Strategy calls for incentives, focus on high-growth sectors
BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer
Gov Jeff Landry’s administration, which has boasted about multibillion-dollar investments from social media giant Meta and
automaker Hyundai in recent months, released a new strategic plan for economic development on Wednesday that included a road map for making investments in the technology sector and other growing industries.
The 40-page plan, produced by a team of consultants in partnership with Louisiana Economic Development, bills itself as a blueprint to “build the most robust, innovative, and high growth economy in the Southeast.” It also sought to diagnose why Louisiana has struggled to add jobs and what the state can do to stem the flow of residents to other states for better
State board calls for UNO to return to LSU system
BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer
Citing University of New Orleans’ urgent financial crisis, the Board of Regents recommended Wednesday that UNO transition out of the University of Louisiana system and be put back under the control of the LSU system, which oversaw the university until about a decade ago
The proposal by the Board of Regents, which oversees public higher education in Louisiana, comes after state Senate President Cameron Henry and House
BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE
Speaker Phillip DeVillier last month asked the board to study the “financial, academic and operational considerations of such a move. For more than a decade, UNO has been part of the UL system, which includes eight other universities across the state.
Board members voted Wednesday to send the proposal to the state Legislature, which would have to pass legislation to formalize UNO’s transfer. The move must also be approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the accrediting agency that oversees UNO
“We anticipate this transfer will produce a bold vision to strategically redesign UNO and position it as a major developer of talent for the Greater New Orleans Region,” Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell said in a statement. Governing systems have significant authority over the colleges and universities they oversee. They supervise the schools’ leaders, provide fiscal oversight and approve hiring and staffing plans, according to the Board of Regents study that recommended UNO’s
BY DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press
WASHINGTON Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Wednesday it was a “mistake” for national security officials to discuss sensitive military plans on a group text chain that also included a journalist — a leak that has roiled President Donald Trump’s national security leadership.
Speaking before the House Intelligence Committee, Gabbard said the conversation included “candid and sensitive” information about military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. But as she told senators during testimony on Tuesday, she said the texts did not contain any classified information.
“It was a mistake that a reporter was inadvertently added,” Gabbard said.
Wednesday’s hearing was called to discuss an updated report on national security threats facing the U.S. Instead, much of the focus was on the text chain, which included Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of Defense Pete
STAFF FILE PHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER
The University of New Orleans was part of the LSU system before a 2011 move to the University of Louisiana system.
NATO: 4 missing U.S soldiers have died
WARSAW Poland NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday that four U.S. soldiers who went missing while training in Lithuania have died, but that he did not yet know the details.
A U.S. official would say only that the four soldiers were involved in a training accident. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, would not comment on the status of the soldiers.
Lithuania’s military said later on X that the deaths were not yet confirmed and that a rescue operation was “intensively ongoing.”
“Four United States soldiers and one tracked vehicle have gone missing during an exercise at a training ground in Lithuania At the moment, there is no evidence or information confirming the death of the troops,” the Lithuanian Armed Forces said in the statement. Rutte said during a trip to Warsaw that he had received word of the deaths of the four soldiers while he was delivering a lecture, and that his thoughts were with their families and with the United States.
A statement from U.S. Army Europe and Africa public affairs in Wiesbaden, Germany said the soldiers were conducting scheduled tactical training at the time.
Niger’s junta leader is sworn in as president
NIAMEY,Niger Niger’s junta leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, was sworn in Wednesday as the country’s president for a transition period of five years under a new charter that replaces the West African nation’s constitution.
Tchiani an army veteran, was also elevated to the country’s highest military rank of army general and signed a decree dissolving all political parties, cementing his grip on power since June 2023 when he led soldiers in a coup that deposed the country’s elected government.
The move defied attempts by the regional bloc to quicken the return to democracy after a 2023 coup The five-year “flexible” transition period begins on Wednesday, according to Mahamane Roufai, the secretary general of the government He was speaking at a ceremony in the capital Niamey where the new transition charter recommended by a recent national conference was approved.
The new president would have been in power for about seven years by the end of the transition period in 2030, following similar patterns of prolonged stints in power in Africa’s junta-led countries, including Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.
The transition charter also sets out a referendum as one of the conditions for setting up foreign military bases in Niger However, it noted that the president may authorize it through a decree in the event of an emergency
Dozens of Calif. chicks rescued from tree
Dozens of bird eggs and chicks were rescued from nests in a single wind-damaged eucalyptus tree that was dangerously close to collapsing in a California park. Now staff at the International Bird Rescue’s Los Angeles Wildlife Center have been working around the clock to care for the 47 eggs and 12 chicks, all doublecrested cormorants, in hopes that they will be able to be released back into the wild in a few months.
The tree at a park in Marina del Rey was flagged earlier this month after one of its trunks fell and crushed a trash bin enclosure, explained Nicole Mooradian, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches & Harbors. Its other trunk was showing signs of collapsing as well, threatening not only the birds but anyone on the nearby public walkway or in the parking lot next door
“It wasn’t a question of if this tree is going to fail, it was more of a when,” she said Monday “The cracks were growing wider by the day It was really bad.” For at least five hours on March 10, tree contractors meticulously removed each of the 20 nests and chopped off branches one at a time. Biologists on the ground put the eggs and hatchlings in egg cartons and boxes with heated blankets acting as temporary incubators
Palestinians protest Hamas in Gaza
BY SAMY MAGDY, FATMA KHALED and SARAH EL DEEB Associated Press
CAIRO Thousands of Palestinians marched between the wreckage of a heavily destroyed town in northern Gaza on Wednesday in the second day of antiwar protests, with many chanting against Hamas in a rare display of public anger against the militant group.
The protests, which centered mainly on Gaza’s north, appeared to be aimed generally against the war, with protesters calling for an end to 17 months of deadly fighting with Israel that has made life in Gaza insufferable.
But protesters also leveled unusually direct and public criticism of Hamas, which has quashed dissent violently in the past in Gaza, a territory it still rules months into the war with Israel.
In the town of Beit Lahiya, where a similar protest took place Tuesday, about 3,000 people demonstrated, with many chanting “the people want the fall of Hamas.” In the hard-hit Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City, dozens of men chanted “Out, out out! Hamas get out!”
“Our children have been killed. Our houses have been destroyed,” said Abed Radwan, who said he joined the protest in Beit Lahiya “against the war, against Hamas, and the (Palestinian political) factions, against Israel and against the world’s silence.”
Ammar Hassan, who took part in a protest Tuesday, said it started as an antiwar protest with a few dozen people but swelled to more than 2,000, with people chanting against Hamas
“It’s the only party we can affect,” he said by phone “Protests won’t stop the (Israeli) occupation, but it can affect Hamas.”
The militant group has violently cracked down on previous protests This time no outright intervention was apparent, perhaps because Hamas is keeping a lower profile since Israel resumed its war against it.
Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim, in a post on Facebook, wrote that people had the right to protest but that their focus should be on the “criminal aggressor,” Israel.
Family elders from Beit Lahiya expressed support for the protests against Israel’s renewed offensive and its tightened blockade on all supplies into Gaza. Their statement said the community fully supports armed resistance against Israel.
“The protest was not about politics. It was about people’s lives,” said Mohammed Abu Saker, a father of three from the nearby town of Beit Hanoun, who joined a demonstration Tuesday
“We want to stop the killing and displacement, no matter the price. We can’t stop Israel from killing us, but we can press Hamas to give concessions,” he said.
A similar protest occurred in the heavily destroyed area of Jabaliya on Tuesday, according to witnesses.
One protester in Jabaliya, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said they joined the demonstration because “everyone failed us.”
They said they chanted against Israel, Hamas, the Western-backed Palestinian Authority and Arab mediators. They said there were no Hamas security forces at the protest but scuffles broke out between supporters and opponents of the group.
Later, they said they regretted participating because of Israeli media coverage, which emphasized the opposition to Hamas.
Erdogan accuses opposition of wrecking Turkey’s economy
BY ANDREW WILKS Associated Press
ISTANBUL — Turkey’s president on Wednesday accused the political opposition of “sinking the economy” during the country’s largest protests in more than a decade over the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, the biggest challenger to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 22-year rule.
The opposition has called for a boycott of companies that it says support Erdogan’s government. The Turkish president accused the opposition of being “so desperate that they would throw the country and the nation into the fire.”
In his address to lawmakers with his Justice and Development Party, Erdogan added that “sabotage targeting the Turkish economy will be held accountable before the courts.”
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu who was arrested a week ago, faces charges related to corruption and supporting terrorism within the Istanbul municipality alongside 90 other suspects.
Homeland Security Secretary Noem visits El Salvador prison
BY REBECCA SANTANA and ALEX BRANDON Associated Press
TECOLUCA, El Salvador U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday visited the high-security El Salvador prison where Venezuelans who the Trump administration alleges are gang members have been held since their removal from the United States. The tour included two crowded cell blocks, the armory and an isolation unit.
Noem’s trip to the prison where inmates are packed into cells and never allowed outside — comes as the Trump administration seeks to show it is deporting people it describes as the “worst of the worst.”
The Trump administration is arguing in federal court that it was justified in sending the Venezuelans to El Salvador, while human rights activists say officials have sent them to a prison rife with human rights abuses.
At the prison, Noem toured an area holding some of the Venezuelans accused of being gang members. In the sweltering building, the men in white T-shirts and shorts stared silently from their cell without making a sound.
When Noem exited the building, the men could be heard shouting an indiscernible chant.
In a cell block holding Salvadoran prisoners about a dozen were lined up by guards near the front of their cell and told to remove their T-shirts and face masks. The men were heavily tattooed, some bearing the letters MS, for the Mara Salvatrucha gang, on their chests.
After listening to Salvadoran officials, Noem turned her back to the cell and recorded a video message.
If an immigrant commits a crime, “this is one of the consequences you could face,” Noem said “First of all, do not come to our country illegally You will be removed and you will
be prosecuted But know that this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use if you commit crimes against the American people.”
In a post on X Wednesday, Homeland Security indicated it would continue working with El Salvador, saying that Noem was slated to discuss how the U.S. can “increase the number of deportation flights and removals of violent criminals from the U.S.” during her visit with President Nayib Bukele.
Since taking office, Noem has frequently been front and center in efforts to highlight the immigration crackdown. She took part in immigration enforcement operations, rode horses with Border Patrol agents and was the face of a television campaign warning people in the country illegally to self-deport. Noem’s Wednesday visit is part of a three-day trip. She’ll also travel to Colombia and Mexico. The Venezuelans were removed from the U.S. this month after Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and said the U.S. was being invaded by the Tren de Aragua gang. The Alien Enemies Act gives the president wartime powers and allows noncitizens to be deported without the opportunity to go before an immigration or federal court judge In a setback for the administration, an appeals court Wednesday kept in place an order barring the administration from deporting more Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act. A central outstanding question about the deportees’ status is when and how they could ever be released from the prison, called the Terrorism Confinement Center, as they are not serving sentences. They no longer appear in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s online detainee locator and have not appeared before a judge in El Salvador.
The government says the judiciary is free of political influence.
The evidence against Imamoglu has not been officially disclosed.
Many Turkish media outlets have reported that it is largely based on “secret witnesses.”
The use of such testimony has been seen in previous criminal cases against opposition politicians. The head of the opposition Iyi Party Musavat Dervisoglu, questioned the evidence of corruption in Istanbul municipality “Dozens of inspectors have gone, 1,300 inspections have been
A court ordered him to be imprisoned Sunday A trial date has not been announced. Many consider the case against Imamoglu to be politically motivated.
made, nothing has come out of these inspections,” he told party lawmakers.
Also Wednesday, Istanbul’s municipal assembly voted for a proxy mayor to stand in for Imamoglu. His Republican People’s Party, or CHP, which has a majority in the assembly, selected Nuri Aslan, previously the deputy mayor
While the CHP has said it will no longer organize mass rallies at City Hall, students across Turkey continue protesting.
Demonstrations in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir as well as smaller cities and towns, have been largely peaceful. Protesters demand Imamoglu’s release and an end to democratic backsliding.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI
Palestinians attend an anti-war protest and against Hamas in a rare show of public anger against the militant group that rules the territory, in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, on Wednesday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANCISCO SECO
Protesters shout slogans during a protest after Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday.
Executive order on voting similar to La. law
Citizenship question has been added to registration forms
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that he said would require voters across the country to provide proof of citizenship before they can register to vote, which he argues will protect election integrity
The order has already drawn promises of legal challenges from critics who say Trump doesn’t have the authority to make the change, which they argue would unnecessarily block people from voting.
But the policy is already in the process of being implemented in Louisiana.
Anyone registering to vote in Louisiana must include proof of U.S citizenship when submitting a voter registration application.
And Louisiana’s application forms must include the question “Are you a citizen of the United States of America?”
Those rules took effect Jan 1 as part of a law the legislature passed
last year. However, voters in Louisiana do not yet have to provide citizenship documentation to register to vote as the state is still developing new registration procedures. That will remain the case ahead of the May 3 election, officials said.
Trump’s order says that within 30 days the Election Assistance Commission, a bipartisan commission set up to help states comply with federal voting laws, must begin to update the national voter registration form with his new citizenship requirements. Under the president’s order, documentary proof of citizenship includes a passport, REAL IDcompliant identification, a military ID indicating citizenship status or a government-issued ID indicating citizenship status
Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry said she backs Trump’s new policy and said it would help Louisiana implement its new law more quickly “I believe this executive order respects the states’ constitutional authority to administer elections while requiring the federal government to give the states the tools they need to keep our elections safe and secure,” Landry said.
Landry spokesperson Joel Wat-
son said the secretary of state is “still analyzing how this will specifically impact” Louisiana’s implementation of its proof-of-citizenship voting law
Trump’s order is an attempt to enact through executive order a policy Republicans have been trying to pass through Congress. For the past year, the GOP has tried to implement voter proof-of-citizenship requirements as part of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act Pushback
Trump’s move quickly sparked rebuke from voting-rights advocates.
“This executive order pretending to ensure election integrity will actually prevent many Americans from voting,” Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil-rights advocacy group, said in a statement.
“The SPLC will fight this order with every tool that we have to ensure the constitutional right to vote in this country is protected and accessible to every United States citizen,” said Huang.
Similarly, ACLU Voting Rights
Project Director Sophia Lin Lakin said the directive “threatens to disenfranchise tens of millions of
eligible voters.”
“We will do everything in our power to stop this unconstitutional attack on the right to vote,” said Lakin. “We will see President Trump in court.”
What else does the order do?
Trump’s lengthy order does more than impose citizenship documentation requirements.
It says the secretary of homeland security and secretary of state must make databases that could help verify citizenship or immigration status available for state elections officials.
The Commissioner of Social Security must also make available “the Social Security Number Verification Service, the Death Master File, and any other federal databases containing relevant information” to state and local election officials.
“I thank President Trump for his recent executive order concerning the security of our elections,” Landry said. “By directing agencies under his purview to provide critical data regarding immigration, illegal noncitizen voting, and the Social Security Administration’s Death Index, our state will have the crucial tools it needs to further ensure that our voter rolls are accurate.”
Another section of the order says Department of Homeland Security must coordinate with the Department of Government Efficiency — the controversial group led by Elon Musk that Trump has tasked with eliminating fraud and waste — to review each state’s voter registration lists and other records to make sure they comply with federal law And the U.S. attorney general should “prioritize enforcement of federal election integrity laws” in states that don’t share information about suspected election crimes with the federal government. The attorney general must also enter into information-sharing agreements with state election officials to provide the U.S. Department of Justice “detailed information on all suspected violations of State and Federal election laws discovered by State officials.”
Another piece of the policy seeks to require that cast ballots be received by election day in order to be counted. Louisiana does not count absentee ballots received after election day, but 18 states and Puerto Rico do. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.
BY MARK SHERMAN and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Trump administration on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to allow it to cut hundreds of millions of dollars for teacher training.
A federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the cuts, finding they were already affecting training programs aimed at addressing a nationwide teacher shortage An appeals court turned away a plea from the administration to allow them to resume. The government asked the high court to step in, arguing that the order is one of several issued by federal judges around the country wrongly forcing it to keep paying
out millions in grant money
The Supreme Court called for a response to the appeal by Friday It comes after U.S District Judge Myong Joun issued a temporary restraining order sought by eight Democratic-led states that argued the cuts were likely driven by efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
The Republican president signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the Education Department, and his administration has started overhauling much of its work, including cutting dozens of contracts it dismissed as “woke” and wasteful.
“So long as there is no prompt appellate review of these orders,
there is no end in sight for districtcourt fiscal micromanagement,” acting Solicitor General Sarah M. Harris wrote.
The Justice Department has filed four other emergency appeals of court rulings that blocked administration actions amid a wave of lawsuits that have slowed, at least for now, aspects of Trump’s agenda.
The Supreme Court has yet to rule on an appeal asking to narrow court orders that have imposed a nationwide hold on Trump’s desire to restrict birthright citizenship
An appeal to halt an order requiring the rehiring of thousands of federal workers is also pending.
The justices previously rejected a bid to freeze nearly $2 billion in foreign aid and did not immediately allow Trump’s firing to proceed
of the head of a federal watchdog agency A later ruling from a lower court, though, did force Office of Special Counsel head Hampton Dellinger from his job.
Joun, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, found that the cancellations probably violated a federal law that requires a clear explanation for such cost-cutting moves.
The appellate panel that rejected the administration’s request for a stay also was made up of judges nominated by Democratic presidents. California is leading the lawsuit and is joined by Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Wisconsin. The order the administration wants from the high court would allow the cuts to go forward while the legal fight over them plays out
The two education programs at issue — the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development — provide more than $600 million in grants for teacher preparation programs, often in subject areas such as math, science and special education, the states have argued. They said data has shown the programs had led to increased teacher retention rates and ensured that educators remain in the profession beyond five years. The administration halted the programs without notice in February The administration argues the states could at least temporarily draw on their own funds to continue funding the programs.
The Atlantic releases Signal chat
Text shows Hegseth’s detailed attack plans against the Houthis
BY TARA COPP Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Atlantic on Wednesday released the entire Signal chat among senior national security officials, showing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop — before the men and women flying those attacks against Yemen’s Houthis this month on behalf of the United States were airborne.
The disclosure follows two intense days during which leaders of President Donald Trump’s intelligence and defense agencies have struggled to explain how details — that current and former U.S. officials have said would have been classified wound up on an unclassified Signal chat that included Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said no classified information was posted to the Signal chat.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he and Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the committee’s top Democrat, plan to send a letter to the Trump administration requesting an inspector general investigation into the use of Signal. They seek a classified briefing with a top administration official “who can speak to the facts” of the episode.
The chat was also notable for who it excluded: the only military attendee of the principals committee, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Adm. Christopher Grady is currently serving in that position in an acting capacity because Trump fired former chairman Gen. CQ Brown Jr in February.
GABBARD
Continued from page 1A
Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance and other top officials.
Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was also added, and on Wednesday his publication released more details from the chats, showing the level of detail they offered about the strikes.
Democrats have demanded an investigation into the sloppy communication, saying it may have exposed sensitive military information that could have jeopardized the mission or put U.S. service members at risk.
The National Security Council has said it will investigate the matter, which Trump on Tuesday downplayed as a “glitch.” Goldberg said he received the Signal invitation from Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, who was in the group chat and has taken responsibility for the lapse.
Even though the texts contained detailed information on military actions,
National security adviser Mike Waltz was authorized to decide whether to include the Joint Chiefs chairman in the principals committee discussion, “based on the policy relevance of attendees to the issues being considered, the need for secrecy on sensitive matters, staffing needs, and other considerations,” the White House said in a Jan 20 memo.
The Pentagon said it would not comment on the issue, and it was not immediately clear why Grady, currently serving as the president’s top military adviser, would not be included in a discussion on military strikes.
Hegseth has refused to say whether he posted classified information onto Signal. He is traveling in the Indo-Pacific and to date has only scoffed at questions, saying he did not reveal “war plans.”
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe told members of the Senate Intelligence Committee on
Gabbard, Ratcliffe and the White House have all said none of the information was classified an assertion Democrats flatly rejected on Wednesday “You all know that’s a lie,” Rep Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, told Ratcliffe and Gabbard, who said that any decisions to classify or declassify military information falls to the secretary of defense.
Several Democrats on the panel said Hegseth should resign because of the leak.
“This is classified information. It’s a weapon system, as well as a sequence of strikes, as well as details of the operations,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois “He needs to resign immediately.”
Ratcliffe defended his use of Signal as “appropriate” and said questions over the Signal leak have overshadowed the military operation targeting the Houthis.
“What is most important is that the mission was a remarkable success,” he told lawmakers. “That’s what did happen, not what possibly could have happened.”
The discussion at times
Tuesday that it was up to Hegseth to determine whether the information he was posting was classified or not.
Specific texts revealed
What was revealed was jawdropping in its specificity and includes the type of information that is kept under a very close hold to protect the operational security of a military strike. But Hegseth’s spokesman, Sean Parnell, said in a statement Wednesday that “there were no classified materials or war plans shared. The Secretary was merely updating the group on a plan that was underway.”
The Pentagon and White House have tried to deflect criticism by attacking Goldberg and The Atlantic.
The magazine and Goldberg, however repeatedly reached out to the White House before and after publication to gain additional context on the Signal chat and ensure
grew heated as Ratcliffe and Democratic lawmakers spoke over one another At one point, Rep Jimmy Gomez, an Illinois Democrat, asked whether he knew whether Hegseth was drinking alcohol when he participated in the chat.
“I think that’s an offensive line of questioning,” Ratcliffe angrily replied. “The answer is no.”
Ratcliffe and Gomez then began shouting over each other as Gomez sought to ask a follow-up question.
“We want to know if his performance is compromised,” Gomez said.
Wednesday’s hearing was called to discuss the intelligence community’s annual report on threats to American national security The report lists China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as strategic adversaries, and notes that drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations pose other threats to Americans.
The presentations from top Trump appointees reflect Trump’s foreign policy priorities, including a focus on combating the flow of fentanyl, illegal immigra-
and are
that publishing the full texts would not cause harm. In a response, Goldberg reported Wednesday, Leavitt described some of the information as sensitive and said the White House would prefer it not be published.
In the group chat, Hegseth posted multiple details about the impending strike, using military language and laying out when a “strike window” starts, where a “target terrorist” was located, the time elements around the attack and when various weapons and aircraft would be used in the strike. He mentioned that the U.S. was “currently clean” on operational security.”
“Godspeed to our Warriors,” he wrote.
“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”
“1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME — also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)”
“1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd
strike package)”
“1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)”
“We are currently clean on OPSEC” — that is, operational security
A strike package includes the personnel and weapons used in an attack, including Navy F-18 fighter aircraft. MQ-9s are armed drones. Tomahawks are ship-launched cruise missiles.
Goldberg has said he asked the White House if it opposed publication and that the White House responded that it would prefer he did not publish.
Encrypted but vulnerable
Signal is a publicly available app that provides encrypted communications, but it can be hacked. It is not approved for carrying classified information. On March 14, one day before the strikes, the Defense Department cautioned personnel about the vulnerability of Signal, specifically that Russia was attempting to hack the app, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity
One known vulnerability is that a malicious actor, with access to a person’s phone, can link his or her device to the user’s Signal and essentially monitor messages remotely in real time.
Leavitt is one of three Trump administration officials who face a lawsuit from The Associated Press on First and Fifth Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
tion and human trafficking,
taking place as Trump attempts to work out a ceasefire
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under scrutiny for providing detailed attack plans in a Signal chat among senior national security officials that a reporter was also part of.
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Isuffered with rightleg pain duetoa herniateddiscfor threemonths. Ihave hadanepidural, acupuncture, CATscans andMRIs, physical therapyand various medicationsthatdid nothelp. SinceI beganDecompression Therapytreatments on my lowerback, Iamnow 100% improved.Beforetreatment,Iwas notable to do anything. Icould notshower, but couldonlysit in thetub.I wasnot able to standupstraightnor couldIsleep on my rightside. Afterseveral weeksoftreatment,Inow have more mobility andmyaches andpainsare gone Iwould recommend this treatmentto others becauseithas donewonders for me in just 5weeks!The doctorstooktheir time during theirconsultations andmade sure they couldhelpme. Thestaff is very friendly,professional,and have treatedme very well
MaxBourgeois (Retired,Shell Chemical)
Hometown -Gonzales, LA
IcametoDr. LeBlancbecause Ihad been suffering with severe sciatica. Thepain in my lowbackand legs wassosevere that Ibegan stayinghomeratherthan attendingsportingorsocialevents. Ibegan Spinal Decompressiontreatments andsince then,Iam70% improved!Iam feelingwellenoughand energeticafter workingall daytocook, do household chores,attend functions, etc. Ihave moremobility andIamnot exhausted from thepain! Thestaff andDoctors here arewonderful.Everyoneissokindand friendly andwilldowhateverisneeded to decreasethe pain.WhatIlikemostabout my care at LeBlancSpine Center is THE RESULTS! Ihighlyrecommend LeBlanc SpineCenterdue to thenon-invasive treatment andresults!Asa matter of fact,IhaverecommendedDr. LeBlancto people already.
SabrinaRuggiero Customer Service Represenative/ Insurance Agent Hometown-Plaquemine, LA
I first came to LeBlancSpine Centerwith numbness in my arms andlegs. Iwas also experiencinglower back pain andneck pain.Ihad been suffering with this for over 10 years. Ihad previouslytried one epidural injectioninmylower back and physical therapy, an Iwas stillsuffering with thesesymptoms. Sincebeginning Spinal Decompressiontreatments, Ihave hadconsistent improvementinmyback condition, andIamnow 70%improved! Iamliftingwithoutpain, sleeping better andInow have theability to walk without tiring!Iwould highlyrecommend Dr LeBlancand LeBlancSpine Center!
L. J. Dupuy (College Baseball Coach) Hometown -Addis,LA
Ihad been suffering forabout 8months with pain shooting down my left armand shoulder.I hadpreviouslytried injections in my shoulders, andIwas stillsuffering IcametoDr. LeBlancand beganSpinal Decompressiontreatments. Iamnow 90%improved! My rangeofmotionhas improved 95%and Ihavenomorepain at night. Iamnow able to do anything Iwant- allwithoutthe pain!WhatIlike most aboutmycarehereisthe personal care from thewhole staff andthe Doctor’s. What wouldmycommentsbeifasked to recommend LeBlancSpine Center? I wouldsay,“Whyare younot thereyet?! GeorgMarcum (Retired Consultant) Hometown-PortAllen,LA
BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
Wall Street slumps as Big Tech stocks drop
Drops for Nvidia, Tesla and other former superstars dragged Wall Street lower on Wednesday
The S&P 500 sank to break what had been a run of calmer trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average swung from a gain of 230 points in the morning to a loss, while the weakness for Big Tech sent the Nasdaq composite to a market-leading drop
The group of dominant stocks known as the “Magnificent Seven” has been at the center of the U.S stock market’s recent selloff, which earlier this month took the S&P 500 10% below its all-time high for its first “correction” since 2023. Big Tech had rocketed in earlier years amid a frenzy around artificial intelligence technology, and critics said their prices rose too quickly compared with their already rapidly growing profits.
Nvidia fell 6% to bring its loss for the year so far to 15.5% It was the single heaviest weight on the S&P 500 by far Other AI-related stocks were also weak, including serverbuilder Super Micro Computer, which fell 8.9%, and power companies hoping to electrify AI data centers.
Tesla has been contending with additional challenges, including worries that political anger at its CEO, Elon Musk, will hurt the electric vehicle maker’s sales. Tesla dropped 5.6% to extend its loss for 2025 to 32.6%.
Dollar Tree offloads
Family Dollar for $1B
Dollar Tree’s decadelong effort to fold the Family Dollar chain into its business is ending after agreeing to sell the bargain store chain to a pair of private equity firms for $1 billion Dollar Tree Inc. bought Family Dollar with its over 7,000 stores 10 years ago for more than $8 billion.
Dollar Tree had been scouting options for Family Dollar for a while and said Wednesday that the sale to Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management will allow it to focus on its core business.
Family Dollar carries a range of household staples, from food to laundry detergent. The stores are largely located in underserved, urban areas. Store closings that are underway, and those that may take place under new ownership, are likely to have an outsized impact on customers living in those areas.
Dollar Tree, whose customer base is about 50% middleincome shoppers, is found in many suburban locations Its shelves are more likely to feature seasonal goods, party supplies, crafts and snacks.
Renewable energy jumps to new high
Installation of renewable energy worldwide hit a record high last year, with 92.5% of all new electricity brought online coming from the sun, wind or other clean sources, an international agency reports Nearly 64% of the new renewable electricity capacity in 2024 was in China, according to Wednesday’s report by the International Renewable Energy Agency Overall, the world added 585 billion watts of new renewable electrical energy, a 15.1% jump from 2023, with 46% of the world’s electricity coming from solar, wind and other green non-nuclear energy sources. But even that big jump does not put the globe on track to reach the international goal of tripling renewable energy from 2023 to 2030, with the world on pace to be 28% short, the agency calculated. The goal was adopted in 2023 as part of the world’s efforts to curb the increasing impacts of climate change and transition away from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. China added almost 374 billion watts of renewable power — three-quarters of it from solar panels — in 2024. That’s more than eight times as much as the United States did and five times what Europe added last year
Trump imposes 25% auto tariff
U.S. imported nearly 8 million cars, light trucks last year
BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was placing 25% tariffs on auto imports, a move that the White House claims would foster domestic manufacturing but could also put a financial squeeze on automakers that depend on global supply chains.
“This will continue to spur growth,” Trump told reporters. “We’ll effectively be charging a 25% tariff.” The tariffs could be complicated as even U.S. automakers source their components from around the world, meaning that they could face higher costs and lower sales. Shares in General Motors fell 3% Wednesday Ford’s stock was up slightly Shares in Stellantis, the owner of Jeep and Chrysler,
dropped 3.7%.
Trump has long said that tariffs against auto imports would be a defining policy of his presidency, betting that the costs created by the taxes would cause more production to relocate to the United States. But U.S. and foreign automakers with domestic plants still depend on Canada, Mexico and other nations for parts and finished vehicles, meaning that auto prices could increase and sales could decline as new factories take time to build.
“We are going to be doing automobiles, which you’ve known about for a long time,” Trump said
Monday “We’ll be announcing that fairly soon, over the next few days probably.”
The president on Monday cited plans by South Korean automaker Hyundai to build a $5.8 billion steel plant in Donaldsonville as evidence that tariffs would bring back manufacturing jobs.
Slightly more than one million people are employed domestically in the manufacturing of motor vehicles and parts, about 320,000 fewer than in 2000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Another 2.1 million people work at auto and parts dealerships.
Founders of Black-owned brands adapt their hopes and business plans
Major U.S. companies end or water down diversity, equity and inclusion programs
BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP retail writer
NEW YORK The co-founders of a company that makes lip products for darker skin tones no longer hope to get their line into Target. A brother and sister who make jigsaw puzzles celebrating Black subjects wonder if they need to offer “neutral” images like landscapes to keep growing.
Pound Cake and Puzzles of Color are among the small businesses whose owners are rethinking their plans as major U.S. companies weaken their diversity equity and inclusion programs. The initiatives mostly date from the end of President Donald Trump’s first term and entered a new era with the dawn of his second one. Some Black-owned brands suspect big retail chains will drop partnerships they pursued after the police killing of a Black
man in 2020 reignited mass protests against racial injustice. In today’s anti-DEI climate, other entrepreneurs worry about personal repercussions or feel pressure to cancel contracts with retreating retailers.
“It becomes a question of, are the big box stores going to be there? Do we even make any attempt to talk to these people?” Ericka Chambers, one of the siblings behind Puzzles of Color, said. “We are really having to evaluate our strategy in how we expand and how we want to get in front of new customers.”
Chambers and her brother, William Jones, started turning the work of artists of color into frameable puzzles the same year a video captured a White Minneapolis police officer kneeling on George Floyd’s neck. Amid the Black Lives Matter protests over Floyd’s death, a fashion designer challenged large retailers to devote 15% of their shelf space and purchasing power to Black businesses.
The Fifteen Percent Pledge helped bring Puzzles of Color’s creations to Macy’s and Nordstrom’s websites in 2022. Last year, they made it into select Barnes & Noble stores.
Chambers said she’s confident in the companies’ commitments but recalled a backlash after news outlets covered the brand, which is based in Texas.
“It does make us think about how we en-
vision ourselves as far as the safety of not wanting to be attacked, because some people are very vocal about being anti-DEI,” Chambers said.
Vibrant depictions of Black women account for many of her and Jones’ puzzles. The pair figured they needed to provide more abstract designs for certain Barnes & Noble locations to give Puzzles of Color “a little bit of a fighting chance.”
Brianna Arps, who founded the fragrance brand Moodeaux in 2021, notices fewer grants available to Black brand creators these days. She used to apply for 10 to 15 every week or two; the number is down to five to seven, Arps said.
“A lot of the organizations that had been really vocal about supporting (Black businesses) have either quietly or outwardly pulled back,” she said.
Moodeaux was the first Black-owned perfume brand to get its perfumes into Urban Outfitters and Credo Beauty which specializes in natural vegan products. In the current environment, Arps is looking to expand her brand’s presence at independent shops and to support other Black fragrance lovers.
“The resiliency of brands like ours and founders like myself will still exist,” she said.
BY TIMOTHY BOONE Business editor
ExxonMobil said it will spend $100 million at its Baton Rouge chemical plant so the facility can produce ultra-pure isopropyl alcohol, which is used to make the advanced computer chips that power artificial intelligence and data centers. The work is expected to create 45 construction jobs, ExxonMobil officials said. Work will begin this year and the plant is expected to begin production in 2027. Baton Rouge is home of the largest isopropyl alcohol manufactur-
ing facility in the world. ExxonMobil has produced the antiseptic at the plant for more than 80 years, said Kate Lightfoot, manager of the chemical plant. “With this investment, we’re enhancing one of our legacy chemical products to meet growing demand in the tech industry,” Lightfoot said. The standard isopropyl alcohol found in consumer products such household cleaners, sanitizers and medical-grade sterilizers is 99.9% pure The industrial isopropyl alcohol that has been manufactured at the plant for more than 30 years and was used in microchips, semi-
conductors and consumer electronics is 99.99% pure. The new product will be 99.999% pure isopropyl alcohol. Manufacturers need the ultra-pure product to clean delicate, tiny computer chip parts before assembly ExxonMobil officials said the extreme purity is needed because some of the chips are so small that 150,000 would fit across a single grain of salt. ExxonMobil has talked about producing ultra-pure isopropyl alcohol at the Baton Rouge plant since 2023. Officials said the interest in the unit was sparked by the CHIPS and Science Act, federal legislation that was enacted in 2022 to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. ExxonMobil has agreed to dedicate sales and use taxes generated from the alcohol manufacturing facility to address blight in the neighborhoods surrounding the plant. The expansion and another proposal to establish an advanced plastics recycling facility at ExxonMobil have received
Email Timothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKE STEWART
Brianna Arps, who founded the fragrance brand Moodeaux in 2021, said she has noticed fewer grants available to Black brand creators these days.
NOPD leaders said that they had not yet seen a highly anticipated report from former New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton, whose team at Teneo, a global consulting firm, was commissioned by New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick to develop suggestions for Bourbon Street pedestrianization and other key security measures.
Teneo’s final report was submitted Monday to the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation, the booster group that covered the cost of Bratton’s work, according to John Casbon, a co-founder of the foundation. The report was shared with Mayor LaToya Cantrell and members of the New Orleans City Council on Tuesday, Casbon said The Times-Picayune has filed a public records request for the document. Kirkpatrick said a decision to act on its recommendations “will be in the hands of the mayor and the council.” She said that she didn’t know the timeline for that decision. Casbon also declined to share details Wednesday about when the full report would be presented to the public and said he was “waiting for the mayor.”
In addition to a pedestrianization plan, the final report is also expected to offer longer-term recommendations for deploying officers, new technology the city could use to detect threats, and recommendations for equipment the city could use to block streets, police foundation Chair Darrah Schaefer said ahead of its completion. It is also expected to include recommenda-
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estimates. But state economic development leaders noted that some initiatives based on the broader plan are already underway
That includes the creation of a new division at LED called Louisiana Innovation, or “LA.IO” for short, which is overseeing a $50 million venture capital fund focused on boosting homegrown tech companies rather than recruiting new ones from out of state. LA.IO is also developing the Louisiana Institute for Artificial Intelligence, which, as its first projects, will aim to equip 5,000 small businesses across the state with AI tools.
“We haven’t been waiting around for a plan,” said LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois, who added that her team has been “building the plane while flying it.”
Louisiana consistently lags behind its peers in key measures of a strong economy, like private sector employment, personal incomes and population growth, the report notes. While other states have balanced investment in both traditional and fast-growing sectors — including life sciences and technology — Louisiana has focused on sectors like energy and process industries, causing the state’s economic fortunes to seesaw alongside cycles in those industries.
The report noted that residents are voting with their feet. On balance, around
tions for April’s French Quarter Fest, and research on whether law enforcement responded appropriately to the New Year’s Day attack.
Meanwhile, 8th District Captain Sammy Palumbo told residents that no decisions have been made regarding how to secure Bour-
30,000 people have left Louisiana annually in recent years and about 40% of those who leave have a bachelor’s degree or more. Landry has made reversing those trends a political priority In December he touted the $10 billion investment of Meta into a data center near Monroe as a sign that parts of the tech sector are now seeing the state as a potential place for investment. Earlier this week, he announced at the White House with President Donald Trump that Hyundai would build a $5.8 billion steel mill in Ascension Parish.
The LED report highlights seven priority sectors that it argues are primed for growth and deserve special attention. Those include energy and process industries, logistics, aerospace and defense, agribusiness, professional services, life sciences and tech.
The report suggests several goals for measuring success,
bon Street. But per early recommendations that Teneo drafted in February, Bourbon Street would be blocked off, along with side streets, from Iberville Street to St. Ann Street. Barriers, which Palumbo said would be designed to align with the architecture and
aesthetic of the French Quarter, would be open at set times of day for delivery trucks.
Palumbo said that any plan adopted for closure would “have to be looked at holistically” including developing additional plans for managing traffic and parking.
Representatives for Cantrell, NOPD and the two at-large council members declined to comment on the report. Bratton also did not respond to a request for comment.
Cantrell and the council are considering the recommendations as they prepare for spring and summer events like French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival without the heightened federal security that was in place for Super Bowl and Mardi Gras. In over an hour of comments, French Quarter residents and business owners weighed in on the plans.
Speakers raised a number of concerns about closing Bourbon Street to vehicles. Some noted that closures could create congestion and parking issues in other parts of the French Quarter, and challenges for access to emergency services. Others had concerns about accessibility for people who use mobility devices. Some spoke about Royal Street and implored city officials to maintain the strip as a pedestrian mall where musicians and performers can set up.
Attendees said that they hoped there would be more opportunity for community participation before any decisions are made.
”There are so many people that rely on the Quarter for their livelihood — it’s not just the people who own property here,” said Elizabeth Vargas, a musician who plays on Royal Street. “We are part of what makes the city a place that people want to come to.”
Email Sophie Kasakove at sophie.kasakove@theadvocate. com.
arguing that Louisiana should aim to have the highest wage growth among Southern peer states, maintain its status as having the top capital expenditures per capita in the nation, and achieve population growth and migration into all regions among other indicators.
To be sure, Louisiana has numerous competitive advantages, the report notes. The state has a workforce specialized in energy, manufacturing and logistics, and its colleges are producing STEM graduates at a rate that’s on par with other nearby states. It has a high rate of entrepreneurship, and it offers some of the cheapest electricity in the region. It also has a comprehensive mix of port, rail, highway and pipeline networks for commerce.
Still, Louisiana faces numerous challenges. It has
a high rate of outmigration and ranks 50th among states for the rate of corporate research and development spending. Its transportation infrastructure is crumbling. Nearly half of renters are considered rent-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs.
The strategic plan was commissioned by the Louisiana Economic Development Partnership Board, created last year by the state Legislature as part of
a restructuring of LED. It includes 11 private-sector members as well as Bourgeois. The board voted to adopt the plan at a meeting Wednesday Bourgeois said the last time Louisiana unveiled a strategy for economic development was under former Gov Bobby Jindal, with the so-called Blue Ocean approach, which focused on growth in new areas of business rather than expanding the state’s existing industries.
The latest strategic plan calls for a “whole-of-government” approach to economic development, with formalized collaboration between cabinet-level agencies. It also recommends LED launch a national communications campaign to convince businesses and “highpotential” talent to relocate or remain in Louisiana. The next step will be to implement the plan and come up with more exact metrics to track its success, Bourgeois said.
STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER Susan Bourgeois, secretary of Louisiana Economic Development
Republicans target PBS, NPR funding in hearing
BY DAVID BAUDER AP media writer
WASHINGTON A House Republi-
can pushing the Trump administration’s government efficiency efforts called for dismantling and defunding the nation’s public broadcasting system following a contentious hearing Wednesday featuring the heads of PBS and NPR.
“We believe that you all can hate us on your own dime,” said Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Coupled with President Donald Trump’s declaration on Tuesday that he would “love to” see federal funding cut off, the nation’s public broadcasting system is facing perhaps the biggest threat to its existence since it was first established in 1967.
The broadcasters get roughly half a billion dollars in public money through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Republicans have frequently grumbled that PBS and NPR news
UNO
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transfer
The study said returning the university to the LSU system would “unlock the full potential of UNO.” However, it does not explain how the transfer would benefit the university or address its financial crisis.
Instead, the report details the university’s academic and financial struggles since Hurricane Katrina. It says UNO’s move to the UL system in 2011 was meant to improve its performance and boost enrollment, but the effort “did not accomplish those goals,” the study found.
The “institution’s fiscal condition has deteriorated to its current dire state, challenging UNO’s ability to meet its academic, research and community service missions,” the study says, adding that “a move from one management board to another does not guarantee institutional success.” The proposal leaves a number of questions unanswered, including
programming leans left, but efforts to cut or eliminate funding usually fade because legislators want to protect their local stations 336 of them for PBS alone, with those in rural areas most heavily dependent on taxpayer money
The hearings on behalf of the new administration are one of multiple front on which Trump and his allies are aggressively challenging and in some cases sanctioning the American media, which the president has been sharply critical of for years.
This week alone, he denounced
The Atlantic repeatedly for publishing texts from the Signal messaging app among high-ranking defense officials planning a military attack. Trump has also taken action against the Voice of America and other government-funded media and barred The Associated Press from the White House press pool and other events.
A succession of GOP lawmakers on Wednesday complained bitterly about alleged bias, particularly
how the oversight change would improve UNO’s financial situation, what impact it would have on the UL and LSU systems and what the transfer process would look like.
“It’s a wonderful report that the Regents did, but it’s not a plan,” board member Terrie P. Sterling said during the Regents’ meeting Wednesday The recommendation comes as UNO battles the worst financial crisis in its history Since last summer, UNO president Kathy Johnson has furloughed and laid off employees, closed buildings and consolidated some colleges in an effort to narrow the university’s budget deficit. University officials have said additional costcutting measures will likely be needed.
UNO has previously estimated that it faces a $10 million shortfall, but the total deficit could be as high as $30 million, said Elizabeth Bentley-Smith, the Board of Regents’ deputy commissioner for finance and administration. The board’s proposal said UNO should take immediate steps” to reduce its debt, beginning with an independent forensic audit.
from NPR stations, making clear it was not an issue that was going away quietly Kentucky Rep. James Comer said that as a young farmer decades ago he would frequently listen to NPR broadcasts on his tractor, as it was often his only option. But now, he has podcasts and other things to listen to. “I don’t even recognize the station anymore,” Comer said. “It’s not news. It feels like it’s propaganda. I feel like it’s disinformation every time I listen to NPR.”
Greene displayed a picture of what she called a “drag queen” that appeared on a PBS program geared to children and complained about documentaries featuring transgender people. PBS chief executive Paula Kerger said the “drag queen” reference was about something mistakenly put on the New York PBS station’s website and never on the air The transgender people appeared as part of adult programming that reflected the experiences of different Amer-
A potential shift
UNO’s president was noticeably absent from the meeting. And while UL and LSU leaders have not taken a public stance on the proposed transfer, representatives who spoke Wednesday did not oppose it.
Remy Starnes, a member of the LSU Board of Supervisors, said there are still many details to be worked out, but LSU is “very interested in making it work.”
UL system President Rick Gallot said that UNO’s troubles began long before he and Johnson were in their current roles. He said they’ve made progress in addressing the issues.
“It’s not broken beyond repair and it is not at the brink of closure,” Gallot said. “There’s still so much life left in the University of New Orleans, and it will do well in the future, whether it remains with us or transfers to LSU.”
Some Board of Regents members expressed concern that shifting UNO to the LSU system wouldn’t fix the grave problems facing UNO. Others called for a more in-depth look into the repercussions for the LSU system.
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HAROLD AND ST.CLAUDE
A reimagining of the Classic
icans, she said.
Democrats characterized the hearing as a distraction from more important issues, like this week’s revelation that a journalist from the Atlantic was included in a text chain of Trump administration officials detailing a U.S. military strike in Yemen. “If shame was still a thing, this hearing would be shameful,” said Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch.
Some Democrats tried comedy California Rep. Robert Garcia asked if the red “Sesame Street” character, “is Elmo now, or has he ever been, a member of the Communist Party?”
“He’s a puppet,” Kerger said. “But, no.”
The broadcasting leaders acknowledged mistakes.
NPR President Katherine Maher said the radio network was wrong to dismiss what was on Hunter Biden’s laptop as a non-story After they were repeatedly referenced by Republicans on the committee, Maher said she regretted posting
“What does it mean to the system that it no longer is part of,” asked Regent Christy Oliver Reeves, “and what is the potential impact on LSU in terms of taking resources from a university that is flourishing and using them to support another system?”
Study findings
The study provides a detailed look into the grim financial picture at the University of New Orleans, where decreasing state support, declines in tuition and fee revenues, expensive long-term contracts and rising costs of athletics programs have created the perfect financial storm. UNO’s decline in enrollment — a 63% drop over the past decade to 5,114 students last school year has meant less tuition and fees for the university, which typically account for nearly half of its operating budget. That funding drop came amid a decrease in state level funding since 2011, “leading to a substantial financial deficit,” the report said.
The university began relying on pandemic relief funds to make up the gap, but the federal aid has now been spent. Meanwhile, UNO’s ex-
film Harold and Maude.In 1982 at the beginning of the AIDS pandemic, young Harold is comingOUT and meets Claude an older drag queen. Together theyexplorelife,death and love We have a band,but it’s nota musical. And we encourage the audience to come dressed likeit’sthe 1980s e twilight room,2240 St.Claude Avenue
9:30 -10:45 PM FAUXNIQUE. SO RELEVANT
You’ve always relied on being a cool kid. What happens when you wakeup one day and realize you’re neither cool,nor a kid? What happens when time marches on,and you have been left chasing the parade? Can you redefine what it means to be cool? Fauxnique.So Relevant is ahard-hittingand hilariousromp of songs, storytelling, and real-timeon-stagecrisismanagement. It’sart therapyserved up with Fauxnique’ssignature blend of sardonic wit and vulnerability. e twilight room,2240 St.Claude Avenue
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some anti-Trump tweets before she began working for NPR.
Although saying she is not responsible for editorial content, Maher detailed efforts by NPR to ensure a variety of political viewpoints are represented. NPR’s weekly listenership declined from 60 million to 42 million between 2020 and 2024, according to internal documents published by The New York Times, although Maher said Wednesday those numbers have inched up in the past year
“I do not believe we are politically biased,” Maher said. “We are a non-biased organization.”
Uri Berliner, a former NPR editor who quit last year after complaining the news outlet had become too one-sided, wrote in the Free Press on Wednesday that NPR should no longer accept taxpayer money so it can “drop the public from its mission statement and embrace the progressive.”
“Don’t try to conceal what everyone knows already,” he wrote.
penses including maintenance, utilities and personnel costs — have gone up.
The study found that UNO is about $30 million in debt, a combination of expenses racked up for services like dining operations, international study abroad programs and athletics.
Athletics spending has made up a hefty portion of increased expenses, including new NCAA-mandated Student-Athlete Core Guarantees — which include requirements for athletic departments to provide mental health support for athletes, post-eligibility insurance — plus rising costs of travel, insurance and revenue-sharing with student athletes. Spending on athletic scholarships have doubled over the last five years.
The report said some factors were outside UNO’s control, such as rising inflation and growing expenses that have hammered many universities.
“Unless these financial challenges are addressed and resolved,” the report said, “the institution’s long-term stability and ability to deliver high-quality education and services is at risk.”
from reality…the nightshe went mad. Adarkmusical comedy for certain, eNight FionaFlawlessWentMad is an explorationintothe issues of Queeridentity loneliness, and thereclamation of self-love e twilight room, 2240 St.ClaudeAvenue 10:30 -11:45 PM KittEnontHE KEYS in LANGUE DE CHAT
7-8:15 PM SEEKING ASYLUM Written by MariKornhauser and directed by Reese Johanson Seeking Asylum is an immersive one-act, two-character play (starring Sallay Shameka Gray and Kathy Randels). A climate change exploration, it takes placein aspeculativeworld of 2040 in what once was the United States.Based on the original 29 questions immigrants filled outon the ships’manifests in the early 20th Century and then used in interviews at Points of Entry, the play exploreshow citizenship is not guaranteed.No one is immune. It can happen to anyone,even people in power.One minute they’re in,the next, they’re out, and so are you as the political borders of nations change e twilight room,2240 St.Claude Avenue
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THE NIGHT FIONA FLAWLESS WENT MAD:
A dark Comedy drag musical by trey ming Meet Fiona Flawless. Breathtaking drag queen. Talented chanteuse. Admitted murderess. After turning herself in for adoublehomicide,Fiona and her psychiatrist dive through convoluted memories in search of that pivotal moment when her otherwiseflawlessmind disconnected
International cabaret pianistand singer Kitten on the Keys introduces her latest cabaret show, Langue De Chat.Named after herfavoriteFrenchpatisserie, Langue De Chat translatedfrom Frenchis“thecat’s tongue.” Like many of Tennessee Williams characters, acat’s tongue presents as soft butiscoarseand rough. Kitten embraces numerousgenres and eras and will accompany herself on pianoand accordion. e twilight room, 2240 St.ClaudeAvenue
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7-9PM tHE lASt BoHEmiASoirEE: TIMMURRAYISWITCHES! Join us for amagical eveningofmusic and performance in the storiedToulouse eatreinthe heartofthe French Quarter. eeveningbegins at 7PMwith Kitten on the Keys playingshowtunes in the lobby barmade famous from countlessperformances of the late greatJamesBooker. At 8PM the lights dim as ouremcee MichelleNelsonaka LOVE the Poet invites us into the main theater.San Francisco-based performance artwitch Fauxnique will call the winds and the directions.She’llset the stagefor the nightwithafeminist incantation for healingand magic. Ourfeaturedartist, tim murray, is hotoff hissold-out and award-winningrun at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. TimMurray is WITCHES! is amix of stand-up and original comedysongs about Tim’sfavoritepop culturewitches. eshowisa tribute to howwediscoverour magiconce we find ourcoven— ourpowersgrowstrongeroncewefind ourchosenfamily. From eCraft to Wicked to the SandersonSisters to Sabrina, theTeenage Witch and AngelicaHouston’sGrand High Witch,Murraycelebrates famous sorceresses throughoutherstoryand uses theirstories as aparallel to ourown journeytowards community. e toulouse eatre,
Fauxnique
Kittenonthe Keys
Audubon to use ‘Gulf of America’
Exhibits, attractions to be changed following executive order
BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
The Audubon Nature Institute is changing all references to the Gulf of Mexico at its exhibits and educational attractions to the Gulf of America, the latest organization to adopt the controversial new name given to the body of water by President Donald Trump. Gulf of America will be used at all Audubon attractions, but will
Lawsuit seeks to have TV ad pulled
BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer
Days ahead of the election for an open seat on the Jefferson Parish Council, Jean Lafitte Mayor Timothy Kerner Jr has filed a lawsuit against opponent Ricky Templet over an attack ad now airing on voters’ televisions.
be most prominent at the Audubon Aquarium’s popular Gulf exhibit, a 17-foot-deep, 400,000-gallon saltwater tank where sharks, sea turtles and massive stingrays swim around a barnacle-covered oil rig.
The name change was announced to the institute’s employees in a memo dated Feb 21, and comes as many companies, nonprofits and other organizations have been forced to wrestle with the name change since it was enacted by ex-
ecutive order on Trump’s first day in office.
In the memo, Audubon President and CEO Michael Sawaya, who took the top job in January, and his longtime predecessor Ron Forman, who now serves as Audubon’s chair in conservation leadership, said there were several “compelling justifica-
tions” for the change, including a desire to adhere to new guidelines established by the Geographic Names Information System, the federal government’s database of official place names in the U.S
“Following GNIS for the exhibit name change not only supports standardization and educational efforts but also demonstrates Audubon Aquarium’s commitment to accuracy and collaborative engagement with the broader scientific and edu-
cational communities,” they said. Scientific and educational communities have not uniformly adopted the new name, nor have media organizations. But some U.S. companies, news outlets and state and local governments have done so, including the state of Louisiana. Institutions outside of the U.S. and international bodies have not changed the way they refer to the body of water, which has been known as the Gulf of Mexico for over 400 years.
Kerner filed a lawsuit in the 24th Judicial District Court on Monday against Templet, a former council member and Kerner’s opponent in the District 1 race. The lawsuit claims an attack ad by Templet’s campaign contains false and misleading information, and Kerner requested a judge grant an injunction on the ad’s airing ahead of the election on Saturday
A hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning was delayed because Templet had still not been served, according to Kerner’s attorney Kerner also reported Templet to the state attorney general and Jefferson Parish inspector general on separate allegations, accusing him of federal fraud and tax evasion. The lawsuit targets an ad that cites a 2023 story by WVUE-TV, which reports Kerner Jr was a “silent partner” with a local contractor hired by Lafitte to repair cityowned buildings.
Council eyes changes to N.O. liquor permit rules
BY BEN MYERS Staff writer
The New Orleans City Council on Thursday will consider loosening liquor permit rules for restaurants, bars and other businesses, a controversial move aimed at tamping down on bureaucratic delays. The measure, sponsored by District C council member Freddie King, would grant businesses automatic two-month alcohol permits while they wait for their customary one-year permits to process. The ordinance would sunset after two years. Supporters say the measure would help business owners cut through red tape. But critics fear it will give leeway to bad actors operating bars and clubs in structurally unsafe buildings.
ä See LIQUOR, page 2B
on Wednesday.
‘BEAUTIFUL IS THE WORD’
Helicopters bring late Christmas gifts for wetlands
BY
JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer
Helicopters descended over thousands of Christmas trees in the Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge in New Orleans East on Wednesday morning, spruce needles swirling into the air It was Christmas in March and a large gift was being given to New Orleans wetlands. As each helicopter hovered above, crew members from the Louisiana National Guard ran underneath and hooked 4,000 pounds’ worth of the trees to them. A few minutes later, the pilots flew to a nearby area in the refuge, where pockets of land meet swampy water
ä See WETLANDS, page 2B
BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer
A Jefferson Parish grand jury handed up an indictment charging a Kenner man with attacking and raping a woman who was out for a walk in the snow on a River Ridge levee bank. Pedro Sajbin, 22, was charged with first-degree rape in the Jan. 23 assault, court records said. He was also charged with attempted first-degree rape in an earlier attack under a Kenner overpass. Sajbin appeared in Jefferson Parish District Court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty court records said
The River Ridge assault happened two days after the New Orleans area saw record snowfall. The victim, a 38-year-old woman, was out for a walk on the le-
vee near Caroline Avenue about 6 p.m. when a stranger later identified as Sajbin approached, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators said. Sajbin grabbed the woman and dragged her down the bank, toward the water, according to authorities He threatened to kill her if she didn’t keep quiet. Sajbin then stripped off his clothing and raped her, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The woman called out for help when she noticed someone walking two dogs on the levee. Sajbin fled, leaving his clothing and cellphone behind, authorities said.
The Sheriff’s Office soon began receiving 911 calls reporting a naked man running along Jefferson Highway, according to the department.
‘Unacceptable conditions’ at N.O.
BY JONI HESS Staff writer
Seven civic groups across New Orleans have come together to call for improvements to the public parks and youth programs run by the city’s recreation department, an ongoing issue that’s again top of mind as summer approaches and kids are soon out of school. A joint statement released Tuesday by The NOLA Coalition says the state of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission’s neighborhood parks and sports fields is “alarming” and unsafe for kids, adding to the criticism the agency has received in recent years.
Joining the Coalition, which includes nonprofits and businesses, in issuing the public letter are the New Orleans NAACP, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Metropolitan Crime Commission, East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Commission, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, and the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region.
The groups didn’t name specific NORD-operated sites, but they cited “overgrown fields, exposed electrical wire, crime scene tape and trash-ridden facilities” as examples of “unacceptable” conditions.
“Every child should have access to safe and enriching recreational opportunities,” the statement reads.
parks highlighted 7 civic groups call for issues to be fixed ä See PARKS, page 2B
Kerner
Members of Louisiana Conservation Corps and Limitless Vistas unhook the straps on bundled Christmas trees.
STAFF PHOTOS By BRETT DUKE
A Louisiana Army National Guard helicopter prepares to drop a bundle of Christmas trees into the Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge in New Orleans
Templet
Sawaya
The move is Sawaya’s first highprofile action since taking over from Forman, and could force him to navigate a partisan issue in his first months at the helm. Audubon, which is funded partially by property taxes in New Orleans, a deeply Democratic city in a Republican state, has tried in its half-century existence to remain apolitical and focused on its mission of educating families about animals, marine life and the natural environment
Sawaya declined to comment on the rationale for the change beyond what was in the memo, but said in response to a written request for comment that he considered the decision to be an “operational issue” that did not require input from either of the two boards that govern Audubon.
The Audubon Nature Institute board oversees day-to-day operations at Audubon’s parks and attractions, while the Audubon Commission is a state-appointed board that oversees the organization’s finances.
Audubon Nature Institute Board Chair Ron Dumas did not respond to messages seeking comment. Forman did not respond to a request for comment.
Political controversy
In the memo to employees last month, Sawaya detailed several reasons for making the name change. Aligning with the new GNIS directive will “maintain consistency with official U.S. geographic names thereby reducing confusion and enhancing recognition,” he said.
Using the official GNIS name, the memo said, “ensures that the information provided to the public is accurate and up to date.”
“As an institution dedicated to public education and engagement, the Audubon Aquarium benefits from using names that are recognized and endorsed by authoritative bodies like the GNIS,” the memo said.
The decision comes as Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding from organizations, universities and entities that do not adhere to the policy changes he has made in recent weeks through hundreds of executive orders. In one high-profile incident, the administration has sought to punish The Associated Press for not adopting the new name for the Gulf, barring it from presidential events for continuing to use Gulf of Mexico in its coverage.
Sawaya declined to comment on how much federal funding Audubon receives and whether the decision was politically motivated While Audubon does receive federal money, most of its approximately $50 million annual budget comes from state and local support, philanthropic dollars and programming fees. In 2022, it received $435,000 in federal funds to beef up security at Woldenberg Park and a $3 million grant for Woldenberg Park improvements, according to an annual report.
In the memo, Sawaya said Audubon will continue to focus on its mission of education.
“Regardless of our name, our dedication to showcasing the animals and environments of the Gulf, highlighting its importance to our seafood industry and economy and to rescuing and rehabilitating marine mammals and sea turtles who live there remains unchanged,” the memo said Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.
ASSAULT
Continued from page 1B
Law enforcement searched the area but didn’t find Sajbin until the next morning. He was taken into custody about 5 a.m. after he emerged from the backyard of a home in the 4300 block of Wichita Street in Metairie, more than 5 miles from the scene of the attack, the Sheriff’s Office said. In the Kenner case, Sajbin is accused of accosting a 57-year-old woman as she walked to work underneath the Interstate 10 overpass at Williams Boulevard on the morning of Jan. 13, authorities said. Sajbin walked up to the woman, grabbed her by her neck and threw her to the ground, Kenner police said. He groped her before running off when the woman fought back. In a hearing held Tuesday, Judge Donald Rowan Jr of the 24th Judicial Court ordered that Sajbin be held without bail, court records said.
Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.
WETLANDS
Continued from page 1B
There, they deposited thousands of Christmas trees donated by New Orleanians this holiday season for a marsh restoration project that began nearly 30 years ago.
The annual Christmas tree recycling is a group effort — a collaboration between the city, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Louisiana National Guard and environmental nonprofits providing opportunities for young people.
“Something you could consider small or possibly useless — like what could we do with this tree? — it makes a huge impact,” said Shelley Stiaes, the deputy project leader for the wildlife refuge, a part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
‘Beautiful is the word’
The city collects the trees and gets the word out about the annual program, while the federal wildlife service manages the urban refuge in New Orleans East. The soldiers
LIQUOR
Continued from page 1B
Particularly concerning to some is that, per the rules, businesses seeking annual renewals would be eligible for the temporary permits even after the Department of Safety and Permits denies those permits, so long as applicants appeal to the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
The proposal, which the council will consider at its Thursday meeting, has been in the works for nearly two years, with multiple deferrals from council agendas since King pitched the idea in June of 2023
King, who has sought ways to streamline permitting during his tenure, did not respond to messages on Wednesday
District A council member Joe Giarrusso said he plans to offer an amendment to give district council members discretionary veto power over any temporary permit.
“They will know the issues bet-
AD
Continued from page 1B
The story also alleges he used his position as mayor to influence the selection of his property as the preferred site for a temporary town hall after Hurricane Ida, putting it in line for FEMA repairs and boosting its value.
In the complaint, Kerner says the allegations “are untrue and spuriously and intentionally designed to improperly influence an upcoming election and deceive the electorate.
Kerner has repeatedly said that all deals were conducted above board and that he had no personal involvement with the local contractor Kerner also divested himself of the property’s ownership after receiving an opinion from the Louisiana Board of Ethics stating the arrangement could potentially violate the law
“Ricky Templet is spreading fake news, and his ad is libelous and is a blatant attempt to mislead the voters,” Kerner said in a statement
The original story came out during Kerner’s previous campaign
PARKS
Continued from page 1B
NORD is one of the greatest assets we have for strengthening our community, and should be a primary concern for all civic leaders, parents, and citizens.”
In response, the NORD Commission issued a statement Wednesday highlighting the improvement projects already underway, such as new lighting, upgraded bathrooms and turf field replacements across multiple sites. It also pointed to the thousands of youth it serves across its athletic programs, summer camps and recreational programs.
Officials urged those concerned to communicate or partner with them directly
“While recent discussions have raised concerns these conversations would be even more productive with direct engagement. We welcome collaboration with any group that is genuinely committed to supporting and investing in our mission,” NORD Commission Chair Theo Sanders said in a statement.
Criticism from community members has included issues such as missing trash cans at Hardin
transport the trees to the restoration site, and members of Louisiana Conservation Corps and Limitless Vistas unhook them from the helicopter ropes and ensure that the bundles are properly submerged.
Northwest of Lake Borgne off Chef Menteur Highway, the restoration project helps slow wave movement and encourage marsh growth The wetlands protect the city from storm surge, shelters wildlife and provides habitat for waterfowl within Bayou Sauvage, the second-largest urban wildlife refuge in the country, Stiaes noted.
It also serves as an unorthodox opportunity to train new crew members in the Louisiana National Guard for real-life emergencies like hurricanes, 1st Sgt. Eddie Perret said.
“We have restored hundreds of acres of marsh to the point where we’ve moved the project to another section of the refuge,” Stiaes said.
The new location within the refuge, an area called Joe Madere Marsh, is already showing signs of
ter than (the Safety and Permits Department) in some instances,” Giarrusso said in a text.
Changes to alcoholic beverage permitting procedures typically stir controversy, such as when King’s predecessor Kristin Palmer, passed an overhaul in 2019 that created temporary permit suspensions while also creating an appeals process for denied applicants. That law, which infuriated bar owners, followed years of contentious efforts to change rules ranging from surveillance to outdoor seating.
This time around, King and Vieux Carré Property Owners and Associates, a French Quarter neighborhood group, are at loggerheads over what should be done to ensure the ordinance doesn’t endanger public safety
The French Quarter group wants an amendment that denies temporary permits for businesses with outstanding, safety-related code violations, such as citations for demolition by neglect indications of imminent collapse or roofing deficiencies.
King has rejected that idea, rea-
for the Louisiana Senate against incumbent Sen. Patrick Connick, who won the seat months later Templet said Tuesday his campaign based the advertisement on a legitimate and reputable news channel.
“What they are trying to do is stop the truth from being told, and that ought to outrage the citizens,” Templet said.
WVUE is not a party to the lawsuit, but said Monday it “stands by its investigation.”
Representing Kerner in the lawsuit is Stephen Dwyer, husband of at-large Jefferson Parish Council member Jennifer Van Vrancken. She endorsed Kerner in the election last month and previously bested Templet in a race for the at-large seat.
Five of the 16 judges with the 24th Judicial District Court recused themselves for personal conflicts before Judge Nancy Miller took up the case, including judges Jacqueline Maloney, Donald Rowan, Chris Cox, Stephen Grefer and Ellen Shirer Kovach.
Two other judges, Raymond Steib Jr and Frank Brindisi, were unable to hear the case before Saturday’s election.
Kerner and Templet have repeat-
Park in the 7th Ward, holes in the Norman playing fields in Algiers, and inconsistent hours at several pools in the hot summer months.
Suggestions to fix things
The public letter also includes suggestions on how to make improvements, including exploring public-private partnerships and “restoring the relationship between Major League Baseball,” which has provided resources to NORD in previous years.
“Following Hurricane Katrina, business and civic groups invested significant time and resources in the recovery of NORD, as it was seen as fundamental to the recovery of the city,” the letter says. “These organizations, and more, are once again ready to support and invest in the right model to benefit our youth and families.”
It also specifically mentioned that the Boys and Girls Club of Metro New Orleans and The 18th Ward, a grassroots youth recreation league, “stand ready to assist.”
Both organizations are partnered with the recreation department and use its facilities for some of their programs, NORD Commission spokesperson Emily Oliver said. NORD pays The 18th Ward $160,000 annually for soccer
regeneration. After the helicopters dropped off the new bundles of trees last year, bull rush and cattails grew around them, said Pon Dixson the project leader for the wildlife refuge and an airboat captain.
“It has changed from open water habitat to emergent marsh,” Dixson said. “Beautiful is the word I can use to describe it.”
‘Particularly lucky’
Orleans Parish collected more than 9,000 Christmas trees this season, a higher figure than the past two years. Cheryn Robles, the environmental affairs administrator for the city, attributes the uptick in recycled trees to new efforts.
Usually, the city begins collecting trees after the Epiphany on Jan. 6, but this year it hired a contractor to offer tree pickups beginning right after Christmas.
“Sometimes there’s people who put their trees out on Dec. 26, and so those trees from those first 10 days before Epiphany would just go to landfills,” Robles said. The early pickup option as well
soning that Safety and Permits staffers can already revoke businesses’ right to occupy their buildings when those staffers find violations.
“If declared life safety issues are present, the department has the authority to act,” King said in an email to members of the French Quarter group on Wednesday “These ordinances do not change that fact.”
The ordinance would also deny temporary alcohol permits to businesses undergoing renovations that haven’t yet received a certificate of occupancy, which are usually given after life safety inspections. To obtain a temporary city permit, applicants must have satisfied all the requirements for a state alcohol license.
Those requirements include an inspection by the state fire marshal.
The fire marshal doesn’t inspect buildings for structural integrity, however, according to a letter from State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams to King this month
And nothing in the ordinance requires the city to check for building violations before it issues a tempo-
edly squabbled via social media, political advertisements and debates in recent months as they attempt to sway district voters, which include residents of Gretna, Terrytown, Jean Lafitte, Crown Point, Estelle, Barataria, Grand Isle and parts of Harvey and Marrero.
Andrea Manuel, a Gretna Democrat also in the race, has stayed above the fray and is not involved in the lawsuit.
Separate from the lawsuit, Kerner’s campaign also is pushing accusations that Templet misused federal funds to build a second home on his personal property on Decamp Street in Lafitte and has committed property tax evasion in the years since. Kerner said Tuesday he sent a letter to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Jefferson Parish Inspector General Kim Chatelain alerting them to the allegations.
Kerner’s campaign launched a website titled ”The Real Ricky,” which accuses Templet of using money from two Federal Emergency Management Agency flood mitigation grants totaling more than $170,000 to build a second home, as well as improperly rezoning his original home for storage.
Kerner claims Templet’s prop-
programming and facility use.
Other criticism
Public officials have also weighed in on the state of city recreation facilities.
Hardin Park, once a vibrant site for youth sports and after-school programs, has sat inactive for years, but the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office has pushed for new programming to address gun violence and drug activity impacting residents’ quality of life.
In December, former Orleans Parish prosecutor Laura Rodrigue-Cannizzaro wrote a fiery blog post aligning the facilities’ conditions with the city’s juvenile crime problem.
“It just sends a strong message to our youth that we don’t care.
This is how we represent our city and our community,” Rodrigue said in a December interview
Rodrigue also alluded that the NORD Commission, which operated on a $20 million budget last year, shouldn’t receive taxpayer dollars if it continues to neglect its facilities. The NOLA Coalition statement did credit the city for steep declines in violent crime, but that to sustain that reduction, it must invest in young people. The public outcry comes as the
as two drop-off sites on the East and West Bank, generated over 400 more trees. They collected an additional 800 trees through retailers and around 100 from City Park. The city also worked with Christmas tree sellers — and buyers — earlier in the holiday season. Tinseled or flocked trees can’t be recycled, so the city put up signs notifying people that they wouldn’t be able to participate in the program if they bought a frosted tree.
Last year, the city collected 8,000 trees and the year before it 4,000. Robles pointed out that the high numbers this year were also noteworthy because they were collected despite tumult in the Christmas tree supply chain. Many of Louisiana’s Christmas trees come from North Carolina, which was heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene.
“We were particularly lucky this year,” Robles said “We made a bigger effort to try to get those trees.”
Email Josie Abugov at josie. abugov@theadvocate.com.
rary permit, said Andy Gallagher, a vice president of the Vieux Carré neighborhood group. What’s more, not every business seeking an alcohol permit will undergo a renovation that requires an occupancy certificate. Still more businesses will do those renovations illegally, he said “As they’re approving the temporary permit, there should be some administrative box that says this building is free of any life safety concerns,” Gallagher said. It wasn’t clear on Wednesday afternoon whether the temporary permits would be restricted to renewal applications, or if new businesses would also be eligible.
The ordinance has largely flown under the radar in the service industry, but Sam Wurth, who coowns Pepp’s Pub with his wife, Kait Wurth, said any measure to help small-business owners should be encouraged
“I don’t see a lot of businesses trying to be bad actors. I think most small businesses want to fit into the community and be there for the long run,” Wurth said
erty was undervalued on Jefferson Parish tax records and public finance disclosure records. The website cites over 100 pages of supporting documents.
“Sadly, this abuse of power surely resulted in some deserving family being left without funding for their home,” Kerner wrote in his letter Templet denied any misuse of federal funds in an interview Tuesday saying he applied for the grants after the bottom floor of his house — which was located behind pilings and contained the kitchen — flooded multiple times.
Templet said he used the FEMA money to demolish that floor of the building and build a new home, which he said the grant money allowed for
He said the demolition of the first floor made the original building unusable as a residence, and that he did use it for storage purposes.
“I flooded four times, and I applied for the FEMA grants,” Templet said “I have just as much of a right as anyone else who has a property in a flooded area to protecting my property and raising it.” Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate.com.
New Orleans Office of Inspector General conducts an audit of NORD spending along with compliance reviews of several other city agencies. OIG spokesperson Laura McKnight said the audit was called to ensure efficient and effective use of city funds and resources. Other audits in progress include the city’s emergency response times and the Department of Safety and Permits both of which have been under fire in recent years for dysfunctional operations.
Email Joni Hess at joni.hess@ theadvocate.com.
LOTTERY
TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2025
PICK 3: 5-6-7
PICK 4: 7-0-7-0
PICK 5: 8-0-9-3-9
MEGA
LSU student’s sexual history not allowed
Appeals court blocks testimony in rape cases
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
An appeals court has decided Madison Brooks’ sexual history can’t be used by defense attorneys in highprofile rape cases involving the late LSU student who died after being hit by a car Attorneys for Casen John Carver and Desmond Carter, two of the three men accused of raping Brooks, have sought to force witnesses to testify about a sexual encounter they claim the LSU sophomore had with another man the night before she died Jan. 15, 2023.
The defendants’ lawyers said it could be a key piece of evidence to undermine the state’s claims against the men. In a 2-1 vote this week, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal barred the defendants from using the sexual history as evidence. “The fundamental right to present a defense does not require the trial court to admit irrelevant evidence or evidence with such little probative value that it is substantially outweighed by other legitimate considerations,” the ruling said.
“One such consideration is the rape shield law The trial
court has not yet ruled on the admissibility of the expert opinion that injuries to M.B. may be ‘suspicious for sexual assault’ and thus whether the origin of the injuries may implicate (exceptions).”
The appellate court ruling issued Tuesday granted state prosecutors’ appeal, reversing District Judge Gail Horne Ray’s previous ruling that made the evidence admissible. Ray is presiding over Carver and Carter’s rape cases in the 19th Judicial District Court.
Appellate judges Steven Miller and Hunter Greene sided with prosecutors, while Judge Beth Wolfe dissented.
“We are pleased with the court’s ruling that will prohibit defendants from introducing overly prejudicial and irrelevant evidence at the trial,” East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore said.
Joe Long, the Baton Rouge attorney representing Carver, noted the appeals court used the term “at this juncture” in its ruling He took solace that the order excluding witness testimony about Brooks’ past sexual history could be reversed at some point.
“To me, it reads that when the judge (Ray) rules that the pathologist can testify about injuries suspicious of sexual assault, then the 412c evidence becomes relevant to
show alternative source of injury,” Long said in a statement Wednesday Carver, 20, Carter, 19, and Kaivon Deondre Washington, 20, were indicted on a charge of aggravated rape tied to a Jan. 15, 2023, interaction with Brooks. She had left Reggie’s — a Tigerland bar that has since closed — with the men following a night of excessive drinking.
According to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Brooks’ father, the 19-yearold LSU student consumed 24 shots and had a blood alcohol content of at least 0.282, more than three times the legal driving limit for adults.
Sheriff’s deputies said Carver pulled his car into a residential driveway in the 900 block of Jennifer Jean Drive and parked there for 20 minutes. That’s where prosecutors alleged Carter and Washington sexually assaulted Brooks in the back seat of the car, while Carver cheered them on from the front seat.
The men dropped off Brooks in the Pelican Lakes development, deputies said. Minutes after she got out of the car, she was struck on Burbank Drive and killed by a passing vehicle.
Attorneys for the men have argued the sex in Carver’s car was consensual, while prosecutors said Brooks was too intoxicated to give consent
More rain forecast ahead of Irish Channel parade
BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer
There’s more rain in the forecast for New Orleans this weekend, aligning again with the already rescheduled Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday Don’t panic — National Weather Service forecaster
Mike Efferson said the worst of the storms could be over by the time the parade rolls. But other Saturday events are already canceling, including the Freret Street Festival, which will be rescheduled to a fall fest in November Brews, Boils & Bubbles will move from Saturday to Sunday this week-
end on the New Orleans Lakefront.
After a relatively mild spring week, moisture is expected to increase across much of south Louisiana as a disturbance approaches the region, according to the weather service in New Orleans.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to start up in the New Orleans area Friday afternoon or evening, Efferson said.
Severe storms are possible overnight before daybreak Saturday, he said, though the exact timing could change.
“I don’t know that the rain will be done,” he said. “There could be some lin-
gering showers throughout the day.”
The Irish Channel parade is set to roll at 10 a.m. Saturday, starting at Magazine and Felicity streets. The parade was originally scheduled for March 15 but was rescheduled ahead of severe storms that battered portions of southeast Louisiana with high winds and tornadoes.
New Orleans voters will also be heading to the polls Saturday, where four constitutional amendments are on the ballot.
Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.
Missing man, 82, rescued from mud
BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer
Authorities searching for an 82-year-old man who went missing while out crawfishing discovered that he’d been stuck in thick, muddy water in LaPlace for several hours.
The St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office did not identify the man, who is from Destrehan and was rescued Sunday night.
The man set out to find some crawfish sometime early Sunday afternoon. But his family reported him missing when they didn’t hear from him for more than eight hours, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Law enforcement began searching the area, and Cpl. Travis Klibert spotted
the man’s vehicle on Belle Terre Boulevard near the Interstate 10 west off-ramp in LaPlace about 11:30 p.m. Sunday Deputy Brian Kennedy used a department drone to search the nearby wooded area and found the man about 350 yards from the vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The man was stuck in waist-deep, watery mud. He told authorities that he’d been trying to walk across a deep patch of water but began sinking, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He tried to turn back, but couldn’t pull himself out
The man’s cellphone had gotten wet and stopped working, leaving him stranded for hours Sgt. Jonathan Walker gave the man a life jacket and used
a rope to pull him out.
The man, who complained of being wet and cold, was taken to a hospital to be treated for unspecified injuries, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Mike Tregre cautioned the public to be careful when hunting, fishing, hiking or taking part in other outdoor activities.
“Always let someone know where you are going, where you will be and when you will be back,” Tregre said in a statement released Wednesday “You never know what will happen. It’s good to make sure that other people are aware of your plans and location.”
Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate. com.
Banister, Joseph
Ehrlicher, John Robottom
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Caparotta, Joseph St Tammany
Carriere III, Charles EJ Fielding Charles III, Frank Caparotta, Joseph Clouatre, Mary West Bank Cuiellette Sr., Lawrence Davis Mortuary
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DW Rhodes
Joseph Harold Irving Banister, age 47, was born on August 5, 1977 in New Orleans, LA. He departed this earthly life on Sunday, March 9 2025. He was a graduate of Booker T Washington Senior High School Joseph was the lov‐ing son of Terry M Banis‐ter Loving grandson of Littdell Banister. Beloved father of Joseph Joevon Jornei and Ellasia Banister Devoted brother of Tanya Banister (James), Shavon Banister (Erone) and Clarence Banister (Ke‐shana). Joseph was also survived by 1 grandchild and host of nieces, nephews aunts, uncles cousins, family and friends He was preceded in death by his father Joseph H. Johnson, Jr. and his grandfather Irving Ban‐ister, Sr. Relatives and friends of the family are in‐vited to attend the Cele‐bration of Life Service on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at Gertrude Geddes Willis Fu‐neral Home, 2120 Jackson Avenue New Orleans LA 70113 at 10:00 a.m Visita‐tion from 8:30 a.m. until 10:00 a.m Interment Holt Cemetery 527 City Park Av‐enue, New Orleans, LA 70119. You may sign the guest book on http://www gertrudegeddeswillis com. Gertrude Geddes Willis Fu‐neral Home Inc., in charge (504) 522-2525.
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Kynerd Jr., James Thomas, Lynette Professional
Charles III, Frank DeMouy Sr., William River Parish
to sue the state to correct the error. This was the work of Louisiana’s in‐famous “race clerk.” Brian was eager to take on the fight to stop the Jim Crowera practice The case at‐tracted national and inter‐national interest and be‐came a landmark case in ending state-sanctioned racist practices Calvin Trillin, the award-winning journalist, covered the Phipps case for New Yorker magazine in April 1986 Brian he wrote was a self-assured, confident man with a breezy manner and an office in a French Quarter courtyard.” About this time, his wife, Karen Olivier gave birth to a daughter, Gabrielle Olivier Brian went on to build a successful practice driven by medical malpractice and personal injury cases among others He became a prosecutor for the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry and a few years later, General Counsel. He enjoyed the work for over 15 years, and he really en‐joyed catching the bad guys. When he retired in 2018 he decided to take the course offered by the Friends of the Cabildo to become an official French Quarter walking tour guide He was stunned by the difficulty and depth of the material However he persevered, passed his fi‐nals, and did not attend his graduation But he did enjoy conducting his own tours Along the way, he and Max inherited the Bégué family’s French Quarter buildings But that’s a story for another day Brian’s story ended on March 14, 2025, and he be‐came the story. He was a big man with a big heart and wide-open arms. If you did not know him, we are sorry for your loss.
and grandnieces, nephews and grand-nephews. A gather‐ing to remember Brian will be announced
Brian Bégué believed that life is a banquet Pull up a chair and dig in He also believed everyone has a story, one worth the telling and one worth the listening His own story began on March 23, 1948, when he was born in New Orleans to Philip Emile Bégué and Simone Vivian Richerand Two years later he was joined by his brother, Max Jean Bégué As youngsters they lived in various old New Orleans neighborhoods filled with interesting and, of course, unique characters They would appear again and again in Brian’s stories throughout his life. His most treasured memories were those of the days he spent with his grandpar‐ents His grandmother Katherine Krebs was editor of L’Abeille the last Frenchlanguage newspaper in the city, and the first woman in New Orleans to register to vote His grandfather Hy‐polite Bégué owned a cor‐ner grocery down on Poland Avenue with an or‐chard in the backyard This would be the source of Brian’s lifelong love of the navel orange. Grandpère Hypolite, whose elder rela‐tive Hypolite was married to the extraordinary woman known as Madame Bégué (the creator of brunch), would send his grandson back to his fa‐ther with the admonition, “My boy, my boy, if you do nothing else, learn to speak French and say our name right!” He did well on the latter, and not so much on the former Brian at‐tended Alcée Fortier and
4B ✦ Thursday,March 27,2025
sorry your survived by his wife Karen, daughters Gabrielle and Nicole, son-in-law Erik Winkowski, grandsons Alexander Hackmann and Wesley Winkowski brother Max and his family, the Robert Dumont and René Olivier families, the Frank Richerand family, and many nieces and grandnieces, nephews and grand-nephews A gather‐ing to remember Brian will be announced
Joseph (Joe) Caparotta, a beloved husband, father grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully on March 21, 2025, at the age of 81. Born in New Orleans to Joseph (Sr.) and Josephine Caparotta Joe was a proud graduate of St. Aloysius High School and Loyola University. He dedicated his career to ac‐counting making many lifelong friendships during his years as a CPA at NOPSI A devoted man of faith Joe was a longtime parishioner of St. Louis King of France Catholic Church in Metairie, where he built lasting friendships and was an active part of the church community He is survived by his loving wife, Jane, and his three sons, Michael (Alita) Kevin (Kim), and Stephen (Christy) whom he shared with his first wife, the late Marcia He was also blessed with stepdaugh‐ters Michelle (Donald) and Rochelle, as well as his stepson-in-law, Steve, whom he welcomed with open arms He is also sur‐vived by his sister, Virginia Joe was a proud grandfa‐ther to David (Kevin & Kim), Eva, Olivia, and Sam (Michael & Alita) and Eliana and Clara (Stephen & Christy). He also cher‐ished his step-grandchil‐dren Eli and Cate (Rochelle), and Jordan Chloe, Sam, and Levi (Michelle & Donald). He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Sr and Josephine, and his first wife, Marcia Joseph s kindness, sarcastic wit, and unwavering devotion to his family and faith will be deeply missed by all who knew him. His legacy of love and integrity will live on in the hearts of those he touched. Visita‐tion will be held at St Louis King of France Catholic Church in Metairie on Sat‐urday, March 29 at 10:00 a.m followed by a funeral mass at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family re‐quests donations be made to St Jude Children's Hos‐pital in Memphis, TN. E.J Fielding Funeral Home has been entrusted with fu‐neral arrangements Please sign the guestbook at www ejfieldingfh.com
Charles Pierre Carriere, III passed away while on hold…listening to recorded messages…waiting to be transferred to another de‐partment…and talking with technical support. Well, it really didn’t happen that way, but for the last few years of his life, he was certain that it would Charles actually died peacefully in his sleep a graceful end to a blessed and full life “Taz” as he was affectionately called by his grandchildren and their friends, was known for saying “any better and I couldn’t stand it” when asked how he was. To all who knew him he was the eternal optimist, always ready with a joke or a song. A graduate of Holy Name of Jesus School Charles attended Wood‐berry Forest School for two years before returning to New Orleans and graduat‐ing from Isidore Newman School He was the first in his family to earn a college degree, receiving his BA and JD from Tulane Univer‐sity before marrying his wife Cynthia He served in the United States Navy as a member of the first JAG corps class. He sold insur‐ance and practiced law but was fond of pointing out that he was nevertheless a good man Charles’s true gift was writing. He ‐
Robert C Blakes Dr., New
States Navy as a member of the first JAG corps class. He sold insur‐ance and practiced law but was fond of pointing out that he was nevertheless a good man Charles’s true gift was writing He penned school plays, fol‐lies, poems commercials and songs He did most of his writing in beautiful cal‐ligraphy, and notes to friends and family became cherished keepsakes In 2004 he self published a novel, Dupree’s Crude War He leaves behind an unfin‐ished memoir, titled “Man, Did I Laugh.” He loved to be surrounded by family and friends, singing, playing guitar telling stories and laughing We know that is how we will remember him best. Taz was devoted to and is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 59 years Cynthia Doyle Car‐riere, as well as his beloved sister, Constance Carriere Barkley He is also survived by his four chil‐dren, Charles Carriere (Leslie), Vaughn Carriere Downing (Doug) Cynthia Carriere Sewell (Sean) and Michael Carriere (Carrie) He was so proud of his ten grandchildren Michael Downing, Maggie Malone, Andrew Downing, Ellen Carriere, Colette Carriere, Jackson Koerner, James Downing, Luc Carriere Chase Koerner and Tess Carriere as well as his two step granddaughters, Camille Sewell and Mignon Sewell. One of his favorite pastimes was supporting them in their academic, artistic and athletic en‐deavors. He loved his many cousins as well as his 30 nieces and nephews who called him “Big Charles ” He is preceded in death by some and survived by many of a lifelong group of friends who call them‐selves “the 21” along with their spouses and children A host of other hooligans and ruffians were proud to call him friend His family is so grateful to the amaz‐ing staff at Covenant Nurs‐ing Home who have cared for and loved Cynthia and Charles for the past two years For those who had the good fortune of know‐ing Charles/Taz, please join his family at Bruno’s Tavern, 7538 Maple Street on Saturday, March 29 be‐tween the hours of 1:30 and 4:00 pm to celebrate his life. In lieu of funeral at‐tire, please wear Bruno’s appropriate clothing. In lieu of flowers, please con‐sider a donation to the Pro Bono Publico Foundation, Covenant Nursing Home or a charity of your choice that connects you with him
Frank (Silky) Charles III entered eternal rest on Saturday, March 15, 2025 Frank was born and raised in New Orleans La He was born on July 16, 1951, to the late Frank Charles Jr and the late Geneva Thomas Charles Frank was a loving husband, father son brother, and grandfather He was well respected in the community and incred‐ibly involved in many So‐cial & Pleasure Clubs. He was one of the founders of the Men’s Buckjumpers So‐cial Club and a member of The Avenue Steppers, Just Stepping and Scene Booster Clubs. He was also the King of Mary Fleming’s Mardi Gras Crew in 1987 Frank loved to see others have a good time! He was always a gracious host, and everything had to be nothing short of perfect Frank is survived by his wife Carolyn Charles, his son Jeffrey Charles, his daughter Nishe Caire (James), 5 grandchildren, Le’Treion Bethaney and Jayden Charles, Keynon Collins and Ja’Mia Caire. 3 great-grandchildren Jayion Reed Keynon Collins Jr and Brian Trotter Jr 1 sis‐ter Jacqueline Patterson His daughter-in-law Nicole Charles 2 sisters-in-law: Joyce Givens (Terry) and Germaine James 2 broth‐ers-in-law Eugene Collins Sr. (Beverly) and Robert Earl Collins. An adopted nephew Richard Elphage and many cherished aunts nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends Preceding him in death his son Cornell Charles; his parents Frank Charles Jr., Geneva Charles, and his brother Charles Lewis Relatives and friends of the family are all invited to attend the Funeral Service on Thurs‐day March 27, 2025, at New Home Ministries, 1616 Robert C. Blakes Dr New Orleans, LA 70115. Bishop Samuel Blakes officiating Visitation will begin at 9:00 am Service starts at 10:00 am Interment will follow at Lake Lawn Cemetery, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd.
y s v y on Sat‐
Orleans LA 70115. Bishop Samuel Blakes officiating
Visitation will begin at 9:00
am Service starts at 10:00
am Interment will follow at Lake Lawn Cemetery, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd
Arrangements entrusted to Professional Funeral Ser‐vice, 1449 N. Claiborne Ave., (504) 948-7447.
Clouatre, Mary Allegro
It is with heavyhearts that we announce the passing of Mary Allegro Clouatre,who passed away on March23, 2025, at theage of 109 in Mandeville,Louisiana. Mary wasbornonJuly27, 1915 in Independence, Louisiana to John and Virginia Allegro. Mary wasanemployee of SouthernBellTelephone and Telegraph Company from 1943 to 1958. Mary starteda second career as an Avon Representativein 1967 that lasted for56 years. Mary wonmany awards fortop sales representativeinher region Mary is survived by her son, Daniel J. Clouatre and daughter-in-law, Katherine O. Clouatre.She waspreceded in deathbyher husband, John P. Clouatre and her parents, John and Virginia Allegro. She was also preceded in deathby her siblings,Rosa Parrino, Anthony Allegro, Angeline Allegroand SantoAllegro. Afuneral service will be heldonFriday, March28th at TharpFuneral Home on 1600 North Causeway Blvd. Metairie.Visitationwill be heldfrom10:00 am to 12:00 pm.The family welcomes alltojoininremembering and celebrating Mary's life
Cuiellette Sr., Lawrence Elgin
Lawrence Elgin Cuiel‐lette, Sr., entered eternal rest on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at the age of 81. He was born on September 2, 1943, in New Orleans LA to the late George and Viola R Cuiellette Lawrence is a graduate of St. Augustine High School He retired after 45 years of service at Chambers Industrial. Sur‐vivors include his wife, Phillis; son, Lawrence, Jr., daughter-in-law, Stefanie Cuiellette, as well as a host of cousins, other relatives and friends A Mass of Christian burial honoring the life and legacy of the late Mr Lawrence Elgin Cuiellette, Sr., will be cele‐brated at St. Raymond/ St Leo the Great Catholic Church, 2916 Paris Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119 on Friday, March 28, 2025 at 10 am. Interment St. Louis Cemetery #3, 3421 Es‐planade Avenue Visitation 9 am in the church Inter‐ment will follow at St Louis Cemetery #3, 3421 Esplanade Avenue In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Parkin‐son's disease Foundation in honor of Lawrence Cuiel‐lette Sr www parkinson org Please sign online guestbook at www cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com Face mask and social dis‐tancing encouraged Char‐bonnet Labat Glapion Di‐rectors (504) 581-4411.
Sr., William
urday, March 15, 2025. William accepted Christ at Corpus Christi and was a graduate of Brother Martin High School William worked for BellSouth Riverwalk, Intrepid Stone Company and Hookfin Pest Control. He was preceded in death by his parents, Curtis E DeMouy, Jr. and Dorthy Parker DeMouy and his brother Curtis E. De‐Mouy, III. Left to cherish his memory are his children William Demouy, Jr (Nicole) and Jessica D Tay‐lor (Roderick); 2 grandchil‐dren, VonDerrick and Dante’ Taylor; 1 sister Jes‐sica DeMouy Hookfin; 1 niece Monica Hookfin San‐tini (Luis), 7 step grandchil‐dren, 13 step great-grand‐children, his companion, Mona; his ex-wife Cynthia and a host of other rela‐tives and friends Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Mass of Christ‐ian Burial on Saturday, March 29, 2025, 10:00 a.m at Corpus Christi/Epiphany Catholic Church, 2022 St Bernard Ave NOLA Visita‐tion 9:00 a.m until Mass Interment Mount Olivet Cemetery
Durosseau Jr., Edward
Edward “Popa” Durosseau Jr. was born on March 5 1942, in Opelousas, Louisiana. He de‐parted this life on March 17, 2025. Edward was born to the union of the late Mr Edward Durosseau Sr. and Mrs Willimena Mosley Durosseau Edward was the light of any room and always managed to put a smile on everyone’s face Edward was often re‐garded for his no-nonsense demeanor and straight for‐ward attitude In his early life, Edward worked as a laborer at Kelly Lumber Yard and after moving on from the yard he leveled houses across Louisiana, passing on many stories to his children and grandchil‐dren. Edward was the fa‐ther of Shelvelle, Teddy, Trina Nathaniel, Keika Cederick, Keyona, and Renetta He leaves behind several grandchildren, many great-grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews He was the brother of Verna Mae Bar‐ras, Janet Almore, and Leon Durosseau Sr. He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward Durosseau Sr. and Willimena Mosley Durosseau; grand‐parents, Mr. Berry and Leslie Mosley; son, Edward Slocum; five brothers: Nathaniel, Ramon, Larry, Russell Durosseau, Michael Mosley-Durosseau; one sister Jaunita Durosseau Family and friends are in‐vited to attend the Cele‐bration of Life Service on Thursday, March 27, 2025 for 1:00 p.m. at The Boyd Family Funeral Home 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70126. Visita‐tion will begin at 12:30 p.m Pastor Jason Hayes, offici‐ating. Interment is private Guestbook Online: www anewtraditionbegins com (504)282-0600. Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin D Boyd Owners/Funeral Di‐rectors.
John sadly passed away March 1 2025, at 3:44PM at the age of 65, surrounded by his family after his long courageous fight against cancer He was born March 9, 1959, in New Orleans, LA to the late Francis, Jr., and
great provider for his fam‐ily. More importantly, he loved his children, grand‐children, and great grand‐children beyond words. He was very proud. He loved good times with family joking, laughing, fishing, and his business. He was always ready to help any‐one at any time John was loved by so many and will be greatly missed. Our days will never be the same, by he will be in our hearts forever A memorial service will be held on Sat‐urday, March 29, 2025, be‐ginning at 11AM at his place of business, Boomerangs, 14516
Exnicious-Cason, George
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of George Exnicious-Cason who peacefully joined the embrace of God on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in the comfort of his home. George was the hus‐band of Shonda Steward and a devoted father to Jarnel & Latonya Cobb, Christopher Slaughter Jer‐mall Steward, Centeria & Corey McKenzie He was a cherished grandfather to 22 grandkids & a host of great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. George was a beloved brother to Linda Cason, Sheila Cason - Picquet, Neal Cason, & George Cason Jr He was preceded in death by his parents, Loris GrangerCason & Lloyd Givens as well as his brothers Thomas Exnicious & Michelle Hill Sr & sister Sa‐vannah Cason Jackson George was a native of New Orleans, Louisiana He had a distinguished career in Contracting & Painting George legacy will forever be remembered He was known for having a heart of gold and helping every‐body that was in need when he could His deep love for his family and his undeniable love for people shall forever be remem‐bered As we mourn the loss of George, let us also celebrate the remarkable life he lived May his soul find eternal peace, and may his memory continue to inspire us to love, cher‐ish, and uplift one another When I come to the end of the road And the sun has set for me I want no rites in a gloom filled room Why cry for a soul set free? Miss me a little but not for long And not with your head bowed low. Remem‐ber the love that we once shared. Miss me but let me go. For this is a journey we all must take And each must go alone. It's all part of the master plan A step on the road to home When you are lonely and sick at heart Go to the friends we know. Laugh at all the things we used to do Miss me, but let me go Rela‐tives and friends of the family are invited to attend the celebration of life ser‐vice which will be held on Friday March 28, 2025, at Israel Baptist Church 1612 Esther St., Harvey La , 70058. The visitation will begin at 9 a.m., and the service will begin at 10 a.m Interment will follow at Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Avondale, La Funeral planning entrusted to Robinson Family Funeral Home 9611 LA 23, Belle Chasse, La 70037 (504) 2082119. For online condo‐lences please visit www robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com
Dennis Dennis Hilton, of New Orleans, died peacefully in his sleep on March 20, 2025 at the age of 81, after a long and valiant battle with Lewy Body Dementia Born in Birmingham, Al‐abama in 1943, Dennis graduated from Southeast‐ern Louisiana University in 1966 with
It is with profound sad‐ness that we announce the passing of Wesley Hollingsworth Sr. affec‐tionately known as Big Wes He was a wonderful son, devoted husband, lov‐ing father and cherished grandfather, who peace‐fully passed away on March 22, 2025, at the age of 66. Wesley was the heart of our family His warmth, intelligence, and generos‐ity made him a guiding light to all who knew him Born in New Orleans on Oc‐tober 25, 1958, Wesley was a 1976 graduate of Alcee Fortier High School He dedicated 30 years of his life as a committed and hardworking bus driver with RTA, where his kind‐ness and humor bright‐ened the days of col‐leagues and passengers alike A man of great wis‐dom and patience, he had an innate ability to uplift those around him with his encouraging words and gentle spirit. Wesley was not only known for his un‐wavering work ethic but also for his deep compas‐sion, always offering a helping hand or a listening ear His love for his family was immeasurable, and he made every moment with them meaningful, whether through heartfelt conver‐sations, laughter-filled gatherings, or quiet acts of support and care Wesley is survived by his loving mother, Lillian Hollingsworth; his devoted wife, Daphne RodgersHollingsworth; his beloved children Wesley Hollingsworth Jr. (Michean Thompson) and Trey Hollingsworth (TeJuana Herbert); and his treasured granddaughters, Skylar Hollingsworth and Teyana Hollingsworth, along with his step-grandchildren Shawnisha Thomspon Shawn Thompson and Bradley Herbert, and his step great-grandchildren Camello Thompson Noah Thompson He was pre‐ceded in death by his fa‐ther, Edgar Hollingsworth; his paternal grandparents Charlotte Hollingsworth and Edgar Hollingsworth Sr.; and his maternal grandparents, James
Caparotta, Joseph 'Joe'
'Popa'
Hollingsworth Sr., Wesley
Charles III, Frank 'Silky'
Carriere III, Charles Pierre
Ehrlicher, John Thomas
Hilton,
DeMouy
son. He was pre‐ceded in death by his fa‐ther Edgar Hollingsworth; his paternal grandparents, Charlotte Hollingsworth and Edgar Hollingsworth Sr.; and his maternal grandparents, James Adams, and Laura K Adams He also leaves be‐hind a host of nieces and nephews who adored him as well as countless friends who were drawn to his kind heart and infec‐tious spirit. "He will forever remain in our hearts, his love and kindness guiding us always." A celebration of his life will be held at Duplain W. Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Ave New Orleans LA 70125 on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 10:00 am. Visita‐tion will begin at 9:00 am Interment: Providence Park Cemetery Arrangements by D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home, New Orleans, LA
Please visit www rhodesf uneral com to sign the guestbook
Jamien Isaac on Sunday, March 9, 2025 at Rapids Reginal Medical Center, Alexandria, LA. Son of Jerry Isaac (Lenka) and the late Katherine Scott-Isaac. Father of Ja'Kaylyn Isaac and Ja'Monte Stipe. Brother of NikkiaIsaacWalker (Anthony), Brandon Isaac, Shunta Jackson, Kimberly Toney, Jerri Alexander (Manchez), and Lael Isaac (Cecelia). Also survived by ahost of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Age 41 years. Anative and aresident of Killona, LA. Relatives and friends of the family, also pastors, officers and members of Canaan Baptist Church and all neighboring churches are invited to attend the Funeral Service at Canaan Baptist Church, 319 Killona Dr., Killona, LA on Friday, March 28, 2025 at 11:00AM. Rev. Henry Wolfe, Jr. Pastor, Officiating. Interment Killona Rest Haven Cemetery, Killona, LA. Visitation at the above named church from 9:00AM until Service Time. SERVICED BY ROBOTTOM
Dwayne 'D Jack'
Dwayne “D Jack” Jack‐son was granted his wings on March 13, 2025, at the tender age of 41. He was the youngest son of Lela Jackson and the late Wayne Jackson. He was a graduate of John F Kennedy High School His first job was at Bunny Bread, Louisiana Super‐dome, West Jefferson Hos‐pital, Canal Place Mall and finally landed at the New Orleans Fire Department for 14 years. He was in the process of taking classes to move up in rank. He also had his CDL license. Shoot‐ing pool was his passion and he strived to be one of the best. He traveled dili‐gently to different tourna‐ments as a participant The thing he loved the most in life was spending quality time with his kids and his family He was a great fa‐ther and son. There is nothing he wouldn't do to entertain or meet every need The bond was un‐breakable. Dwayne lived life to the fullest He was always at work and he was still full of joy and laughter To know Dwayne is to have shared a laugh, a smile or a meal with him At times he was hilarious and his smiles were infectious Dwayne leaves to cherish his memory his mother Lela Jackson, his partner Marion Augustin, Four chil‐dren, Gabriel Jackson, Ar‐mani Jackson, Daniel Jack‐son and Skylar Sylve aunts, uncles and a host of other relatives and friends He was preceded in death by his father Wayne Jack‐son, grandparents, a host of aunts, uncles and other relatives Dwayne was loved immensely by all who encountered Him. To know him is to love and ac‐cept him for who he was As we say goodbye, we hold close to Dwayne’s
of aunts, uncles and other relatives. Dwayne was loved immensely by all who encountered Him. To know him is to love and ac‐cept him for who he was. As we say goodbye, we hold close to Dwayne’s precious memories. We are forever grateful for the time we spent together and the laughs we shared May He Rest In Peace. Rel‐atives and friends of the family employees of the City of New Orleans, New Orleans Fire Department Engine 8 and all surround‐ing departments, are all in‐vited to attend the celebra‐tion of life service which will be held on Friday March 28, 2025, at Gentilly Baptist Church located at 5141 Franklin Avenue, New Orleans, La. 70122. The vis‐itation will begin at 8:30 a.m and the service will begin at 10 a.m. Entomb‐ment will follow at Mt Olivet Cemetery in New Or‐leans, La Funeral planning entrusted to Robinson Family Funeral Home 9611 La - 23, Belle Chasse La 70037. For online condo‐lences please visit www robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com
James Frankin Kynerd, Jr., “Pawpaw”, “The Eagle”, Jimmy” age 62 years old born on January 18, 1963, in Baton Rouge Louisiana resident of Luling, LA, went to be with our Lord on March 22, 2025. James passed away at his home with his wife and daughter Jenna at his side Beloved husband of Vanessa Braud Kynerd They were to‐gether for 26 years and married for 17 years. Fa‐ther of Jenna K Braud (John) Ritzmann and Ash‐ley Kynerd Grandfather of Andrew and Emma Ritz‐mann, who affectionately called him Pawpaw. James is survived by his mother Bridget Himel Kynerd, fa‐ther James Franklin (Sandy) Kynerd, Sr., sister Kim (David) Lawrence, niece Marissa Lawrence and nephew Victor Lawrence, Aunts, Uncles and numerous cousins James was preceded in death by his sister Linda Kynerd Boneau. James served in the US Navy Seabees and later worked on the Mississippi River as a deckhand, tankerman, and Crew Boat Captain. His last employer was Cres‐cent River Port Pilots where he worked as a Crew Boat Captain. James graduated in 2007 from Delgado Community Col‐lege with an associate’s degree in general studies James had many passions, working in the yard, going to the woods, trains leathermaking, but his greatest passion was being with children, espe‐cially his grandson An‐drew. They did everything together and went every‐where together and went on numerous adventures They were best buddies Then Emma came along, and he started taking her everywhere with them It was a special bond that they will always cherish James was a devoted mar‐tial artist, mentor, and friend. A third-degree black belt with over ten years of dedication to Tang Soo Do, he was not only a skilled practitioner but also an inspiring instructor who touched countless lives. Teaching was his true passion, and his students were his greatest joy. With patience, wisdom, and un‐wavering encouragement he guided each of them, not just in martial arts but in life He instilled confi‐dence, discipline, and re‐spect, always believing in the potential of those he taught. Martial Arts Insti‐tute of Louisiana was more than a training space; it was a family, a place of growth, and a testament to his boundless generosity and kindness. To his stu‐dents, he was more than an instructor he was a mentor, a role model, and a source of unwavering support. He poured his heart into every lesson, celebrating their victories and helping them rise after every fall. His legacy lives on in the strength, perse‐verance, and spirit of those he trained. A very special thank you to our daughter Jenna She was always here to help take care of him in every aspect. The care she helped provide and the constant assis‐tance and support was un‐wavering. And a special thank you to Holy Family and CrossLife Fellowship for their support with meals comfort and the outpouring of love pro‐vided to James and our family Relatives and friends of the family are in‐
you to H Fam y and CrossLife Fellowship for their support with meals, comfort, and the outpouring of love pro‐vided to James and our family Relatives and friends of the family are in‐vited to the visitation at Jacob Schoen & Son, 3827 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA on Saturday, March 29 2025. Family visitation at 10 a.m followed by friends at 10:30 a.m Words of Re‐membrance will take place in the chapel from noon until 12:45p. Interment to follow at Lake Lawn Park Cemetery
Longaker, Harold Lewis
Harold Lewis Longaker passed away on March 18 2025, at the age of 86. He was born in Bakersfield California on December 9, 1938, to the late Judson and Laurie Longaker Harold graduated the United States Naval Acad‐emy in 1960, then entered the United Stated Navy as a line officer After being honorably discharged in 1964, he worked several years as an Electronic En‐gineer Harold then went to Oregon State University, where he graduated in Oceanography In the late 70’s, he worked as an UN Consultant to Venezuelan Government on pollution in Lake Maracaibo After re‐turning to the United States in 1982, he worked as a GPS System Engineer He owns 24 patents and was an author of two books. Harold is survived by his wife of 55 years, Lynn Longaker; his chil‐dren, Dylan Longaker and Samatha Wriker; his five grandchildren; and his sib‐lings Christopher Lon‐gaker, Judson Longaker, and Lee Dooley. There will be no services at this time.
Longmyle Jr., Jesse Alfred
Sr ton Mcknight, Sr. (Kayla), Sean Pierre (Kalle); one bonus daughter Yakim Mont‐gomery; and a godson Purnell M King, Jr He was also survived by 21 grand‐children Brandon Longmyle (Candi), Brittani Randolph, Brandy Andrews Mark Dixon, II (Raven), Christian Galmon Wynton Galmon Caleb Cooks, Brelon, Naje, Carlos Jr Ashli, Amani and Ashton Mcknight, Jr , Shawndrea Dreshawn Shala, Seanae, Milik, and Sean Pierre Jr and Prince and Kobe King, five greatgrandchildren, Kaleigh and Kelcie Longmyle, Brayleigh and Koi Andrews, Sequille Heatley, II, and Mark Dixon III, one sister-in-law, Mar‐ion King (Purnell) and 3 brothers-in-law Darren Pol‐lard, Leonard and Nathaniel Mcknight and a host of relatives from Vicksburg, MS, cousins, friends, neighbors, ac‐quaintances, and former wife Betty Longmyle. He was preceded in death by his father Jesse Alfred Longmyle, Sr. mother Emma Wilson Longmyle; grandparents Oscar and Massie Dent; and nephew, Ferdinand Alexander. Rela‐tives and friends of the family also Employees of LDH/OPH/Bureau of Nutri‐tion Services, Ben Guillory State Farm Insurance Housing Authority of New Orleans, Orleans Parish Criminal Court, Revolving Kitchen (Garland TX) United States Postal Ser‐vice, UPS Home Depot CGI, TCI, Fleur De Lis Cater‐ing Manning Family Chil‐dren’s Hospital, Temple El‐ementary School, Florida Power & Light Co NTT Data Inc., TCC Control Company, Crescent Title Passages Hospice, Ochsner Hospital Cardiol‐ogy Dept., Crescent Care and the residents and em‐ployees of the Nazareth Inn I and II are invited to at‐tend the Celebration of Life Service on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at New Home Min‐istries, 1616 Robert C Blakes Sr Dr New Orleans LA 70130 at 10:00 a.m Visi‐tation from 9:00 a.m until 10:00 a.m Interment Provi‐dence Memorial Park 8200 Airline Drive, Metairie, LA 70003. You may sign the guest book on www ger trudegeddeswillis com. Gertrude Geddes Willis Fu‐neral Home, Inc., in charge (504) 522-2525.
held at St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Church, 3510 N. Miro Street New Orleans, LA on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 10 am Visitation and Rosary will begin at 9 am in the church Interment with Mil‐itary Honors at Mount Olivet Mausoleum follow‐ing Mass. Please sign the online guestbook at www charbonnetfuneralhome. com Charbonnet Labat Glapion, Directors (504) 581-4411.
Shelton, Devon Keith
Temple, Sabrina Marie
Sabrina Marie Temple loving wife of Terrance Temple and daughter of Paula and Joseph Cayou (deceased) passed away on March 10, 2025. Family and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Service on Friday, March 28, 2025 for 10:00 a.m at St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Church (formerly) St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church 3501 North Miro Street, New Orleans, LA 70117. Visitation will begin at 8:00 a.m and the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am. Father Francis Kamau, FMH Celebrant The Inter‐ment will follow at South‐east Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 34888 Grantham College Drive, Slidell, LA 70460. Guestbook Online: www anewtraditionbegins. com (504) 282-0600. Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin D Boyd Owners/Funeral Di‐rectors.
Artist Lynette Lynn” McCary Thomas passed away early in the morning on March 15th at the age of 74 with her daughter by her side after a swift decline from a rare metastatic cancer Lynn was a painter, ceramicist and print maker Born and raised in Birmingham, AL After attending Mt. Vernon College in Washington D.C Lynn moved to New Or‐
rary
and did
Jesse Alfred Longmyle, Jr. age 81, was born on September 16, 1943, in New Orleans, LA. He was called home to eternally rest by our Lord Jesus Christ on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Jesse graduated from Booker T Washington High School in 1962 and at‐tended Southern University of New Orleans He worked as a bus driver for New Or‐leans Public Service, a salesman for Frito Lay and a cab driver for Morrison, White Fleet and Yellow cab companies Jesse leaves to cherish his memory his adoring sister Audrey Ezi‐dore (Michael). Devoted companion Delia Mcknight Beloved father of An‐toinette Hayes-St. Cyr (Ro‐malis), Gwendolyn Ran‐dolph Lavonselle Longmyle, and Esconda Galmon Loving Uncle of Stacy Alexander Jackson, Corey Alexander-Johnson (Peter), Trellis Thomas (Tory), and Jamere Jack‐son Great-Uncle of Jas‐mine Jackson-Williams (Brenan) Jordan Jackson (Malcolm), Alexis Alexan‐der Jaden Jackson Cam‐ryn Robinson, Glen Corryan Lewis Jakobe Alexander and Jay’den Thomas Great-great Uncle of Cor‐ryan Manzi Lewis. Three bonus sons, Carlos Mck‐night, Sr (Chaz), Ashton Mcknight, Sr (Kayla), Sean Pierre (Kalle); one bonus daughter Yakim Mont‐gomery; and a godson Purnell M King, Jr He was al ch (C Br Di Ga Ca Ca an Sh Sh Se an gr Ke an He III, io br la Na ho Vi fr qu wife Betty Longmyle. He was preceded in death by his father Jesse Alfred
Rudolph J. McCormick Sr., was born to the late Pauline Richard and Will McCormick, Sr. on January 3, 1933. He peacefully de‐parted earth for his eternal home on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 surrounded by his loving family Beloved husband of Lucille Carr McCormick Father of Kim McCormick, Rudolph McCormick, Jr., (Michele), Michael McCormick and Karen McCormick Zachary (Mance) Loving brother of Willie Haywood Special uncle of Anthony Haywood, Jr. and Trennesse Mosley Also survived by seven grandchildren ten greatgrandchildren, a host of other relatives and friends In addition to his parents, Rudy Mack” as he was af‐fectionately known, is also preceded in death by six brothers Relatives and friends; Priest and Parish‐ioners of St. Bakhita and Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Churches are in‐vited to attend a visitation, which will be held in the Chapel of Charbonnet Labat Glapion Funeral Home, 1615 St Philip Street, New Orleans, LA 70116 on Friday, March 28, 2025 from 5 pm to 7 pm. A Mass of Christian burial honoring the life and legacy of the late Rudolph J McCormick, Sr., will be held at St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic Church, 3510 N. Miro Street New Orleans, LA on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 10 am Visitation and Rosary will he
Devon Keith Shelton, of Metairie, LA was called home to Jesus at the young age of 17 on Monday March 17, 2025, to play in God’s eternal band He was preceded in death by his maternal great-grand‐mother, Jean Gilchrist Brannon; maternal greatgrandfather John Bruce Brannon; paternal greatgrandmother, Carla Shel‐ton; maternal grand‐mother, Lisa Angelo; pater‐nal grandmother, Marian Rose Ford and paternal aunt, Patricia Ford Borde‐lon Devon is survived by his parents, Sara Jean Brannon and Richard Rick" Michael Ford; his baby brother, Brannon Luke Michaud; his grand‐parents, Scott Gilchrist Brannon and Judy Patrolia Brannon in addition to six aunts, four uncles and twenty-five cousins Devon was born on November 29 2007, to a joyous family He attended Archbishop Rum‐mel High School, achieving a 3.0 Grade Point Average As part of his deep com‐mitment to Rummel, he demonstrated his devotion as a four-year band mem‐ber playing trumpet, mel‐lophone, French horn and started to teach himself to play tuba, all while he bowled on the varsity bowling team Devon con‐sidered everyone associ‐ated with the band and bowling team to be his family He loved spending time preparing meals with his mom and dad baking holiday cookies and amaz‐ing meals volunteering each year at Bike MS for Multiple Sclerosis and watching Anime with Brent and Brian In his down time, he loved playing video games with his friends and cousins A cel‐ebration of Devon's life will be held on Saturday March 29, 2025, at St Clement of Rome Church 4317 Rich‐land Ave. in Metairie Visi‐tation will be held from 10:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m. with tributes at 12:00 p.m The Funeral Mass will begin at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribu‐tion to Mullen’s Miracles at https://mullensmiracles org Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www Lei tzEaganFuneralHome.com
for
for
Parish Schools Gifted and Talented Program Lynn delighted in working with kids and helping them explore their artistic cre‐ativity. She had a passion and an eye for nature, art and design She was very influenced by artists such as Walter Anderson George Ohr and Robert Gordy with who she stud‐ied printmaking She also loved travel to Italy Mex‐ico and Canada. She was an avid hiker who explored the Canadian Rockies and took her Children to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Lynn was always a free spirit with a unique style in all things: her clothes her home decor and her soft drawling speech. She will be remem‐bered for her dry sense of humor and grace She was an avid runner for many years and met her husband John while running the Crescent City Classic. They had two children together, Emily and Wiley, for whom she had a boundless and unconditional love Her two-year-old granddaugh‐ter Quinn brought her much happiness. Lynette is survived by her daughter Emily Thomas (Cary), her mother Lynette A McCary and brother John McCary (Merrily) of Birmingham, Alabama and her sister Edith Ham (Ron) of San Diego, California, as well as her granddaughter, Quinn Dickerson of New Orleans and be her many nieces and nephews whom she ad her Ma She wi for be ue So be and completely charming. Lynn will be greatly missed; may she rest in peace. The family suggest donations to NOCCA or the nter
Isaac, Jamien
Kynerd Jr., James Franklin
Thomas, Lynette McCary 'Lynn'
Local
McCormick Sr., Rudolph J.
Jackson,
OUR VIEWS
$5.8B Hyundai steel plant a major win for Louisiana
The news that auto giant Hyundai is bringing a new steel plant to the west bank of Ascension Parish is undoubtedly an economic boon, not just for the River Parishes and the Baton Rouge region but for the entire state.
The $5.8 billion project will occupy approximately 1,700 acres in Donaldsonville and is projected to provide around 1,300 jobs with an average salary of $95,000. Construction of the mill is expected to begin next year with production beginning around 2030, company officials said.
The new plant will supply car parts for Hyundai and Kia manufacturers in Alabama and Georgia, respectively It may also produce parts for other auto manufacturers.
Importantly, the plant will use what is known as an “electric-arc furnace,” which is designed to emit less carbon than traditional coke-fueled furnaces. Power for the plant will be generated and provided by Entergy, which said its current generating capacity will be sufficient.
The plant is part of a $21 billion investment Hyundai, based in Seoul South Korea, is making in the United States. Company Chair Euisun Chung called the Louisiana facility a “key part” of the company’s plans.
The eye-popping numbers are certainly welcome, and were quickly seized upon by politicians of all stripes.
President Donald Trump and Gov Jeff Landry attended the announcement on Monday, as did U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, of Benton. The three Republicans touted the project as a sign that things are turning around under the “America First” agenda.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Troy Carter a New Orleans Democrat, argued that it was the Inflation Reduction Act, passed during the Biden administration and signed by the former president, that made the incentives for the project available.
There is plenty of credit to go around Certainly, this is a win for Landry’s economic development team, led by Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois, who joined the governor on a trip to South Korea last year to help land the deal and put together a compelling incentive package. The plant is the second major project, along with the planned AI data center in Richland Parish, that is helping turn the narrative on the state’s prospects.
Now the hard work of follow-through begins.
State economic development officials must stay engaged to make sure the company meets the rosy job and salary predictions tossed around at Monday’s triumphant announcement.
Perhaps more importantly, environmental regulators must be vigilant in making sure the company respects the surrounding communities and the people who live there. Residents of the River Parishes do not need to be reminded of the high number of polluting industries concentrated in their part of the state, and it is up to us to ensure that the Hyundai plant lives up to its low-carbon claims. We hope this development signals a pivot to cleaner processes
The project is important for the state. If it is downsized, abandoned or fails to live up to its commitments, it’s Louisiana residents who will bear the brunt. And that would quickly turn this victory hollow
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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.
State’s future hinges on more than carbon capture
As a subscriber, I was disappointed to see the recent letter from an oil and gas industry lobbyist about “Louisiana’s energy future.”
But I ask: Why do we have to be prooil and natural gas to be pro-Louisiana? The oil and gas industry cemented its dominance over Louisiana politics and decision-making during the LBJ administration when the sector provided more than half of the state’s public revenue.
Today, the industry provides just above 4% of Louisiana’s yearly budget. Four percent! This state home to my family for more than six generations — was one of the fastest-growing economies in the country when I was growing up. Today, we rank near the bottom in GDP, population growth and median household income.
Being “pro-Louisiana” means being pro-Louisiana’s people. It means investing in top-notch education for all, funded by a healthy and growing state economy.
To be “pro-Louisiana” is to ensure our families are supported by good-paying, reliable jobs. It means safe homes and communities where we can actually thrive in this beautiful place we call home.
Carbon capture does not provide us with that reality. It only deepens our dependence on a dying industry at our expense. We’d be on the hook for billions of dollars to the oil and gas industry to inject its waste into the ground under our communities. Allowing the build-out of carbon capture in Louisiana makes us less safe, less secure and ultimately less prosperous.
Don’t believe the industry lobbyists. Believe the pro-Louisiana people who are saying no to carbon capture in this state and yes to a livable future in the state we love. We need a future that works for us not for lobbyists and CEOs.
JANE PATTON New Orleans
Higgins’ response on Social Security cold, unhelpful
I retired two years ago. Since then, I’ve had several questions and issues concerning my Social Security.
After hearing about the planned cutbacks in staff to the Social Security Administration, I wrote my congressman, Clay Higgins, about my concerns regarding the proposed cuts and other changes to the SSA.
In my experience, the employees of the SSA have always been helpful and courteous, but reaching them to resolve issues has been a challenge. I have experienced waiting times on the phone of over three hours and had no success with their online driver’s license identity verification system. I outlined these issues in my letter to Higgins. Below is the gist of his response.
“Thank you for contacting me with your comments regarding staffing decisions impacting federal personnel. To the scores of thousands of federal government employees who are facing unemployment, I say to you that I feel
TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE
your pain, and I wish you well, but your job was no more important than the carpenter, the machinist, the welder, the cop, the trucker, the warehouse worker, the salesman, the waitress, the heavy equipment operator Our federal government bureaucracies are literally cannibalizing our nation. If you’ve lost your job, I’m sorry for your struggle.”
My letter was not about me losing a job. His response did not address my concerns about the Trump administration’s plan to reduce the staff of the already understaffed SSA and move to an online authentication that, in my experience, doesn’t work. This will hurt retirees. The staff of the SSA is providing vital services to, not “cannibalizing” the American people.
Finally his response is an insult to federal employees, who faithfully serve the public, carrying out their congressionally authorized and appropriated missions.
JACOBY CARTER Lafayette
For those of you too young to remember, the federal government under President Bill Clinton had solved the budget problem. His administration balanced the budget and began running surpluses. In fact, according to the National Economic Council and other analysts, this budget would have erased the national debt by 2013.
Instead, George H.W Bush came in, sponsored an unnecessary war with Iraq and at the same time introduced huge tax cuts for the wealthy, squandering the budget surplus along with all hopes of balancing the budget.
Deficit spending was back with a vengeance, and the path was set for the record debt in which the nation now finds itself.
Clinton administration had tackled budget problem without chaos Selling ‘gold card’ to immigrants defies American values
President Donald Trump’s latest idea is to encourage wealthy people to immigrate to the U.S. for a fee of $5 million, by offering them a “gold card.” Wealthy people can already invest in the U.S. markets, without immigrating here. The story of immigration to the U.S. is a story of people escaping danger from
war, famine and political oppression. This is what makes America great, not billionaires seeking to further enrich themselves. I continue to be amazed at how Trump either ignores history or simply does not know history
PHILIP FRADY New Orleans
It didn’t take Nostradamus to predict that there would be no “weapons of mass destruction” found in Iraq; that tax cuts would not produce surpluses; that “trickle down” economics would not work; that turning various functions, such as education, back to the states would not work; that the current so-called anti-abortion medical strictures would damage women’s health. Shall I continue? Without the prophetic insight of Nostradamus, I predict that current DOGE activities will produce chaos (this is already happening) and will not produce a better life for the American people, that the Trump administration will in no way solve the budget problems, and indeed, will increase the misery of the American public, including his supporters.
It doesn’t take a genius or soothsayer to see that guys running the government on ideological rather than practical grounds will not succeed. Or that the guys on the corner playing with three cards aren’t playing an honest game and will take your money if you play MUHAMMAD
COMMENTARY
Don’t gut N.O. levee board reforms
State legislators should make clear to Gov Jeff Landry and his unofficial adviser Shane Guidry that changes to the basic organizational set-up of New Orleans area levee boards are unwelcome. And if Guidry is going to smear current and recent levee board commissioners as “scammers who are just out for themselves,” he should put up or shut up. To cast aspersions without any specifics is to commit calumny of the first degree.
at Guidry’s plans to have levee board police fight crime in the surrounding neighborhoods instead of focusing entirely on protecting the city’s anti-flood infrastructure.
By ordinary standards, the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East and its sister levee board, the Flood Protection AuthorityWest, are model agencies in terms of structure and oversight. Consolidated from 10 patronage-heavy, ineffective levee boards in the immediate wake of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, the two regional flood protection authorities are designed to depoliticize the operations while stocking the board with people with relevant expertise, such as in hydrology or engineering.
The state’s citizens approved the new structure by an 81% vote, with 94% voting in favor in Orleans Parish. Board members are nominated by an independent committee created in concert with the aims of that statewide referendum. The board is supposed to hire the agency’s director, who by statute must have a “minimum of ten years senior executive experience in business, engineering or hydrology, or in the performance of public works functions, related to flood and drainage control.”
Landry, however, seems to have delegated de facto authority over the levee board that oversees flood protection on the Mississippi River’s east bank to Guidry, a New Orleans area businessman. In December Guidry and his hand-picked board president, Roy Carubba, effectively ran off former director Kelli Chandler when she balked
ROLE REVERSAL
Now, Guidry and Landry want to eliminate the independent nominating committees and perhaps even eliminate the position of director itself. In essence, they would undo the essential facets of the postKatrina reforms that have been praised by a host of the state’s well-known, nonpartisan “good government” groups and research outlets.
I reached out to Guidry via text message for comment, but received no reply Suffice it to say that Guidry’s various initiatives have caused abundant turmoil. Four of the nine members of the levee board have resigned in protest against Guidry’s interventions, leaving it one short of the number of members required to lawfully approve any infrastructure projects
What Guidry and Landry are doing here is the actual reversal of good government.
Start with the history The multiple levee boards that existed before Katrina were fonts of not-necessarilydefensible patronage — fiefdoms of political power with the Orleans Levee Board particularly flush with resources such as massive real estate holdings, the Lakefront Airport and two marinas. And while the overwhelming fault for the Katrina floodwall failures lies with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the levee boards weren’t exactly diligent in ensuring that the Corps’ work was up to snuff.
“It wasn’t that they did things that were wrong, per se, as much as that their focus was elsewhere,” said John Barry the noted author who served for six years on the post-Katrina levee board.
Indeed, Jay Lapeyre, who spent 17
Louisiana’s deep into crawfish season and loving it, but it looks like this guy is in deep trouble and needs some help! What can he possibly say to get outta this predicament?! Be witty, funny, crazy, absurd or snarky — just try to keep it clean. There’s no limit on the number of entries. The winning punchline will be lettered into the word balloon and run on Monday in print and online In addition, the winner will receive a signed print of the cartoon along with a winner’s T-shirt! To enter, email entries to cartooncontest@theadvocate com. All entries must include a name home address and phone number Cell numbers are best.The deadline for all entries is midnight on Thursday.
years heading the reformist nominating committee that the governor now wants to shunt aside, said that in checking board minutes from pre-Katrina days, sometimes “they literally spent no time talking about flood protection.”
Hence the post-Katrina constitutional amendment and statutory changes that created the current, much more professionalized system. Result: Several instances where the board’s expertise won the day in fixing construction oversights, such as the discovery of materials in 2023 that were rusting and corroding in the new pumps that drain the outfall canals.
Landry and Guidry could upend all that.
Guidry’s insistence on neighborhood policing harkens back to a time when the levee board actually owned the land now consisting of the neighborhoods he wants to police. But why is that the job of the levee board at all? And why would he want the head of the levee board’s police force effectively to take operational control of most of the functions that the departed director, with expertise applicable to flood control, is supposed to do?
Again, this is supposed to be a floodavoidance agency, not a general civic service provider or, Lord forbid, the equivalent of a mini-protection racket.
“Maintenance of a levee system requires constant investment,” Barry, the former board member, told me. “You need to maintain the locks and gates; you need to have people who are properly trained. If you start focusing your eyes elsewhere, then you make a mistake or you miss things. It’s potentially very dangerous.”
Unless the whole state wants to pay again for flooding in 80% of New Orleans, both directly and through higher insurance premiums, it’s a danger nobody should accept.
Quin Hillyer can be reached at quin. hillyer@TheAdvocate.com.
Trump loves free speech, as long as it’s his
President Donald Trump and the GOP have called themselves the party of free speech. But since taking office, the president has been tightening up his definition of freedom like a hangman’s noose
We could hear it in the White House’s Orwellian decision in February to revoke the Associated Press’ long-held access to the White House, barring it from a news event in the Oval Office because the international news agency would not align its editorial standards with Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America
This is how White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained the decision to banish the AP: “We have said we are going to hold lies accountable. And it is a fact that the body off the coast is called the Gulf of America, and I’m not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that.”
Well, maybe she could have asked AP is a global news organization that reasonably does not want to stir global confusion over the name change.
In January, Trump issued an executive order that renamed the “area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico ” Some digital maps complied with the order. “People using Maps in the U.S will see ‘Gulf of America,’ and people in Mexico will see ‘Gulf of Mexico,’ “ Google said in a blog post “Everyone else will see both names.” Cool. Everybody happy? Not quite. It is “alarming,” said AP, that Team Trump would punish AP for its independent journalism.
Experts have only themselves to blame for the distrust of institutions
Now they tell us.
“We were badly misled about the event that changed our lives.” So reads the headline on Princeton professor Zeynep Tufekci’s March 16 article in The New York Times. The event was, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the bad misleading came from scientists who purposefully discredited the now widely accepted theory that the virus originated from a leak in the Wuhan Institute of Virology Perhaps not entirely coincidentally, the Times article appeared one day short of five years from the publication in Nature Medicine of an article by five scientists, led by Kristian Andersen, titled “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2.” “We do not believe,” the article states, “that any type of laboratory-based scenario is plausible.”
This was a deliberate lie. In April 2020, Anthony Fauci, then the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told his boss, then-National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, that he hoped “proximal origin” would put down “the very dangerous conspiracy theory” that the virus originated from a lab leak. The next day Fauci recommended the paper to reporters as the product of a “group of highly qualified evolutionary virologists” without mentioning that he had commissioned it and dictated its conclusion. The paper “misled me and many others into thinking a lab leak was implausible,” writes science writer Matt Ridley, who was a voting member of Britain’s House of Lords in 2020. Ridley later co-authored the book “Viral” with Alina Chan, arguing for the likelihood of the lab leak origin.
So it’s not surprising that the theory that COVID-19 spread from a lab leak was dismissed as a “fringe theory” by The Washington Post or that the Times mocked former Trump health official Robert Redfield for believing it. Nor that such outlets have shown little interest in the fact that the lab leak theory was accepted early on by the FBI and by the Biden administration Energy Department by early 2023.
Why the frantic opposition to the lab leak theory? “Orange man bad” is one explanation: President Donald Trump seemed open to it, which was enough to convince many people and probably most journalists that it must be nonsense In retrospect, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that Fauci, who proclaimed, “I represent science,” purposefully lied and dissembled to conceal the funding of “gain of function” research (that makes viruses more deadly) at Wuhan.
The publication of Tufekci’s article in the Times signals a change in the wind of elite opinion. So does the publication in the Times last October of reporter Nicholas Confessore’s deeply reported account of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the University of Michigan, aptly subtitled “What Went Wrong?”
published. Letters are not
On March 4, Trump threatened on social media to deny federal funding to any university that permitted “illegal protests” and vowed to arrest and/or deport so-called “agitators.”
On March 8, immigration agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident of the United States who has been a leader of the Gaza war protests at Columbia University Immigration officials aim to deport him.
In mid-March the administration told Columbia that the federal government would cancel $400 million in funding to the university unless it overhauled its admissions policies and disciplinary rules. It was a stunning move that some legal scholars call unconstitutional, and that many in academia have termed an existential threat to academic freedom, but the immense leverage Trump is bringing to bear may force Columbia to bend to his wishes.
As Politico reported, 60 colleges are being investigated by the Trump administration for allegations of campus antisemitism, 45 for diversity programs, seven for race-based scholarships and related programs, and a handful of others for transgender participation in athletics.
Consider its actions against students protesting Israel’s war in Gaza. Shortly after Trump took office, the White House issued a fact sheet reiterating Trump’s promise of a crackdown: “To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you. I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.”
In a contentious speech to his new Justice Department, he suggested actions of the mainstream news media should be considered illegal and subject to investigation.
“I believe that CNN and MS-DNC, who literally write 97.6% bad about me, are political arms of the Democrat Party and in my opinion, they’re really corrupt and they’re illegal, what they do is illegal,” the president said during a contentious speech at the Department of Justice. Is he serious? One must always raise that question with Trump, given his bombastic oratorical style. It’s best described as a stream-of-consciousness that whipsaws from dystopian warnings to light-hearted storytelling and back to veiled threats. He calls it “the weave.”
“You make a speech, and my speeches last a long time because of the weave, you know, I mean, I weave stories into it,” Trump explained to podcaster Joe Rogan.
“If you don’t if you just read a teleprompter, nobody’s going to be very excited. You’ve got to weave it out. So you but you always have to as you say, you always have to get right back to work. Otherwise, it’s no good. But the weave is very, very important. Very few weavers around. But it’s a big strain on your you know it’s a big it’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of work.”
Actually, for a man who clearly enjoys the sound of his own voice, it doesn’t seem like a lot of work. But make no mistake, the real work Trump is about is making sure he gets to police what the rest of us get to say Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@gmail.com.
Confessore documented how the University of Michigan’s DEI programs, the largest and most generously funded at any university, increased rather than decreased racial tensions. Their premise was that systemic White racism was ineradicable and must be fought with indoctrination sessions and racial quotas and preferences. Give the Times credit for publishing Confessore’s article less than a month before the election.
The commitment of major corporations to DEI proved no more sincere than former Soviet bureaucrats’ faith in Marxism-Leninism. The second Trump administration’s efforts to ban DEI in federal agencies have been matched by the abolition of DEI in large corporations.
On DEI, as on COVID-19, it turns out that the experts and the elites were lying and that the people labeled “conspiracy theorists” by the Times were often telling the truth. “This type of thing is exactly why so many on both the left and right are content with burning it all down,” reflected Sean Trende, no Trump fan. “’Gosh, why don’t people trust the experts?”’
One answer is that the experts and the elites have shown miserable judgment. The elites took the death of a suspected convenience store robber in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014 and the death of an arrested fentanyl user in Minneapolis in May 2020 as indications that the nation, in which nearly 53% of voters had elected a Black man president in 2008, was infected with systemic racism in need of constant DEI chastisement. The experts’ dishonest responses and insupportable remedies to the pandemic were applauded by almost all academic and journalistic voices and imposed by government officials with no thought to their costs. This culminated in June 2020 when the experts and elites agreed that pandemic restrictions should, in view of America’s ingrained racism, not apply to massive Black Lives Matter protests.
Now we hear complaints, some of them plausible, that Trump and Elon Musk are destroying institutions possessed of expert wisdom and elite credentials. It’s understandable, given recent history, that many Americans are putting little stock in those complaints.
Michael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarone.
Clarence Page
Michael Barone
Quin Hillyer
New Orleans Forecast
Thomas, Lynette McCary
Lynette
“Lynn” McCary Thomas passed away early in the morning on March 15th at the age of 74 with her daughter by her side after a swift decline from a rare metastatic cancer. Lynn was a painter, ceramicist and print maker. Born and raised in Birmingham, AL After attending Mt Vernon College in Washington D.C Lynn moved to New Or‐leans in the early 1980’s where she received her MFA from UNO Her art was featured in local galleries as well as the Contempo‐rary Arts Center. She taught art for many years and did testing for the Or‐leans Parish Schools Gifted and Talented Program Lynn delighted in working with kids and helping them explore their artistic cre‐ativity She had a passion and an eye for nature, art and design. She was very influenced by artists such as Walter Anderson, George Ohr and Robert Gordy with who she stud‐ied printmaking. She also loved travel to Italy, Mex‐ico and Canada She was an avid hiker who explored the Canadian Rockies and took her Children to the bottom of the Grand Canyon Lynn was always a free spirit with a unique style in all things: her clothes, her home decor and her soft drawling speech. She will be remem‐bered for her dry sense of humor and grace She was an avid runner for many years and met her husband John while running the Crescent City Classic. They had two children together Emily and Wiley, for whom she had a boundless and unconditional love Her two-year-old granddaugh‐ter Quinn brought her much happiness. Lynette is survived by her daughter Emily Thomas (Cary), her mother Lynette A McCary and brother John McCary (Merrily) of Birmingham Alabama and her sister Edith Ham (Ron) of San Diego, California, as well as her granddaughter, Quinn Dickerson of New Orleans and be her many nieces and nephews whom she adored. She also loved her Maltese puppy Bailey. She will be remembered for being funny as only a true Southern eccentric can be and completely charming Lynn will be greatly missed; may she rest in peace The family suggest donations to NOCCA or the Contemporary Art Center in
Jeremy Rowe Treaudo affectionately known as “Shaq, Jigga and Shizzy”, departed this life at Ochsner Medical Center Main Campus on Monday, March 17, 2025, at the age of 28. He was a native of New Orleans LA and a life‐long resident of Marrero, LA Jeremy attended Con‐quering Word Christian Academy from elementary until his senior year in high school and graduated from Helen Cox High School His passion for basketball earned him a scholarship to Dodge City Community College where he contin‐ued to pursue growth, knowledge, and new op‐portunities with the same drive and determination that defined every aspect of his life. Jeremy was an entrepreneur, building and operating his own land‐scaping business; using his passion and work ethic to create beauty in the world around him He will be remembered for his contagious laughter, uplift‐ing energy, and his un‐bounded love for others Beloved son of Allen Roland Treaudo and Car‐olyn Rowe Treaudo Cher‐ished grandson of the late Welmer and Gennive Treaudo Hoover and Ora D Rowe. Loving brother of Sharnika Keller, Rodi Treaudo, Torrianna Treaudo, Jacqu’ee (Kae‐lynn) Treaudo Sr Angel Tureaud, and Joshua Tureaud Nephew of the late Dr Herbert Rowe and Regina Treaudo. Jeremy is also survived by a host of aunts, uncles nieces nephews, cousins, and friends who will continue to carry his memory for‐ward. Relatives and friends of the family also pastors officers, and members of Upper Room Bible Church and all neighboring churches are invited to at‐tend the Celebration of Life at Upper Room Bible Church, 8600 Lake Forest Blvd. New Orleans LA on Friday, March 28, 2025, at 10:00 a.m Visitation will begin at 8:30 a.m until ser‐vice time at the church In‐terment: Garden of Memo‐ries Cemetery-Metairie, LA Arrangements by Davis Mortuary Service, 230 Mon‐roe St. Gretna LA To view and sign the guestbook, please go to www davismo rtuaryservice.com Face masks are recommended
Robert JosephViator, Jr. passed away on March 15, 2025 after along battle with Parkinson's Disease. He was born on March 24, 1936 to Robert Viator, Sr. and Irene Frederic Viator. Robert was adevoted husband to AnnMarie O'Sullivan Viator and would have been celebrating 57 years of marriageon April 20th. He was also devoted to his children Robert David Viator and Jeannine Marie Viator and grandchildren Dalton A. Scallan, Sloan ViatorLarkin and Tallulah ViatorBillodeau. They could always count on Grandpa to fix brokentoys or help with projects. Robert always put God and his family first. He was aregular at 6:00 a.m. Mass when St Mary Magdalen had one and helped with the parish fair tools in hand. He cared for his father, mother and sister, Jerry until theend. There was no home improvement project that he wouldn't tackle. He was ready to attend the kid's functions ora camping trip.The kids loved to say, "Mom, Dad was the fun one". Robert was a1954 graduateofJesuit High School. He retired from Pan American Airlines and Home Depot. Robert's now being at peace is the only consolation for our family's loss. He is also succeeded by sisters-in-law Gail Millet and Bernadette Freeling and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral will be on Friday, March 28 at St. Mary Magdalen Church, 6425 West Metairie Ave., Metairie. Visitationfrom 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. with Mass to followat1:00. Masses or donations to Parkinson's Foundation preferred
Our Mom, Leska Weakley, died on Saturday, March 22, 2025, living 87 years. Mom graduated from Istrouma HighSchool in 1955, attended collegeat Southeastern Louisiana University, retired from HAWCO and was amember of the First Baptist Church in Zachary, Louisiana. Mom was born on September 15, 1937, to Fulton Davis Moore, Jr. and Leska Iris Powers Moore, (Gaga). She enjoyed the love of two larger than life husbands; thefather of her children, Gordon Rice Maglone and her childhood sweetheart and renewed love, PatLarry Weakley. In addition to her husbands and parents, Mom buried three others dear to her heart. Her grandson, Reginald Daniel Ory, her great granddaughter Mallorie Rose Maglone and her grandson-in-law, Joseph(Joey) Ernie Lee Cart, Jr. Mom loved her three children and those the Lord sent to marry them, Amy Denise (Daniel Ory), Joel Keith (Suzonne Chase) and Iris Jeanet (Vaughn Sutton). MawMaw's grandchildren brought her much joy, Leska LaTrelle Oudkirk Cart, Gordon Lance Maglone and Brady Fulton Maglone. Grammie's great grandchildren inspired renewed strength, Joseph Robert (JR) Cart, Georgia Grace (Gigi) Cart,Jack Belizaire Cart, Joel Michael Maglone and Rylee Jane Maglone. Her great-great grandson, Lee Allen Cart, inspired her to new hope. Visiting for Momwill be held at the Slaughter United Methodist Church beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, March 28, 2025, and continuing until religious services, officiated by Reverend Nan Riffe, at 11:00 a.m. Mom will be buried at the Feliciana Rest Cemetery. Friendsand family are encouraged to return to the church for food and fellowship. Pallbearers will be Joel Maglone, Lance Maglone, Joel Michael Maglone, Brady Maglone, JR Cart, Vaughn Sutton, Daniel Ory and Randy Maglone. Honorary Pallbearers will be Jack Cart and Lee Cart. Mom was aChristian woman all her life. She raised us to be confident that she is with Jesus in heaven. She would encourage each of you to seek him yourself. He never fails. Our family would like to thank Dr. Cosse, Amy Lee, Jeronica Profit, Hospice of Baton Rouge, Grace Health and Rehab and Oakwood Village for their loving and excellent care to our mother. We will always be grateful.
Henry Youngblood, Sr. entered eternal rest March 12, 2025, in Slidell, LA, at the age of 91. Aprominent figure in the Treme neighborhood, an original member of the Treme Sports and Jolly Bunch S&P clubs and anotable vocalist for the Treme Brass Band. Born to thelate George, Sr. and Irma Youngblood. Devoted to hislifelong companion,Albertine Green. Survived by his children, Letitia Youngblood, Henry Youngblood, Jr. (Rose), Cynthia Youngblood (Mario), Gerald Youngblood (Denise), Kim Youngblood, Natocha and Karen, stepchildren Atland Washington and Shirlene Muckelroy (Dennis), and a hostofgrandchildren/ great-grandchildren nieces/nephewsand cousins. Preceded in death by his son Terry "Big Boo", sister Lucille Raymondand brother George Youngblood, Jr. AMass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, March 28, 2025, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church/St. Jude, 411 N. Rampart Street, New Orleans, LA. Visitation at 9am. Mass at 10 am, followed by atraditional jazz funeral. The IntermentisatMt. Olivet Cemetery, 4000 Norman Mayer Ave, New Orleans, LA. Arrangements by Heritage Funeral Directors.
DEATHS continued from
Treaudo, Jeremy Rowe
Viator Jr., Robert Joseph
Weakley, Leska Augusta Moore Maglone Leska
Youngblood Sr., Henry
Zanders, Gertrude
'Lynn'
Local Artist
Treaudo, Jeremy Rowe
WARRIORS AT PELICANS • 7 P.M. FRIDAy • GSN
HE BELONGS
Gretna native Payton trying to stick in second stint with Pels this season
If you watched Elfrid Payton on Monday night, you wouldn’t have known he hadn’t played significant minutes in an NBA game in more than a month
You also wouldn’t have been able to tell that Payton was on the court playing alongside several teammates who barely touched the floor during his stint with the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this season.
Instead, Payton looked like a floor general who hadn’t missed a beat in the Pelicans’ 112-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Payton came off the bench and played 24 minutes, dishing out 14 assists to go with six points and six rebounds
Not bad for a guy who last week signed a 10-day contract with the Pelicans, almost four months after the team
waived him in early December Since being waived, he spent time with the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G League affiliate. He also played on two 10-day contracts with the Charlotte Hornets
He played 12 minutes last week in a blowout road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Monday’s game was the first time he’s played more than 20
minutes in a game since late February when he was with the Hornets.
Making this one more special is that it came in the Smoothie King Center, right across the river from Payton’s hometown of Gretna. Payton appreciates another opportunity, and he appreciated the cheers he received from the crowd when he checked into the game.
“It felt good,” Payton said. “Felt like I was at home again. I love being here. This is the best thing ever.”
Payton didn’t take long to make his presence felt. He recorded seven assists in his first nine minutes in the game.
“I’ll say it again,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “There is no way he
Zurich looks to build off 2024 success
BY JEFF DUNCAN Sports writer
Zurich Classic officials have a good problem on their hands: How do they top last year’s tournament, which, by all accounts, was the best in the event’s history?
Zurich Classic, APRIL
Bringing back wildly popular reigning champions Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry is a good place to start. Adding Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama to this year’s field won’t hurt, either The commitments of Morikawa, the world’s No. 4-ranked player and Kitayama were announced by tournament officials at the Zurich Classic’s annual media day news conference Wednesday
“Last year was a record year for us, we had so many positive things happen for us,” said tournament director Steve Worthy, the CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, which operates the tournament for the PGA Tour “We’re in a great place for another big event this year and the field, as usual, is coming together well. We continue to focus on having the best players in the world here.”
Buoyed by idyllic weather and the exploits of McIlroy and Lowry, the 2024 Zurich set records for attendance, media coverage and proceeds. More than 116,000 fans attended the four-day tournament, and TV viewership for the CBS and Golf Channel broadcasts increased 30% from the previous year
The presence of McIlroy and Lowry at the April 24-27 tournament should ensure another strong event. McIlroy is ranked No. 2 in the latest World Golf Rankings after his playoff victory at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida He also won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier this year Lowry meanwhile, has ascended to No. 12 in the world rankings after top10 finishes in the Valspar Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational and 12th-place finish at The Players Championship.
“It’s massive to have them back,” Worthy said. “Both of them are in good form and playing well. Rory moves the needle as much as anyone in golf.”
Morikawa has posted two seconds and a tie for 10th in five tournaments this year He won the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship He and Kitayama teamed to finish tied for 23rd at last year’s Zurich.
LSU pitchers walking a fine line in SEC
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
A saying in baseball is: “Let them hit it.”
There’s a lot of truth in that line of thinking. From a pitcher’s perspective, forcing a hitter to put the ball in play and earn his way on base, instead of walking the batter is logical.
But LSU baseball’s biggest issue through 26 games has been limiting free bases. The Tigers are tied for fourth in the SEC in walks. They haven’t hit many batters, but they’re also tied for
ä Miss. State at LSU, 7 P.M.THURSDAy SECN
first in the conference in wild pitches
The lack of command is the leading issue with LSU’s staff as conference play continues this weekend when the Tigers host Mississippi State for a threegame series beginning Thursday at Alex Box Stadium (7 p.m., SEC Network).
“We look at everything in terms of strikes,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. There’s a premi-
um on strike one, there’s a premium on two (strikes) out of the first three (pitches) and there’s a premium on executing the strike to finish the hitter, whether that’s a strikeout or weak contact.” Free passes haven’t been an issue for sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson, freshman righthander Casan Evans or junior right-hander Zac Cowan. As the competition has improved, they’ve elevated with it But that hasn’t been the case for many LSU pitchers through two weekends of SEC play Pitchers other than Cowan,
Anderson and Evans walked nine batters in 121/3 innings last weekend against Texas. Against Missouri the week before, they walked 11 hitters.
“I’m optimistic that the best is yet to come for those guys,” Johnson said Saturday
The walks have created more traffic on the bases, leading to bigger innings and more runs on the board. But throwing strikes won’t solve every issue LSU has. It also needs to limit big hits and big innings, a problem it faced
ä See WALKER, page 3C ä See LSU BASEBALL, page 4C
LSU OL Campbell dismisses arm-length criticism
BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer
Last month, Will Campbell went through a series of bodily measurements at the NFL scouting combine. One of them was for the length of his arms, a factor in the evaluation of an offensive lineman, and Campbell came in at 32 inches, supporting an idea that teams may want to move him from left tackle to guard. Campbell didn’t believe the measurement, so he had his arms looked at again Wednesday during LSU’s pro day This time, they were 33 inches. Have they magically grown? Campbell, who did not work out Wednesday, said the number at the combine was wrong.
“I knew my arms were 33
inches,” Campbell said. “Height, weight, wingspan, arm length everybody was kind of deducted at the combine. That’s why I measured in again today even though I didn’t do anything, because I knew that’s not right.”
The rest of Campbell’s measurements Wednesday were consistent with what was recorded at the combine. He was listed just under 6-foot-6 and 317 pounds with 91/2-inch hands and a 771/4-inch wingspan. His wingspan at the combine was reportedly 773/8 inches.
“There were a lot of people at the combine who had messed up measurements,” Campbell said. “That’s why you don’t see too much about it other than media people because nobody really
“Collin and Kurt posted some very low scores in the best ball format last year,” Worthy said. “Clearly they are comfortable with each other, and we are excited to have them repeat as partners.”
Commitments from more top players are expected to be announced in the days and weeks ahead as tournament week approaches, Worthy said.
The tournament’s recent success and popularity have forced one major logistical change: Satellite parking for the event has been moved from the John A. Alario Event Center to nearby NOLA Motor Sports Park The move was made to accommodate the increase in recent attendance, which has created parking and traffic issues that had become “untenable,” Worthy said.
About 60% of parking for the tournament now will take place at the new site, Worthy said. A separate entrance is being constructed for patrons who park there to enter the course
See ZURICH, page 5C
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE Collin Morikawa, left, congratulates teammate Kurt Kitayama after they finished during the second round of the Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana in Avondale on April 26.
Rod Walker
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green, center, celebrates a touchdown with offensive lineman Will Campbell, left and other teammates in the second quarter of a game against Ole Miss on Oct. 12 at Tiger Stadium.
See CAMPBELL, page 3C
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATTHEW HINTON
Pelicans guard Elfrid Payton shoots against Philadelphia 76ers forward Chuma Okeke during the first half of a game at the Smoothie King Center on Monday.
Skenes gets first opening-day start
Most MLB teams set to debut in 2025 on Thursday
BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer
NEW YORK Juan Soto, Blake Snell and Clay Holmes debut for new teams, Paul Skenes makes his first opening-day start at age 22 and Sandy Alcántara returns from Tommy John surgery
A week after the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers swept an opening two-game series over the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, 26 other teams get underway Thursday on opening day in the U.S. and Canada.
One day later the Rays and Rockies become the final clubs to take the field, given extra time while Tampa Bay moved into the New York Yankees’ Steinbrenner Field, its temporary home this season after Hurricane Milton destroyed Tropicana Field’s roof.
With Oakland stripped from its name, the cityless Athletics start the first of at least three years at a makeshift minor league home in Sacramento when they host the Cubs on Monday But first, the A’s start at Seattle with Luis Severino on the mound after he agreed to a team-record $67 million, threeyear contract.
Across the majors, Miami’s Clayton McCullough makes his major league managing debut and Cincinnati’s Terry Francona and Will Venable of the Chicago White Sox start tenures with new teams.
Banged-up Yankees open
Action begins in the Bronx when Carlos Rodón makes his first opening-day start for the reigning AL champion New York Yankees, who are without three-fifths of their starting rotation after injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. In addition, Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu are hurt. Freddy Peralta pitches for Milwaukee, which could see former closer Devin Williams for the first time since he buckled in the ninth inning of NL Wild Card Series Game 3, when he allowed a go-ahead, three-run homer to the Mets’ Pete Alonso.
$765 million reasons
Soto signed a record $765 million, 15-year contract to leave the Yankees and join the Mets, who totaled $1.36 billion in payroll and luxury tax over four years under owner Steve Cohen but remain without a title since 1986 New York is 41-22 in openers, at
.651 the best winning percentage of any franchise After losing their first eight, the Mets have won 41 of their last 55. Holmes left the Yankees for a $38 million, three-year deal with the Mets and will make his first start since 2018 with Pittsburgh. Framber Valdez will be on the mound for the Astros.
Raising the flag
After winning their second title in a five-year span and eighth overall, the Dodgers lift the World Series flag above Chavez Ravine before their home opener against Detroit.
Snell, a 2018 and ’23 Cy Young Award winner, joined Los Angeles for a $182 million, five-year contract that was part of a spending spree in which the Dodgers committed $458.5 million to nine players.
AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal starts for the Tigers, who won 15 of their final 20 games last season, then swept Houston in a Wild Card Series and lost to Cleveland in a five-game Division Series.
First of many?
Skenes, the NL Rookie of the Year, will be at 22 years, 302 days when he takes the mound at Miami, the youngest opening day starting pitcher since the Marlins’
José Fernández at 21-243 in 2014.
Alcántara makes his first appearance for Miami since Sept 3, 2023.
The 2022 NL Cy Young winner had Tommy John surgery that Oct. 6.
Clayton McCullough makes his debut as Marlins manager after replacing Skip Schumaker Sale opens for Braves
NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale starts his sixth opener, but first for Atlanta after three for the White
Sox and two for Boston. With Yu Darvish sidelined by elbow inflammation, Michael King start for the Padres — he pitched seven scoreless innings against the Braves with 12 strikeouts in last year’s Wild Card Series opener
New faces with Red Sox
Garrett Crochet starts for Boston at Texas after his offseason acquisition from the White Sox, who started the left-hander in the opener of what turned into a record 121-loss season last year
Alex Bregman takes over at third base after agreeing to a $120 million, three-year contract while Rafael Devers moves to designated hitter and 22-year-old Kristian Campbell appears set to start at second base in his major league debut
Nathan Eovaldi becomes the first pitcher to make consecutive opening-day starts for Texas since Kevin Millwood from 2006-09.
Gallen starts against Cubs
Zac Gallen was picked over Corbin Burnes to start for Arizona against the Cubs, making his third straight opening-day start. Justin Steele makes his second start of the season for Chicago after allowing five runs over four innings in the second game loss to the Dodgers last week.
On the road
Before starting their Sacramento tenancy on Monday against the Cubs, the vagabond Athletics open at Seattle with Severino, the third straight pitcher to make his A’s debut by starting opening day after Kyle Muller and Alex Wood.
Coming off his first All-Star selection, Logan Gilbert starts his first Seattle opener Dan Wilson begins his first full season as Mari-
ners manager after replacing Scott Servais last August.
Blue Jays seek a sixth win
José Berríos starts his fifth opener and joins Jimmy Key Dave Stieb and Roy Halladay as the only pitchers to start three for Toronto, who have the longest opening day winning streak in the big leagues
Outfielder Anthony Santander debuts for the Blue Jays.
Zach Eflin, acquired from the Rays last summer, will be on the mound for the Orioles and will become the fourth pitcher since 1900 to start consecutive openers against the same opponent for different teams, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The others were Sad Sam Jones, Wes Ferrell and Madison Bumgarner
Another Japanese start
Making his Los Angeles Angels debut, Kikuchi follows opening starts in Japan last week by the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga.
Wheeler at it again
Zack Wheeler at 34 becomes the oldest Philadelphia pitcher to make consecutive opening-day starts since Halladay pitched his third straight in 2012. MacKenzie Gore at 26 will be the Nationals’ youngest opening-day starter since Stephen Strasburg in 2014.
AL Central clash
Cole Ragans at 27 will be the youngest Kansas City pitcher to start two openers in a row since 27-year-old Jeff Suppan pitched his third straight in 2002. In an AL Central matchup, Tanner Bibee starts for Cleveland after agreeing to a $48 million, five-year contract.
Francona returns
Francona starts his 24th season as a big league manager at age 65 after taking a season off and regaining his health following 11 seasons with Cleveland. Hunter Greene starts for the Reds, who have opened exclusively with right-handers since 1999.
Twins face Cardinals
Pablo López becomes the first Minnesota pitcher to start three openers in a row since Brad Radke’s seven from 1999-2005. Sonny Gray starts his fourth opener and first for St. Louis after outings for Oakland and Cincinnati.
The Cardinals open their last season under president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, who has been in charge since October 2007 and will be replaced next fall by Chaim Bloom.
Freshman Chio leads SEC honors for LSU gym
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
Kailin Chio may not have been the first freshman everyone was talking about in the Southeastern Conference before the season started, but that’s exactly how it ended up. The LSU standout earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors as well as a place on the All-SEC team Wednesday She was joined on the All-SEC squad by teammates Haleigh Bryant, Aleah Finnegan and Konnor McClain.
A native of Henderson, Nevada, Chio was named SEC Freshman of the Week a record nine times during the Tigers’ 11-week regular season. In the final individual rankings heading into NCAA competition next week, Chio is ranked No. 2 nationally on vault, No. 6 on balance beam and No. 5 as an allarounder Chio competed as an all-arounder in every meet for the Tigers this season, including at the SEC championships last Saturday when she finished in fourth place. Chio has won a total of 20 individual titles so far in 2025, including five allaround titles and a perfect 10 on vault March 14 at Auburn. It is one of just four 10.0 scores by fresh-
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU gymnast Kailin Chio finishes
her routine on balance beam against Missouri on Jan. 31 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Chio scored a 9.95 in the event. On Wednesday, she was named SEC Freshman of the year
men nationally this season, and her 39.800 all-around score March 7 against Georgia is the highest by a freshman nationally in 2025.
Chio becomes the fourth LSU gymnast to be named SEC Freshman of the Year, joining Bryant (2021), Kiya Johnson (2020) and April Burkholder (2003) Bryant, a fifth-year senior from Cornelius, North Carolina, made it
five-for-five earning All-SEC honors in her much decorated career After starting the season slowly because of an elbow injury suffered in December, Bryant won her second straight SEC all-around title this past weekend as well as a share of the SEC beam title with Finnegan, giving Bryant a school record-tying five SEC individual titles overall. She has 105 career victories, third-most in program history behind Ashleigh ClareKearney Thigpen (114) and Burkholder (108) Finnegan posted a perfect 10 on beam against Georgia, the ninth of her career, and tying for secondmost in LSU history behind Bryant’s 18. The beam title was the first SEC individual crown for the fourthyear senior from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, helping her to her second All-SEC distinction. McClain, a sophomore from Las Vegas, repeated with SEC honors LSU gymnasts now have won a total of 116 All-SEC honors in all. LSU heads into NCAA competition as the No 1 overall seed for the first time ever The Tigers will make their 40th straight NCAA regional appearance April 3 in the Pennsylvania wregional at Penn State. LSU’s
Patriots sign WR Diggs as new target for Maye
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots have signed free agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press, giving quarterback Drake Maye a prime target as he heads into his second season.
ESPN reported on Tuesday night that the deal is for three years and $69 million, with $26 million guaranteed.
Diggs’ agents did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking confirmation.
A four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Buffalo Bills, Diggs led the league with 127 receptions and 1,535 receiving yards in 2020. He is coming off an ACL injury that limited him to eight games last year in Houston.
CBS’ Danielson will retire at end of 2025 season
NEW YORK Longtime CBS Sports college football analyst Gary Danielson will retire after the 2025 season.
That will be his 36th season on television, making him the longesttenured college football analyst on any network.
“As we enter our second full season of Big Ten football and my 20th at CBS Sports, the timing just feels right,” Danielson said Wednesday in a statement.
Danielson, who will turn 74 in September, played 11 seasons in the NFL before joining ESPN in 1990. He called games for ESPN and ABC for 16 seasons before joining CBS in 2006.
CBS carried the top Southeastern Conference game through the 2023 season.
Bucks say Lillard has deep vein thrombosis in right calf
MILWAUKEE Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard likely will be sidelined indefinitely with the team announcing Tuesday night that he has deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and is taking bloodthinning medication.
The Bucks provided the update on the seven-time All-NBA guard’s status without offering a target date for his potential return.
Lillard has missed the last three games for the Bucks, who closed a five-game trip Wednesday at Denver Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel.
The Bucks said Lillard’s medication has stabilized the thrombosis and that he will continue with regular testing. Lillard, 34, is the second high-profile player to be sidelined this season because of DVT
Xavier hires Pitino as basketball coach
SEC gymnastics awards All-SEC team Haleigh Bryant, LSU Kailin Chio, LSU Aleah Finnegan, LSU Konnor McClain, LSU Gabby Gladieux, Alabama Lilly Hudson, Alabama Joscelyn Roberson, Arkansas Selena Harris-Miranda, Florida Leanne Wong, Florida Lily Smith, Georgia Hailey Davis, Kentucky Isabella Magnelli, Kentucky Amari Celestine, Missouri Helen Hu, Missouri Jocelyn Moore, Missouri Mara Titarsolej, Missouri Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma Audrey Davis, Oklahoma Lily Pederson, Oklahoma Faith Torrez, Oklahoma Keira Wells, Oklahoma All-Freshman team Kailin Chio, LSU Ryan Fuller, Alabama Ja’Leigh Lang, Arkansas Joscelyn Roberson, Arkansas Sophia Bell, Auburn Katelyn Jong, Auburn Taylor Clark, Florida Nyla Aquino, Georgia Addison Fatta, Oklahoma Elle Mueller, Oklahoma Lily Pederson, Oklahoma Special awards Gymnast of the Year: Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma Freshman of the Year: Kailin Chio, LSU Specialist of the Year: Helen Hu, Missouri Newcomer of the Year: Selena HarrisMiranda, Florida Coach of the Year: Shannon Welker, Missouri
semifinal will be against No. 16 Arkansas, Michigan and the Maryland-West Virginia play-in winner from April 2.
There will be more than one Pitino in the Big East next season. Xavier hired Richard Pitino, the son of St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, as its basketball coach on Tuesday night. The school had an opening after Sean Miller left to accept the Texas job on Monday Richard Pitino takes over the Xavier program after four years at New Mexico, where he led the Lobos to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. New Mexico went 27-8 this season and was eliminated by Michigan State 71-63 in the second round of the NCAAs on Sunday The younger Pitino was the Mountain West Coach of the Year this season after the Lobos won the conference’s regular-season title. He went 88-49 at New Mexico and has an overall mark of 247-186.
Hodge of North Texas hired as West Virginia coach
West Virginia hired Ross Hodge of North Texas as its men’s basketball coach on Wednesday The 44-year-old Hodge replaces Darian DeVries, who left after one season for Indiana. Hodge agreed to a five-year deal to become West Virginia’s fourth coach in four seasons.
“Ross Hodge is a proven winner and leader who has demonstrated success at every stop of his career,” West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker said in a statement. Hodge is 46-23 in two seasons as coach of the Mean Green, who are 27-8 this season and advanced to the National Invitation Tournament semifinals next Tuesday in Indianapolis. Hodge has been part of staffs that went to three NCAA tournaments, including an upset of Purdue as a No.
AP FILE PHOTO By STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during spring training against the Baltimore Orioles on March 1 in Sarasota, Fla.
Wilson expects to be starting QB for Giants
BY DENNIS WASZAK JR. AP pro football writer
Russell Wilson has bounced around the NFL the past few years, a one-time Super Bowl winner suddenly without a consistent home while facing doubts and critics about his play
The 36-year-old quarterback is now officially at his latest stop after signing his one-year contract with the New York Giants on Wednesday, a day after agreeing to terms on the deal with what is his third team in as many years and fourth in five years. But with the Giants, Wilson has his sights set on one thing.
“I expect to be the starter and to be able to come here and rock and roll every day,” Wilson said during a Zoom call Wednesday “I think this team’s really looking for somebody to lead them in every way in terms of the process, in the offseason, during the season, our habits and our thought process and how we create a great winning culture.
“How do we continue to establish that and to really build on things that we do well and the
things that we continue to need to do?”
A person with knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press it’s worth up to $21 million with $10.5 million guaranteed. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce financial terms.
Wilson joins a quarterback room that includes veteran Jameis Winston who signed a two-year contract last week, and Tommy DeVito, an exclusive rights free agent who was re-signed on March 8.
New York also has the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft next month and could still target a quarterback
“The great part about professional sports is constant change, constant movement,” Wilson said “If we draft a quarterback, we’ll make sure he does everything he can to be ready to go and be prepared with his mentality
“But for me, I’m focused on winning — what I can do as a quarterback of the New York Giants to help us win and do everything we can to lead?”
Wilson, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection, helped Pittsburgh make the playoffs last season and threw for 2,482 yards with 16 touchdown passes and five interceptions and a 96.5 passer rating. But the Steelers lost five in a row at the end of the season after starting 6-1 with him. The Steelers allowed Wilson to become a free agent, as they did with Justin Fields — who signed with the Jets. While there was a chance Wilson could be back in Pittsburgh, the Steelers also met last week with Aaron Rodgers — who remains a possibility to sign there if he wants to play a 21st NFL season. Meanwhile, Wilson met with the Giants and felt the fit was right.
“First of all, Aaron Rodgers is a tremendous football player,” Wilson said. “He’s done some amazing things in this league I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to do some great things, too. What I’m focused on right now is what we can do here. That’s been my focus since I signed.
“Also, too along the way is finding a place that will continue to believe in you.”
WALKER
Continued from page 1C
shouldn’t be on a roster He is that good. He can pass the ball. He knows how to throw you open sometimes. Even when you don’t know you’re open, the ball is hitting you right in your hands on time and on target He’s an excellent defender and floor leader We’re glad to have him.”
Payton, who played at John Ehret High School and then at UL, has been in the NBA since 2014 when he was drafted in the first round by the Orlando Magic. The Pelicans, who he played for in the 2018-19 season, are one of five NBA teams to employ Payton. He’s also spent some time playing overseas.
But Payton, who turned 31 in February, never doubted he deserves a spot in the NBA.
“You go through this journey
CAMPBELL
Continued from page 1C
bought into it. Quite frankly nobody really cares.”
Although Campbell is considered a potential top-10 pick in the NFL draft next month, the length of his arms has been scrutinized throughout the pre-draft process perhaps more than any part of his game. NFL teams typically prefer offensive tackles with at least 34inch arms so they can reach pass rushers.
“For two years, nobody had any measurements on me and nobody said anything about my play,” Campbell said. “So now, all of a sudden, an arm length decides if I’m a good player or not? I think it’s BS.
“But any decision-makers in the NFL, they don’t really care. It’s all people who don’t coach, and they don’t coach for a reason.” With Campbell, there’s not much else to nitpick. He was a consen-
and you have all these things happen to you,” he said. “So it’s easy to have doubt. But I stayed confident and remained confident and had the right people in my circle and the work paid off.”
Payton’s 14 assists on Monday give him two of the top three assist games for the Pelicans this season His 21 assists against the Indiana Pacers are the most.
Dejounte Murray had 15 assists in a game.
In Payton’s 21-assist game in November, 16 of his assists were to players who didn’t dress out Monday. Trey Murphy, on the receiving end of seven of those assists in November, is out for the season CJ McCollum, who scored on six Payton assists in that game, had a rest day Monday Daniel Theis and Javonte Green are no longer on the team.
So it was new teammates such as Kelly Olynyk and Lester Quinones benefiting from Payton’s assists. The Pelicans recorded
“For two years, nobody had any measurements on me and nobody said anything about my play. So now, all of a sudden, an arm length decides if I’m a good player or not? I think it’s BS.”
WILL CAMPBELL, Former LSU OL
sus All-America selection last season, making him LSU’s first on the offensive line since center Ben Wilkerson in 2004 Campbell received first-team All-SEC recognition twice during his career, and he won the 2024 SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which has gone to the top offensive lineman in the conference since 1935. Campbell did not participate in the testing or positional drills at pro day letting his combine numbers stand. He ran the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash among offensive linemen (4.98 seconds) at the combine, and his standing broad jump of 9 feet, 5 inches was second in the group
NFL competition committee proposes changes on kickoffs
BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer
The NFL competition committee is recommending making the dynamic kickoff rule permanent and moving touchbacks to the 35-yard line in hopes of generating even more returns.
The competition committee released several potential rule changes for 2025 on Wednesday, including an expansion of instant replay that will be considered next week at the league meetings in Palm Beach, Florida. Any rule change must be approved by 24 out of 32 team owners.
Teams submitted several proposals last week that also could be voted on at the league meetings, including banning the “tush push” and changing playoff seeding rules.
36 assists, one shy of the seasonhigh 37 assists they had in an overtime game against the Denver Nuggets
“We were playing with good pace,” Payton said. “Got a couple easy ones, and we did a good job of pushing the ball in transition.”
Now Payton looks to make the most of the rest of this opportunity
Green said Payton belongs on an NBA roster, and Payton wants to prove him right.
“He’s somebody that sees the talent and caliber of players on a nightly basis,” Payton said of Green’s assessment. “So I think he would know a little about what he’s talking about and who belongs and who doesn’t. So to get that from him means a lot.
“Obviously, I still have more to show and I’m going to do my best to take advantage of that.”
Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.
Since the combine ended, Campbell said he has gotten “out of the underwear Olympics mindset and back to playing ball.” He feels ready to get on the field again after months of training for specific tests. But which position will Campbell play? He said he will play “wherever the coach tells me to,” but despite speculation about teams moving him to guard because of his arm length, Campbell said only two of the teams that he has talked to view him as a guard.
“And that’s because they already have tackles,” Campbell said. “Other than that, everybody knows what position I play, and everybody knows my mindset on that.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win and get on the field as early as possible. But everybody knows that I can play tackle.”
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Owners approved a major change to the kickoff last year on a one-year trial basis and the committee recommended another change to increase the rate of returns without increasing the risk of injuries. The league had 332 additional returns last season with the rate increasing from a recordlow 21.8% in 2023 to 32.8% last season.
The committee hopes that moving the touchback on kicks that reach the end zone on the fly from the 30 to the 35 will incentivize kicking teams to opt for shorter kicks that lead to more returns with a projection that the rate of return could double.
“We think that’s a lot of motivation for people to kick the ball in play and get returns back in the game,” NFL Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay said.
The committee also proposed allowing teams to declare their intention for an onside kick at any point in the game when they are trailing instead of only in the fourth quarter and had a slight tweak in the formation in hopes of slightly increasing the recovery rate There was no interest by any team or the committee in changing the onside kick to a fourth and long play like there had been in the past, with league executive Troy Vincent calling it too “gimmicky.”
Only the kicker and two returners are allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20. According to the NFL, there were 59 returns of at least 40 yards last season, the most in the league since 2016, and seven TD returns. The concussion rate fell 43% from the previous three years and there were the fewest lower-extremity strains on kick return plays since 2018.
“We ended up with an injury rate very much like a play from scrimmage,” NFL executive Jeff Miller said. “That’s what the goal was. If the rule is passed and we do end up with more returns, we would presume, without any evidence to the contrary, that the injury rate will stay similar to a run or pass play.”
Miller also added that the chance of injury with more returns on kicks would be somewhat negated by fewer punts — which have a higher injury rate than any other current play — thanks to improved field position under the new rule.
The committee also proposed an expansion of instant replay to allow replay assist to consult onfield officials to overrule objective calls such as facemask penalties, whether there was forcible contact to the head or neck area, horse-collar tackles or tripping if there was “clear and obvious” evidence that a foul didn’t occur Replay would also be able to overturn a roughing the kicker or running into the kicker penalty if video replay showed the defender made contact with the ball. Replay assist could only wipe out a foul if it was incorrectly called but Vincent and McKay said there was no support for a penalty to be called by replay assist even though it was discussed.
The committee proposed a few other tweaks to how players on the return team can align before the kick but the basics will remain the same with the kicker lining up at his own 35, the 10 coverage players at the 40, and at least nine blockers lined up in the “setup zone” between the 30- and 35-yard line and up to two returners in the landing zone inside the 20. Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air can be returned, or the receiving team can opt for a touchback, which now will be at the 35.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE
PHOTO By NICK WASS
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson calls out at the line of scrimmage during a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec 21 in Baltimore.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By DAVID J PHILLIP
The Kansas City Chiefs kick off to the Philadelphia Eagles at the start of Super Bowl LIX on Feb 9 at the Caesars Superdome.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett, left, and Pelicans guard Elfrid Payton reach for the ball during a game at the Smoothie King Center on Nov. 27.
LSU head coach Matt McMahon waits for his players to return to the bench after a timeout against Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 29.
STAFF PHOTO By
MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU men’s needs defined as portal season ramps u
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
A dearth of talent.
That was the biggest reason LSU men’s basketball plunged to 15th in the Southeastern Conference after finishing in the middle of the pack a season ago.
Jalen Reed’s season-ending ACL injury in December and Tyrell Ward’s decision not to play to focus on his mental health thinned the team’s talent pool.
LSU coach Matt McMahon didn’t have enough rotationcaliber experienced players to withstand these issues. He’ll have a fourth season to lead the program with increased NIL funding to get better players during the transfer portal window, which officially opened Monday During McMahon’s 13-minute interview on Tiger Rag Radio on Tuesday, he said he feels positive about his resources and that a turnaround to become an NCAA Tournament team next season is “realistic.”
“I think there’s been a great investment in men’s basketball, and I think we’re really well-positioned, from not only a retention standpoint but the ability to go out here and sign the players in the transfer portal that are going to come in here and impact winning and allow us to build a tournament team,” he said.
LSU (14-18, 3-15 SEC) has many positional needs as four players are out of eligibility and three more entered the transfer portal in Ward, Corey Chest and Mike Williams.
Here are some areas that LSU could target to improve next season:
Point guard
The Tigers’ scoring issues were as clear as their 133rd offensive
rating on KenPom.
Analysis
Offensive execution begins with point guard play, which was lackluster all season. Fifth-year transfer Jordan Sears had an underwhelming season as a shooter and facilitator He shot 37.8% from the field and averaged 2.4 assists per game, which was the lowest of any primary ballhandler in the SEC. Freshman point guard Curtis Givens shot 26.4% from the field and wasn’t an adept passer McMahon needs an experienced floor general who can organize his team, handle ball pressure, create advantages after screens and score efficiently from outside.
A star point guard is a winning formula that’s worked for SEC teams such as Alabama and Florida, who both have first-team All-Americans. It’s not an issue if LSU doesn’t have someone that impressive, as long as whomever McMahon gets is a steadying presence.
Rebounding depth
LSU’s issues on the boards were debilitating. It was 346th in the country in defensive rebounding percentage. Many fine defensive possessions were erased because of opponents’ second-chance points.
The injury to Reed, who is on track to return, played a role in the struggles. Freshman big Robert Miller will get stronger and could become a better rebounder as a sophomore.
The Tigers will need to replace Chest, who was the team’s best glass cleaner
The team relied heavily on 200-pound Daimion Collins, who posted the worst defensive rebounding rate (12.3%) of the 31 players who had a minutes per-
centage of 35% and were at 6-foot-8 in the SEC, accord the metrics site BarTorvik. Connected to rebounding good defensive decision-making. LSU needs to land someone damentally sound enough not move out of position by chasing needless blocks, which Chest Collins were guilty of often. id positioning would wipe some offensive rebounds allowed.
More talented wings
Butler wants to reach Final Four stage with new Kentucky team
BY STEVE MEGARGEE AP sportswriter
Lamont Butler doesn’t want to settle for just one shining moment on a Final Four stage.
The guy who made the buzzer beater to send San Diego State to the 2023 NCAA Tournament championship game is confident he can get back there as a fifth-year senior with Kentucky He has his new teammates believing that as well heading into No. 3 seed Kentucky’s Midwest Region semifinal matchup with No. 2 seed Tennessee (29-7) on Friday in Indianapolis.
Leading scorer Cam Carter was the one consistent offensive force for LSU. He averaged 16.4 points on 39.2% from beyond the arc and was a good defender Besides him, there were a lot of poor shooters or subpar defenders.
Graduate transfer Dji Bailey was a strong defender but was a 25.7% 3-point shooter on mostly open attempts.
Freshman Vyctorius Miller was a talented scorer at times but struggled as a defender for most of the season. Against stronger SEC opponents, he wasn’t ready to contribute consistently and shot 28.6% from 3-point land in 12 conference games. McMahon needs a pair of wings who can shoot and are capable defenders.
LSU ended the season realizing its best units included four players under 6-5. The defense that was sacrificed was worth it but it didn’t reap the benefits of added shooting as it was 335th in the country in 3-point percentage (30.5%).
Miller should be poised for a strong sophomore season after averaging 8.9 points as a freshman.
Welcoming new players who are capable shooters and defenders will make LSU’s path to making the NCAA Tournament clear
Betts, Lee and Prince are posting up in women’s
BY STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP sportswriter
AP All-America center Lauren Betts, Ayoka Lee and Sedona Prince are traditional post players, and all have been in the middle of their teams making it to the Sweet 16 in the women’s NCAA Tournament.
There just may not be as many players like them in the future with more teams opting for flexible posts who play on the perimeter and shoot 3-pointers Plus that is how players are now often being taught at younger ages.
“All these young ladies are getting more skilled. They’re able to step away from the basket. They are able to face up and play,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said Even so, these women are excelling inside during this March Madness.
The 6-foot-7 Betts had 30 points and 14 rebounds for top-seeded UCLA in a second-round win over Richmond. The junior has made 63.6% of her 825 career field goal attempts over three years, and has a Bruins single-season record 90 blocked shots. Prince, also 6-7, combined for
March Madness
35 points and 14 rebounds to help TCU advance past the second round for the first time.
The 6-6 Lee has 33 points and 19 rebounds while playing only 43 minutes combined in K-State’s two tourney games, after missing 12 of the previous 13 games with a foot injury Betts, with career averages of 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds, said it takes more than just having the requisite size to be consistent and successful in the low post.
“Patience has always been my biggest thing,” said Betts, in her second season at UCLA after one at Stanford. “When I’m catching it inside, obviously there (are) a few people running at me at a time, so just making sure I’m not rushing myself.”
While UCLA coach Cori Close agrees that the game is evolving, the Bruins who next play fifthseeded Ole Miss on Friday night — certainly take full advantage of having their dominant center
“So it just has this domino effect, but it starts with her,” Close said.
“The reality for us is that if she gets a touch — people work possessions all the time just to create rotation. Like how are we going to
do this, create rotation, flatten out their defense, force them to be in a scramble mode. We have a really good way We just pass it to Lauren and force that every single time.”
Lee was a second-team AP AllAmerican as a junior in 2022, the same year she set an NCAA single-game record with 61 points against Oklahoma, but missed all of the following season because of a knee injury Her 64.1% field goal percentage this season is a career high, while averaging 15.6 points and 6.4 rebounds playing fewer than 19 minutes a game.
“I definitely have been a more traditional post, and that’s just where my strength lies,” Lee said. “Our coaches and our team have done a good job of building a strong guard presence around that. So I haven’t really had to really step out much.”
The fifth-seeded Wildcats play top-seeded USC on Saturday night. Earlier that day, second-seeded TCU faces third-seeded Notre Dame for the second time this season. Prince is among 11 transfers for TCU since coach Mark Campbell took over two years ago after the Horned Frogs went 1-17 in Big 12 games.
“I will say from day one our focus was winning a national championship,” Butler said. “The expectais to win. of winners continue that is a little difin its storied Butler’s tourwith San Diego essentially dn’t return a player who a point for ldcats last New coach Pope essenbuilt a roster scratch. Nine sfers had to accustomed to together the leader of teammate referenced it before e jokingly “LaMarch.” up to him in ow what he’s 6-foot-2 guard straight tournajumper as time expired in a 2023 NCAA semifinal gave San Diego State a 72-71 victory over Florida Atlantic, sending the Aztecs into a championship game they lost to UConn.
“Most of us talk about what happened to us,” Pope said “We talk about what happened to us. And champions, winners talk about what they made happen. It’s just the truth. It’s true.
ON DECK
WHO: LSU (23-3, 4-2 SEC) vs. Mississippi State (16-9, 1-5 SEC)
The bullpen, besides Evans and Cowan, gave up seven runs, nine hits and two home runs in four innings combined over the two days Junior right-handed starter Anthony Eyanson let five of the last nine batters he faced reach base on Saturday, and redshirt sophomore right-handed starter Chase Shores surrendered seven hits — including a crucial two-run home run on Sunday
“Ones are better than a crooked number,” Johnson said Saturday Besides the Texas series, LSU has done a good job of limiting contact this season. It’s fifth in the conference in batting average against. But the struggles last weekend will be something to keep in mind as the Tigers face tough lineups throughout the rest of their SEC schedule.
“I think the guys that we put in the game, I definitely believe in them,” Johnson said Wednesday “And just as we’ve constantly talked about with Jared Jones over three years and even three weeks before the season (with) guys getting better, like, we’re on top of that.”
Improvement will be the name of the game for the pitching staff moving forward, but the good news for LSU is that it’s missing bats. The Tigers are fifth in the nation in strikeouts and seventh in strikeouts per nine innings.
Butler said he knew even around that time that this Kentucky team was capable of putting together a run similar to the one his San Diego State team made two years ago and perhaps doing even more.
“I kind of expected us to be in a good position from the summer to go win a national championship,” Butler said prior to the NCAA Tournament. “That’s on our mind. That’s what we’re going to do.”
Butler is averaging 11.1 points and 4.3 assists – career highs in both categories – despite dealing with a left shoulder injury dating to midJanuary that cost him six games He hurt it again in the Southeastern Conference Tournament and didn’t play in a quarterfinal loss to Alabama. Butler returned for a 7657 first-round NCAA victory over Troy and didn’t score at all, but he still contributed in so many other ways that he had a plus-minus rating of plus-22.
Butler, who has been wearing a brace on the shoulder, had 14 points and five assists in an 84-75 secondround triumph over Illinois.
“He’s really a dog,” Kentucky guard Otega Oweh said. “Going out there with one arm and giving it his all. He’s playing defense, and on top of that, he’s getting us into our offense. When you have someone that’s doing that, it just trickles down. You just want to out there and fight for him, too.” Butler scares his opponents while calming his teammates. He’s providing the presence this team full of transfers needed as they try to get Kentucky back to the Final Four for the first time in a decade.
“I think everybody is hungry this year,” Butler said. “I feel like a lot of us came from smaller schools or different places and we were able to compete at one of the best schools ever We all wanted to be remembered here.” Butler already was going to be remembered for that shot he hit two years ago. Now he’s creating a whole new set of memories while wearing a different uniform.
“Lamont Butler is spending his whole lifetime talking about what he makes happen, and that’s a champion’s heart. And he doesn’t spend any time talking about what happened to him. He talks about all the stuff he makes happen. When you have a guy like that leading your crew like that, it’s pretty special.”
PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU — LHP Kade Anderson (5-0, 2.65 ERA); Mississippi State — RHP Evan Siary (0-0, 2.31 ERA) WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Anderson surrendered just two earned runs in six innings last weekend against Texas, his first career SEC road start. Siary will make his second start of the season on Thursday. His longest outing this year is a three-inning appearance against Old Dominion.
Koki Riley
LSU has the pitching talent to excel in the SEC. It’s just a matter of consistently executing pitches and gaining more experience against a higher level of competition.
LSU hardly brought back anyone from last year’s pitching staff. The Tigers lost 12 of their top 14 pitchers in terms of innings. Anderson and junior right-hander Gavin Guidry were the pitchers who came back, but Guidry has been out with a back injury since February and hasn’t pitched this season.
“I’ve said this before: The best coach any player ever has is playing time and experience,” Johnson said Wednesday “And it gets lost sometimes because of talented players, but they haven’t been there in a lot of ways.”
The LSU pitching staff improved as last year went along. Christian Little became a key piece in the bullpen. Gage Jump arguably became the best starter after a slow start. Thatcher Hurd and Will Hellmers stepped up with big performances in the Chapel Hill Regional.
Even with an improved offense, LSU will need that to happen again this spring. And like last season’s team, throwing more strikes will have to be a part of that growth.
“Something I tell the team is, most games are lost in college baseball, not won,” Johnson said. “And we just want to be a hard team to play where we don’t really give the other team anything.” Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.
THE VARSITY ZONE
NOTEBOOK
Going the Patriots’ way
BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer
John Curtis came out on the good end of a one-run baseball game Tuesday
The 2-1 victory against Brother Martin gave the Patriots a boost after six of their nine losses this season all came in games decided by one run.
“We got a lot of experience in these types of games,” Curtis coach Jeff Curtis said. “Unfortunately, a lot of them haven’t gone our way We got two two-out hits with nobody on base and the ball bounced our way (against Brother Martin).”
That result tightened the Catholic League race as it nears the midway point.
Brother Martin dropped into a tie with Rummel for first place in the Catholic League both at 5-1 in district games.
One game behind them is Jesuit at 4-2.
Brother Martin and Jesuit will play two games set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium and noon Saturday at Jesuit’s John Ryan Stadium. Meanwhile, Rummel will face Curtis (2-4 in district) in a pair of games set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Harahan Playground and 2 p.m. Saturday at Mike Miley Stadium.
Curtis went ahead on a two-out hit by Juan Washington that skipped by the Brother Martin center fielder as Xavier Brown scored from first base. Bryce Hebert threw a complete game and allowed five hits
Other district matchups have Holy Cross (3-3 in district) against Warren Easton (2-4) and St. Augustine (3-3) against Edna Karr (0-6) Rummel sweeps
Lenny Cline drove in three runs with a two-RBI double and a sacrifice fly as Rummel defeated St. Augustine 5-0 and completed a two-game series sweep The double capped the scoring a four-run second inning that included an RBI single by Gavin Nix and a sacrifice fly by Aiden Gernard
Van Lith happy she shared issues on mental health
TCU standout guard said it was difficult
By The Associated Press
FORT WORTH, Texas TCU standout guard Hailey Van Lith said that while difficult, she is glad to have shared publicly about mental health struggles she said she dealt with early in her basketball career
“It’s been very positive. I’ve received a lot of encouragement and also a lot of people, you know sharing that they can relate or that I helped them feel understood,” Van Lith said Wednesday “That’s the whole point.”
Van Lith is getting ready to play in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament for the fifth season in a row The Big 12 player of the year has helped lead the Horned Frogs that far for the first time, after going to a Final Four and two other Elite Eight games with Louisville before making another Elite Eight with LSU last year
medicated and felt trapped. And you would never know it because I was having a ton of success on the court,” she said. “But internally, and in life in general, I was ready to be done. That’s what I mean when I speak on suffering and pain. I didn’t even want to live.”
Speaking on the Fort Worth campus on Wednesday, Van Lith said she first decided she needed to get help and get serious about her well-being after seeing the story about Katie Meyer, the Stanford goalie who committed suicide at her campus residence in March 2022.
Van Lith said she personally invested in a sports psychologist “who kind of doubles as like a normal therapist at the same time. And also, I think I’ve matured a lot. I’m older than I was. When I was going through a lot of my issues, I was like 19. So I was really young and I didn’t know how to handle a lot of things.” She said she had been praying for some time about when God wanted to share her story, and feels blessed to have the platform to do that.
STAFF PHOTO By JOHN MCCUSKER
Rummel’s Gavin Kennedy, right, takes third base as Jesuit’s Conner Donnelly tries to handle the ball on March 12 in Metairie. Rummel is tied with Brother Martin for first place in the Catholic League standings at 5-1. Jesuit is one game back at 4-2
Curtis softball wins
Miley Percle scored on a fly ball that went for an inside-the-park home run and Makayla Escude pitched a complete game for John Curits in a 1-0 victory against Chapelle. The game was a rematch from the LHSAA Division I select state final that Chapelle won last season.
The dynamic guard, also a prominent figure on social media in the era of name, image and likeness, broke down in tears after TCU’s second-round win Sunday over Louisville when asked about girls and boys of all ages wearing her No. 10 jersey and her being one of the faces for women’s college basketball.
“I mean, it’s a blessing. But I really — I’m really standing on God’s shoulders right now
He’s delivered me from so much, man, and so much pain and suffering and confusion,” she said then through tears. “It’s all glory to God, truly.”
It wasn’t until afterward in the locker room that Van Lith spoke about her mental health struggles after being exposed to the media and social media at such a young age, but making it clear that she is loving life now
“When I was younger in college, I was suicidal, I was heavily
“I’ve known ever since it started that I’m going through such a unique journey that it has to be for a reason bigger than myself. And so I’ve known that I had to share it at some point,” Van Lith said.
“It’s a little bit intimidating for me because it’s totally outside my comfort zone.
“Only the people that are closest to me, like my parents and maybe, you know, my brother and my best friend, kind of know the extent to what my life has been like,” she said. “All those people knowing that about me has been a little bit scary for me But, you know, I accepted God’s challenge of sharing it. And so now I need to walk in it.”
Rummel began the district season with a series split against Jesuit followed by a sweep of Waren Easton.
The only loss for John Curtis in Catholic League play came in 13 innings against Mount Carmel, which clinched the district title by beating Dominican on Tuesday Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com Curtis finally wins close one to
Two-way player Davis leads Higgins to win vs. Riverdale
BY SPENCER URQUHART
District 10-5A that mainly contains Jefferson Parish schools. Higgins trailed early but was able to rally and keep its perfect district mark intact with a 7-4 win over Riverdale at home. Higgins took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Riverdale tied things up 4-4 in the top of the fifth. Higgins got the lead back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth and held it the rest of the way “I told (the players) to calm down and be selective, get your hits,” Higgins coach Buddy Viellion said. “They came out and got selective hits and put the pressure on. We got the bases loaded and scored three After that, we just felt our momentum coming with us.” Trey Davis played a key role for
Higgins as both a hitter and pitcher
He went 2-for-3 at the plate and started on the mound, all ow in g f ou r earned runs and striking out three over 41/3 innings. Davis’ first hit in the fourth inning was a threerun double He delivered another double for Higgins in the sixth to drive in a run, giving him four RBIs total.
“(Riverdale’s) pitcher was getting behind in the count,” Davis said. “We had runners on base, so I knew he couldn’t get behind and had to come to me on the first pitch. I saw the fastball and hit it.”
Higgins shortstop Luis Diaz went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the sixth inning Quincy Brown had the first RBI of the inning on a groundout.
Brian Ramos relieved Davis and pitched the rest of the way for Higgins. Ramos entered the game with the bases loaded in the top of
the fifth, but he allowed no earned runs in 22/3 innings.
“(Ramos’) job was just throw strikes,” Viellion said. “He focused in and got the strikes, and we came out swinging to get the runs.”
Cole Moses had an RBI double in the top of the third for Riverdale, who added another run on an Amin Dip run-scoring groundout to go up 4-1.
Riverdale pitcher Jamari Williams allowed four runs in four innings and was relieved by Dip, who allowed three runs in two innings.
“We had the bases loaded earlier and didn’t execute,” Riverdale coach Sean Temple said. “We’ve been very injured, so we’re still trying to get on track.”
Higgins (13-5, 3-0) will look to get another win Friday in a nondistrict home matchup against St. James. Riverdale (10-10, 2-1) will face district opponent Ben Franklin at home Friday
Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.
Continued from page 1C
near hole No. 3, where the TPC Course abuts the racetrack.
“With great growth comes change,” Worthy said. “We’re confident this will work and improve the experience for our fans.”
Otherwise, there will be few changes to the event Tyler McCool, course superintendent of TPC Louisiana, said no major changes have been made to the golf course in preparation for this year’s tournament.
The field again will feature 80 two-man teams competing in the 72-hole format with alternating rounds of best ball and alternate shot play On the line will be a record purse of $9.2 million, with
each member of the winning team earning $1,329,400 and 400 FedExCup points.
Meanwhile, negotiations with Zurich about an extension of its title sponsorship of the tournament continue in a positive direction. All indications are that the global insurance giant and the PGA Tour will reach an agreement on an extension to its current deal, which is scheduled to expire after the 2026 tournament.
“They love the city, and they love the tournament,” Worthy said of Zurich, which has served as the title sponsor since 2005.
“We would like to extend out as far as we can and are very confident in how negotiations are going.”
Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.
100+ years of LSU Football history in a hardcover book
STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
John Curtis coach Jeff Curtis saw his team defeat Brother Martin 2-1 on Tuesday after the Patriots had been on the short end of several one-run losses.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TONy GUTIERREZ TCU guard Hailey Van Lith, left, works against Fairleigh Dickinson guard Abaigeal Babore during a first-round NCAA Tournament game on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.
SCOREBOARD
Tennis
Miami Open At Hard Rock Stadium; Miami Gardens
Pu
rse: $9,193,540. Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Men’s singles Round of 16 Arthur Fils (17), France, def. Alexander Zverev (1), Germany, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Women’s singles Quarterfinals Alexandra Eala, Philippines, def. Iga Swiatek (2), Poland, 6-2, 7-5. Men’s doubles Quarterfinals Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash (6), Britain, def. Yuki Bhambri, India, and Nuno Borges Portugal, 7-6 (1), 3-6, 10-8. Mate Pavic, Croatia, and Marcelo Arevalo-Gonzalez (1), El Salvador, def. Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni (7), Argentina, 4-6, 7-5, 10-8
Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva, Russia, def. Ekaterina Alexandrova, Russia, and Peyton Stearns, United States, 5-7, 6-3, 10-4 Xinyu Jiang, China, and Fang-Hsien Wu, Taiwan, def. Zheng Saisai and Wang Xinyu, China, 6-3, 6-4.
Pro golf
PGA Tour FedEx Cup Leaders
Through March 23
PB — Arrambide. WP — Schmidt 2. HBP — by Herrmann (Stanfield); by Schmidt (Cuff); by Mandino (Braswell); by Grab (Stanfield).
Umpires — HP: Alex Ziegler; 1B: Eddie Newsom; 2B: Ryan Broussard; 3B: Jeff Head.
(paid).
(Eflin 0-0) at
(Crochet 0-0) at
p.m.
(Bibee 0-0)
(Eovaldi
(Snell 0-0), 6:10 p.m. Athletics (Severino 0-0) at Seattle (Gilbert 0-0), 9:10 p.m. Friday’s games Colorado at Tampa Bay, 3:10 p.m. Baltimore at Toronto, 6:07
p.m.
at Buffalo, 6 p.m. Utah at Tampa Bay, 6 p.m.
at Minnesota,
St. Louis at Nashville, 7 p.m. Dallas at Calgary, 8 p.m.
at Seattle, 9 p.m. Los Angeles at Colorado, 9 p.m. Toronto at San Jose, 9:30 p.m. Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball American League BOSTON RED SOX — Optioned 2B Nick Sogard to Worcester (IL) CHICAGO WHITE SOX Designated RF Oscar Colas for assignment. Optioned RHP Justin Anderson and RF Greg Jones to Charlotte (IL). Claimed INF/OF Greg Jones off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. TAMPA BAY RAYS — Placed LHP Shane McClanahan and 2B Richie Palacios on the 10-day IL, retroactive to March 24. Recalled RHP Hunter Bigge and LF Kameron Misner from Durham (IL). National League CINCINNATI REDS — Placed OF Austin Hays and C Tyler Stephenson on the 10-day IL, retroactive to March 24. Placed LHP Andrew Abbott and RHPs Alexis Diaz and Rhett Lowder on the 15-day IL, retroactive to March 24. Placed LHP Brandon Williamson on the 60-day IL. Selected the contract of C Austin Wynns from Louisville (IL).
MIAMI MARLINS — Acquired RHP Tyler Phillips from Philadelphia in exchange for cash considerations. Designated RHP Seth Martinez for assignment.
BASKETBALL NBA PHILADELPHIA 76ERS — Signed F Phillip Wheeler to a 10-day contract. TORONTO RAPTORS — Signed F Cole Swider to a 10-day contract.
CAROLINA PANTHERS — Re-signed C Cade Mays to a contract extension. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS — Re-signed DL Sam Okuayinonu to a one-year, tendered contract. TENNESEE TITANS — Signed QB Tim Boyle and WR James Proche II to contracts. HOCKEY NHL COLORADO AVALANCHE — Signed G Isak Posch and F Cooper gay to two-year, entrylevel contracts. COLUMBUS BLUE
BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer
Being a Division I basketball coach isn’t an easy job, something Stacy Hollowell experienced in a big way during his first season as UNO’s men’s coach. UNO finished with a 4-27 record, which was the lowest number of wins in program history Challenging circumstances made victories hard to come by for Hollowell, who led Loyola of New Orleans to an NAIA national championship in 2022. Hollowell was hired by UNO near the end of last year’s transfer portal window making it tough to build a roster while dealing with the news that his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer UNO had a promising early win against Tulane but struggled during Southland Conference play, losing its final 13 games. The Privateers had four key players suspended during the last games — Dae Dae Hunter, Jah Short, Jamond Vincent and James White. Multiple sources told The Times-Picayune that the suspensions were related to an investigation into sports betting. Hollowell made it through a tough first year and will look to turn things around alongside Percy “Master P” Miller, who was named UNO’s new President of Basketball Operations. Hollowell sat down this week to discuss the challenges of his first season and what people can expect from UNO heading into Year 2.
You were announced as coach with the transfer portal window closing How challenging was it to put a roster together? May 1 was my hire date. It was also the day that the portal closed, so no one else could put their name in. May 17 was the dead period, so we had a 17-day window to put a group together We took two guys that didn’t even visit us, so when that happens, you don’t get to vet guys the same way that you would in a normal situation.
The team finished 4-27 but was able to beat Tulane and had a pair of Southland Conference wins. How would you assess your first season? Personally, I was disappointed. I thought we could come in and move things in the right direction. I think we showed what we were capable of in that Tulane game. We had to play really high-level basketball to win games, and we just didn’t do that consistently enough It’s very disappointing to have a season like that I’ve never had a season like that.
Four players were suspended after Jan. 27, resulting in the rotation being down to seven players most games. What was your message to the guys that played during those final 10 games?
We can only control what we can control. It’s next man up; we don’t pout. We keep our heads down and keep working. I thought that group played very hard and competed. Although we didn’t get wins, they represented our program well.
The university is dealing with a budget deficit but was able to bring in Percy “Master P” Miller as President of Basketball Operations. How do you feel about the program’s future with him in the building? I feel really good about (the future). I think (Miller) is going to be able to do things just with his contact base and his reach that not many people can do. That’s obviously a big positive for our program and for the university
Now that you’ve got a full offseason and more NIL resources to build a roster for next season, what can fans expect to see next year at the Lakefront Arena?
Hopefully (my staff and I) are able to put a team together that can play the style that we played at (Loyola). Get up and down the floor and press and create opportunities in transition. I think we’re able to get guys to play hard, we’ve just got to play smarter and execute a little bit better That would be the vision for the future — athletic, rangy, super-competitive.
You’ve been through a lot recently with your wife undergoing cancer treatment during the season and having to navigate through player suspensions to close out the year What’s your approach to dealing with adversity, and what would be your message to a first-year Division I head coach faced with challenging times?
My approach to adversity is typically that on rainy days, you know that the sun will come out at some point. You stay the course until you get those brighter days. You control what you can control, and you focus on the things that you can make a difference with.
The thing that I would share with a first-year coach is to be patient. Give your players some grace, give yourself some grace. Do all that you can do to continue to grow and be better Don’t neglect your family Spend time on the things that you can impact the most.
Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD UNO coach Stacy Hollowell talks to his team during a timeout against Tulane on Nov. 22 at Devlin Fieldhouse. UNO won 93-87 in overtime.
BY LINDA GASSENHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)
1.
2. Place onion in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave 1 minute on high. Remove from microwave and add beef to the bowl. Mix the onion and ground beef together
3. Add rolled oats and Worcestershire sauce. Mix all ingredients together Add 1 tablespoon ketchup, egg and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
4. Place on the baking sheet and shape meat into 2 loaves, about 3 inches by 5 inches. Make sure the oven is at 400 F and add the baking sheet. Bake meat for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup, mustard and sugar together in a small bowl.
6. Remove meatloaf from the oven and spoon the ketchup sauce on top of each loaf. Return the tray to oven for 3 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 145 F. Serve each loaf on a dinner plate.
NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 397 calories (27 percent from fat), 12.1 g fat (4.7 g saturated, 4.6 g monounsaturated), 201 mg cholesterol, 42.0 g protein 28.2 g carbohydrates, 2.4 g fiber, 458 mg sodium.
Garlic Carrots, Peas
Yields 2 servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer.
2 cups sliced carrots, about ¼-½-
1. Add carrots, peas and garlic to a microwave safe bowl Microwave on high 2 minutes.
2. Remove from microwave; add the oil and salt and pepper to taste. Divide in half and serve with the meatloaf.
NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 173 calories (39 percent from fat), 7.5 g fat (1.1 g saturated, 3.3 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 5.4 g protein, 22.9 g carbohydrates, 7.8 g fiber 84 mg sodium.
GRILLED CHICKEN SHAWARMA, SQUASH WITH TAHINI AND A STRAWBERRY
DESSERT MAKE A SPRING FEAST
Easy Chicken Shawarma
the skillet over high medium heat.
Serves 4.
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs Spice rub (see following)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 pitas or 4 flour tortillas
1 container of prepared tzatziki (yogurt sauce)
1. Cut each thigh into about 6 pieces. Place all of the pieces of raw chicken into a large Ziploc bag. Add the spice rub. Close the bag, trying to remove as much air as possible. Press the top closed.
2. With the bag closed, massage the chicken so that all of the pieces are coated with the spice mix. Once they are well coated, place the bag with the chicken pieces in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. When ready to cook, remove the bag from the refrigerator, massaging it from the outside one more time.
3: To grill: Be sure that the coals are hot, but there should be no flame. Oil a perforated pan and heat it on the grill. When the grill pan is hot, add the chicken to the perforated pan and cook the chicken with the cover on the grill. This should take 20 minutes. Check after 10 minutes and stir if needed. Remove the chicken to a plate when it is cooked.
4. To cook in a skillet: Add the oil into
When the oil is shimmering, add the pieces of chicken in one layer Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, uncovered With tongs, flip the chicken and cook for about 7 minutes. Chicken should be done in 15 to 20 minutes, depending on size of the pieces. Remove from the skillet.
5. You can serve this on a plate with tzatziki with pita or tortilla on the side. Or you can serve it as a wrap, using a quarter of the chicken for each tortilla with tzatziki as a garnish or in pitas that have been cut in half.
SPICE MIX
Ground sumac is available in large supermarkets, in Middle Eastern stores, or online. If you do not have sumac, substitute 1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest.
1 tablespoon paprika (use smoked paprika if you like a smoky flavor)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon ground sumac
¼ teaspoon cayenne (use more or less depending on your heat preference) Salt and pepper to taste
Place all of the ingredients into a bowl. Whisk together and pour them into the Ziploc bag with chicken pieces.
BY BETH DOOLEY
MORE RECIPES
ä Squash with Tahini Sauce
ä Strawberry and Ice Cream Sundae ä See SPRING, page 2D 2D
Dear Heloise: Need a few hints on how to keep your skin looking healthy and hydrated? Here are a few of my all-time favorites:
n Take a slice of lime, lemon or orange and rub it all over your face for about 30 seconds. Wait about 3 minutes, then rinse with warm water and pat your skin dry The vitamin C and acids in the fruit will break down dead skin cells.
n Bring a pan of water to a boil with the steam rising Then turn off the stove and move the pan somewhere safe. You can set it on a thick wooden cutting board if you wish.
n Next, place a towel over your head to form a closed tent. Let the steam open your pores for about 3-5 minutes. Afterward, wash your face in warm water with a final rinse in cold water This will add moisture to your skin and help you rinse away impurities from your pores
n Want to tighten your skin for smoother makeup application? In a small bowl,
By The Associated Press
Today is Thursday, March 27, the 86th day of 2025. There are 279 days left in the year
Today in history
On March 27, 2022, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony, winning the Oscar for best actor just minutes later (Smith later resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and received a 10year ban from the Oscars.)
On this date:
In 1794, Congress approved the “Act to provide a Naval Armament” of six armed ships, which provided the foundation of the permanent U.S. Navy In 1912, in Washington, D.C., first lady Helen Herron Taft and the wife of Japan’s ambassador to the United States, Viscountess
mix together 1 tablespoon plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, and the white of one egg. (Save the yolk to use in your next shampooing.) Blend well and apply in a circular motion onto your face and neck. Leave on for about 20-25 minutes. Rinse off and pat your skin dry n Invest in one black Tshirt and one white T-shirt. You can always use it under a suit or a cardigan for a simple but classic look A black or white T-shirt always looks good with jeans or slacks and maybe one or two necklaces, but never wear an excessive amount of jewelry And never wear any top that has makeup around the neckline! — A.L., in California
Scraping vegetables
Dear Heloise: My mother and I disagree on something, and we thought you might have the answer She scrapes many vegetables, but I don’t. I wash carrots very carefully and never
TODAY IN HISTORY
Chinda, planted the first two of 3,000 cherry trees given to the U.S as a gift by the mayor of Tokyo. In 1939, the first NCAA men’s Division I basketball championship game was held, with the University of Oregon defeating Ohio State, 46-33. In 1964, Alaska was hit by a magnitude 9.2 earthquake (still the strongest on record in North America) and tsunamis that together claimed over 130 lives. In 1968, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man to orbit the Earth in 1961, died when his MiG-15 jet crashed during a routine training flight near Moscow; he was 34. In 1973, “The Godfather” won the Academy Award for best picture of 1972, but its star, Marlon Brando, refused to accept his Oscar for best actor and, in what
peel cucumbers or eggplant. I also don’t cut the crust off of bread, but my mother does. I think a lot of vitamins are lost with her method of cooking. My mother is from England, and she says that this is how they prepare dishes in her native country — J.H., in Connecticut J.H., there is very little need to scrape vegetables, especially if you wash them thoroughly In England, many people would take the peelings and scrapings out to a compost pile, along with the crusts from bread. In some countries, the crust is cut off to make the sandwich look nice. Vegetables were also scraped to remove dirt and make the carrots and other fruit or vegetables look “pretty.”
But you’re right — lots of vitamins and fiber were lost by this habit.
So, go ahead and cook your vegetables with the outer skin intact and leave the crusts on your bread! — Heloise
Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.
would become one of the Oscars’ most famous moments, sent in his place actor and activist Sacheen Littlefeather, who spoke out about the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood. In 1975, construction began on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline; the 800-mile pipeline was completed just over two years later
In 1977, in aviation’s deadliest disaster, 583 people were killed when a KLM Boeing 747, attempting to take off in heavy fog, crashed into a Pan Am 747 on an airport runway on the Canary Island of Tenerife.
Today’s birthdays: Actor Michael York is 83. Film director Quentin Tarantino is 62. Singer Mariah Carey is 56. Actor Pauley Perrette is 56. Actor Nathan Fillion is 54.
Singer Fergie is 50. Former MLB catcher Buster Posey is 38. Singer Jessie J is 37.
Sunday’s Garlicky Pork Shoulder
Serves 4 to 6. Make one dinner on Sunday and enjoy quick and easy meals throughout the week. Look for bone-in cuts for the best flavor and allow plenty of time for the meat to turn silky and fork-tender. Serve thickly sliced pork with plenty of juices spooned over roasted new potatoes and baby tomatoes (see recipes) made while the meat is roasting, with hunks of crusty bread for dunking. Mashed potatoes or pasta are delicious sides, too. Leftover pork will keep in the refrigerator about four days and freezes easily. Recipe is from Beth Dooley.
3 to 4 pound bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 heads garlic, cut crosswise 1 cup white wine 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, more if needed
4 to 6 sprigs fresh rosemary or oregano
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Liberally season the pork on both sides with salt and pepper
Strawberry
and Ice Cream Sundae Makes 4 to 6 servings.
2 pints fresh strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1. Process 1½ pints of strawberries in a food processor for about 30 seconds.
2. Place the processed strawberries in a microwaveable bowl. Add the marmalade to the bowl. Add the orange liqueur. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and heat on full power in the microwave for 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir
3. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to cool. When ready to serve, scoop the ice cream into 4 to 6 bowls and divide the sauce evenly among the bowls, spooning the sauce on the ice cream.
4. Garnish with the halfpint of fresh strawberries. Serve with ginger snaps.
Squash with Tahini Sauce
¼ cup olive oil
1 pound spiralized
1. Place the olive oil in a skillet. Heat until it shimmers. Then add the spiralized squash. Cook over medium-high heat until just tender. Allow the squash to develop a few scorch marks, but do not let it burn. This should take about 15 minutes.
2. Transfer the squash to a platter Drizzle tahini sauce over the squash, sprinkle with the nuts, and serve.
SPRING
Continued from page 1D
If you have no desire to fuss over a barbecue, it’s easy to make the chicken shawarma in a skillet on your stove. A cool yogurt sauce, or tzatziki will make that shawarma sing. For a nod to Southern food, mix zucchini with yellow squash for color and variety It is most fun spiralized: You can buy
it that way or make it at home with a spiralizer Serve with a lemony tahini sauce, and it will fit right into a meal of chicken shawarma. And for dessert, take advantage of fresh strawberries. This microwave sauce tastes wonderful and is easy to make. Serve it over ice cream or, for a very elegant treat, pour it over a store-bought plain cheesecake. You can garnish your dessert with sliced or quartered
fresh strawberries. This sauce is also a great way to start your day Spoon a few spoonsful onto your oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast, if there is any left over You won’t be sorry
Liz Williams is founder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans. Listen to “Tip of the Tongue,” Liz’s podcast about food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts. Email Liz at lizwillia@gmail.com.
3. Add the pork and cook until well browned and very crisp on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove the pork and set aside.
4. Add the wine and stock to the pot and stir, scraping up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot Return the pork and garlic to the pot and add the herbs. Cover and transfer to the oven.
5. Cook, turning occasionally and adding more stock if necessary, until the pork is very tender and falls apart
2. Film a large Dutch oven with the oil and set over medium heat. When it begins to shimmer, set the garlic cutside down in the pot. Cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the garlic and set aside.
Roast Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4 to 6. Recipe is from Beth Dooley
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 tablespooon olive oil
Coarse salt
1 Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper Roll the cherry tomatoes onto the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt.
3. Roast until the tomatoes have popped open and are charred, about 25 to 30 minutes.
when pulled with a fork, about 3 to 3½ hours.
6. Transfer the pork to a cutting board to rest for about 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Squeeze 2 of the garlic halves to pop the cloves into the braising liquid and discard their skins as well as the herb sprigs. Remove the fat that forms on the top of the juices.
8. Set the pot over medium heat and simmer until the juices reduce slightly Season to taste. Slice the pork against the grain into thick pieces and serve drizzled with braising liquid on top. Garnish with the remaining garlic halves.
Roast Potatoes
Serves 4 to 6.
1½ pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper Lay the potatoes, cut side up, on the baking sheet, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt.
3. Roast until the potatoes are nicely browned and crisp, about 35 to 40 minutes.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Refuse to give in to someone who or something that isn't in your best interest. Make the effort and advocate on your own behalf. Choose to be efficient, and live life your way.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Take nothing and no one for granted. Look inward for answers and discover purpose and peace of mind. Make your home a place of peace, comfort and rejuvenation.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Your perspective and choices will change, resulting in easily misinterpreted signals. Be direct, and you'll spare yourself a lot of grief. Your power will come from doing what's right.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Do whatever is necessary without complaint, and you'll outshine any opposition you face. Pay attention to visual appeal; it will help you gain momentum over anyone trying to outdo you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) When the time comes to take the next step, doing so privately is favored to allow for tiny but necessary adjustments. Educational pursuits and travel will offer insight into successful marketing opportunities.
VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 22) Exercise your rights and negotiate on your behalf. It's best to undersell your skills and overproduce when it's time to present. A change of scenery will boost your imagination and creativity.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Take in what's happening in your neighborhood or
workplace. Put your energy into doing things differently, and you'll capture the attention of someone who can help you advance.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Mix business with pleasure. Attending reunions, trade shows or anything that brings you in contact with people who specialize in something you want to explore will lead to new possibilities and success.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Put more effort into your surroundings. Think big, but don't underestimate the cost of whatever you plan to do. An enthusiastic performance will capture positive attention that can shape the future.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take in what others say and do, and rearrange your plans to ensure you maintain the upper hand. A wrong move can cause tension between you and a loved one.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Your options will increase, allowing you to dream big, but before you follow through, take inventory. Weigh the pros and cons and take the path that keeps stress levels low.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Keep your thoughts to yourself. Gather information and consider what's necessary. Make a physical change, update your look and do your best to get up to speed with trends.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
TODAy'S CLUE: M EQUALS B
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe
peAnUtS
SALLY Forth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
LAGoon
Sudoku
InstructIons: sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
BY PHILLIP ALDER
Leo Szilard, a Hungarian-American scientist who conceived the nuclear chain reaction, the electron microscope, the linear accelerator and the cyclotron, said, “A scientist’s aim in a discussion with his colleagues is not to persuade, but to clarify.”
There will be times when one defender willnotbesureofthelocationofacritical card. Then he will usually have to rely on his partner’s realizing the predicament and clarifying the situation.
In this example deal, how should the defenders card to defeat three no-trump after West leads the club seven?
North, with a low doubleton, reasonably used Stayman to try to find a 4-4 spade fit.
First, let’s look at the deal from declarer’spointofview.Hehaseighttoptricks: two spades, three hearts, two diamonds and one club (the first trick). If diamonds are favorable, he has overtricks in his future. So he wins trick one, plays a diamond to dummy’s ace and calls for another diamond. What should East discard?
Second, let’s go back to trick one. East must play the club jack, bottom of touching honors when playing third hand high. The snag is that West does not know who has the queen; it could be East or South.
Third, East should apply the Rule of Eleven. Seven from 11 is four. So there are four clubs higher than the seven in the North, East and South hands combined. And East has seen all four He must clarify the situation for his partner by discarding the
InsTRucTIons:
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles
dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
ken ken
InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a
WiShinG Well
Scrabble GramS
roSe
DuStin
Drabble Wallace the brave breWSter rockit
luann
March 27, 2025
BOOK NEW ORLEANS FESTIVAL
200 AUTHORS AND OTHER SPEAKERS ON THE LINEUP AT ANNUAL EVENT AT TULANE PLUS EVENT CUBES
PAGE 6
Marie Antoinette portrait complements Art in Bloom at NOMA page 4
‘Billy Elliot’ leaps action on JPA s
don’t miss don’t miss don’t miss
Freret Street Festival packs plenty into seven blocks
Staff report
Freret Street Festival takes over the Uptown thoroughfare from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday along seven blocks from Napoleon Avenue to Valmont Street with art, music and food.
Three stages of entertainment will include a variety of acts from Loyola University as well as Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph with Nigel Hall, John “Papa” Gros, Creole String Beans, People Museum, Ghalia Volt and Cuba Heat.
With more than 240 vendors, expect to find taste treats from many of the brick-andmortar businesses and on-site locations. Six food zones will have a variety of items like Chi Chi’s, Paella NOLA, Cochon and A-OK Asian Outdoor Kitchen, Dat Dog, Company Burger, Midway Pizza plus local brews and more beverages. Also, vendors will showcase jewelry, health and beauty aids, photography, home decor, pets and apparel. There are also fair trade items. For information, check out freretstreetfestival.org.
home and garden show
Browse all things interior and exterior at the Caesars Superdome from noon to p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. In addition to rmation and experts, watch for balloon rides, a pet adoption area, and gardening and torm prep seminars. Tickets start at $8. neworleanshomeshows.com.
congo square rhythms festival
Two stages of entertainment feature Bo Dollis Jr. and the Wild Magnolias, Trumpet Mafia, N’Fungola Sibo, Original Pinettes Brass Band and a Mardi Gras Indian battle from 10:45 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in Louis Armstrong Park. There’s also an arts market. Admission is free. jazzandheritage.org.
disney on i
Skating extravaganza “Magic in the St will feature Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog” zipping across the frozen stage with lots of other princesses at the University of New Orleans’ Lakefront Arena. 7 Thursday and Friday, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and noon and 4 p.m. Sunday Tickets start at $20. disneyonice.com.
ABOUT LAGNIAPPE
festa italiana
With a variety of dishes plus music by Lena Prima, Vanessa Racci, the Bucktown Allstars and more, fun is on the menu at Kenner’s Rivertown at the Mississippi River. The event starts at 5 p.m. Friday and continues at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. kenneritalianfest.com.
GET LISTED IN LAGNIAPPE
The Lagniappe section is published each Thursday by The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. All inquiries about Lagniappe should be directed to the editor.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Victor Andrews, Will Coviello, Ian McNulty, Keith Spera
Submit events to Lagniappe at least two weeks in advance by sending an email to events@theadvocate.com.
ON THE COVER
This year’s New Orleans Book Festival, this weekend at Tulane University, will host author interviews, panel discussions, booksigning sessions and more. Story by Will Coviello on Page 6.
STAFF FILE PHOTO
Paella NOLA is among vendors set for Saturday’s Freret Street Festival in New Orleans.
art art art
Blooms in portrait point to Marie Antoinette’s role in monarchy
ART BEAT
In this series, Lagniappe presents works from the collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art, with commentary from a curator.
ART IN BLOOM
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday through Sunday New Orleans Museum of Art
BY MEL BUCHANAN Contributing writer
One of the best-known works of art at the New Orleans Museum of Art is a regal painting of Marie Antoinette. Painted in 1788 as the calls for revolution grew loud, artist Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s monumental portrait presents her friend sympathetically, with details meant to both elevate the monarchy and humanize the deeply controversial queen of France.
Artists have often included floral bouquets in portraits of women to symbolize femininity and fertility In this painting, Vigée Le Brun positions a flower vase prominently next to the French crown, which sits on a pillow embroidered with Louis XVI’s House of Bourbon fleur-de-lis symbol. The combination of crown, dynastic symbolism and the lush flowers are a reminder of the queen’s role to deliver an heir to the French monarchy. The artist lavishes attention on the flower
a spray of flowers on the table, perhaps suggesting that we’ve just intruded on the queen herself arranging the vase.
These strewn purple flowers appear to be Lunaria Annua (common name, Annual Honesty), a plant native to Austria, like Antoinette, who was born an archduchess of Austria in 1755. The flowering plant is known for the translucent silver-dollar-sized seed pods it produces called “money plants” or, in French, “Monnaie du pape” (Pope’s money), another fitting reference in this monumental portrait. Visit NOMA this weekend for Art in Bloom to be inspired by symbolic flowers in paintings like the portrait of Marie Antoinette, or see flowers in spectacular arrangements created by garden clubs, floral designers and creative talents from New Orleans and beyond.
bouquet giving accurate details to the pale pink peonies, red carnations and a lavender hyacinth. Antoinette’s hand gestures toward
PT-305,our fullyrestored patrol torpedoboat, and STEM gallery
Special Exhibit Fighting forthe RighttoFight: AfricanAmerican Experiences in WWII
Mel Buchanan is RosaMary curator of decorative arts and design at the New Orleans Museum of Art.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s monumental portrait of her friend Marie Antoinette, the queen of France
stages stages stages On h
‘Billy Elliot’ leaps i
The story of a young boy from a coal mining village in north England leapt onto the screen in 2000
By 2008, “Billy Elliot,” a boy who is torn between his love (and talent) for dance and his family’s deterioration, had made the jump to the Broadway stage.
With music by Sir Elton John, a special featured performing is set for the title role at Jefferson Performing Arts Center.
Directed by Kenneth Beck, the show is at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 6 at the 6400 Airline Drive theater
The challenging role of the Billy will be in the hands (feet?) of Charlie Stover, a 15-year-old musical theater veteran, having appeared in a global tour of “The Sound of Music” and in such films as “Riddle of Fire” and the to-be-released “This Bloody Country.” He recently was the lead in a new musical “It’s All Your Fault Tyler Price” in Los Angeles.
Set against the backdrop of miners’ strikes in the 1980s, the show looks at coming-of-age, gender roles and class struggles. And then, there’s dance.
Taking the role of the dance instructor is Leslie Castay, with Louis Dudoussat as Billy’s father, Parker Portera-Dufrene as his best friend Michael, Meredith Long as his grandmother and Eleanor Zafirau as the dance teacher’s daughter, who has a crush on Billy
Jefferson Performing Arts
Additional cast includes Long Breaux, Greg Coheley, Candice Moses, Ken Goode, Jordan Paulin and Brenden Borne Ensemble and ballet players include Wayne Gonsoulin, Gabriel Bello, Ryan Kelly Moore, Andrew Butler, Matthew Butler, Adriel Aviles, Danny Rubio, Herb Spurlock, Ti Zampino, Katie Kitchen, Shelby Wynne, Emily Jones, Virginia Borne, Jessica Clayton, Andrew Letellier, Anna LaNasa, Everly Materne, Olivia Yi, Basil Stanley, Sylvia Revon, Juliet Moeller, Anna Grace DePaula, Jane Sale, Merah Benoit, Kinley Brahney, Meadow Waltemyer, Mya Brown, Juliette Kogos and Sylvia Revon.
Tickets start at $30. Visit jpas.org.
Onstage at Crescent City
Professional acting company Crescent City Stage is set to perform a trio of shows, including a familiar holiday hit.
Starting the season will be a regional premiere of “Tiny Beautiful Things,” adapted by Nia Vardalos (”My Big, Fat Greek Wedding”) with Michael A. Newcomer, the execu-
tive director, taking the helm. The show is based on Cheryl Strayed’s book of advice columns “Dear Sugar.”
A feminine twist on Sherlock Holmes arrives in August when the company produces the comedy “Ms. Homes and Ms. Watson — Apt. 2B.” Returning just in time for holidays is the popular five-person adaptation of ”A Christmas Carol.” The
PROVIDED PHOTO By CRAIG MULCAHy Michael Newcomer is Ebenezer
Scrooge in Crescent City Stage’s ‘A Christmas Carol.’
Victor Andrews
stages stages stages
Charles Dickens classic gets a robust treatment with tech, clever staging and even some puppetry with panache. The show will run in December
Tickets and information at crescentcitystage.com.
Tennessee in a ‘fishbowl’
“Moise and the World of Reason,” a Tennessee Williams novel considered ahead of its time, gets worked over in a developmental process during the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival.
Justin Maxwell, with director Augustin J. Correro, will work with actors to examine the story of a Black gay figure skater, a young runaway writer from Alabama and an artist who has commitment issues, crafting the show to make the script faithful yet enticing for audiences.
The open session will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres St. Tickets start at $15. tennesseewilliams.net.
Onstage
“EVERY BRILLIANT THING”: 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and Monday as well as April 4-5; and 3:30 p.m. Sundays through April 6; Big Couch New Orleans, 1045 Desire St. The NOLA Project’s one-man play about depression based on truth and fiction that provides insight into coping featuring Alex Martinez Wallace. Tickets start at $20.
nolaproject.com.
“I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE”: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Cutting Edge Center for the Arts, 767 Robert Blvd., Slidell. Penned by locals Sara Pagones, Dawn Matascuso and Brian Fontenot, the show is a tale of love, friendship and living in the moment through tunes from the 1970s-’90s. Tickets start at $30. cuttingedgetheater.com.
“JERSEY BOYS: THE STORY OF FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS”: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, plus a 2 p.m. matinee March 29, through April 6; Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, 616 St. Peter St Packed with tunes, the show is a history lesson about the group that started singing on street corners and became a global sensation. Tickets start at $22. lepetittheatre.com.
“ONCE UPON A MATTRESS”: 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, 2 p.m Sunday; Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts, 325 Minor St., Kenner The musical comedy version of Andersen’s princess and the pea story has an evil queen trying to keep her son from marrying a
rough-around-the-edges princess. Tickets start at $41. rivertowntheaters.com.
“ORPHEUS DESCENDING”: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays through April 24; Marquette Theater, Loyola University, 6363 St. Charles Ave. The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company examines of the Greek tragedy of Orpheus, who descended into the underworld to retrieve his new wife, only to lose her permanently It coincides with the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. Tickets start at $25. twtheatrenola.com.
“THEY PROMISED HER THE MOON”: 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; Playmakers Theater of Covington, 19106 Playmakers Road. Based on the story of one of the female Mercury 13 program pilots, it covers Jerrie Cobb’s life from learning to fly as a child to testifying before Congress and her skills as a pilot. Tickets start at $20. bontempstix.com.
Email Victor Andrews at vandrews@ theadvocate.com.
TOCOVER COVER events events events
From chefs and comedians to journalists and political strategists,
New Orleans Book Fest at Tulane is bursting at the seams COVER COVER
BY WILL COVIELLO Gambit Weekly
With more than 200 authors, the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University covers a lot of ground, and this year’s lineup is heavy on newsmakers and journalists. There are author interviews, panel discussions, book-signing sessions and more Thursday through Saturday at the center of the Uptown campus.
Among the recent newsmakers at the fest is Dr Anthony Fauci, who ran the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly four decades He oversaw the government’s response to the HIV/ AIDS crisis in the 1980s and was thrust
into the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic. His book, “On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service,” became a bestseller when it was released last year. He will be interviewed by Walter Isaacson at 10 a.m. Friday at McAlister Auditorium. Opening the book festival is a panel discussion on the future of American democracy featuring several writers from The Atlantic and Bryan Stevenson, founder and director of the Equal Justice Initiative. Stevenson has argued numerous cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and championed efforts to fight inequality, injustice and discrimination. From The Atlantic, there is editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, staff writer and Pulitzer Prizewinning historian Anne Applebaum, Adam Serwer, author of “The Cruelty is the Point,” and more. The event is at 5 p.m. Thursday in McAllister Auditorium.
STAFF FILE PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER
ABOVE: Walter Isaacson, left, interviews Microsoft founder Bill Gates at the 2023 New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University TOP: A crowd gathers to enjoy the festival.
12:00 Moderated by: BETSY FISCHER MARTIN
H. PETRAEUS Moderated by: MAX BOOT
1:00
Bridging the Divide: A Bipartisan Discussion on America’s Future
DAVID AXELROD + KARL ROVE
Moderated by: ELAINA PLOTT CALABRO
2:00 2:30
The Code Breaker: A Conversation with JENNIFER DOUDNA Moderated by: WALTER ISAACSON
Shaking it Up: AI, Social Media, Legacy Media and the “new” News KEN AULETTA, 2:30
3:00 MOLLY JONG-FAST + NATE SILVER
Moderated by: ANDY LACK
4:00 5:00 The Small and the Mighty: Conversation with SHARON MCMAHON
Moderated by: ANNETTE GORDON-REED
Who is Government? W. KAMAU BELL, CASEY CEP, MICHAEL LEWIS +
SARAH VOWELL
Literature’s Role in Shaping Culture and Connection
SARAH M. BROOM + TRACY K. SMITH
Moderated by: VANN R. NEWKIRK II
I Once Was Lost: A Conversation with DON LEMON Moderated by: DEAN BAQUET
Fiction, Family + Hard Truths
CRYSTAL HANA KIM, RACHEL KHONG + MADELEINE WATTS
Moderated by: KATY SIMPSON SMITH
Moderated by: DAVID SHIPLEY New Orleans History and Geography A Conversation with RICHARD CAMPANELLA + LAWRENCE POWELL
Faith, Science and Ethics: DR. FRANCIS COLLINS on the Big Questions
Moderated by: DON LEMON
The Stories Behind New Orleans’ Greatest Kitchens
MARCELLE BIENVENU, ERIC COOK, E.J. LAGASSE + DONALD LINK
Moderated by: EDGAR “DOOK” CHASE, IV
African Cuisine’s Influence and Evolution
BIRUK ALEMAYEHU, SERIGNE MBAYE + ALEXANDER SMALLS
Moderated by: MICHELLE MILLER
New Orleans, New Flavors: Cultural Fusions on the Plate NINA COMPTON + NINI NGUYEN
Moderated by: KEVIN BELTON
Reshaping Communities Through the Arts
OSKAR EUSTIS + DARREN WALKER
Moderated by: KATE LEVIN
Katrina 20: The Stories We Tell, The Truths We Hold JARVIS DEBERRY, JEFF DUNCAN + CHERYL GERBER
Moderated by: LUCY BUSTAMANTE
Sky Full of Elephants: A Conversation with Debut Novelist CEBO CAMPBELL Moderated by: DANIEL BLACK
Superdome at 50: JEFF DUNCAN, DENNIS LAUSCHA + DOUG THORNTON
Moderated by: MARK ROMIG
Introduction by: GAYLE BENSON
Power and Purpose: DARREN WALKER on Philanthropy and Social Justice
Moderated by: DEAN BAQUET
Black in Blues: A Conversation with IMANI PERRY
Moderated by: SARAH LEWIS
Lead and Succeed: A Conversation with SCOTT COWEN
Moderated by: YVETTE JONES
+ CRISTINA RIVERA GARZA
Moderated by: RIEN FERTEL
Writing the Apocalypse and After MARTHA PARK, JOSELYN TAKACS + MADELEINE WATTS
Moderated by: NATHANIEL RICH
Dirty Nerdy: A Conversation with Comedy Writer and Comedian JESSI KLEIN
Moderated by: MIKE SACKS
Foreign Agents: How Money Moves Power CASEY MICHEL
Moderated by: JASON BERRY
Sharing Space: An Astronaut’s Guide to Mission, Wonder and Making Change CADY COLEMAN
Moderated by: SARAH GELMAN
The Pursuit of Meaning: Balancing Achievement, Purpose and the Power of the Mind ADAM SANDEL Moderated by: ARTHEL NEVILLE
Memoir and the Journey of Reflection
SARAH LABRIE, BERNICE MCFADDEN + CRISTINA RIVERA GARZA
Moderated by: KATHRYN SCHULZ
Remembering John Lewis: A Conversation with EDDIE S. GLAUDE JR. + DAVID GREENBERG
Centers of Progress: 40 Cities that Changed the World ALLAN CAREY + CHELSEA FOLLETT
From ‘Sugar’ to ‘Firstborn Girls’: An Essence Book Project Interview with BERNICE MCFADDEN
Moderated by: JACINTA SAFFOLD
Singing the Truth: Fiction, Identity and Community in Isaac’s Song
DANIEL BLACK
Moderated by: COREY J. MILES
A True Story of Dynamite, Terror and the Rise of the Modern Detective STEVEN JOHNSON
Moderated by: RICH COHEN
The Last Flight from Havana: MARIE QUINTANA Moderated by: LUCY BUSTAMANTE
From Idea to Bestseller and Beyond PRISCILLA PAINTON, MATTHEW SNYDER + BINKY URBAN
Moderated by: DWIGHT GARNER
Fiction Set in Louisiana
JOSELYN TAKACS + DAVID WEILL, MD
Moderated by: MICHAEL STRECKER
Be Not Alarmed, Madam: The Letters of Pride and Prejudice
Moderated by: MERRY
The New York Times is well represented at the festival New Orleans native and former Times editor-in-chief Dean Baquet will be interviewed by former CNN anchor Don Lemon at 1 p.m. Friday. Baquet will also speak on a panel about artificial intelligence, social media and traditional media, along with data analyst Nate Silver, author Ken Auletta and journalist Molly Jong-Fast. The panel is at 2:30 p.m. Fri-
day. New York Times columnists at the fest include Louisiana native Charles Blow and Maureen Dowd. Other renowned journalists include Bob Woodward, author of more than 20 books on politics. Washington Post columnist and Ronald Reagan biographer Max
Boot also is at the festival. A couple of political strategists from opposite sides of the political spectrum share their views. David Axelrod, adviser to President Barack Obama and a commentator, and Karl Rove, adviser to President George W. Bush and a commentator, join each other onstage at 1 p.m. Friday at McAlister. Comedian and author W. Kamau Bell will attend the festival, and he’s on a
couple of panels, including one with New Orleans native Michael Lewis, author of numerous books including “The Blind Side,” “The Big Short” and more. Bell is contributing a chapter to a project Lewis is editing, “Who Is Government?” Other contributors on the panel include Sarah Vowell and David Shipley, who created the concept
ä See BOOK FEST, page 8
BARBARA HELLER
TOUPS
Dowd
events events events
12:00 Moderated by: BETSY FISCHER MARTIN
1:00 An Unfinished Love Story
DORIS KEARNS
GOODWIN
Moderated by: WALTER ISAACSON
Moderated by: LILY COLE
Notorious: Portraits of Stars from Hollywood, Culture, Fashion and Tech
MAUREEN DOWD
Moderated by: KEN AULETTA
The Power of Perception: Race, Class and the American Narrative
W. KAMAU BELL, CHARLES
M. BLOW + SARAH LEWIS
Moderated by: MITCH LANDRIEU
The Radical Legacies of Freedom Fighters
My Black Country: Country Music’s Black Past, Present and Future ALICE RANDALL
Moderated by: MELISSA A. WEBER
Work, Power and Purpose: Women Changing the Leadership Playbook ALISON FRAGALE + SAMHITA MUKHOPADHYAY
Moderated by: SARAH JAFFE
Moderated
The Intelligence Revolution: How AI and Big Data are Changing the World STEVEN JOHNSON + NICHOLAS MATTEI
Moderated by: ROBIN FORMAN
So You Want to Get Your Comedy Published EMMAALLEN,CHRISTOPHER MONKS,LAURENMOSER+ BETHNEWELL
Moderated by: MIKESACKS
First Draft to Hardcover: The Life Cycle of a Book ‘PEMI AGUDA, KATHERINE FAUSSET, CRYSTAL HANA KIM + RENÉE ZUCKERBROT
Moderated by: KATE BALDWIN
P.6 Curating the Catalogue KEITH CALHOUN, DENISE FRAZIER + CHANDRA MCCORMICK
Moderated by: KARA OLDIGE
20 Years Later: Post-Katrina Music in New Orleans CHRIS THOMAS KING + DR. MICHAEL WHITE
Moderated by: JASON BERRY
Together: The Power of Human Connection A Conversation with DR. VIVEK MURTHY
Moderated by MICHAEL A. FITTS
Whodunnit: True Crime and Crime Fiction
DANIELLE ARCENEAUX, RICH COHEN + GARY PHILLIPS
Moderated by: ETHAN BROWN
Birding to Change the World TRISH O’KANE
Moderated by: RIEN FERTEL
Painting the Town: The Importance of Color in Historic New Orleans Architecture
DANIELLE DEL SOL, CHRIS GRANGER + JOHN POPE
Moderated by: SUSAN LANGENHENNIG
The Complex Terrain of Contemporary African Art AMANDA MAPLES, TUMELO MOSAKA + ERIKA WITT
Moderated by: MAURITA N. POOLE 2:00 2:30
From Bestseller to Blockbusters: A Conversation with 2:30 Happily Ever After? Love and Romance in Fiction ALISON ESPACH +
3:00 JOHN GRISHAM + MICHAEL LEWIS
Moderated by: MICHAEL LYNTON
4:00 5:00 Democracy and its Discontents:
A Look at Why America Has Become Polarized DORISKEARNSGOODWIN +MICHAELSANDEL
CASEY MCQUISTON
Moderated by: ALICE RANDALL
EDDA FIELDS-BLACK, DAVID GREENBERG + TAMARA PAYNE
Moderated by: EDDIE S. GLAUDE JR.
Unlearning to Learn: SAFIYA SINCLAIR + TARA WESTOVER on Self-Discovery
Moderated by: MOLLY JONG-FAST
Moderated by: WALTER ISAACSON On The Edge: The Art of Risking Everything NATE SILVER
Moderated by: RAJIV SHAH
BOOK FEST
Continued from page 7
for the book. The panel is at 2:30 p.m. Friday in Dixon Hall.
There are many sessions on cultural topics.
Chef Nini Nguyen, who released a Vietnamese food cookbook last year, will sit on a panel with
Navigating the NIL Era: Opportunities and Challenges in College Sports
OLIVER LUCK + JON SUMRALL
Moderated by: GABE FELDMAN
Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens RAJIV SHAH
Moderated by: MITCH LANDRIEU
A Deep Dive into America’s Political Landscape JONATHAN ALTER, JONATHAN MARTIN + TIM MILLER
Moderated by: STEPHANIE GRACE
The Case for New Orleans as America’s Sandwich Capital TARA FRANCOLINI, NINI NGUYEN, DAN STEIN + JULIE VAUCRESSON
Finding my Voice: A Conversation with VALERIE JARRETT
Moderated by: JAMES BENNET
Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution CAT BOHANNON
Moderated by: ANNELIESE SINGH
Nina Compton, who is releasing her cookbook, “Kweyol / Creole.”
A panel on humor at 1 p.m. Saturday includes Laura Moser, of The Onion; Emma Allen, cartoon editor of The New Yorker; and Christopher Monks, of McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, at the Goldring/Woldenberg Business Complex. Local novelists include Sarah Broom, Nathaniel Rich and Katy Simpson Smith. There also is music at the festival, and Deacon
United for Books: Defending the Right to Read MEGAN HOLT + AMANDA JONES
Moderated by: LINDSAY CRONK
The Science of Personal Power: How to Build Confidence, Create Success and Obtain Freedom CHRIS LIPP
Moderated by: MICHELLE JOHNSTON
Move Fast, Break Government? The Risks of Silicon Valley Thinking in Public Policy KIM SCOTT
Moderated by: ROB LALKA
John performs at the closing event at 4:45 p.m. Saturday at the tent on the Berger Lawn. The festival is free. There is a bookshop in the festival tent, and autograph sessions are scheduled there. Many authors sign books immediately following their speaking sessions. Visit bookfest.tulane.edu for information.
Email Will Coviello at wcoviello@ gambitweekly.com.
food food food
POOR MAN’S
PAULÉE
WHAT: About 200 visiting international wine makers will be pouring some 50 wines during a dinner benefiting the Audubon Foundation
WHERE: Audubon Zoo, 6500 Magazine St. | WHEN: 4:30 p.m.April 14 | TICKETS: $120 at nolawinemerchant.com
Wine and dine in the swamp
Good wine can create memories, despite the obvious pitfalls leading to the opposite. Perhaps it’s of the places where the wine was made, the company with which it was enjoyed and maybe even the people who produced it.
Soon, a roving wine event will visit New Orleans led by a woman who has been making those connections, and bringing along a whole lot of the people who make such wines.
In the bleak days of the pandemic, one bright spot was a weekly wine and cheese party created by Commander’s Palace, with sommelier Dan Davis hosting live from the wine cellar via Zoom and staff delivering cheeses and a selection of wines to homes around the city for people to sample (all right, maybe guzzle).
They even sometimes brought on the winemakers or label founders to join virtually This was my introduction to Mary Taylor, and wine label that bears her name.
s an importer s built a brand decoding some the complexiof European wine designations, accessible for haven’t stud-
come to trust at-a-glance recomMary Taylor opened the from the Old representaat accessible prices (usually under $20 on
PROVIDED PHOTO
Wines from importer Mary Taylor
Wines always lead with the place name of the wine on the label.
the retail shelf). She works with precisely the small growers who stand to lose out under the latest tariff threat against European wine floated by the Trump administration.
It turns out Taylor splits her time in New Orleans, and she’s bringing a wine event here that’s shaping up to be different, combining facets of a self-guided wine tasting, a wine dinner and a meet-the-makers showcase, all in a setting of swamps, gators and cypress here in the city.
The Poor Man’s Paulée is April 14 at the Audubon Zoo’s Louisiana’s Swamp Exhibit and its Ca-
The Audubon Zoo’s Louisiana Swamp Exhibit has decks leading over the habitat to the Cajun Ballroom event venue.
PROVIDED PHOTO By THE AUDUBON NATURE INSTITUTE
jun Ballroom, which opens to the zoo’s swamp habitat.
It takes its name from the French tradition of la paulée, essentially a harvest feast with ancient roots. The idea has morphed into modern day wine festivals and events held in different cities, usually with a high cost of entry. Taylor is riffing on this idea for her own road show, holding events around the U.S. to introduce the growers she represents to wine lovers in her markets. As the name suggests, it’s a much more casual, affordable event, especially for the punch it’s packing.
The Poor Man’s Paulée in New Orleans will see about two-dozen winemakers from France, Spain, Italy and Portugal visiting to meet wine lovers and pour some 50 different wines. The event starts with a walk-round tasting, then a dinner of dishes like crab salad, crawfish bisque and brisket prepared by chefs Susan Spicer and Allison Birdsall of Rosedale and Jenny Breen of the Joint.
Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@ theadvocate.com.
Wednesday at the Square concerts in full swing
Staff report
The Wednesday at the Square free concert series has returned with a lineup of local favorites complemented by food and drink in New Orleans’ Lafayette Square.
Sponsored by the Young Leadership Council, the free music events raise money to support the group’s community events. The YLC offers leadership development, networking events and service opportunities for young professionals in New Orleans.
Upcoming performers are:
n Wednesday: The People Museum, Kristin Diable
n April 9: The Deslondes, Dusky Waters
n April 16: The Soul Rebels, Motel Radio
n April 23: George Porter and Runnin’ Pardners, Mia Borders
n April 30: Eric Lindell, Sunpie & Friends
n May 7: Jourdan Thibodeaux et les Rôdailleurs Band, Bon Bon Vivant
All concerts begin at 5 p.m.
FILE PHOTO By TED JACKSON Kristin Diable along with The People Museum will perform Wednesday at Lafayette Square in New Orleans.
Ian McNulty
music music music
JOSH JOHNSON
SUNDAY,
JOY THEATER
Hailing from Alexandria, Josh Johnson is a fast-rising, if not necessarily fast-talking, star on the stand-up comedy circuit. He was a writer on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” which led to on-air appearances. He followed a similar progression on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” moving from writer to on-air correspondent. He toured with Trevor Noah and has hosted a couple of comedy specials. He’s further built his audience by frequently releasing new
routines and riffs from open mic appearances onto his YouTube channel. Unlike the more manic and energized approach of, say, Kevin Hart, Johnson’s style is decidedly more low-key and subtle as he dissects current events with evenkeeled observations. In a coincidence of booking, Johnson is playing three shows Sunday — at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. — at the Joy Theater as part of “The Flowers Tour” while Hart is doing two shows, at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., across Canal Street at the Saenger Johnson added the 1 p.m. show after his two later shows sold out; it, too, may be filled to capacity.
OTHER NOTEWORTHY SHOWS
Keith Spera SOUND CHECK
Entertainment options in New Orleans this week include a gospel group’s anniversary, a famed Led Zeppelin tribute band and a couple of competing comedians across Canal Street from one another.
ZION HARMONIZERS 86TH ANNIVERSARY
SUNDAY,
LITTLE ZION BAPTIST CHURCH
The Zion Harmonizers first raised their collective voices in 1939 as New Zion before changing their name. For decades, the Harmonizers were led by Sherman Washington, a pillar of the New Orleans gospel community who hosted a WYLD gospel morning show and produced the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s Gospel Tent After Washington died in 2011, longtime member Brazella Briscoe assumed the leadership role. Briscoe has kept the Harmonizers harmonizing, as evidenced on the group’s excellent 2014 CD “Bringing In the Sheaves.”
THURSDAY
On Sunday from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Zion Harmonizers celebrate the group’s 86th anniversary with a free event at Little Zion Baptist Church, 3231 Audubon St. Groups slated to perform include New Voices of Light, Taken, Voices of Distinction, Covington’s Mighty Supremes, Boutte’s Inspirations, the Melody Clouds, Henry Jones, Cordell Chambliss, David Batiste, Ernie Vincent, Dr. Hezekiah Brinson and the Rocks of Harmony. Additionally, Irma Thomas and former WWL news anchor and current WBOK gospel program host Sally-Ann Roberts are scheduled to make special appearances.
Email Keith Spera at kspera@theadvocate.com.
Southern rock band Blackberry Smoke brings its Rattle, Ramble & Roll Tour to the Fillmore with opening act Zach Person. Tickets start at $53.
New Orleans pianist and composer Courtney Bryan synthesizes jazz, classical, gospel and experimental music for shows at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Chickie Wah Wah ($35).
Horace Trahan & Ossun Express are featured for the weekly Zydeco Night at Rock ’N’ Bowl ($15).
Singer Anais St. John presents “Simply the Best: the Tina Turner Story” at Chickie Wah Wah with a supporting cast that includes Daniel Meinecke, Brian Quezergue, Doug Belote, Danny Abel, Roderick Paulin, Debbie Davis and Romy Kaye. Show time is 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. Catch the Stooges Brass Band with Pocket Chocolate at Tipitina’s ($12).
FRIDAY
Saxophonist Charlie Gabriel, at 92 the city’s oldest active jazz musician, teams up with pianist Larry Sieberth at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Snug Harbor ($40).
The Honey Island Swamp Band exists somewhere in the noman’s-land between the Allman Brothers and the Radiators. Catch the band and blues-based guitarist Eric Johanson on Friday at Tipitina’s ($16). Gabriel
Josh Johnson
Zion Harmonizers
music music music
FRIDAY (continued)
Singer-songwriters Grayson Capps and Sarah Lee Guthrie team up at Chickie Wah Wah ($20).
Blues-based guitarist Marc Stone plugs in at the Maple Leaf Bar around 10 p.m ($15 advance, $20 door).
Enjoy a night of Motown favorites at Rock ’N’ Bowl courtesy of BRW ($10).
Joslyn & the Sweet Compression intermingle soul, R&B and funk at the Broadside ($15).
Led Zeppelin tribute band Get the Led Out, which for the past 20 years has toured extensively recreating the studio versions of Zeppelin songs onstage, hits the Fillmore; tickets start at $41.
Explosions In the Sky brings “The End Tour” to the Joy Theater; Early Day Miners opens the show Tickets are $35 plus fees.
SATURDAY
Born in Azerbaijan, pianist and composer Amina Figarova eventually landed at the Berklee College of Music. She’s since amassed an acclaimed catalog of recordings and collaborations across the modern jazz genre. At Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., she’ll be joined by her husband, Bart Platteau, on flute and a New Orleans all-star jazz band consisting of guitarist Steve Masakowski, his son Martin Masakowski on bass and Ricky Sebastian on drums ($35).
Gov’t Majik, the self-proclaimed “Dirty South AfroBeat Arkestra,” brings its take on Afro-beat and funk to the Maple Leaf at 11 p.m. ($20 advance, $25 door)
Few Blue rocks Rock ’N’ Bowl ($10).
Chinese-American stand-up comedian and TikTok
star Jiaoying Summers does two shows at the Joy Theater, one at 7 p.m. and the other at 9:30 p.m. The shows, which are general admission seating, will be filmed. Tickets start at $29.
SUNDAY
Comedian Kevin Hart’s “Acting My Age Tour” stops at the Saenger Theatre for shows at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tickets start at $99 plus fees.
Cuban-born, New Orleans-based pianist Victor Campbell anchors a trio at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($30).
Skegss and Twen swing through New Orleans to hit Chickie Wah Wah ($24).
TUESDAY
Former Queensryche singer Geoff Tate brings his “Operation Mindcrime: The Final Chapter” show to the House of Blues, with Fire and Water opening. Tickets start at $30.
Guitarist and singer Javier Gutierrez & VIVAZ headline Latin Night at Rock ’N’ Bowl ($10).
Hart
Grayson Capps
PRESENTINGSPONSOR
BOUQUET
TIMBER AND PEGGYFLOYD
EUGENIE AND JOSEPH JONES FAMILYFOUNDATION
IRIS
LYNNE AND RICK McMILLAN
MIGGYAND JAYMONROE
MEDIA SPONSOR
PATRON AND PREVIEWPARTY
WEDNESDAY,MARCH 26
PATRON PARTY 6pm | PREVIEWPARTY 7–9pm
WEDNESDAY,MARCH 26 —SUNDAY,MARCH 30
Floral displayswill be on view to thepublic 10 am –5pm
This five-dayannual eventshowcases interpretive, creative, and breathtaking floral designs by local and regional artists,gardenclubs,florists,designers,and professional landscapers. This year’s theme, LesJardins de la Nouvelle-Orléans willcelebrate the gardens of NewOrleans in all of their splendor and beauty.
ARTINBLOOM CHAIRS
CharlotteMeade and KeithPorteous Meade
NOMA VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE CHAIR
Taylor Pospisil
GARDEN STUDYCLUBOFNEW ORLEANS PRESIDENT Courtney Le Clercq
