolls of the internet.”
I remember how diversity policies began in the 1960s when the racially inflamed violence and politics of the decade spread to ranks of the military I had been drafted, and I witnessed some of the tensions firsthand, as well as a services-wide effort to weed out racial discrimination.
Anti-discrimination efforts resulted in some excellent promotions in the U.S. armed forces. Many excellent African Americans and others who had been turned down for promotions got a second look. One of them was Colin Powell, who would later rise to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and beyond, and served as the first Black secretary of state.
But that’s not to say that I don’t have questions about DEI policies, just as many other practically minded people on the right and the left, or in between.
It’s no simple matter to fight discrimination against women and minorities without swinging too far into the “reverse discrimination” that creates unfair outcomes as well.
The Trump administration is correct to eliminate any program that gives an unfair advantage to one group at the expense of another Merit matters. Or at least it should.
But, as Team Trump rolls in with its reforms, it must be cautious about dumping programs that undermine the value of merit while also protecting legitimate policies that offer protection against unfair discrimination and that open doors to opportunity To do that, takes more than slogans. DEI may seem like a pain, but everyone wants fairness. That’s a goal worth working for Even when we fall short, that means we should reach higher Email Clarence Page at cpage47@gmail.com.
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
The LSU men’s basketball team is not short of players who can throw down dunks.
Cam Carter is best known for his 3-point shooting, but he reminded fans that his athleticism remains elite.
The senior cut down the middle of the floor and threw down a dunk over South Carolina’s best defender Collin Murray-Boyles on Tuesday
The highlight was one of many fun moments in the Tigers’ 81-67 win over South
Pels remain committed to build the franchise around enigmatic star
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
If it was up to Zion Williamson, he’d be playing in back-to-back games these days.
ä Pelicans at Mavericks.
7:30 P.M. FRIDAy, GSN
And he would play more than 281/2 minutes in a game, which he hasn’t done since returning from a lengthy hamstring injury this season. But that decision doesn’t belong to Williamson. It belongs to Daniel Bove, the director of performance and sports science for the Pelicans who sits courtside each game with an iPad that monitors Williamson’s load management every second he’s on the floor
“He can tell when Zion’s load is spiking,” said David Griffin, the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations. “And he can tell when he needs to be shut down And we’ve got the ability to really monitor his progress, and he’s showing incredible progress daily in terms of how high his floor is rising.”
Is Williamson getting closer to playing more minutes?
“I feel like I should definitely get up to 30 minutes post All-Star break,” Williamson said last week. “But like I said, whatever the team decides to do I support it. We are going to work smart.”
Working smart, as coach Willie Green has pointed out time and time again since Williamson returned, means looking more at the “big picture.” For the Pelicans, that big picture includes Williamson. Not just this year, but for years ahead.
Despite all the frustration that has come since Williamson’s New Orleans arrival in 2019 — frustration for the front office, fan base and even Williamson himself he will remain the cornerstone Griffin builds around. Understandably, the risk of seeing a player of Williamson’s caliber flourish elsewhere is one the Pelicans aren’t willing to take.
“If you take just his body of work this year, what he’s done for us when he’s been healthy, he’s taking steps every day and he’s grown by leaps and
ä See ZION, page 5C
Carolina at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center
The victory gives the Tigers back-toback wins for the first time since Dec. 29, before Southeastern Conference play began. Carter finished with 17 points and four rebounds for LSU, and sophomore Mike Williams scored a season-high 13. LSU (14-12, 3-10 SEC) unveiled a new four-guard starting lineup against South Carolina (10-17, 0-13). Instead of redshirt freshman Corey Chest and fifth-year senior Jordan Sears, coach Matt McMahon started freshmen guards Vyctorius Miller and Curtis Givens Miller made
his second start of the season and Givens his seventh.
The Tigers opened the game better than in any other SEC contest. They easily found open players on the perimeter and made open shots. Miller, who helped the team’s spacing the most as an outside threat, was the early beneficiary of good ball movement. He made two 3-pointers in the first fourand-a-half minutes of the game, eventually finishing with 12 points.
The Tigers led 14-11 with 11:59 left in the first half by making 5 of 9 from the
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
There would be no massive upset at Alex Box Stadium this time around.
On Tuesday, Southern’s first matchup against LSU since its stunning victory at The Box a season ago, the Tigers crushed the Jaguars 13-1 in a game shortened to seven innings because of the mercy rule.
An eight-run fourth inning allowed LSU to separate from Southern.
“I don’t know anybody that prepares to lose,” Southern coach Chris Crenshaw said. “I thought we had a good chance to come in here and play a good game.”
With LSU ahead 3-0, Utah Valley State transfer Daniel Dickinson started the scoring in the big fourth inning with a two-run single with the bases loaded, chasing Auburn transfer Chris Stanfield and freshman Derek Curiel home.
Junior Ethan Frey then blasted a three-run home run over the left-field stands, giving the Tigers an 8-0 lead. A run-scoring triple from sophomore Steven Milam and a tworun single from Curiel later in the fourth handed the Tigers an 11-0 advantage.
“I saw something that I don’t know that I’ve ever seen before,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “We had 18 quality atbats in a row at one point. And regardless of score, competi-
tion (or) day in baseball, that’s really hard to do.” All eight runs were charged to Southern freshman righthanded reliever Caiden Stewart. Redshirt junior righthander Jeremiah Newman replaced Stewart and surrendered one run and one hit in 12/3 innings.
“I think we had one pitcher go out and have a 1-2-3 inning one time today,” Crenshaw said. “So when you go out there and you do that one time, that means a lot of pressure on the defense.”
Starting on the mound for Southern was sophomore lefthander Genesis Prosper He
wasn’t flawless, but he kept the Jaguars (2-2) within striking distance, surrendering only three runs on eight hits in three innings of work. In the first inning, he allowed a run-scoring single to Curiel and committed a balk that granted another runner to come home. Prosper also gave up a sacrifice fly in the third inning that allowed Dickinson to score.
“I respect Chris a lot,” said Johnson, referring to Crenshaw “I think he recruits well. They played well in Houston this weekend. (I) watched all three games, and I expect them to have a good year.”
The LSU starter on Tuesday was left-handed junior-college transfer Conner Ware. In his first appearance for the Tigers (4-0), he walked only one batter and didn’t allow a hit in three innings. Wofford right-handed pitching transfer Zac Cowan relieved Ware and allowed an unearned run and two hits in three innings. Redshirt junior right-hander Kade Woods closed out the win in the seventh inning.
“Pitching is all about variability,” Ware said. “Adding, subtracting kind of moving the ball where you want it to.” Southern didn’t record its
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
The New Orleans Saints nearly have assembled their entire offensive coaching staff, and the final major piece could be in place soon.
On Tuesday, the Saints added running backs coach Joel Thomas — who had previously spent nearly a decade with the organization in the same role — as well as quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien.
New Orleans is also closing in on a deal with Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, according to a Josina Anderson report, with the two sides spending the day finalizing an agreement for Nussmeier to become the offensive coordinator on Kellen Moore’s initial staff. He has been tied to Moore throughout the process, and if he does land in New Orleans, Nussmeier will have worked under Moore with each of his last four teams.
Nussmeier would be the final major piece of Moore’s offensive staff, joining Thomas, Tolzien, and recent hires in wide receivers coach Keith Williams (a holdover from last year’s staff), tight ends coach Chase Haslett and offensive line coach Brendan Nugent All but Williams and Thomas had worked under Moore previously Though New Orleans has filled all of its positional assistant roles, the team still likely will make several other hires for lower level assis-
Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus responds to questions during a news conference at the team’s headquarters in Frisco, Texas, on Tuesday.
PHOTO By TONy GUTIERREZ
tant and quality control positions.
The Saints also have been tied to Philadelphia assistant offensive line coach T.J. Paganetti, according to a NewOrleans.football report, to serve as a run-game coordinator Though Thomas never has worked with Moore previously, he has plenty of recent connections to the organization Thomas was with the franchise as the running backs coach from 2015-23. He left
New Orleans last year to join the New York Giants. Thomas is highly regarded around the NFL and recently served as an offensive coordinator during the Senior Bowl. He has a strong relationship with several players on the current roster, including Alvin Kamara. Tolzien was a coaching assistant under Moore with the Cowboys from 2020-22.
BY SCHUYLER DIXON AP pro football writer
FRISCO, Texas New Dallas defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus never really stopped to consider a year away from coaching after getting fired by the Chicago Bears. Not that his wife, Kelly, would have let him.
“She said she wanted me to go to work now,” Eberflus said Tuesday in his first meeting with reporters since getting hired by the Cowboys. “And I did, too.”
The 57-year-old Eberflus is back where his career took off.
He had a seven-year stint on the Dallas defensive staff — from 2011-17 — that led to the defensive coordinator’s job with Indianapolis.
Four years later, Eberflus took over the Bears, getting fired 12 games into his third season, the day after his poor clock management in the final seconds cost Chicago in a sixth consecutive loss. He was 14-32 with Chicago.
“I was excited after a couple of days, a couple of weeks, taking that break,” Eberflus said “I was excited about looking at different opportunities, and this was the best opportunity that I felt was really cool for me to come back to Dallas. I have a lot of familiar faces here, starting from the top all the way to everybody in the building.”
A first-time NFL head coach with the Bears, Eberflus is now under someone in the same situation, with longtime assistant Brian Schottenheimer taking over for Mike McCarthy
The Cowboys and McCarthy parted ways after five more seasons of Dallas not getting as far
as an NFC championship game. The drought goes all the way back to the 1995 season, when the storied franchise won its fifth Super Bowl.
Eberflus lived it. The Dallas defense couldn’t get a stop late in a divisional playoff loss at Green Bay during the 2014 season, and gave up an improbable — and decisive — third-down completion to Aaron Rodgers in the final seconds of another divisional loss to the Packers, this time at home, when the Cowboys were the NFC’s top seed in 2016. Now he’ll try to help Schottenheimer end it.
“The first couple meetings I had with him, I said, ‘I’m here for you,’” Eberflus said. “I want to really just do a good job of bouncing ideas off of (him), experiences that I had and just working together to be able to utilize me. Because I do have the experience of being a head coach for him and to make his job easier.”
Eberflus has four assistants from last season’s Chicago staff in defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis, linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi, secondary/ cornerbacks coach David Overstreet II and defensive line assistant Bryan Bing Darian Thompson, a former Dallas player is the only holdover on the defensive staff.
He is helping Overstreet in the secondary after working with linebackers his first two seasons. The other newcomers are defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton and young assistants J.J. Clark and Tanzel Smart.
The only returning member of the offensive staff is Lunda Wells, who will coach tight ends after
having that role for all five of McCarthy’s seasons.
“It’s good,” Wells said. “Just make sure you get the names right.”
Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator the past two seasons with McCarthy calling plays, and the arrangement will be the same with Schottenheimer’s replacement, Klayton Adams.
The offensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals the past two seasons, Adams was on the Colts’ staff with Eberflus. His first priority in his first year as a coordinator is helping improve one of the league’s worst rushing offenses The question of whether he’d eventually like to be a play-caller can come later
“At the end of the day, our job when we’re putting things on the call sheet is to be problem-solvers,” Adams said. “That’s the part that I’m really looking forward to focusing on. It’s also a leadership position within a great organization.” Wells and pass game specialist Ken Dorsey are the most experienced coaches on the offensive staff. Dorsey has had a rough couple of years, getting fired midseason as offensive coordinator in Buffalo in 2023 and again after this past season from the same job in Cleveland. “We’ve got to be able to win football games, and when you don’t then there’s always those possibilities of things happening,” Dorsey said. “In life, you’re going to get knocked down. You’re going to get punched in the gut. It’s how you get back up and keep swinging, keep fighting.” Eberflus can relate and now they’re on a staff together
Chio wins SEC freshman gymnast award for 5th time
Maybe they should just call it the Kailin Chio award.
The LSU gymnast was named Southeastern Conference freshman of the week Tuesday for the third straight week and fifth time in seven weeks overall.
Chio helped lead the now No. 3 Tigers to Friday’s 198.050-197.675 victory over No. 1 Oklahoma, winning the all-around title with a career-high 39.725.
The Henderson, Nevada, native posted a score of 9.90 or better in every rotation, including a careerhigh 9.95 on floor sharing first place in that event.
Chio leads the nation on vault with an NQS average of 9.930, is eighth on beam (9.895) and ninth in all-around (39.435).
LSU is on the road at 6 p.m. Friday against No. 9 Kentucky
NFL rescinds Mixon’s $25,000 fine after appeal
Dallas elevated Tolzien to its quarterbacks coach job in 2023 — taking the spot formerly held by Nussmeier who joined Moore’s staff with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Tolzien had spent his entire NFL coaching career with the Cowboys to this point. Like Moore, Tolzien is a former player, appearing in 10 games as a quarterback with the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts.
MIKE KAYE
The Charlotte Observer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Andy Dalton isn’t going anywhere.
The Carolina Panthers announced Tuesday that the team reached an agreement with the veteran quarterback on a new two-year contract. Dalton was set to test free agency on March 12 prior to the agreement. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal is worth a base value of $8 million. Per the report Dalton is guaranteed $6 million at signing with a max earning potential of $10 million.
The well-traveled signal-caller spent the past two seasons in Charlotte, mostly serving as a sounding board and backup to starting QB Bryce Young. While Young was briefly benched for Dalton last season, a minor car accident which injured Dalton’s right thumb on his throwing hand — essentially ended Dalton’s run as the Panthers’ starting quarterback after just five games (1-4 record).
But Dalton, despite the unusual 2024 season, has retained his strong relationship with both Young and head coach Dave Canales. Following the season finale against the Atlanta Falcons, Dalton, 37, made it clear that he would like to stay with Carolina, as his family has enjoyed the area and he liked the direction the franchise was headed.
Dalton has thrown for 1,350 passing yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions in nine games (six starts) for the Panthers over the past two years. Entering his 15th season, Dalton has thrown for 39,500 yards, 253 touchdowns and 150 interceptions in his career
While he spent his first nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Dalton has also played for the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. Besides the Bengals, the Panthers are the only team that Dalton has played for longer than one season. With Dalton coming back, the Panthers have a three-man QB depth chart under contract. Along with Young and Dalton, second-year QB Jack Plummer is also on the roster
The NFL has rescinded a $25,000 fine Houston’s Joe Mixon received for comments about officiating in the Texans’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs after an appeal by the running back. Mixon was given the fine for his comments following the 23-14 loss where Houston’s defense was penalized twice for hits on quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Appeals officer Chris Palmer said in a letter to Mixon, which was obtained by ESPN.com, that during the hearing process on Jan. 30 he found that Mixon “did not necessarily publicly criticize the officials.”
Palmer said in his letter to Mixon that the “integrity of the game and its officials is the responsibility of everyone involved in the NFL.”
Ravens’ Cleveland arrested on a DUI charge
ATLANTA NFL player Ben Cleveland of the Baltimore Ravens has been charged with drunken driving in Georgia on Tuesday Cleveland, who previously played for the University of Georgia, was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy near Milledgeville, Georgia, last Wednesday, the incident report shows.
After Cleveland was stopped, he told the deputy he had been at a local country club and had consumed about three to four beers, but none in the previous two hours.
He agreed to a blood alcohol test and registered 0.178, which is over the legal limit in Georgia, the report states. Cleveland was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, and failing to stay in his lane.
Turner agrees to $6 million, 1-year contract with Cubs
MESA, Ariz. — Justin Turner has agreed to a $6 million, one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation, giving the team additional infield depth. Turner can earn an additional $2.5 million in bonuses. The addition of Turner would give the team some security at third base should Matt Shaw need more seasoning in the minors. The 23-year-old Shaw has been slowed by a left oblique issue in spring training.
The 40-year-old Turner also could back up Michael Busch at first base and go into the lineup at designated hitter Turner played for Toronto and Seattle last year batting .259 with 11 homers, 55 RBIs and a .354 on-base percentage in 139 games.
Djokovic loses in straight sets to Berrettini in Doha DOHA,Qatar Novak Djokovic was upset by Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (4), 6-2 on Tuesday at the Qatar Open in the Serb’s first match since exiting the Australian Open with a hamstring injury though he didn’t have “any pain or discomfort.”
The 37-year-old Djokovic, ranked No. 7, lost to the Italian for the first time in five career matches and will have to wait to join Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) as the only players in the ATP Tour’s 100-win club. The 24-time Grand Slam champion reached the Australian Open semifinals but retired from the last-four match against Alexander Zverev because of a hamstring in-
The Associated Press
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Josh Hubbard
scored 25 points, reserve Claudell Harris Jr added 12 of his 15 points in the second half, and No. 21 Mississippi State beat No. 7 Texas A&M 70-54 on Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs (19-7, 7-6 Southeastern Conference) began the second half with a 14-3 run to grab control en route to their first win this season over a top-10 foe. Although Mississippi State was favored by 21/2 points according to BetMGM Sportsbook, its fans nonetheless celebrated by storming the court.
Zhuric Phelps scored 13 points for Texas A&M (20-6, 9-4). Wade Taylor IV and C.J. Wilcher each had 11 points, but Wilcher was scoreless after halftime.
The Bulldogs trailed 31-30 at the break. Hubbard opened the second-half scoring with a 3-pointer and Mississippi State never trailed again Free-throw shooting helped the Bulldogs stay ahead. Hubbard was 10 of 11 from the line and the team finished 17 of 20. Although Texas A&M had 38 rebounds to Mississippi State’s 31, the Aggies were hurt by 19 turnovers and shot just 35.8% from the field. NO 14 MICHIGAN STATE 75, NO. 13 PURDUE 66: In East Lansing, Michigan, Jase Richardson had 12 points and Frankie Fidler scored 11, leading No. 14 Michigan State to a win over No. 13 Purdue on Tuesday night.
The Spartans (21-5, 12-3 Big Ten) have won three of four to pull within a half-game of conferenceleading and 12th-ranked Michigan, heading into the rivals’ matchup on Friday night at Crisler Center.
The Boilermakers led by seven midway through the first half and the Spartans went on a surge to take a 33-31 lead at halftime. Michigan State stayed in control in the second half and sealed the win by finishing 4 for 4 from the field.
NO 2 FLORIDA 85, OKLAHOMA 63: In Gainesville, Florida, Walter Clayton Jr. scored 18 points, Will Richard added 14 and No 2 Florida steamrolled Oklahoma on Tuesday night
for its fifth consecutive victory
Alijah Martin chipped in 14 points off the bench for the Gators (23-3, 10-3 Southeastern Conference), who tied a season-low with six turnovers and improved to 13-1 at home. Florida played its second game without starting forward Alex Condon and backup Sam Alexis. Micah Handlogten, in his second game back since breaking his left leg last March, finished with two points, five rebounds two assists and a block.
NO 8 IOWA STATE 76 COLORADO 65: In Ames, Iowa, Milan Momcilovic and Dishon Jackson scored 13 points each as No 8 Iowa State beat Colorado on Tuesday night for the Cyclones’ third victory of the season against the Buffaloes.
The Cyclones (21-5, 11-4 Big 12) also beat the Buffs 99-71 at the Maui Invitational in November and 79-69 in Boulder in December
Joshua Jefferson and Tamin Lipsey added 12 points each, and Nate Heise scored a season-high 11 points off the bench.
TCU 69, NO. 9 TEXAS TECH 66: In Fort Worth, Texas, Noah Reynolds scored 16 points, including the last seven for TCU as the Horned Frogs beat ninth-ranked Texas Tech on Tuesday night.
Reynolds’ turnaround jumper with 11.6 seconds left was the first field goal in more than four minutes for the Horned Frogs (15-11, 8-7 Big 12), and put them ahead 68-63 before Chance McMillian hit a long 3-pointer for the Red Raiders.
After Reynolds made the second of his two free throws with four seconds left, Texas Tech (20-6, 114) had a chance to tie it But JT Toppin, the reigning Associated Press national player of the week, had his 3-pointer blocked by David Punch and rebounded by Reynolds.
NO 11 WISCONSIN 95, ILLINOIS 74: In Madison, Wisconsin, John Tonje scored 31 points and No 11 Wisconsin beat Illinois on Tuesday night to earn its fifth straight victory and end its recent run of futility in this series. Wisconsin (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten) had lost its last nine matchups with the Fighting Illini, including an 86-80 defeat Dec. 10 at Illinois. Wisconsin had won 15 straight meetings immediately before that stretch. Tonje’s big performance came three nights after he had 32 points in a 94-84 win at No. 13 Purdue, which was ranked seventh at the time. He’s the fourth player in school history to score at least 30 points in consecutive games.
BY CHRIS NELSEN Associated Press
DUNEDIN, Fla. — Vladimir Guerrero
Jr plans to become a free agent after the season following the passing of his deadline Tuesday to reach a long-term agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“Listen, I want to be here. I want to be a Blue Jay for the rest of my career,” the four-time All-Star first baseman said through translator Hector Lebron at Blue Jays camp “But it’s free agency It’s business.
I’m going to have to listen to 29 more teams and they’re going to have to compete for that.”
Guerrero has a $28.5 million, one-year contract and will be perhaps the top free agent on the market one year after Juan Soto signed a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets.
Guerrero, who turns 26 next month, said his last communication with the team came around 10:30 p.m. Monday and the two sides never came close to a deal.
“I have my number all along,”
Guerrero said. “I changed it a little bit. I tried, but it still didn’t happen.”
Guerrero had said during the offseason he would cut off negotiations when he reported for spring training
“I don’t want, especially my teammates, to go through any distractions about that,” Guerrero said.
Guerrero hit .323 last season with a .940 OPS, 30 homers and 103 RBIs.
Shapiro maintained the team will not entertain trade offers for Guerrero.
Guerrero came up through the
Toronto system, made his big league debut in 2019 and has a .288 average, 863 OPS 160 homers and 507 RBs.
“I’ll do anything, everything I have, to stay here with the Blue Jays,” Guerrero said. “I love it here. I want to be here. I’m not thinking about free agency I won’t be thinking about free agency at all during the season.”
Shapiro, team chairman Edward Rogers and Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Tony Staffieri were involved in the negotiations. General manager Ross Atkins thinks the team made fair proposals.
Guerrero’s father, Vladimir Guerrero, is a Hall of Famer and nine-time All-Star who was voted the 2004 AL MVP Toronto players hope their teammate’s contract situation doesn’t become a constant focus during the season.
BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer
TAMPA, Fla. — DJ LeMahieu reacted to his poor play the way many New York Yankees fans did.
“Definitely lost a lot of sleep,” he said Tuesday
A three-time All-Star infielder LeMahieu hasn’t had a fully healthy season since 2020. With his 37th birthday approaching in July, the former LSU player hopes to again be the dominant hitter he once was.
“For a majority of my career, I would pretty much play unless my leg was cut off,” he said. “I’d just kind of strap it on every day and played. It’s just the last few years, just bumps, bruises, this, that. I had the foot fracture. Stuff that I could kind of play through in the past. It just kind of it escalates and it gets it compounds.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr to second following the departure of Gleyber Torres to Detroit as a free agent. LeMahieu will get a chance for playing time at third.
“The hit tool is one of those things that ages usually pretty well,” Boone said. “With health, I do believe there’s reason to believe that there’s a role to be played there. It it an everyday role? Is it some kind of platoon role? His body will kind of dictate that.”
LeMahieu left Colorado as a free agent to sign a $24 million, two-year contract with the Yankees in January 2019 and hit a career-high .364 with a 1.011 OPS in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season to win his second batting title. He again became a free agent and the Yankees retained him with a $90 million, six-year contract. He dropped to a 268 average the following year and missed the postseason because of a sports hernia that required core muscle
repair surgery on Oct. 12.
LeMahieu rebounded to hit .272 in the first half of 2022, but had a cortisone injection to his right big toe at the All-Star break and slumped to .228 in the second half. The turning point was during a weekend series at Fenway Park on Aug. 12 and 13, 2022.
“I remember we’re in Boston watching his at-bats just change overnight,” Boone said. “It just really zapped him.”
Since then, LeMahieu is hitting .226 with 17 homers 73 RBIs in 224 games with a .637 OPS.
“It’s tough to be a guy that the team can’t rely on at times,” he said.
LeMahieu missed the 2022 playoffs because of the injury, eventually diagnosed as a broken sesamoid bone in his right big toe that led to ligament damage in his second toe. LeMahieu hit .220 in the first half of 2023 and rose to .273 in the second. Then he broke his right foot when he fouled off a pitch during a spring training game last March 16, delaying his season debut until May 28.
In a season cut short on Sept. 3 by right hip impingement LeMahieu batted a career-low .204 with two homers and 26 RBIs in 228 plate appearances. He understands there are people who doubt he can bounce back.
“That’s fine,” he said. “Plenty of times in my career people haven’t always been the most confident in me. I’ll obviously use that as motivation but at the same time I’ve got enough to worry about. I know if I can just be myself and continue to work to be that, that’ll be fine.”
He took a two-month break from hitting until he reported to the Yankees’ minor league complex in mid-January, trying to give his body time to heal.
“I felt good,” he said, “But it’s easy to feel good in January.”
BY WILLIAM WEATHERS
Contributing writer
When his team traveled to Shreveport for its second game of the season, University High soccer coach Chris Mitchell looked at Loyola Prep as a gauge for his team. A 1-1 deadlock didn’t decide anything that day, but three months later they’ll meet again to determine a state champion.
Second-seeded U-High (20-2-2) returns to the Division III boys state championship game for the fifth time in seven years, opposing top-seeded Loyola (20-2-6) at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond.
“I think both teams have changed dramatically since then,” said Mitchell, now in his 23rd season as the head coach of the Cubs.
“We knew Loyola was one of the top teams.
“That was kind of one of the reasons why we wanted to go there, to have the opportunity to play them and kind of test ourselves early. In the end ironically, we’re going to face each other in the finals.”
Loyola, a Division IV state quarterfinalist in 2024, is making its fifth trip to a state championship game. It won its only state crown in Division II in 1996.
U-High has followed a similar injury-filled script to last year’s team The Willow School scored
two goals in the final 10 minutes of the state-title match to upend the Cubs last year
“We’ve had an inordinate amount of injuries this year,” Mitchell said.
“Every time we’ve stepped out, it’s been a different group at times and a lot of guys have stepped up at different spots to make this happen. It’s been a real team effort.”
Mitchell is thankful that senior forward Ethan Gomez (17 goals, eight assists) and junior center back William May have remained constants in the team’s lineup.
Second-leading scorer and senior captain Israel Hollie (14 goals, five assists) and junior de-
BY CHRIS CHAPPLE Contributing writer
East Ascension’s inside/outside formula worked again as the Spartans clinched at least a share of the District 5-5A boys basketball title with a 75-60 victory over host Dutchtown on Tuesday night. East Ascension has two tall inside players in 6-foot-7, 280-pound junior Brysten Martinez and 6-9 senior Lebron Napoleon. The Spartans also have speedy wings and guards in Lathan Dumas and D-Ron McZeal and Trenton Palmer Martinez and Napoleon combined for 20 points, 22 rebounds and nine blocked shots. Martinez, an LSU football commitment, scored 10 of his 16 points in the first half and only played five minutes in the second half as the Spartans built a 31-point lead before subbing its younger players. East Ascension improved to 23-4 and 5-0 in District 5-5A. EAHS
hosts reigning district champion Walker on Friday in the district finale. Dutchtown drops to 9-14 and 1-4.
“We have an old school style,”
EAHS coach Troy Green said.
“We like to go inside and share the ball from there. We did a good job of forcing turnovers and keeping pressure on the ball.
“Brysten is having fun in basketball. He likes the competition Lebron is one of our team leaders in assists. It was a good win for us.”
“We didn’t play our best game tonight,” Dutchtown assistant coach Tyler Turner said. “Martinez is a solid big man for them and a tough player to play against. Our tallest player is 6-1. We play with a bunch of heart. We needed to rebound better and play with a little more focus. I’m proud of the guys.”
McZeal hit four 3-pointers and added 16 points for EAHS Dumas and Palmer added eight points
each and Dwayne Mitchell six. Trase McBride scored 11 points, and Cayden Watis and Aiden Robinson added 10 each to pace the Griffins.
East Ascension’s first possession of the game resulted in no points, but Martinez attempted four shots in close and grabbed three offensive rebounds Martinez scored six of the first 10 points for the Spartans. He often drew a double team and was able to pass out of it or drive around it. Dutchtown pulled within 8-4 on an inside basket by Mitchell. The Spartans went on a 14-6 run to finish the quarter East Ascension led 36-26 at the half. The Spartans got going in the third quarter and outscored the Griffins 30-11. EAHS hit four 3-pointers in the quarter Palmer hit two 3-pointers off assists from Napoleon. Dutchtown made it respectable in the fourth quarter and outscored the visitors 23-9.
fender Sie Parker (eight goals, five assists) have missed time because of injuries, and junior forward Wallace Horobetz was lost for the season last month.
Senior goalie Matthew Mealey whose back line includes center backs Jack Rouse and May, along with outside backs Vaughn Mieners and Ellis Daniels — has been a part of three shutouts during the postseason.
“Each and every year we lose a handful of guys that are contributors,” Mitchell said. “The guys just seem to figure it out as the season goes along This was another year where the guys started to come together as the season progressed.”
BY WILLIAM WEATHERS Contributing writer
When two of four team captains are defenders, it’s a good bet that becomes a team’s pervasive mindset.
That is why the No. 3-seeded University High girls are riding a stingy defense led by senior defenders Jayla Renter and Julianna Schwab, and goalkeeper Gabby Fontenot into the Division III girls soccer final against top-seeded Parkview Baptist.
“We really rely on our defense,” U-High coach Melissa Ramsey said. “Our only two seniors on the team help organize us in the back, and that’s where we start. We’re proud of that.”
While Parkview Baptist (24-20) is the two-time reigning state champion, U-High (17-2-4) is appearing in its first title game since winning it all in 2021. The Cubs have won four of their five state crowns under Ramsey, who is in her 14th year leading the program.
The all-Baton Rouge final at the LHSAA state soccer tournament, a matchup of District 5-III rivals, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m Wednesday at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond.
“To have two teams from Baton Rouge is something special,” Parkview coach Raphael Nunes said. “We’re the only two teams on the girls side to make the championship this year One way or the
other Baton Rouge is very well represented in the championship game.”
The Eagles hope to become the third team in Division III history to win at least three consecutive state titles.
In order to do that, Parkview must avenge one of its two losses. The Cubs got an early goal from Savannah Mitchell en route to a 1-0 victory for the district title Jan. 27.
“We wanted a rematch, and we got it,” Nunes said. “We’re locked in and respect the opponent. We know they believe they can beat us because they already have.” Sophomore Ella Kate Johnson is the team leader in goals (39) and assists (24), followed by Sarah Ortlieb (17 goals, 13 assists) and Macie Theriot (15 goals, 12 assists). Mitchell leads U-High (20 goals, 10 assists) while Renter (10 goals, eight assists), Sophia Mitchell (eight goals, 12 assists) and Lily Broussard (eight goals, 11 assists) have contributed mightily Fontenot has been part of 15 shutouts, including eight during the team’s current nine-game winning streak with three in the playoffs.
“It definitely helped because we hadn’t beaten them in a couple of years,” Ramsey said of her team’s earlier win over Parkview “That helped motivate us, but we know Parkview’s a good team. We’re confident, but we understand this is going to be a very difficult battle.”
BY CHARLES SALZER Contributing writer
Brusly’s defense forced St Michael into a poor shooting night, but the Panthers could not pull away from the Warriors until they began crashing the boards. That rebounding effort sparked Brusly to a 50-35 win in a key District 6-4A game Tuesday night at St. Michael. The result leaves Brusly (23-4, 6-2) and St. Michael (23-9, 6-2) tied for second in the league standings.
St. Michael plays at district leader McKinley on Friday.
“There was a time in the second and third quarter where we gave up a lot of offensive rebounds,” Brusly coach Kirby Loupe said. “We talked about it during a timeout. We weren’t finishing on the boards, and I told them to commit to rebounding so we could separate the lead. Kudos to our kids because they got tough around the rim and they took it.” Micah Bryant and Edrick Snearl each scored 13 points to lead the Brusly offense. On the boards, it was the work of Ben Radford and Steven Wesley that paid dividends late. St. Michael edged Brusly 36-34 in total rebounds, but the Warriors total included 18 on the offensive end. It didn’t help the Warriors shooting touch. St. Michael made 10 of 46 shots while Brusly was more efficient making 16 of 34. There was also a huge difference at the free-throw line, where St. Michael made 10 of 19 while Brusly went 15 for 22.
“I wanted us to shoot everything better,” St. Michael coach Drew Hart said. “We had no movement on offense. We had to take tough shots and then Brusly played good defense. It was on both sides. We can’t
STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
LSU forward Daimion Collins jumps to defend against South Carolina forward Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk under the basket on Tuesday in the
Continued from page 1C
field. While South Carolina was not as sharp on offense, it remained close because of offensive rebounding. The Gamecocks had three offensive rebounds and seven second-chance points in the first eight minutes.
After a timeout, McMahon inserted the 6-foot-8 Chest to play with 6-10 forward Robert Miller in the front court to help with the re-
bounding. They solidified the defensive glass together
The Tigers continued to share the ball and had its most impressive first half in SEC play, leading 41-27 at the break.
Carter got going with four minutes left in the first half. He stole the ball from a Gamecocks player who got an offensive rebound Cater then went coast-to-coast for a layup.
On the following play, he pump-faked a defender into the air and took one dribble
while still behind the 3-point line for a sweet shot, giving his team a 36-20 lead with 3:39 remaining. Williams had eight firsthalf points, a point off of his previous season-high. Williams and Vyctorius Miller each made two 3s. LSU shot 57% from the field and 46% from beyond the arc, making six 3-pointers by halftime.
The LSU defense was stout. It had six steals and forced nine South Carolina turnovers. The Tigers had 10 points off of turnovers at
the half.
South Carolina opened the second half on a 7-2 run to cut LSU’s lead to nine with 17 minutes left. LSU’s brief lull was rectified quickly
The Tigers refocused and took a 59-42 lead with 11:23 left with an 8-0 spurt. The team never looked back and led by as many as 21 points in the second half.
LSU’s next game is Saturday at the PMAC against No. 2 Florida at 8 p.m.
Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com
Continued from page 1C
first hit until the sixth inning. The Jaguars’ only run came in that frame, after a passed ball allowed freshman Beny Bikar to score from third base.
Bikar and Cardell
Thibodaux had Southern’s only hits — a single and a double, respectively, in the sixth.
“They were ahead of all of the hitters (in the count) the majority of the time, so we never got anybody on base,” Crenshaw said. “We couldn’t create offense.”
Four Tigers had multihit days, including Curiel Frey, Stanfield and Milam. Curiel and Frey had three hits apiece, and Frey’s home run was his first at LSU.
“It’s kind of everything you dream of, especially as an in-state kid,” Frey said regarding his home run. “It’s never been in my mind, really So it’s not something I’ve been trying to chase or anything but it feels pretty good.”
LSU plays its first road game of the year on Wednesday at Nicholls State. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.
WHO: LSU (4-0) at Nicholls State (2-2) WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday WHERE: Ray Didier Field, Thibodaux ONLINE: ESPN+ RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM, 870 (New Orleans); KLWBFM, 103.7 (Lafayette)
RANKINGS: LSU is No. 3 by D1Baseball; Nicholls is unranked
PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU — TBA; Nicholls State — TBA PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate.com/lsu ON X: @KokiRiley WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Junior right-hander Gavin Guidry, after getting stretched out into a multi-inning relief role over the offseason, is a logical candidate to start. If he’s on the bump, he’ll face a Nicholls team led by first-year coach Brent Haring LSU’s director
Continued from page 1C
bounds both on the court and off,” Griffin said. “I think the player he is now is better than he’s ever been. He’s playing at a historic level in terms of efficiency per minute.”
Williamson is averaging 24.4 points per game this season. His rebounding numbers (7.4 per game) are the highest of his career His assists (five per game) are tied for the best of his career And his presence on defense has bene better than ever
But it’s the numbers in the “games played” column that often leave the fans either scratching or shaking their heads. Williamson has played in just 18 of the 55 games this season. Even more discouraging for season-ticket holders is that he’s played just six times in the Smoothie King Center
“I don’t believe he’ll always have those types of restrictions,” Griffin said.
“I do think that a great deal is tied to his past injury history and the nature of his specific injury Hamstrings are the most prevalent in terms of recurrence of the injury It’s one of the most dangerous injuries to have, particularly when you’re anatomically built the way Z is.”
Williamson’s injuries, along with all the others the team has endured, have made for a trying season. If you add up all the missed time by players because of injuries and illnesses this season, it equates to 230 missed games.
It’s the reason the Pelicans are just 13-42 at the All-Star break and at the bottom of the Western Conference standings heading into Friday’s road game against the Dallas Mavericks.
It’s a complete 180 from last season when the Pelicans were headed to 49 wins, the second-most in franchise history The results have changed And so has the locker room.
Brandon Ingram, the other half of the Pelicans’ 1-2 punch, was traded to the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline. Williamson and Ingram both arrived in New Orleans in 2019 Williamson as the first overall pick and Ingram as part of the Anthony Davis trade.
“Walking in the locker room and not seeing his number was definitely different,” Williamson said. “It’s different, and one of those small reminders about the reality of the league I’m in Year 6 and there’s nobody player-wise (from when I arrived) that’s here anymore. It’s a reminder that things have changed.”
Williamson and Ingram were supposed to be the duo to lead the Pelicans to
new heights. But they rarely played together More times than not when one was healthy, the other one wasn’t.
“I think there were certainly diminishing returns to having your two best players make the amount of money they do when they only played 34% of their games together,” Griffin said. “I think that was challenging and that wasn’t all on Zion.”
Some of Williamson’s absences were all on him, though. Particularly the one in January when he was suspended one game by the team for being late for a team flight. But even that moment is one Griffin said Williamson has learned from.
“People mature at different rates in the league,” Griffin said. “Sometimes that maturity looks like a brushfire and sometimes it looks like a forest fire. I think he’s reaching forestfire status now And that’s exciting.”
Williamson looks to be in the best shape of his life, despite the iPad limiting his minutes. It’s shown up especially on the defensive end.
“As Zion continues to seize the opportunity he has now to be more focal in what we’re doing, I think a lot will reveal itself,” Griffin said. “What does he need when he’s this version of Zion Williamson? Because this is the best version he’s
ever been in terms of his ability to platy both sides of the ball.
“We’ll learn a lot about what he needs with him, and our fans will certainly get to see it. And I’m excited to see the growth he’s made. He’s really earned the opportunity to seize the moment, and I think he will.”
BY JENNA FRYER AP auto racing writer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Owen Lar-
son called it when he said his dad wouldn’t win the Daytona 500 because “he probably needs to try really hard because he’s not good at superspeedway racing.”
The 10-year-old was right in his assessment. Kyle Larson can win just about anywhere in any type of car But when it comes to Daytona and Talladega, NASCAR’s 2021 Cup Series champion is a disaster.
Larson dropped to 0 for 22 at Daytona International Speedway — it’s 0 for 42 in the Cup Series once Talladega Superspeedway’s stats are included — when he finished 20th in Sunday night’s Daytona 500.
The Associated Press was embedded with the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 team with a front row seat for his 201 frustrating laps in which Larson complained over his radio that “I make all the wrong moves. Any move I make is the wrong one.” His exacerbation only mounted when all three of his Hendrick teammates led laps, William Byron won for a second consecutive year, and Byron and Alex Bowman finished inside the top-six. Chase Elliott was 15th. Jeff Gordon, the vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports and a
three-time Daytona 500 winner, didn’t dispute Larson’s notion of not being able to properly navigate the pack racing typical of Daytona International Speedway I noticed that,” he said of Larson’s declaration he couldn’t make a single right move. “I can be hard on him because I love Kyle and I think he’s amazing.”
Larson is amazing and opened 2025 with a slew of victories, including in sprint cars in Australia, the Chili Bowl and at Volusia Speedway in the lead-up to the Daytona 500.
But, just as his oldest son predicted, he was a non-factor at Daytona despite every motivational speech crew chief Cliff Daniels tried on his driver The two have been paired since Larson moved to Hendrick and the No. 5 team in 2021 and won 10 races and the Cup title.
Larson has won 23 Cup races since his move to Hendrick, and for that, the leadership at Hendrick is able to give him a pass on his struggles at superspeedways.
“Gosh, the guy is not perfect,”
Gordon said, but added that his struggles have now become bigger than just not being able to feel confident at Daytona or Talladega.
“I think now I’m starting to see it’s getting in his head. I’ve had a few conversations with him, and like, ‘Man, just go for it, just forget about it, don’t try to even over-
(10-17) 6 p.m. Thursday No 22 Vidalia (11-13) at No. 11 Springfield (17-12), 6 p.m. Thursday No 27 Baker (12-11) at No. 6 Westlake (16-6), 5:30 p.m. Wednesday No. 23 Port Allen (6-19) at No. 10 Jena (1910), 6 p.m. Thursday Division IV Bidistrict No. 20 East Beauregard (13-13) at No. 13 East Feliciana (18-7), 6 p.m. Thursday No. 23 West St. John (9-14) at No. 10 East Iberville (22-11), 6 p.m. Thursday Select
Division I
Bidistrict No. 21 St. Joseph’s Academy (10-13) at No. 12 Lafayette (16-11), 6 p.m. Thursday at Northside No. 18 Liberty (13-13) at No. 15 Tioga (21-10), 6 p.m. Thursday
Division II
Bidistrict No. 21 St. Michael (14-11) at No. 12 Glen Oaks (17-15), 7 p.m. Thursday No. 20 Istrouma (23-11) at No. 13 The Willow
at No. 13 Richwood
12, Mortle 2-3 2-2 7, Posey 2-3 5-8 9, Hayes 1-2 1-1 3, Koureissi 0-3 0-0 0, Roberts 1-2 2-2 4, Farmer 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 19-56 17-23 57. SOUTHERN (17-9) Jones 2-4 0-0 4, Thomas 2-5 2-4 6, Johnson 3-11 3-4 11, Manning 1-4 0-0 2, Nunley 0-1 2-2 2, Jacobs 6-6 7-10 20, Tezeno 2-2 3-4 8, Amboree 0-4 2-4 2, Dobuol 2-6 2-2 7, Noel 0-0 0-0 0, Barnes 1-2 0-0 2, McReed 1-2 0-1 2. Totals
20-47 21-31 66. Halftime Southern 38-26. 3-Point Goals — Texas Southern 2-17 (Mortle 1-2, Granger 1-3, Hayes 0-1, Jackson-Posey 0-1, Roberts
0-1, Farooq 0-2, McClain 0-7), Southern 5-17 (Johnson 2-8, Jacobs 1-1, Tezeno 1-1, Dobuol 1-2, Manning 0-1, Nunley 0-1, Amboree 0-3). Fouled Out — Hunter, Noel. Rebounds — Texas Southern 24 (Farooq, Granger 7), Southern 35 (Jones, Thomas 7). Assists Texas Southern 13 (McClain 8), Southern 14 (Nunley 4). Total Fouls — Texas Southern 24, Southern 18. A — 5,679 (7,500) Women’s state schedule
Monday’s games No games scheduled.
Tuesday’s games No games scheduled.
Wednesday’s games UL at Texas State, 5 p.m. Tulane at Tulsa, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s national scores SOUTH South Florida 70, Charlotte 52 UT Martin 73, Tennessee St. 52 MIDWEST Kansas 63, UCF 58 SOUTHWEST Rice 72, FAU 39 FAR WEST Boise St. 78, Wyoming 73 College softball
Tuesday’s games
he dropped to 0 for 12 in “The Great American Race.”
Larson figures his career résumés would be fine without a Daytona 500 victory He’s won every other crown jewel: NASCAR’s AllStar race in 2019, 2021 and 2023; the 2021 Coca-Cola 600; the 2023 Southern 500; and the 2024 Brickyard 400.
“Like, I’m not going to lose sleep if I don’t ever win this race, but I still want to win the race and have that ring and that trophy and be a part of the names that have won it,” Larson said.
“But again, I think there’s a lot else, a lot more that goes into winning and a lot of luck. It’s not a big deal.”
Gordon said Larson and Daniels have a lot of soul-searching to do to make success on superspeedways happen.
think it,’ ” Gordon said.
“I don’t know what advice to give him other than all I told him today is ‘Just be Kyle Larson. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Don’t look at what somebody else is doing that’s having success. Just go out there and execute, and the other things will turn around and come your way eventually.’
” Byron was quick to point out that not winning the season-opening race means little for Larson in the grand scheme of things. The next month includes Cup races at Phoenix, where Larson won the race to
School (12-8), 6 p.m. Thursday
Division III
Bidistrict No. 24 Fisher (7-11) at No. 9 Episcopal (1210), 5:30 p.m. Thursday No. 20 Slaughter Charter (7-13) at No. 13 GEO Next Generation (20-11), 5:30 p.m. Thursday Division IV Bidistrict Sacred Heart-VP 54, Catholic-PC 43 No. 21 Ascension
(7-18)
Vermilion Catholic (19-3), 6:30 p.m.
No. 20 St. John (12-11) at No. 13
Christian (14-9), 5:30 p.m. Thursday No. 22 Northwood-Lena (5-18) at No. 11 Ascension Catholic (15-11), 6 p.m. Wednesday No. 18 Central Private (14-10) at No. 15 St. Frederick (17-5), 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Boys basketball Tuesday’s scores Denham Springs 82, Walker 67 Central 78, Zachary 71 St. Amant 92, Prairieville 63 Ascension Christian 67, St. Martin’s 55 McKinley 61, West Feliciana 43
clinch the 2021 championship, and Las Vegas, where two of his three career wins have come in the past three visits to the desert track.
“Wait until we get to Vegas, and he’ll just be ripping,” Byron said. Larson’s difficulties at Daytona could be traced to his 2013 Xfinity Series debut at the track. He sailed into the fence and destroyed his car in a frightening crash for a driver who had skyrocketed from sprint cars to the top level of racing in the United States
Although he won the Xfinity race in 2018, he’s never really been a factor in the Daytona 500, where
“It’s a head-scratcher for sure, for he and Cliff and the whole team,” Gordon said. “But I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”
Owen Larson, perhaps his father’s harshest critic, disagrees. Until his father gets better his oldest child believes Daytona is always going to be a struggle for Larson.
“He has to try harder,” Owen Larson said. And what specific area? “Probably drafting.”
Perhaps Larson should take his son’s advice before NASCAR gets to Talladega later this spring.
SCORING: ZACHARY:
Livonia 46, Cecilia 43 East Feliciana 49, Vidalia 47 Brusly 50, St. Michael 35 Plaquemine 58, Istrouma 41 Broadmoor 76, Thrive Academy 35 Ascension Catholic 80, St. James 71 Catholic High 67, Scotlandville 60 CatholicHigh 19 17 16 15 -67 Scotlandville 11 15 23 11 -60
SCORING: CATHOLIC HIGH: Tate McCurry 18, Matthew Trahan 17, Brady Broussard 11, Makai Lacey 9, Austin Fruge 6, Jewel Chamberlin 4, Matthew Hotstream 2; SCOTLANDVILLE: Aaron Marshal 33, Jayden Simmons 11, Kenneth Jones 8, Braylen Parker 4, JK Whitfield 2 3-POINT GOALS: CATHOLIC HIGH 3 (Lacey, Trahan, Broussard); SCOTLANDVILLE 5 (Simmons 3, Marshall 2) RECORDS: Catholic High 26-3; Scotlandville 17-9 JUNIOR VARSITY: Catholic 76, Scotlandville 50 Central 78, Zachary 71 Zachary 12 21 13 25 -71 Central 21 16 19 22 -78
6-3. Jasmine Paolini (4), Italy, def.
Lys, Germany, 6-2, 7-5. Jessica Pegula (5), United States, def. Liudmila Samsonova, Russia, 6-0, 6-4. Iga Swiatek (2), Poland, def. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, 6-0, 6-2. Dayana Yastremska, Ukraine, def. Anastasia Potapova, Russia, 6-2, 6-3. Sofia Kenin, United States, def. Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine, 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5). McCartney Kessler, United States, def. Coco Gauff (3), United States, 6-4, 7-5. Aryna Sabalenka (1), Belarus, def. Veronika Kudermetova, Russia, 6-3, 6-4. Karolina Muchova (14), Czechia, def. Emma Raducanu, Britain, 7-6 (6), 6-4. Clara Tauson, Denmark, def. Elina Svitolina, Ukraine, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (4). ATP-Qatar Open Tuesday At Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex Doha, Qatar Purse: $2,760,000 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Sseedings in parentheses Men’s Singles Round of 32 Luca Nardi, Italy, def. Zhang Zhizhen, China, 6-4, 6-3. Nuno Borges, Portugal, def. Otto Virtanen, Finland, 7-6 (6), 6-3. Alex de Minaur (2), Australia, def. Roman Safiullin, Russia, 6-1, 7-5. Botic Van de Zandschulp, Netherlands, def. Abdullah Shelbayh, Jordan, 7-5, 6-3. Andrey Rublev (5), Russia, def. Alexander Bublik, Kazakhstan, 6-3, 6-4. Zizou Bergs, Belgium, def. Roberto Bautista Agut, Spain, 6-4, 7-6 (4). Tallon Griekspoor, Netherlands, def. JanLennard Struff, Germany, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7). Daniil Medvedev (4), Russia, def. Karen Khachanov, Russia, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada, def. Quentin Halys, France, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2). Matteo Berrettini, Italy, def. Novak Djokovic (3), Serbia, 7-6 (4), 6-2. Hamad Medjedovic, Serbia, def. Stefanos Tsitsipas (6), Greece, 7-6 (6), 5-7, 7-6 (5).
February po-boy of the month. For every order of the soft-shell crab po-boy — made with corn-fried Lake Pontchartrain soft-shell crab, house-made ravigote sauce, lettuce, tomato and pickles for $18.99 — Jed’s will donate $1 to the Music Club of Baton Rouge.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Jed’s Local, 672 Jefferson Highway, in Baton Rouge debuts its softshell crab po-boy for its February spotlight.
Food trucks at Oak Grove: 10 a.m. to
7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Food Trucks at Oak Grove, 17198 Old Jefferson Highway, Prairieville Cousin’s Maine Lobster is back at Oak Grove. We recommend going early to get the famous Cousin’s Maine Lobster from “Shark Tank,” as some people have waited four hours for a lobster roll. Did you know that Pho 97, 15540 George O’Neal Road, in Baton Rouge offers catering? The menu includes chicken wings, egg rolls, fried rice and more.
All about king cake
King-cake tasting: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Mustard Seed Creamery, 111 N. Range Ave., Denham Springs Sample from some of Denham Spring’s best bakeries. Tickets are $15 per person, available at www.zeffy.com/.../ticketing/kingcake-tasting-party King cake craze: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Louisiana Culinary Institute, 10550 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge
Master the art of king cakemaking with chef Chris Nicosia while baking a traditional Louisiana king cake and a French galette de rois. Class participants will learn the techniques behind both doughs, how to achieve the perfect balance of flavor and texture, and the traditional fillings that make each cake special. Plus, Nicosia will explain the history and cultural significance of the festive treats. By the end of the class, you’ll have not one, but two delicious cakes to take home.
Tickets are $150 per person at lci.edu/store or (225) 769-8820.
Mark your calendar
225Fest: March 1-2 at BREC Fairgrounds, 16072 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge For the third year 225Fest is bringing live performances, inspiring panel stages, cooking demonstrations, an art walk, health fair, food trucks and more. Register for the event at 225fest. com.
If you have an upcoming food event or a kitchen question, email lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com. Cheers!
Influences for coastal Mexican dishes at new restaurant Veracruz are similar to those found in south Louisiana
BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer
Veracruz, a coastal city in Mexico, has a lot in common with southern Louisiana in terms of cuisine. It has a mix of Indigenous, Creole Caribbean and Spanish influences while featuring lots of seafood and similar cooking techniques. But for William Mealer, what stood out to him was the ingredients.
“It’s a lot of the ingredients that we ate growing up in Honduras,” he said.
“They use plantains. They use yuca.”
He believed that Veracruz would have a lot to offer Baton Rouge in
terms of flavors and dishes that people in the city might not be as familiar with. Now, after over a year of working on the building formerly occupied by Voodoo BBQ, Mealer who is also one of the owners of La Carreta, is starting a new venture based on Veracruz’s cuisine.
In collaboration with his wife, the Mealers plan to open Veracruz on March 6.
The concept is mar y tierra, which directly translates to “surf and turf,” Mealer said — it’s land and sea.
“We want to play with a little bit of
See COASTAL, page 3D
By The Associated Press
Today is Wednesday, Feb. 19, the 50th day of 2025. There are 315 days left in the year
Today in history
On Feb. 19, 1942, during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which paved the way for the internment of 125,000 people of Japanese ancestry including U.S.born citizens.
On this date: In 1473, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland.
In 1847, the first rescuers reached members of the Donner Party, who had been snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountains near the CaliforniaNevada border for nearly four months.
In 1878, inventor Thomas Edison was issued a patent for the phonograph.
In 1945, Operation Detachment began during World War II as the first wave of U.S. Marines landed at Iwo Jima, where they commenced a successful monthlong battle to seize control of the island from Japanese forces.
In 1976, President Gerald R Ford calling the issuing of the 1942 internment order for people of Japanese ancestry “a sad day in American history,” signed a proclamation formally confirming its termination In 2003, an Iranian military plane carrying members of the elite Revolutionary Guards crashed in southeastern Iran, killing all 275 people on board In 2008, an ailing Fidel Castro resigned the Cuban presidency after nearly a half-century in power; his brother Raúl was later named to succeed him. Today’s birthdays: Singer Smokey Robinson is 85. Rock musician Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) is 77 Author Amy Tan is 73. Actor Jeff Daniels is 70. Actor Ray Winstone is 68. Actor Leslie David Baker is 67. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is 66. Tennis Hall of Famer Hana Mandlíková is 63. Singer Seal is 62. Actor Benicio Del Toro is 58. Author-cartoonist Jeff Kinney is 54. NBA center Nikola Jokic is 30. Singer-songwriter Chappell Roan is 27. Actor Millie Bobby Brown is 21.
Continued from page 1D
King cake egg rolls from Roul’s Deli
n Roul’s Deli, 3327 Highland Road, 5230 Plank Road and 1210 O’Neal Lane, Baton Rouge
I know that a lot of people don’t like king cake “gimmicks.” Some people just like to remain traditional, and I respect that.
Still, it’s fun to try new things.
The king cake egg rolls from Roul’s are made with cinnamon roll pieces, strawberries and cheesecake The pieces are rolled together then fried and dropped in a cinnamon-sugar mix and coated with cream cheese icing.
The result is a doughy, uber-sweet treat that I only needed one bite of Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator Tapas from Pamplona n Pamplona Tapas Bar and Restaurant, 631 Jefferson St., Lafayette
If you find yourself in downtown Lafayette anytime soon, book a table at Pamplona.
It had been about two years since I visited the restaurant, and a recent return reminded me why I love it While looking at the tapas on the menu, I was transported back to my trip to Barcelona.
My friends and I love the idea of shared tapas because we like options.
We’re often seen reaching over the table or handing someone else a fork with a bite
Dear Harriette: I’ve been going to the same hairstylist for years, and while she’s always been kind and reliable, I’ve started to feel like her work just isn’t what I want anymore. The haircuts and color never turn out quite right, and I find myself walking out of appointments feeling disappointed more often than not. I know I should probably just move on and find someone new, but there’s one big problem: She goes to my church. It’s not like I can just disappear and hope she doesn’t notice I see her almost every Sunday, and I know she’ll eventually ask why I haven’t been booking appointments. I don’t want to lie, but I also don’t want to hurt her feelings or make things awkward between us. She’s a genuinely nice person and I respect her but at the end of the day, I’m paying for a service that I no longer
so we can try everything possible. At Pamplona, I didn’t get a picture of everything, but we ordered the jamon-wrapped dates with Gorgonzola cheese; garlic shrimp; Castilian mushrooms in butter, garlic, herbs and bone broth; mac-n-smoked Gouda with bacon and Manchego; duck fat fries (a must) with garlic, parsley, spicy aioli and ketchup; and fried calamari served with jalapeño aioli. Everything on the menu is a winner Keep an eye out for the restaurant’s rotating food and drink specials.
— Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator
feel good about. How do I gracefully “break up” with my hairstylist without creating tension between us in what’s supposed to be a place of worship? — Awkward
Dear Awkward: Your relationship with your hairstylist is often one of the most intimate ones that you have. They get to know you, and vice versa. You often share private details about your life, and, after all, they are touching your head. When that bond goes sour, for whatever reason, it can be hard to part ways. If you can muster up the courage, tell her directly that you haven’t been pleased with your hair for a while, and you are going to try another stylist. Assure her that it’s not personal, but this is your decision. Then, when you see her in church, greet her warmly Dear Harriette: I need advice
on how to set boundaries with my neighbor She constantly asks me for favors, including giving her rides, picking up things from the store, watching her pets when she goes out of town and helping her with small errands. At first, I didn’t mind because I believe in being a good neighbor, but over time, I’ve realized that this has become a one-sided relationship. She never offers to return the favor or help me when I need something, and she doesn’t even seem to acknowledge how much she asks of me. The problem is, I don’t want to create any awkwardness or bad blood. We live right next to each other, and I know I’ll still have to see her regularly I also worry that if I start saying no, she’ll act offended or make me feel guilty She is an older woman, so I don’t want
to be rude, but I also don’t want to keep going out of my way for someone who clearly sees me as a convenient helper rather than an equal neighbor How can I politely — but firmly — set boundaries? — Drawing the Line Dear Drawing The Line: If you can continue to help this woman, I say do so. She is an elder, and
By JAVIER GALLEGOS
The Whole Fish Zarandeadom, with a shot of tequila, is on the menu at Veracruz, a coastal Mexican restaurant opening in Baton Rouge. ‘We’re trying to push the envelope a little bit more,’ said Edgar Caro, consultant and culinary director for Veracruz.
Continued from page 1D
that (the concept of land and sea) to have a good balance between vibrant coastal fresh seafood, but also the favorites — tacos, a lot of the Mexican food that we already are used to,” he said. Over the past year, Mealer has worked with Edgar Caro, consultant and culinary director for Veracruz, to develop the menu and execute his vision. Caro, who owns multiple restaurants in New Orleans himself, including a South American steakhouse named Brasa, said that Veracruz’s menu features coastal Mexican food represented with a little Louisiana flair
“We’re trying to push the envelope a little bit more, researching more into the coastal cuisine into just one region of Mexico, which is Veracruz,” Caro said. “Then take it from there, and reimagine those dishes using
the ingredients of Louisiana, using some techniques that are similar to the ones that we can use here in Louisiana.”
One example of this is ostion, or cornmeal-crusted fried oyster tacos.
“It’s not a taco that you’re gonna see in Mexico,” said Caro, “but also it’s a taco that I see very much belongs to Louisiana.”
Other menu highlights include the pescado a la Veracruzana, which features charcoal red snapper in a tomato-based sauce with capers and onions — Caro said this dish will be their signature dish. The whole fish zarandeado is made with a butterflied wood fire-grilled trout in salsa verde, and the arroz a la tumbada is a play on Mexican paella and jambalaya.
The central element to the restaurant’s menu is cooking items on a wood fire grill. When the chefs cook trout, they don’t fry it. Instead, the fish is cooked in a wood fire
Dear Miss Manners: I have a communication issue with my nieces and nephews who are about to be collegeage. They are my brotherin-law’s kids. Their grandmother (my partner’s mother) feeds them an inventory of our possessions, encouraging them to ask us for these items. She has suggested that the nieces and nephews beg for my jewelry and musical instruments — while I’m still using and enjoying them. For example, the kids asked for my jewelry and made it clear they wanted GOLD, so I told them I only have costume jewelry and some plated gold. They said “Ewww!” and ran back to tell Grandma, “She only has PLATED gold! Ugghhhh.”
Her son and I are a childless couple, which seems to have invited this “finderskeepers” attitude of hers. She assumes that these items will be available to anyone, since we don’t have kids. (I have siblings on my side of the family, but she doesn’t know them.)
Maybe I should tell the kids I pawned the instru-
ments. Is there a good way to teach discretion to teens in a situation like this?
The larger issue is that they are too willing to act on Grandma’s lower instincts to grab valuables from the less-favored couple and hand resources to the “golden children” of the family
Gentle reader: Whether Grandma is the scout on these would-be heists strikes Miss Manners as beside the point: A 17-year-old is old enough to know that demanding that someone hand over their jewelry is not something polite people do (except in watch repair shops).
Trying to convince these teens that the goods are not worth stealing seems tantamount to giving up. Better to look slightly scandalized at the next request, and say, with a slightly patronizing smile, “Well, I’m still playing this guitar; surely you are not looking forward to my death.”
If the grandmother brings it up directly, you can say, “I’m sure you’ll leave them well provided for, so they shouldn’t be told to expect anything from me.”
Dear Miss Manners: I am a friendly, but introverted, person. I enjoy the company of others in very small doses.
oven imported from Spain. So is the chicken in their enchiladas and their carne asada. Caro first fell in love with cooking over wood fire while working on Brasa, and he brought that expertise to this new venture.
The goal, Caro said, is to “bring some of that rusticity of cooking over a fire and in a farm into a more casual fine dining setting.”
Before the grand opening March 6, the owners plan to have some soft opening days Tuesday through Thursday the week before. After they get established, Mealer said they plan on changing menu items seasonally while continuing to explore Veracruz cuisine.
Mealer and Caro have a culinary trip to Veracruz on the books to further develop the menu.
“Honestly, we just want people to come and experi-
After living in the woods for well over a decade, I agreed to move to a suburban community to nurture my husband’s extrovert nature. The houses are very close together, so there is no real privacy when outside.
I am happy to meet new people and develop friendships, but I would like to politely establish boundaries. For example, I don’t want to be expected to chat with my neighbors over the backyard fence. I would like to keep that space for myself.
Do you have any advice on how I may tactfully set boundaries without turning people off? I don’t want to say anything that may close doors for my husband, but I also want some space to recharge without hiding in my basement
Gentle reader: Raise the fence, and lower your gaze when passing it If you get caught, look distracted, apologize, and say pleasantly that you are so sorry you cannot stop to talk.
Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
ence a little bit of the food that is traditionally of Veracruz,” Mealer said when asked about his hopes for the restaurant “Good vibes, good atmosphere — just of-
fer people something that’s a little different and constantly be challenging ourselves to continue to evolve, continue to learn, continue to have a menu that peo-
about.”
Email Serena Puang at serena.puang@ theadvocate.com.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Stick close to home. Go over personal documents and update anything that needs it. Aim to replenish instead of going for broke Put your health and financial wellbeing first.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Pay attention to what things cost and think about where your energy will have the most impact. Use all your resources and put your experience to work for you. A positive change will give you the boost you need.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Work toward your goal and resist interruptions. The less you let others know about you or your plans, the easier it will be to meet your deadlines. Refuse to let temptation eat away at your psyche.
TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Turn your surroundings into your place of refuge Do whatever it takes to make your place more comfortable and convenient. Don't underestimate your ability to bring people closer together.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Rethink your strategy and adjust your plans to suit your needs and budget. Say no to temptation and trouble. Make a healthy lifestyle your mission, and you'll find the path that leads to a brighter future.
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Consider what makes you happy and follow that path. You are responsible for doing what brings you joy. Networking and social events will positively affect how you move forward.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Sit tight, be observant and consider every alternative Time is on your side, regardless of what anyone tells you. It's best not to indulge in anything; be moderate and prudent.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) You are heading in the right direction; don't let anyone convince you otherwise. Communicating with like-minded people will encourage new beginnings.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Embrace life, broaden your mind, enhance possibilities and learn new skills. Life is yours to discover; stop postponing and start doing.
scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Recognize that you are in the driver's seat; forge ahead and make things happen. Your power is in your passion. Change begins with you, and following your heart will help you manifest your dreams.
sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Reconsider how realistic your plans are before you head down a path that can cause mental or financial duress. You should take time out for recreational activities.
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) It's all about what and who you know and how to persuade others. Put your energy into running an efficient home and letting go of what's holding you back. Let go of what's weighing you down.
The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
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.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
By PHILLIP ALDER
Voltaire, whose real name was Francois-Marie Arouet, said, “Chance is a word void of sense; nothing can exist without a cause.”
You have chances in bridge that are not void of sense if you have analyzed the available data. In this deal, though, it is knowledge of a void that gives you a chance to make a tough contract.
South is in six spades. West leads the heart jack. How should declarer proceed?
East opened three clubs to show a respectable seven-card suit and limited high-card values. True, because there is no weak two-bid in clubs, sometimes a playerwillopenthreeclubswithastrong six-card suit. But in this instance, if West had had a club, he would have led it.
North’sraisetofivespadeswasaggressive, but without it, South would not have had a story with which to bore dinner companions for weeks.
Declarer will initially think that if the diamond finesse works, he will take seven spades, two hearts, two diamonds and a diamond ruff in the dummy. But what chance has that finesse?
It is surely zero. Assuming West’s lead ishonest,Eastismarkedwithninepoints in hearts and clubs. With the diamond king as well, he would have opened one club, not three. There is one winning line.
Average
