The Advocate 03-05-2025

ROLLING ON

Despite weather, revelers enjoy New Roads parades

SU death called a possible hazing

University says it actively supports criminal probe

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

For the first time since a 20-year-old Southern University student died last week, the university and Baton Rouge authorities said Tuesday his death is being investigated by law enforcement as a possible act of fraternity hazing.

University officials said in a statement they actively support the ongoing criminal investigation of an “alleged act of hazing” that led to the death of Caleb Wilson, a junior engi-

neering student. Wilson, a Kenner native, died Thursday morning at a Baton Rouge hospital after he was found in North Sherwood Forest Park

The investigation by the Baton Rouge Police Department and East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office to determine the circumstances of Wilson’s death involves members of the Beta Sigma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., university officials said. Baton Rouge police described its probe in this case as a hazing investigation, but would not confirm Tuesday if it is treating Wilson’s death as a homicide.

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Trump boasts of swift action

President updates Congress on his turbulent first few weeks in office

BY ZEKE MILLER and MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday to keep up his campaign of “swift and unrelenting action” in reorienting the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy in an unyielding address to Congress and the nation that left Democratic legislators to register their dissent with stone faces, placards calling out “lies” and one legislator’s ejection.

ä Louisiana congressmen invite guests to Trump speech. PAGE 5A

Trump’s prime-time speech was the latest marker in his takeover of the nation’s capital, where the Republican-led House and Senate have done little to restrain the president as he and his allies work to slash the size of the federal government and remake America’s place in the world.

ä See TRUMP, page 4A

Aurelius Paul Martinez led the first group of Black students into Baton Rouge High School on Sept. 3, 1963, as the district began integration. Martinez died Feb. 11 in Los Angeles at 78. He was a retired respiratory therapist.

While cleaning out her father’s home after his death, Adele Martinez found certificates given to the Black members of Baton Rouge High School’s class of 1964 on the 60th anniversary of their grad-

uation, honoring them for their role in desegregating the city’s schools.

She had heard about her father’s pioneering role only a few years ago. He had never told her his story

“It was too painful for him to talk about,” she said. It was the first day of their senior year of high school, but for the 14 Black students attending the newly integrated Baton Rouge High School, it felt like a standoff. Across Government Street, picketers stood on the corners, waving white signs at passing vehicles.

Rifles held by Louisiana National Guardsmen, tilted over the edge of the school building’s

page 6A

PHOTO PROVIDED By ADELE MARTINEZ Aurelius Paul Martinez died at 78 in his home in Los Angeles.

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

The Community Center Carnival Club of Pointe Coupee parade and the New Roads Lion’s Club parade roll down New Roads Street together on Mardi Gras after threatening weather prompted changes to the times and routes.

Paradegoers await the arrival of floats as the Community Center Carnival Club of Pointe Coupee and the New Roads Lion’s Club parades roll in New Roads on Tuesday.

Andrew Jewell, 7, blows a whistle as he rests on top of a golf cart as revelers around him collect throws in New Roads on Tuesday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BEN CURTIS

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Kenya refugees injured in clashes with police NAIROBI, Kenya At least four people sustained gunshot wounds as police clashed with protesters in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp, in the country’s north.

Thousands of refugees in the camp, which hosts people fleeing from conflict and drought in neighboring South Sudan, Ethiopia, Burundi and Congo, protested Monday against food rationing due to funding constraints.

The World Food Program, which is in charge of food distribution at the refugee camp, said in last December the food rations to refugee camps were “at 45 percent of the minimum food basket due to resource constraints.”

The WFP has warned for years that it is facing shortfalls in the contributions from governments it relies on for funding, and on Monday it announced that it is closing its office in South Africa due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s cuts in foreign aid.

A refugee from neighboring South Sudan, John Garang, held up a roughly 1 gallon pot

“This is the container they are now using to measure beans and oil and the other one for rice. And this is equivalent for one month for your food. Assume you don’t have another income, it’s only this. Is this enough for you?” he asked.

Baby seal rescued from street dies at aquarium NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A baby seal found stranded on a street near Connecticut’s Yale University last month has died from severe digestive issues, a local aquarium announced Monday Mystic Aquarium said “Chappy,” a nod to Chapel Street in New Haven where he was rescued, died while recovering at its Animal Rescue Clinic.

“The Mystic Aquarium staff are proud that they were able to give Chappy the best chance possible and are devastated by this outcome,” the aquarium wrote on Facebook. “The reality of working with stranded animals can be tough sometimes, but Chappy was surrounded by love until the very end.”

The underweight gray seal pup was brought to the clinic on Feb 16 after being spotted by a passerby, who reported to police that the animal was potentially injured.

The seal, which was believed to be about 5 to 6 weeks old, was more than 1,000 feet from the nearest river

The aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut, said Chappy had been responding well to treatment for dehydration, malnutrition and a mild pneumonia but began having digestive difficulties as he transitioned to eating whole fish. Residents flee as Afghan, Pakistani forces clash

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Residents

fled a border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan after forces from both sides clashed into the early hours of Tuesday a Pakistani official said. It was the second consecutive day of tit-for-tat gunfire at Torkham, a key crossing between the two countries that has been closed since Feb. 21 because of a dispute between the two neighbors. The Pakistani official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak with the media, said that gunfire overnight Monday spread fear and panic among residents.

They fled to safer locations as security forces on both sides shot at each other with light and heavy weapons.

“The situation remains tense and security is on high alert,” the official said. Three Pakistani security personnel were wounded in the latest clash. There were no civilian casualties.

One person waiting to cross into Pakistan was Sana Gul He said drivers, patients, passengers and traders were all in trouble because of the prolonged closure and that Torkham should not be shut over “minor incidents.”

In Kabul, Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said Tuesday that authorities would continue their efforts to resolve the issue through talks.

Zelenskyy says he’s ready to work for peace

BY SAMYA KULLAB and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that the Oval Office blowup with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump last week was “regrettable,” adding that he stands ready to work under Trump’s “strong leadership” to get a lasting peace.

Zelenskyy’s remarks — an apparent attempt to placate Trump — came in a social media post on X, hours after the White House announced a pause in military aid to Ukraine that is critical to fighting Russia’s invasion.

But later during his nightly address, Zelenskyy indicated that Ukraine didn’t receive direct notification from the U.S. that aid had been cut, and was seeking confirmation.

“I have instructed Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, the heads of our intelligence agencies, and our diplomats to contact their counterparts in the United States and obtain official information. People should not have to guess,” he said.

“Ukraine and America deserve a respectful dialogue and a clear position from one another Especially when it comes to protecting lives during a full-scale war,” he added, saying that military aid had been cut once before in January for a brief period.

Zelenskyy also said Ukraine is ready to sign a lucrative deal on rare-earth minerals and security with Washington. Trump was weighing whether to agree to the signing Tuesday when he was scheduled to address a joint session of Congress, after Zelenskyy’s sign of contrition, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly about it.

In an apparent reference to Trump’s criticism following the contentious

White House meeting on Friday that Zelenskyy does not want a peace deal, the Ukrainian leader said, “None of us want an endless war.”

“Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” he said.

Asked by reporters in Moscow about Zelenskyy voicing readiness for the resumption of talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “It’s good, it’s positive.”

In his post, Zelenskyy said the Oval Office meeting “did not go the way it was supposed to be.”

“It is regrettable that it happened this way It is time to make things right,” he added “We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.”

The pause of U.S military aid catapulted Ukraine into alarm and apprehension.

“Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format,” Zelenskyy said. “We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively.”

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone successively with Trump and Zelenskyy, Macron’s office said, and “welcomes” the Ukrainian’s “willingness to reengage in dialogue with the U.S.”

It released no details about the discussion with Trump.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also spoke to the Ukrainian leader and “welcomed President Zelenskyy’s steadfast commitment to securing peace.”

Serbian lawmakers injured as smoke bombs, flares thrown in parliament

BY JOVANA GEC Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia At least three lawmakers were injured on Tuesday, one of them seriously, after chaotic scenes in Serbia’s parliament, during which smoke bombs and flares were thrown, further fueling political tensions in the Balkan country

Lawmakers were scheduled to vote on a law that would increase funding for university education, but opposition parties said the ruling majority was also planning to approve dozens of other decisions. They said that was illegal and that lawmakers should first confirm the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and his government.

Chaos erupted about an hour after the parliamentary session started, with opposition lawmakers blowing whistles and holding up a banner reading “Serbia has risen so the regime would fall!” Hundreds of opposition supporters rallied outside the parliament building during the session.

Video footages from the assembly hall showed clashes between lawmakers and flares and smoke bombs being thrown. Serbian media said eggs and water bottles also were thrown.

U.S. storms bring threats from fire to blizzard conditions

BY JEFF MARTIN and JACK BROOK Associated Press

Powerful storms tore the roofs off an apartment building and a nursing home in a small town in Oklahoma, damaged a high school near Dallas, and threatened more communities across the nation Tuesday with wide-ranging weather

The large storm system also brought blinding dust storms to the Southwest, blizzards with whiteout conditions to the Midwest and raised fears of wildfires in other parts of the country

The alarming weather expected Tuesday could be one of the first big tests for the National Weather Service after hundreds of forecasters were fired last week as part of President Donald Trump’s moves to slash the size of the federal government. Former employees said the firing of meteorologists who make crucial local forecasts across the U.S. could put lives at risk, though it was too soon to know the impact on forecasts and warnings for this storm.

Storms that swept through Texas and Oklahoma early Tuesday morning brought high winds and rain, overturning tractortrailers and damaging roofs. Power outages were climbing Tuesday morning in the storm’s wake, with nearly 400,000 customers without power in Texas; about 30,000 in Louisiana and another 25,000 in Mississippi, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.

More power outages were expected as a line of storms raced across Mississippi and Louisiana late Tuesday producing gusts of 70 mph, the weather service said.

In the 16,000-resident city of Ada, Oklahoma, where the apartment and nursing home roofs were torn away, the damage indicates there was likely a tornado that touched down early Tuesday morning as a line of powerful thunder-

storms rumbled across the state, said Bruce Thoren, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Gusts up to 85 mph were recorded in the area, he said. There were no immediate reports of injuries, said Jeff Rollins, the emergency management director in the nearby town of Byng, who was assisting Ada.

In North Texas, strong thunderstorms with gusts over 70 mph damaged apartments, schools and RVs on Tuesday At the Las Haciendas Apartments in Irving, northwest of Dallas, strong winds blew out windows and the brick siding along the walls of one of the buildings. A nearby grocery store’s sign was damaged and its parking lot littered with tree limbs and power lines.

The storms knocked out power to several Irving schools, prompting some canceled classes and early releases. In Plano, north of Dallas, winds tore off parts of a high school’s metal roof. In Parker County, west of Fort Worth, firefighters responded after at least three RV trailers were overturned by strong winds.

The Central Plains and Midwest were bracing for blizzard conditions later Tuesday that forecasters warned could “make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening.” In Des Moines, Iowa, gusts up to 65 mph were expected Tuesday night — a rare occurrence, forecasters said.

“In the past 20, 30 years, we’ve seen maybe only two or three events that have been this strong as far as the winds are concerned,” said Craig Cogil, a meteorologist at the agency’s Des Moines office. Nationwide, more than 500 flights scheduled to travel through the U.S. on Tuesday were canceled, according to FlightAware. com, which tracks delays and cancellations. Airports in Dallas had canceled the most flights among U.S. airports.

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Officials later said three people were injured in the disturbance, including lawmaker Jasmina Obradovic who was taken to a hospital. Parliament speaker Ana Brnabic, who accused the opposition of being a “terrorist gang.”

Defe nse M iniste r Bratislav Gasic described those behind the incident as “a disgrace to Serbia.”

“The vandalism of opposition MPs has exposed the nature of their personalities and the essence of their political agenda,” Gasic said.

Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic visited Obradovic in hospital “Jasmina will win,

Serbia will win,” Vucic said in a post on Instagram, showing him holding the lawmaker’s hand in an emergency room.

The incident reflects a deep political crisis in Serbia where monthslong anti-corruption protests have rattled a populist government.

Vucevic resigned in January as the government faced protests over the collapse in November of a concrete train station canopy in the Serbia’s north that killed 15 people and which critics blamed on rampant corruption. Parliament must confirm the prime minister’s resignation for it to take effect.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ROMAN CHOP

A Ukrainian serviceman prepares to fire a M777 howitzer towards Russian positions at the frontline near Donetsk, Ukraine, on Monday.

EU ponders $841B plan to beef up defenses

BY RAF CASERT Associated Press

BRUSSELS The chief of the European Union’s executive on Tuesday proposed an $841 billion plan to beef up the defenses of EU nations, aiming to lessen the impact of potential U.S. disengagement and provide Ukraine with military muscle to negotiate with Russia following the freeze of U.S. aid to the embattled nation.

European Commission

President Ursula von der Leyen said the massive “REARM Europe” package will be put to the 27 EU leaders. They are holding an emergency meeting in Brussels on Thursday following a week of increasing political uncertainty from Washington, where President Donald Trump questioned both his alliance to the continent and the defense of Ukraine.

“I do not need to describe the grave nature of the threats that we face,” von der Leyen said. Her plan had already been in the works before Trump’s decision early Tuesday to pause military aid to Ukraine. Key to the quandary of EU nations has been an unwillingness to spend much on defense over the past decades as they hid under the U.S. nuclear umbrella and were hurt by a sluggish economy, which creates challenges for a quick ramp-up of such spending It increasingly has left them on the world’s diplo-

Sources: IRS plans to cut up to half of workforce

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The IRS is drafting plans to cut its workforce by as much as half through a mix of layoffs, attrition and incentivized buyouts, according to two people familiar with the situation.

The people spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to disclose the plans. The layoffs are part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce through billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency by closing agencies, laying off nearly all probationary employees who have not yet gained civil service protection and offering buyouts to almost all federal employees through a “deferred resignation program” to quickly reduce the government workforce.

A reduction in force of tens of thousands of employees would render the IRS “dysfunctional,” said John Koskinen, a former IRS commissioner The federal tax collector employs roughly 90,000 workers total across the United States, according to the latest IRS data. People of color make up 56% of the IRS workforce, and women represent 65%.

Already, roughly 7,000 probationary IRS employees with roughly one year or less of service were laid off from the organization in February The organization also offered IRS employees along with almost all federal employees across the government — “deferred resignation program” buyouts, though IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were told earlier this month that they would not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until mid-May, after the taxpayer filing deadline.

In addition to the planned layoffs, the Trump administration intends to lend IRS workers to the Department of Homeland Security to assist with immigration enforcement.

matic sidelines. How it would work

Most of the money Von der Leyen is talking about, would come from loosening the fiscal constraints the EU puts on budgetary spending to “allow member states to significantly increase their defense expenditures without triggering” punishing rules aimed at keeping deficits from going too far into the red. It would help member states to spend on defense without being forced to cut into social spending purely to keep within EU rules.

“So if member states would increase their defense spending by 1.5% of GDP on average, this could create fiscal space of close to $683 billion over a period of four years,” von der Leyen said. This would be topped up by a loans program, controversially backed by the common EU budget, of $157 billion to allow member states to invest in defense.

She said military equipment that needs to be improved includes air and missile defense, artillery systems, missiles and ammunition, drones and antidrone systems and cyber preparedness.

Such a plan will force many EU member states to greatly increase their military spending, which is still below 2% of gross domestic product NATO SecretaryGeneral Mark Rutte has told the member states they need to move to more than 3% as

quickly as possible.

The plan will now be the blueprint for Thursday’s summit, although immediate decisions beyond strong commitments were unlikely.

Aiding Ukraine

Von der Leyen said her plan would also help Ukraine as it struggles now, especially with any joint purchase of military materiel. “With this equipment, member states can massively step up their support to Ukraine,” she said.

Such measures are all the more essential since President Donald Trump directed a “pause” to U.S. assistance to Ukraine as he seeks to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to engage in negotiations to end the war with Russia In sharp contrast, the EU has always said that it wants Zelenskyy to negotiate from a position of strength, necessitating more arms for Kyiv, rather than less.

Washington’s move came just days after a disastrous Oval Office meeting in which Trump tore into Zelenskyy for what he perceived as insufficient gratitude for the more than $180 billion the U.S. has appropriated for military aid and other assistance to Kyiv since the start of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

In Europe, Trump’s move was also seen as yet more proof it could no longer count on the trans-Atlantic alliance that has been the bedrock of geopolitics since

World War II.

“Some of our fundamental assumptions are being undermined to their very core,”

von der Leyen wrote to EU leaders ahead of Thursday’s summit. “The pace of change is disconcerting and increasingly alarming.”

Hopes for Hungary

Within the EU, unanimity is often necessary for agreements on internation-

al affairs and Ukraine, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has often kept the 26 other member states back.

Over the weekend, Orbán already indicated in a letter that he would oppose draft conclusions that center on the defense of Ukraine and its place at the negotiating table. But summit host and EU Council President Antonio Costa is hopeful that

on common defense, Orbán will not play the spoiler. In a letter to Budapest, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, Costa wrote that “Regarding European defense, I welcome the fact that no objections are raised in your letter There appears to be broad agreement on the need for Europe to become more sovereign, more capable and better equipped.”

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The more than 90-minute address added up to an defiant sales pitch for the policies that he promised during his campaign and leaned into during his first weeks back in office.

Trump pledged to keep delivering sweeping changes to the country, rescuing it from what he described as destruction and mistakes left by his predecessor while repeatedly needling Democratic lawmakers who protested his remarks.

Emboldened after overcoming impeachments in his first term and criminal prosecutions in between his two administrations and with a tight grip on the Republican-controlled Congress, Trump has embarked on a mission to dismantle parts of the federal government, remake the relationship with America’s allies and spark a North American trade war that is compounding economic uncertainty.

“It has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action,” Trump said of his opening weeks in office. “The people elected me to do the job, and I am doing it.”

Trump, who has billionaire adviser Elon Musk orchestrating his efforts to slash the size and scope of the federal government, said he is working to “reclaim democracy from this unaccountable bureaucracy” and threatened federal workers anew with firings if they resist his agenda.

Musk, who was seated in the House gallery, received a pair of standing ovations from Republicans in the chamber, as Trump exaggerated and shared false claims about alleged government abuse uncovered by the Tesla and SpaceX founder and his team of disrupters.

Trump repeated false claims that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments, prompting some Democrats to shout, “Not true!” and “Those are lies!”

Trump spoke at a critical juncture in his presidency, as voters who returned him to the White House on his promise to fix inflation are instead finding economic chaos. All the gains the S&P 500 have made since Election Day are now gone, while consumer sentiment surveys show the public sees inflation as worsening. For a presi-

dent who believes that announcements of corporate investments can boost attitudes about the economy, the speech was suddenly a test of his ability to rebuild confidence in his economic leadership.

Trump seemed prepared to double down on his trade war, which experts have warned will raise prices for consumers.

“Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them Whatever they tax us, we tax them,” Trump said. He sought to ease concerns about price increases, saying, “There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re OK with that. It won’t be much.”

Trump said one of his “very highest priorities” was to rescue the economy and offer relief to working families. He promised to organize the federal government to lower costs on eggs and energy, blaming his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden for the situation and offering scant details of his own plans.

Trump also called for the extension of his first-term tax cuts and additional federal funding for his border crackdown, including for his promised efforts at “mass deportation” of people in the U.S. illegally

Speaking about his promised tax cuts, Trump seemed to goad Democrats, saying: “I’m sure you’re going to vote for those tax cuts. Because otherwise I don’t believe the people will ever vote you into office.”

The backdrop was the new economic uncertainty unleashed after the president opened the day by placing stiff tariffs on imports from the country’s neighbors and closest trading partners. A 25% tax on goods from Canada and Mexico went into effect early Tuesday — ostensibly to secure greater cooperation to tackle fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration — triggering immediate retaliation and

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sparking fears of a wider trade war Trump also raised tariffs on goods from China to 20%.

Trump also celebrated his sharp crackdown on migration to the U.S., fulfilling a key campaign promise and taunting Democrats for not doing more to secure the border, saying, “It turns all we really needed was a new president.”

Republicans were boisterous as Trump stepped to the lectern in the House, chanting “USA! USA!” as the president basked in the cheers.

The GOP lawmakers were jubilant, having won a trifecta of the White House, Senate and House in the elections. However, they face a high-stakes task of delivering on Trump’s agenda as well as avoiding a government shutdown later this month.

Across the aisle, out-of-power

Democrats set the tone early with most remaining seated without applauding or making eye contact

with Trump as he was introduced in the chamber

After several interruptions,

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, jumped in and called for decorum to be restored in the chamber as Republicans shouted “USA” to drown out the cries from the other side of the aisle. Johnson then ordered Texas Rep. Al Green removed from the chamber “It’s worth it to let people know that there are some people who are going to stand up” to Trump, Green told reporters after being thrown out of the chamber

Other Democrats held up signs like “Save Medicaid” and “Protect Veterans” during Trump’s remarks, seeking to drive public awareness to elements of Trump’s agenda they believed might offer them a pathway back to the majority

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MANDEL NGAN

Vice President JD Vance, center, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, left, clap as President Donald Trump arrives to address a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday.

ä See TRUMP, page 5A

La. congressmen invite guests for Trump speech

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON — Both Louisiana congressional Democrats invited guests affected by recent federal layoffs and funding cuts to attend President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday night.

Chanté Powell, who had recently started working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Finance Center in New Orleans, was fired on Valentine’s Day She was the guest of Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans

Funding for Southern University student Kennedy Orr’s scholarship was initially blocked when Trump’s administration suspended a swath of federal programs. The funding was later reinstated. Orr was invited by Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, invited Olivia Hayes, of Kinder, whose husband, Wesley, was killed in a traffic accident by an immigrant who was in the country illegally He also invited Noa Agramani, an Israeli who was taken hostage by Hamas and released in June. Johnson also brought several officials and conservative commentators.

Carter and Fields said they wanted to put a human face on Republican policies.

“Unfortunately, under the Musk-Trump administration, many federal employees, like Chanté, have faced unjust hardships,” Carter said Tuesday “Their decisions have caused widespread instability in the workforce, leading to cruel layoffs and uncertainty for hardworking Americans who contribute to their communities via public service.” Carter continued: “Democrats are prioritizing policies that protect and uplift federal workers, ensuring they are treated with the respect and fairness they deserve. Clearly, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are not.”

In addition to unilateral cuts to already appropriated federal funding, Trump has assigned billionaire Musk’s Department of Government

TRUMP

Continued from page 4A

Some Democrats chose to highlight the impact of Trump’s actions by inviting fired federal workers as guests, including a disabled veteran from Arizona, a health worker from Maryland and a forestry employee who worked on wildfire prevention in California. They also invited guests who would be harmed by steep federal budget cuts to Medicaid and other programs.

Trump also used his speech to address his proposals for fostering peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, where he has uncer-

PROVIDED By REP CLEO FIELDS

Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, and Kennedy Orr, the president of student government at Southern University, prepare to attend President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday.

Efficiency to reduce the number of federal employees.

Democratic leaders asked congressional members to invite everyday Americans who they say typify the disruption and human costs of Trump’s actions.

About two dozen recently fired employees — from all over the federal government, including safety offices in the Federal Aviation Administration and assistance offices in Veterans Affairs — will be sitting in the chamber’s galleries as guests of Democrats. Smallbusiness owners impacted by Trump’s tariffs, California firefighters and Medicaid recipients also will attend.

Powell worked for the Office of Inspector General for a year, but moved a few months ago to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Finance Center in New Orleans. She was laid on off Valentine’s Day as part of the Trump administration’s effort to eliminate positions in federal government.

The National Finance Center helps other agencies with financial and human resources management to improve cost effectiveness and efficiency Founded in 1973, it handles payroll for more than 661,000 employees.

“I stand here to represent the thousands facing uncertainty, hoping for solutions that protect those who dedicate their careers to serving

emoniously upended the policies of the Biden administration in a matter of just weeks On Monday Trump ordered a freeze to U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, ending years of staunch American support for the country in fending off Russia’s invasion.

Many Democratic lawmakers wore blue and yellow ties and scarves in a show of support for Ukraine.

Trump also said he had ended a “weaponized government” that he accused Democrats of wielding against him, referring to his legal troubles over the years, claiming they were political persecution

The president also used his high-profile moment to press his efforts to reshape

this country,” Powell said.

“I am hopeful that my presence (at Trump’s speech) will magnify their voices for the stability and security they deserve.”

Powell had worked for two New Orleans mayors and served on the Parent Advisory Council for the Orleans Parish schools superintendent. She had previously worked for Ochsner Health as a health care regulatory compliance and privacy professional.

In taking a new job with the federal government, Powell was still in her probationary period, which does not afford the same legal protections as she would have received when she became a full-fledged civil servant.

When the Trump administration ran into a slow response to a buyout offer and opposition to laying off federal workers, they fired recently hired employees because they could do so more easily and without running afoul of civil service laws.

Orr, who is president of student government at Southern and a student member of the Louisiana Board of Regents, has been able to attend college on a U.S. Department of Agriculture 1890 scholarship for historically Black college and university students from rural and underserved communities studying food, agriculture, natural resourc-

the country’s approach to social issues, as he looked to continue to eradicate diversity equity and inclusion efforts across the country and to roll back some public accommodations for transgender individuals.

Trump said he ended the “tyranny” of diversity, equity and inclusion policies that he rolled back for the federal government and military, along with pushing similar moves in the private sector “Our country will be woke no longer,” he declared.

Watching from the gallery with first lady Melania Trump were guests including 15-year-old Elliston Berry, of Aledo, Texas, who was the victim of an explicit deepfake image sent to classmates.

es and related sciences.

Trump froze the $19.2 million set aside for the program while the administration reviewed whether the spending aligned with the president’s political views on diversity After a storm of protest, the administration last week allowed the roughly 300 scholarships to remain in place while the students finished their studies.

Fields said it’s not just the back and forth on the 1890 scholarships, but talk about moving Pell grants, which 74% of Southern’s students use, from one department to another and the possibility of that funding being reduced.

“The problem is the uncertainty She puts a face on how these policies affect real students,” Fields said. “We need to do everything we can to create more opportunities for them, not destroy the opportunities they already have.”

Orr, 22, said she wanted to be voice for students who are trying to secure a college education without being overwhelmed in debt.

Democrats aren’t the only members bringing guests to the House chamber galleries.

In addition to Hayes and Agramani, Johnson also invited Tom Homan, the administration’s border czar; Ben Dell, managing partner with Kimmeridge, which controls Commonwealth LNG, a Houston company that recently received conditional authorization to de-

velop a liquified natural gas facility in Cameron Parish; and right-wing commentators Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh.

“This common-sense agenda is very different than our Democrat colleagues,” Johnson said Tuesday morning. “They are defending wasteful government spending right now. They’re opposing tax cuts for working families. They’re supporting

open borders and sanctuary cities.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said Tuesday that “it’s been a riveting pace that President Trump took to start getting our country back on track, but the work is just beginning.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

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roof above the students, said Dr. Velma Jackson, a dental surgeon and one of the Black students enrolled at Baton Rouge High.

Rather than a school bus, the 14 gathered teenagers arrived at school in taxis, provided free of charge by Black-owned cab companies.

They strategically arrived after the first bell had rung, so they would walk through empty hallways on their way to their first class.

They were honor students and high achievers from Baton Rouge’s Black high schools.

One of the two boys in the group, 16-year-old Aurelius Martinez, was known for being intelligent and introverted, according to the other students.

Aurelius Martinez, who previously attended Southern University Laboratory School, went against his personality that day his sister Theta Martinez-Williams said.

“He was not one to step into a social situation first, but this was a different environment,” said Martinez-Williams now 84 “Even though the others were much more social beings, they were afraid of stepping into this environment, so he took it upon himself to be the first one to step foot in there.”

Black activism family history

Before Aurelius Martinez enrolled at Baton Rouge High, his family was deeply involved in the fight for civil rights in the city.

In August 1943, Aurelius and Theta’s oldest brother Frank Martinez, drowned in the LSU Lakes at 16. There were no desegregated public swimming pools in Baton Rouge at that time, so children swam in the unsupervised lakes.

“We kind of had been a family that was involved in the improvement of the Black community,” Martinez-Williams said “So my mother was very excited about my brother’s involvement (in school integration); she was so pleased.”

Aurelius Martinez was the youngest and the brightest of the siblings, Martinez-Williams said, and he shouldered the responsibility put on him by those older than him.

“We all pinned the history of the family on him,” she said

While Aurelius Martinez was highly qualified to attend Baton Rouge High, having been selected from dozens of Black student applicants by the School Board, it wasn’t a crusade he chose for himself.

“I think that for Aurelius, he would not have chosen, if he had been given a choice to do this,”

Martinez-Williams said.

She said Aurelius Martinez assumed great obligation toward their family and she admired that he had followed his mother’s plan without complaint

“In those days, most people just looked at (it) like, ‘Well, if you’re smart, then you can handle anything,’ ” she said. “I don’t think our mother thought about the psychological aspects of it either That’s just not how that generation looked at things.”

‘What they endured’

The Black students were mostly left alone that first day, said Dr. Charles Burchell, a clinical psy-

chologist and the only other boy

among the 14 Black students enrolled at Baton Rouge High.

“But it did get harsher,” he said.

Burchell said White students wouldn’t get near him or Aurelius Martinez. As they passed in the hallway, they would jeer the boys, who might be carrying switchblades.

“Here we are, two average-sized boys walking down corridors with hundreds of people, and they believe we’re dangerous,” he said.

Once, an administrator insinuated the boys had only enrolled to date White girls, Burchell said.

Harassment from White students became more common as the school year went on. Besides constant verbal abuse, Aurelius Martinez and the other Black students were spat on, pushed, had ink poured on their clothes, were sprayed with urine and worse.

“What they endured that year was traumatic,” Martinez-Williams said of her late brother and the other trailblazers.

the students’ treatment, she was told there was nothing to be done, that “whatever problems you endure, you brought it on yourself,” Martinez-Williams said.

Graduation day statement

The first Black students to attend Baton Rouge High School graduated in May 1964. To do so, they had to give up scholarships and extracurriculars, leave their school communities and endure months of abuse.

“After having gone through that whole year, there was no way most of us were not marching in that (ceremony),” Jackson said.

But Aurelius Martinez’s feelings were different. Burchell said he began to miss more classes near the end of senior year

Martinez-Williams’ mother called her, saying Aurelius Martinez refused to walk at graduation and accept his diploma. She was proud of her son and wanted the closure of seeing him on that stage

“My brother didn’t see it that way,” Martinez-Williams said. To him, he had done enough by finishing classes and he wasn’t going to do any more.

“Plus, it was almost like that first step in the school,” she said, “It was almost like another statement (against Baton Rouge High).”

Families received threatening phone calls, and crosses were burned in front of high schools and the students’ homes.

“We were very aware of our surroundings, and we were not ignorant of all the feelings of not wanting us to go to these schools,” said Jackson.

Jackson said she once had a lunch tray dumped over her head by a White boy for having helped his sister with her classwork.

One of the worst days was after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on Nov 22, 1963. The news whipped many of the White students into a frenzy, Burchell and Jackson said, as if they assumed desegregation now would be over

“You can take so much, then after a while, you respond,” Martinez-Williams said. “Then when they would respond, the blame was on them.”

When Aurelius Martinez’s mother visited the Baton Rouge superintendent to confront him about

Aurelius Martinez didn’t want to allow the high school to celebrate and take credit for graduating him after a year of treating him like he didn’t belong there, his sister said.

To Martinez-Williams, the same way she had admired her brother for taking the first step into Baton Rouge High, she admired him for putting his foot down.

“He stepped outside of himself to be the first one to walk in that foyer; nobody asked him to do it That was the one thing he chose,” she said. “Just like he made a choice to step out that last day for graduation. He made that choice out of pure bravery.”

Aurelius Martinez’s silence on this year of his life always made his sister wonder how he thought about it, the trauma he might have carried with him.

“He never talked about it. He did not want to relive or discuss that at all,” Martinez-Williams said. “That’s why I was amazed and pleased that he had those certificates on his wall. It did show he had pride, that he acknowledged his role in being the first.”

Vatican: Pope stable with no new respiratory crises

“I

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

ROME — Pope Francis was in stable condition Tuesday and breathing with just the help of supplemental oxygen after respiratory crises a day earlier, but will resume using a ventilation mask at night, the Vatican said. In its late update, the Vatican said Francis had no further respiratory episodes during a day spent praying, resting and undergoing respiratory physiotherapy to try to help him fight double pneumonia.

The 88-year-old pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, had two respiratory crises on Monday in a setback to his recovery Doctors extracted “copious” amounts of mucus from his lungs. They put him on a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe and he slept with it through the night, but was stable

enough on Tuesday morning to use just high flows of supplemental oxygen delivered by a nasal tube.

Doctors planned to resume using the mask while he sleeps Tuesday night, so that oxygen is pumped into his lungs via a mask that covers his nose and mouth.

Doctors said his clinical condition was stable and that his prognosis remained guarded, meaning he is not out of danger

Francis’ medical team has not provided an in-person update on his condition since Feb. 21, a sign of the up-and-down nature of his hospitalization, which began on Feb 14 and is the longest of his 12year papacy On Tuesday, a group of Argentines from the country’s embassies in Rome brought a statue of Our Lady of Lujan to the Gemelli hospital to pray for Francis. The Argentine pope is particularly devoted to the blue veiled Lujan Madonna, which has been revered in Argentina since the 17th century

REV FERNANDO LAGUNA, parish priest of the Argentine church in Rome

“I am very happy to be now close to him,” said the Rev Fernando Laguna, parish priest of the Argentine church in Rome. “I would like to hug him, but it’s not possible, but he told us that a prayer is like a hug. So I am happy despite the pain.”

Francis’ treatment comes as the Vatican prepares for Lent, the solemn period leading up to Easter on April 20. As it is, a cardinal has been designated to take Francis’ place this week on Ash Wednesday,

HAZING

Continued from page 1A

Southern also said Tuesday the university is conducting its own internal investigation into what led to the death of “this beloved student,” a Human Jukebox trumpet player Once the probe is complete, university officials will take appropriate action, they said.

The university said hazing is a violation of the school’s rules and regulations, as well as a violation of Louisiana law, adding “it will not be tolerated in any form at Southern University,” according to the school’s statement.

“The well-being of our students is a part of our mission to provide an extraordinary education for thousands of students,” the statement says.

“We support punishment to the fullest extent of the law for anyone committing an act of violence that impedes a student from safely and successfully matriculating at Southern.”

Meanwhile, a full autopsy report on Wilson is not complete, East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office chief of investigations Shane Tindall said Friday The cause and manner of his death are undetermined pending additional tests, Tindall said. Wilson’s family thanked the community Friday for

its “unwavering” support His father, Corey Wilson, worked for 35 years as a deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

After recently retiring, he returned to the Sheriff’s Office to work part-time Corey Wilson also has worked security details for New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson. Caleb Wilson’s mother is a student at Southern University’s New Orleans campus.

On Friday Omega Psi Phi International declined to comment when an Advocate reporter asked to confirm Caleb Wilson’s affiliation with the fraternity The fraternity had released a statement earlier that day mourning his loss, as well, saying it fully supported the investigation of his death.

Southern University halted all club recruiting activities at the Baton Rouge campus late Thursday, including those related to Greek life. The indefinite suspension was due to Caleb Wilson’s death, a university spokesperson said.

In its Tuesday statement, Southern officials noted the halt of club recruiting, calling it a “ban on membership intake for all student organizations that remains in effect until further notice.”

Omega Psi Phi also was kicked off Southern’s Baton Rouge campus in 2005, archives from The Advocate | The Times-Picayune show

which opens Lent with a traditional service and procession in Rome. The pope was also supposed to attend a spiritual retreat this coming weekend with the rest of the Holy See hierarchy On Tuesday, the Vatican said the retreat would go ahead without Francis but in “spiritual communion” with him. The theme, selected weeks ago and well before Francis got sick, was “Hope in eternal life.”

Francis, who is not physically active, uses a wheelchair and is overweight, had been undergoing respiratory physiotherapy to try to improve his lung function. The accumulation of secretions in his lungs was a sign that he doesn’t have the muscle tone to cough vigorously enough to expel the fluid.

Doctors often use noninvasive ventilation to stave off intubation or the use of more invasive mechanical ventilation Francis has not been intubated during

this hospitalization. It’s not clear if he has provided any instructions on the limits of his care if he declines seriously or loses consciousness.

Catholic teaching holds that life must be defended from conception until natural death. It insists that chronically ill patients, including those in vegetative states, must receive “ordinary” care such as hydration and nutrition, but “extraordinary” or disproportionate care can be suspended if it is no longer beneficial or is only prolonging a precarious and painful life.

Francis articulated that in a 2017 speech to a meeting of the Vatican’s bioethics think tank, the Pontifical Academy for Life. He said there was “no obligation to have recourse in all circumstances to every possible remedy.” He added: “It thus makes possible a decision that is morally qualified as withdrawal of ‘overzealous treatment.’”

The university ordered a three-year expulsion, after university officials found “overwhelming evidence” a fraternity pledge was severely beaten, with injuries that led to internal bleeding.

More recently Omega Psi Phi was kicked off LSU’s campus in 2016 after university officials found the fraternity responsible for complicity, endangerment and hazing violations of the student code of conduct. LSU found the fraternity “engaged in hazing activities.” They included sleep deprivation, personal servitude, 5 a.m. workouts, skipping class and more.

Omega Psi Phi has since returned to LSU’s campus.

The Louisiana Legislature sought to tighten laws around hazing after the 2017 death of Max Gruver, an LSU student who was pledging Phi Delta Theta fraternity Gruver was forced to drink excessively during a fraternity ritual called “Bible Study.”

Gruver’s death sparked changes in state law that elevated criminal hazing to a felony That prompted LSU and the national fraternity to reach legal settlements with the Gruver family and led to the negligent homicide conviction of a Phi Delta fraternity member

Email Quinn Coffman at quinn.coffman@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Students walk past signage for the Omega Psi Phi fraternity on the campus of Southern University

Trade war draws tariffs from Mexico, Canada and China

BY JOSH BOAK, PAUL WISEMAN and ROB GILLIES Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump launched a trade war Tuesday against America’s three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China and sending financial markets into a tailspin as the U.S. faced the threat of rekindled inflation and paralyzing uncertainty for business.

Just after midnight, Trump imposed 25% taxes, or tariffs, on Mexican and Canadian imports, though he limited the levy to 10% on Canadian energy Trump also doubled the tariff he slapped last month on Chinese products to 20%.

Beijing retaliated with tariffs of up to 15% on a wide array of U.S. farm exports. It also expanded the number of U.S. companies subject to export controls and other restrictions by about two dozen. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would plaster tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods over the course of 21 days.

“Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator Make that make sense,” Trudeau said.

Later in the day Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the U.S. would likely meet Canada and Mexico “in the middle,” with an announcement coming as soon as Wednesday Lutnick told Fox Business News that the tariffs would not be paused, but that Trump would reach a compromise.

“I think he’s going to figure out, you do more, and I’ll meet you in the middle in some way,” Lutnick said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico will respond to the new taxes with its own retaliatory tariffs. Sheinbaum said she will announce the products Mex-

ico will target on Sunday The delay might indicate that Mexico still hopes to deescalate Trump’s trade war.

The president is abandoning the free trade policies the United States pursued for decades after World War II. He argues that open trade cost America millions of factory jobs and that tariffs are the path to national prosperity He rejects the views of mainstream economists who contend that such protectionism is costly and inefficient.

Import taxes are “a very powerful weapon that politicians haven’t used because they were either dishonest, stupid or paid off in some other form,” Trump said Monday “And now we’re using them.”

Dartmouth College economist Douglas Irwin, author of a 2017 history of U.S. tariff policy, has calculated that Tuesday’s hikes will lift America’s average tariff from 2.4% to 10.5%, the highest level since the 1940s. “We’re in a new era for sure.”

As the trade disputes escalated, stocks racked up more losses Tuesday on Wall Street, wiping out all the gains since Election Day for the S&P 500. Markets in Europe also fell sharply Trump has said tariffs are intended to address drug trafficking and illegal immigration. But he’s also said the tariffs will come down only if the U.S. trade deficit narrows.

The American president has injected a disorienting volatility into the world economy, leaving it off balance as people wonder what he will do next.

During his first term, Trump imposed tariffs only after lengthy investigations — into the national security implications of relying on foreign steel, for example, said Michael House co-chair of the international trade practice at the Perkins Coie law firm.

But by declaring a national emergency last month involving the flow of immigrants and illicit drugs across U.S borders, “he can

modify these tariffs with a stroke of the pen,” House said. “It’s chaotic.”

Democratic lawmakers were quick to criticize the tariffs.

“Presidents don’t get to invent emergencies to justify bad policies,” said Rep Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“Abusing emergency powers to wage an economic war on our closest allies isn’t leadership — it’s dangerous.”

Even some Republican senators raised alarms. “Maine and Canada’s economy are integrated,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, explaining that much of the state’s lobsters and blueberries are processed in Canada and then sent back to the U.S.

Truck driver Carlos Ponce, 58, went about business as usual Tuesday morning, transporting auto parts from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to El Paso, Texas, just as he’s done for decades.

Like many on the border, he was worried about the fallout from the tariffs.

“Things could change drastically,” Ponce said.

Truckers could lose their jobs or have to drive farther to coastal ports as Mexican manufacturers look for trading partners beyond the U.S. Alan Russell head of Tecma, which helps factories set up in places like Ciudad Juarez, is skeptical that Trump’s tariffs will bring manufacturing back to the United States.

“Nobody is going to move their factory until they have certainty,” Russell said. Just last week, he said, Tecma helped a North Carolina manufacturer that moved to Mexico because it couldn’t find enough workers in the United States.

U.S businesses near the Canadian border scrambled to deal with the impact.

Gutherie Lumber in suburban Detroit reached out Tuesday to Canadian suppliers about the cost of 8-foot wood studs. About 15% of the lumber at the Gutherie yard in Livonia, Michigan, comes from Canada.

BY MARCIA DUNN AP aerospace writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. NA-

SA’s two stuck astronauts are just a few weeks away from finally returning to Earth after nine months in space.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have to wait until their replacements arrive at the International Space Station next week before they can check out later this month.

They’ll be joined on their SpaceX ride home by two astronauts who launched by themselves in September alongside two empty seats.

During a news conference Tuesday, Wilmore said that while politics is part of life, it did not play into his and Williams’ return, moved up a couple weeks thanks to a change

in SpaceX capsules. President Donald Trump and SpaceX’s Elon Musk said at the end of January that they wanted to accelerate the astronauts’ return, blaming the previous administration.

But Williams, in response to a question, did take issue with Musk’s recent call to dump the space station in two years, rather than waiting until NASA’s projected deorbit in 2031. She noted all the scientific research being performed at the orbiting lab.

“This place is ticking. It’s just really amazing, so I would say we’re actually in our prime right now,” said Williams, a three-time space station resident “I would think that right now is probably not the right time to say quit, call it quits.” Williams said she can’t

wait to be reunited with her Labrador retrievers. The hardest part about the unexpected extended stay she added, was the wait by their families back home.

“It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us,” she said “We’re here. We have a mission. We’re just just doing what we do every day and every day is interesting because we’re up in space and it’s a lot of fun.”

THE CANADIAN PRESS PHOTO By ADRIAN WyLD Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a news conference on imposed U.S. tariffs as Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Public Safety Minister David McGuinty look on in Ottawa on Tuesday.

Arab leaders endorse Egypt’s plan to rebuild Gaza

BY SAMY MAGDY and MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH Associated Press

CAIRO Arab leaders on Tuesday endorsed Egypt’s postwar plan for the Gaza Strip that would allow its roughly 2 million Palestinians to remain, in a counterproposal to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to depopulate the territory and redevelop it as a beach destination.

The $53 billion plan’s endorsement by Arab leaders at a summit in Cairo amounted to a rejection of Trump’s proposal. The summit conclusions were welcomed by Hamas, rejected by Israel and given a lukewarm response by the Trump administration.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi expressed his appreciation for “the consensus among the Arab countries to support the reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip, which allows the Palestinian People to stay on their land without displacement.”

In a social media post after the summit, el-Sissi said he looked forward to working with Trump, other Arab nations and the international community “to adopt a plan that aims for a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian Issue, ends the root causes of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, guarantees the security and stability of the peoples of the region and establishes the Palestinian State.”

The White House welcomed input from Arab nations, but insisted Hamas could not remain in power

“President Trump has been clear that Hamas cannot continue to govern Gaza,” White House Nation-

A

in the west of Al-Shati camp, west of Gaza City, on Monday.

al Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said. “While the President stands by his bold vision for a postwar Gaza, he welcomes input from our Arab partners in the region. It’s clear his proposals have driven the region to come to the table rather than allow this issue to devolve into further crisis.”

A spokesperson for Israel’s foreign ministry, Oren Marmorstein, posted on X that the Egyptian plan

“fails to address the realities of the situation” and said the summit’s joint communique does not mention Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war or condemn the militant group. The plan, he said, remains “rooted in outdated perspectives.”

Marmorstein reiterated Israel’s support for Trump’s plan to resettle Gaza’s population elsewhere, describing it as “an opportunity for the

Gazans to have free choice based on their free will.”

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty blasted Israel’s rejection as “unacceptable,” describing its position as “stubborn and extremist.”

“There will be no peace neither to Israel or to the region” without establishing an independent Palestinian state in accordance with United Nations resolutions, he said. He said “Israel violates all international law rules the international law must be imposed.”

“No single state should be allowed to impose its will on the international community,” Abdelatty said.

Hamas welcomed the summit’s outcome, saying it marked a new phase of Arab and Islamic alignment with the Palestinian cause and that it valued Arab leaders’ rejection of attempts to transfer Palestinians from their territories in Gaza and

Famed Australian plasma donor, who helped save 2.4M babies, dies at 88

BY ROD MCGUIRK Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia

An

Australian man credited with saving 2.4 million babies through his recordbreaking blood plasma donations over six decades, has died, his family said Tuesday He was 88. James Harrison, a retired state railway department clerk, died in a nursing home on the central coast of New South Wales state on Feb. 17, according to his grandson, Jarrod Mellowship. Harrison’s plasma contained a rare antibody known as anti-D, which is used to make injections that protect unborn babies from hemolytic disease of the newborn, in which a pregnant woman’s immune system attacks her fetus’ red blood cells. The disease is most common when a woman has an Rh negative blood type and her baby’s is Rh positive. Australia has only 200 an-

ti-D donors who help 45,000 mothers and their babies annually. Despite an aversion to needles, Harrison made 1,173 donations after he turned 18 in 1954 until he was forced to retire in 2018, aged 81.

“He did it for the right reasons As humble as he was, he did like the attention. But he would never do it for the attention,” Mellowship said, adding his grandfather had been surprised to be recognized by Guinness World Records in 2005 as the person who had donated the most blood plasma in the world.

The record was beaten in 2022 by American Brett Cooper from Walker, Michigan.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service said Harrison was renowned as the “Man with the Golden Arm.”

He was credited with saving the lives of 2.4 million babies through his plasma donations, the national agency responsible for collecting and distributing

blood products, also known as Lifeblood, said in a statement.

Lifeblood chief executive Stephen Cornelissen said Harrison had hoped that someone in Australia would one day beat his donation record.

“James was a remarkable, stoically kind and generous person who was committed to a lifetime of giving and he captured the hearts of many people around the world,” Cornelissen said in a statement.

Mellowship said his mother, Tracey Mellowship, Harrison’s daughter, needed the treatment when he and his brother, Scott, were born.

Jarrod Mellowship said his own wife, Rebecca, also needed the treatment when three of their four children were born.

There is speculation that Harrison developed a high concentrations of anti-D as a result of his own blood transfusions during major lung surgery when he was 14.

it says is an alternative U.S. proposal for the ceasefire itself and the release of hostages taken in Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war Israel has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza to try to get Hamas to accept the new proposal and has warned of additional consequences, raising fears of a return to fighting.

The suspension of aid drew widespread criticism, with human rights groups saying that it violated Israel’s obligations as an occupying power under international law

The alternative proposal would require Hamas to release half its remaining hostages — the militant group’s main bargaining chip in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.

Israel made no mention of releasing more Palestinian prisoners — a key component of the first phase Egypt’s postwar plan Egypt’s plan foresees rebuilding Gaza by 2030 without removing its population. The first phase calls for starting the removal of unexploded ordnance and clearing more than 50 million tons of rubble left by Israel’s bombardment and military offensives.

Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the summit’s final communique calls on the U.N. Security Council to deploy an international peacekeeping force in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. “Peace is the Arabs’ strategic option,” he said, adding that the communique rejected the transfer of Palestinians and endorsed Egypt’s reconstruction plan.

the occupied West Bank. Israel has embraced what

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

tent camp for displaced Palestinians is set up amid destroyed buildings

Supreme Court likely to block lawsuit against U.S. gun makers

BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court seemed likely Tuesday to block a $10 billion lawsuit Mexico filed against top firearm manufacturers in the U.S. alleging the companies have fueled cartel gun violence.

Both liberal and conservative justices appeared skeptical that the claims could clear hurdles in U.S. law that largely shield gun makers from lawsuits when their products are used in crime.

Big-name manufacturers like Smith & Wesson appealed to the justices after a lower court let the suit go forward under an exception for situations where gun companies are accused of violating the law

An attorney for Mexico argued the case over economic harm linked to gun violence is still in its early stages and should be allowed go forward.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, though, pointed to arguments that many products, from baseball bats to prescription drugs, can misused, and a flood of lawsuits could hurt the U.S. economy “That’s a real concern, I think for me, about accepting your theory,” he said.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said it appeared that the lawsuit ultimately seeks “changes to the fire-

arm industry” of the kind that the shield law was aiming to forestall.

Justice Samuel Alito raised questions about whether U.S. states could file suit against Mexico for “illegal conduct” it links to activities there.

The arguments coincidently come as President Donald Trump’s longthreatened tariffs against Mexico and Canada go into effect. Trump has said the tariffs are aimed in part on forcing the two U.S. neighbors to step up their fight against fentanyl trafficking and stop illegal immigration.

The case began four years ago, when the Mexican government filed its blockbuster suit against some of the biggest gun companies, including Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Colt and Glock Inc. Mexico has strict gun laws and has just one store where people can legally buy firearms. But thousands of guns are smuggled in by the country’s powerful drug cartels every year

The Mexican government says at least 70% of those weapons come from the United States. The lawsuit claims that companies knew weapons were being sold to traffickers who smuggled them into Mexico and decided to cash in on that market. The companies reject Mexico’s allegations, arguing the country comes

nowhere close to showing they’re responsible for a relatively few people using their products to commit violence.

A federal judge tossed out the lawsuit under a 2005 law that protects gun companies from most civil lawsuits, but an appeals court revived it. They found it fell under an exception to the shield law for situations in which firearm companies are accused of knowingly violating the law in their sales or marketing.

That exception has come up in other cases.

The victims of the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook, for example, argued it applied to their lawsuit because the gun maker had violated state law in the marketing of the AR-15 rifle used on the shooting, in which 20 first graders and six educators were killed.

The Supreme Court’s eventual ruling, expected by late June, could also affect other similar lawsuits stemming from mass shootings. That aspect of the case didn’t appear to be a heavy focus during oral arguments, however Smith & Wesson attorney Noel Francisco said in a statement that the exceptions aren’t relevant because Mexico can’t show a direct connection between the companies business practices and cartel violence.

Mushers begin Iditarod after lack of snow forces major changes

BY MARK THIESSEN Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska The rugged Iditarod started Monday, but a dearth of snow forced the iconic dog sled race to start further north and added a new route that allows mushers to bypass barren land, lengthening by more than 100 miles an unforgiving journey often measured in grit and attrition.

The new course reroutes mushers and their dog teams around a difficult stretch of trail north of the Alaska Range, which is treacherous with snow and ice but mostly unpassable in dry conditions for sleds.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is usually billed as a 1,000-mile race across Alaska. The route change means it’s now 1,128 miles. Mushers began their trek to the finish line in Nome from Fairbanks, the fourth time this century the race has been forced north from the Anchorage area. A lack of snow in the Anchorage area also caused headaches for race organizers Saturday during the ceremonial start.

The parade-like route in Anchorage usually has mushers taking a leisurely course

ASSOCIATED

Quince Mountain (27), of Mountain,Wis., turns the corner onto Cordova Street during the Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage,Alaska, on Saturday.

over 11 miles of city streets and trails with an auction winner riding in their sled.

However, weeks of little-tono new snowfall and warm temperatures in Alaska’s largest city forced organizers to shorten the ceremonial start to less than 2 miles, run over snow that was trucked in to cover downtown city streets. There are 33 mushers in this year’s race, tied with the 2023 race for smallest field ever Among them are two former champions, Ryan Redington and three-time

winner Mitch Seavey Mushers and their dog teams will battle the worst of what wild Alaska can throw at them from bad trails, mushing on frozen rivers and sea ice and possible encounters with wildlife with the winner expected in the old Gold Rush town of Nome on the Bering Sea coast in about 10 days.

This year the Iditarod will honor another famous mushing event, the 1925 Serum Run, in which sled dog teams saved Nome from a deadly diphtheria outbreak.

BY JILL COLVIN and MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK The Trump administration on Tuesday published a list of more than 400 federal properties it says it could close or sell, including the FBI headquarters and the main Department of Justice building, after deeming them “not core to government operations.”

The list published by the General Services Administration includes some of the country’s most recognizable buildings and spans nearly every state, with properties ranging from courthouses to office buildings and parking garages. In Washington, D.C., it includes the J Edgar Hoover Building, which serves as FBI headquarters, the Robert F Kennedy Department of Justice Build-

ing, the Old Post Office building, where President Donald Trump once ran a hotel, and the American Red Cross headquarters. The headquarters of numerous agencies, including Department ofLaborandtheDepartment of Housing and Urban Development, are listed as well.

Also on the list are the enormous Major General Emmett J. Bean Federal Center in Indiana, the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center and the Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building in San Francisco. Roughly 80% of the country’s 2.4 million federal workers are based outside of metropolitan Washington, D.C.

“We are identifying buildings and facilities that are not core to government operations, or non-core properties for disposal,” the GSA said of the list of 443 prop-

erties. Selling the properties “ensures that taxpayer dollars are no longer spent on vacant or underutilized federal space,” it said, and “helps eliminate costly maintenance and allows us to reinvest in high-quality work environments that support agency missions.” The designations are part of Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s unprecedented effort to slash the size of the federal workforce and shrink government spending. Selling the designated buildings could save the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars, they claim, while also dramatically reshaping how major Cabinet agencies funded by Congress operate. The Trump administration has also demanded that federal workers report to the office every day

PRESS PHOTO By AMANDA LOMAN

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Hurricane forecasters had best year ever

But intensity still hard to predict

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

Hurricane forecasters made big

strides in reliability during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, predicting the tracks of storms small and large more accurately than ever

Food truck plaza slated for Gonzales

Some fear competition with local businesses

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

A new type of court will soon be opening at the Ascension Parish courthouse in Gonzales. While jury selection is still out for the vendors, officials say the food truck court will accommodate up to six trucks at one time.

The new plaza, which officials hope to open by summer is in front of the courthouse on East Worthey Street. It will be open from 6 a.m to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. And it is likely among the first food truck plazas in the country operated by a government agency, infrastructure director Ricky Compton said.

The plaza construction followed the Gonzales City Council’s passing of a food truck ordinance for the city last fall, which saw some residents concerned about competition with local businesses.

Compton said the plans stretch back to when the courthouse finished construction, and the clerk of court approached the parish government about designing a cafe in the building.

“When they have large jury duty selections or, you know, several court cases going on, they have a lot of people in that courthouse that need food,” he said.

The plan was shelved until the parish received American Rescue Plan Funds to finish landscaping.

But it really took shape after the Oct. 14 Gonzales City Council meeting, during which the council voted 4-1 to approve new regulations for food trucks. Those included permits for both the trucks and site-specific permits for those hosting them.

The only remaining legal item is for the Ascension Parish Council to vote at its next meeting on its ordinances. At a January council meeting, Compton said all trucks will need a license from Gonzales to operate.

Not all residents favor the changes. At the October meeting, thencouncil member Johnny Berthelot voiced concerns about food trucks competing with local businesses.

“I do have a problem with food trucks being permanent businesses. It’s not fair to people who rent space, who lease space and who pay taxes,” he said “And now you’re going to have a competition that can come into Gonzales for minimal dollars.”

Melissa Thompson, a co-owner of the TexAna Taceauxs and More food truck, said her business wasn’t trying to compete with other local businesses.

“If you look at the businesses that are inside this city limit, there’s like maybe a handful of them that are actually small local businesses,” she said.

The Prairieville resident’s business has operated around the parish

before.

The same was not true, however, for intensity forecasting, an area that has long presented a challenge — particularly when the rapid intensification of storms is involved.

Last week, the National Hurricane Center released preliminary high-

lights from its postseason analysis of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Forecasters at the NHC analyze every hurricane season after the fact to verify the accuracy of its forecasts and model guidance, and 2024’s full analysis will be released this spring. Last year’s track forecasting at every interval, from 12 to 120 hours out from predicted landfall, broke

records for accuracy, meaning performance was the “best in history,” NHC officials said. That means last season’s storms held closer than ever to the routes meteorologists predicted they’d take through the Atlantic and, sometimes, over land.

“I would definitely credit technology as the No. 1 advancement in general,” said John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at the NHC. But Cangialosi said the NHC’s track forecasts were also more consistent, changing less from cycle to cycle, compared to the global models. For that, he credited the NHC’s experts and forecasting strategies. While track forecasting accuracy often varies greatly year to year,

GOOD TIMES

TOP: Riders dance and enjoy Mardi Gras on a parade float.

RIGHT: The Community Center Carnival Club of Pointe Coupee parade and the New Roads Lion’s Club parade roll down New Roads Street together BELOW: A man grabs a throw for a kid during the parade.

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER

BEAD HAPPy

HURRICANE

Continued from page 1B

data collected by the NHC shows that track errors have been steadily decreasing since 1990. Intensity forecasting has become increasingly accurate since then, too, but the 2024 season proved to be a tough one for forecasters to nail down. There were 34 episodes of rapid intensification recorded during the 2024 hurricane season, according to the NHC, nearly double the average of the last 10 years.

FOOD TRUCK

Continued from page 1B

and beyond since 2023, set-

ting up at the River Parishes Community College and at events for local restaurants.

“We support all the local

Errors in the NHC’s storm intensity forecasts were up in 2024 compared to a couple of years prior, and no records were set for accuracy

NHC officials said rapid intensification, an unpredictable process that can supercharge storms, poses “one of the most significant challenges in hurricane forecasting.”

Rapid intensification is defined by the NHC as a 35 mph increase in maximum wind speeds in 24 hours, and forecasters are still working to understand all the factors that aid that kind of fast-paced strengthening.

“It’s hard to predict because it depends on lots of factors

people at the farmers market and stuff like that,” she added. “Like we’re not trying to hurt anybody we’re just a small local business ourselves, but the only thing that’s different between us and a brick and mortar is that I can travel around.

that are both big and small,” Cangialosi said.

While bigger factors like sea-surface temperatures and atmospheric conditions are easier to track, it’s not always clear how or why storms develop the tight core also needed for rapid intensification.

“The models struggle with this,” he said. “This has always been a challenge.”

But, he said, it’s a mystery that forecasters are slowly trying to chip away at.

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2025

PICK 3: 9-2-9

PICK 4: 4-2-6-3

PICK 5: 8-0-1-3-0

POWERBALL: 18-20-5052-56 (20)

ABOVE: A soldier tosses beads into the crowd. The two parades started at the same time and merged on New Roads Street, changes prompted by the threat of severe weather. As a precaution, no bands, marching teams or dance groups were included in the parades LEFT: Riders give throws to paradegoers

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

A rider tosses beads as the Community Center Carnival Club of Pointe Coupee parade and the New Roads Lion’s Club parade roll down New Roads Street together

BUSINESS

BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Reddit co-founder joins bid to acquire TikTok

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has joined billionaire Frank McCourt’s bid to acquire TikTok as a strategic adviser

McCourt’s internet advocacy organization, Project Liberty, announced this week that Ohanian, an investor married to tennis star Serena Williams, had joined a consortium called “The People’s Bid for TikTok.”

“I’m officially now one of the people trying to buy TikTok US and bring it on-chain,” Ohanian said in a series of posts made Tuesday on X, referencing a decentralized, blockchain-based platform that Project Liberty says it will leverage to provide users more control over their online data.

If successful in its bid, Project Liberty said the technology “will serve as the backbone of the redesigned TikTok, ensuring that privacy, security, and digital independence are no longer optional but foundational.” When asked by an X user on Monday what he would call TikTok if he purchased it, Ohanian said: “TikTok: Freedom Edition.” McCourt’s consortium which includes “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary has already offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash for the U.S. platform Some analysts estimate TikTok could be worth much more than that even without its coveted algorithm, which McCourt has said he’s not interested in.

Starbucks brings in new finance chief

Starbucks named a new chief financial officer on Tuesday as part of a larger turnaround strategy Cathy Smith, who has been Nordstrom’s CFO since 2023, will join Starbucks in the next month, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said in a letter to employees. Smith previously served as the chief financial officer of Target and Walmart International. Smith will replace Rachel Ruggeri, who is leaving the company. Niccol said Smith brings extensive experience in retail, global operations and corporate turnarounds.

Ruggeri will stay at Starbucks for a period of time to assist with the transition, he said.

Niccol is trying to reinvigorate Starbucks’ sluggish sales with faster service times, a less complicated menu and others moves he says are intended to restore a community coffeehouse feel to the company’s stores In January the company reversed its open-door policy and said only customers who bought something would be allowed to hang out or use the restroom at a local Starbucks.

BlackRock strikes Panama ports deal

A Hong Kong-based conglomerate has agreed to sell its controlling stake in a subsidiary that operates ports near the Panama Canal to a consortium including BlackRock Inc., effectively putting the ports under American control after President Donald Trump alleged Chinese interference with the operations of the critical shipping lane.

In a filing, CK Hutchison Holding said Tuesday that it would sell all shares in Hutchison Port Holdings and in Hutchison Port Group Holdings to the consortium in a deal valued at nearly $23 billion, including $5 billion in debt.

The deal will give the BlackRock consortium control over 43 ports in 23 countries, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, located at either end of the Panama Canal. Other ports are in Mexico, the Netherlands, Egypt, Australia, Pakistan and elsewhere.

Some 70% of the sea traffic that crosses the Panama Canal leaves or goes to U.S. ports. The U.S. built the canal in the early 1900s as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter Trump has claimed that Carter “foolishly” gave the canal away

Losses wipe out S&P postelection gains

Trade war between the U.S. and its partners escalates

BY DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP business writers

Stocks racked up more losses on Wall Street on Tuesday as a trade war between the U.S and its key trading partners escalated, wiping out all the gains since Election Day for the S&P 500.

President Donald Trump’s administration imposed tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico starting Tuesday and doubled tariffs against imports from China. All three countries announced retaliatory actions,

sparking worries about a slowdown in the global economy

The S&P 500 fell, with more than 80% of the stocks in the benchmark index closing lower The Dow Jones Industrial Average also slid.

The Nasdaq composite slipped. The tech-heavy index briefly reached a 10% decline from its most recent closing high, which is what the market considers a correction, but gains for Nvidia, Microsoft and other tech heavyweights helped pare those losses.

Financial stocks were among the heaviest weights on the S&P 500 index JPMorgan Chase fell 4% and Bank of America lost 6.3%.

Markets in Europe fell sharply, with Germany’s DAX falling 3.5% as automakers saw sharp losses Stocks in Asia saw more modest de-

clines.

“The markets are having a tough time even setting expectations for what this trade war could look like,” said Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird. “This is clearly a level step higher than anything we saw during (Trump’s) first term.”

The recent decline in U.S. stocks has wiped out all of the markets’ gains since Trump’s election in November That rally had been built largely on hopes for policies that would strengthen the U.S. economy and businesses. Worries about tariffs raising consumer prices and reigniting inflation have been weighing on both the economy and Wall Street.

The tariffs are prompting warnings from retailers, including Tar-

get and Best Buy, as they report their latest financial results. Target fell 3% despite beating Wall Street’s earnings forecasts, saying there will be “meaningful pressure” on its profits to start the year because of tariffs and other costs.

Best Buy plunged 13.3% for the biggest drop among S&P 500 stocks after giving investors a weakerthan-expected earnings forecast and warning about tariff impacts.

“International trade is critically important to our business and industry,” said Best Buy CEO Corie Barry Barry said China and Mexico are the top two sources for products that Best Buy sells, and it also expects vendors to pass along tariff costs, which would make price increases for American consumers likely

Energy prices squeeze Saudi plans

Aramco reports 12% lower profits

BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil giant Aramco reported a $106.25 billion profit in 2024 on Tuesday down 12% from the prior year as lower energy prices now squeeze the kingdom’s multi-trillion-dollar development plans.

Already, Saudi’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been digging for the $500 billion project to build the straight-line city of NEOM in Saudi Arabia’s western desert on the Red Sea. He also will need to build tens of billions of dollars’ worth of new stadiums and infrastructure ahead of the kingdom hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

Meanwhile, he’s also pledged potentially $600 billion in investments in the U.S. to entice President Donald Trump to the kingdom on his first foreign trip as president.

Saudi Arabia is also the possible venue for a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

All that and OPEC+ moving toward increasing production means Saudi Arabia likely will need to take on new debt to fund the crown prince’s vast ambitions.

A filing on Riyadh’s Tadawul stock exchange showed Aramco, formally known as the Saudi Arabian Oil Co., had revenues of $436 billion in 2024. That compares to $440.88 billion in 2023.

Aramco reported a $121 billion annual profit in 2023, down from its 2022 record due to lower energy prices as well.

“The decrease was primarily driven by lower revenue and other income related to sales, higher operating costs, as well as lower finance and other income,” Aramco said in its filing.

Stock in Aramco traded just over $7 a share Tuesday, down from a high over the last year of $8.71. It has fallen over the past year as oil prices have dropped. Benchmark Brent crude traded Tuesday at around $70 a barrel, down over 15% over the last year

Aramco has a market value of $1.74 trillion, making it the world’s sixth-most valuable company behind Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Amazon and Alphabet, which owns Google.

The Aramco results come as OPEC+, an alliance of the oil cartel and other energyproducing states, met online Monday and agreed to proceed with an increase in oil production starting in April. It’s the first oil production increase by the group since 2022 and likely will push down oil prices further The increase slowly will add up to 2.2 million barrels of additional crude oil a day over the coming months.

“This is not the opening of the floodgates,” wrote Bjarne Schieldrop, the chief commodities analyst at SEB Research “It is about lowering the oil price to a level that is acceptable for Putin, (Prince Mohammed), Trump, U.S. oil companies and the U.S. consumers.”

The OPEC+ decision follows criticism by Trump of the cartel as well.

Experts suggest the price per barrel for oil could sink to the $60 range, further tightening budgets in Saudi Arabia.

Bloomberg again tops list of biggest donors in U.S.

Former NyC mayor top philanthropist

BY MARIA DI MENTO and JIM RENDON Chronicle of Philanthropy

For the second year in a row, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg gave the most to charitable causes, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s exclusive Philanthropy 50 list of the Americans who donated the largest sums to nonprofits last year In 2024, he gave a total of $3.7 billion to support arts, education, the environment, public-health groups and programs aimed at improving city governments. He gives directly to charities and through his Bloomberg Philanthropies, which last year awarded a $1 billion grant to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins

University to make medical school free and to provide financial aid to nursing and public health students.

“I’ve never understood people who wait until they die to give away their wealth Why deny yourself the satisfaction?” he wrote in an email to the Chronicle. “I’ve been very lucky, and I’m determined to do what I can to open doors for others and to leave a better world for my children and grandchildren.” Bloomberg was one of six donors who gave $1 billion or more in 2024. The others were Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin (No. 2), Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell and his wife, Susan Dell (No. 3), investor Warren Buffett (No. 4), Facebook cofounder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, physician Priscilla Chan (No. 5), and retired professor Ruth Gottesman (No. 6). The majority of those gifts went

to foundations and donor-advised funds that support causes including education, economic mobility, social justice and scientific research. Gottesman, like Bloomberg, gave to make medical school free. She donated $1 billion to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Together the 50 donors on the list contributed a total of $16.2 billion to charity in 2024. The median amount they gave was $100 million. While those numbers are sizable, not all of the nation’s wealthiest people appear on the list. Only 19 of the richest Americans on the Forbes 400 list donated enough to appear in the Philanthropy rankings. Among those who gave big — but are less well known: n Thomas Golisano, the billionaire founder of Paychex, is No 8. He gave away $500 million last year Almost $400 million of

that went to 123 nonprofits in New York and Florida with no strings attached. About 90 of those gifts were $1 million to $5 million, often to small groups that rarely get contributions of that size. Many were to organizations that serve people with developmental, intellectual, and physical disabilities. The issue has great meaning to Golisano, whose son has a developmental disability n Retired insurance executive Hyatt Brown and his wife, Cici, at No. 20, gave the Museum of Arts & Sciences, in Daytona Beach, Florida, $150 million for a new building and to turn its current home into a children’s museum.

n Businesswoman and venture capital investor Michele Kang, at No. 28, gave $84 million last year, including $4 million to help the USA Women’s Rugby Sevens team prepare for the Olympics.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By AMR NABIL

Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company, Armco, and stock market officials walk under a screen displaying the value traded and the volume traded of Aramco’s initial public offering on the Riyadh’s stock market in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 11, 2019.

Haynes Jr., Lee Hall Davis & Sons Funeral

Babin, Mary Rogers

Mary Rogers Babin, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend, passed awaypeacefully on Thursday, February 27, 2025. Mary was anative of Augusta, Georgia where she graduated from Richmond Academy. She wasa longtime resident of Ascension Parish. Mary worked as an assistant librarian at Gonzales Middle School where she retired from. Her faith and her family were the most important part of her life. She has now rejoined those who have gone before her, husband, Kay Babin; parents, Rollin T. Rogers Sr. and Tiny Lorene Rogers; brother and sisterin-law, R.T. &Adele Rogers, sisters; Martha Hodges and Sarah Goldman. She is survived by her daughter, MaryKay Babin Richardson (Jordy); grandchildren, Jordan Richardson and Keli Richardson Boudreaux (Grant); great grandchildren, Graham and Burke Kay Boudreaux; brother-inlaw, Ben Babin, Sr. (Mona). Family and friends are invited to attend avisitation on Friday, March 7, 2025 starting at 11:30AM till the Mass of Christian Burial at 1:00PM at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 15208 Highway 73, Prairieville, Louisiana 70769. Mary will be laid to rest at Hope Haven Garden of Memory, 604 E. Hwy 30, Gonzales, Louisiana 70737. Memories and words of condolences may be expressed at www.OursoFH.com for the Babin family.

invitedtoattend avisitation on Friday, March 7, 2025 starting at 11:30AM till the Mass of Christian Burial at 1:00PM at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 15208 Highway73, Prairieville,Louisiana 70769. Mary willbelaidto rest at Hope Haven Garden of Memory, 604 E. Hwy 30, Gonzales, Louisiana 70737. Memories and words of condolences may be expressed at www.OursoFH.com for the Babin family.

Berthier, Paul Stephen Tank

Paul Stephen (Tank) Berthier, 70, resident of Glynn, Louisiana ,native of NewRoads, Louisiana was taken home peacefully by angels on February 18 2025. Paul was abeloved husband, father, brother, and friend. His kindness and calmness were palpable to everyone he encountered. He exemplified grace, integrity, honesty and strong values. Softspoken and gentle, Paul enjoyed simple things in life such as woodworking, drawing, music, shooting, tending to his tractor, and relaxing on his front porch swing.

He was preceded in death by parents, Una and Pat Berthier, sister Pat Springstead, and brother Louis Berthier. Paul is survived by his wife of 44 years, Becki; his daughter, Story ;sister Colette Jewell (husband Dan); brother MichaelBerthier (wife Kris); Millie Smith; as well as Kerry Callegan, his dear friend of 55 yearsand long-time friend Joanna Wurtele

Acelebration of life and tribute for Paul will beheld at New Life WorshipCenter, located at 806 Hospital Road in New Roads, Louisiana 70760, on March 8, 2025 from 11am to 3pm. Please join us to share a meal, stories and memories honoring Paul's life.

We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to Bryan Bienvenu, Antoinette Thompson, Kerry Callegan, and Joanna Wurtele. Their steadfast partnershipand uplifting presence have been invaluablethroughout this journey.

He leaves for us his calmness and quiet. He graced his spaces andhis grace and worth shallremain. Wewill love you and treasure you forever. There will neverbeanother.

Afteryou have suffered for alittle while,the God of all grace,who called you to His eternal glory, willHimself perfect, confirm, strengthenand establish you.

Peter 5:10

Springstead, and brother Louis Berthier. Paul issurvived by his wife of 44 years, Becki; his daughter, Story ;sister Colette Jewell(husband Dan); brother Michael Berthier (wife Kris); Millie Smith; as well as Kerry Callegan, his dear friend of 55 years and long-time friend Joanna Wurtele.

Acelebration of life and tributefor Paul will be held at New Life Worship Center, located at 806 Hospital Road in NewRoads, Louisiana 70760, on March 8, 2025 from 11am to 3pm. Please join us to share a meal, stories and memories honoring Paul's life.

We would like to extend our sincerest gratitudeto Bryan Bienvenu, Antoinette Thompson, Kerry Callegan, and Joanna Wurtele. Their steadfast partnership and uplifting presence have been invaluable throughout this journey.

He leaves for us his calmness and quiet.He graced his spaces and his grace and worthshall remain. We will love youand treasure you forever. There will never be another.

After you have suffered for alittle while, the God of all grace, who called youto His eternal glory, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

Peter 5:10

Boudreaux, Edith Mae Fryoux'Tugar' 'B'

EdithMae Fryoux

ous great-grandchildren

Tugar is also survived by special friends, Gay Hebert, DorethaBond, Brenda Forester and Edith Goetzman, and her friends on the staff at Holly Court Assisted Living Facility. Tugar is aproud graduate of St. Joseph's Academy and afounding member of St. Aloysius Parish.She was a member of Lambda Rho Sorority and the Lambdalums. She was an officer in the RSESA organization. She wasalso part of the movement to bring special education to East Baton Rouge Parish.A visitation will be held on Thursday, March 6th at Rabenhorst Funeral Home on Government St from 5PM to 8PM Visitation will resume on Friday, March 7th at St. Aloysius Catholic Church from 9:30AM to 11AM; with aMass of Christian Burial at 11AM. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park. The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Holly Court, Sage Rehabilitation Hospital and Clarity Hospicefor their care and support. Donations may be made to The Arc Baton Rouge (thearcbr.org) and St. Aloysius School.

Boutwell, Lee Hansen

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Boudreaux passed away on March 1, 2025 at the age of 100. She was born on May 12, 1924, the third child of Jules and Edith Paille Fryoux. As ababy, she was given the nickname "Tugar" by her sister, Kat and used it for all her life. Alifelong resident of Baton Rouge, she grew up with6 sisters and two brothers in Sacred Heart Parish. In 1948, Tugar married Joe Boudreaux and they had 10 children. She acquired the name "B" when her children's friends, and later, grandchildren became apart of her life. Tugar was preceded in death by her husband Joseph F. Boudreaux, her daughter Julie Boudreaux Claxton Barnett, her son Michael JosephBoudreaux and her son Mark Emmett Boudreaux. She is survived by her sister, Beverly Fryoux Jackson, and her brother, Jules Anthony "Bubbie" Fryoux. Her surviving children are sons Rene (Diane), Carey (Kitty), Roy (Mary), Warren (Cindy), Rhett(Leslie) and daughters Doris Dean (Rick) and Edie Boudreaux. She is also survived by 20 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. Tugar is also survived by special friends, Gay Hebert, Doretha Bond, BrendaForester and Edith Goetzman, and her friends on thestaff at Holly Court Assisted Living Facility. Tugar is aproud graduateof St. Joseph's Academy and afounding member of St Aloysius Parish. She was a member of Lambda Rho Sorority and the Lambdalums. She was an officer in the RSESA organization. She was also part of the movement to bring special education to East Baton Rouge Parish. Avisitation will be held on Thursday, March 6th at Rabenhorst Funeral Home on Government St from 5PM to 8PM. Visitation will resume on Friday, March 7th at St. Aloysius Catholic Church from 9:30AM to 11AM; with aMass of Christian Burial at 11AM. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park. The family would like to thank thewonderful staff at Holly Court, Sage Rehabilitation Hospital and ClarityHospice for their care and support.Donations may be made to The Arc Baton Rouge (thearcbr.org) and St.Aloysius School.

EdithMae Fryoux Boudreaux passed away on March 1, 2025 at the age of 100. She was born on May 12, 1924, the third child of Jules and Edith Paille Fryoux. As ababy, she was given the nickname "Tugar" by her sister, Kat and used it for all her life. Alifelong resident of Baton Rouge, she grew up with6 sisters and two brothers in Sacred Heart Parish. In 1948, Tugar married Joe Boudreaux and they had 10 children. She acquired the name "B" when her children's friends, and later, grandchildren became apart of her life. Tugar was preceded in death by her husband Joseph F. Boudreaux, her daughter Julie Boudreaux Claxton Barnett, her son Michael JosephBoudreaux and her son Mark Emmett Boudreaux. She is survived by her sister, Beverly Fryoux Jackson, and her brother, Jules Anthony "Bubbie" Fryoux. Her surviving children are sons Rene (Diane), Carey (Kitty), Roy (Mary), Warren (Cindy), Rhett(Leslie) and daughters Doris Dean (Rick) and Edie Boudreaux. She is also survived by 20 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren Tugar is also survived by special friends, Gay Hebert, Doretha Bond, BrendaForester and Edith Goetzman, and her friends on thestaff at Holly Court Assisted Living Facility. Tugar is aproud graduateof St. Joseph's Academy and afounding member of St. Aloysius Parish. She was a member of Lambda Rho Sorority and the Lambdalums. She was an officer in the RSESA organization. She was also part of the movement to bring special education to East Baton Rouge Parish. Avisitation will be held on Thursday, March 6th at Rabenhorst Funeral Home on Government St from 5PM to 8PM. Visitation will resume on Friday, March 7th at St. Aloysius Catholic Church from 9:30AM to 11AM; with aMass of Christian Burial at 11AM. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park. The family would like to thank thewonderful staff at Holly Court, Sage Rehabilitation Hospital and ClarityHospice for their care and support.Donations may be made to The Arc Baton Rouge (thearcbr.org) and St.Aloysius School.

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Lee Hansen Boutwell, Jr. (94 years), along-time resident of Baton Rouge, entered fully into the presence of theLord on February 27, 2025. Lee faithfully loved and served the Lord, his family, and his community. He was born in Laurel, Mississippi in 1930 and was the only child of Lee Hansen andVernelle Boutwell. Lee graduated from Jones County (Junior College) High School in 1949 located in Ellisville, MS, where he met his future wife, Dorothy McNeill while they were both attending Jones County Junior College. They married on January 3, 1951, in a simple ceremonyinthe home of Dot's parents in Laurel, MS. Afew years later they moved to Baton Rouge, where they would live out their lives humbly raising their children and developing deep roots in their community. Lee attended LSU after their move to Baton Rouge and attended Baton Rouge Vocational-Technical School where he received a Draftsman Vocational Certificate in 1958. He began employmentwith Bernard and Burk, Engineers in 1963 as adraftsman, then as a field engineer, earning certification as an engineering technician, then retiring after 23 years as apiping designer. He began employmentwith Rubicon Inc in Geismar, LA where he managed adrafting group that evolved from a two-person team using drafting tables to a10person Mechanical andI&E Design Group using eight CADD stations. Lee wasinstrumental in the development of aRubicon CADD standard, which led to the successful implementation of aCADD system at that site. In October 1995, Lee retired from Rubicon after 23 years. Lee enjoyed traveling with Dorothy, especially after retirement. They traveled to Europe several times. Traveled all over the United States, including Alaska andHawaii. They even took acruise through the Panama Canal just to say they had done it. They loved visiting family scattered all over the country and touringeach area. Lee enjoyed many hobbies andgifts and was definitively multi-talented. He tuned pianos and, in his youth, worked in amusical instrument shop for repairs. Lee was agifted musician who was chosen in a select group of concert band members to travel and perform out of town representing Jones County Junior College. Lee also worked alongside his father who was acertified electrician, adding that as another proficientskill. Lee could take apart and repair any gas-powered engine, design and complete electrical wiring, and he stayed interested and tried to stay current with everythingtechnology related. Lee enjoyed boating and fishing, ocean views and travel adventures with Dorothy, which included driving amotorhome while pulling his Mustangacross the entire Western US. He was most passionate about building and flying radio-controlled airplanes. Lee wasone of the"Founding Fathers" of the Baton Rouge Radio Control Club. He grew up in the RC industry from its infancy. He was an outstanding builder of many beautiful airplanes, was an outstanding RC pilot, trainer of new pilots, andhappily shared his vast knowledge. Lee was active in theRadio Control hobby for more than 60 years. Lee enjoyed conversation andconnection with family, friends, neighbors and even strangers. He was gifted to strike up aconversation and enjoyed sharing interesting stories of his vast life experiences often involving humor or human interest, such as taking a pet squirrel to grammar school, working in his youth settingupbowling pins, and delivering groceries around town from hisbicycle. Lee never forgot aname or aperson he had met. Lee was known for his problem-solving aptitude and was often called on by family, friends and neighbors to share his knowhow as he graciously helped to repair vehicles,

Jones County (Junior College) High School in 1949 located in Ellisville, MS, where he met his futurewife, Dorothy McNeill while they were both attending Jones County Junior College. They married on January 3, 1951, in a simple ceremony in the home of Dot's parents in Laurel, MS. Afew years later they moved to Baton Rouge, where they would live out their lives humbly raising their children and developing deep roots in their community. Lee attended LSU after their move to Baton Rouge and attended Baton Rouge Vocational-Technical School where he received a Draftsman Vocational Certificate in 1958. He began employment with Bernard and Burk, Engineers in 1963 as adraftsman, then as a field engineer, earning certification as an engineering technician, then retiring after 23 years as apiping designer. He began employment with Rubicon, Inc in Geismar, LA where he managed adrafting group that evolved from a two-person team using drafting tables to a10person Mechanicaland I&E Design Group using eight CADD stations. Lee was instrumental in the development of aRubicon CADD standard, which led to the successful implementation of aCADD system at that site. In October 1995, Lee retired from Rubicon after 23 years. Lee enjoyed traveling with Dorothy, especially after retirement. They traveled to Europe several times. Traveled all over the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii They even took acruise through the Panama Canal just to say they had done it. They loved visiting family scattered all over the country andtouring each area. Lee enjoyed many hobbies and gifts and was definitively multi-talented.

He tuned pianos and, in his youth, worked in amusical instrument shop for repairs. Lee was agifted musician who was chosen in a select group of concert band members to travel and perform out of town representing Jones County Junior College. Lee also worked alongside his father who was acertified electrician, adding that as another proficient skill Lee could take apart and repair any gas-powered engine, design and complete electrical wiring, and he stayed interested and tried to stay current with everything technology related. Lee enjoyed boating and fishing, ocean views and travel adventures with Dorothy, which included driving amotorhome while pulling his Mustang across the entire Western US. He was most passionate about building and flying radio-controlled airplanes.

Lee was one of the "Founding Fathers" of the Baton Rouge Radio Control Club. He grew up in the RC industry from its infancy. He was an outstanding builder of many beautiful airplanes, was an outstanding RC pilot, trainer of new pilots, andhappily shared his vast knowledge. Lee was active in the Radio Control hobby for more than 60 years.Lee enjoyed conversation and connection with family, friends, neighbors and even strangers. He was gifted to strike up aconversation and enjoyed sharing interesting stories of his vast life experiences often involving humor or human interest, such as taking a pet squirrel to grammar school, working in his youth setting up bowling pins, and delivering groceries around town from his bicycle. Lee never forgot aname or aperson he had met. Lee was known for his problem-solving aptitude and was often called on by family, friends and neighbors to share his knowhow as he graciously helped to repair vehicles, lawn equipment or home appliances. Lee attended Sherwood Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, later Living Hope Fellowship Church, alongside Dorothy. He enjoyed fellowship and study withthe men's Bible Study group for many years. Lee's dedication was to his family, which was his pride andjoy. He tracked every family birthday or special event with great care, as he always had on display a spreadsheet noting family birthdays and anniversaries. Lee most enjoyed his grandchildren and great grandchildren, who knew they could always count on Paw Paw to introduce them to acool project going on in the infamous "Paw Paw's shop", to keep all the batteries charged and riding toys ready to spin around the backyard, to have the opportunity to fly an electric drone at amoment's notice, or to spend an afternoonatthe RC

ceriesaround town from his bicycle.Lee never forgot aname or aperson he had met. Leewas known for his problem-solving aptitude and was often called on by family, friends and neighborstoshare his knowhow as he graciously helped to repair vehicles, lawn equipment or home appliances. Lee attended Sherwood Baptist Church in Baton Rouge,later Living Hope Fellowship Church, alongside Dorothy. He enjoyed fellowship and study with the men's Bible Study group for many years. Lee's dedication was to his family, which was hispride and joy. He tracked every family birthday or special event with great care,as he always had on display a spreadsheet noting family birthdays and anniversaries. Leemost enjoyed his grandchildren and great grandchildren, who knew they couldalways count on Paw Pawtointroduce them to acool project going on in the infamous Paw Paw's shop", to keep all the batteries charged and riding toys ready to spin around the backyard, to have the opportunity to fly an electric drone at amoment'snotice, or to spend an afternoon at the RC club field for achance to flya radio controlled plane with Paw Paw's help. Lee leaves a legacy of alifetime prioritizing special time spent with family and friends, making memories,sharing wisdom and imparting knowledge gained through alifetime of hardwork, adventurous fun, and an abundance of awide range of unique experiences. Lee was precededindeath by his parents and hiswifeof 72 years, Dorothy McNeill Boutwell. He is survived by his children, Tommy (Jeannie)Boutwell, and Patti (John) Holloway, his brother-in-law, Earnest (Ellen) McNeil, his grandchildren, Ed (Katie), Jessica (Kent), Becky (Chris), John(Missy), and James, and his eight great-grandchildren (Adelyn, Harper, Henry, Alec, Belle Ann, Samuel, Ruth, and Nash). The family would like to thank all the staff and residents at La Plantation Assisted Living in Denham Springs, especially Lee's dining friend Ms. Mary, MedPass nurses, Paulette and Tammy, Pinnacle Hospice nurses and staff, especiallyShana, Cait and Victoria, as well as Pinnacle nurse, Brandi for Dorothy, Lee's private sitters, Gloria and Anna,as well as Pastor Josh, staff and members at Living Hope Fellowship Church for all of their continued help, support, friendship prayer, and special care of LeeBoutwell and his family. Each person servedasa blessing and atrue Godsend in the care of Lee. Public visitation willtake place 9:00 -10:00 am on Friday, March 07, 2025. Afuneral service willtake place Friday, March 07, 2025, beginning at 10:00 am, with interment following immediatelyafter the service at Resthaven Gardens of Memory& Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge,LA 70816. Donations can be made to Living Hope Fellowship Church, 1180 South Flannery Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70815.

Seth Allen Falcon was taken from this world way too soon at the ageof38, leaving ahole in thehearts of those who loved him. He was born in Baton Rouge, LA, but spent the last few years in Pierre Part.Heis preceded in deathby grandmother, Myrtle Falcon Ourso; and grandfathers, Kelly Falcon and Wendall Harris. Survived by his father, Dale Falcon (Teri); mother, Vickie Duet (Gerald); grandmother, Mary Kibler; sons Reise and Jude Falcon; sisters, Sarah Ponsaa (Rene) and Ally Duet;brother to Shane; nieces and nephews, Drew and Adalyn Ponsaa; stepbrother, Tim Oxley; stepsisters, Katie Pourciau, Nicole Duet and Angele Duet.Hewill also be missed by girlfriend, Erica Landry Boudreaux, her children Savannah and Tyler Boudreaux and his Pierre Part Family. He was an extremely talented pipe fitter, but his real love was the outdoors. In his off time he would hunt with his Dad who instilled the love of the outdoors in Seth at ayoung age. His ultimatelove was being out on thewater. He found happiness in fishing or even just taking an evening cruise with his dog. The water was where he found peace &now has found eternal peace. Seth was afriend to so many and would do anything for anyone. He came across as abig tough guy, but had a heart of gold.Sethcould draw you in withhis laid back personalityand affection. He could always make others laugh, but also gave the best hugs in the entire world.Somany lives were touched and changed by Seth and all that he had overcome throughout theyears. Only the peace of God can fill a hole in our heartsaslarge as what we feel after losing Seth. ACelebrationof life will be held at Fellowship Church, 14363 Highway 73, Prairieville, LA 70769, on Thursday, March 6, 2025. Visitationwill be from 12:00 pm until services at 2:00 pm.

Helen Stander Taylor, 80, a resident of St Fran‐cisville and born in Or‐lando, FL, went to her heavenly home on Febru‐ary 26, 2025. She was Assis‐tant Dean of the Manship School of Mass Communi‐cation with 27 years of ser‐vice Helen is survived by her daughter, Victoria Tay‐lor Percy (Mel), sister, Jane Stander Olsan (Dale) grandchildren, Jordan Tay‐lor Percy and Amelia Dial Percy. She is preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Alvin Stander and Helen Gorman Stander and son, James Warren Taylor III. Helen earned her Masters Degree in Counseling from Louisiana State University She began her career at LSU in 1990 and retired in 2018. She earned the LSU Advisor of the Year award in 2011. A 1:00 pm memor‐ial service will be held on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at Starhill Cemetery on High‐way 966 in West Feliciana Parish

Church 7348 Main Street Sorrento, LA 70778, 8am10am with services starting at 10:00. Templet, Terry Paul 'Stump'

Terry Paul Templet "Stump" passed away February 27, 2025 at his home in Sorrento, Louisiana. Born on March 22, 1947, he hada love for rabbit hunting, coaching, LSU Baseball, St. Amant football and family. Terry proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1967-1969. He later went to workfor American Industrial Fabricators where he retired in 2016. Terry is survived by his wife of 57 years Claudette Templet, daughter Chrissy Templet (Rodney), son Terry Templet (Michelle), 2 grand daughters Kamden and Jillian Templet, 2great -grandchildren Elijah and Emberly; one sibling, Sherri Lambert and three sister nlaws Rose, Joyce and Joanette Templet. He is preceeded in death by his parents, Omer andCarrie Templet; ason, Damon Templet; brothers Curtis and Jerry Templet, sisters Jimmy Leblanc and Judy Sanchez. Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at St. Anne's Catholic Church 7348 Main Street Sorrento, LA 70778, 8am10am with services starting at 10:00.

Falcon,Seth Allen

Taylor, Helen Stander

OUR VIEWS

Ash Wednesday reminds us of the importance of reflection

Editor’s note: This editorial, slightly modified, has appeared on previous Ash Wednesdays in this newspaper.

To get a “black mark,” we understand from the common lexicon, isn’t a good thing except on Ash Wednesday, when many Christians observe the beginning of Lent with a smudge of ash on their foreheads as a reminder of their mortality

The message is more relevant than ever:

“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” as the Ash Wednesday admonition goes, a somber recognition that in the great cycle of earthly life, none of us is here for very long

It’s a reality that resonates among those of all faiths, or even those with no particular religious faith at all, although our culture does much to deny it.

Cosmetics and fashion falsely promise eternal youth, and politics promotes the equally hollow promise of power as a permanent commodity, as if our smallest desires might be attained by legislation or decree.

Ash Wednesday points us to a different — and healthier — perspective on the human condition, one that acknowledges the limits of personal ambition, the boundaries of earthly human life itself.

Lent reminds us how small we are in the scheme of things, a welcome corrective to the narcissism of our politics, the narrowness of our generosity, the nastiness of reality TV and the darker corners of social media.

The start of Lent today also means another chance to embrace the cause of personal improvement a prospect that couldn’t come at a better time.

This is the point of the year, after all, when many of us realize that those well-meaning New Year’s resolutions haven’t come to very much

Many people use Lent as a season to either give up some small pleasure, like chocolate or cake, or resolve to do something extra, like helping a neighbor or volunteering at a food bank. The hope is that these small personal disciplines will help deepen our spiritual resolve for bigger challenges. As we move through a divisive time in our country, we also hope that our Lenten practices help us lessen the vitriol rampant in our society and elevate our political discourse

At the very least, Lent brings the news that although we remain imperfect in a year still young, there’s a new opportunity to become a little thinner a little stronger maybe even a little kinder

And with Friday fish fries and crawfish boils, Easter and Lent are also linked in a spirit of fellowship

Although Lent isn’t meant to be a jolly time, it serves as a bridge between winter and spring. The march of Lent is taking us, slowly but surely to a warmer place, a destination softened by pastel skies, greening lawns, a flowering landscape.

A new season, blessedly, is just around the corner.

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.

OPINION

Carbon capture key to Louisiana’s energy future

Louisiana has established itself as a global leader and forward-thinking energy source, thanks to our strong workforce and infrastructure, our proximity to offshore energy resources and ongoing investments in innovative technology like carbon capture and sequestration. With today’s pro-energy leadership at both the state and federal level, as well as the strong support from the oil and natural gas industry, Louisiana’s CCS investments will continue to play an intricate role as we enter the next phase of America-first energy dominance.

CCS is complimentary to oil and natural gas, not its competitor If you’re proenergy pro-Louisiana and pro-oil and natural gas, then you should support CCS too.

The industry’s interest in low-carbon energy production remains strong, and Louisiana’s energy companies are among the top investors in CCS technology

The state has received over $20 billion in private investment for CCS projects, creating thousands of jobs and positioning Louisiana as a global hub for this essential technology

Last year, regulators granted Louisiana primacy over class VI wells to expedite the permit process. This decision not only ensures safe and effective CCS activities, but it also safeguards and enhances CCS investment projects throughout the state. Major energy companies such as ExxonMobil, Shell and Air Products are already making significant strides in the class VI permit process, which demonstrates their long-term commitment to advancing CCS projects in Louisiana.

This journey to America-first energy dominance began during President Trump’s first term. Under his new administration, the industry’s efforts have been reignited and Louisiana energy — and American energy have never been better positioned to win. By embracing energy innovation like CCS in Louisiana, the industry can continue to deliver on the promise to expand American-made energy, securing both state and national energy interests while contributing to a cleaner and more prosperous future.

TOMMY FAUCHEUX president, Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association

Judicial system upholding basic principles of our Constitution now under attack

Since Jan. 20, the Trump administration has undertaken a blitzkrieg attack on two fundamental principles of our Constitutional system: separation of powers and checks and balances.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

The duty of the executive is to carry out the laws enacted by Congress. If a president wishes to pursue policies contrary to current law, he proposes legislation changing the law If Congress agrees, those changes are made. Instead of following the legal route, Elon Musk, Russell Vought and other presidential delegates have simply closed down agencies created by Congress, impounded funds it appropriated and illegally accessed sensitive personal data in Treasury Department records.

The Constitutional remedy to redress such illegal actions is to resort to the judicial branch, whose role is to ensure that no branch encroaches on the power and authority of the others. As courts have begun to enter orders halting, at least temporarily the administration’s illegal actions, President Donald Trump’s spokesmen have begun an astounding, if not surprising, campaign

to delegitimize any court enforcing laws they have violated.

On Feb. 9, Vice President JD Vance falsely compared rulings that Trump appointees committed illegal acts to a judge trying “to tell a general how to conduct a military operation” or “to command the attorney general how to use her discretion as a prosecutor.” A Yale law graduate, Vance knows that these situations are entirely different from those at issue. Earlier Musk said Judge Paul Engelmayer should be impeached for blocking illegal DOGE actions and shared a post suggesting that the administration openly defy his order

These attacks on the judiciary are alarming. If a president is allowed to disregard the law and ignore legitimate court rulings, our constitutional system has failed, and he has become a dictator Every citizen should fight back, regardless of sympathy with ultimate policy goals. Our democracy hangs in the balance.

STEPHEN BULLOCK New Orleans

I, respectfully, disagree with letter writer Clarence A. Sprick Jr.’s opinion criticizing Walt Handelsman’s cartoon. What Sprick calls “hatred” for conservatives, specifically Elon Musk and President Donald Trump, I call love of humanity, in conformity to the teachings of Jesus Christ. We are not called to hate people, but we are called to condemn hateful actions. It is our responsibility to speak out against actions that are inhumane and unconscionable. This is what God is calling us to do. Handelsman used his talents to shine the spotlight on behaviors that are despicable. Many in positions of leadership lack backbone to go against the hatred that is on display by our president and Musk. Sprick has the right to interpret the Musk Nazi salute however he wishes. I don’t think people cognizant of the Holocaust would approve of such a gesture. In fact, no caring, loving, respectful person would not be horrified by the utter hatred in the actions of Musk and President Donald Trump. I believe many conservatives turned away from Christianity, specifically Jesus’ teachings, when they started watching Fox News. It was then, it appears to me, that something in their brains misfired. A priest I know is particularly upset with Roman Catholics who support President Trump. That makes perfect, legitimate sense to me. Since I never watched Fox News, I attribute that as to why my brain, along with many others’, has maintained the ability to think properly As with many, we progressive liberals are horrified at the state of our country However we are not surprised.

CAROL POOLEY Donaldsonville

Run Scrim, run! Be free! No one can catch and hold you! Such a happy dog!

MICHAEL KIERNAN Metairie

Reborn patriotic belief in Western virtues is needed

From an unlikely place the upper reaches of the technology industry — comes an unexpected summons to an invigorated patriotism. The summons will discomfit progressives by requiring seriousness about the nation’s inadequate defenses, which endanger peace immediately and national survival ultimately Conservatives will flinch from the new actually a recovered — patriotism that calls them up from an exclusively market-focused individualism, to collaboration between public and private sectors in great collective undertakings.

demands in this “software century.”

In the “The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West,” Alexander C. Karp, CEO of the software firm Palantir with co-author Nicholas W Zamiska, connect the ascent of Silicon Valley and the decline of the nation’s cultural confidence. The former is a symptom of the latter Karp thinks “the loss of national ambition,” which produced the atomic bomb and the internet, is today manifest in Silicon Valley’s devoting mountains of cash and legions of engineers to “chasing trivial consumer products.” (Disclosure: The columnist’s son David Will is a lawyer at Palantir ) The 20th-century union between science and government, the latter leveraging the former, was driven by the exigencies of World War II. Today’s geopolitical dangers require what the nation’s cultural agnosticism impedes: a rebirth of belief in the importance — the virtues — of the West

The collective endeavors of the previous century are forgotten. Today’s preoccupations are market-rewarded “shallow engagements” with technology: a banal internet serving the quotidian desires of the individual. There is scant interest in constructing the technical infrastructure national security

The manned F-35 fighter, conceived in the 1990s, is scheduled to be in service for another 63 years, until 2088. Karp thinks not. “The arrival of swarms of drones capable of targeting and killing an adversary, all at a fraction of the cost of conventional weapons, is nearly here.” Yet the Defense Department budget devoted just onefifth of 1% of its 2024 budget to artificial intelligence.

Few of today’s capable coders, Karp says, even know a military veteran. Many are reluctant to assist military-connected endeavors. “Why,” Karp writes, “court controversy with your friends or risk their disapproval by working for the U.S. military?”

Instead, retreat from the communal purpose of national defense, into the profitable building of photo-sharing apps and algorithms “that optimize the placement of ads on social media platforms.”

“In 2022, YouTube made $959 million from advertising that was targeted at 31.4 million children under the age of 12.” “We must,” Karp says, “rise up and rage against this misdirection of our culture and capital.”

Righteous rage, however, requires passion born of confidence in the rightness of the American project. This confidence has been a casualty of “the hollowing out of the American mind.”

Not since Allan Bloom’s astonishingly successful 1987 book “The Closing of the American Mind” — more than 1 million copies sold — has there been a cultural critique as sweeping as Karp’s. He connects our national flaccidity to a “cultural hesitation” born of what Bloom presciently diagnosed 38 years ago.

Vacuous celebrations of “openness “diversity,” etc., produce, Bloom warned, a “meaningless country” in

which there is no intense experience of national purpose: “Students now arrive at the university ignorant and cynical about our political heritage, lacking the wherewithal to be either inspired by it or seriously critical of it.”

Much of today’s intelligentsia has what Karp calls a “vacant neutrality” regarding our national project, or the West generally, as distinct from other cultures Karp: “At present, the principal features of American society that are shared are not civic or political, but rather cohere around entertainment, sports, celebrity, and fashion.” How many internet “influencers” influence anyone about anything concerning national survival?

Karp defines a “thin conception of belonging to the American community” respect for two unquestionably indispensable components of a good society, individual rights and economic freedom. He prefers a “thicker conception.” It involves a grander narrative of “this wild and rich experiment in building a republic.” The current agnosticism, which borders on nihilism, about America’s virtue as a nation, Karp says, dilutes recognition that the nation-state is the indispensable means of “collective organization in pursuit of shared purpose.”

To some, reconnecting engineering and ethics is pointless. If all national identities are merely contingent emanations of transitory, unjudgable and hence ultimately fungible cultures, why make arduous and expensive preparations to be able to fight in defense of ours?

“Is that all there is?” sang Peggy Lee. “If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing.” Until the music stops. Dangerous men elsewhere are preparing to stop it.

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

Marlean Ames of Akron, Ohio, is not gay or a member of a racial minority. But, please, she points out, don’t hold that against her, as she alleges her employers have, as she takes her “reverse discrimination” case all the way to the Supreme Court I wish her well. As an African American male, I strongly oppose unfair discrimination against any race, gender or sexual preference, although I also know the charge can be very difficult to prove.

Or, at least, it has been. Ames’ case aims to change that and, considering how much the high court and official Washington have shifted to the right in recent years, she could hardly have chosen a more opportune time to try The Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in her case, Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, which has drawn a lot of attention since it could redefine how discrimination claims of all types are handled under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The core issue is whether so-called “majority-group plaintiffs,” legal language for White or heterosexual employees who allege discrimination, are so unusual that they must meet a higher standard of evidence than other plaintiffs in such cases.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund argued in a friend-ofthe-court brief in the case that different standards were appropriate for majority and minority groups because minorities are historically the target of discrimination.

Before Ames’ suit went to trial, lower courts ruled against her finding that she was unable to meet that standard. Ames’ lawyers argue that the standard is unconstitutional So do the Trump administration and other conservative legal groups.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE

v. Bakke, the 1978 landmark Supreme Court case that challenged the use of racial quotas in college admissions.

The court ruled in favor of Bakke, finding that the university’s affirmative action program violated the Civil Rights Act and the 14th Amendment. When the high court ruled against specific racial quotas, many defenders of such policies mourned the beginning of the end for civil rights reforms.

Instead, the effort to protect and defend civil rights continues despite periodic pushbacks yet also with many refinements and improvements.

As more people than ever seem to be quoting Martin Luther King Jr.’s immortal plea for “all men” to be “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,”

The Biden administration also filed an amicus brief in support of Ames’ position, as JURISTnews reported, “with former Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar agreeing that the background circumstances requirement is not supported by the text of Title VII.”

On the other side were conservative groups like America First Legal, founded by prominent Trump aide Stephen Miller, which has campaigned nationwide against DEI programs as vigorously as his better-known campaign to tighten border restrictions.

“It is highly suspect in this age of hiring based on ‘diversity, equity and inclusion,’” he has said, that minority groups face more discrimination on the job than majority groups do.

That faint praise is a backhanded tribute to the success of DEI campaigns, even as many Americans still scratch their heads in confusion over what DEI really is.

Having covered civil rights debates off and on for about a half-century, I am reminded of perhaps the most famous reverse discrimination case: Regents of the University of California

I am reminded that he was not being descriptive about the present as much as hopeful for a better future.

Our best way to get there as Americans is to help each other up, as we work together despite our many divisions, and not to waste too much energy trying to put each other down.

In that spirit, I wish Marlene Ames well, and I hope the Supreme Court will be wise in its judgment.

There’s nothing simple about our racial, gender and other conflicts, but finding solutions together despite our petty differences has served us well in the past and it still can work again, if we can build faith in each other Marlean Ames has taken on a complicated task, trying to work her way through our national tangle of history group conflicts and tribal rivalries, looking for what most of us want: peace and justice. I only hope the Supreme Court comes up with a decision that, even if we don’t love it, we can work with it. Let’s hope.

Email Clarence Page at cpage47@ gmail.com.

There was a sinking feeling in my stomach when I read the story of the Clarksdale Press Register, a newspaper in northwest Mississippi that had been ordered by a court to take down an online editorial that was critical of local leaders. As a newspaperman, I am dismayed whenever the government steps in to prevent something from being published. The freedom of the press from government interference, as specifically guaranteed by the First Amendment, is a bedrock constitutional principle that courts should protect rather than trample. I’m even more dismayed when a court doesn’t vigorously protect the rights of the publisher

But I’m never surprised. Conflicts between elected leaders and the media are nothing new Like almost all reporters, I have fielded angry calls and threats from politicians who didn’t like something I wrote. Sometimes they threaten to sue. The prospect of civil or even criminal legal action can provoke worry, even if the claims seem legally frivolous and threat-issuers rarely follow through.

But when they do, it can be devastating. Joan Meyer, the 98-year old owner of the Macon County Record, a tiny newspaper in Kansas, died after police raided the paper’s office and her home, seizing phones and computers as part of a 2023 investigation into whether someone at the paper may have committed a crime by using a government website to confirm a tip.

That raid was clearly illegal, and the police chief behind it was later charged. But that’s likely of little consolation to Eric Meyer, Joan’s son and the publisher of the paper

The Kansas case was an extreme example of a blatantly unconstitutional action causing actual harm. In other words, it was far from the “theoretical harm” the leaders of Clarksdale claimed they faced.

There, the newspaper was not given notice of an upcoming meeting of the city’s board of commissioners. At that meeting, the board approved a resolution calling on the Mississippi Legislature to pass a 2% tax on alcohol, marijuana and tobacco.

All in all, a pretty minor development. City councils pass resolutions all the time. Many are forgotten as soon as the votes are counted.

But what angered the city’s mayor and commissioners was that the paper then wrote an editorial criticizing the city for not advertising the meeting, which included the following lines: “Have commissioners or the mayor gotten kickback from the community? Until Tuesday we had not heard of any Maybe they just want a few nights in Jackson to lobby for this idea — at public expense.”

At a subsequent meeting, the commissioners voted to ask a judge to force the paper to remove the piece from its website. The city argued that the mayor, Chuck Espy, a Democrat, had suffered due to the “libelous assertions and statements” made in the editorial.

That’s bad enough. But even worse, they got a judge to agree. In her ruling, Hinds County Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin said the publication interfered with public figures’ “legitimate function to advocate for legislation.” I mean, come on.

Wyatt Emmerich, the paper’s publisher, said he believed the suit was fueled by enmity Espy feels stemming from earlier reports in the Press Register about pay increases in city government and other issues. Emmerich acknowledged that the editorial should have used the word “pushback” instead of “kickback,” but noted that regardless of the poor word choice, the editorial still fell clearly under the First Amendment.

The Clarksdale Press Register is a small outfit that serves a city of 14,000. It’s not hard to imaging a pitched legal battle becoming a real financial crisis for the newspaper Thankfully, some First Amendment advocacy groups are available to lend legal expertise pro bono.

The assistance of those advocates should have been unnecessary Judges, including the one who granted the motion, are supposed to be First Amendment guardians since it’s, you know, in the U.S. Constitution and all. This judge should have tossed the motion as soon as it landed in her court.

But there’s a happy ending. Last week, the city dropped its lawsuit. Maybe, just maybe, the mayor and the other city leaders looked the legal merits of the case and decided it wouldn’t stick. Maybe cooler heads prevailed.

But I doubt it. I think what happened is that they suddenly found themselves the center of media attention they really didn’t like, from outlets that would be much tougher to intimidate, including The New York Times and The Associated Press. Maybe, in their zeal to suppress legitimate coverage, they actually got more — and much worse — media coverage than they ever dreamed.

Long live the Press Register Thank God and our country’s founders for a free press.

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

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

The U.S Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.

Faimon Roberts

George Will

Clarence Page

Basketball, So. Lab help define Chaney

BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer

ä See CHANEY, page 4C

STAFF FILE PHOTO By

Southern Lab coach Quianna Chaney, right, talks with her team during a timeout during the Division IV select championship game against NorthwoodLena on March 1, 2024, in Hammond.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

LSU puts 3 on All-SEC

team

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The LSU women’s basketball team’s three stars are featured prominently in the Southeastern Conference’s 2025 postseason awards, the league office unveiled Tuesday League coaches voted Aneesah Morrow, Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams onto the All-SEC first team. Morrow also was given a spot on the all-defensive team. Texas forward Madison Booker is the SEC Player of the Year; Kentucky forward Clara Strack is Defensive Player of the Year; and Kentucky point guard Georgia Amoore is the Newcomer of the Year Longhorns coach Vic Schaefer was named Coach of the Year LSU, the only team with multiple first-team honorees, put three players onto the AllSEC first team for the first time in program history That’s happened only 10 times in league history, most recently in 2016 when a trio of South Carolina stars cracked the group. Since SEC play began, Morrow, Johnson and Williams have each scored at least 17 points per game. Morrow also has grabbed 13.7

ä See LSU, page 5C

LSU 11, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 9

They’ll take it

Cade Arrambide,

home

a

Tigers rally past Bison after ugly start puts LSU in 6-run hole

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

The first four innings must have been a nightmare for coach Jay Johnson.

Besides the fact that LSU was losing 9-5 to North Dakota State entering the bottom of the fourth, the baseball itself was ugly to say the least

The No. 1 Tigers walked five batters, threw four wild pitches, committed three errors and had a passed ball by then. Only one of the nine runs were unearned, but the miscues allowed the Bison to score their

Wildcats overpower Tigers, hand them worst loss of season

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Daimion Collins was posted up by Kentucky’s 7-foot, 262-pound center on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky

Kentucky 95, LSU 64

The slender 6-9 big man for LSU didn’t get overpowered and rejected Amari Williams’ hook shot, igniting a fast-break score for Jordan Sears with 15 minutes left in the game.

This highlight for Collins, who returned to play his old team for the first time, was one of the few good moments LSU had as it lost 95-64 to No. 19 Kentucky Kentucky’s largest lead was 35 points with 11 minutes left in the game, and the 31-point loss was the Tigers’ biggest of the season, tying its defeat against Texas.

“As disappointed as I am in our performance, I got to give them great credit for the way they played tonight,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said on LSU Sports Radio. “They really shared the ball well tonight, and we just struggled to get stops against their high-powered offense.”

runs on just five hits.

It was a game in which a surgeon general warning perhaps should have been issued to LSU fans and Johnson before the game started. But there’s something to be said about perseverance, and that’s what LSU showed after the top of the fourth, tossing a shutout over the next five innings and scoring six unanswered runs to escape with an 11-9 victory on Tuesday night at Alex Box Stadium.

Sophomore Steven Milam ripped a two-run double into right field in the eighth in-

ning for LSU’s first lead of the game. Aiding the comeback was junior right-hander Zac Cowan. He entered the game with one out in the sixth and threw 22/3 shutout innings, striking out three hitters and allowing just one extra-base hit. Freshman Casan Evans came in for Cowan in the ninth inning and earned his third save of the year A run-scoring single from junior Chris Stanfield in the second inning started things off for the LSU offense, but the big inning came in the third.

Trailing 7-1, the Tigers scored four runs. Milam plated the first run despite grounding into a double play with the bases loaded. Sophomore Jake Brown then reached on an error that scored another run and kept the inning alive. Freshman Cade Arrambide, despite a rough night behind the plate, made the Bison pay for their mistake. He blasted his first career home run into left field, a two-run shot that cut the LSU (12-1) deficit to two.

ä See TIGERS, page 3C

Robert Miller scored 15 points and Cam Carter had 14, 12 in the second half, for LSU (14-16, 3-14 SEC). Collins had two points, five rebounds and three blocks. Vyctorius Miller and Corey Chest were both out because of injuries for the Tigers. Robert Miller replaced Vyctorius Miller in the starting group. LSU opened the game poorly after Miller scored the game’s first basket.

ASSOCIATED

MICHAEL JOHNSON

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU catcher

left, celebrates with right fielder Jake Brown, center, and third baseman Michael Braswell after hitting

two-run

run against North Dakota State on Tuesday at Alex Box Stadium.

LSU gymnast Chio wins SEC award for 7th week

Make it five straight Southeastern Conference freshman of the week awards and seven overall for LSU gymnast Kailin Chio in her superb inaugural season.

SEC honors were released Tuesday with the Henderson, Nevada, native taking her familiar honors from the league office.

Lakers, LeBron revel in Doncic trade

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

NBA Notebook

The game hasn’t gotten easy for the Los Angeles Lakers since the trade deadline. It just looks that way Consider this moment from Sunday night’s win over the Clippers: Jaxson Hayes got a defensive rebo und, handed the ball to Luka Doncic, who took one step forward and fired a 75-foot two-hand chest pass downcourt to LeBron James who caught it in stride and capped the play with an easy layup. Touchdown, Lakers. And Doncic and James have had a play like that in just about every game lately, or so it would seem

A month or so has passed since The Trade Doncic leaving the Dallas Mavericks and joining the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis — and the Lakers suddenly look like title contenders. They are a league-best 16-3 since Jan. 20 and went into Tuesday’s games sitting in the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference, a place that until now they hadn’t been since about the first week of the season

“It’s been great,” Doncic said. “The atmosphere has been unbelievable, and we just want to give the people what they want, and that’s winning the games That’s what we’re doing right now.”

Sunday’s win was the 1,000th in which James has appeared in his regular season career, making him the fourth player to appear in that many victories after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,074), Robert Parish (1,013) and Tim Duncan (1,001) And now, another milestone: James is one point away from 50,000 for his career when combining regular-season and postseason games, and that bridge will almost certainly be crossed Tuesday night against New Orleans.

Only two other players AbdulJabbar and Karl Malone — have scored at least 40,000 points when adding in playoffs. And technically, James is already over 50,000 but his 99 points from play-in tournament games and the 2023 NBA Cup title game (then just called the in-season tournament) don’t count.

“He’s one of the greatest competitors. He’s amazing to coach,” Lakers coach JJ Redick

said. “He brings it every single day He sets the standard for how you’re supposed to approach this craft and to me, that’s the most incredible thing.”

There were other trades before the deadline that teams are seeing dividends from, including Golden State and Cleveland. Dallas had hope before Davis got hurt in his sensational debut game with the team.

But now he’s hurt, the Mavs were already beaten up by other injuries and then they lost Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL on Monday night — another enormous blow to the team and its defeated fan base. Time, and more accurately playoff results, will be the real gauge on how the trades helped teams like the Lakers and Warriors.

But for James and the Lakers, right now everything is looking as good as can be. The team will host Southern California first responders and affected community members Tuesday as part of the

continued response to the wildfires that devastated parts of Los Angeles earlier this winter The wins are piling up. The milestones keep coming. They keep rising in the standings.

“I think we could be really good going down the stretch,” James said at the All-Star Game.

He’s been proved right again.

Warriors rolling

After Golden State’s acquisition of Jimmy Butler from Miami the Warriors are still hovering around the play-in line in an absolutely jammed race for spots 6 through 10 in the West. Butler’s mere presence seems to have given the Warriors a boost.

He demands defenses to respect him, which is excellent news for Stephen Curry — who had a 56-point game last week in Orlando on a night when Butler wasn’t much of an offensive factor

“There’s still unique skillsets in this league at the superstar level,”

Curry said of Butler “And he’s a guy that has clearly defined a style that impacts winning at both ends of the floor You see how much he’s helped us so far He’s succeeded at the highest level. He’s gone to two finals and he’s motivated more than ever to try to get back there.”

Deal improves Cavs

The Cavaliers made a very savvy move before the trade window closed, adding De’Andre Hunter from Atlanta. The Cavs were good before the trade. They’re even better after Entering Monday, the Cavs were 8-0 with Hunter in the lineup — winning those eight games by an average of nearly 19 points. One of the few close ones was Sunday, when Cleveland had to dig deep to rally past Portland with Hunter leading the way

“I didn’t think we were going to win the game. De’Andre really took us from the abyss,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said.

Irving out for season after ACL tear

BY SCHUYLER DIXON

sportswriter

Kyrie Irving has a torn

knee and will miss the

in his

of the season, the biggest setback in a season full of them for a team that traded superstar Luka Doncic. The team confirmed Irving’s diagnosis Tuesday, a day after he was injured in the first quarter of Dallas’ 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings. Following the injury, Irving made two free throws with tears rolling down his cheeks before leaving the game.

The 32-year-old was fouled by DeMar DeRozan on a drive to the basket and his right foot landed on the foot of the Kings’ Jonas Valanciunas Irving lost his balance and then landed awkwardly on his left leg, and his knee appeared to hyperextend before he fell to the floor The Mavericks lost 10-time AllStar Anthony Davis to a groin injury in his Dallas debut last month following the seismic trade that sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The presence of Irving was the biggest reason the Mavericks felt they could proceed with the controversial Davis-for-Doncic deal, a move that infuriated the Dallas

fan base.

Now, Irving is out for the season, and would figure to be in the final stages of recovery when teams report for training camp for the 2025-26 season Irving has a $44 million player option for next season.

After he was hurt, Irving grabbed his leg and remained on the floor for multiple minutes.

Davis was among those helping Irving to the locker room before coach Jason Kidd spoke to Irving, who then returned to take two free throws. After converting both to pull Dallas within 23-18, Irving was helped into the tunnel.

Irving’s decision to shoot free throws was reminiscent of the late Kobe Bryant, who made two game-tying foul shots for the Los Angeles Lakers after tearing his Achilles tendon late in the fourth quarter of a victory over Golden State on April 12, 2013.

“That’s just who, I mean, Kai’s a tough guy,” Kidd said. “I asked him as they were taking him off the court, ‘Are you good if you leave without shooting? You’re ruled out.’ So they took him to the free-throw line, and he shot the free throws and then we got him out.” The injury could make it difficult for the defending Western Conference champions to get back

to the playoffs. Dallas is 10th in the West, the final spot in the playin tournament. The Mavericks are just nine months removed from Doncic and Irving leading them to the NBA Finals for the first time in 13 years. Dallas, which lost to Boston in five games, could become the fifth team to miss the playoffs the season after reaching the finals. Irving earned his ninth All-Star appearance as an injury replacement this season. He averaged 24.7 points and shot 40% from 3-point range. Davis, who was to be re-evaluat-

ed this week for a possible return, is one of three significant missing pieces on the Dallas front line along with centers Daniel Gafford (sprained knee) and Dereck Lively II (stress fracture in an ankle). P.J. Washington Jr., another starter, has missed time recently with a right ankle sprain. After Irving’s injury against the Kings, backup guard Jaden Hardy exited with a sprained right ankle. “It seems every time we get close to getting somebody back, someone goes down,” Kidd said “We’re running out of bodies here.”

This week’s award comes on the heels of her performance Friday in the Podium Challenge at the Raising Cane’s River Center. Chio took home uneven bars and balance beam titles with 9.95 scores, and finished second to senior Haleigh Bryant in the all-around competition with a 39.675. Chio leads LSU with 16 individual titles and is the nation’s fifth-ranked all-arounder with a season average of 39.635. She is second in the nation on vault and tied for fourth on beam.

Ankle injury to sideline Grizzlies All-Star Jackson MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two-time AllStar Jaren Jackson Jr is week to week with a sprained left ankle for Memphis after the center-forward was hurt a couple minutes into the Grizzlies’ latest loss.

The Grizzlies updated Jackson’s status Tuesday as a Grade 2 sprain. Jackson left the game at 10:21 of the first quarter of Monday night’s 132-130 loss to Atlanta.

The Grizzlies will provide further updates as necessary. The timing of this injury couldn’t be worse for Memphis.

The Grizzlies have lost three straight and six of eight to drop from second in the Western Conference standings to fourth, a game back of both the Lakers and Denver in the standings.

Eagles make Barkley highest-paid RB ever

Saquon Barkley will become the highest-paid running back in NFL history after his record-setting season helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl.

The Eagles are giving Barkley a two-year contract extension worth $41.2 million with $36 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday under the condition of anonymity Barkley’s new deal includes $15 million in incentives. Barkley ran for 2,504 yards in the regular season and playoffs, breaking Terrell Davis’ record for most yards rushing combined in one season. He had 2,005 yards in the regular season before sitting out the final game with a chance to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season mark.

Cowboys, DT Odighizuwa agree on 4-year contract

The Dallas Cowboys and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa agreed Tuesday on an $80 million, four-year contract with $58 million guaranteed, his agent said.

The agreement came a few hours before the deadline for clubs to apply the franchise tag on one player Odighizuwa was a consideration for the $25 million tag for defensive tackles It includes a $20 million signing bonus.

The Cowboys also agreed to a one-year deal with special teams ace C.J. Goodwin and restructured star receiver CeeDee Lamb’s contract to create $20 million in salary cap space. Lamb signed a $136 million, four-year deal last year. Odighizuwa was a 2021 third-round pick who blossomed into one of Dallas’ best defensive linemen.

Rangers All-Star OF García to undergo MRI for oblique Rangers outfielder Adolis García was scratched from the lineup for Tuesday’s spring training game against the Athletics and will undergo an MRI on his left oblique, the same one that he injured during their World Series run two years ago. A two-time All-Star, García

AP PHOTO By TONy GUTIERREZ Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks holds onto his knee after suffering an injury against the Sacramento Kings in Dallas on Monday.

AP PHOTO By MARK J TERRILL

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, is congratulated by forward LeBron James after scoring against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Only two NFL players get franchise tag

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer

Dallas signed defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa before the franchise tag deadline Tuesday and Minnesota declined to give the tag to quarterback Sam Darnold, clearing the way for him to hit the open market next week.

Only two players were given the tag for 2025 before Tuesday’s deadline with Cincinnati receiver Tee Higgins getting it on Monday and Kansas City guard Trey Smith getting it last week.

This marked a significant downturn in tags handed out from eight last season and an average of more than nine a year over the previous five seasons. The previous time only two or fewer players got tagged was in 1994 when Pittsburgh tight end Eric Green and Minnesota defensive tackle Henry Thomas were the only players, according to the NFL.

Among the top players other than Darnold who can sign with any other team as free agents starting March 12 after not getting tagged are Tampa Bay receiver Chris Godwin, Miami safety Jevon Holland, Philadelphia defensive standouts Milton Williams, Zack Baun and Josh Sweat, and Baltimore left tackle Ronnie Stanley The Cowboys locked up Odighizuwa by agreeing to an $80 million, four-year contract with $58 million guaranteed, according to his agent. Agent Sam Leaf Ireifej confirmed the deal to The Associated Press and said it includes a

$20 million signing bonus. A franchise tag would have been worth $25.1 million for 2025.

Odighizuwa, a third-round pick in 2021, is coming off his best season with career highs with 41/2 sacks, 47 tackles and 23 quarter-

back hits.

Darnold had a breakthrough season in his only year in Minnesota, throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 TDs while posting a 102.5 passer rating. Darnold was drafted third overall by the New York Jets in

2018 but struggled mightily during three seasons with the Jets and two with Carolina. After spending the 2023 season as a backup in San Francisco, Darnold finally played to his potential for most of the season before

posting back-to-back duds in his final two games: a Week 18 game against Detroit for the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. His performance in those key games contributed to the decision by the Vikings to pass on the $40.2 million franchise tag number and turn the team over to J.J. McCarthy, who was drafted 10th overall last season. McCarthy missed his rookie season with a knee injury but is expected to be the starter on coach Kevin O’Connell’s talented offense featuring star receiver Justin Jefferson.

Higgins got the tag for a second straight season with his worth $26.2 million. Higgins was tied for sixth in the league this past season with 10 touchdown catches. He also had 73 receptions for 911 yards and averaged 12.5 yards per catch.

Smith, a sixth-round pick in 2021, received a tag worth $23.402 million. He has missed just one game in four seasons and has helped the Chiefs win Super Bowls following the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Kansas City

Jets release wide receiver Adams in roster overhaul

BY DENNIS WASZAK JR.

AP

Davante Adams’ reunion with Aaron Rodgers lasted just 11 games with the New York Jets. The team released the veteran wide receiver Tuesday, ahead of the start of the NFL’s new league year next week The move, which was expected, will save the Jets $29.9 million in salary cap space. It follows the team’s announcement on Feb 13 that they’re also moving on this offseason from Rodgers, Adams’ longtime teammate and friend.

Releasing Adams will cost the Jets $8.3 million in deadcap money, according to overthecap.com.

Adams was acquired by the Jets from Las Vegas last October for a third-round pick in this year’s draft.

The 32-year-old threetime All-Pro was scheduled to make a non-guaranteed $35.64 million in each of the next two years. That hefty price tag made him a likely salary cap cut this offseason, especially after the Jets’ new regime general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn — decided to go in another direction at quarterback. Adams caught 67 passes for 854 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games with the Jets. He also had 18 catches for 209 yards and a TD in three games with the Raiders last year, giving him

TIGERS

Continued from page 1C

A two-run homer from junior Daniel Dickinson the next inning kept the Tigers within two after the Bison scored two more runs in the top of the fourth But LSU eventually tied the game in the sixth inning on a fly ball hit by senior Josh Pearson that was dropped in center field and a run-scoring double from Milam The ball hit by Pearson wasn’t ruled an error since Dickinson was thrown out at second base after the ball was dropped.

LSU finished the night with 10 hits. Dickinson and Milam were the only hitters with more than one. The Tigers also walked nine times. Cowan and Chandler Dorsey helped salvage LSU’s final line on the mound, but it was a rough start.

The Bison (1-10) jumped on LSU left-handed starter Conner Ware, taking a 3-0

five straight seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving. Adams and Rodgers were teammates for eight seasons in Green Bay, and the wide receiver said in January he was uncertain what his next step would be. He acknowledged Rodgers’ future would “for sure” be a factor in his own decision, but added he “potentially” could be back with New York even if the quarterback isn’t. Instead, the Jets moved on from both.

In a joint statement issued by the team last month, Mougey and Glenn said they met with Rodgers and informed him “that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback.”

The four-time MVP has one year left on his contract, worth a non-guaranteed $37.5 million. New York would absorb a $49 million dead money charge next season unless it designates Rodgers a post-June 1 cut and can spread out that charge over two years

If the Jets do that, Rodgers would remain on their roster while carrying a $23.5 salary cap charge — until the start of the NFL’s new league year next Wednesday. Rodgers has not yet publicly announced whether he plans to play a 21st NFL season or retire ESPN also reported the Jets have given wide receiver Allen Lazard, also a long-

lead in the first inning on a pair of run-scoring singles and a bases-loaded walk that drove in the third run Ware got through the second unscathed but hit a batter to start the third inning. The runner, sophomore Noah Gordon, then reached second on a wild pitch before stealing third base and scoring after senior Michael Braswell was called for obstruction as Gordon was rounding the bag.

Redshirt sophomore righthander Jaden Noot replaced Ware after the run scored. Ware struck out five but ended his night allowing five earned runs, walking three batters and hitting two. Noot surrendered a walk and two singles, the last of which drove in a run before coming out for redshirt sophomore left-hander DJ Primeaux. Primeaux got the second out by forcing a fielder’s choice, but two runs came across after Milam’s throw to first went awry After LSU scored four runs

time teammate of Rodgers, permission to seek a trade. Lazard is due a non-guaranteed $11 million in base pay next season.

Adams, who grew disgruntled in his third season in Las Vegas, was expected to boost a Jets offense that was inconsistent through the first part of the season even with young star Garrett Wilson leading the receiving group. And while Adams reestablished his connection with Rodgers their 82 total TDs are third in NFL history by a QB-WR combination behind Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison (114) and Steve Young and Jerry Rice (92) – it couldn’t help the Jets from finishing 5-12 and missing the playoffs for the 14th straight year

Adams’ presence also somewhat diminished the role of Wilson, who appeared frustrated with Rodgers at times but still finished with 101 catches for 1,104 yards and seven TDs. The Jets will head into free agency with Wilson as their clear No. 1 receiver, but they’re otherwise thin at the position — especially if Lazard is also let go.

Adams, who showed he’s still a solid playmaker in his 11th NFL season, will meanwhile be able to look for a new team And perhaps he and Rodgers will be reunited yet again, elsewhere.

Adams has 957 receptions for 11,844 yards and 103 touchdowns.

in the bottom of the third to cut the Bison lead to 7-5, Primeaux went back on the mound and hit a batter, surrendered a single and forced a groundout that advanced both runners into scoring position.

Dorsey, a junior righthander making his first appearance on the season, then replaced Primeaux. But both runners he inherited scored because of a passed ball and a wild pitch.

Dorsey escaped the inning after recording a strikeout and a fly out, but not before North Dakota State had grown its lead to 9-5.

LSU’s fortunes on the mound dram atically changed after the fourth inning. Dorsey retired the Bison in order in the fifth before getting the first out of the sixth and turning the ball over to Cowan.

LSU will face North Dakota State at Alex Box Stadium again on Wednesday First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. and will be available to stream on SEC Network+.

Saints release RB Williams after two quiet seasons

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

The New Orleans Saints released running back Jamaal Williams on Tuesday, parting ways with the veteran who failed to pan out in his two seasons with the team.

Williams signed a threeyear, $12 million deal with the Saints in 2023 coming off the heels of a 1,000-yard season with the Detroit Lions. He was supposed to serve as a complement

to star Alvin Kamara and boost the team’s rushing attack. But in his two seasons with the Saints, Williams averaged only 3.05 yards per carry (470 yards on 154 attempts) with two rushing touchdowns. He often was used as a pass blocker and in short-yardage situations. Williams’ release is set to save the Saints $1.6 million toward the salary cap. Before Tuesday’s transaction, the Saints were an estimated $47.1 million over the cap and must become

cap compliant by the start of the new league year next week. Williams’ contract also leaves $2.3 million in dead money, the figure left on the books because of an already paid signing bonus. He was set to count $3.9 million against the cap if the Saints had elected

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold looks to pass against the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 22

Seattle The Vikings did not put the franchise tag on Darnold.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler left, hands the ball off to running back Jamaal Williams during a game at the Caesars Superdome on Oct. 17.

PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

THE VARSITY ZONE

Central achieves milestones with win

scored 15 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, including his team’s last six points from the free-throw line.

digit leads in the first, third and fourth quarters but the persistence of Parkway (19-12) never allowed the Wildcats to breathe easily

They play hard and play together They crash the boards and do what they’re supposed to do to keep the ball alive and give themselves opportunities.”

overs. “We had a couple of horrible mistakes. We plan to get after it in practice, watch film and make better decisions.”

BY WILLIAM WEATHERS Contributing writer

Central turned an important page in its basketball history book.

The No. 2 Wildcats advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time in 31 years and first time in Class 5A — with a hard-fought 68-62 home victory Tuesday over No 15 Parkway in a Division I nonselect matchup.

Senior guard Collin Verrett

Senior center Markell Sampson added 15 and senior guard Jace Conrad had 13. Central (24-4) hosts No. 7 East Ascension, a 61-42 winner over Southside in a quarterfinal at 6:30 p.m. Friday The Wildcats were the Class 4A state runner-up in 1993-94.

“They play super hard and are really well coached,” Central coach Scott Osbourne said of Parkway, a co-runner-up in District 1-5A. “They weren’t going to back down. They shoot the ball really well.”

Central, which shot 52% (25 of 48 from the field), held double-

The latest example of that came with four minutes left and Central leading 56-46 on a highlight-reel dunk from Conrad down the right side.

Parkway pulled to within 62-59 with 1:31 left on a 3-pointer from Jake Gaskins, resulting in a timeout for his team.

“We knew coming in we were going to be a little smaller than they were and the athleticism was probably about the same,” said Parkway coach Brian Raymor whose team was led by Caleb Evans’ 17 and KB Williams’ 14. “They’re coached really well.

Brusly boys roll into Division II quarters by beating Lakeshore

No. 5 Brusly, a Division II nonselect semifinalist last season, trailed early but quickly shook off the early deficit to dominate the rest of the game en route to an 87-49 win at home over No. 12 Lakeshore on Tuesday night in the regional round. The win catapulted the program into the quarterfinals for the third straight year Brusly (24-4) will face No. 13 Franklinton in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Franklinton pulled off a twopoint upset over No. 4 Carroll on the road Tuesday night. Brusly senior Edrick Snearl had a game-high 27 points. Micah Bryant hit five 3-pointers on the way to 19 points. Ryland Johnson and Kazi Murray were in double figures with 12 and 11, respectively Cole Janssen led Lakeshore (179) with 15 points. Cohen McGee

From left, LSU’s Marian Whitfield, Sylvia Fowles, Quianna Chaney, top center, and Allison Hightower celebrate their win over North Carolina in an NCAA tournament game on March 31, 2008, in New Orleans. LSU won 56-50.

STAFF FILE PHOTO

By LIZ CONDO

CHANEY

Continued from page 1C

title in four seasons

added 11.

“It was a big win,” Snearl said.

“We’re the third team in (school) history to come to the quarterfinals three times in a row “We’ve got some outstanding players on this team. I’ve been with these guys for a long time. It’s a program built up from youth to high school.

“We’re trying to make Brusly stand out and be one of those top teams in the division.”

After trailing early, Brusly tied the game at 11-11 in the opening quarter and never looked back

The Panthers closed the first quarter by outscoring Lakeshore 16-6 to take a 27-17 edge into the second quarter

Snearl scored five straight points late in the first half that involved a dunk followed by a three-point play to give Brusly a 48-27 lead.

The Panthers led 48-29 at halftime.

Lakeshore got to within 12

points thanks to a 3-pointer from Beau Bernard less than two minutes into the third.

Brusly responded with a 26-7 run, highlighted by a pair of threes from Bryant and Steven Wesley and Bryant’s breakaway dunk that put Brusly up 30 with one minute left in the quarter The Panthers entered the fourth quarter with a 75-44 lead.

“We wanted to be solid In the first quarter, we kind of got out of the game plan defensively,” Brusly coach Kirby Loupe said. “We talked about making them score tough baskets and not giving them easy points. We didn’t guard the ball very well off the bounce.

“We corrected some of that at halftime. I just wanted to make sure that we weren’t looking forward, but our boys came out and scored 87 points in the game, and now we’re right back to the quarterfinals.”

coach (Henry Combs) was leaving Southern Lab.

tens lost 55-38 to Lafayette Christian in the semifinals.

Central tried taking time off the clock once it defeated full-court pressure, but Parkway sent Verrett to the free-throw line three times in the last 31.9 seconds. He made all six of his attempts, while the Panthers misfired on four straight 3-point attempts until a three-point play from Gaskins with 9.9 seconds left.

Verrett accounted for the final score with two more free throws and was 10 of 12 for the game.

“We were sloppy with the ball, but we were still able to find some good buckets and score the ball,”

Verrett said of his team’s 15 turn-

For the fourth straight game Central reaped the benefits of having the 6-foot-7 Sampson in the lineup after a broken wrist sidelined him for nearly six weeks. Sampson, who had 11 points in the second half, teamed with fellow 6-7 forward Ked Franklin and helped contribute to Parkway’s 44% shooting with an array of blocked shots by commanding the paint.

“The (bye) week allowed him to settle down and be a rim protector,” Osborne said of Sampson. “I saw at the end of practice last week that he was getting back to being himself.”

Reigning champion PBS girls set for semis in Division II

BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer

Though the parameters have changed, the mission remains the same for Parkview Baptist.

“There are things we’re going to have to do,” Parkview coach Brett Shelton said. “They’ve got size and some excellent athletes, so we have to rebound. We’ve got to box out and continue to shoot the ball well.”

The third-seeded Eagles (21-6) face No. 2 Vandebilt Catholic (177) in a Division II select semifinal Wednesday at the LHSAA girls basketball tournament. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m. at Southeastern Louisiana’s University Center

It is one of four games involving Baton Rouge area teams. This is the latest test for a Parkview team that won Division III select titles the past two years. An LHSAA reclassification before the 2024-25 school year pushed the Eagles up to Division II.

Reigning Division IV select champion Southern Lab and two Livingston Parish teams, Division III nonselect Doyle and Division II nonselect Albany, also play Wednesday

“The biggest difference so far iis the strength of teams in playoffs,” Shelton said. “The (Division II) teams in the second and third rounds were tougher, which was an adjustment.

“Based on the way we’ve been shooting the ball lately, I feel comfortable and pretty confident. We still have to execute.”

The guard-oriented Eagles are

led by Anna Richerson, who averages 14 points and eight rebounds. Point guard Ansley Bernhard and guard Ella LeFors add 10 points each. Houma-based Vandebilt is led by Tyanna Stewart, who averages 15 points and seven rebounds.

OUACHITA CHRISTIANVS SOUTHERN LAB: The top-seeded Kittens (19-5) are led by guards Shaila Forman (22 points, five rebounds) and Asia Patin (14 points, three assists) going into their 2:45 p.m. semifinal. Fifth-seeded OCS (28-3) is coached by former NFL quarterback Stan Humphries.

DOYLE VS OAKDALE: Fourth-seeded Doyle (24-6) was a semifinalist a year ago and won a Class 2A title in 2020. The Tigers have five players who average in double figures, led by Kylee Savant and Suri Stewart who each average 12 points each ahead of this 6:15 p.m. semifinal. Emani Young (18 points, eight rebounds) leads top-seeded Oakdale (24-5). The Warriors won a Division IV title two years ago.

ALBANY VS STERLINGTON: Game time is set for 8 p.m. Seventh-seeded Albany is in the semifinals for the fourth straight year This is the tourney debut for first-year head coach Rebecca Buisson, a longtime Hornets assistant.

Ellie Johnson (12 points, six rebounds) leads Albany (23-11). It is the tourney debut for No. 3 Sterlington (23-7). Evie West leads the Panthers.

Email Robin Fambrough at rfambrough@theadvocate.com

BASKETBALL PLAYOFF REPORT

“Basketball was the thing she wanted to do,” said Chaney’s mother Brenda. “She had two older brothers and she followed them when they played basketball in the street. The only thing they let her do was throw the ball at first.

“But one day they were down a player, so she got to play That’s how it started. She played on several boys teams growing up. She played until she retired, and then she came to Southern Lab.

While she is now known as a successful coach, Chaney’s accomplishments on the court make her arguably the program’s most accomplished player She was part of three Class 1A title teams and was the two-time Class 1A MVP At LSU, Chaney was part of four Final Four teams. She made the SEC All-Freshmen Team, netted second-team All-SEC honors as a junior and was first-team AllSEC as a senior She finished with 1,345 career points.

The No. 19 pick of the Chicago Sky in the 2008 WNBA Draft, Chaney played a decade professionally, including a long stint in Europe. She took basketball well beyond her Baker neighborhood before coming home.

“I wanted to be a high school coach,” Chaney said. “I knew that but I had no idea what was out there. As it turned out, my

“I interviewed for it, and I got hired. But I didn’t tell anybody at first I thought a team (in Europe) might call my agent I wasn’t sure, so I didn’t announce my retirement for about a month. Things turned out the way it was supposed to.”

The current generation of players is locked in on today’s stars, including Caitlin Clark. But echoes of Chaney’s past as a high school player competing at Southern Lab still resonate.

In one championship game, Chaney stopped just beyond a small Lions logo at half court and launched what looked like an illadvised shot. Nothing but net

Later, she drained a 3-pointer from the left wing, standing near the out-of-bounds line next to the opposing coach who was in the coach’s box Same result.

“She was Caitlin Clark then,” former teammate Krystal Huggins Flowers said. “In high school, she would sit in the stands before practice and shoot and make them. After our practices she stayed and shot with our boys team She beat them, too.

“I am so proud of everything she has accomplished as a coach.

We all say there is nothing like ‘that Lab.’ She carries on the tradition.”

But her introduction to high school coaching was not as smooth as a long-range jumper rippling through a net.

In 2018, Chaney’s first season, a squad with five players advanced to the LHSAA tourney The Kit-

In the weeks that followed, Chaney and first-year Southern Lab athletic director Herman Brister agreed to do the unthinkable: drop varsity girls basketball for a couple of years.

“We knew the way to bring it back was to focus on the younger kids the elementary and middle school grades,” Chaney said. “It was hard, but it was the right thing to do. We had to build up again.”

The move has ushered in a new era of success, comparable to the one Chaney starred in. Though the wins and trophies are the goal, Chaney pours more than just basketball into what she does.

“We have a lot of Southern Lab alums at the school I’m one, too,” Brister said. “When I say Quianna is about everything Southern Lab, I mean it She is a great physical education teacher for our elementary students. They love her And if there’s any event or ceremony that involves our students, she’s almost always there.”

Chaney’s second act at Southern Lab is a family affair, too. After retiring as an educator from a public school system, Brenda Chaney joined the cafeteria staff at Southern Lab. The coach’s mother and one of her aunts handle pregame and postgame meals for the Kittens this year Asked about her future plans, Chaney smiles and says, “I have no idea about the future. This right now it’s good.”

Staff report

SEC tourney ‘toughest’ in years

BY STEVE REED AP sportswriter

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Dawn

Staley has won eight Southeastern Conference Tournament titles since taking over as head coach at South Carolina in 2008.

She sees winning a ninth as the biggest challenge yet.

To say the SEC is loaded is an understatement The conference boasts five teams in the top 12 of the most recent AP poll, including No. 1 Texas, No. 5 South Carolina, No. 9 LSU, No. 10 Oklahoma and No. 12 Kentucky In all, seven teams are ranked in the Top 25, and that doesn’t include 17-time tournament champion Tennessee. The SEC is so competitive that the Sooners, despite their top-10 ranking, finished fifth in the conference and didn’t even receive a double bye in the tournament.

“By far, the toughest,” Staley said of this year’s level of competition in the SEC Tournament compared to previous seasons South Carolina (27-3) will be the No. 1 seed for the fourth straight season after winning a coin flip on Sunday with Texas. Both teams finished 15-1 in conference play and split the season series with South Carolina winning 67-50 on Jan. 12 in Columbia and the Longhorns responding with a 66-62 victory in Austin on Feb. 9. A highly anticipated rubber match could come Sunday in Greenville if both teams are able to make it through the gauntlet that awaits.

The Gamecocks have plenty of big-game experience They’ve won four of the last five SEC Tournament titles and two of the last three national championships. But Staley said all of that “goes down the drain” this year given the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the conference

“We have two teams that we didn’t have to deal with last year and that is Texas

and Oklahoma, and that will have an impact on the outcome,” Staley said “They had an impact in the regular season and now (will have an impact on) the tournament.”

Texas (29-2) enters the tournament on a 13-game winning streak and ranked first in the country for the first time in 21 years, a testament to the job coach Vic Schaefer has done in Austin.

It helps that the Longhorns have one of the best players in the country in Madison Booker, who is averaging 16 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. With Booker leading the way, Schaefer believes the Longhorns are capable of winning out

“We have a three-game

tournament and a six-game tournament in front of us, and the gauntlet that this group’s been through, there’s not going to be anything that they haven’t seen,” Schaefer said.

Although the Longhorns were disappointed they didn’t win the coin flip, they can take heart knowing that being the No. 2 seed might give them an easier path to Sunday’s championship game.

That’s because No. 3 seed LSU (27-4), a potential opponent in the semifinals, will be without star Flau’jae Johnson, who’ll miss the conference tournament with a shin injury Tigers coach Kim Mulkey said she wants

Johnson to get rested for the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky lured coach Kenny Brooks away from Virginia Tech last offseason and it has been a boon for the Wildcats, who finished fourth in the league despite having 11 new players Georgia Amoore and Clara Strack followed Brooks to Lexington, as did some of his incoming recruits, and the team has a very Atlantic Coast Conference feel to it.

But the Wildcats (22-6) have adjusted well.

“The beautiful thing about the SEC being stacked is we’re part of the stack, and we’re excited about that,” Brooks said.

Brooks called Amoore, who needs just eight assists to break the school’s single-season assist record, “the best point guard in the country.” Strack, who had 23 points in Sunday’s loss at South Carolina, has taken a huge step forward as a sophomore.

The Sooners (23-6) are on a seven-game winning streak, including a 91-84 win over No. 20 Auburn on Sunday, but would need to win four games in four days to capture the tournament. A potential quarterfinal matchup with Kentucky awaits.

Eighth-seeded Vanderbilt (21-9) might not have the deepest team in the SEC, but the Volunteers have two women who can really fill it up. Mikayla Blakes and Khamil Pierre rank second and fourth in the SEC in scoring, both averaging more than 20 points per game.

A potential second-round matchup with in-state rival Tennessee appears imminent, providing the ninthseeded Lady Vols get by No. 16 seed Texas A&M. Tennessee (21-8) has struggled down the stretch and will have to play on the first day of the tournament, a shocking development for this once-dominant program.

KENTUCKY

Continued from page 1C

Kentucky’s leading scorer Otega Oweh shined on both ends as he got a steal in the passing lane, which allowed him to get a breakaway dunk. After LSU had a shot blocked on the ensuing possession, he came back down and converted an and-one shot in the post over Sears, giving Kentucky a 28-10 advantage with 7:59 left in the first half. Oweh had 11 points up to this point and finished with 24.

LSU was unable to disrupt the fluidity of Kentucky which entered halftime ahead 50-23.

Kentucky closed the half shooting 59% from the field and was 7 of 14 from the 3-point line, with five different players making a 3. This was in stark contrast to the grind that was the LSU offense. They couldn’t create as many easy looks and also came up blank too often on open layups and outside shots.

“Their bench gave them some big lifts from behind the 3-point line,” McMahon said.

“In their wins in league play, they make over 11 3s, and their losses only eight. And we were not able to defend the 3-point line well

enough tonight.” Kentucky finished with 12 3-pointers on 38% shooting. LSU shot 38% from the field and was 0 of 8 from the 3-point line at halftime. The leading scorer to that point was Miller with eight points on 4-of-8 shooting. Second was Williams who had six points on 3-of-4 shooting.

The rest of the team was 4 of 17 from the field.

“Their physicality on the defensive side of the ball is the difference in the game,” McMahon said.

“They disrupted everything we tried to do offensively The open shots we did get in the first half, we weren’t able to knock those in.”

To open the second half, McMahon didn’t open with starters Collins and Curtis Givens. He instead inserted Sears and Williams. The change didn’t turn the tide. The Tigers never made Kentucky uncomfortable as the Wildcats ended the game shooting 51% from the field.

LSU’s next game is the regular-season finale against No. 22 Texas A&M at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@ theadvocate.com

Mugs,

BY CHARLES SALZER

High, but the Yellow Jackets turned up the heat when they needed to. On a night when the good far outweighed the bad, fourth-seeded Denham Springs turned in a 75-57 regional-round win over No. 14 Westgate. The win advances Denham Springs (28-3) to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year The Yellow Jackets will host No. 6 Ruston, a 7854 winner over South Lafourche, on Friday Westgate ended its season at 14-10 “Knock on wood, but we’re

healthy so hopefully we can bring our best on Friday because we’re going to need it,” Jackets coach Kevin Caballero said. “This is a special team, and I don’t think they’re satisfied just making the quarters. It should be a great game Friday.”

Denham Springs got 26 points from Jeremy Williams and 18 from De’Jean Golmond, who accounted for half of the eight 3-pointers the Yellow Jackets made. After a close first quarter, Denham Springs outscored Westgate 23-6 in the second quarter to take a 45-24 halftime lead. In the third quarter, after Westgate had pulled to within 49-37, Williams started an 8-0 run with a three-point play, but the Tigers weren’t done Utilizing a full-court press,

Westgate forced six turnovers in the quarter’s last two minutes and outscored the Jackets 10-2. Trailing 59-47 going into the fourth quarter, Westgate got as close as 61-50 before Denham Springs regained control with a 10-2 run.

“The strength of our team is also the weakness of our team,” Caballero said. “We get on a run, good things are happening and then we make some bad decisions and turn the basketball over “We had a chance in the third quarter to really turn the corner, but credit (Westgate). They played extremely hard.”

We stgate freshman Cayden Lancelin, who scored 27 points in the Tigers’ firstround win over St Amant led his team with 18 points.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By NELL REDMOND

South Carolina forward Chloe Kitts reacts after

charged with

foul during the second half against Auburn on Feb 2 in Columbia, S.C. The Gamecocks have won four of the past five

Tournament titles.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL THOMAS Texas coach Vic Schaefer flashes the ‘Hook ’em Horns’

LIVING

BON VIVANT

cello bread pudding.

Get an early taste of spring at Carrabba’s Italian Grill, 7275 Corporate Blvd., Baton Rouge, with the restaurant’s seasonal cocktails entrees and dessert.

In the know

Girl Scout Cookie sale: 9 a.m. to

5 p.m. Saturday, March 8, and Sunday March 9, at La Divina Italian Cafe, 3535 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge Stock up on your favorite cookies and support the local Girl Scouts. If you’re feeling extra sweet, pair your cookies with a latte or gelato from La Divina. Bridal show and tasting: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at White Oak Estate and Gardens, 4111 Magnolia Grove Drive, Baton Rouge

This event is a one-stop destination for everything wedding planning. The show will feature bakeries, salons, photographers, musicians, florists, photobooths, wedding decor rentals and more. All guests will be able to sample an extensive selection of chef John Folse’s specialty wedding menus. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door, available for prepurchase at eventbrite.com. Learn something new Cooking and cocktails: 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at Oxbow Rum Distillery, 760 St Philip St., Baton Rouge

Combine the art of cooking, the magic of mixology and the allure of premium rum with Oxbow Distillery and chef Brandon Odom. Participate in an Oxbow distillery tour, cooking demonstration, cocktail demonstration, tasting session and more There are only 60 seats per session. Tickets are $125 per person, available for purchase by calling (225) 615-8044. Lenten specials

Gumbo Friday: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m Friday, March 21, at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 726 Maple St., Denham Springs For $10 per plate, choose between chicken and sausage gumbo or crawfish pies The gumbo plate includes gumbo, rice, potato salad and bread. Crawfish pie plates include pies, salad and bread. Purchase tickets at stfrancisgumbo. square.site or pay at pickup

If you have an upcoming food event or a kitchen question, email lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com. Cheers!

RECIPE FOR DISCOVERY

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

Opening a new restaurant is always a challenge. There’s food, staffing, design, permitting, and marketing decisions to make. But it’s even harder if people aren’t familiar with the cuisine a restaurant serves.

For Giannina Chavez, owner of Brasas Peru, that extra challenge is worth it. In 2023, Chavez opened Brasas Peru at 7520 Perkins Road. Chavez, who is from Lima, Peru opened the space in collaboration with her brother and sister-in-law, Renzo and Carolina Ibañez who now live out of state From ingredients to careful recipe preparation, Chavez and her team work to bring a taste of Peru to the table.

“Mexican restaurants are everywhere, and I already had one,” she said. Her first restaurant was in Florida.

“Doing a Peruvian restaurant was more challenging — it is more challenging, still is, but I have so much hope that people are gonna really get to know more and more about it,” Chavez said “They’re going to be more familiar with the flavors, with the food, with everything.”

One challenge of serving Peruvian food in Baton Rouge is that Chavez often has to teach people about the cuisine at the same time she’s trying to get them to come in and try it.

Ingredients at the center

To Chavez, the heart of Peruvian cuisine is the ingredients.

Peruvian food their signature flavor. When customers taste the dishes, Chavez said, it’s enough to send some back down memory lane or make others want to buy a ticket for a Peruvian vacation. But few, if any, stores in Baton Rouge routinely sell the ingredients to make Peruvian food properly, so Chavez and her team drive as far as Houston and Miami to get the things they need. Baton Rouge restaurant brings Peruvian flavors to the table

Peruvians have cultivated over 4,000 varieties of potatoes and hundreds of varieties of peppers

These particular ingredients give

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Cook Denia Quispe lets the pan catch on fire while cooking Lomo a lo

in Baton Rouge.

Today is Wednesday, March 5, the 64th day of 2025. There are 301 days left in the year Today in history

On March 5, 1770, the Boston Massacre took place as British soldiers who’d been taunted by a crowd of colonists opened fire, killing five people.

On this date:

In 1933, in German parliamentary elections six days after the Reichstag fire, the Nazi Party won 44% of the vote; the Nazis joined with a conservative nationalist party to gain a slender parliamentary majority

In 1946, Winston Churchill delivered a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, in which he said: “From Stettin in the Baltic, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.”

In 2004, Martha Stewart

was convicted in New York of conspiracy obstructing justice and lying to the government about why she’d sold her Imclone stock just before the stock’s price plummeted; her ex-stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic, also was found guilty in the stock scandal. (Each later received a fivemonth prison sentence.) In 2022, a promised ceasefire in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol collapsed amid scenes of terror in the besieged town. The number of people fleeing the country reached 1.4 million just 10 days after Russian forces invaded. Today’s birthdays: Actor Fred Williamson is 87. Magician Penn Jillette is 70. Actor Adriana Barraza is 69. Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin is 59. Actorcomedian Aasif Mandvi is 59. Rock musician John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 55. Actor Eva Mendes is 51. Model Niki Taylor is 50.

BEST

Continued from page 1D

fish-focused options today

On Fridays, Oak Point Grocery at the corner of Siegen Lane and Perkins Road, serves fish-based plate lunches. The options include fried shrimp and/ or fried catfish. You can pick one or the other or get the combination. I opted for the fried shrimp plate. The shrimp are bountiful and I mean bountiful (as in on my $13.99 plate, I was so overwhelmed by the sheer number that I decided to count the shrimp. There were 49!) My friend got the combo Her plate had two sizeable pieces of fried catfish and a heaping pile of shrimp (she didn’t count hers like I did). The catfish is wellseasoned and tasty The plate comes with two sides — a choice of French fries, potato salad and coleslaw

Notes: Be sure to pick up utensils, salt, ketchup or whatever sauces you want while you’re in the store, because they are not in the bag and you will be sitting in your car trying to figure out how to eat coleslaw with your fingers. Also, they stop serving lunch at 1:30 p.m.

— Jan Risher, Louisiana culture editor

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

The fried catfish and fried shrimp plate lunch at Oak Point Grocery in Baton Rouge is seriously filling as the meal comes with two sides.

Half

and Half Fried Seafood Platter

n The Chimes, 3357 Highland Road, Baton Rouge

Everyone and their mom has talked to me about the Chimes. It’s an institution, and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long since moving to the city to actually make it there to eat The seafood platter (I got half catfish and half stuffed shrimp) did not disappoint. The catfish was great, and the shrimp stuffed with crab meat was a real decadent treat. The fries were well-seasoned and everything you’d want them to be. The plate was so large that I had plenty of leftovers.

— Serena Puang, features writer

Best to get on with the meeting

Dear Miss Manners: The office where I work has about 20 people, half working in person and half remote. A young woman early in her career, who works remotely and is on several of the regular video calls I attend each week, is friendly and goes out of her way to say nice things to people. She is always the first to notice a new haircut or pair of glasses. I see that she values these types of compli-

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

ments, and I try to reciprocate. The issue is that this person dresses wildly — far outside the company dress code, with truly bizarre outfits and hair and makeup combinations that constantly catch me off guard. Think fuzzy bunny costumes with long floppy ears, dramatic eye shadow, tops made from repurposed straitjackets, and so on I’m not her supervisor and it’s not my job to cri-

tique her style, but these sartorial choices are going to hold her back if she stays in our field. I don’t want to encourage it (“Cool bunny ears!”), but am having a hard time thinking of appropriate, complimentary things to say in the moment.

Gentle reader: We agree that it is not your job to critique her clothing choices. Why then, would you think it is your job to praise them?

It is immaterial whether the meeting is remote or in person or for that matter, whether “in-person”

would be the right way to describe someone arriving at the office in a bunny costume. This is supposed to be a place of work. Wish her a good morning and get on with the meeting.

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.

Getting rid of harmful, pesky mold growth

Dear Heloise: I am a peritoneal dialysis patient and had initially experienced the mold growth condition similar to the one described in the “mold spores” letter you recently published. When it initially happened, I simply poured a little bleach in the collection container, then swished it around. It killed the mold almost immediately Unfortunately, unless I did this every day, the mold would come back. Given that my wife didn’t like having the bleach odor in our house any longer

than necessary, I ultimately chose to simply spray scented disinfectant spray into the container for approximately 10 seconds after emptying the container each morning. It has completely resolved the mold concern. In addition, because the scented spray has the added benefit of not having a stronger odor than bleach, it has been a win-win situation for us. — R.B., via email

Reusing jars

Dear Heloise: I was saving plastic jars from the big-box

stores that mixed nuts come in. They have a large mouth and a tightly fitting lid, and they are lightweight. These products now come in plastic bags, so I store rice, flour, sugar and pet food in them.

— Gloria, in Mission Viejo, California

Transferring spices

Dear Heloise: Thanks for your interesting column that I have followed for many years. When refilling some of my smaller spice containers with spices from a larger container I struggled with trying to get the dry ingredients through a funnel into the smaller jar I discov-

ered the best way to do it is to use cupcake paper Shake the dry ingredients into the cupcake paper, then pick it up, and curl it and the ingredients. This way, they will easily transfer into the spice jar with no spillage. I also have started using this to remove tea from tea bags to put into a metal tea ball, since I recently read that tea bags can contain microplastics. — T.E.I.,An Avid Reader

T.E.I., this is a clever idea. Thanks for your hint! — Heloise

Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

BRASAS PERU

Continued from page 1D

Brasas Peru’s rotisserie chicken, a signature dish, is cooked in a specialty oven that Chavez had shipped from Peru It took four months for the oven to make the pilgrimage to Louisiana, but one can’t argue with the taste The chickens are put in the oven an hour before opening and are consistently replaced and roasted throughout the day so they’re always ready for customers.

“The flavors are different,” said Yesenia “Yesy” Barton, who was born in Columbia and raised in Ecuador before moving to Baton Rouge. “It’s not something to be scared of. No one should be scared of trying something new.”

Barton met Chavez through dance events, and she’s now regular at Brasas. Barton says she loves eating at Brasas because the quality is consistently good. One of her favorite dishes is the seafood ceviche.

“It’s like the perfect mix of the shrimp with the raw fish that’s cooked in lime juice,” she said.

The dish also features a different variety of corn which has bigger, wider kernels and is served with sweet potatoes Barton recommends it as a starter dish for anyone just starting to eat Peruvian food.

“It’s absolutely perfect,” she said.

Another dish she loves is the Lomo a lo Pobre.

“It’s like steak for the poor,” said Barton, referencing the direct translation of the dish. “The beauty of that dish is that in our countries, (in South America) when there’s not enough money in the household, it’s like a comfort food dish where you have rice and a fried egg and steak — sauteed steak with onions and peppers and some plantain, sweet plantain.”

For Yari Garcia who lives in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Brasas is a place she’s sure to visit whenever she visits her daughter in Baton Rouge. After driving two hours, hunger sets in, and she starts to crave some-

thing that she knows will satisfy her

For Garcia, it’s Brasas.

What’s next?

On the business side, Chavez is known for adapting. If a customer calls ahead and tells her they have a limited time for lunch, she can make sure the food is on the table when they arrive. The restaurant also has a selection of foods which are more immediately ready to go, like the rotisserie chicken which can be prepared quickly

When Chavez realized that there was a substantial Honduran population in Baton Rouge who craved dishes from home, she added some

classic Honduran dishes to the menu such as carne asada, Honduran steak and Baleada Sencilla. In the future, she hopes to open the space up to host bingo, trivia or more salsa dance nights.

“ There’s so much potential, and you can see that people come by (Baton Rouge) from different places. I hope they stay,” she said. “We need to bring something different to Baton Rouge. We need to let people learn more about Peruvian cuisine.” She’s ready to teach people, one plate at a time. Email Serena Puang at serena.puang@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By SERENA PUANG

Half and half seafood platter from the Chimes

By The Associated Press

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Owner Giannina Chavez holds a plate of Lomo a lo Pobre at Brasas Peru in Baton Rouge.

Hints from Heloise

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Check out every avenue before deciding your next move Patience will help you find your way to a better place. Put your energy into self-improvement, and you'll realize what's best for you.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Refuse to let anger set in when positive action is necessary. Simplify your life take care of unfinished business and organize your space to ensure you can optimize your time and talents.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Hesitation will work against you. When in doubt, take a pass and focus on what you feel comfortable doing. Be cognizant of situations that might jeopardize your health or well-being.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Pay attention, take notes and protect your interests. Refuse to pay for or buy into someone else's poor choices. Choose quality over quantity to ensure you satisfy your expectations.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Efficiency is the way forward. How others perceive you will depend on what you achieve. Put your best foot forward and make a lasting impression. Steer clear of volatile situations.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Remain in your comfort zone. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something questionable. Don't feel you have to impress anyone. A new look will boost your confidence.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Take a moment to evaluate your position and prospects. Try not to make comparisons

between yourself and others. Set your goals and standards to suit who you are and the lifestyle you aspire to.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) An open mind will lead to new beginnings and a new version of yourself. Trust your instincts and adjust what no longer suits your needs. Move on; taking advantage of something you encounter will help you gain ground.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Get out, strut your stuff and leave a lasting impression. It's time to take a leadership position, believe in yourself and pursue what you love most.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Revise your to-do list and eliminate tasks and requests that don't fit your schedule or help you get where you want to go. It's time to put yourself first. Be friendly but not a pushover.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan 19) Do what you have to do, and don't look back. It's up to you to make the moves that will satisfy your needs. You can't please everyone, so make a point to please yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb 19) Sit tight; wait, watch and assess situations. Timing will make a difference regarding domestic issues and finances. Smart moves take planning, precision and patience.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

CeLebrItY CIpher For better or For WorSe

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

Sudoku

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

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Mark Twain said, “There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.”

At the bridge table, though, it is not cowardice to avoid temptation if that would risk your going down in a contract that must succeed with an alternative line of play. This deal features one of the strongest lures in bridge. How should South play in four spades after West leads the diamond jack?

Two no-trump is the right opening bid with that South hand. If North had raised tothreeno-trump,therewouldhavebeen nine easy tricks. But it was normal to use Stayman.

South starts with four potential losers: threeheartsandoneclub.Hehasninetop tricks: five spades, three diamonds and one club. It is tempting to draw trumps and to try the club finesse. If it wins, declarer is trying for an overtrick, but whathappenswhenitloses?UnlessWest unwisely shifts to hearts, South should lose three hearts and go down one.

The club finesse should be avoided. Instead,attricktwo,declarershouldplay aspadetodummy’squeen.Whenthesuit does not break 4-0, South draws trumps, cashes his two remaining diamond winners and the club ace, then leads the club queen. West wins but is endplayed. If he shifts to a heart, declarer plays second hand low and loses only two tricks in the suit. Alternatively, if West returns a diamondoraclub,Southruffsinthedummy (gaining a sixth spade trick) and sluffs a heart from his hand. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Wuzzle

Previous answers:

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

toDAY’s WoRD — LouVERs: LOO-vers: Openings provided with slanted fins to allow the flow of air.

Average mark 28 words

Time limit 30 minutes

Can you find 33 or more words in LOUVERS?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD — WIDGEon

thought

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

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