The Acadiana Advocate 03-11-2025

La. oversight of Medicaid criticized

Audit questions spending for $2.4B

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

The Louisiana Department of Health failed to properly oversee some $2.4 billion in Medicaid spending aimed at improving the health of the state’s neediest patients, according to a new report from the Louisiana Legislative

Auditor’s Office.

The report, released Monday, found that over the past five years, the state’s Managed Care Incentive Program, which turned to Ochsner Health and a consortium that includes LSU Health New Orleans, LCMC Health and Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System to run the program,

spent more than half the money on administrative expenses and other costs that did not have a measurable impact on patient health outcomes.

“The sole focus of this program was to improve the health outcomes of Medicaid beneficiaries but that’s not happening,” Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack

said in an interview Monday “The funds are not making it all the way down to the hospitals that are doing the work.”

The issues identified with the Managed Care Incentive Program, or MCIP, which was designed to increase Medicaid patients’ access to preventive medical care, improve management of chronic diseases and offer other services, underscored the challenges Louisiana faces as it tries to improve

Report details roof impacts

La. homes with fortified coverings can save residents money

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

The benefits of getting a fortified roof in south Louisiana — including lower insurance premiums and fewer hurricane losses — generally outweigh the cost of putting the roof on, according to a new study by state auditors.

The report, released Monday by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office, found most people who have taken advantage of a state grant program to install a stronger roof have seen insurance pre-

miums drop. The median recipient saw a 22% discount, saving them $1,250 a year

The findings are a boost to the state’s fortified roof program as lawmakers consider whether to continue funding it. High insurance premiums are wreaking havoc in hurricane-prone communities in south Louisiana.

Still, the report found that Louisiana is behind the curve in widespread adoption of fortified roofs, and adding more of them could make the state more attractive to the reinsurance market and lower insurance costs. Reinsurers, which offer

insurance for insurance companies, play an outsized role in deciding how much Louisiana homeowners pay in premiums. And strengthening Louisiana’s buildings en masse could ultimately result in bigger drops in premiums.

Fortified roofs, which involve stronger fasteners and water sealant, are more wind resistant, making it less likely a home will take on serious damage if a hurricane hits. Louisiana, which began offering grants to help build them in 2023, has

the health of its lowest-income residents.

The state ranked 49th in health outcomes when the program went into effect in 2019 and has since slipped to 50th. Federal and state Medicaid funding in Louisiana was nearly $15 billion in 2024. While the MCIP program represents only 4.8% of that total, the report raises

See MEDICAID, page 4A

Education stipend program draws families

Nearly 14,000 have signed up for scholarships

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Nearly 14,000 eligible Louisiana families have signed up for the state’s new LA GATOR scholarship program since applications opened this month, according to new state data, suggesting that demand for the stipends will almost certainly exceed supply

The centerpiece of Gov Jeff Landry’s education agenda, the new program will give tax dollars to eligible families to help pay for private-school tuition or approved expenses, such as tutoring, textbooks or special-education services. The application period, which started March 1 and runs through April 15, is being closely watched as an early indicator of public interest in the scholarships.

Proponents are sure to point to the figures when state lawmakers convene next month to hammer out the state budget and decide on funding for programs, including LA GATOR.

The initial application numbers show that “people across the entire state are interested” in the program and “looking for opportunities for their children,” said state Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton

See EDUCATION, page 6A

Ukraine to propose limited ceasefire during talks with U.S.

BY MATTHEW LEE and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia A Ukrainian delegation set to meet with America’s top diplomat in Saudi Arabia about ending the three-year war with Russia will propose a ceasefire covering the Black Sea and long-range missile strikes, as well as the release of prisoners, two senior Ukrainian officials said Monday

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about Tuesday’s meeting, also told The Associated Press that the Ukrainian delegation is ready during the talks to sign an

agreement with the United States on access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals — a deal that U.S. President Donald Trump is keen to secure. The officials discussed the confidence-building measures, with no further details, ahead of the Ukrainian negotiating team’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jeddah.

Kyiv is trying to repair the damage done when Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Feb. 28 visit to Washington descended into an Oval Office argument with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. At stake is the military aid and intelligence previously offered by the United States that had helped Ukraine

in the war but is now paused as Washington pushes for a peace agreement Rubio and Zelenskyy landed a few hours apart Monday in Saudi Arabia, though they were not expected to meet. Zelenskyy was to meet with the kingdom’s powerful crown prince Monday evening. Rubio also was due to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Speaking to reporters aboard his plane, Rubio said he and national security adviser Mike Waltz would take stock of Ukraine’s responses in Saudi Arabia.

If Ukraine and the U.S. reach an

ä See UKRAINE, page 4A

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, meets with Prince Saud bin Mishaal, deputy governor of Saudi Arabia’s Mecca region, right, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BILL FEIG

A fortified roof in south Louisiana can mean fewer hurricane losses, according to a new study by state auditors.

Jury: Disney didn’t copy ‘Moana’ from story

LOSANGELES A jury on Monday quickly rejected a man’s claim that Disney’s “Moana” was stolen from his story of a young surfer in Hawaii.

The Los Angeles federal jury deliberated for only about 2½ hours before deciding that the creators of “Moana” never had access to writer and animator Buck Woodall’s outlines and script for “Bucky the Surfer Boy.”

With that question settled, the jury of six women and two men didn’t even have to consider the similarities between “Bucky” and Disney’s 2016 hit animated film about a questing Polynesian princess.

Woodall had shared his work with the stepsister of his brother’s wife, who worked for a different company on the Disney lot, but the woman testified during the two-week trial that she never showed it to anyone at Disney

“Obviously we’re disappointed,” Woodall’s attorney Gustavo Lage said outside court. “We’re going to review our options and think about the best path forward.”

In closing arguments earlier Monday, Woodall’s attorney said that a long chain of circumstantial evidence and similarities so numerous they can’t be coincidences make it clear that his story “Bucky the Surfer Boy” was the basis for the hit 2016 animated film.

“There was no ‘Moana’ without ‘Bucky,’” Lage said during closing arguments in a Los Angeles courtroom.

Defense lawyer Moez Kaba said that the evidence shows overwhelmingly that “Moana” was clearly the creation and “crowning achievement” of the 40-year career of John Musker and Ron Clements, the writers and directors behind 1989’s “The Little Mermaid,” 1992’s “Aladdin,” 1997’s ”Hercules” and 2009’s “The Princess and the Frog.” Syria signs deal with Kurdish-led authorities

JABLEH, Syria Syria’s interim government signed a deal Monday with the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country’s northeast, including a ceasefire and the merging of the main U.S.-backed force there into the Syrian army

The deal is a major breakthrough that would bring most of Syria under the control of the government, which is led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir alSham that led the ouster of President Bashar Assad in December.

The deal was signed by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

The deal to be implemented by the end of the year would bring all border crossings with Iraq and Turkey, airports and oil fields in the northeast under the central government’s control. Prisons where about 9,000 suspected members of the Islamic State group are also expected to come under government control.

Syria’s Kurds will gain their “constitutional rights” including using and teaching their language, which were banned for decades under Assad Hundreds of thousands of Kurds, who were displaced during Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war, will return to their homes. Thousands of Kurds living in Syria who have been deprived of nationality for decades under Assad will be given the right of citizenship, according to the agreement.

25 killed when boat capsizes in Congo

KINSHASA,Congo — A boat has capsized in southwestern Congo and killed 25 people, many of them soccer players, authorities said Monday

The players were returning from a match in Mushie city in Maï-Ndombe province on Sunday night when the vessel capsized on the Kwa River, said Alexis Mputu, the provincial spokesperson.

Mputu suggested that the poor visibility at night may have been a factor At least 30 other people survived, said Renacle Kwatiba, the local administrator of Mushie territory

Cargo ship hits fuel tanker off England

Jet fuel pouring into North Sea from vessel

BY JILL LAWLESS Associated Press

LONDON A cargo ship hit a tanker carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military off eastern England on Monday setting both vessels ablaze and sending fuel pouring into the North Sea.

One crew member was missing hours later, and search efforts continued, the cargo ship’s owner Ernst Russ, said in a statement.

Earlier, local lawmaker Graham Stuart said all 37 from both ships were safe and accounted for, with one hospitalized. The collision triggered a major rescue operation by lifeboats, coast guard aircraft and commercial vessels.

Stuart said he was concerned about the “potential ecological impact” of the spill. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch was investigating its cause.

The U.S.-flagged chemical and oil products tanker MV Stena Immaculate was at anchor near the port of Grimsby on Monday morning after sailing from Greece, according to ship-tracking site VesselFinder The Portugal-flagged container ship Solong was sailing from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands when it struck the tanker’s side.

U.S.-based maritime management

firm Crowley, which operates the Stena Immaculate, said the tanker “sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel,” when the container ship struck it, triggering a fire and “multiple explosions onboard,” with fuel released into the sea.

It said all 23 mariners on the tanker were safe and accounted for

The Stena Immaculate was operating as part of the U.S. government’s Tanker Security Program, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to

carry fuel for the military when needed.

Britain’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the alarm was raised at 9:48 a.m. Humber Coast Guard asked vessels with firefighting equipment and those who could help with search and rescue to head to the scene about 155 miles north of London.

Video footage aired by British broadcasters and apparently filmed from a nearby vessel showed thick black smoke pouring from both ships.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said details of the collision and its cause “are still becoming clear.”

Abdul Khalique, head of the Maritime Center at Liverpool John Moores University, said it appeared the crew of the cargo ship had not been “maintaining a proper lookout by radar” as required by international maritime regulations

Greenpeace U.K. said it was too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage from the collision, which took place in a busy fishing ground and close to major seabird colonies

Scientists said the environmental impact might be less severe than with a spill of heavier crude oil.

“Whilst the images look worrying, from the perspective of the impact to the aquatic environment, it’s less of a concern than if this had been crude oil because most of the jet fuel will evaporate very quickly,” said Mark Hartl of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Biotechnology at Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University

Mark Sephton, professor of organic geochemistry at Imperial College London, said jet fuel disintegrates more quickly than crude oil, and warmer temperatures speed biodegradation.

“In the end, it all depends on the rate of introduction of fuel and the rate of destruction by bacteria,” he said. “Let’s hope the latter wins out.”

Associated Press journalist Krutika Pathi in London contributed.

Trump: Arrest of activist at Columbia ‘first of many’

Palestinian grad student helped lead protests against Gaza war

BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ and PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press

NEW YORK President Donald Trump warned Monday that the arrest and possible deportation of a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests at Columbia University will be the first “of many to come” as his administration cracks down on campus demonstrations against Israel and the war in Gaza.

Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful U.S.

resident who was a graduate student at Columbia until December, was detained Saturday by federal immigration agents in New York and flown to an immigration jail in Louisiana Homeland Security officials said

while the court considered his case. A hearing was scheduled for Wednesday Typically, expelling a person who has permanent residency in the U.S. requires a high bar, such as that person being convicted of certain types of crimes, but Khalil has not been charged with any crimes over his activities during campus unrest last year at the university.

Khalil’s arrest was a result of Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antisemitism.

“We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

“We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again.”

Khalil’s detention drew outrage from civil rights groups and free speech advocates, who accused the administration of using its immigration enforcement powers to squelch criticism of Israel.

His lawyers filed a lawsuit challenging his detention. A federal judge in New York City ordered that Khalil not be deported

He’s the first person known to be detained for deportation under Trump’s promised crackdown on student protests. Federal immigration authorities also visited a second international student at Columbia on Friday evening and attempted to take her into custody but were not allowed to enter the apartment, according to a union representing the student. The woman has not been identified, and it’s not clear what grounds the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency had for the visit. Trump has argued that protesters forfeited their rights to remain in the country by supporting the Palestinian group Hamas that controls Gaza. The U.S. has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Khalil and other student leaders of Columbia University Apartheid Divest have rejected claims of antisemitism, saying they are part of a broader anti-war movement that also includes Jewish students and groups. But the protest coalition, at times, has also voiced support for leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Islamist organization designated by the U.S. as a terrorist group.

The Republican administration on Monday also warned some 60 colleges that they could lose federal money if they fail to make campuses safe for Jewish students.

Doctors say Pope Francis no longer in imminent danger

Pontiff remains hospitalized

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

ROME Doctors said Monday Pope Francis is no longer in imminent danger of death as a result of pneumonia that has kept him hospitalized for nearly a month, but have decided to keep him hospitalized for several more days to receive treatment.

In a late update, the doctors said the 88-year-old pope remains stable and has consolidated improvements in recent days, as determined by blood tests and positive responses to drug treatments.

The Vatican said the doctors had lifted their previous “guarded” prognosis, meaning they determined he was no longer in imminent danger as a result of the original respiratory infection he arrived with on Feb. 14 But their caution remained.

“However, in view of the complexity of the clinical picture and the important infectious picture presented on admission, it will be necessary to continue medical drug therapy in a hospital setting for additional days,” according to the Vatican statement.

In a sign of his improved health, Francis followed the Vatican’s weeklong spiritual retreat via videoconference on Monday in both the morning and afternoon sessions.

Pasolini is delivering a series of meditations this week on “The hope of eternal life,” a theme that was chosen well before Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 with a complex lung infection

The retreat, an annual gathering that kicks off the Catholic Church’s solemn Lenten season leading to Easter, continues through the week. The Vatican has said Francis would participate “in spiritual communion” with the rest of the hierarchy, from afar Francis also resumed his physical and respiratory therapy at the Gemelli hospital, and rested and prayed inbetween. Francis has been using a nasal tube for supplemental oxygen to help him breathe during the day and a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask at night, therapy that he was continuing Monday The 88-year-old pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, had what was just a bad case of bronchitis when he was hospitalized last month The infection progressed into a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia that has sidelined Francis for the longest period of his 12-year papacy and raised questions about the future.

As he did on Sunday, Francis participated in the retreat remotely from the Rome hospital where he is being treated. He could see and hear the Rev Roberto Pasolini, preacher of the papal household, but the priests, bishops and cardinals gathered for the retreat in the Vatican auditorium could not see or hear him.

A Catholic nun crosses herself Sunday during a

PHOTO PROVIDED By BARTEK SMIAŁEK

Smoke billows Monday from a vessel after a cargo ship hit a tanker carrying jet fuel off eastern England, setting both ablaze and sending fuel pouring into the North Sea

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANCISCO SECO

prayer of the Rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

Khalil

DA won’t support resentencing Menendez brothers

BY CHRISTOPHER WEBER

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES The district attorney of Los Angeles County said Monday that he does not support the resentencing of Lyle and Erik Menendez because the brothers have repeatedly lied about why they killed their parents at their Beverly Hills home in 1989.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters his decision hinged on whether the brothers’ had exhibited “insight and complete responsibility” into lies told during their trial, including their original claim that they did not kill their parents He said their repeated argument that they shot their parents in self-defense does not match the facts of the case that showed premeditated steps to plan the killings and make it look like a gang hit.

“They have lied to everyone for the last 30 years,” Hochman said.

Hochman compared the Menendez case to that of Sirhan Sirhan, who shot and killed U.S. Sen. Robert F.

Kennedy in 1968. He noted that, like the Menendez brothers, Sirhan had many letters of support and was determined to be a lowrisk inmate. However, Gov. Gavin Newsom blocked his parole in 2022, saying Sirhan still poses an unreasonable threat to the public.

Hochman called it an “instructive case” because, like Sirhan, the Menendez brothers “fell short” of taking full responsibility for their crimes.

The county’s top prosecutor said he would support resentencing in the future if the brothers “finally come clean with the court, with the public, with the DA’s office, with their own family members and acknowledge all these lies.” He acknowledged the siblings have taken positive steps toward rehabilitation, including earning advanced degrees and repeatedly scoring low on inmate risk assessments. A resentencing hearing initiated by a court has been scheduled for later in March

The pair began their bid for freedom in recent

Trump predicts no shutdown as Congress faces spending deadline

BY NIELS LESNIEWSKI CQ-Roll Call (TNS)

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump alleged Sunday that “the Democrats want” a government shutdown at the end of this week, but he predicted that a lapse in appropriations probably will not take place this time.

“I think the CR is going to get passed. We’ll see. But it could happen,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, referring to a continuing resolution that would extend current funding until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 The current funding extension expires at the end of Friday

The wrangling over that continuing resolution to prevent a partial shutdown will dominate the agenda for both the House and the Senate this week. The House Republican majority posted text of a stopgap appropriations measure Saturday that is not a bipartisan agreement. Democrats sought provisions to ensure that appropriated funds will actually be spent — and not subject

to the potential whims of the Elon Musk-led office known as the Department of Government Efficiency

“Democrats have a choice to join us or display their true intentions Should they choose to vote to shut the government for negotiation leverage and their contempt of President Trump, they are readying to hurt hundreds of millions more,” House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, said in a weekend statement. “It’s a battle they lost in November, and one the people will continue to see through.”

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, is arguing for a shorter stopgap that would preserve the possibility of an omnibus.

“Congress — not Trump or Musk — should decide through careful bipartisan negotiations how to invest in our states and districts — and whether critical programs that support students, veterans, families, and patients get funded or not,” Murray said in a statement.

Rubio: Purge of USAID programs complete

Most of agency’s programs gone

BY ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press

WASHINGTON Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday the Trump administration had finished its sixweek purge of programs of the six-decade-old U.S Agency for International Development and he would move the 18% of aid and development programs that survived under the State Department.

Rubio made the announcement in a post on X, in one of his relatively few public comments on what has been a historic shift away from U.S. foreign aid and development, executed by Trump political appointees at State and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency teams.

Rubio thanked DOGE and “our hardworking staff who worked very long hours to achieve this overdue and historic reform” in foreign aid. In another final step in the breakup of USAID, the Trump administration on Monday gave USAID staffers abroad until April 6 to move back to the United

years after new evidence of their father’s sexual abuse emerged, and they have the support of most of their extended family

Family members of Erik and Lyle Menendez slammed Hochman’s assertion that the brothers do not meet the standards for re-

sentencing.

“Let’s be clear: Erik and Lyle are not the same young boys they were more than 30 years ago,” the Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition said in a statement Monday. “They have apologized for the horrific actions they took. They have apologized

to us. And, they have demonstrated their atonement through actions that have helped improve countless lives. Yet, DA Hochman is effectively asking for them to publicly apologize to a checklist of actions they took in a state of shock and fear.”

Hochman, who took office in December, said last month that he opposed a new trial for the Menendez brothers. The siblings, who are now in their 50s, were sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted in 1996 of the murders of their entertainment executive father Jose Menendez and mother Kitty Menendez.

In October, then-District Attorney George Gascón, who Hochman defeated in November’s election, recommended the brothers be resentenced to 50 years to life, which would make them immediately eligible for parole. Hochman called his predecessor’s recommendation a “desperate political move.”

In addition to pursuing resentencing, they have also submitted a clemency plea to Newsom, who had said he would not make a decision until Hochman reviewed the case. The governor last month ordered the state parole board to investigate whether the brothers would pose a risk to the public if they are released.

Canada’s next PM: Transition will be quick

BY ROB GILLIES Associated Press

TORONTO Canada’s next prime minister met with outgoing prime minister

Justin Trudeau on Monday and vowed a quick transition.

Mark Carney said he had a long meeting with Trudeau in which they discussed U.S.-Canada relations, national security issues and the timing of the handover in power

“That transition will be seamless and it will be quick,” said Carney, adding there would be an announcement soon. Carney, a two-time central bank chief, will become prime minister after the gov-

High court to hear conversion therapy ban case

BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

States if they want to do so on the government’s tab, according to a USAID email sent to staffers and seen by The Associated Press. Staffers say the deadline gives them scant time to pull children from school, sell homes or break leases, and, for many find somewhere to live after years away from the United States. President Donald Trump on Jan 20 issued an executive order directing a freeze offoreignassistancefunding and a review of all of the tens of billions of dollars of U.S. aid and development work abroad. Trump charged that much of foreign assistance was wasteful and advanced a liberal agenda. Rubio’s social media post Monday said that review was now “officially ending,” with some 5,200 of USAID’s 6,200 programs eliminated. Those programs “spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States,” Rubio wrote “In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18% of programs we are keeping to be administered more effectively under the State Department,” he said.

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court agreed on Monday in a case from Colorado to decide whether state and local governments can enforce laws banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children.

The conservative-led court is taking up the case amid actions by President Donald Trump targeting transgender people, including a ban on military service and an end to federal funding for gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

The justices also have heard arguments in a Tennessee case over whether state bans on treating transgender minors violate the Constitution. But they have yet to issue a decision.

Colorado is among roughly half the states that prohibit the practice of trying to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity through counseling.

The issue is whether the law violates the speech rights of counselors. Defenders of such laws argue that they regulate the conduct of professionals who are licensed by the state.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver upheld the state law The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta has struck down local bans in Florida. In 2023, the court had turned away a similar challenge, despite a split among federal appeals courts that had weighed state bans and come to differing decisions.

erning Liberal Party elected him its leader Sunday in a landslide vote with 85.9% support Carney 59, replaces Trudeau who announced his resignation in January but remains prime minister until his successor is sworn in. Carney is widely expected to trigger a parliamentary election in the coming days or weeks amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff and annexation threats. Or the opposition parties in Parliament could force one with a no-

confidence vote later this month.

Carney is a former Goldman Sachs executive with no experience in politics.

He navigated crises when he was the head of the Bank of Canada from 2008, and then in 2013 when he became the first noncitizen to run the Bank of England since it was founded in 1694. His appointment won bipartisan praise in the U.K. after Canada recovered from the 2008 financial crisis faster than many other countries. He helped managed the worst impacts of Brexit in the U.K. The opposition Conservatives had hoped to make the election about Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. But Trump’s trade war and his talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Some are canceling trips south of the border, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can. The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered the Liberal Party’s chances in a parliamentary election, and Liberal showings have been improving in opinion polls.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAMIAN DOVARGANES

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, at podium, speaks Monday during a news conference in downtown Los Angeles.

understanding acceptable to Trump, that could accelerate his administration’s push to peace talks.

“What we want to know is, are they interested entering some sort of peace conversation and general outlines of the kinds of things they could consider, recognizing that it has been a costly and bloody war for the Ukrainians They have suffered greatly and their people have suffered greatly,” Rubio said “And it’s hard in the aftermath of something like that to even talk about concessions, but that’s the only way this is going to end and prevent more suffering.”

He added: “I’m not going to set any conditions on what they have to or need to do. I think we want to listen to see how far they’re willing to go and then compare that to what the Russians want and see how far apart we truly are.”

Zelenskyy has said his team meeting Rubio will include his chief of staff Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andriy

Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov Rubio will lead the U.S. team. The rest of Europe remains skeptical about the talks as it has been sidelined by Washington.

The European Union last week agreed to boost the continent’s defenses and to free up hundreds of billions of euros for security in response to the Trump administration’s shift in stance on Ukraine.

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News on Monday that the pause of U.S. intelligence-sharing with Ukraine has not limited defense intelligence-sharing.

“We never shut off intelligence for anything defensive that the Ukrainians need,” Witkoff said A pause on sharing U.S. intelligence that can be used for offensive purposes by Ukrainian forces remains in effect, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity The official suggested that progress could be made toward reinstating intelligencesharing with Ukraine during the Saudi talks.

questions about how to effectively use the federal funding provided through Medicaid at a time when the safety-net program, which was expanded under former Gov John Bel Edwards, has since been targeted for potential cuts by Republicans in Congress and Gov Jeff Landry

“We have continued to look at Medicaid because Louisiana has spent a lot of money over the last eight years on Medicaid expansion, but we never can seem to get off the bottom,” Waguespack said. Dueling networks

The report highlighted several problems with the incentive program since its inception in 2018. Among them, auditors said the dueling networks of competing hospital systems tracked different “milestones” and health outcomes, making it impossible to compare the performance of the two.

More than 18% of the program expenditures between 2019 and 2024 — approximately $437 million went to “non-milestone” activities, such as submitting annual reports, holding annual meetings and other administrative tasks that “do not improve the quality of services for Medicaid beneficiaries.”

Additionally, around 63% of

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awarded less grant funding per coastal household than Alabama, North Carolina and Florida, according to the report. And the program continues to be a challenge for many low-income households, given that homeowners must come out of pocket for typically thousands of dollars and meet other requirements. Louisiana’s fortified roof program, which doles out $10,000 grants to homeowners, has emerged as a widely agreed on solution to the state’s insurance crisis. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple is expected to advocate for a permanent funding source for the program during the legislative session this spring And Gov Jeff Landry has indicated an

program expenditures over five years some $1.5 billion went to “non-measurable” milestones that are not directly associated with quality health outcomes, the audit said. Among the examples cited was $7.3 million the Ochsnerrun network received to “identify ideas to improve prenatal health care services,” and $4.9 million the LSU Health-run network received to hold an awards ceremony and conference.

The report, while critical of the program overall and the Health Department’s lack of oversight, specifically cited problems with the network of Ochsner hospitals and affiliates, called the Quality Outcome and Improvement Network, and raised questions about a lack of documentation relating to $46 million in program money it spent on “administrative and management” and other costs.

The audit suggested that the network’s failure to account for those funds could violate the state constitution.

In its lengthy response to the audit, the network’s executive director, Lane Sisung, disputed its conclusions.

Sisung said the audit “omits critical information, regarding the MCIP program, reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of applicable federal law and includes many inaccuracies and conclusions not supported by evidence.”

openness to requiring insurers to provide certain discounts to people who put the roofs on, something Temple, a fellow Republican has opposed

“The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program is a vital part of building resiliently in Louisiana, and I believe the program is off to a great start,” Temple said in a statement He noted that 3,800 people have gotten a fortified roof outside the grant program, up from under 900 a year ago. The state’s insurance market has been in tumult since a series of hurricanes rocked the state in 2020 and 2021, causing 12 insurers doing business here to collapse.

Some other insurers pulled out of the market. Thousands of people were forced onto the rolls of Citizens, the insurer of last resort, which charges higher premiums.

The resulting crisis has

He disputed the auditor’s position on the $46 million, saying that “any suggest QIN’s payments are unconstitutional is contradictory to both the facts and Louisiana law.”

“Ultimately, the report will likely result in misunderstandings by the Legislature and the public, both of which are inconsistent with the Report’s goals,” he said.

In its response to the audit, the LQN, which is headed by LSU Health Vice Chancellor Ben Lousteau, said while there are aspects of the Medicaid incentive program that can be improved, “the design and implementation has been accomplished in good faith, a compliant fashion and has been integral to preserving and improving health care in our state.”

The state Health Department, in its response to the audit, agreed with the findings and said it is already making changes to the program.

In a statement Monday afternoon, the Health Department spokesperson Emma Herrock said that even before the audit, LDH leadership reviewed the MCIP program and recognized that significant improvements needed to be made, such as a critical need for increased oversight and reevaluation of protocols to ensure that funding is correlated with improved health outcomes.”

The department began making those changes last year, restruc-

threatened residents’ ability to stay in their homes, especially in coastal areas most at risk from hurricanes.

While the insurance crisis has also taken root in other parts of the U.S., especially California and Florida, the legislative auditor’s report found Louisiana is uniquely hard-hit among Southern states.

Louisiana households spent 2.1% of their income on insurance, more than all southeastern states, including Florida.

Fortified roofs are gaining traction here, according to the report, even if the pace needs to pick up dramatically to cover a significant share of homes.

Most of the roofs are going to populous parishes in south Louisiana Orleans ranks first with nearly 1,500 fortified roofs. Orleans, St. Tammany and Jefferson parishes account for 70% of the 5,400 fortified roofs in the state.

turing the program and designing two new incentive arrangements for behavioral health and maternal health, she added.

Different milestones

The MCIP was established by the legislature in 2018 and went into effect one year later, offering to pay the six managed care companies that administer the state’s Medicaid program an additional 5% a year if they could improve patient access to care and health outcomes.

The program was supposed to improve health outcomes by reducing emergency room visits, increasing checkups with primary care doctors and increasing preventive care screenings like mammograms and blood pressure monitoring.

According to the audit, however those companies, which include Blue Cross, Humana and United Healthcare, have had little to do with the program, which, instead, has been run by two “quality networks” the Ochsner-run QIN, and the Louisiana Quality Network, which is run by LSU Health.

The audit faults the Health Department for allowing networks of competing hospital systems that, since the program’s inception, have not wanted to work together and have used different “milestones” to measure performance.

The Ochsner network, for in-

stance, is measured on the outcome of its diabetic members while LQN is measured on increasing the number of breast cancer screenings. The report found this approach was intentional and, it suggests, wasteful because it prevents “disagreements regarding the payments each network should receive based on their performance.”

The Health Department responded that it is changing the program to have a uniform set of milestones that both networks will be measured against.

The report took particular aim at the Ochsner-run QIN, questioning $38.2 million in administrative and management expenses the network incurred and another $8.4 million paid directly to Ochsner Health for “other costs.”

Auditors, who spent months researching and preparing the report, “asked QIN and Ochsner for documents such as invoices” to support both payments but the health system refused, “stating that the documentation supporting these costs is protected under attorney-client privilege.”

Sisung said that “QIN disagrees with the report’s recommendations and urges the state to exercise caution before taking any action.”

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

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SAUL LOEB

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, right, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio meet at the Royal Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday

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“I

EDUCATION

Continued from page 1A

Rouge, who chairs the Senate Education Committee and carried the LA GATOR bill last year “I think that will catch legislators’ attention.”

About 16,700 families have applied online for the program since March 1, and more than 13,900 have been deemed eligible, according to data provided Monday by the Louisiana Department of Education. Roughly 1,800 of the submitted applications are still under review

The scholarships will range from $5,200 for families who don’t qualify as low-income to $15,200 for students with disabilities Recipients will be able to spend the money on tuition at participating private schools and a wide variety of state-approved expenses, including laptops, extracurricular activities and school uniforms.

But it’s almost certain that the state will not grant scholarships to every eligible family that applies. If demand exceeds funding, the state will give priority to students who currently receive school vouchers, followed by low-income students and students with disabilities.

“Participation is always going to be determined by appropriation” by the Legislature, said state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley in a recent interview, adding that he believes Landry will “fight for funding for GATOR.”

Last month, Landry proposed putting $93.5 million into LA GATOR next school year its first in operation That would fund just under 11,500 scholarships, according to estimates in the governor’s spending plan.

If the state Legislature goes along with Landry’s plan, some 2,500 eligible families would not get scholarships, based on current numbers. And the gap between supply and demand

RONNIE MORRIS, president of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

will likely grow as more families apply before next month’s deadline. It remains to be seen whether lawmakers will agree to the full $93.5 million Landry proposed, which is double what the state spends annually on vouchers to help low-income families afford private school LA GATOR will replace school vouchers, and current voucher students are guaranteed scholarships if they apply

Last year, Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, and other lawmakers tried to scale back the proposed scholarship program amid concerns about its potentially huge cost and strong opposition from public-education advocates who said the program will drain resources from cashstrapped public schools while sending tax dollars to loosely regulated private and religious schools.

After Landry and proponents of the bill mounted a pressure campaign that included TV ads attacking reluctant lawmakers, the Legislature ultimately passed the LA GATOR bill mostly along party lines, with most Republicans in support and most Democrats opposed.

Now lawmakers will decide during the upcoming legislative session, which begins April 14, how much money to give the program. Their decision will determine how many families get scholarships next school year and how many will be left empty-handed

LA GATOR supporters hope the application numbers will convince lawmakers to give the program at least the amount Landry

requested.

“I think the parent response sends a clear message,” said Ronnie Morris, president of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. “Obviously there’s a significant number of parents that are interested in this opportunity.”

Students who received school vouchers this year and children from families with a total income at or below 250% of federal poverty guidelines ($80,375 for a family of four) are eligible for scholarships next school year Incoming kindergartners and public school students from families with any level of income are also eligible.

Current voucher students will continue receiving tuition money if they apply for LA GATOR. As of Monday, about half of the roughly 5,600 voucher students had signed up for the new program, but Education Department officials said they expect the number to grow In a statement Monday, Landry celebrated the initial application numbers.

“The high demand for the LA GATOR Scholarship Program shows the value this program provides to families across our state,” he said. “Expanding school choice and ensuring parents are in charge of their child’s education will continue to be our top priority.”

Jan Risher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Dulcimer leads to more than music

Maylee Samuels has been playing the dulcimer for 30 years, and in advance of a local dulcimer St. Patrick’s Day-themed workshop set for Friday she offered me a lesson.

“It’s one of those things that if you pick it up and start playing with it, you realize how much enjoyment you can get out of it,” Samuels said.

She is right. Sitting with the long, threestringed instrument in my lap and making legitimate music, albeit alongside an expert, was a blast. Samuels is an excellent teacher I loved harkening back to all those piano lessons — remembering how to follow music with my eyes while my hands did something else. That said, even if I had come to the lesson with zero musical knowledge, Samuels would have carried on undeterred

“A lot of people I teach don’t have any musical instrument at all,” she said. “The goal for lesson one is to be able to talk and strum and keep the rhythms going — and not even realize that you’re strumming with your hand.”

Once we had accomplished the feat of my automatically strumming with a pick in my right hand, we began to focus on my left hand hitting the right frets to get chords for songs “The thing that makes the dulcimer unique is, if you look at it, the frets are unequal,” Samuels said She explained the connection between the frets and, in my piano parlance, “the black keys” or half notes.

Based on the single hour I spent learning to play, I was amazed at how easy it was — and like Samuels said, how much enjoyment could come from strumming chords and making music with someone else. (Granted, I was steadily strumming, and she was doing fancy fingerpicking )

Samuels teaches regular classes and jams with a group of local dulcimer enthusiasts multiple times a week. She is a part of Baton Rouge-based Lagniappe Dulcimer Society, the ones hosting the Friday workshop and concert, including Irish music to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and a performance by Jessica Comeau.

Spending time with someone like Samuels is such a great reminder that there are people out there doing things on a regular basis that I know so little about — and just how much fun all those things can be.

Playing a dulcimer falls in that category. Within minutes of sitting down for my lesson in Samuels’ home, we were jamming to “Bile Them Cabbage Down,” a tune based on an old English country dance, first printed in 1765 and recorded much later by Hank Williams. Samuels’ home is covered in dulcimers. She said she has had to curtail her habit of buying the instrument.

She got started on the dulcimer in the same way she said many other people do — on vacation in North Carolina.

“We stopped to get gas and this fellow had all these dulcimers hung around in his filling station,” she said. “We didn’t get one, but I kept thinking about them On the way back, we stopped again, and my husband said, ‘If you really want one, go ahead.’ So I got one and came back to Baton Rouge.”

When Lauren Cooper another Baton Rouge dulcimer enthusiast, first messaged me about learning to play the dulcimer I will confess that I couldn’t picture exactly what a dulcimer looked like. With a bit of research, I learned some of the instrument’s long history The mountain dulcimer was created in the Appalachian Mountains in the early 1800s, but the instrument’s history goes back much further

Doctor pleads not guilty to battery

Woman claims Sabbaghian inappropriately touched her

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

A Crowley doctor pleaded not guilty to a formal charge of misdemeanor sexual battery Monday after several women accused him

of sexual misconduct.

The charge stems from a complaint by a Lake Charles woman who alleged that Dr Ben Sabbaghian inappropriately touched her on or about Sept. 20, according to documents filed with the 31st Judicial District Court in Jennings.

In an interview with Lake Charles TV station KPLC, Vanessa Macato said she was referred to Sabbaghian for a colonoscopy after struggling with severe abdominal pain for months. During the appointment, Sabbaghian

asked her to lift up her shirt over her bra and touched her breasts without gloves, Macato alleged.

Macato said she panicked and let out a scream, causing him to back away Macato attended Sabbaghian’s arraignment hearing Monday in Jennings. Since her complaint, she said she feels like her life has been put on hold but said she is grateful for the support received from other women.

“(We want) to continue to get his name out there,” she said. “That’s our main goal and hopefully

for him to lose his license. But if anything, for people to know who he is, and they stop going to him.”

After Macato’s exam with Sabbaghian, she said she went to her primary doctor and told him about the incident. The doctor suggested she submit a complaint to the state medical board and police. She initially tried reporting the incident to the Jennings Police Department, but police there told her they could not take the complaint due to a conflict of interest

OPEN AIR PAINTING

Lafayette Parish site wants permission to proceed

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

The owner of a cemetery in unincorporated Lafayette Parish who didn’t have the local permits needed before he started burying bodies will, for the second time, ask the Lafayette Parish Council on Tuesday for permission to continue operating.

Kevin Menard told the Parish Council in February he obtained a state permit to operate Serenity Memorial Gardens

decision was improper because it was based on land use, and his property is in the unincorporated part of the parish and is unzoned. The council voted 2-2 on the appeal, with one council member absent. City-Parish Attorney Pat Ottinger issued a cease-and-desist order for Menard to stop burying

PHOTOS By LEE BALL

TOP: Lisa Engle, of Adamville, Tenn., paints Sunday in Delcambre as part of the New Iberia Plein Air Competition, which runs through Saturday. Artists from around the country travel to New Iberia to compete in the juried painting competition and are allowed to paint throughout seven Acadiana parishes. An exhibition and art sale will take place at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Sliman Theater.

LEFT: John Eiseman, of Chesapeake Bay, Md., works on a painting of a boat.

bodies at the cemetery Ottinger said Monday that the situation has not changed. The appeal on Tuesday’s Parish Council agenda revisits the same issues the council considered in February If all five council members are in attendance and vote, there should be a decision instead of a tie, Ottinger said. He was told on Monday it appears no more burials have taken place at the cemetery The council meeting is at 4:30 p.m. at 705 W. University Ave. and is open to the public.

OUR

VIEWS

Afghan family’s story shows how U.S. should treat those who need us

The harrowing tale of an Afghan couple who found refuge in Louisiana thanks to the efforts of East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys provides a poignant example of why the United States cannot simply abdicate its role on the world stage.

The couple Afghan prosecutor Freshta and her husband Hadi, who asked that reporter Patrick Sloan-Turner use only their first names due to continued fear of retaliation had been living in Pakistan since 2021, when Kabul fell after the hasty and chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops under the Biden administration. Freshta worked with the U.S. military Hadi was a university professor and journalist When the Taliban came back to power, they knew they were targets for having worked with Western forces. Fleeing to Pakistan gave them a measure of safety but left them facing the constant threat of deportation as tensions rose between the two neighbors.

Moore and the APA had been working for months to get Freshta and Hadi to safety in the U.S. It was all coming to a head in recent weeks as Pakistan set a March 31 deadline for the repatriation of all Afghan refugees on its soil. Meanwhile, in January, just as Freshta and Hadi were set to board a plane to the U.S., the Trump administration halted the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program that gave Afghans an opportunity to resettle in the United States. But last week, a federal judge paused Trump’s immigration order and Freshta and Hadi again raced to the airport. This time, they were able to make it to Seattle, and from there to Baton Rouge. Moore and others are helping them get set up in a new home. A GoFundMe was started, and donations for the family are being collected at the Louisiana District Attorneys Association office at 2525 Quail Drive in Baton Rouge.

In Louisiana, we pride ourselves on our hospitality, so we have faith the couple and their two young children will find open arms here. We admire the courage and persistence of Moore and the APA as they navigated legal minefields to get to this conclusion. But it should have never come to this. As the country retreats into isolationism amid cries of “America First,” we cannot abandon those around the world who have put America first at great risk to themselves and their families. Lest you doubt that, note that the Taliban has killed 54 Afghan prosecutors since 2021, and 50 prosecutor families remain in danger

Likewise, we are dismayed that the Trump administration is also seeking to unwind humanitarian parole programs that allowed thousands of migrants from Afghanistan, Ukraine and other countries to stay in the country legally if they had a U.S. sponsor These are desperate people who have looked to our country as a lifeline and followed the rules in place at the time. We cannot in good conscience turn our backs on them.

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

YOUR VIEWS

La. officials do a disservice with vaccine messaging

On Feb. 13, Robert F. Kennedy Jr was sworn in as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Known for his skepticism about vaccine efficacy, he was linked to the Samoa measles outbreak during the 2019 crisis. Following Kennedy’s appointment, Louisiana’s surgeon general, Ralph Abraham, ordered state health workers to halt mass vaccination efforts and stop promoting seasonal vaccines, advising residents to consult their health care providers. Public health exists to bridge gaps in health care access, especially for vulnerable populations who lack resources like personal physicians

Suggesting that individuals consult their health care providers about vaccines assumes a level of privilege and access that many in Louisiana, a state with some of the worst health coverage in the nation, do not have. This approach risks leaving those without regular medical care uninformed and unprotected.

In the winter of 2025, Louisiana is

experiencing one of its worst influenza outbreaks in years. Despite this, the state surgeon general has inexplicably chosen not to promote mass vaccination. This decision ignores how necessary widespread immunization is in controlling outbreaks and helping the state’s economy Many small businesses rely on healthy workers, and influenza can lead to many worker absences.

In Texas, a measles outbreak has infected scores of people, most unvaccinated, and resulted in one death. Local health officials are urging MMR vaccinations and have set up clinics. If Texas can act quickly during an outbreak, why wouldn’t the Louisiana surgeon general do the same? Does he genuinely think inaction is the best response? Or does he believe that public health emergencies are best handled by thoughts and prayers?

MARKALAIN DÉRY infectious disease physician and epidemiologist

Our senators need to fulfill Constitutional duty

I grew up in a small town near Fort Polk, Louisiana, graduating with just 30 classmates from Pitkin High School. Back then, that was a big class. Uncle Riley from church was also “Mr McCullough,” my eighth-grade civics teacher I still remember the laminated poster in his classroom showing the three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. The more he taught, the more I marveled at the genius of our Founding Fathers.

TO SEND US A

I loved reading the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The Founding Fathers say that, as a natural-born citizen of the United States of America, these are my Godgiven rights.

Their system of checks and balances fascinated me. The House versus the Senate, the federal government versus the states, the popular vote versus the Electoral College — it seemed like every mechanism of government had a counterweight Brilliant. When Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy were elected by the people of Louisiana, they swore an oath to protect the Constitution our Founding Fathers wrote and the institutions enshrined therein. More important than our politics or our parties are the principles of our democracy They transcend any ideology, any group of people, any one person. My question to the senators is this: Will you defend our sacred Constitution and fulfill your sworn role to counterbalance the executive branch? Or will you let power go unchecked?

DEREK LEWIS Prairieville

Canada statehood? Be careful what you wish for

Like most people, I was more than a little skeptical of our new president’s scheme to make Canada the 51st state. However, upon further reflection, there may be some merit to the notion for all concerned. Making Canada the 51st state is a nonstarter, but Canada has ten provinces and three territories. The ten provinces have way more population necessary for consideration for statehood. Wyoming was granted statehood with barely 60,000 people. Plus, to sweeten the deal, part of the conditions of statehood could be retaining the Canadian health system. Perhaps even adopting it ourselves?

Not only that, but of the three territories, two are pretty close to statehoodworthy populations.

All in all, that would give former Canadians 24 new senators and a slew of representatives in the House. Not to be outdone, if Greenland could dress up a polar bear or two, they could cross the 60,000 threshold, adding another couple of senators.

Having seen this, Panama is bound to get into the act.

This, of course, would evolve into U.S. states from the Darian Gap to the North Pole, and if you think the U.S. government is too big now, just imagine one given sway over the entire continent.

DANIEL DELAUREAL LaCombe

Cuts to VA betray our veterans

My husband is a disabled veteran, we totally depend on the VA for his healthcare. The thought that those who gave their lives to serve their country would be without much-needed services is criminal. We need to fight to make sure that these services are never touched. We need to pay attention to everything that this administration is trying to do. Our future and that of future generations is on the line. We cannot let this happen.

JERMAINE DUPLESSIS LEWIS New Orleans

COMMENTARY

Bogalusa mayor’s social media posts follow a proven strategy

Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Truong is deploying a familiar playbook.

Faimon Roberts

The embattled Democratic mayor of the Washington Parish city has been sidelined since a state district judge appointed a fiscal administrator with broad power over the town’s finances a little over a week ago. The appointment came after revelations that the city owed more than $1 million in back payroll taxes and auditors said its revenue might not be enough to cover its expenses. This is the second time in six years Bogalusa has had a fiscal administrator With many of his duties assumed by the administrator, there hasn’t been much need for Truong to be around.

But the 25-year old hasn’t slowed his social media posts, where he has launched broadside after broadside against those he says are out to get him politically

“As it goes at the present moment, the City Council is working with the State to remove me from my job,” he wrote on Facebook on Feb 24, days before the administrator was appointed “When the powers that be can’t beat you in the streets and at the ballot box, they take it to the courtroom with lies and allegations.”

He has also insisted that the city has money in the bank and that the financial problems were inherited from the previous administration.

Truong’s social media posts seem to follow the approach taken by President Donald Trump, who has used online platforms to build immense political power

It’s a comparison the mayor has heard before.

“I’ve been told that a few times,” he chuckled when I asked if it was intentional. “The only reason I say stuff on social media is to get the word out.” Like Trump, Truong also has a legal problem in a criminal court: He was arrested in January by Louisiana State Police on counts related to a drug-trafficking investigation, though it should be noted that Truong is not charged with using or selling drugs. He’s accused of using proceeds from drug transactions, unauthorized use of a movable and soliciting for prostitutes. And of course, a charge is just an accusation; he’s not been convicted of anything

Those charges, he has insisted, are fabricated, the product of political enmity from District Attorney Collin Sims who, Truong says, doesn’t like him because of his work to make Bogalusa better for regular Bogalusans.

“I have been a target since day one because I wouldn’t continue with ‘business as usual’ in Bogalusa,” he wrote in a Jan. 14 Facebook post. An online fundraising campaign has been started to pay his legal fees, to bring in the “best and brightest defense attorneys in the country to fight these bogus unwarranted charges,” the fund’s page says. In about two months, the fund had raised $4,200 of its $40,000 goal. Whether Truong’s efforts will be as successful as Trump’s, I can’t say One key difference is the racial element: Truong is the city’s first Black mayor and he has argued that the entrenched White power structure in the region would like to see him gone.

It can’t be immediately discounted: Racism has played a long and ugly history in Bogalusa.

In the near term, things are not likely to get better for Truong. They’re not likely to get better for those in his administration, either In his first week, Robert Neilson, the fiscal administrator, let five employees go. And that is just the beginning. Before he was officially appointed, he predicted he’d need to cut as must as $1 million from

the city’s payroll to bring the finances in line.

Thursday, Bogalusa took another hit when several water main breaks caused most of the city, including the paper mill, the hospital, City Hall and several neighborhoods, to lose water service. The resulting boil advisory remained in effect Monday morning, forcing school closures Truong took to Facebook to say he was aware of the problem and to imply that Neilson, a CPA with offices in Bogalusa and Covington, might bear some of the blame.

“We are witnessing DOGE right here in Bogalusa, with the entire city without water and many devoted people without a job within one week of being under a fiscal administrator,” he wrote. “This is a manufactured crisis to disregard what the voters of Bogalusa wanted.” Truong, who said he has little to do while Neilson runs the city, doesn’t plan to stop. And he plans to run for reelection next year “I plan to continue my social media strategy,” he said. “We are going to run again, we are going to prove we have staying power.”

It remains to be seen whether Truong’s approach will lead to a Trump-like comeback. But at least he knows the playbook’s good.

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

Documenting the courage of Katharine Graham

Imagine this scenario: A dangerously unhinged president, enraged that a prominent newspaper is about to reveal secrets he wants to keep, leverages the vast power of the White House to threaten the paper’s owner with utter financial ruin if the information is published Inhouse lawyers strongly advise the owner to back down, warning that the newspaper’s survival is at stake. But it is clear that the public has the right to know what the president is trying to hide. What should the owner do? What would you do?

who suffered from bipolar disorder; her education in business management by investor Warren Buffett; and her constant struggle to overcome her own insecurity and self-doubt.

Robinson

Again and again, Katharine Graham

defied President Richard M. Nixon’s wrath and empowered The Post to publish journalism that changed the world. The courage and integrity of this remarkable woman, whom I was privileged to know is at the heart of a new documentary — “Becoming Katharine Graham: The Only Woman in the Room” — that premiered recently at the Kennedy Center I went to the screening and was flooded with memories of my first days as a young reporter in The Post’s newsroom That was in 1980, and Mrs. Graham — I don’t think I ever addressed her without the “Mrs.” was already a legend. The first time I actually met her, in an elevator at the paper’s old building on 15th Street NW I could barely croak out a weak hello.

The documentary by Emmy-winning filmmakers Peter, Teddy and George Kunhardt covers the sweep of Graham’s long and eventful life: the support from her father, wealthy financier Eugene Meyer, who purchased The Post in 1933; the chilly emotional distance of her formidable mother, Agnes Ernst Meyer; the brilliance and charisma of her husband, Philip Graham,

The Kunhardts give prominence to two pivotal episodes that established Graham’s place in history: the Pentagon Papers and Watergate.

An important piece of context is that Nixon seethed with contempt for the news media, which he believed had always belittled him and treated him unfairly

“Never forget: The press is the enemy,” he once told Henry Kissinger his national security adviser In that conversation, he repeated the phrase four times for good measure. In 1971, a federal court ordered The New York Times to cease publishing articles based on a leaked, highly classified history of the Vietnam War that showed the government had lied to the American people for years about U.S. progress and prospects in the bloody conflict. The Times appealed the ruling but obeyed the court order Meanwhile, The Post obtained copies of some of the Pentagon documents. Graham’s privately owned company was in the process of going public; executives warned her that publishing revelations from the secret papers could tank the stock price — and also put the broadcasting licenses of The Post’s profitable television stations at risk. Ultimately, the decision was Graham’s alone. She told her editors to publish. Less than two weeks later, in a landmark case, the Supreme Court vindicated her decision, ruling that lower courts should not have tried to restrain the Times and The Post from publishing.

With her company on the line, Graham had done the right thing.

The following year, burglars were caught trying to plant listening devices at the offices of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate office building. Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein doggedly traced the bugging attempt to the White House — and ultimately to Nixon’s desk in the Oval Office.

For months, other news organizations shied away from the story while Nixon and his thuggish attorney general, John N. Mitchell, pressured and threatened Graham to call off her bloodhounds. The television licenses, once again, were at risk. The Post’s stock price plummeted.

Once again, Graham did the right thing: She backed Ben Bradlee, her larger-than-life executive editor — and not only did she support Woodward and Bernstein, but she went so far as to take their notes home at night to her stately Georgetown residence, so that if Mitchell ever tried to subpoena and seize them, he would have to come through her And once again, her bravery was vindicated: On Aug. 9, 1974, Nixon resigned. As the documentary’s subtitle notes, Graham was indeed the only woman in the room. When she took over The Post after her husband’s suicide, the CEOs of the Fortune 500 companies included 499 men — and her Few others on that list ended their careers having become an icon.

Donald E. Graham said on Sunday night that his mother never hosted a dinner party without inviting both Democrats and Republicans. She bowed to no president. I bow to her Eugene Robinson is on X, @Eugene_ Robinson.

Getting to Denmark

Sooner or later, The New York Times catches on to the news. In the case of immigration policy, the news it has caught up with is that mass immigration, legal and illegal, from less-developed countries is politically toxic.

That news was relayed in a Feb. 24 article and thread on X by reporter David Leonhardt, a writer of center-left sympathies and a keen analyst of statistics and the human realities to which they are useful clues.

“The left has lost power in the U.S., Germany, Italy and Sweden,” Leonhardt writes. “Canada and Australia may be next. And the far right is growing across the West. But there is one European country where the left has won reelection and marginalized the far right: Denmark. Why?” His answer seems, once you think about it, glaringly obvious. “Danish progressives listened to working class voters on immigration — and reduced immigration levels.”

It’s an answer that is entirely congruent with a psephological observation in JD Vance’s muchresented (among European elites) Feb. 14 speech at the Munich Security Conference. “No voter on this continent,” Vance said, “went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants.” Politicians in Denmark, unlike those in neighboring Sweden and Germany, paid attention to that.

Denmark has long been known for its high taxes and generous welfare state, as well as its democratic norms and opposition to bigotry, as shown by its citizens’ ferrying of almost all its Jews to neutral Sweden during the Nazi occupation. In his book “The Origins of Political Order,” Francis Fukuyama wrote that a nation developing a competent state, the rule of law and public accountability was “getting to Denmark.” Denmark’s national identity goes back a thousand years, and it has long ranked high among nations in trust of government and large institutions.

It’s noteworthy that in Munich Vance was careful to say “no voter on this continent,” for voters on another continent, North America, voted for opening the floodgates to unvetted immigrants in 2020 and (in Canada) 2021. Joe Biden and the Democrats made no secret that they would undo Donald Trump’s relatively effective (after a few rough months) immigration law enforcement. But perhaps many didn’t expect that the Biden administration would usher in perhaps 5 million, perhaps 7 million illegal immigrants (or that Justin Trudeau would vastly expand Canada’s previously successful policy). In retrospect, it seems a clear example of Trump Derangement Syndrome or a logical extrapolation for those “in this house we believe no human is illegal” signs. For many Americans, any restriction on migration evokes memories of their own forebears from eastern and southern Europe who arrived in the Ellis Island years (1892-1914, 1919-24), and especially for those whose ancestors might otherwise have been murdered in the Holocaust. Today, it’s not plain that the United States or European nations need and can assimilate all the millions they have been coming in, a population disproportionately of unattached, low-skill young men from low-trust Muslim or Latin cultures. Unfortunately today’s public sector institutions here and in Europe seem disproportionately staffed by people who believe that assimilation is oppression.

Plainly there is some erosion of trust. The Biden open-border policy has tilted the immigrant flow toward lawbreakers and violent young men whose crimes Trump has been highlighting. German voters in recent months have watched as Muslim immigrants stabbed three people to death in Solingen in August, killed six by driving a car into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, stabbed a baby and passerby to death in Aschaffenburg in January and, two days before the Feb. 23 election, stabbed a Spanish tourist at a Holocaust memorial in Berlin.

The result was a stinging defeat for Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic party, founded in 1875 (during the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm I, born in 1797), and for the same reasons as the July 2024 defeat, after failing to stop the inflow, of Britain’s Conservative party, the modern form of which was founded in 1846 (during the reign of Queen Victoria, born in 1819)

Both parties have noble heritages of opposing Nazis and prosecuting the Cold War but have been brought low

The case against immigration can be overstated. In daily life native-born Americans mix with Latino immigrants, and native-born Europeans mix with Muslim immigrants, in shopping malls and fast food restaurants routinely and politely But mass immigration of culturally diverse people tends to produce economic stress and erode the trust levels.

It’s difficult to get the balance right between the benefits and detriments of immigration. What voters have been concluding is that European and American elites have botched the job and that their task now should be “getting to Denmark.”

Michael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarone

Michael Barone

Eugene

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

Tyrin Truong, then-mayor-elect of Bogalusa, speaks Nov. 18, 2022, at his campaign office in Bogalusa.

Second suspect arrested in hazing death

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

Law enforcement on Monday

arrested a second suspect in the death of Southern University student Caleb Wilson.

Kyle Thurman, 25, was booked into the West Baton Rouge Parish Detention Center on Monday, after he was arrested in Port Allen by West Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputies and the U.S. Marshals Service, a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said.

Thurman is expected to be transferred to East Baton Rouge Parish Prison and booked on a count of felony hazing, according to a Baton Rouge police spokesperson.

Wilson died during a fraternity hazing ritual on Feb 27, police said. Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr said Friday that Wilson’s death was the “direct result” of being punched while pledging Omega Psi Phi. Morse also said police were preparing warrants to arrest two additional suspects.

Late Thursday, former Southern student Caleb McCray, 23, surrendered to Baton Rouge police, marking the first arrest following the death of the 20-year-

old junior engineering student and Kenner native.

McCray was booked into Parish Prison on one count each of manslaughter and hazing. McCray made his initial court appearance Friday afternoon, where his bail was set at $100,000, attorney Phillip Robinson said, while proclaiming his client’s innocence.

Wilson, a former trumpet player for Southern’s famed Human Jukebox marching band, died after he was punched in the chest during a pledge event at a warehouse at 3412 Woodcrest Drive, Morse said

During the ritual, pledges were brought to the building and forced to change into gray sweatsuits. With Wilson and eight other hopefuls lined up according to height, McCray and two others took turns punching them in the chest using a pair of black boxing gloves, according to McCray’s arrest warrant affidavit.

All the pledges absorbed four punches from fraternity members imposing the rite of passage, authorities said resented one of y “four cardinal principles”: manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift Investigators were Omega Psi Phi members nor

pledges were allowed to bring cellphones inside the warehouse during the pledging ritual, a source close to the investigation said. According to his arrest affidavit, McCray delivered the final blow before Wilson collapsed to the floor and began having a seizure. Fraternity members did not call 911 after Wilson experienced the medical episode and waited to bring him to a hospital, sources said. An autopsy report mentioned in the arrest affidavit revealed a small bruise to the right side of Wilson’s chest.

Wilson’s full autopsy report is not yet complete, Shane Tindall, the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office chief of investigations, said Friday. The cause and manner of his death remain undetermined pending additional tests, which likely will take several months, Tindall said.

Morse said Wilson was taken to Baton Rouge General Medical Center Police were called there m. Feb 27, the police Before leaving the hospital, the men who dropped Wilson off said they had been playing basketball with him at a park, Morse said.

In Louisiana, hazing can be a

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Even King Nebuchadnezzar recognized the allure of the dulcimer

Daniel 3:10 reads: “Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery and dulcimer and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship. …”

According to the Smithsonian, the word dulcimer comes from the Latin and Greek works dulce and melos, which combine to mean “sweet tune.” Cooper said she began

playing by showing up for a free lesson that the Lagniappe Dulcimer Society hosted two years ago.

“I showed up with a dulcimer I purchased 15 years prior,” Cooper said. From there, she said the group took her under its wings and taught her to play.

“Because the group jams weekly,” she said, “I had the opportunity to grow my skills quickly, learn Cajun and Appalachian tunes I didn’t know and find a really wonderful community of friends.”

The Lagniappe Dulcimer Society’s St. Patrick’s Daythemed workshop and free concert is on Friday at the

Bluebonnet Library 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. The cost to attend the workshop is $35, and the 4 p.m. concert by Comeau is free. Email laurenhcooper2020@gmail.com for more details about the workshop.

LOTTERY

SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 2025

PICK 3: 5-7-0

PICK 4: 0-0-7-5

PICK 5: 5-9-8-5-6 Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

BATTERY

felony under the Max Gruver Act, passed by the Louisiana Legislature in 2018 and named after an LSU Phi Delta Theta pledge who died in a hazing incident in 2017 Louisiana’s anti-hazing law prohibits hazing regardless of whether the targeted person voluntarily allowed it. Violators face a $1,000 fine and six months behind bars.

If the person being hazed dies or is seriously injured, penalties increase to a $10,000 fine and five years in prison. The increased penalties also apply if hazing involves coerced alcohol consumption that leaves the victim’s blood alcohol concentration at or above 0.30%.

Morse told reporters Friday the case remains an “active, ongoing” investigation involving his department, the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office with cooperation from Southern.

Southern President Dennis Shields said Friday that Omega Psi Phi was ordered to “cease all activities” at the university Additionally, the university suspended all campus club and Greek life recruiting through the academic year, Shields said.

University officials are conducting an internal investigation of Wilson’s death, and Shields said student groups face the “prospect of discipline,” and it’s possible some students could be

Continued from page 1B

and directed her to the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office.

In December, Police Chief Danny Semmes confirmed that officers in the department offer security services for a Jennings business owned by Sabbaghian.

“We don’t want the impression that there’s any conflict of interest,” Semmes said. Multiple women came forward after a Facebook

expelled.

Southern Board of Supervisors Chair Tony Clayton, who is the 18th Judicial District attorney in West Baton Rouge Parish, said in an interview he is pushing for the fraternity to be removed from the university In 2005, Omega Psi Phi was kicked off Southern’s Baton Rouge campus, archives from The Advocate | The Times-Picayune show 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.

Meanwhile, Wilson’s family shortly after his Feb. 27 death thanked the community for its “unwavering” support.

Wilson’s father, Corey Wilson, worked as a deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for 35 years. The elder Wilson also worked security details for Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson. Caleb Wilson’s mother is a student at Southern’s New Orleans campus. In a recent statement released by the Jefferson Sheriff’s Office, Wilson’s family said, “We are committed to seeking the truth about the circumstances surrounding Caleb’s passing and ensuring that no other family has to endure such a tragedy.”

post by Scott resident Bethany Cooney-Palmer, who also alleged that the surgeon touched her inappropriately

Cooney-Palmer and others filed reports with the Crowley Police Department, which were forwarded to District Attorney Don Landry’s office, who filed and then dropped charges against Sabbaghian.

The District Attorney’s Office at the time reserved the right to pick up charges again within six months, a period that will expire in April. Yet court records show nothing has been filed.

Cooney-Palmer and other women have contacted personal injury lawyer Dudley DeBosier to discuss pursuing a civil suit, but none has been filed so far Misdemeanor sexual battery carries a fine of up to $1,000 or six months of imprisonment. Sabbaghian’s next court appearance is 9 a.m May 28 in Jennings. Staff writer Alena Maschke contributed to this article.

Email Stephen Marcantel at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Maylee Samuels, left, and Jan Risher play mountain dulcimers recently in Samuels’ Baton Rouge home.

SPORTS

Houston ‘blueprint’

UL basketball turns to Sampson protege as head coach

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

When his search began, UL athletic director Bryan Maggard knew Quannas White was a top-notch option to become the next basketball coach for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Every step in the process convinced him even more.

On Monday White the associate head coach at Houston, was named the new UL men’s basketball.

“Prior to me meeting him or talking to him, you know he was a proven winner — as a high school athlete to a college athlete and as a coach,” Maggard said “Being mentored by a future Hall of Fame coach in Kelvin Sampson, I just always thought, ‘That guy’s got the blueprint. He just needs the opportunity to prove it somewhere.’

The 44-year-old White currently is coaching the No. 3-ranked Cougars with a 27-4 record. Houston is preparing to

See COACH, page 3C

UL softball faces LSU in latest SEC battle

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Over the past two weeks, coach Alyson Habetz’s club has taken a journey to three different Southeastern Conference towns and came away with five wins and five losses. There’s still plenty of work left. The Cajuns will play at No. 5 LSU at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Tiger

ä UL at LSU, 6 P.M.TUESDAy SECN+

Park before heading to Marshall for the start of Sun Belt Conference play Friday

“I’m really proud of our team,” Habetz said. “I’m proud of how they interacted with each other They were so respectful. They got along, and I think they actually got closer on this road trip.

“The most important thing was their bounce back. They showed a lot of grit and a lot of resiliency, especially on the last day to finish strong.” The final game last weekend was the most exciting with a 4-3 win over No. 21 Alabama behind the pitching of senior right-hander Tyra Clary That win finished off a doubleheader sweep Saturday to put a five-game losing streak in the rearview mirror

“I think that outing against Alabama was the team,” Clary said. “I came up to (catcher) Sav (White) before the game and said, ‘OK, how do we beat them?’ I wanted to do it and we wanted to do it for coach Aly

“She said, ‘You need to focus on your spot every single pitch. Just hammer the spot every pitch. If you don’t get that spot,

One LSU pitcher not getting enough due

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU baseball continued to dominate its nonconference slate last weekend back at Alex Box Stadium, sweeping North Alabama before the start of Southeastern Conference play this weekend. The Tigers took down the Lions 13-2 in seven innings on Friday 6-2 on Saturday and 11-5 on Sunday Here are five takeaways from the weekend sweep: Cowan’s dominance

As good as freshman right-hander Casan Evans has been, junior right-hander Zac Cowan is just as important for the bullpen

The Wofford transfer has a 1.23 ERA while throwing more innings

ä Xavier at LSU, 6:30 P.M.TUESDAy, SECN+

than everyone minus the weekend starters. He has a higher strikeout rate (34.5%) than junior righthander Chase Shores or freshman right-hander William Schmidt. Cowan tossed 22/3 scoreless innings in LSU’s comeback win on Tuesday against North Dakota State before throwing two more shutout frames and earning a save Saturday

“He’s one of the early MVPs of this team,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said “I mean, every time we put him in, we win. And every time we put him in, the game’s on the line.” Cowan entered the season as a candidate to crack the starting rotation after he threw 110 innings in 17 starts last year There’s still

a chance he earns a starting role if one of the starters falter, but for now he’s become arguably LSU’s most valuable reliever

Catching situation

Freshman Cade Arrambide had a rough night behind the plate Tuesday, prompting Johnson to replace him with senior Luis Hernandez by the fifth inning. Hernandez, who has caught the majority of LSU’s games, then started on Wednesday Friday and Saturday before getting a break Sunday Finding those pockets of rest for Hernandez will be important since he’s emerged as the top option be-

Cajuns baseball adjusting to injuries

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

In some ways, challenges such as the ones the UL baseball team currently is facing are part of what Matt Deggs relishes about his role as a college baseball coach.

“Sounds like our kind of party, honestly,” Deggs said. “That’s when we operate our best.”

ä Southern at UL, 6 P.M.TUESDAy

A five-game week at home begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday against Southern. A 6 p.m. Wednesday game against McNeese State follows before the Cajuns open Sun Belt play with a three-game series against Troy this weekend.

“I’d like to believe our schedule has prepared us for this week, although we’re facing an uphill climb with a litany of injuries,” Deggs said. “Obviously, we don’t make excuses, but it’s something we’re going to have to overcome — be smart and creative in a way that we attack the game moving forward, at least for the next few weeks.” Southern is 7-6 after losing two of three to Mercer last weekend; McNeese dropped to 11-3 after losing two of three to Houston Christian; and Troy is ranked No. 21 nationally at 13-3.

The opponents aren’t as much a concern for the Cajuns as their injury list.

Ace southpaw Chase Morgan didn’t pitch against Dallas Baptist last weekend, and his status is unknown pending a doctor visit Monday His availability for this weekend didn’t sound likely though.

“However those images come out, I don’t think it’s going to be a situation where he goes, ‘Oh yeah, you’re fine,’ ” Deggs said. “I think there probably will still be on the best-case scenario side, some type of dose pack involved or some type of anti-inflammatory to get back to feeling good.”

Shortstop Drew Markle is out with a hand injury, center fielder Brooks Wright injured his wrist, first baseman Trip Dobson is out for the season with an injured kneecap, and Luke Yuhasz suffered a hand injury last weekend.

“If that’s broke, he (Wright) and Markle will have surgery together on Wednesday,” Deggs said. “You got to stay grinding You’ve got to embrace the ugly that comes with competition.”

To illustrate how things have gone so far this season for the Cajuns (7-9), 19 different pitchers have had at least one appearance and 19 different hitters have taken an at-bat.

“We’ll do whatever it takes to win,” Deggs said. “Whatever that may look like, conventional or unconventional, that’s what we’ll do.” JR Tollett also may not be available during the week as he deals with a death in his family

The Cajuns plan to start sophomore lefty Riley Marcotte (0-0, 4.26 ERA) on Tuesday and Blake McGehee (1-2, 9.90)

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By PHELAN M. EBENHACK

Houston associate head coach Quannas White officially was named

men’s basketball coach Monday

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By LM OTERO Houston guard Jamal Shead, left, is hugged by assistant coach Quannas White after they defeated Memphis in a game against Memphis for the American Athletic Conference Tournament championship in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 13, 2022. White was hired by the Ragin’ Cajuns on Monday.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK LSU right-handed pitcher Zac Cowan pitches against Southern on Feb 18 at Alex Box Stadium.

Pelicans sign 7-foot center to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans are giving a former NBA lottery draft pick an opportunity The Pelicans announced the signing of center Mo Bamba to a 10-day contract on Monday

On Feb. 28, Bamba signed with the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G-League affiliate. Through four games in Birmingham, Bamba averaged 21 points and 14.5 rebounds.

AP WOMEN’S POLL RESHUFFLED

UCLA, South Carolina now 1-2; LSU drops one spot to 10th

BY DOUG FEINBERG

AP basketball writer

UCLA vaulted back up to No. 1 in The Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25 on Monday after beating USC for the Big Ten title over the weekend.

The Bruins, who spent 12 weeks atop the poll before losing to the rival Trojans in early February received 16 first-place votes from a national panel to jump from fourth to first. It was the second time this season that the Bruins leaped over a few teams to move up to No. 1.

UCLA topped then-No. 1 South Carolina before Thanksgiving to move up four places to claim the top ranking. LSU closed the regular season by dropping from ninth to 10th.

South Carolina knocked off previous No. 1 Texas in the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game and moved up to second from fifth in the poll. The Gamecocks garnered nine first-place ballots.

Texas and USC going down marked just the fourth time since the 1999-2000 season that the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the poll lost on the same day, according to Stats Perform. It last occurred Nov 30, 2019, when Oregon was first and Baylor was second.

UConn remained third going into Monday night’s game against No. 22 Creighton for the Big East title.

The Huskies received the other seven first-place votes.

USC, which beat UCLA twice in the regular season, fell two spots to fourth and Texas dropped to fifth.

TCU climbed up two spots to sixth for the highest ranking in school history after topping Baylor for the Big Ten championship

Sunday

The Horned Frogs last won a tournament title in 2005 when

they were a member of Conference USA.

Duke moved up four places to seventh after it beat N.C. State for the ACC championship. It was the Blue Devils’ first tournament title in 12 years It’s also the team’s best ranking since it was also seventh on Nov 17, 2014. Notre Dame fell to eighth and N.C State was ninth.

Ins and outs

Ole Miss joined the poll at No. 25 after reaching the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. The Rebels were ranked for the first nine weeks of the season. Michigan State fell out of the poll.

Getting recognition

UTSA received a vote in the poll for the first time The Roadrunners finished the regular season with a school-record 26 wins, in-

cluding a 17-1 mark in the American Athletic Conference. The 17 conference victories match the school mark set in 2002-03 when the team was in the Southland Conference. The team is led by conference player of the year Jordyn Jenkins and is coached by Karen Aston. Conference breakdown

The Southeastern Conference has eight ranked teams. The ACC and Big 12 each have five while the Big Ten has four The Big East has two and the Summit League one.

Games of the week

With the power conference tournaments finished, attention turns to the mid-major showdowns. The MAAC, NEC and Ivy League all have their championships this weekend.

Duke ends Auburn’s 8-week stay at No. 1

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP basketball writer

Duke ended Auburn’s eightweek stay at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday, while the Tigers dropped to third behind Houston as all three programs began preparing for their conference tournaments

The Blue Devils took advantage of back-to-back losses by Auburn to ascend to the top spot for the first time since November 2021, when Duke spent a week there in Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell season. The Blue Devils received 52 of 61 votes from the national media panel, while the Cougars picked up five and the Tigers held onto the other four

“Just my luck to be No. 1 going into the postseason when it really doesn’t matter,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said with a laugh “We haven’t talked about it one time. We have talked about being No. 1 when this thing is all said and done.”

The Blue Devils, who will be the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament when they begin play in Thursday’s quarterfinals, beat Wake Forest in a rout last week before topping rival North Carolina on Saturday in Chapel Hill.

The Cougars, the top seed in the Big 12 Tournament, climbed to their highest ranking of the season. Auburn fell three spots but will still be the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament, despite its close losses to then-No. 23 Texas A&M and then-No. 7 Alabama.

“Those are two teams capable of getting to the Final Four,” Tigers coach Bruce Pearl said after watching the Crimson Tide’s Mark Sears hit a buzzer-beater for a 93-

91 overtime win in Auburn’s home finale Saturday Florida, which beat Alabama earlier in the week, moved up one spot to fourth while the Crimson Tide climbed two spots to fifth in Monday’s poll. St John’s remained sixth after its overtime win over then-No. 20 Marquette on Saturday Michigan State was seventh, Tennessee dropped four spots to eighth, Texas Tech was ninth and Clemson rounded out the top 10.

While some conferences are already crowning champions and awarding NCAA Tournament berths, the ACC and Big 12 are among the power leagues that begin play Tuesday The Big Ten and SEC tournaments open on Wednesday

“My standards are probably a little bit different I think there’s areas we need to continue to get better in,” said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, whose team rolls

into the Big 12 quarterfinals on Thursday riding a 10-game winning streak.

“I’m never going to say we’re playing our best ball because I prefer to think our best ball’s ahead of us,” Sampson said, “so we’ve just got to continue to work. That’s the bottom line. Stay humble and just keep working.”

In and out

Oregon, the eighth seed in the Big Ten Tournament, returned to the poll at No 23 while Illinois the seventh seed — is back in at No 24 Their spots came at the expense of Arizona, which lost at Kansas, and Mississippi State, which did not receive a single vote after losing close games to Texas and Arkansas last week.

Rising and falling Texas A&M made the biggest move in the poll, climbing eight

spots to No. 14 after wins over then-No. 1 Auburn and LSU. BYU jumped six spots to No. 17 after a double-overtime win over thenNo. 10 Iowa State and a victory over Utah. Wisconsin and Missouri tumbled six spots apiece this week. The Badgers fell to No. 18 after losing to Penn State on Saturday while the Tigers fell to No. 21 after losing to Oklahoma and then-No. 19 Kentucky Conference watch The SEC and Big Ten led the way with seven teams

The 7-footer out of the University of Texas was a McDonald’s All-American and the No. 6 overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He has played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers in the past three seasons In 28 games with the Clippers this season, Bamba averaged 4.6 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Yankees’ Cole to miss this season after elbow surgery

TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will have season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow

Tuesday

The Yankees said the 34-year-old right-hander was examined Monday by Dr Neal ElAttrache at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles.

ElAttrache, the Dodgers’ head team physician, will operate. Cole experienced discomfort following his second spring training outing Thursday Cole, a six-time All-Star, didn’t make his first start last year until June 19 because of nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow He went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts, then was 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA in five postseason starts.

Curry named Davidson’s assistant general manager

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry will serve as an assistant general manager for Davidson College’s basketball teams.

The four-time NBA champion and two-time league MVP will be the first active player in U.S. major professional sports to take an administrative job with a college team.

The hire was announced Monday Curry and his wife, Ayesha, and longtime Davidson supporters Don, Matt and Erica Berman are creating an eight-figure fund to support the college’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. Curry, who went to Davidson, says he wants their athletes to be able to compete in the top ranks of an ever-changing landscape.

Source: Dodgers to sign manager Roberts to deal LOS ANGELES — This season will mark one decade for Dave Roberts as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a decorated run in which Roberts has led the team to eight division titles, four National League pennants, two World Series titles and more regular-season wins than any other franchise in baseball.

On Monday, Roberts added one more distinction to his tenure.

The Dodgers finally locked down Roberts — who has the best winning percentage in MLB history among non-Negro League managers — to a contract extension, agreeing to a four-year deal that includes an unprecedented $8.1-million annual salary according to a person with knowledge of the situation but not authorized to speak publicly

Tennis chair umpire is suspended for corruption

LONDON A national-level chair umpire in the Dominican Republic, Juan Gabriel Castro, was suspended for six years and fined $6,000 by the International Tennis Integrity Agency on Monday for manipulating scoring during matches to help someone who was placing bets. The ITIA said Castro was found to have committed 12 breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program across three matches. Castro did not respond to the ITIA’s notice of charge. He was accused of having “manipulated scoring entry to contrive the scorecard and facilitate corruption.” Someone who doesn’t respond to the ITIA’s investigative process can be found guilty of a “deemed sanction” and then have 10 business days to appeal. Castro did not appeal.

PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy

Saints coaches sprinting to build cohesion, culture

The New Orleans Saints introduced their new coaching staff to the local media Monday during a meet-and-greet session at the team’s facility

The hourlong session felt a little like the first day of school, replete with name tags for reporters to help coaches put a name with a face.

Saints coaches might want to consider doing likewise.

As a whole, they’ve been on the job for a week, and the truth is, many are still in the getting-toknow-you phase as they move into offices and adapt to new surroundings.

Eighteen members of head coach Kellen Moore’s 23-man coaching staff are new representing the most dramatic overhaul since Sean Payton took the reins nearly two decades ago.

The new assistants come from all over California. Ohio. Montana. Pennsylvania. Texas. Illinois.

A few are former colleagues of Moore.

Others have ties to New Orleans and/or the Saints.

Some are NFL lifers, while others arrive via the college ranks, newbies to the league.

Over the next six months, this mashup of teachers, mentors and protégés must coalesce with the five holdovers from Dennis Allen’s staff to lead the Saints into the 2025 season.

“Obviously, it’s really exciting when you get to team up as a group now it’s about us just connecting and building that togetherness as a staff,” Moore said. “We’ve got some really great teachers and really great communicators that are going to connect with the players on a really high level.”

The group faces a daunting challenge Moore’s late arrival has forced the group to work on a compressed timeline and play catch-up with their NFL peers. He was officially hired just two days after the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX, and he didn’t finalize his staff until late last week.

Only a week ago, many of the new assistants were still introducing themselves to one another and trading background information as they moved into the team’s headquarters on Airline Drive.

Meanwhile, there are new offensive and defensive systems to be mastered and installed, and new personnel to be learned, scouted and acquired. The

SOFTBALL

Continued from page 1C

we’ll move to the next one.’ I’ve gone back and watched the game to scout it for pitching purposes, and I was just so in the moment.” Such long trips can create bonds that benefit teams down the stretch.

“We grew a lot on the field and off the field, being together as a team,” White said. “I think there was a lot of growth for us. I think it was very good for us.” Even after Clary’s rough outing against Auburn the previous weekend, the former Nevada pitcher felt support.

“The support I have from this team was overwhelming,” Clary said. “They just loved me through it.

COACH

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play in the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday in Kansas City, Missouri. Consequently, his official news conference in Lafayette is scheduled for Monday

“The more I learned about his recruiting prowess, with so many of those top guys in Houston in particular, that was also attractive,” Maggard said. “As the process went on, I learned more about his ability to develop players. He was getting kids out of high school and from other schools and making them even better.”

White has been an assistant coach at Houston since 2017, being elevated to associate head coach in 2023. Before that, the

coaches will do that while living out of temporary housing and trying to relocate families and find schools for their kids.

Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley is a prime example of the whirlwind transition. He was hired Feb. 21. He barely had time to celebrate with his wife, Amy, and their three children in California before boarding a plane to Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine, where he joined the Saints’ contingent of coaches, scouts and personnel executives for the first time. I pretty much got off a plane, put my stuff in my room, and then I was doing formal interviews (with NFL draft prospects) two hours later,” Staley said. “Sometimes on tight timelines like this, it forces you to get to know each other fast.”

Moore is doing his best to hasten the learning process. He’s scheduled various get-togethers outside of the office. A group attended a New Orleans Pelicans game last week. Similar events are scheduled in the weeks ahead as homes are bought and families are situated, Moore said.

“Coach is doing a great job of getting everybody to mix and get to know each other to help build the camaraderie,” new tight ends coach Chase Haslett said. “We spend more time together than we do with our families during the season, so you want to know and be on the same page with everyone who is around you.”

The calendar might say Moore is the youngest head coach in the league, but he’s mature beyond his 36 years when it comes to coaching experience As the son of a longtime high school coach in Washington state, he’s been around the game his whole life and understands the importance of assembling a quality staff.

The assistants, after all, are the ones who work with the players on a daily basis and are charged with keeping them

“Just the overwhelming support from the community allows you to have the confidence in yourself that sometimes you don’t always have. I think it’s good to be real with ourselves.”

One bad thing from the trip was that freshman first baseman Emily Smith suffered an injury against Alabama on Saturday and isn’t expected back this week.

“She slid into third base and kind of had a little whiplash there so maybe out for a little bit,” Habetz said of Smith.

On Sunday, true freshman Mia Norwood played third base and Sam Roe moved over to first base.

Despite all of the good teams UL has played so far this season including Auburn, Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss — LSU might be the best of the bunch.

New Orleans native was an assistant coach at Western Kentucky from 2016-17 and Tulane from 2014-16.

“But I’ll also tell you that I’m as equally impressed, if not more, with Quannas the man,” Maggard said “After having a chance to sit down with him face to face on three different occasions, he just impressed me greatly.”

White is married to Leah and the couple has two two daughters, Jordyn and Anaiah, and two sons, Asa and Asher.

“I was able to meet his wife in the process, and she’s just an absolute home run of a person,” Maggard said.

“You add all of those accolades from a basketball standpoint to what I saw of him as a man and a husband and a dad, it was a no-brainer.”

White also established strong

LSU

Continued from page 1C

than offensively for the Tigers.

Johnson on Friday went as far as to say that he doesn’t believe Hernandez will hit as many homers this season because “we’re asking him to do something that he hasn’t done.”

“It’s most important that he catches good. That’s the most important thing,” Johnson said. “And he’s doing a really nice job of that.”

Arrambide bounced back with a cleaner performance Sunday, and redshirt junior Blaise Priester came off the bench Friday and Sunday But this week made it clear that LSU will have to rely on Hernandez while Arrambide hones in his blocking and receiving skills.

“I know he’s a great player,” Johnson said about Arrambide on Tuesday “and I know he’ll catch again relatively soon, and we need him to be good back there.”

Daniel Dickinson, senior Josh Pearson and sophomore Steven Milam to hit a few extra balls over the fence.

Anderson missing bats

Sophomore left-hander and staff ace Kade Anderson has made a lot of opposing hitters look silly through his first four starts.

Anderson has struck out 15.4 batters per nine innings and holds a 43.5% strikeout rate this year He leads the team in both categories among pitchers who have thrown at least 10 innings.

He featured his curveball more Friday after sticking to a mostly fastball-slider approach in his previous start. He struck out 11 hitters in six innings against North Alabama.

“I think that’s just how the lineup kind of was, to attack with all my pitches, honestly,” Anderson said. “And I think that (pitching coach Nate Yeskie) did a really good job of kind of mixing and matching.”

Guidry update

motivated and holding them accountable. They review and grade practice performance, break down opponents’ game tape and compile the bulk of the weekly game plans.

One of the reasons the Saints shined under Payton was his ability to attract and hire good assistants. The 2018 staff, for example, featured eight assistants who had been or eventually would be NFL head coaches or coordinators: Allen, Joe Brady, Dan Campbell, Pete Carmichael, Aaron Glenn, Joe Lombardi, Ryan Nielsen and Mike Nolan. There was a noticeable dropoff in coaching talent after Payton left, in part because it wasn’t as easy to lure top assistants here in the post-Drew Brees era.

To a degree, Moore has started with a clean slate. He retained five capable assistants — Jahri Evans, Phil Galiano, Peter Giunta, Keith Williams and Brian Young — and filled in the rest with newcomers he either worked with previously or knew about from the coaching grapevine. The energy and enthusiasm of the new group was noticeable Monday

“Fortunately for Kellen, he has a lot of relationships in a lot of different places, and we were able to take our time and not rush (the hiring process),” Staley said. “There were a lot of people that wanted to work with Kellen that have so much respect for him from afar and that wanted to coach in New Orleans with the Saints.”

A staff, like a roster, takes time to mature and ripen. The quality of Moore’s first staff will reveal itself on Sundays this fall. But Moore wisely has placed an emphasis on character, communication skills, teaching ability and compatibility, and the first impression of this new Saints staff is a good one.

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@ theadvocate.com.

The Tigers are 23-1 on the season with the only loss being a 6-5 setback to Cal-State Fullerton in the Judi Garman Classic.

At the plate, LSU is hitting .379 and scoring 8.1 runs a game with 17 homers and 40 steals. The top hitters are Danieca Coffey (.547, 2 HRs, 24 RBIs), Maci Bergeron (.475, 4 HRs, 20 RBIs), Sierra Daniel (.457, 1 HR, 10 RBIs) and Tori Edwards (.420, 8 HRs, 35 RBIs).

In the circle, LSU has an impeccable 1.64 team ERA with the two top pitchers being Sydney Berzon (9-0, 1.06 ERA) and Jayden Heavener (6-1, 1.97 ERA).

“They’re a great team,” Habetz said. “They have great pitching, they have speed, they have power They have it all. We’re going to prepare (Monday) and step on the field and be ready to play and ready to compete.”

recruiting ties in Louisiana during his career as the leader of the Louisiana Dynasty AAU program for eight seasons.

In addition to coaching under Sampson, White played for Sampson at Oklahoma, leading the Sooners to the Elite Eight in 2003.

“To no surprise, I’ve been watching several Houston games of late,” Maggard said. “One as an average fan, they’re really fun to watch. Obviously, they’ve got really good talent, but also what I learned through the process is that those players over there love Quannas White. They love that man.”

White went to Oklahoma after two seasons at Midland Junior College, joining high school teammate Hollis Price in Norman, Oklahoma. Price also is on Houston’s staff, serving as the program’s director of player development.

Here comes the power?

LSU blasted 10 home runs in three games last weekend, a stark improvement from the weekend before when the offense had three homers in three games.

The Tigers entered this year without much proven power Junior Jared Jones is its only player who had more than 10 home runs last season while playing in the SEC.

A healthy Jones is a virtual lock to hit at least 20 homers, but LSU will need the likes of junior

ON DECK

WHO: Xavier (7-9) at LSU (16-1)

WHEN: 6:30 p.m.,Tuesday WHERE: Alex Box Stadium

ONLINE: SEC Network+ RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM, 870 (New Orleans); KLWB-FM, 103.7 (Lafayette)

RANKINGS: LSU is No. 1 by D1Baseball; Xavier is not ranked

Gavin Guidry the junior righthander who has been unavailable the last three weekends with a reported back injury, played catch Saturday and Sunday in hopes of returning to the bullpen and making his first appearance this weekend against Missouri.

“The ball is coming out good, and got really good reports about the catch play (Saturday),” Johnson said. “(His) general disposition, it was very positive. He’s right next to me in the dugout and smiling, and he had a lot more positive vibes, I guess, this weekend.”

PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU — TBA; Xavier — TBA WHAT TO WATCH FOR: LSU has turned to junior left-hander Conner Ware and freshman right-hander William Schmidt to start midweek games this season. Xavier got swept by Tennessee last week but also has wins over Stanford and Indiana.The Tigers won two out of three games in their series with Xavier last season.

Koki Riley

BASEBALL

Continued from page 1C

on Wednesday

“He’ll give us a good chance to stop some of the running game and keep them off balance a little bit,” Deggs said of Marcotte. “I think he’ll get us off to a good start.”

The Loreauville product’s progress has been fun to watch for pitching coach Gunner Leger

“Me and Riley are very similar,” Leger said. “I struggled with the breaking ball really my entire career Riley’s changeup is plus-plus, his fastball was light years better than mine. So we’ve had that connection since he’s gotten here.

UL right fielder Mark Collins is one of the freshmen about to get more playing time with injuries mounting for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

“It’s been easy to relate to him and easy to coach him, because we struggled through the same things at similar points in our career.”

White is no stranger to the Cajundome. He and Price led the St. Augustine Purple Knights to a Class 5A state crown in Lafayette in 1999.

During his time in Houston, White played a key role in the Cougars reaching the Final Four in 2021.

The Cougars have a 235-43 overall record and are 123-22 in league play during his time there. That has resulted in eight conference championships and seven NCAA Tournament appearances.

“The one thing I’ve learned about Quannas White is that he’s an absolute grinder,” Maggard said.

“He is somebody who lives, eats and breathes basketball. I don’t think he has any off position on his dial.” White takes over a program two years removed from a 26-8 NCAA

The only Cajuns hitter batting better than .300 is catcher Jose Torres (.319, 1 HR, 6 RBIs), although outfielder Conor Higgs (.294, 4 HRs, 6 RBIs) is showing signs of improvement.

“I think you’re starting to see a more mature, complete version of him,” Deggs said of Higgs.

“What I’m seeing is the lows don’t last as long as they used to. He’s starting to sustain some quality at-bats and that’s really really good to see.”

UL will have to rely heavily on its highly touted freshman class, especially at shortstop with Owen Galt and in the outfield.

“We’re starting to develop some options with (Mark) Collins in the mix, and I thought (Griffin) Hebert played well (Sunday) as well,” Deggs said.

Tournament season. The Cajuns were 19-14 last season, but got hit heavily in the transfer portal. Then prior to the start of the season, preseason first-team All-Sun Belt performer Hosana Kitenge suffered a season-ending Achilles injury Longtime coach Bob Marlin was fired in December and the Cajuns finished the season 12-21 as the No 11 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

“I hope that this does inject some excitement for the program within our fan base and our community,” Maggard said. “All of that aside I recognize more than anybody that he’s got to go out and prove that he can implement the blueprint.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MATTHEW HINTON

New Saints head coach Kellen Moore is introduced at a news conference in Metairie on Feb 13.

Jeff Duncan

Eagles take hits, others get QBs in free agency

BY ARNIE STAPLETON AP pro football writer

The NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles are losing two of their defensive disruptors who pressured Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. Defensive tackle Milton Williams agreed to a deal with New England worth $26 million annually and edge rusher Josh Sweat is heading to the Arizona Cardinals on a four-year, $76.4 million contract, people with knowledge of the terms told The Associated Press. Williams and Sweat combined for 41/2 sacks, four quarterback hits, four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the Eagles’ 40-22 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

The NFL’s 52-hour legal tampering period arrived Monday with a slew of stars getting big contracts after a weekend flurry that featured league MVP Josh Allen’s record-setting $330 million extension and Myles Garrett set to become the highest-paid nonquarterback in history The quarterback carousel kept turning Monday with the Seattle Seahawks grabbing Sam Darnold (three years, $100.5 million) after his bounce-back season in Minnesota, and Justin Fields landing with the New York Jets ($40 million over two years) to replace Aaron Rodgers.

The deals can’t be signed until Wednesday Among the other headliners were Carolina Panthers star Jaycee Horn, who became the highestpaid cornerback in the NFL with a four-year $100 million deal that includes $70 million guaranteed. The Panthers also agreed to terms with Las Vegas Raiders safety Tre’von Moehrig on a three-year, $51 million contract. Along with Williams, the Patriots also agreed to contracts with line-

backer Robert Spillane, cornerback Carlton Davis and offensive tackle Morgan Moses.

The Washington Commanders made two big splashes, agreeing to terms with defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw (three years, $45 million) and acquiring standout offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in a trade with the Houston Texans.

Allen’s deal includes $250 million guaranteed. That’s an NFL record regardless of position. Meanwhile, Garrett is staying in Cleveland af-

ter the Browns gave him a record four-year contract extension that makes the four-time All-Pro edge rusher the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history

Darnold went 14-3 in Minnesota before ending the season with back-to-back duds that contributed to the decision by the Vikings to let him hit the open market and turn the team over to J.J. McCarthy who was drafted 10th overall last year

Aside from Darnold, who is heading to his fourth team in four seasons and his fifth franchise overall, two other veteran quarterbacks are among the most intriguing names on the market: Russell Wilson and Rodgers.

Rodgers isn’t technically a free agent, but the Jets said they’re going to release him this week after a disappointing two-year stint in the Meadowlands.

A torn Achilles tendon ended Rodgers’ 2023 season after a handful of snaps and he went 5-12 last year, coming nowhere near the 9-7 mark another former Packers great, Brett Favre, posted with the Jets in 2008 before a rebound season with Minnesota.

Rodgers hopes to land somewhere so he can have a similar bounce-back at age 41, and so does Wilson, who lost his last five starts for Pittsburgh last season.

Since leaving Seattle for Denver in 2022, Wilson is 17-25. Seattle’s move for Darnold came three days after the Seahawks

SCOREBOARD

Southside at Acadiana, Lafayette at Carencro, New Iberia at Barbe, Beau Chene at Church Point, Breaux Bridge at St. Martinville, St. Edmund at Cecilia, North Vermilion at David Thibodaux, Eunice at LaGrange, Rayne at Northside, Opelousas at Ville Platte, Westgate at Teurlings, Erath at Abbeville, Kaplan at Acadiana Renaissance, Westminster-LAF at Crowley, Iota at Loreauville, Catholic-NI at Vermilion Catholic, Delcambre at West St. Mary, Lafayette Christian at Notre Dame, Lafayette Renaissance at Welsh, Midland at Lake Arthur, Hathaway at Gueydan.

Friday’s games Vermilion Catholic at Lafayette, Breaux Bridge at Livonia, David Thibodaux at Pine Prairie, St. Edmund at Iota.

Saturday’s games Berwick at New Iberia, Midland at Eunice, North Vermilion at Church Point.

at Lafayette, Carencro at Barbe, New Iberia at Sam Houston, Southside at Sulphur, Breaux Bridge at Beau Chene Cecilia at Opelousas, Kaplan at David Thibodaux, DeRidder at Eunice, Jennings at North Vermilion, Rayne at Opelousas Catholic, Abbeville at Lake Charles Prep, Hamilton Christian at Church Point, Ellender at Crowley, Erath at South Beauregard, Northwest at Elizabeth, Catholic-NI at Loreauville, Lafayette Christian at Lafayette Renaissance, Midland at Welsh, Lake Arthur at Notre Dame, Gueydan at Ascension Episcopal, Alexandria at Vermilion Catholic Westminster-LAF at Centerville Reeves at Northside Christian. Wednesday’s games Northside at Glencoe, Episcopal of Acadiana at New Iberia, Berchman at Cecilia, Comeaux at Opelousas, Delcambre at Westgate, Loreauville at Westminster. Thursday’s games Lafayette at Acadiana, Barbe at Carencro Sam Houston at New Iberia, Sulphur at Southside, Beau Chene at Breaux Bridge, Opelousas at Cecilia, David Thibodaux at Comeaux, Eunice at DeRidder, North Vermilion at Westgate, Northside at Teurlings, St. Thomas More at Rayne, Mamou at Church Point, Crowley at Ville Platte, Iota at Pine Prairie, Catholic-NI at Kaplan, Northwest at Sacred Heart, St. Martinville at Centerville, Notre Dame at Lafayette Christian, Lafayette Renaissance at Welsh, Midland at Lake Arthur, Ascension Episcopal at Vermilion Catholic, Highland Baptist at WestminsterLAF, Northside Christian at Acadiana Renaissance. Friday’s games Northside at North Vermilion, Rayne at Welsh, Acadiana Renaissance at Morgan City, Berchman at Church Point, Erath at Central Catholic, Westminster at Iota, Ascension Episcopal at Highland Baptist.

Saturday’s games

Acadiana at Sulphur, Carencro at Lafayette, New Iberia at Barbe, Southside at Sam Houston, Bunkie at Beau Chene, Cecilia at Northwest, Comeaux at Westgate, Rayne at David Thibodaux, Pine Prairie at Eunice, Opelousas at Mamou, Teurlings at St. Thomas More, Crowley at Midland, Kaplan at Lafayette Christian, St. Martinville at Delcambre, Dunham at Notre Dame, Gueydan at Westminster-LAF, Opelousas Catholic at Notre Dame, Westminster at Livonia, Episcopal of Acadiana at Grand Lake.

SOFTBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday’s games Acadiana at Barbe, Sulphur at Carencro Southside at Lafayette, Sam Houston at New Iberia, Cecilia at Beau Chene, Opelousas at Breaux Bridge, David Thibodaux at Northside. DeRidder at Eunice, St. Thomas More at North Vermilion, Teurlings at Rayne, Abbeville at Kaplan, Erath at Acadiana Renaissance, St. Martinville at Kaplan Northwest at Elizabeth, Vermilion Catholic at Delcambre, Lafayette Renaissance at Lafayette Christian, Loreauville at CatholicPC, Midland at Welsh, Lake Arthur at Notre Dame, Highland Baptist at Houma Christian South Beauregard at St. Edmund, Sacred Heart at Lafayette-LAF, Westminster at Plainview, Northside Christian at St. Joseph Wednesday’s games Notre Dame at Eunice, Rayne at Opelousas Catholic, Teurlings at Sacred Heart, Crowley at Gueydan, Lafayette Renaissance at Westminster. Thursday’s games

Totals2

Percentages: FG .412, FT .778. 3-Point Goals: 13-34, .382 (Reeves

varado 3-6, Matkovic 2-4, Hawkins 2-5, Murphy III 2-9, Cain 1-2, Brown 0-1, RobinsonEarl 0-1, Olynyk 0-3) Team Rebounds: 12. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 6 (Alvarado 2, Murphy III 2 Matkovic, Missi). Turnovers: 14 (Alvarado 3, Missi 3, Murphy III 3, Brown, Hawkins, Matkovic, Olynyk, Reeves). Steals: 5 (Olynyk 2, Alvarado, Matkovic, Missi). Technical Fouls: None. Memphis26313218—107 New Orleans27371525—104

A_17,435 (16,867). T_2:20. College basketball

Men’s national scores Monday’s games No games. Southland Conference Glance At The Legacy Center Lake Charles, La. First Round Sunday’s games Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders 62, Houston Christian Huskies 48 Incarnate Word 71, SE Louisiana 67 Quarterfinals Monday’s games Northwestern St. vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders, n Nicholls vs. Incarnate Word, n Semifinals Tuesday’s games McNeese St. vs. Northwestern St.-Texas

A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders-winner, 7 p.m. Lamar vs. Nicholls-Incarnate Word-winner, 9:30 p.m. Championship Wednesday’s game Semifinal winners, 5 p.m. Women’s national scores Monday’s games American Athletic Quarterfinal Rice 62, UTSA 58 Temple 65, Charlotte 34 Big Sky Quarterfinal Idaho St. 62, Weber St. 42 Montana 65, Idaho 54 Horizon League Semifinal Green Bay 67, Robert Morris 53 Fort Wayne 83, Cleveland St. 65 Mountain-West ConferenceQuarterfinal UNLV 80, Boise St. 70 Southland First Round Northwestern St. 66, Texas A&M-CC 63 Sun Belt Championship Arkansas St. 86, James Madison 79, OT West Coast Semifinal Oregon St. 63, Gonzaga 61 Western AthleticFirst Round Nicholls 55, Texas Rio Grande Valley 53 Southland Conference At The Legacy Center Lake Charles, La. First Round Monday’s games Northwestern St. 66, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders

Sunday’s games Northwestern State 5, Incarnate Word 4 Texas-Rio Grande Valley 9, UNO 2 South Alabama 8 Louisiana Tech 2 Nicholls 7, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 2 Houston 13, Grambling 4 UL-Monroe 4, Texas-Arlington 0 Dallas Baptist 8, UL 2 North Dakota State 12, Tulane 3 LSU 11, North Alabama 5 Southeastern 8, Memphis 3 McNeese 6, Houston Christian 4 Monday’s games None scheduled. Tuesday’s games Southern at UL, 6 p.m. Grambling at Northwestern State, 6 p.m. Alcorn at UL-Monroe, 6 p.m. Xavier (OH) at LSU, 6:30 p.m. Xavier (LA) at UNO, 6:30 p.m. Nicholls at Tulane, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday’s games Nicholls vs. Mississippi State, TBA Mississippi Valley State at Northwestern State, 6 p.m. McNeese State at UL-Lafayette, 6 p.m. Xavier (OH) at Southeastern, 6 p.m. Louisiana Tech at Oklahoma, 6:30 p.m. Jackson State at Tulane, 6:30 p.m. Thursday’s games No games

agreed to a deal to send Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round draft pick. The Seahawks are undergoing major changes on offense, having also agreed to trade star receiver D.K. Metcalf to Pittsburgh for a secondround pick and having cut receiver Tyler Lockett.

Among backup quarterbacks staying put are Jarrett Stidham, who agreed to a two-year $12 million deal to serve as Bo Nix’s No. 2 in Denver, and Jimmy Garoppolo, who is staying with the Rams to back up Matthew Stafford.

Denver also bolstered its stellar defense, agreeing to keep runstuffer D.J. Jones (three years, $39 million) and to sign former 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga (three years, $45 million).

Two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Haason Reddick is on the move again, this time to Tampa Bay, where he’ll make $14 million in 2025 with $12 million guaranteed.

Before a holdout ruined his 2024 season with the Jets, Reddick had 27 sacks in two seasons in Philadelphia. He also had double-digit sacks for Arizona in 2020 and Carolina in 2021. The Buccaneers are his fifth team in nine seasons.

The Bucs also agreed to re-sign receiver Chris Godwin, who is returning from a gruesome ankle injury, for $66 million ($44 million guaranteed) over three years. The 29-year-old had 50 catches for 576 yards in seven games last season.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT SLOCUM

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams celebrates after recovering a fumble by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the second half of the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 in New Orleans.

Time to get in shape

Pruning boosts health and productivity of fruit and nut trees

Late winter is an ideal time for pruning many trees, and fruit trees are no exception. Regularly trimming away damaged and unsightly branches is key to maintaining a healthy tree with an aesthetically pleasing shape. It also triggers a hormonal response that promotes healing and regrowth — things we want to encourage ahead of spring.

In the case of fruit trees, pruning offers additional benefits

“You want to increase airflow and sunlight

If you do need to spray your fruit trees, they’ll be easier to spray,” said LSU AgCenter fruit and nut specialist Michael Polozola. “But it also helps because you’ll also need to spray them less because you’ll rely on nature to help reduce that disease pressure by having that good airflow and sunlight to prevent humid pockets.”

Pruning to maximize sunlight penetration also helps produce more and sweeter fruit, Polozola said, as the increased light exposure enhances the fruit’s development and sugar content. The process of pruning fruit trees is different from pruning other trees. Fruit trees don’t always grow in a form that is conducive to producing lots of fruit or resisting disease pressure. They often need to be trained into a better shape.

Michael Polozola demonstrates pruning a young peach tree to encourage a form that is more conducive to fruit production.

It’s easiest to accomplish this while trees are young and have yet to bear fruit. The goal, in general, is to ensure branches are evenly distributed on the trunk and to avoid narrow crotches, which are prone to breakage But there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach

“Each fruit tree species needs a little bit different training strategy,” Polozola said.

For most fruit trees, pruning keeps their height in check so it’s easier to harvest. It also helps avoid low-hanging branches that may get too close to the ground when laden with fruit. Below is Polozola’s advice on pruning and training the shape of some common fruit trees as well as pecans, which we usually think of as nuts but actually are drupes, a type of fruit

PEACH: Polozola recommends training these trees in the open center or vase form, which features three or four main limbs that grow outward. After you bring home peach trees from the nursery, you should prune them to a single stem that’s about 3 feet tall You may have to cut off a good bit of growth to achieve this, but that’s OK, even if it looks severe.

Pruning trees back will force new branches to grow Polozola suggests using limb spacers to train the new growth to go in three to four different directions

FIG: Figs can be pruned in either tree or bush forms. Polozola recommends following the open center method to achieve a tree form in south Louisiana.

ä See PRUNING, page 6C

Arrival time

BY HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writer

Trying to follow a hummingbird’s

frenzied path might give you whiplash, but starting in mid-March, Louisiana residents will have ample opportunity to spot the tiny, longbeaked birds as they make their annual migration from Mexico.

Louisiana is filled with bird enthusiasts, so the arrival of hummingbirds along the Gulf Coast is a nature lover’s ideal start to spring.

The most common hummingbird in Louisiana is the the ruby-throated hummingbird, which typically bear emerald and red feathers.

How to attract the airborne jewels

According to the National Audubon Society, it’s best to put nectar out in early March to attract hummingbirds.

Introducing tubular flowers to your garden or setting up a hummingbird feeder are other ways to see the shimmery creatures.

Hummingbird feeders usually use

Jillian Boyles, left, is Georgie, and Reynold Hunter is Jim in LSU Theatre’s production of ‘Roleplay,’ opening March 13 in the Reilly Theatre.

STAFF PHOTO By ROBIN MILLER

mixtures with one-quarter cup of sugar per cup of water And while it’s not necessary to dye the mixture, most feeders are red, as hummingbirds are naturally drawn to the color

Feeders come in all different colors, though the Baton Rouge Audubon Society suggests residents stay away from yellow feeders, as the color is a magnet for bees and wasps.

Additional tips for feeders

Just like you would with a water bowl for your pets, sugar water mix-

tures need to be replaced, too.

If you are setting up a feeder, consider placing it away from predators, like cats, who may use the spot as their hunting ground.

Hanging the feeder in an area shielded from wind and direct sunlight will also preserve the nectar for longer Fun facts

The ruby-throated hummingbird flaps its wings 60 to 80 times per second, so it’s easy to mistake the bird for a large bee.

Weighing less than a nickel, the hummingbird is known to nest on deciduous or coniferous tree branches, though some are used to human habitation and will nest on loops of chain, wire and extension cords.

Though they can fly up to 60 miles per hour, these hummingbirds have extremely short legs and are unable to walk or hop. Instead, they shuffle. And to scratch its head or neck, the ruby-throated hummingbird raises a foot over its wing.

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Georgie dreams of becoming a poet, but she doesn’t dare tell anyone least of all her immigrant parents, who have sacrificed everything for their daughter’s edu-

PROVIDED PHOTO By JANE PATTERSON Hummingbirds flock to a feeder

LSU AGCENTER PHOTO By OLIVIA McCLURE

LSU AgCenter fruit and nut specialist

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK Hummingbirds flit through a backyard in the Kenilworth neighborhood in Baton Rouge.

That’s enough, we’re bringing back gloves

Dear Miss Manners: If we renewed the lovely fashion of wearing gloves, people wouldn’t have to fear catching germs from shaking hands or appearing rude for refusing.

Gentle reader: Why didn’t Miss Manners think of that?

Not only would it solve the problems you mention, but it would allow her to wallow in a treasure trove of forgotten customs. And as a bonus, it might alert those involved in plays and shows set in the past to use period costumes properly, which they almost never do. Even in lavish movies and television series, the supposedly refined characters eat and drink while wearing gloves, which is — ewww!

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

in the cold should not therefore be a problem. But gloves were once a routine part of a proper outfit worn outside of one’s home, regardless of the weather: cotton gloves for spring and summer, fine leather for formal occasions, and heavier leather or wool for fall and winter Oh, and slippery ones for striptease acts.

P.S. It is true that gentlemen but not ladies were supposed to remove their gloves when shaking hands But Miss Manners is hereby suspending that rule.

Removing gloves before eating is a strict rule. But if you have a glass or a canape or a fork in your hands, that is an obvious and polite excuse for not shaking hands. Just practice the regretful smile that should accompany the refusal Aside from protective gloves worn for tasks like waxing your car or dyeing your hair — during which, presumably, you don’t socialize — gloves are now

chiefly worn for warmth

Greeting someone outdoors

‘ROLEPLAY’

Continued from page 5C

Boyles, a sophomore theater major from Fort Worth, tells the story of Georgie, whose story is one of five in LSU Theatre’s production of “Roleplay.” The 2019 drama, developed by students and professionals at Tulane University, opens March 13 in LSU’s Reilly Theatre. 11 characters, five stories

The production follows 11 characters through their sophomore year of college as they deal with everything from friendships to sexual assault.

For Georgie, campus life includes a dream of creativity through words known only to her until her friend Jim, played by Reynold Hunter, starts reading her poetry

“Jim is a chill guy,” said Hunter, a junior English literature major from Shreveport. “He likes hanging out with friends but he’s in conflict with his masculinity He’s also a bit of an artist — a bit of a producer — and he believes he can work with Georgie lyrically.”

Snapshots of the year

Boyles and Hunter describe the play as snapshots through the school year

“You see the rise and fall of these students and the conflicts in their daily lives,” Hunter said.

Juggling several simultaneous stories in one play isn’t always the easiest job for a director but Emily K. Hamilton has directed similar plays in the past.

Hamilton is on sabbatical leave from Hamilton College’s Theatre Department in Clinton, New York.

“I miss my students, so

Dear Miss Manners: An elderly friend died last year after a long decline. I was very fond of her, as she was of me, and I visited her regularly after she moved from her home to the care facility where she died I recently received a small monetary bequest My friend’s executor is the eldest of her three children. Should I write a thank-you note for this bequest, and if so, to whom should it be addressed?

Obviously I can’t write to my deceased friend, though I do think of her gratefully almost every day for her love and many kindnesses. Yet I don’t think much of

the children — they neglected my friend and left her lonely for many of her final months — and am not keen to give them credit by thanking them for a bequest that was A. not of their generosity and B. handled entirely by lawyers. If I should send a thankyou note, do I address it only to the executor or to all three?

Gentle reader: You do your late friend no honor by snubbing her children, at least one of whom she trusted enough to name as her executor Miss Manners hopes that you will express your condolences to the children. However complicated the relationships, they did lose their mother But no, you need not thank the family for the bequest, which was none of their doing. Any acknowledgment to the executor would be in that child’s capacity as your friend’s chosen representative.

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.

Try this when answering scams

Dear Heloise: I’ve read many ideas for handling scam phone calls, but I have yet to see the one that has worked so well for me: If I receive a call from a number I don’t recognize, I pick up the phone, then hang up. This serves two purposes: First, I don’t waste time talking, and second, I don’t waste time listening. My philosophy is that if it is a legitimate phone call, the person will call back. This has only happened two times in the past several months. Keep up the good work! I enjoy your columns immensely — K.A., in Diamond Bar California Reusing scatter rugs

Hints from Heloise

I don’t throw it out. I’ve taken old ones (about 3 by 4 feet) and folded them in half once, then in half again, and used them as a kneeling pad while gardening. They are so soft on the knees and usually bigger than the foam kneeling pads sold at the garden centers. If they get dirty who cares! You can hose them off to clean them. — Michelle Balk, via email Trash hint

But the tree form can be more sensitive to winter cold damage, so a bush form with multiple trunks is better for north Louisiana, he said. To grow figs as bushes, cut young trees back to about half their original height before transplanting. Prune shoots that grow upward while keeping those that grow outward.

APPLE: The modified central leader technique is ideal for apple trees. Cut off upper branches that

I welcomed the chance to work with students in this play at LSU,” she said. “Often, the pieces I direct aren’t linear but more collage style, and as director, I keep an eye on how these stories intersect and how the perspectives diverge.”

Developed at Tulane

“Roleplay” was inspired by the results of Tulane’s 2018 campus climate survey on sexual misconduct, which revealed high rates of sexual assault among students.

The resulting play project connected the team of adjunct professor Darci Fulcher filmmaker Katie Mathews, associate professor of theatre Jenny Mercein and Goat in the Road Productions with 15 students, who explored their own college experiences during a yearlong process.

may meet the trunk at narrow angles to encourage new limbs to grow

“You’re going to work on training out scaffold limbs,” Polozola said “Limbs that come out at 90 degrees are stronger and easier for sunlight and air to get through.”

Students took on such subjects as identity, sex, power and consent using structured improvisations and workshops to develop scenes and characters.

The play sparked conversations on Tulane’s campus while promoting new perspectives on issues like sexual assault and toxic behavior Meanwhile, a documentary about the making of the play, “Roleplay,” was created during the process, further amplifying the voices of the students involved and the issues explored in the play

“I’ve grown a lot as an actor in this play,” Hunter said. “I feel like this play is important to the times we’re living in.”

Email Robin Miller at romiller@theadvocate. com.

CITRUS: Citrus trees typically don’t need a lot of pruning. But feel free to remove branches that are crossing each other and any thorny rootstock You also can prune to control height to make it easier to protect trees during cold weather PECAN: “Pecans are completely different,” Polozola said “These we’re aiming to get really tall. These we are pruning lower limbs a little bit up every year to push the fork up.” For more information on fruit trees, check out “The Louisiana Home Orchard,” a free publication available on the AgCenter website at www.lsuagcenter.com/ LAHomeOrchard. You’ll find helpful diagrams and detailed instructions for pruning various trees as well as grape and muscadine vines and blackberry plants.

Dear Heloise: Once a scatter rug has seen better days,

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday March 11, the 70th day of 2025. There are 295 days left in the year Today in history

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake and resulting tsunami struck Japan’s northeastern coast, killing nearly 20,000 people and severely damaging the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station.

On this date: In 1918, what were believed to be the first confirmed U.S. cases of a deadly global flu pandemic were reported among U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Fort Riley Kansas; 46 soldiers would die. (The influenza outbreak would ultimately kill an estimated 20 million to 40 million people worldwide.)

In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act, which

Dear Heloise: I am a senior who lives alone and doesn’t generate enough food scraps to discard them often. Our city wants us to put these scraps in our green barrel, not in the regular trash. So, I keep a plastic bag in the freezer and keep my scraps frozen until I empty the bag once a week on trash day Thanks for all the great hints! — Shirley, in Bakersfield, California Food storage

TODAY IN HISTORY

provided war supplies to Allied countries during World War II.

In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev was chosen to succeed the late Konstantin Chernenko as general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party In 2004, three days before general elections in Spain, 10 bombs exploded in quick succession inside commuter trains in Madrid, killing 193 people in an attack linked to al-Qaida-inspired militants.

In 2010, a federal appeals court in San Francisco upheld the use of the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency

In 2012, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales shot and killed 16 Afghan villagers — mostly women and children as they slept. (Bales later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.)

Dear Heloise: I like storing leftovers in glass containers rather

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed into

STAFF PHOTO By ROBIN MILLER

Reynold Hunter is Jim in LSU Theatre’s production of ‘Roleplay,’ opening March 13 in the Reilly Theatre.

PIScES (Feb. 20-March 20) Move into high gear and make positive changes. Improve how you live, work and handle your money Chat with experts and people you trust to point you in the right direction.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Do something to help others. Pitching in will make you feel grateful for who you are and what you have. Expand your circle of friends and interests, and you'll discover something you want to pursue.

TAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Impulsiveness will lead to poor choices. Concentrate on one thing at a time, and you'll accomplish what you set out to do. Timing is everything; thought and planning will make you look like a pro.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Sit back for a change, and let the dust settle before you begin again. Listen to your heart instead of letting someone else bully you. Evaluate what's important.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Be cognizant of others, but refuse to let anyone outshine or manipulate you. Put your best foot forward and put your energy where it counts. Shut out negativity and those trying to lead you astray.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Refuse to let a change of plans unnerve you. Go about your business, finish what you start and set your priorities straight to avoid outside interference. Implement self-love into your routine.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Visit a destination that offers visual, mental or emotional stimulation. Trust and believe in your-

self, and you won't be disappointed. It's time to live, love and be happy.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-oct. 23) Take the time to interact with knowledgeable people, and expand your circle of friends and interests. Doors will open, and proposals will spark your imagination and help you prioritize your schedule.

ScoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Turn up the volume and put your running shoes on; it's time to get serious and get things done. Stay focused, and you'll outsmart and outdo anyone who wants to slow you down.

SAGITTARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) An open mind, courage and a positive attitude will help you navigate highs and lows. Live life in the moment, and don't deny yourself the right to pursue what makes you happy.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Look for alternative ways to stretch your money. Whetheryoustartabusiness,makesome investments or apply for a better-paying position,youwilldiscoveryouhavemore control over your financial future than you anticipated.

AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Homeimprovementsthathelptoloweryourutilitycosts or overall expenses are achievable. Do the work yourself when possible and oversee any outsourcing to ensure you get your money's worth.

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

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

ToDAy'S cLuE: P EQuALS V

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

dooneSbUrY

bIG nAte

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

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

Victor Hugo wrote, “He who every morning plans the transactions of the day, and follows that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through a labyrinth of the most busy life.”

A declarer who every first trick plans the transactions of the deal, and follows that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through a labyrinth of a most busy deal.

That is true, but declarers must always be ready to change their plans if necessary. For example, look at today’s club suit IfSouthhasnootherworries,whatis his best play for four tricks? Then, South isinthreeno-trump Westleadstheheart six: five, jack, king. How should declarer plan the transactions of the deal?

South has seven top tricks: two spades, one heart (trick one), two diamonds and two clubs. He needs two — not three — more club tricks to get home.

In isolation, the best plan is to cash dummy’s ace, then play low to dummy’s jack on the second round. But one of the main reasons bridge retains its popularity is that the right way to play a suit mathematically will not always be the correct approach in a given deal.

Here, if East gets on play, he will lead a heart through South’s queen. That will not hurt if the hearts are 4-4, but if they are 5-3 or 6-2, the contract will fail. Declarer must work to keep East off play. South should lead a club to the king and cash the ace. Here, the queen drops and South gains an overtrick. But if the queen has not appeared (and the suit is 3-2), declarer plays a third round, hoping for the best. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews

Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous

and be

Answer

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles hidato

Former BR restaurant building sells for $1M

The former Boil & Roux building on Coursey Boulevard in Baton Rouge has been sold for just under $1 million to a group that plans to open multiple eateries on the site, including an Indian restaurant.

Grand Wall Chinese Supper

Buffet Inc. of Gonzales sold the building at 11777 Coursey Blvd. in a deal that was completed last week. The buyer was MAARS Properties LLC of Baton Rouge, headed up by Rajinder Singh.

The plans are to fully remodel the nearly 5,100-square-foot building and turn it into two or three restaurant spaces, said Keith Duncan, of Kadre, who represented the buyers. One of the restaurants will be Indian, while the other will be complementary eateries, Duncan said. Plans are to open the restaurant in three to six months.

Jane Lu, of Property First Realty Group, represented the sellers.

The building has been vacant since Boil & Roux shut down at the end of 2024. Boil & Roux was at the center of controversy with its neighbors and cityparish officials for years due to repeated noise complaints permitting issues and problems with its liquor license.

Grand Wall twice sued to evict Boil & Roux, claiming the restaurant owed thousands of dollars in rent. According to the landowner’s lawyer, Jean-Paul Robert Boil & Roux agreed to vacate the premises voluntarily as part of an agreed-upon judgment in court.

Tesla tumbles again; investors bail on EVs Shares of Tesla slid again Monday as confidence in Elon Musk’s electric car company continues to disintegrate following a post-election “Trump bump.”

Tesla shares tumbled 15.4%, to $222.15. That’s the lowest Tesla shares have traded since late October, reflecting investors’ newfound pessimism as the automaker’s sales crater around the globe. Monday’s decline, Tesla’s steepest since September 2020, came with Wall Street amid a sell-off caused by uncertainty over the Trump administration’s trade policies

Many analysts have attributed Tesla’s sagging stock — and auto sales to Musk’s support of President Donald Trump and other far-right candidates around the world.

Musk pumped $270 million into Trump’s campaign heading into the 2024 election, appeared on stage with him and cheered Trump’s victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in November Tesla stock soared to $479 per share by mid-December, but have since tumbled back to earth, losing 40% of their value.

Musk has become the face of the Trump administration’s slash-and-burn government downsizing efforts, known as the Department of Government Efficiency, which has promised massive federal worker layoffs and aims to drastically reduce government spending.

Ontario hikes tax on U.S. electricity exports

Ontario’s premier, the leader of Canada’s most populous province, announced that effective Monday, it is charging 25% more for electricity to 1.5 million American homes and businesses in response to President Donald Trump’s trade war Ontario provides electricity to Minnesota, New York and Michigan.

“I will not hesitate to increase this charge. If the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference in Toronto. Ford said Ontario’s tariff would remain in place, noting a recent one-month retrieve from Trump means nothing but more uncertainty Quebec is also considering taking similar measures with electricity exports to the U.S.

Walking on oyster shells

How one small business is navigating on-again, off-again tariffs on

BY MAE ANDERSON AP business writer

NEW YORK At Fishtown Seafood, owner Bryan Szeliga is worried about the oysters.

Szeliga, who operates three retail and wholesale locations in Philadelphia and Haddonfield New Jersey sells a range of seafood. But briny, slurpable oysters are the biggest part of his overall business. And 60% to 70% come from Canada. The Trump’s administration’s on-again, off-again 25% tariffs on imports from Canada — which went into effect last week only to be suspended on some items for a month on Thursday — are giving Szeliga whiplash The flip-flopping is making it tough to plan ahead. And if the tariffs do eventually go into effect, he’ll likely need to raise prices and offer his customers fewer choices of oysters.

“Part of the problem of the ‘chaos and shock and awe’ approach to the negotiation is you can’t actually really business plan based on knowing what is and isn’t actually going to happen,” he said. “That’s a big problem.”

Szeliga started Fishtown Seafood four years ago after other jobs in the food industry including chef and working for a nonprofit. His customers include neighborhood locals and others who shop at his retail shops as well as restaurant wholesale clients.

He sources some of his U.S. products directly from fish farms but for Canadian oysters, he goes through dealers.

“They’re larger companies that aggregate from all the (seafood) producers and then distribute throughout the

ALEX VEIGA

Stocks’ sell-off worsens

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK The U.S. stock mar-

ket’s sell-off cut deeper on Monday as Wall Street questioned how much pain President Donald Trump will let the economy endure through tariffs and other policies in order to get what he wants.

The S&P 500 dropped to drag it close to 9% below its all-time high, which was set just last month. At one point, the S&P 500 was on track for its worst day since 2022.

That’s when the highest inflation in generations was shredding budgets and raising worries about a possible recession that ultimately never came.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq composite also fell.

Canadian goods

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By MATT ROURKE

Bryan Szeliga, owner of Fishtown Seafood, says many of his suppliers of Canadian oysters are raising their prices

country,” he said.

There’s also a quality consideration.

“Canadian oysters simply have the size, flavor profile and brand recognition that our customers prefer and have grown to love,” he said.

On Tuesday, most of his suppliers told Szeliga they’d be raising prices He only made one purchase while the tariff was in effect, buying some “sweet petite” oysters from Prince Edward Island, to make sure a wholesale client had enough product. He paid the whole 25% markup himself and didn’t pass it along to his client, eating the extra cost. The suppliers’ price increases are likely to come down now that the tariffs are postponed, but only for a month.

Now that he has a month reprieve, Szeliga said he plans to adjust his own inventory and work with his wholesale clients to plan out a menu that will be less affected by the tariffs. That might mean replacing higher-priced, higherquality oysters with domestic or lower-priced Canadian offerings.

“Now that we have a picture of what this is probably going to look like, let’s just start designing out your menus so that we’re prepared and it’s not complete bedlam again,” he said. “Even if prices come down, we know prices are going to come up to X, Y, Z (when the tariffs return).” He said he’ll be asking his clients, “What products are going to work for you in a month?”

It was the worst day yet in a scary stretch where the S&P 500 has swung more than 1%, up or down, seven times in eight days because of Trump’s on -and- off -again tariffs The worry is that the whipsaw moves will either hurt the economy directly or create enough uncertainty to drive U.S. companies and consumers into an economy-freezing paralysis.

The economy has already given some signals of weakening, mostly through surveys showing increased pessimism. And a widely followed collection of real-time indicators compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta suggests the U.S. economy may already be shrinking.

Asked over the weekend whether he was expecting a recession in 2025, Trump told Fox News Channel: “I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing.” He then added, “It takes a little time. It takes a little time.”

Trump says he wants to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, among other reasons he’s given for tariffs. His Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has also said the economy may go through a “detox” period as it weans off an addiction to spending by the government. The White House is trying to limit federal spending, while also cutting the federal workforce and increasing deportations, which could hinder the job market.

The U.S. job market is still showing stable hiring at the moment, to be sure, and the economy ended last year running at a solid rate. But economists are marking down their forecasts for how the economy will perform this year At Goldman Sachs, for example, David Mericle cut his estimate for U.S. economic growth to 1.7% from 2.2% for the end of 2025 over the year before, largely because tariffs look like they’ll be bigger than he was previously forecasting. He sees a one-in-five chance of a recession over the next year, raising it only slightly because “the White House has the option to pull back policy changes” if the risks to the economy “begin to look more serious.”