dered Chevron to pay $745 million in damages on Friday to restore an area of Louisiana coastal wetlands, a landmark verdict likely to have wider implications on dozens of other similar lawsuits.
The case was the first to go to trial among 41 parish lawsuits against oil companies seeking to hold them accountable for coastal damage The verdict may influence how other cases proceed as Louisiana struggles to find badly needed money to address its accelerating land loss crisis in the years ahead.
While coastal advocates welcomed the verdict as fair and a boost for wetlands restoration, oil and other business groups in Louisiana harshly condemned it, arguing it will harm the state’s economy in the long run. The total cost could be more than $1 billion once interest is calculated Gov Jeff Landry’s administration has been largely supportive of the oil and gas industry, but it intervened in the case on Plaquemines’ behalf opposing Chevron Landry’s spokesperson referred questions to Attorney General Liz Murrill, who called the verdict “fair” and thanked jurors for their work.
Markets plunge for second day
and
pull more than 20% below its record set in December So far there have been few, if any, winners in financial markets from the trade war Stocks for all but 14 of the 500 companies within the S&P 500 index fell Friday The price of crude oil tumbled
ä See MARKETS, page 4A
La. shrimpers praise tariff
BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer
The verdict was the culmination of a monthlong trial that played out at a courthouse in Pointe a la Hache. It pitted the Plaquemines Parish government, represented by lead attorney John Carmouche, of Baton Rouge-based law firm Talbot, Carmouche & Marcello, against oil giant Chevron, which was represented by a team of lawyers led by Mike Phillips. The lawsuit had been initially filed in 2013. “I think this was a great win for our community,” said Phil Cossich, an attorney on the team that represented Plaquemines Parish. “It’s been a long time coming. This could be a great step in saving our coast.” Chevron plans to appeal “to address the numerous legal errors that led to this unjust result,” Phillips,
ä See JURY, page 7A
After struggling to compete with imports, advocates optimistic ä See SHRIMPERS, page 4A
After decades of plunging prices and a dwindling workforce, Louisiana shrimpers are cheering President Donald Trump’s tariffs on countries supplying the U.S. with almost all of its shrimp. The coastal industry has for years struggled to compete against cheap foreign imports and a pattern of fraudulent mislabeling at seafood restaurants. But shrimpers and advocates feel renewed optimism in Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs announced Wednesday The shrimp industry’s reaction was one of the
Edwards reaches tax revenue agreement with St. George
Deal must be approved by council
BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER
Staff writer
East Baton Rouge Mayor-Presi-
dent Sid Edwards has reached an agreement — which must still go before the Metro Council — with the new city of St. George on how to share tax revenue.
Edwards’ proposed intergovernmental agreement, made public Friday, would disburse sales tax revenue collected in St. George’s boundary since April 2024 and end a long back-and-forth of tense negotiations between the two governments.
But it leaves unresolved the issue of whether Baton Rouge owes St. George $100 million in taxes reaching back to 2019, when voters approved creating the city.
Last year, that issue caused talks between then-Baton Rouge MayorPresident Sharon Weston Broome and St. George leaders to crumble. St George Mayor Dustin Yates and City Councilman-elect Andrew Murrell have consistently maintained that their
city was incorporated in 2019 a position that, if acknowledged in the agreement, could require East Baton Rouge Parish to pay
St. George an estimated $100 million in sales tax collected from that year to 2024, Broome’s administration maintained.
Since then, Edwards who defeated Broome last December and took office as East Baton Rouge Parish’s mayor-president this year — resumed negotiations. His pro-
posal avoids specifying an incorporation date — a move that would leave the door open for St. George to pursue that revenue through legal action.
Edwards’ proposal instead addresses tax revenue collected since April 2024 as well as the transfer of services provided to St. George by the city-parish. “This Agreement is not intended
ä See EDWARDS, page 7A
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Shrimper Acy Cooper said the industry
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Attorney John H. Carmouche, front row second from right, and his team pose at the Plaquemines Parish Courthouse on Friday
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MARK SCHLEIFSTEIN
Oilfield and navigation canals cut through wetlands on the the west bank of Plaquemines Parish
BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS
Officials say Russian strike in Ukraine kills 14 KYIV Ukraine A Russian ballistic missile strike Friday on a central Ukrainian city killed at least 14 people, including six children, Ukrainian officials said, as U.S. and European leaders pressed Russia to accept a ceasefire in the conflict.
At least 50 people were wounded in the strike on Kryvyi Rih — the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — in what the region’s leader Serhii Lysak described as an “assault against civilians.”
“The missile struck an area right next to residential buildings — hitting a playground and ordinary streets,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
Local authorities said the strike damaged about 20 apartment buildings, more than 30 vehicles, an educational building and a restaurant They said emergency responders were at the scene and psychologists were helping survivors Zelenskyy blamed the daily strikes on Russia’s unwillingness to end the war: “Every missile, every drone strike proves Russia wants only war.” He urged Ukraine’s allies to increase pressure on Moscow and bolster Ukraine’s air defenses.
Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for a full and immediate 30-day halt in the fighting, and the U.K. and French foreign ministers on Friday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in ceasefire talks to halt Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine.
“Our judgment is that Putin continues to obfuscate, continues to drag his feet,”
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy told reporters at NATO headquarters, standing alongside French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot in a symbolic show of unity
Measles cases so far this year double 2024
The U.S. now has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024, with Texas reporting another large jump in cases and hospitalizations on Friday Other states with active outbreaks — defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico, Kansas, Ohio and Oklahoma The virus has been spreading in undervaccinated communities and since February, two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes
The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts’ fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread could stretch on for a year The World Health Organization said last week that cases in Mexico are linked to the Texas outbreak.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.
Judge moves legal case of Tufts student to Vt.
BOSTON A federal judge in Boston on Friday moved the case of a detained Tufts University doctoral student to Vermont, where the Turkish national was briefly held before being moved to an immigration detention facility in Louisiana Rumeysa Ozturk 30, was taken by immigration officials as she walked along a street in the Boston suburb of Somerville on March 25. After being taken to New Hampshire and then Vermont, she was put on a plane the next day and moved to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Basile.
Ozturk is among several people with ties to American universities who attended demonstrations or publicly expressed support for Palestinians during the war in Gaza and who recently had visas revoked or been stopped from entering the U.S Her lawyers filed a petition in Massachusetts seeking her release, but Justice Department lawyers argued that Ozturk’s petition was filed in the wrong state and should be dismissed or transferred to Louisiana.
Trump abruptly fires NSA director
BY LOLITA C. BALDOR and LISA MASCARO Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has abruptly fired the director of the National Security Agency, according to U.S. officials and members of Congress, but the White House and the Pentagon have provided no reasons for the move
Senior military leaders were informed Thursday of the firing of Air Force Gen. Tim Haugh, who also oversaw the Pentagon’s Cyber Command, the officials said They received no advance notice about the decision to remove a four-star general with a 33-year career in intelligence and cyber operations, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel decisions.
The move has triggered sharp criticism from members of Congress and demands for an immediate explanation. And it marks the latest dismissal of national security officials by Trump at a time when his Republican administration faces criticism over his failure to take any action against other key
leaders’ use of an unclassified Signal messaging chat that included The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to discuss plans for a military strike. It’s unclear who now is in charge of the NSA and the Cyber Command.
Also fired was Haugh’s civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble.
The NSA notified congressional leadership and top lawmakers of the national security committees of the firing late Wednesday but did not give reasons, according to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss the matter The person said Noble has been reassigned to the office of the defense undersecretary for intelligence.
The White House did not respond to messages seeking comment The NSA referred questions about Haugh to the Defense Department The Pentagon did not respond to questions about why he was fired or provide other details.
Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, would only say, in a statement, that the department thanks Haugh “for his decades of service to our nation, culminating
as U.S. Cyber Command Commander and National Security Agency Director We wish him and his family well.”
Far-right activist and commentator Laura Loomer appeared to take credit Friday in a post on X, saying she raised concerns to Trump about Haugh’s ties to Gen. Mark Milley and the Biden administration and questioned the NSA chief’s loyalty to the president. Milley served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Trump’s first term but has since become an outspoken critic.
“Given the fact that the NSA is arguably the most powerful intel agency in the world, we cannot allow for a Biden nominee to hold that position,” Loomer wrote.
“Thank you President Trump for being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you and thank you for firing these Biden holdovers.”
Loomer, who has claimed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were an “inside job,” had discussed staff loyalty with Trump in an Oval Office meeting Wednesday, according to several people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition
Rains, floods pound South and Midwest
BY GEORGE WALKER IV and BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press
HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. — Torrential rains and flash flooding battered parts of the Midwest and South on Friday, killing a boy in Kentucky who was swept away as he walked to catch his school bus Many communities were left reeling from tornadoes that destroyed entire neighborhoods and killed at least seven people earlier this week.
Round after round of heavy rains have pounded the central U.S. for days, and forecasters warned that it could persist through Saturday Satellite imagery showed thunderstorms lined up like freight trains over communities in Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, according to the national Weather Prediction Center in Maryland.
In Frankfort, Kentucky, a 9-year-old boy died in the morning after floodwaters swept him away while he was walking to a school bus stop, Gov Andy Beshear said on social media. Officials said Gabriel Andrews’ body was found about a half-mile from where he went missing.
The downtown area of Hopkinsville, Kentucky — a city of 31,000 residents 72 miles northwest of Nashville — was submerged. A dozen people were rescued from homes, and dozens of pets were moved away from rising water a fire official said.
“The main arteries through Hopkinsville are probably 2 feet under water,” Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam said earlier
Tony Kirves and some friends used sandbags and a vacuum to try to hold back rising waters that
covered the basement and seeped into the ground floor of his photography business in Hopkinsville.
Downtown was “like a lake,” he said.
“We’re holding ground,” he said. “We’re trying to maintain and keep it out the best we can.”
A corridor from northeast Texas through Arkansas and into southeast Missouri, which has a population of about 2.3 million, could see clusters of severe thunderstorms late Friday The National Weather Service’s Oklahoma-based Storm Prediction Center warned of the potential for intense tornadoes and large hail.
The seven people killed in the initial wave of storms that spawned powerful tornadoes on Wednesday and early Thursday were in Tennessee, Missouri and Indiana.
Tennessee Gov Bill Lee said entire neighborhoods in the hard-hit town of Selmer were “completely wiped out” and it was too early to know whether there were more deaths as searches continued.
Heavy rains were expected to continue in parts of Missouri, Kentucky and elsewhere in the coming days and could produce dangerous flash floods.
The weather service said 45 river locations in multiple states were expected to reach major flood stage, with extensive flooding of structures, roads and other critical infrastructure possible.
In Christian County, which includes Hopkinsville, 6 to 10 inches fell since Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service said Friday afternoon.
The rain caused the Little River to surge over its banks, and 4 to 8 inches centimeters more could
fall by Sunday, it said.
A pet boarding business was under water, forcing rescuers to move dozens of dogs to a local animal shelter, said Gilliam, the county executive. Crews rescued people from four or five vehicles and multiple homes, mostly by boat, said Randy Graham, the emergency management director in Christian County
“This is the worst I’ve ever seen downtown,” Gilliam said.
Hundreds of Kentucky roads were impassable because of floodwaters, downed trees or mud and rock slides, and the number of closures were likely to increase with more rain late Friday and Saturday, Beshear said.
A landslide blocked a nearly 3-mile stretch of Mary Ingles Highway in the state’s north, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. A landslide closed the same section of road in 2019, and it reopened last year, WLWTTV reported. Flash flooding is particularly worrisome in rural Kentucky where water can rush off the mountains into the hollows. Less than four years ago, dozens died in flooding in the eastern part of the state.
Extreme flooding across a corridor that includes Louisville, Kentucky, and Memphis — which have major cargo hubs could also lead to shipping and supply chain delays, said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather Swollen rivers and tributaries also swamped some parts in Ohio, and Gov Mike DeWine said about 70 roads were closed The southern half of the state was expected to see moderate flooding, which has not happened in four years, he added.
of anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel manner A day later, Trump said he fired “some” White House National Security Council officials.
Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding to know why Haugh and Noble were fired.
“Public reporting suggests that your removal of these officials was driven by a fringe social media personality, which represents a deeply troubling breach of the norms that safeguard our national security apparatus from political pressure and conspiracy theories,” Himes, D-Conn., wrote.
Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said Friday that he has “long warned about the dangers of firing military officers as a political loyalty test.”
“In addition to the other military leaders and national security officials Trump has fired, he is sending a chilling message throughout the ranks: don’t give your best military advice, or you may face consequences,” Reed said in a statement.
Israeli strikes kill at least 17 in Gaza
BY WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press
DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Israeli strikes killed more than a dozen people in the Gaza Strip early Friday, as Israel sent more ground troops into the Palestinian territory to ramp up its offensive against Hamas.
At least 17 people, some from the same family, were killed after an airstrike hit the southern city of Khan Younis, according to hospital staff. Hours later, people were still searching through the rubble, looking for survivors.
The attack came a day after Israeli strikes killed at least 100 Palestinians.
Hundreds more have died in the past two weeks, as Israel has intensified operations, intended to pressure Hamas to release remaining hostages it took during its attack on Israel in October 2023. On Friday, Israel said it had begun ground activity in northern Gaza,
in order to expand its security zone. Israel’s military had issued sweeping evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza before expected ground operations. The U.N. humanitarian office said around 280,000 Palestinians have been displaced since Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas last month. In recent days, Israel has vowed to seize large parts of the Palestinian territory and establish a new security corridor across it. To pressure Hamas, Israel has imposed a monthlong blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid that has left civilians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle a tactic that rights groups say is a war crime. Israel said earlier this week that enough food had entered Gaza during a six-week truce to sustain the territory’s roughly 2 million Palestinians for a long time.
A person rides a bike Friday in a flooded street in Hopkinsville, Ky.
As marketsreel, Trumpspendsday at hisgolfcourse
Presidentsayshis tradepolicieswill neverchange
BY FATIMAHUSSEIN, CHRIS MEGERIAN and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Two days after sending the economy reeling by announcing widespread tariffs,President Donald Trump insisted his trade policieswillnever changeasheremained ensconcedina bubbleofwealth and power in Florida.
He woke up on Friday morning at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach, and headed to his nearby golf course afew miles away after writing on social media that “THIS IS AGREAT TIME TO GET RICH.”
Several supporters stood on the sidewalkasTrump, wearinghis signaturered “Make America Great Again” hat and white polo shirt, glided down astreet lined with palm trees. They waved to him and he waved back,partofa ritual that plays out every weekend that he’sintown.
The Republican president was not expected to appear publicly,although he’sscheduled to attend a candlelit dinner for MAGA Inc., an alliedpolitical organization, on Friday evening
He spent ThursdayinMiami at adifferent one of his golf courses, where he attended aSaudi-funded tournament. He landed in Marine Oneand was picked upinagolf cart driven by his sonEric. Trump has often proved impervious to thekindof scandalsorgaffes that would damage anotherpolitician, but his decision to spend the weekend at hisgildedproperties could test Americans’ patienceata time when their retirement savings areevaporatingalong with the stock market. Thetariffs are expected to increase prices by thousands of dollars per year andsloweconomic growth, and there are fears about a potentialrecession
Democrats called out Trump forbeing in a“billionaire bubble,” as Sen. Chuck Schumerput it, while millions watched their investments sink.
“While the American people are trying to put food on the table, Isee that Donald Trump’sout there playing golf,” said Sen. BenRay Luján, aDemocratfromNew Mexico.“The president should be listening to people across the country.Maybe he should go into agrocery store,dosomewalking,talking to folks.”
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Friday that thetariffs were “significantly larger thanexpected” and are “highly likely” to cause
moreinflation —atleastin the short term but possibly in the long termaswell.
However,Trump hasdescribedhis policiesasa painful yet necessary step to encourage companies to relocatetheir operations to the United States.
Treasury SecretaryScott Bessent told Tucker Carlson in an interviewreleased Fridaythat“I think we have to trythis, and Ihavea high confidence ratio it’sgoing to work.”
The president spent Friday morning defending himself on Truth Social, his social mediaplatform, andvowing to staythe course.
“TOTHE MANY INVESTORS COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES AND INVESTING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MONEY,MY POLICIES WILL NEVER CHANGE,” he wrote.
Although expertshave harshly criticized the tariffs, he’sfound some support on TikTok.Hesharedavideo that said “Trump is crashing the stock market” and “he’s doingitonpurpose” as part of a“secret game he’splaying, and it could make you rich.”
The videofeatured asupposedquote from legendary investorWarren Buffett praising Trump, but Buffett’s
company issued astatement saying it was fabricated. The video also saidthatTrump’s goal is to push the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, something that the presidentexplicitlycalled for later in the morning.
“Thiswould be aPERFECT time” for Powell to cut interest rates, he wrote. “CUT INTEREST RATES, JEROME, AND STOP PLAYING POLITICS!”
With foreign leaders scrambling in response to Trump’sannouncement this week, the president lashed out and looked to cut deals.
He said he spoke with Viet-
namese leader To Lamand claimed Vietnam wants to eliminate its tariffs on U.S. goods if it can makeadeal with the U.S. He also criticized China for announcing itsown tariffs on U.S. imports.
“CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEY PANICKED —THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO!” he wrote.
Republicans suggested that Trump’spolicieswould be the start of aparley with foreign countries.
“The president is adealmaker if nothing else, and he’sgoing to continue to deal country by country with each of them,” said Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming. He added that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had told Senate Republicans this week that the tariffs would be a “high level mark with the ultimategoal of getting them reduced” unless other countries retaliate. Meanwhile, Trumpalso celebrated anew report showingthe U.S. added 228,000 jobsinMarch,beatingexpectations.Although the numbers were asnapshot of the economy before the tariff announcement, Trump claimed vindication,saying they already show his moves are working.
“HANG TOUGH,” he wrote. “WE CAN’T LOSE!!!”
Megerian and Groves reported from Washington.
JudgesaysU.S.mustreturnmistakenlydeportedman
Maryland
mansentto El Salvador prison
BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and BEN FINLEY Associated Press
GREENBELT, Md.— Afederal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to arrange for the return of a Maryland man to the United States after he was mistakenly deported to anotorious El Salvador prison, while a U.S. government attorney was at aloss to explain what happened.
The ruling rejected the White House’s claim thatit lacks the powertoretrieve Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, because he is no longer in theU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has corrected deportation errors in previous years, according to Abrego Garcia’sattorney and legal experts alike.
The governmentfiled an appeal immediately after the decision and an official from the Department of Homeland Security doubled down on the government’sassertion that Abrego Garcia is adangerous gangmember who should not be allowed back into the country ICE expelled the 29-yearold Abrego Garcia last month despite an immigration judge’s2019 ruling that shielded him from deportation to El Salvador,wherehe
Vasquez Sura, thewife
faced likely persecution by local gangs.
“The record reflects that Abrego Garcia was apprehended in Maryland without legalbasis. and without furtherprocess or legaljustificationwas removed to El Salvador,” U.S. District JudgePaula Xinis wrotein herorder
Before she issued the ruling, Xinis describedthe deportation as “anillegal act” and pressed Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni for answers, many of which he didn’thave.
Reuveni conceded to Xinis thatAbrego Garciashould nothave beenremoved from the U.S. andshouldn’thave been sent to El Salvador.He couldn’ttellthe judge upon what authority hewas arrestedinMaryland.
“I’m also frustrated that I have no answers for you for alot of these questions,” he
said.
The judge also questioned why Abrego Garcia was sent to theprison in El Salvador, which observers say is rife withhuman rightsabuses.
“Why is he there, of all places?” asked Xinis, who was nominated by President Barack Obama.
“I don’tknow,” Reuveni replied. “Thatinformation has not been given to me.”
Reuveni had asked the judge for more time —24 hours —for the government to possibly brokerAbrego Garcia’sreturn.
Abergo Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, told the judge he was dismayed that the government had done nothing to get his client back, even after admitting itserrors.
“Plenty of tweets.Plenty of WhiteHouse pressconferences. But no actual steps taken with thegovernment
of El Salvador to makeit right,”hesaid.
Sandoval-Moshenberg said the government’sresponse to its error was essentially to say, “We’ve tried nothing, and we’reall out of options.”
“This is notsomething that’s outside of the government’spower,” he said, notingthatthe U.S. routinely extradites gang leaders, drug traffickers and other
imprisoned people from other countries.
In legalbriefs, SandovalMoshenberg asked the court to remove Abrego Garcia from the “torture prison” and “return him to the custody of the UnitedStates.”
The White House has cast Abrego Garcia as an MS-13 gang member anddoubled down on that claimafter Friday’shearing. Tricia
McLaughlin, Departmentof Homeland Security assistant secretary,stated that the U.S. has “intelligence reports that he is involved in human trafficking.”
McLaughlin did not comment on whether the administration would comply withthe judge’s order. But she said that he would be “locked up and off America’s streets.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByALEX BRANDON
PresidentDonald Trumpisdriven by his son, Eric Trump, as he arrives ThursdayatTrump National Doral duringthe LIV Golf Miami tournament in Miami.
to its lowest level since 2021. Other basic building blocks for economic growth, such as copper, also saw prices slide on worries the trade war will weaken the global economy.
China’s response to U.S. tariffs caused an immediate acceleration of losses in markets worldwide
The Commerce Ministry in Beijing said it would respond to the 34% tariffs imposed by the U.S on imports from China with its own 34% tariff on imports of all U.S. products beginning April 10. The United States and China are the world’s two largest economies.
Markets briefly recovered some of their losses after the release of Friday morning’s U.S. jobs report, which said employers accelerated their hiring by more last month than economists expected. It’s the latest signal that the U.S. job market has remained relatively solid through the start of 2025, and it’s been a linchpin keeping the U.S. economy out of a recession
But that jobs data was backwardlooking, and the fear hitting financial markets is about what’s to come.
“The world has changed, and the economic conditions have changed,” said Rick Rieder, chief investment officer of global fixed
SHRIMPERS
Continued from page 1A
few bright spots so far following Trump’s announcement, which has caused markets to plummet, provoked fears of a wider economic downturn and damaged relations with longtime allies.
“We’ve been dying for the last 20 years, and the last four years have really been tough,” said Acy Cooper the president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association. “Then Trump comes in — that’s why we voted for him. We want change We can’t live like this anymore.”
Cooper, a fourth-generation shrimper in Venice, has witnessed plummeting shrimp prices during his 50 years in the business In the 1980s, he said he’d get $1 for a pound of small shrimp
This year, he got 50 cents a pound.
“You know everything in this country is going up, and our shrimp are going down,” Cooper, 64, said.
According to the FDA, 94% of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported from other countries. The suppliers that account for the majority of U.S. shrimp imports include India, Ecuador, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.
Trump imposed tariffs on all of these countries at rates ranging from a minimum of 10% to as high as 46%.
A steep downturn in the price of imported shrimp since 2021 has led the U.S. shrimp industry to lose almost half of its market values, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance, an industry group. But the drop in wholesale prices has not led to a decrease in market prices in the same time period.
“Consumers are not get-
income at BlackRock.
The central question looking ahead is: Will the trade war cause a global recession? If it does, stock prices may need to come down even more than they have already
The S&P 500 is down 17.4% from its record set in February Trump seemed unfazed. From Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida he headed to his golf course a few miles away after writing on social media that “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO GET RICH.”
The Federal Reserve could cushion the blow of tariffs on the econo-
ACy COOPER, Louisiana Shrimp Association president
ting a deal. I don’t care how you look at it,” Cooper said.
“When I sell shrimp for 50 cents and you eat them at a restaurant for $19, that’s the problem.”
Last month, U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, reintroduced the Save Our Shrimpers Act alongside Troy Nehls, of Texas, which would prohibit federal dollars from financing foreign shrimp farming and processing
He also wrote a letter to Trump in February requesting tariffs on seafood imports from China, Ecuador, Indonesia and Vietnam.
“Domestic shrimpers, fishermen and crawfish producers in Louisiana and across the country face significant challenges competing against foreign seafood industries that are heavily subsidized and engage in illegal dumping into the United States,” the letter stated.
While the U.S. brings in seafood from across the globe, the domestic shrimp industry largely sells within the country U.S. shrimpers are therefore less worried about retaliatory tariffs and welcome the import taxes as a tool to raise domestic shrimp prices.
“I don’t think it’s going to solve all of our problems for sure, but it’s a step in the right direction,” said Jeremy Zirlott, a shrimper in Alabama and a board mem-
my by cutting interest rates, which can encourage companies and households to borrow and spend. But the Fed may have less freedom to move than it would like.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Friday that tariffs could drive up expectations for inflation. That could prove more damaging than high inflation itself, because it can drive a vicious cycle of behavior that only worsens inflation. U.S. households have already said they’re bracing for sharp increases to their bills.
“Our obligation is to keep longer-
ber of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.
Driving up the cost of domestic shrimp will help the struggling industry, Zirlott said, but pernicious fraud and a shrinking labor force will eat away at the industry without additional support.
Restaurateur Dana Honn founded the Louisiana Shrimp Festival last year to support local fishers. Honn, who also co-founded Porgy’s Seafood Market and restaurant in New Orleans, said there’s broad consensus among shrimpers and advocates that the tariffs will positively counter the effects of imports. But that doesn’t mean the new policies will address all of the issues plaguing the dying industry
“The tariff might be one part of fixing the big problem, which is the domestic market purchasing a lot of imports,” Honn said. “Much of the reason they’re doing it is because of misinformation, mislabeling, outright fraud.”
Honn founded the shrimp festival in New Orleans after genetic testing uncovered mislabeling at two previous shrimp festivals in Morgan City and Gulf Shores, Alabama Vendors were selling imported shrimp advertised as local. A similar pattern came to light after a randomized testing of Baton Rouge restaurants.
“People come to New Orleans assuming they’re eating local seafood, when quite often they’re not,” Honn said.
A new law that recently took effect seeks to address the mislabeling problem. As of Jan. 1, Louisiana restaurants are required to clearly state the country of origin of the shrimp and crawfish that they’re selling. Restaurants in violation could face thou-
term inflation expectations well anchored and to make certain that a one-time increase in the price level does not become an ongoing inflation problem,” Powell said.
That could indicate a hesitance to cut rates because lower rates can give inflation more fuel.
Much will depend on how long Trump’s tariffs stick and what kind of retaliations other countries deliver Some of Wall Street is holding onto hope that Trump will lower the tariffs after prying “wins” from other countries following negotiations.
Trump has given mixed signals on that. On Friday he said Vietnam “wants to cut their Tariffs down to ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the U.S.” Trump also criticized China’s retaliation, saying on his Truth Social platform that “CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEY PANICKED — THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO!”
Trump has said Americans may feel “some pain” because of tariffs, but he has also said the long-term goals, including getting more manufacturing jobs back to the United States, are worth it. On Thursday, he likened the situation to a medical operation, where the U.S. economy is the patient.
“For investors looking at their portfolios, it could have felt like an operation performed without anesthesia,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth
sands of dollars in fines.
In Honn’s experience, consumers want to eat local catch. When people have accurate information and understand the stakes, they are “100% on board with supporting our fishers,” Honn said.
David Williams, the founder of SeaD Consulting, which conducts rapid genetic testing for shrimp, said the tariffs and new legislation mean that the shrimp season should start on a buoyant note.
“That places us in a very good situation with regard to the fisherman getting more money, which is what we need,” Williams said.
“If there’s no fishing boat, there’s no shrimp industry.” But there are still con-
Management. But Jacobsen also said the next surprise for investors could be how quickly tariffs get negotiated down. “The speed of recovery will depend on how, and how quickly, officials negotiate,” he said. On Wall Street, stocks of companies that do lots of business in China fell to some of the sharpest losses.
DuPont dropped 12.7% after China said its regulators are launching an antitrust investigation into DuPont China group, a subsidiary of the chemical giant. It’s one of several measures targeting American companies and in retaliation for the U.S. tariffs.
GE Healthcare got 12% of its revenue last year from the China region, and it fell 16%.
All told, the S&P 500 fell 322.44 points to 5,074.08 The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2,231.07 to 38,314.86, and the Nasdaq composite fell 962.82
cerns. In anticipation of tariffs, importers “over shipped” shrimp to the U.S., Williams said. The large quantities of imports and comparatively scarce amount of high-demand domestic shrimp could lead to fraud at any point during the supply chain, he warned.
He also voiced concerns over the disparity in tariffs for the top shrimp-supplying countries. India, which supplies the U.S. with over 40% of its imported shrimp, is facing a tariff of 26% while Ecuador, which supplies the U.S. with around 25% of its imported shrimp, has the minimum universal tariff rate of 10%. Companies that farm shrimp across the globe may redirect their Indian product
to Europe, while sending more Ecuadorian supply to the U.S.
For Zirlott, who owns three shrimp boats, the tariffs and shrimp scrutiny is not enough to buoy the coastal industry What shrimpers need is government and public support to encourage young people to enter the field. This could mean investment into docks, boats and incentives for captains and processors, but also consumers shelling out more for local seafood.
“The public has to be willing to pay more for the domestic product we produce,” he said.
Email Josie Abugov at josie.abugov@theadvocate. com.
Afterquake,focus turnstohumanitariancrisis
BY DAVID RISING Associated Press
BANGKOK— Search teams in Myanmar recovered more bodiesfrom the ruins of buildings on Friday,aweek after amassive earthquake killed more than 3,300 people, as the focusturns toward the urgent humanitarian needs in acountry already devastated by acontinuing civil war United Nations humanitarian chief TomFletcher,who is also the emergency relief coordinator,arrived Friday in Myanmar in an effortto spur actionfollowing the March 28 quake. Ahead of the visit, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the international community to immediately step up funding for quake victims “to match the scale of this crisis,” and he urged unimpeded access
to reachthose in need. “The earthquake has supercharged the suffering with themonsoon season just aroundthe corner,”hesaid. Myanmar’smilitary and several key armed resistance groups have allde-
clared ceasefires in the wake of theearthquake to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid.
But the U.N.’sHuman RightsOffice on Fridayaccused the military of continuing attacks, claimingthere
SouthKoreancourt oustspresident Leader
impeached over martiallaw declaration
BY HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea South Korea’sConstitutional Court unanimously removed Yoon Suk Yeol from office Friday, ending his tumultuous presidency and setting up anew election, four months after he threw the nation into turmoil with an ill-fated declaration of martial law The verdict cappeda dramatic fall for Yoon, aformer star prosecutor who became president in 2022, just ayear after he entered politics. In anationallytelevised
hearing, the court’s acting chiefMoonHyung-baesaid the eight-member bench found Yoon’sactionswere unconstitutional and had a grave impact.
“By declaringmartial law in breach of the constitution andother laws, thedefendant brought back the history of abusing state emergency decrees,shocked the people and causedconfusion in the society,economy, politics,diplomacyand all other areas,”Moon said “Given the negative impact on constitutional order caused by the defendant’s violationoflawsand its rippleeffectsare grave, we find thatthe benefits of upholding the constitution by dismissing the defendant far outweigh the national losses from thedismissal of the president,”the justiceconcluded.
Anti-Yoon protesters near the court erupted into tears and danced when the verdict was announced in thelate morning. Twowomen wept as they hugged and an old man near them leapt to his feet and screamed with joy Thecrowd later marched through Seoul streets.
Outside Yoon’sofficial residence, many supporters cried, screamed and yelled at journalistswhen they saw the news of the verdict on a giant TV screen. But they quicklycooled down after their organizer pleaded for calm.
“Wewill absolutely not be shaken!” aprotest leader shoutedonstage. “Anyone whoaccepts this rulingand prepares for an early presidential election is our enemy.” No major violence has been reportedbylate afternoon.
were more than 60 attacks after the earthquake, including 16 since the militaryannounced atemporaryceasefire on Wednesday “I urge ahalt to all military operations, and for the focustobeonassisting those impacted by thequake, as well as ensuring unhindered accesstohumanitarian organizations that are ready to support,” said U.N. High Commissioner forHuman Rights Volker Türk said. “I hope this terrible tragedy can be aturning point for the country towards an inclusive political solution.”
Announcing its ceasefire,the military also said it would still take “necessary”measures against resistance groups, if they use the ceasefire to regroup, train or launchattacks, and the groups have said they
reservedthe right to defend themselves.
Myanmar’smilitary seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected governmentofAung San SuuKyi, sparking what hasturned into acivil war
The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis, with morethan 3million people displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations.
Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing,headofthe military government, said the quake’s death toll has reached 3,301, with 4,792 injured and about 221 missing, according to areportonstate television MRTV.HeisinBangkokattending asummit meeting of leaders from the Bay of Bengal region.
It is arare visit for the general,who usually restricts his few foreign trips to allies Russiaand China. He and his government are shunned andsanctioned by Western nations for usurping power and their alleged human rights violations in repressingoppositionand carrying out abrutal war. Britain, whichhad already given$13 million to purchase emergency items like food, water andshelter,pledged an additional $6.5 million in funds to match an appeal from Myanmar’s Disasters EmergencyCommittee,according to the U.K. Embassy in Yangon. The World Food Program said so farithas reached 24,000 survivors, but was scaling up itsefforts to assist 850,000 with food and cash assistance for one month.
Many National Weather Service offices understaffed
Nearly half have 20% vacancy rates
BY SETH BORENSTEIN AP science writer
WASHINGTON After Trump administration job cuts, nearly half of National Weather Service forecast
offices have 20% vacancy rates
— twice that of just a decade ago
— as severe weather chugs across the nation’s heartland, according to data obtained by The Associated Press.
Detailed vacancy data for all 122 weather field offices show eight offices are missing more than 35% of their staff — including those in Arkansas where tornadoes and torrential rain hit this week — according to statistics crowdsourced by more than a dozen National Weather Service employees. Experts said vacancy rates of 20% or higher amount to critical understaffing, and 55 of the 122 sites reach that level.
The weather offices issue routine daily forecasts, but also urgent upto-the-minute warnings during dangerous storm outbreaks such as the tornadoes that killed seven people this week and “catastrophic” flooding that’s continuing through the weekend. The weather service this week has logged at least 75 tornado and 1,277 severe weather preliminary reports. Because of staffing shortages and continued severe weather,
meteorologists at the Louisville office were unable to survey tornado damage Thursday, which is traditionally done immediately to help improve future forecasts and warnings, the local weather office told local media in Kentucky. Meteorologists there had to chose between gathering information that will help in the future and warning about immediate danger
“It’s a crisis situation,” said Brad Coleman, a past president of the American Meteorological Society who used to be the meteorologist in charge of the weather service’s Seattle office and is now a private meteorologist. “I am deeply concerned that we will inevitably lose lives as a result of the added risk due to this short-staffing.”
Former National Weather Service chief Louis Uccellini said if the numbers are right, it’s trouble.
“No one can predict when any office gets stretched so thin that it will break, but these numbers would indicate that several of them are there or getting close, especially when you factor that large segments of the country are facing oncoming threats of severe weather, flooding rains while others are facing ominous significant fire risks,” Uccellini said in an email.
The vacancy numbers were compiled in an informal but comprehensive effort by weather service workers after the cuts spearheaded by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency They checked on individual office
staffing levels and looked at how they compared to the past. Staffing levels, including vacancies, are detailed and cross-referenced by offices, regions, positions and past trends, with special notes on whether efforts are being made to fill them.
The AP, after obtaining the list from a source outside the weather service, sought to verify the numbers by calling individual weather offices, checking online staff lists and interviewing other employees not involved in the data-gathering effort. The workers’ data sometimes varied slightly from data shown on weather service websites, though employees said those could be out of date.
Rep Eric Sorensen, an Illinois
Democrat and the only meteorologist in Congress, said his office independently obtained the data and he verified parts of it with weather professionals he knows in Midwestern weather service offices, which are called WFOs. The Davenport-Quad Cities office near his home has a 37.5% vacancy rate
“They’re doing heroic effort Just with what happened the other day with the tornado outbreak, the killer tornado outbreak, I saw incredible work being done by the WFOs down around Memphis and up to Louisville. Incredible work that saved people’s lives,” Sorensen told the AP on Friday “Going forward with these types of cuts, we can’t guarantee that people are going to be as safe as they were.”
“I’m incredibly concerned because this affects everyone in every part of the country,” Sorensen said, noting the potential for severe storms Friday in House Speaker Mike Johnson’s home district near Shreveport, where the data shows a 13% vacancy rate, well below the average for the south and the rest of the country The employees’ data, which goes back to 2015, showed that in March 2015 the overall vacancy rate was 9.3%. Ten years later as of March 21, it was 19%.
The weather service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some northern and central stations — such as Rapid City, South Dakota, with a 41.7% vacancy rate, Albany, New York, at 25%, Portland, Maine, at 26.1% and Omaha, Nebraska at 34.8% have been so short-staffed that they’ve curtailed weather balloon launches that said provide vital observations for accurate forecasts.
The vacancies go beyond meteorologists who do forecasts. Twenty-three offices are without the meteorologist-in-charge who oversees the office Sixteen have vacancies in the crucial warning coordination meteorologist job which makes sure emergency officials and the public prepare for oncoming weather disasters. The Houston office, with a 30% vacancy rate, is missing both those top positions, according to the data and the office’s own website.
Supreme Court allows White House to cut teacher-training money
BY MARK SHERMAN and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Trump administration’s plea to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in teachertraining money as part of its antiDEI efforts, while a lawsuit continues.
The justices split 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the three liberal justices in dissent.
The cuts to more than 100 programs had been temporarily blocked by a federal judge in Bos-
ton, who found that they were already affecting training programs aimed at addressing a nationwide teacher shortage. The federal appeals court in Boston turned away an appeal from the administration to allow them to resume.
The emergency appeal is among several the high court is considering in which the Justice Department argues that lower-court judges have improperly obstructed President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Friday’s order was the first time, in three attempts, that the nation’s highest court gave the administration what it wanted on an emer-
gency basis.
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 Trump’s administration to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
The Republican president also has signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the Education Department, and his administration has already started overhauling much of its work, including cutting dozens of contracts it dismissed as “woke”
and wasteful.
The two 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. Despite Joun’s finding that the programs already were being af-
fected, the high court’s conservative majority wrote that the states can keep the programs running with their own money for now By contrast, the majority said in an unsigned opinion, the federal government probably wouldn’t be able to recover the cash if it ultimately wins the lawsuit.
Justice Elena Kagan wrote in dissent that there was no reason for the court’s emergency intervention.
“Nowhere in its papers does the Government defend the legality of canceling the education grants at issue here,” Kagan wrote.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADRIAN SAINZ
Damaged equipment sits Thursday on a farm struck by Wednesday night’s tornado in Lake City,Ark.
the firm’s lawyer, said in a statement. “Chevron is not the cause of the land loss occurring in Breton Sound.”
Jurors deliberated for about four hours before arriving at their decision. The damage award breaks down as $575 million for land loss, $161 million for pollution and $8.6 million for abandoned equipment, for a total amount of $744.6 million.
Plaquemines Parish had asked the jury to award $2.6 billion
The full amount that Chevron may eventually have to pay, interest included, is around $1.2 billion, according to Carmouche’s team.
Chevron disputes that figure. Interest accrues from the date the case was filed.
‘Could be a lifeline’
Plaquemines alleged that Texaco skirted state law by failing to apply for coastal permits and not removing oil and gas infrastructure from its site when it stopped using an oil field in Breton Sound. It argued that massive coastal land loss and pollution can be directly linked to Texaco’s oil and gas activity
Chevron, which bought Texaco in 2001, said that the regulations in question went into effect in 1980 and were not intended to apply to oil and gas activity that began before that. The company doesn’t deny that land loss has occurred in the area around the site of the oil field, but maintains the oil and gas activity was not responsible for it.
The case has taken on outsized importance because it strikes at the heart of Louisiana’s land loss crisis. While the levees holding the Mississippi River in place set the problem in motion, oil and gas activity has been a major con-
EDWARDS
Continued from page 1A
to establish a date of incorporation and shall not constitute and shall not be construed to constitute a waiver of any right not specifically addressed in this Agreement.
The Parties recognize there are other matters arising out of the incorporation of St George to be addressed.
The Parties pledge to work toward an amicable resolution of other matters arising out of the incorporation of St. George not specifically addressed in this Agreement,” the document states.
Edwards’ office said the agreement “doesn’t handle all issues with St. George.” Communications Director Falon Brown called it “the first step in working together.”
The Advocate asked if Edwards believes St. George is entitled to tax revenue collected since 2019. Brown replied, “As Parish President, Mayor-President Edward’s responsibility is to make sure that East Baton Rouge Parish is kept in a stable position.”
On Friday Murrell again said 2019 is the city’s rightful incorporation date “because it was voted on by the people” and that St. George leaders do not have the authority to compromise on that.
tributor due to the thousands of miles of canals cut through wetlands and because of fossil fuel extraction exacerbating land subsidence.
As a result of all those factors and more, the state has lost around 2,000 square miles of land over the past century — about the size of Delaware. Sea level rise is projected to greatly worsen the problem in the decades ahead.
The state has a 50-year Coastal Master Plan in place to salvage what it can, but it is facing severe money shortages in the near future. It has used billions in settlements and fines related to the 2010
“I’ll say, we feel like we have an administration we can finally work with that wants to move us forward as a parish, and we think we can have a lot of productive conversations moving forward.”
ANDREW MURRELL, St. George City Councilman-elect
He said Edwards’ proposal is about transferring revenue collected since April 2024 and services provided by the parish during the new city’s transition period. He expects discussions over incorporation and possible revenue owed outside of that time frame to happen at a later date.
When asked whether he and other St. George leaders plan to go after that tax revenue sum, estimated at about $100 million, Murrell said “nothing’s off the table.”
“I’ll say we feel like we have an administration we can finally work with that wants to move us forward as a parish, and we think we can have a lot of productive conversations moving forward,” Murrell said When St. George sent the city-parish a proposed agreement last August that included a 2019 incorporation date, Broome respond-
BP oil spill to pay for large-scale restoration work, but that money expires by 2032.
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, a nonprofit that has been working to restore Louisiana’s coast for decades, said that the verdict could provide muchneeded funding.
“Our state has a sophisticated, science-based coastal master plan that will help us preserve our communities and culture, but we simply don’t have the money to implement all the projects,” said the organization’s communications director, James Karst. “This type of funding could be a lifeline,
ed that the agreement carried “a legal loophole big enough to drive a Brinks truck through” and that she could not “support exposing our taxpayers to such future liabilities.”
Broome’s comments came after Murrell — as St. George transition district chairman — threatened legal action against her and the city-parish when the transition district authorized the new city’s legal team to sue the city-parish for the tax revenue he and other leaders believed St. George was owed.
Edwards’ office shares Broome’s position that St. George was incorporated in April 2024, Brown’s statement on Friday said.
“The mayor’s office as well as the city-parish have long held that the incorporation of St George was the day that the Supreme Court decided on the case, but we understand the perspective of St. George,” Brown wrote. In November and December last year Broome’s administration and St. George leaders met multiple times through a private legal mediator to try and work out an agreement Sources involved with those talks told The Advocate the two sides could not find a compromise and said the incorporation date was the single-most significant factor that led to negotiations failing.
helping us do the work that will benefit everyone who depends on healthy wetlands.”
‘A chilling message’ That view was not shared by Louisiana’s politically powerful oil and business interests.
The Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association’s president, Tommy Faucheux, indicated that the verdict would chill economic activity and worsen the situation as a result.
“Louisiana cannot prosper in its current litigious climate, when misguided lawsuits can attack the industry that is our main econom-
Yates and Murrell on Friday both said they like Edwards’ proposal, adding it gets the ball rolling for transitioning services and tax revenue over to St. George.
ic driver,” he said in a statement.
“Today’s verdict sends a message to the rest of the world that Louisiana is not an attractive place for industry or new investments.”
The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry echoed that, noting that the state’s oil and gas industry “supports more than 250,000 jobs and contributes billions of dollars annually to our state’s economy,” the association’s president and CEO Will Green said in a statement The verdict, he added, “threatens those economic benefits but also sends a chilling message to businesses across the country about the risks of operating in Louisiana.”
The Pelican Institute, a freemarket think tank in New Orleans, and Grow Louisiana, an organization that advocates for the energy industry in Louisiana, also issued statements saying that the verdict would cost the state jobs.
Carmouche said he planned to charge ahead with the other lawsuits, saying the companies that helped damage the coast must be held responsible. His efforts follow a long and politically divisive history of Louisiana debating if and how it should seek to force oil companies to pay for coastal damage.
“This is just the first case in the fight to restore and renew Louisiana’s coastal and marsh areas,” he said in a statement after the verdict.
“There are 40 such cases, and our energy is focused on securing appropriate verdicts and awards for every parish involved in these actions. If we continue to be successful in our efforts, these parishes, and Louisiana, will have sent a clear message that Louisiana’s future must be built around a new balance between our energy industry and our environmental necessities.”
Email Alex Lubben at alex. lubben@theadvocate.com.
“This is will be the first agreement of many agreements that we’ll have to make with the city-parish,” Yates said. When asked whether he believes St. George is owed revenue going back to 2019, Yates said “I don’t know what we’re entitled to or not entitled to.” The current agreement is about the two parties “amicably” working to start sorting out several issues, he said. The Metro Council is set to vote on Edwards’ proposed agreement after an April 23 public hearing on it.
Email Patrick SloanTurner at patrick.sloanturner@theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Chevron attorneys walk past the Old Plaquemines Parish Courthouse in Pointe á la Hache on Friday
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BR school buses to get cameras
Officials cite bad behavior, lawsuits
BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer
After a long absence and amid concerns about student behavior and safety, along with litigation
costs — East Baton Rouge Parish school buses will likely soon have cameras again. The parish School Board on Thursday voted 8-0 to give preliminary approval to buying camera sys-
tems for 500 buses at a cost of about $700,000 annually for five years. The entire fleet would be equipped by the time the new school year starts in August. Final approval is expected later this month.
“We need cameras on the buses for a number of reasons,” said
Transportation Director Rob Howle.
“We need it for students, we need it for drivers, we need it for parents, we need it for vandalism, we need it for homeless sleeping on the bus, we need it for so many things.” Board member Carla PowellLewis said the camera surveillance should produce a powerful, positive effect.
WILD BLUES YONDER
ABOVE: Tammy Perkins and Bobby Garza dance in front of a crowd of hundreds set up on lawn chairs during the Baton Rouge Blues Festival downtown on Friday
RIGHT: Headliner Jovin Webb plays during the Baton Rouge Blues Festival on Friday
STAFF PHOTOS
By JAVIER GALLEGOS
Suspect arrested in Tuesday death of 80-year-old
Victim was shot on porch of Avenue E home
BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer
Baton Rouge police arrested a suspect Friday in the killing of 80-year-old James “Pig” Williams, who was shot dead Tuesday evening while on his front porch. Daniel Westley 39, was booked into the parish prison Friday on one count each of first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon.
“He was driving a vehicle, got out of the car, walked up to the porch, shot Mr Williams and got back in his car,” said Sgt. L’Jean McKneely, spokesperson for Baton Rouge Police Department. Police say the community’s
help was paramount in identifying Westley.
“Neighbors came out, gave us a lot of information, so we want to be sure to thank the community,” McKneely said. BRPD said the motive for the shooting is still unknown. Investigators did note in their arrest affidavit for Westley, however, that Williams was known to sell marijuana from his home.
“There’s no excuse,” McKneely said. “There’s nothing that can be said (except) condolences to the family It’s a very hard and tough situation, but due to the help from the community in that area and people being involved, we were able to make an arrest.”
Williams was killed shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday night in the 10000 block of Avenue E.
A witness who was walking from a corner store nearby heard a single shot, then found Wil-
liams’ body on his porch, according to the affidavit for Westley’s arrest. Other witnesses said they saw a man, now believed to be Westley, flee the area in a silver or black car Surveillance footage from the area shows a car matching the description of Westley’s vehicle arriving at Williams’ residence and parking in front. A man in a white shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes is seen exiting the car and walking up Williams’ driveway, the affidavit says. The man walks out of view of the camera before a single shot is heard. Police on Wednesday said Williams was not killed as a bystander, because the shooter would have had to step into his yard to shoot him at such close range. Westley was transferred to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center on Tuesday night by
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s
Office deputies after being taken into custody as part of an unrelated investigation, according to a police affidavit. He reportedly arrived at the hospital in a white shirt, blue jeans and white shoes, which match the clothes seen on the suspect in surveillance video. Westley was granted an order of protective custody by the parish Coroner’s Office the next morning, according to BRPD. Such orders are granted in cases where a person is suffering from a mental health or substance abuse episode and is a danger to themselves or others. The order allows law enforcement to take the person into custody and bring them to a treatment facility
The investigation into Williams’ death is ongoing.
Email Quinn Coffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.
“Just the idea of this presence should change what we see within our transportation system,” she said.
The bus cameras are to be purchased from Pro-Vision Solutions, a
ä See CAMERAS, page 2B
Library, drainage taxes fail in WBR
Local leaders say they were caught in political crossfire
BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
After West Baton Rouge voters rejected property tax renewals that would have continued funding the drainage system and public library, parish leaders say they fear the services might have been the “down-ballot victim” of state and national political dynamics.
“They knew that they didn’t want those constitutional amendments, and so they checked no all the way down,” West Baton Rouge Parish Library director Tamie Martin said. “I think we got caught in the crossfire.”
Voters turned out on Saturday to shut down four constitutional amendments heavily campaigned for by Gov Jeff Landry and the Republican Legislature, a repudiation that West Baton Rouge leaders believe might have translated to all measures on the ballot.
A national political environment suspicious of government spending, fueled by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency and similar statelevel initiatives, may also have worked against local government agencies, leaders said.
“I think it starts all the way from Washington, and it comes down to the state level,” Carey Denstel, West Baton Rouge Parish Council
See TAXES, page 2B
2 Ascension employees fired for work on private property
Workers allegedly did drainage ditch project
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
Allegations that Ascension Parish crews did drainage ditch work along a private road have led to the firing of two government employees — with one council member calling the sequence of events “alarming.”
Parish Council member Joel Robert said the administration needs to be more transparent about the situation. Parish attorneys also have notified the Louisiana Board of Ethics and the Legislative Auditor’s Office about the work. Robert said mistakes happen, but added that the parish government should own up to the alleged errors.
“If all the evidence of which we
See WORK, page 2B
Seven to be inducted into La. Political Hall of Fame
List includes Marion Edwards, Marsha Shuler, Don Burkett
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
Marion Edwards was a selfdescribed “nerd” in high school in Monroe, expecting to become a scientist, but instead he graduated from Loyola Law School and served as a prosecutor, judge and council member for over 50 years in Jefferson Parish.
The journalism bug bit Marsha Shuler in high school, and she went on to cover Louisiana politics for 45 years.
Don Burkett dreamed of becoming an American diplomat, but following a conversation with a former governor, he went to LSU law school and has become the longest-serving district attorney in the state’s history in Sabine Parish.
Edwards, Shuler and Burkett will be inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame on Saturday, joined by four others:
n Jim Harris, a longtime lobbyist for business interests who served as a press aide to then-Gov Edwin Edwards. He died in 2023.
n Charles Weems, an attorney in Alexandria who served nearly 20 years on the LSU Board of Supervisors and was instrumental in establishing LSU’s four-year university in Alexandria
n Max Kelley, who served as Winnfield’s mayor in the 1980s. He died in 1994
n Carolyn Phillips, the former director of the Political Hall of Fame.
The hall of fame, based in Winnfield, home to Huey and Earl Long, now numbers 250 with the latest inductees, said Randy Haynie, a Baton Rouge lobbyist who chairs the board. The latest group was chosen by a panel that includes John Georges, owner of The Times-Picayune | The Advocate.
This year’s ceremony will take place in Winnfield, north of Alexandria. It was at Northeast Louisiana
CAMERAS
Continued from page 1B
Michigan-based company Each bus would have eight cameras. That’s four interior cameras plus one for each of the four sides of the bus.
Brian Tolson, a Pro-Vision sales representative, said the cameras will reveal the truth of things that happen on or near the bus.
“Now, you’re going to be able to see what actually happened,” he said.
The last time the school system had working school bus cameras was in late 2017, more than seven years ago.
Between 2012 and 2016, the school district relied on free camera systems supplied by another company, Force Multiplier Solutions. In addition to surveillance,
WORK
Continued from page 1B
see — and I’m hearing of — pans out, then, most of all, it is unacceptable for someone to lose their career that’s been working with the parish for as long as they have,” he said.
Todd Elisar, a former vegetation supervisor in the parish public works department, was fired in December in connection with drainage work and vegetation removal done in October along a private road near Galvez. His boss, Jonathon Samuel, was allegedly fired as well. Samuel did not respond to requests for comment.
Elisar’s firing packet stated he violated parish ethics policies because his son, Lee Elisar, submitted the original work order The job included removing trees and digging to clear an existing ditch along Bayou Trace Street, according to interviews and documents also in the firing packet. But the ditch was on private property, according to Lee Elisar and the firing documentation, not within the parish drainage easement, Lee Elisar submitted the work request on behalf of himself and 17 neighbors who were impacted by the road’s flooding, but noted in his email to the parish that it was a private road. He told The Advocate the work never occurred on his property, which he is in the process of selling. The Elisars contend the firing
University in Monroe (now the University of Louisiana at Monroe) where Edwards decided to forgo studying chemistry and physics.
“I didn’t enjoy the labs,” Edwards said in a recent interview
Looking for a different path, he left Northeast for Tulane and then decided to enroll at Loyola Law School.
“I read a lot about lawyers and the law, and that intrigued me,” Edwards recalled. “I guess I was just sort of pulled in that direction.”
He met another law student on his first day at Loyola, and that would change his life. The other student was Harry Lee, who, as they neared graduation, asked Edwards to remain in New Orleans and become his law partner
By then, the two had established a deep bond. Edwards had convinced Lee, plagued by bad grades, not to drop out of law school and had tutored Lee before his exams to make him a better student.
In 1979, Lee was elected sheriff in Jefferson Parish and became a dominant physical and political presence.
By then, Edwards was working for another powerful Jefferson Parish politician, District Attorney John Mamoulides. Edwards became the top assistant and was positioned to run to replace Mamoulides when the district attorney retired.
But Edwards decided in 1996 to run to be a trial judge in Jefferson Parish because he wanted to institute a drug court and show reluctant judges that specialized courts that offer treatment to defendants are a better alternative than simply locking them up.
Edwards kept up his drug court work after moving up to be an appeals court judge in Jefferson
the cameras were used to catch motorists violating bus stop safety laws The money from resulting traffic tickets — the company collected 70% of each one was supposed to finance the whole enterprise.
The company, however, did not collect nearly as much as anticipated there were fewer violators than expected and even fewer who bothered to pay the tickets. The effort here collapsed in late 2017 after the company became embroiled in a bribery scandal in Dallas.
About 250 buses in Baton Rouge, about 40% of the fleet at the time, ended up getting cameras installed.
School leaders have talked for years about buying new bus cameras but balked at the cost. In the meantime, surveillance cameras have become the norm in many other school bus fleets
The new Pro-Vision cameras are
obscures the actual error made by the Ascension Parish government. They say officials didn’t properly verify the drainage agreement or ensure work would not be performed on private property
Todd Elisar said in an interview he “never had the authority over drainage personnel, drainage equipment, nor ordering surveys for digging drainage servitudes.”
“How can a vegetation supervisor be blamed and terminated for mistakes that the drainage department made?” he said.
Lee Elisar said in an interview that the Louisiana Board of Ethics is investigating the situation.
Ascension Parish spokesperson Pamela Matassa said Parish President Clint Cointment and employees who might have been involved in the project could not comment on the matter because it “is an ongoing investigation.”
“Ascension Parish Government is cooperating fully with the investigation,” she said.
Existing ditch outside servitude
In March 2024, Lee Elisar emailed Ron Savoy, the current assistant drainage director and operations manager about flooding on his street, Bayou Trace. He said they had tried to turn the road over to the parish for several years without any luck.
Parish in 1998. Defendants who have gone through drug courts, he said, are less likely to commit crimes and return to prison.
Edwards finished his career by winning election to the Jefferson Parish Council in 2019 and winning reelection four years later But he stepped down from his post in 2024, tired of the acrimony that developed between two warring colleagues.
“It’s hard for me to work like that,” Edwards said Lawrence Chehardy, who served as assessor of Jefferson Parish while Edwards held his powerful positions, said Edwards succeeded because he was openminded and willing to exchange opinions with others.
“He’s always been even-tempered, smart and a gentleman,” Chehardy said.
Shuler grew up in Shreveport and spent the first decade of her career as a reporter for the Shreveport Times, covering city hall, local politics and the Legislature when it was in session.
She liked the work in Baton Rouge so much that in 1980, she moved to the Capitol Bureau of the Morning Advocate and its afternoon newspaper the State Times.
Before leaving the paper in 2015, Shuler covered seven governors and hundreds of state legislators and wrote tens of thousands of articles chronicling the daily events in Louisiana’s capital.
“I can string together a long list of adjectives to describe ‘Marsha the Journalist’ smart, accurate, fair, well-informed, wellprepared, trusted, courteous, assertive, dogged, etc, etc.,” said Linda Lightfoot, a former executive editor of The Advocate who worked with Shuler for more than 20 years. Shuler focused on what the poli-
not free but have potential financial upsides, officials said.
Board member Mike Gaudet said the school system will save some money on litigation, particularly in traffic accidents where school employees are not at fault
“When you look at the liability claims we have to pay, this definitely has the potential to pay for itself,” Gaudet said.
Howle would not go that far, but agreed savings could offset some of the cost and noted the cameras would be paid for after five years.
After that, the only ongoing expense would be for cloud storage for the vast amount of video captured by the cameras — about $200,000 per year
“In five years, this system’s still going to work, and then we’re just paying for the data,” Howle said.
Howle said his office will gauge success by the extent to which in-
According to neighbor Micah Pickens, who said his yard frequently floods, the existing ditch was dug before the houses were built. Residents assumed it was within the public drainage easement, or agreement, with the parish.
Documents in the firing packet show the ditch is outside the easement. For the ditch to be maintained by the parish, it should have been dug 15 feet into residential property lines, Pickens said He wondered how the original ditch was dug in its spot outside the designated area.
“How is this the original ditch?” Pickens said. “And the ditch that is supposed to be there (in the easement), according to parish paperwork, how was that ditch never put in?”
Project shifted among people
The parish fired Todd Elisar for the ethical violation. But he and his son said the larger issue was the failure to verify the easement before starting the work, which cost $21,764. Documents contained in Elisar’s firing packet present conflicting viewpoints on who was ultimately responsible for ensuring the work wasn’t on private property
According to a summary of a human resources interview with Todd Elisar included in his firing packet, he was told in March 2024 by the drainage director not to work on the Bayou Trace Street project. A few months later, in June, he was assigned the ditch clearing project by his supervisor, but said in an interview he turned it over to the drainage department within the same month.
The work order history shows Elisar recording an October debris removal task related to the drainage ditch, but the project was still under the supervision of the
ticians said and did, not wanting to delve into their personalities or why they did things.
“I liked to put out the facts, pro and con, and let my readers make a decision on how they feel about it,” Shuler said.
After leaving The Advocate, Shuler spent eight years as a senior adviser to then-Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne while John Bel Edwards was governor She edited documents, did research and wrote policy papers.
Shuler has kept her hand in events at the Capitol by continuing to work with journalists who put together the annual Gridiron Show They devise skits that spoof the state’s politicians.
Burkett planned to work as a fingerprint clerk in Washington and attend American University’s law school at night when in 1974, he called on former Gov John McKeithen to ask for his advice.
“Go to LSU, son,” McKeithen told him.
Burkett graduated from LSU’s law school, became an attorney in Many and seven years later, in 1984, challenged the incumbent district attorney Burkett won and hasn’t faced an opponent since then. His 41 years in office are more than any other district attorney in history, he said.
“A hands-on prosecutor, Don personally tried nearly 50 murder cases and helped secure a stateof-the-art crime lab in Shreveport to enhance regional forensic capabilities,” his bio states.
Burkett reflected on the unexpected path his career took.
“I guess God has different plans for us than we have for ourselves,” he said. “It’s all worked out.”
Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.
cidents of student misbehavior and incidents involving bus drivers decrease.
He said last summer he tested out the company’s cameras on a few East Baton Rouge Parish buses and came away satisfied. He added that he plans to ask the board for a new employee to maintain the cameras as well as the prone-to-failure GPS systems on district buses.
Pro-Vision will store video captured by its cameras for up to 60 days and archive longer footage arising from incidents. The cameras start capturing video when they sense motion and cease filming 10 minutes after it stops, Howle said.
The package East Baton Rouge is purchasing does not include special cameras installed on the stop arms of buses to capture images of motorists who drive illegally through a bus stop. Tolson said such cameras could be purchased if desired.
drainage department.
Adding to the confusion, Assistant District Attorney Jean-Paul Robert said in a Dec. 10 letter that he told the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office the work was “led predominantly by Mr Todd Elisar.”
In the internal investigation included in Elisar’s firing packet, Assistant Director of Public Works Davin Duplessis said the map of the area was verified by Right of Way Agent Mike Marchand, who normally does those tasks. A summary of an interview with Duplessis said he didn’t go verify the easement or ensure the work should happen. It added that he spoke with Infrastructure Division Director Ricky Compton about the servitude as well.
Meeting with parish officials
Things came to a head in December, when Lee Elisar had a meeting with Cointment and top parish employees and the issue of the parish potentially having completed work on private property came up.
“Mr Cointment says that past presidents have gone to jail for stuff like this, and he wasn’t going to jail for it,” Lee Elisar claimed about the conversation at the meeting. “So, in my mind, they said, all right, none of us are going to jail for it. Nobody else is going to take the blame.”
Todd Elisar was fired the following week.
“I was never asked to recuse myself from this project at any time due to the fact of my son putting in the work order or requesting the work order,” he said
Driver dies after crashing on I-10
An Amite man traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 in Ascension Parish died early Friday morning when his car crashed head-on into an 18-wheeler, according to State Police.
CRIME BLOTTER staff reports
The crash happe ne d sh ort ly before 1 a.m. as James Burns, 39, drove westbound into the eastbound lanes of I-10 near Prairieville. Burns crashed into a Freightliner tractortrailer Burns’ vehicle, a 2022 GMC Sierra, burst into flames upon impact, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, State Police said.
The driver of the Freightliner was transported to the hospital with moderate injuries.
As part of an ongoing investigation, toxicology samples were collected for analysis.
Deputies ID man found near Denham Springs
The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation after a 24-year-old man was found dead Thursday night in a neighborhood near Denham Springs.
LPSO identified the man Friday morning as Trey Caves, of Denham Springs.
LPSO said there was no physical sign of the cause of death at the scene on Lilac Street.
TAXES
Continued from page 1B
chair and library board member, said. “And the locals now are catching some of the flak from that also.”
The 10-year millages would have assured funding for two public library branches and 700 miles of drainage canals and ditches throughout the parish.
A mill is $1 of tax on every $1,000 of assessed property The rates would have been 4.1 mills and 7.2 mills for the library and drainage, respectively There is enough in savings to continue drainage services through 2026, but the libraries would be forced to close in January 2026 if the millages are not renewed.
Carey said both millages are essential to the parish, and the fact that they failed came as a shock.
The council and library will put the measures on the ballot again this year, he said, after a more “aggressive” messaging campaign that emphasizes how critical the services are to residents.
“We just got to regroup, and we got to go out there and really sell them,” he said. “We got to sell it real hard now.”
Without the millage, the library cannot exist, Martin said. She believes voters might not have understood that the property tax makes up almost the entirety of their budget.
“I need to get that message out that we are depending on this funding,” Martin said. “And you, the West Baton Rouge resident, if you want a library, you’re depending on this.”
The library and council have yet to decide on a state election date to reintroduce the measures. Martin said she was overconfident that the voters would support the tax renewals on Saturday, but now she will focus on communicating the stakes of the millages and how the library will use the dollars responsibly
It’s clearer than ever that voters are concerned about government efficiency, she said.
“I think the political climate in Louisiana and in the whole country is one of distrust and one of ‘show me the facts,’” Martin said. “We’re seeing the federal government exposing lots of waste, and people are afraid of waste.” Carey also felt that the national mood contributed to the failure on Saturday
“In some ways, I feel like we were kinda a down-ballot victim,” Carey said. “But that’s just the way it works sometimes.”
Email Haley Miller at haley miller@theadvocate.com.
President Donald Trump on Friday said he is signing an executive order to keepTikTok running in theU.S.for another 75 days to give his administrationmore time to broker adeal to bringthe social mediaplatform under American ownership.
The order was announced as White House officials believed they were nearing adeal for theapp’s operationstobespun off into anew company based in theU.S.and owned andoperated by amajority of American investors,withChina’sByteDancemaintaininga minority position, according to aperson familiar with the matter
But Beijing hit the brakes on adeal Thursday after Trump announced wide-rangingtariffs around the globe, including against China. ByteDance representatives called the White House to indicate that China would no longer approve the deal until there could be negotiations about trade and tariffs, saidthe person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive details of the negotiations.
Congress had mandated that theplatform be divested from China by Jan. 19 or barred in the U.S. on national security grounds, but Trump moved unilaterally to extend the deadline to this weekend, as he sought to negotiate an agreement to keep it running. Trump has recently entertained an array of offers from U.S. businesses seeking to buy ashare of the popular social media site.
But on Friday it became uncertain whether atentative deal could be announced after the Chinese government’sreversal of its position complicatedTikTok’sability to send clear signals about the nature of the agreement that hadbeen reached for fear of upsetting its negotiations with Chinese regulators.
The near-deal was constructed over the course of months, with Vice President JD Vance’s team negotiating directly with several potential investors and officials from ByteDance. The plan called for a120-day closing period to finalize the paperwork andfinancing. Thedealalso had the approval of existing investors, new investors, ByteDance and the administration.
Advisers: Thinkbefore bailing on stockmarket
The huge swingsrockingWall Street andthe global economy may feel far from normal. But, for investing at least, drops of this size have happened throughout history
Stomaching them is the price investorshave had to pay in order to get the bigger returns thatstockscan offer over other investments in the long term.
Anytime an investor sees they’re losing money, it feels bad.This recent run feels particularly unnerving because of how incredibly calm the market had previously been. TheS&P 500 is coming off a second straight yearwhere it shot up by more than 20%, the first time that’shappened since baggy pants were last in style before the millennium.
Sellingmay offer some feeling of relief. But it alsolocks in losses and prevents the chance of making themoney back over time. Historically,the S&P 500 hascomebackfromevery one of its downturns to eventually make investors whole again. Some recoveries take longer than others, but experts often recommend not putting money into stocks that you can’tafford to lose forseveral years, up to 10.
“Data has shown, historically, that no one can time the market,” said Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEOofWalletHub.“No one can consistently figure out the best time to buy and sell.”
Phil Battin, CEO of Ambassador Wealth Management, advises investors to lean toward “resilient sectors such as consumer staples,utilities and health care, which are less reliant on international trade.”
Powell:Tariffs likely to raiseinflation
Powell said in remarks delivered to aconference of the Society for Advancing Business Editingand Writing.
until they geta better sense of the tariffs’ impact.
inflation. Powell’scomments suggest the Fed will mostly focus on inflation.
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer
ARLINGTON,Va. TheTrump administration’sexpansive newtariffs will likely lead to higher inflationand slower growthfor the U.S. economy,Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell saidFriday Powellsaid that the tariffs,and their likely impactsonthe economyand inflation, are “significantly larger thanexpected.” He also saidthat theimport taxeswill probably leadto“at least atemporary rise in inflation,” but added that“it is also possible that the effectscould be more persistent.”
“Ourobligation is to …make certainthat aone-time increase in the pricelevel does not become an ongoing inflationproblem,”
Powell’sfocusoninflation suggests that theFed will likely keep its benchmark interest rate unchangedat4.3% in the coming months, rather than cut them anytime soon. Higherborrowing costscan help slowthe economy and cool inflation.Wall Streetinvestors, meanwhile, now expect five interest rate cuts this year,a numberthathas increased since PresidentDonaldTrump announced thetariffs Wednesday Powell alsoemphasized that the full impact of thetariffs on theeconomy aren’t yetclear,and theFed will stay on the sidelines until it has moreclarity about the economy He acknowledged thatmany businesses have saidthey are holding off on newinvestments
“There’sa lotofwaiting and seeing going on,including by us,” Powellsaidduring aquestion-andanswer session. “And that just seems like the right thing to do in this period of uncertainty.” Trump, separately,urged Powell to cutrates, citing lower inflation and energy prices on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“This would be aPERFECT time for FedChairman Jerome Powell to cutInterest Rates,” Trump wrote.“CUT INTEREST RATES, JEROME, AND STOP PLAYING POLITICS!”
Economists expect that the tariffswill weaken the economy, possibly threaten hiring, andpush up prices
In that scenario,the Fedcould cut rates to bolster the economy or it could keep rates unchanged —oreven hike them—tocombat
Powell’sremarks come two days after Trump unveiledsweepingtariffs that have upended the global economy, prompted retaliatory movesbyChina,and sent stock prices in the U.S.and overseas plunging.
Powell’sdescription of the impact of tariffs was more negative thanjust last month, when he said that anyinflationresulting from the tariffs would likely be temporary Weaker growth and higher prices areatricky combination forthe Fed.Typically thecentral bank would reduce its key interest rate to lowerborrowing costs and spur the economyinthe event of slower growth, while it would raise rates —orkeep them elevated —toslowspending andcombat inflation.
BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press
WASHINGTON— Industry groups representing hundreds of chemical and petrochemicalmanufacturers are seeking blanket exemptionsfromfederal requirements to reduce emissionsoftoxic chemicals such as mercury,arsenic and benzene.
Therequest by theAmerican ChemistryCouncil and the American Fuel &Petrochemical Manufacturers comes as the Trump administration offers industrial polluters achance for exemptions from rules imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.
TheEPA has set up an electronic mailbox to allow regulated companies to request a two-year presidential exemption under the Clean AirAct toahostofBiden-erarules
Thechemistry council and the petrochemical group saidina letter Mondayto the EPAthat regulation of thechemical industryissupposed to be based on sound science and “reflect areasonable assessment of the risks and benefitsinvolved.”
“Unfortunately,”the groups wrote,an EPArule on air pollution from stationary sources “underminesthose important objectives and advances improper and significantly costly requirements on an unworkable timeline.”
The Associated Pressobtained acopy of the letteronFriday Costs for the rule’srisk-related requirements alonecould exceed $50 billion, the groups said, “significantly more than the $1.8billion forthe full rule thatEPA estimatedatfinal publication” last year
Environmental groups have denounced theadministration’soffertogrant industry exemptions, calling the new email address a “polluters’ portal” thatcould allow hundreds of companies to evade laws meant to protect the environment andpublic health.Exemptionswould be allowedfor nine EPArules issued under former President Joe Biden, including limits on mercury,ethylene oxide and other hazardousair pollutants
BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer
It hasbeena rough three months in the Haynesville Shale, said Shreveport mineralconsultantSkip Peel,who pointstothe fact that this has been the slowest
first quarter there in 17 years.
Onerecent bump was the $1.2 billionpurchase by theMiamibased hedge fund Citadel of Paloma Natural Gas’ relatively small positioninthe Shale. East Daley Analytics, an oiland-gas-centricsitethat tracks mergers and acquisitions, says this deal shows there is renewed confidence inHaynesville’s potential.
“This strategic acquisition highlightsHaynesville’svalue as aleading sourcefor U.S. LNG (liquefiednatural gas) exports,” it says. The Haynesville Shale is anatural gas-rich area thatextends
Mercury exposure can cause brain damage, especially in children. Fetusesare vulnerable to birth defects via exposure in a mother’swomb.
TheEnvironmental Defense Fundaccused the chemical andpetrochemical companies —which include giantssuch as ExxonMobil, Marathon Petroleum, Chevron, Dow and DuPont —of“hiding behind their associations to get apresidential exemption from pollution safeguards that keep our kids healthy and safe.”
New EPAAdministrator Lee Zeldin “has opened aback door for hundreds of com-
through north Louisiana and east Texasand beyond.
Robert Mills, themanager of two local companies that work in oil and gas exploration and production in Ark-La-Tex and Mississippi, is notseeing great confidence. He says thesmaller independent producersheknows are watching howlow theprice will go “I mean,everybody’s worried about bottom, not thetop,” Mills said. “Weall know thatwe’dlike to see$5(per million British thermal units), but we knowthat we’ve seen closer to $3 and that’s what kept the rig count down. And so until we see amorestabilized $4-plus, closer to $5, Ithink again, almost everybody Iknow hascompletely withdrawnfrom drilling wells. From aworking interest standpoint, it is just such a big game only the big guys can do it. Nobody else, to my knowledge,
panies to avoid complying with reasonable limitsonthe mosttoxic formsofair pollution, andthey’re rushing through it with no regard for the communities around them,” said Vickie Patton, the group’sgeneral counsel.
Granting the exemption would be “a huge blow to American families who now must worry about their loved ones breathing dirtier air,theirkidsmissing more school days because of asthma attacks and morecancer in theirfamilies,” Patton said.“Thereisno basis in U.S. clean air laws—and in decency —for this absolute free pass to pollute.”
that hasparticipated in these wells has anything but regrets for participating because these large companies that operate the wells are just absolutely skinning the royalty owners and the nonoperators, just skinning them.”
Peel said he believesasthe ownership of shale mineral rights continues to consolidate, prices should go higher
“Natural gasshouldcontinue to increase in price because consolidationhas reduced thenumberof operatingcompanies,and those companies areholding back production to increase the price.”
It is thechicken or the egg.
Aethon, the shale’slargest producer,has said it will notramp up drilling until pricesrise.Itis looking for $5 MMBtu as opposed to the$4.50 projected into 2026 and the lower $3.75 projections into 2027-28.
Other companies, suchasExpand Energy,created from the
merger of Chesapeakeand SouthwestEnergy, is looking to increase theirproduction into 2026.
East Daley believes that eventual demand is going to outstrip production andthat prices could shoot to $8 MMBTU, which could be ashort-lived bump.
Mills says whenprices go up, activity will, too, and then extra supply will push prices down.
“So, until we see that LNG bump and it pushes that number up into the $5 range, and of course, yes, people will start drilling,” Mills said. “And of course,yes,they’ll push it right back down to four It’sjust the way the market always hasbeen and always will be
You’ve got to learn your lessons that there’snothing easy about this energy business, and it’sgotten moreexpensiveand moredifficult over time.”
Email Liz Swaine at liz.swaine@ theadvocate.com.
OPINION
Athird term forTrump?
Is the idea of athird term forPresident Donald Trump just afoolishploy to getattention—orisita real possibility?
Historically,presidents from GeorgeWashington to FranklinRoosevelt were eligible torun for unlimited terms. Washingtonrefused to runa third time,setting aprecedent to prevent amonarchialpresidency.FDR wasthe only presidentelected athird (andfourth) time.
Chances for athird Trumpterm start and end with theU.S. Constitution and, specifically,the 22ndAmendment,which was adopted in 1951, six years after Roosevelt died.Itsays: “No person shall be elected to the office of thePresident more than twice…” This limitation didn’t apply to thesitting president, Harry Truman, but did apply to all future presidents.
While the 22nd Amendmentmakes it clear that Trump cannot run for presidentagain, hisadvocates may continue searching for aloophole —something theycan bring to the U.S. Supreme Court, the ultimate arbiter, with sixofits nine justices appointedbyRepublican presidents. They willpoint outthatwhile the 22nd Amendment prevents getting elected president more than twice, it doesn’t technically preventserving as president for more than twoterms.
Here’swhat they could try:Nominate Trumpfor vice president in 2028 and JD Vance(or anothersteadfast Trump loyalist) for president. After this ticket is elected and takes office, Vancewould resignthe presidency, Trumpwould assume theoffice andappoint Vanceto be vice president —backtowhere it is now.
This would require alot of fancy foot work to pull off. First, the Republican Partywould havetoagree to the plan and nominate the Vance-Trump ticket, with all its attendant risks. Second, amajority of theElectoral College would have to elect theticket. Third, the newly electedpresident would have to keep the deal —take office, resign and turn over the presidencytoTrump There is another,perhapsfatal, obstacle to this plan: The 12th Amendment to theConstitution says that “no personconstitutionallyineligible to theoffice of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-Presidentofthe UnitedStates.”
If Trump is ineligibletobeelected president in 2028, wouldn’thealso be ineligible to be vice-president? His advocates would likely say that while their manmay notbeeligibletobeelected president again, thereis nothing that makes him ineligible to serveaspresident again and, therefore, he would not beineligible to be vicepresident based on lackof presidentialqualifications. Most legal scholarswould counterthatthe intent of the Constitution, as amended, is to prohibit sucha circumvention.
Head spinning yet?
Another way for Trump tostayinpower would be the Vladimir Putin method. In 2008,whenhecould not runfor athird consecutive term as Russia’spresident, Putin became prime minister and handedoff thepresidential title to DmitryMedvedev.Afterfour yearsunderthis arrangement, Putin wonthe next election and took backthe presidency,title andall. This method is dependentuponVance, or another agreeable Republican, winning thepresidentialelection in 2028. The new GOP president would thenappoint the 82-year-oldTrump to ahigh position, maybe chief of staff, aperch from which hecould still run the country (even though he’d be prohibited, unlike Putin, from running for president again)
That’sacrass way to stay in power,although afew politicianshavetried it.One example wasGeorge Wallace in 1966. Term-limitedasAlabama’s governor,he convincedhis wife,Lurleen, to runinstead. Lurleen won and George kept power —until, tragically,his wife died 16 months after taking office The voters, of course,will have somethingtosay about all this. By the next election,theymay nothave much appetite for apolitical masqueradeofany kind. Also, Republicans could conclude thatevenjust talk of athird term is adamagingdistraction to theMAGA agenda duringthe current term. Theymay alsosee it as demeaning to Vance and other GOP prospectsfor 2028. Attempting to end-run theConstitutionisa bad idea. Respecting thelimits of presidential poweristhe best approach; let’scallitthe George Washingtonmethod Ron Faucheux is anonpartisanpoliticalanalyst, pollster and writer basedinLouisiana. He publishes LunchtimePolitics.com, anationwide newsletteron polls and public opinion.
Louisiana’spowerful congressional delegation has an opportunity to deliver an early win for seniors and against cancer.Thanks to their leadership, atransformational piece of legislation that could revolutionize our country’sapproach to cancer care is inches from the finish line. Now is the time to finish thejob. The Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act concluded last Congress with nearly 400 cosponsors and more than 500 advocacy organizations across the country supporting it.Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and SenateHealth Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy were among thebill’sstrongest supporters and worked hard to empower cancer detection champions in their caucuses and forge bipartisan agreements to advance the legislation
This bill would remove regulatory hurdles that stand in the way of seniors’ access to life-changing tools against cancer and enable Medicare coverage of multi-cancer early de-
tection tests once they have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Louisiana faces particularly high cancer risks, with cancer rates 40% higher than the national average, according to the federal statistics. Available evidence showsthat screening enables cancers to be detected at an earlier stage, before they have thechance to grow, spread and become moredeadly This approach also saves money
The U.S. spends more than $210 billion on cancer treatments each year and one study found that adoption of these MCED tests could shave $26 billion off that figure.
At theCancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana, we have been adriving force in advancing patient-centered policies. Passing this legislation would provide hope and innovative tools to millionsofAmericans in the fight against cancer.Now is the momenttoact.
MARC MATRANA, M.D trustee, Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana and co-chair of CAGLA’s Scientific AdvisoryBoard
National debt is aproblem that Trumpisatleast trying to address
Iread Cal Thomas’ recent column about our national debt and am happy that someone is bringing this to theforefront.
Iamseriously concerned about our national debt and have argued with manyabout what is currently going on. Yes, like many, Iquestion Donald Trump’s“thundering herd” approach to attempting to bring our debt down, but honestly,I’ve watched past administrations try to surgically correct wasteful spending to no positive effect
Many years ago, Iwas part of bankers roundtable in Washington where we were given copies of spending documentsfromseveral federal agencies and were unanimously in agreement that almost all of the thousands of programs we analyzed should be eliminated or
reduced because they wereeither blatantly wastefuland/or didn’t come close to solving the problem they were designed to solve. This group of unbiased bankers (including Democrats and Republicans) madespecific recommendations to theOffice of Management and Budget,and to my knowledge, none of those recommendations wereever enacted.
We are putting at peril our children and grandchildren’sfuture. Debt at this level is an anchor that drags progress —progress that is thelifeblood of tomorrow forthose hopeful generations. Iamclear that without some alteration, those that follow us won’thave the hopeful future we have enjoyed CHARLESHARGON Baton Rouge
Kudos to Education Superintendent Cade Brumley.The recent articlesreporting howour great state is departing from current nationaleducationpractices and returning to “building block” approaches in both reading and math disciplines is heartwarming to read anddemonstrates true leadership on his part.
As the Feb. 24 article states, Louisiana is using the “science of reading” emphasizing phonics andteaching students to “decipherwords letterbyletter and sound by sound.” The results: “Louisiana ledthe country in fourth-grade reading gains” and “outpacedotherstates in postpandemic reading improvement.” The changeswereintroduced only four yearsago St. CharlesParish leaders call the approach “a game changer,” andLouisiana moved from50th to 16thlastyear in fourth grade reading.
In math, “the state nowaims to do something similar,”according to Brumleycalling it “back-tobasics” in aMarch 9article. The newapproach is to ensure math foundations arefirm as students move into middle school for “abstract”questions. Foundation is the key, andstudents are lost without it.
Brumleyand his team aredemonstrating policychangesatthe state levelcan be well worth it if groundedinsolid data. And thanks to the newspaper for going deeper into the story beyond headlines.
JOHN S. WHITE Harahan
Ron Faucheux
SPORTS
LSU gymnast Aleah Finnegan STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON NCAA REGIONAL FINAL
4P.M. SATURDAy, ESPN+
LSU bounces back to bludgeon Alabama
BY WILLIAM WEATHERS
Contributing writer
ä Alabama at LSU 6P.M. SATURDAy,ESPN2
Clarkwants ‘better’ showing
LSUgym headstoregional finalwithNCAAs on theline
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
Thegoal of this season forthe LSUgymnasticssquad,focusing on the fiveminutes in frontofthe gymnasts’ faces, hasserved the Tigers well. LSUwon ashare of theSoutheastern Conference regular-season title, won the SECchampionshipmeet andearned its first-ever No. 1overall seed in the NCAA championships. But howthe 2025 Tigers will be remem-
beredcomes down nottoany one five-minutevignette but thefull saga of what happens in atwo-hourmeet Saturday afternoon. It’seither finish in the top two in the NCAA regional final at Penn State to advance to the national semifinals in two weeks or pack up theleotards and chalk for the season. First vault is setfor 4p.m. at Rec Hall in University Park, Pennsylvania. The meet can be seen on astreaming basis only on ESPN+. LSU was good, very good, in Thursday’s regionalsemifinal. The Tigers performed
solid routine after solid routine to post a 198.100 —LSU’s third-best score ever in an NCAA regional —toeasily outpoint secondplace Arkansas (197.550), the No. 16 national seed, which also advanced.
LSU coach Jay Clark figuresgiven the competitionSaturday, his Tigers will have to be better than solid. He wants them to takewhattheydid Thursdaytoaneven higherlevel “We’ve gottobebetter if we think we’re going to get out of here,” Clark said. “Every time youadvance, youhavetoassumeyou have to be better.”
ä See GYM, page 4C
QUARTERBACK SH ?
If there were any lingering questions about how the LSU softball team would react to dropping its first Southeastern Conference series, the Tigers quickly answered them. The fifth-ranked Tigers scored three times in their first plate appearance, scoredthree more times in thethird inning and finished with two more in the fourth The result was LSU’sfirst run-rule victory overNo. 24 Alabama in 23 years with an 8-0 victoryinthe first game Fridayoftheir three-game series before a crowd of 2,444 at Tiger Park
“It proves our toughness andhow we’re able to compete,” LSU winningpitcher SydneyBerzon said.“We’rea tight-knit group
ä See LSU, page 3C
LSU third baseman DaniecaCoffeyframes the Tigers logoonher jerseyafter leading off with adoubleinthe first inning of agame against Alabama on Friday at TigerPark.
Jaxson Dart
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
NORMAN, Okla. Through two starts in Southeastern Conference play,LSU righthanded pitcher Anthony Eyanson washavingtrouble getting throughopposing lineups asecond time.
ä LSU at Oklahoma 2P.M.SATURDAy SECN+
Allfourrunshesurrendered to Missouri came in the third and fourth innings.He tossedthree no-hit innings the next week against Texas, then gave up three hits in the fourth and asinglein the fifth before exiting the game. He finished that outing allowing four earned runs in 41/3 innings But Friday at L. Dale Mitchell Park against Oklahoma was the start of anew two-start trend for Eyanson. Afternot allowing an earned run in fiveinningsa week ago,hematched that zero in 52/3 innings vs
After restructuring quarterback Derek Carr’scontract, all but ensuring he’d be their Week 1starter for the 2025 season,the NewOrleansSaints appear to be sitting out this year’squarterback class. Unless, of course, they aren’t.
Outside of Kellen Moore’snon-committal introductory news conference, theSaintshave pretty consistently stood behind Carr as their bestchanceatwinning right now.But Carr’sfirst two seasons with NewOrleansboth have been followed withquestionsabout whether New Orleans wouldcontinue to stickwith him, which at bare minimum hasraised fair questionsabout theorganization’sfuture at themost importantposition
Carr has two more seasons left on his contract, and he is set tocount awhopping $69.2 million against theteam’s 2026 salary cap thanks to previous restructures. Behind him, the Saints have 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler and 2023 fourth-rounder Jake Haenerasdevelopmental players.
Giventheir investment in the position,itseems unlikely theSaints —a team withagood many holes to plug anda desire to compete sooner rather than later —will use one of theirpremium draft assetsona quarterback. And with tworecent draft picks withplaying experience already on the roster, another developmental pick doesn’tseem to make much sense,either But let’swade through the scenario
NF DR
where they buck conventional wisdom and attempt to secure theirfuture anyway
The‘sell thefarm’ option MIAMI QB CAM WARD: Barring something extraordinaryhappening, there’seffectively zero chance Ward is there when the Saints pick at No. 9. While there is no such thing as aconsensus in scouting players, Ward is widely viewed as the best quarterback in this class, anda team will almostcertainly snap him up withone of the top three picks —potentially even theTennesseeTitans, who
hold the No. 1overall selection. So,ifthe Saints really wanted Ward, theywould have to make amoveto gethim. And to ensure they got him, theywould have to trade up to No. 1, ahead of quarterback-needy teams like the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants. The last time ateam traded from No. 9toNo. 1was two years ago, when the Carolina Panthers sent agiant package to the Chicago Bears for the top
Tyler Shough
Shedeur Sanders
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Flagg, Pearl, Pitino garner AP player, coach honors
The awards handed out by The Associated Press for national player of the year and coach of the year have a distinctive theme. Duke star Cooper Flagg is The Associated Press national player of the year Flagg is just the fourth freshman to win the award. He joins Duke’s Zion Williamson, Kentucky’s Anthony Davis and Texas star Kevin Durant. Flagg received 41 of 61 votes.
The national coach of the year ended in a tie for the first time in the award’s 58-year history Bruce Pearl of Auburn and Rick Pitino of St. John’s are the AP coaches of the year with each receiving 20 votes. St. John’s matched a school record with 34 wins. Pearl led Auburn to a school-record 32 wins and the program’s second Final Four
Ex-Tiger Carter scores 21 points in all-star game
Former LSU men’s basketball player Cam Carter showed his skills Friday afternoon with a 21-point performance in the annual NABC All-Star Game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, site of Saturday’s NCAA Final Four
Back to the title game
BY ALANIS THAMES AP sportswriter
TAMPA, Fla. — Dawn Staley has never lost a national championship game in three trips as South Carolina’s coach.
Part of the key to winning those decisive games? Forgetting about what happened the last time she was there. And this time, that was only a year ago.
Staley’s reigning champion Gamecocks left no doubt they would return to the title game, getting 14 points from Te-Hina Paopao and overwhelming Texas 74-57 on Friday night in the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
“Nothing that happened prior to here is going to help us on Sunday Nothing,” Staley said. “Saying that we’re undefeated in national championships games I wish it helped I wish it would spot us 10 points because we’re undefeated. I’d feel really good about that.”
The Gamecocks are a win away from becoming the first team to secure consecutive titles since UConn won four straight from 2013-16. The Huskies faced UCLA in Friday’s second semifinal.
Freshman Joyce Edwards added 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for South Carolina (35-3), which used its experience and poise to weather an early deficit, and then took control with its depth at both ends of the floor
Three South Carolina players finished in double figures — Bree Hall had 11 points — and the Gamecocks dominated Texas in the post with 40 points in the paint
From left, South Carolina
to the Longhorns’ 22. Madison Booker had 11 points with three fouls for the Longhorns (35-4), who were trying to reach their first championship since 1986. They were in the Final Four for the first time since 2003 after a dominant season, which was their first in the Southeastern Conference after coming over from the Big 12.
Texas went 15-1 against the SEC in the regular season and shared
the conference title with the Gamecocks.
South Carolina broke open the game in the third quarter with an 11-0 run started by Edwards’ driving layup, and Texas never got closer than 10 the rest of the way Booker Texas’ leading scorer was held without a basket after making a jumper at the seven-minute mark of the third.
The Longhorns could not match South Carolina’s pace as the game
went on. They only scored nine points in the third, including bad mid-range misses from Booker and Harmon. Harmon, a senior who returned this season from an ACL injury last year, finished with eight points. Jordan Lee led Texas with 16 points off the bench.
“Not our best night tonight,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said, “but it wasn’t because they weren’t out there battling and trying. We lost to the better team tonight.”
Auburn, Florida last SEC teams still standing
BY STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP sportswriter
SAN ANTONIO Auburn and Florida are the last two standing of a record 14 Southeastern Conference teams that made the NCAA Tournament. Only one of them will get to play for the national championship.
In a Final Four filled with No. 1 seeds, the SEC regular-season champion Tigers (32-5) play the conference tournament-winning Gators in the first national semifinal game Saturday in the Alamodome. The matchup pits AllAmericans Johni Broome and Walter Clayton against each other yet again.
“The success that the league has had in the tournament has been pretty amazing,” Gators coach Todd Golden said. “The league obviously (got) a lot of respect, a lot of notoriety after the nonconference Once you get to elite play, people wonder how real it is. I believe the results we have had so far in the NCAA Tournament speak to that.” Florida (34-4), which has won 10 in a row since the start of March, twice during the regular season beat No. 1-ranked SEC teams. The
Gators first won by 30 points at Tennessee, then a month later had a 90-81 win at Auburn on Feb. 8 that solidified how they felt about their team.
“It just gave us confidence because we always believed that we (were) the No. 1 team after we beat them,” said Alijah Martin, the only Gators player with Final Four experience (with FAU two years ago.)
“They just out-toughed us that game, they did everything that we didn’t do,” Auburn freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford said.
After the tournament’s first Final Four matchup of SEC teams, the winner will play Duke or Houston with the opportunity to clinch their league’s first national title in men’s basketball since Kentucky in 2012. The last before that were Florida’s back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007. Some turbulence along the way Auburn, the No. 1 overall NCAA seed, began this season with an inflight disturbance caused by players on the way to a win at Houston.
The Tigers were 21-1 before losing to the Gators — the lone setback before that was at Duke in the eighth game. They lost three of their last four games before the
NCAA tourney
“Just continue this streak that we’re on these past four games. We’ve been the most physical team of every team we’ve played against,” starting center Dylan Cardwell said, adding that the Tigers knew they could become a big bust or maybe the greatest team in school history “We chose the latter.”
Facing Broome again
Alex Condon, Florida’s 6-foot-11 post from Australia, had no problem being physical with Broome when the teams first played. He plans to be again.
“He’s going to be wanting to come out and prove that he’s a better player than me,” Condon said. “So I think I did a good job last time just coming out and initiating the physicality with him And yeah, I know I’m going to be ready to go.”
Condon had 17 points and 10 rebounds in that win over the Tigers. Broome had 18 points on 8-of-19 shooting with 11 rebounds. Broome had 25 points and 14 rebounds in the South Regional
final win over Michigan State on Sunday but briefly left in the second half after his right elbow bent
awkwardly during a hard fall. He grabbed several rebounds and with one arm after returning, but also swooshed a 3-pointer
Even with some kind of brace on his right elbow covered by a sleeve, the Tigers leading scorer said he had no pain and no limitations for the Final Four
“I felt great in practice yesterday I feel great today and I’ll be even better tomorrow,” Broome said Friday Clayton’s full 40
The only game Clayton has played every minute this season was against Auburn, four days after he missed a game while dealing with a sore ankle.
With fellow starting guard Martin out injured against the Tigers, Clayton had 19 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Clayton was big when the Gators had to rally twice in March Madness. He scored 13 of his 23 points in the final eight minutes in a 77-75 win in the second round that ended UConn’s pursuit of a third national title in a row, then on Sunday hit two late 3-pointers as Florida came from nine points down with less than three minutes left to
This came one evening after Carter finished third in the 3-point shooting contest, also in San Antonio.
Carter’s West team lost 100-91, but the Donaldsonville native was the co-high scorer in the game with his 21 points. Carter made 8 of 14 field goals, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range and 2 of 3 from the freethrow line.
Carter also had four rebounds and three assists while playing a game-high 24 minutes.
David Joplin, who played for Marquette, was the leading scorer for the East team with 21 points.
Morant’s aiming-a-gun gesture earns him fine MIAMI — Ja Morant showed off an imaginary gun. The NBA hit back with a real fine. A day after Morant again used his aiminga-gun gesture to celebrate making a 3-pointer, the Grizzlies’ star was fined $75,000 by the league Friday It’s the second time this week that Morant who was suspended twice in 2023 for incidents with actual weapons — heard from the league about mimicking the act of using a gun during a game. The first interaction with the league office resulted in a warning, after Morant and Golden State’s Buddy Hield made the gesture at one another during a game on Tuesday
Harman’s 66 gives him 4-shot lead at Texas Open SANANTONIO Brian Harman found the range with his iron shots and converted eight birdie putts Friday, none outside 12 feet, for a 6-under 66 that gave him a four-shot lead over Keith Mitchell going into the weekend at the Texas Open. At 12-under 132, Harman has his first 36-hole lead since Bay Hill a year ago, and this is the largest lead he’s had at the midway point since he led by five at Hoylake in 2023 when he won the British Open. Mitchell, who needs a victory to get into the Masters next week, had an up-and-down day that added to an even-par 72. He did make some birdies coming in holing a pair of 12-foot putts, only to take bogey from a bunker on the par-3 seventh hole and close with two pars.Harman was at 12-under 132 at the TPC San Antonio.
Former Falcons star WR Jones says he is retiring ATLANTA — Julio Jones, a seventime Pro Bowl selection and the leading receiver in Atlanta Falcons history, has announced his retirement.
The 36-year-old Jones did not play in 2024 after spending 2023 with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jones played for Atlanta from 2011-2021, setting franchise records with 848 catches for 12,896 yards.
He had 60 touchdown catches with the Falcons and was a twotime first-team All-Pro. He earned three second-team All-Pro honors. Overall, Jones caught 914 passes for 13,703 yards and 66 touchdowns in 13 NFL seasons. He led the NFL in yards receiving in 2015 and 2018.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX
guard Bree Hall, forward Chloe Kitts and forward Sania Feagin react late in the second half of their Final Four game against Texas on Friday in Tampa, Fla.
Tigers take turns stirring up vibes
Several players have followed Hellmers in hype huddle
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
NORMAN, Okla. His teammates called him “Bill.”
Will Hellmers was beloved by his peers during his four years at LSU. The veteran right-hander worked in a variety of roles even spending a short stint at third base as a freshman.
But if there was one role Hellmers consistently held during his time at LSU it was serving as the team’s designated hype man before games.
“We were talking about it the other day, and it’s like, Will memorized 150 speeches over the last two years,” redshirt sophomore Mic Paul said. “It’s like he had a different one every day.” With Hellmers no longer around, a handful of players have tried to fill his old role. Junior Jared Jones, sophomore Jake Brown and sopho-
LSU
Continued from page 1C
and want to fight for each other and the letters on our chest. I think tonight showed that.” LSU (33-4, 7-3 SEC) registered its last run-rule win over Alabama 9-1 on April 6, 2002.
The Tigers, who host the Crimson Tide (27-14, 4-6) at 6 p.m. Saturday were back at home for the first time since losing a doubleheader to South Carolina for their first series loss last weekend
“We had two really good days of prep,” LSU coach Beth Torina said. “I think the team was excited. They were fired up There was a lot of buzz around the park and a lot of excitement. Great way to get the series started that way.”
Berzon (15-2) couldn’t have asked for more from her teammates. She threw 45 of 68 pitches for strikes, scattering four singles with no walks and struck out five. It was her 15th complete game and fifth shutout of the season.
“I take every single thing from each weekend,” said Berzon, the losing pitcher in last week’s finale “I look at the stuff that kind of got away from me and see how I could improve this week. Just being strong with it, keep learning, keep persevering through it all. The SEC’s hard. Just taking as much energy and confidence as I could into this weekend.”
The LSU bats were sizzling from the first inning until Jalia Lassiter’s two-run homer in the fourth inning accounted for the final score.
more right-hander Deven Sheerin are among the players who have taken on the pregame responsibility
It’s not something every Tiger is cut out for Not for me,” junior Daniel Dickinson said. “I’m too quiet, locked in before the game.”
The first player to take a crack at it was Sheerin. The Mount St. Mary’s transfer will likely miss the entire year while recovering from a torn ACL, but his energy and enthusiasm made him a perfect candidate for the role on opening day
At the start of the season, he allegedly smashed a can of Monster energy drink on his head.
“I don’t know what’s going on there,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “But hey man, I told the team today, there’s no substitute for enthusiasm, so I guess that’s showing enthusiasm.”
Brown and Jones have taken more reps at the role recently Jones said he’ll memorize movie quotes or an old Nick Saban speech.
“We’ll see what else I can mem-
orize and come up with,” Jones said.
Before one of LSU’s wins over North Dakota State, Jones recited a quote from the 2010 Will Ferrell comedy film “The Other Guys.” It was the scene where Mark Wahlberg’s character confronts Ferrell by saying that, “If I were a lion and you were a tuna, I would swim out into the middle of the ocean and eat you.”
“I changed it to Tigers, obviously,” Jones said, “and Bison because it was North Dakota State.”
Whatever movies, speeches or banter Jones and his teammates have come up with has mostly worked Replicating Hellmers was always going to be a tall order, but LSU entered this weekend with a 27-3 record and a 7-2 record in Southeastern Conference play
The good vibes have translated onto the diamond.
“I feel really relaxed out there,” Brown said. “I’m having a good time. I love all the guys that I get to play with every day.”
LSU
The Tigers took a 3-0 lead in the opening inning on five hits, knocking starting pitcher Emily Winstead (7-3) out of the game after only one out. That matched Winstead’s shortest outing of the season and the most runs she’s allowed.
“We knew that wasn’t us,” Lassiter said of the conclusion of the South Carolina series. “We knew the energy that we bring every day, and we knew we had to get to practice and work on that. We definitely brought that tonight, and we’re definitely going to bring that the rest of the series.”
Back-to-back hits from Danieca Coffey, a double, and Lassiter, a single, produced a 1-0 lead that increased on run-scoring singles from McKenzie Redoutey and Savanna Bedell.
Harper says ‘only losers complain’ about how much champion Dodgers spend
BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter
PHILADELPHIA Phillies slugger
Bryce Harper loves LA — well, at least the World Series champion Dodgers’ freewheeling spending on their way to a nearly $320 million payroll.
A two-time NL MVP, Harper was blunt Friday ahead of a three-game series with the champs about those in baseball who whine about the Dodgers payroll and signing of Japanese stars.
“I don’t know if people will like this,” Harper said, “but I feel like only losers complain about what they’re doing. I think they’re a great team and a great organization.”
Major League Baseball’s average salary broke the $5 million barrier on opening day for the first time, according to a study by The Associated Press.
The New York Mets, with Juan Soto’s record $61.9 million pay led MLB for the third straight opening day with a $322.6 million payroll, just ahead of Dodgers at $319.5 million. Adding Blake Snell, Michael Conforto, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, the Dodgers boosted payroll by a big leaguehigh $69 million from opening day last year
Los Angeles’ payroll figure was held down by deferred payments. Shohei Ohtani’s $70 million salary was discounted to a present-day value of $28.2 million because it won’t be paid in full until 2035, causing him to be listed as the 18th-highest-paid player Other Dodgers with deferred payments include Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Scott, Will Smith and Snell.
The matchup between Harper
and the NL East champion Phillies and Ohtani ‘s Dodgers had the city buzzing with another packed Citizens Bank Park.
Harper is in the seventh season of a a $330 million, 13-year contract, at the time the largest deal in baseball history The Phillies have also been big spenders in recent seasons under owner John Middleton and reached the playoffs three straight seasons. Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler will earn $42 million as the secondhighest paid player in the game. The Phillies opened with a $283.3 million payroll, third-highest in baseball.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said during the offseason he received emails from fans concerned over the sport’s lack of a salary cap following an offseason spending spree by the Los Angeles Dodgers that sparked increased attention over the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement in December 2027.
“We need to pay attention to it and need to determine whether there are things that can be done to allay those kinds of concerns and make sure we have a competitive and healthy game going forward,” Manfred said in February Los Angeles had $353 million luxury tax payroll in winning last year’s World Series and had to pay a $103 million tax.
“That’s why guys want to go there and play L.A.’s a great city to play in, obviously,” Harper said. “They’re at the mecca of kind of the world of everything –- from food to nightlife to sports to the Dodgers to the Lakers to anybody They’re going to continue to get guys, they’re going to pull guys from the sport. If that’s bullpen, or starting pitching, international players anything like that, they’re doing what the Dodgers do.”
Late night for Jaguars
third baseman Shannon Martin on a play Friday
Radcliffe was safe on the play.The game went into extra
and ended after this edition went to press. For complete coverage, visit theadvocate.com.
SERIES
Continued from page 1C
home
hitting a
An inning after Maci Bergeron was robbed of a home run at the wall by Alabama left fielder Lauren Johnson, LSU didn’t leave any doubt in the third with an RBI single from Maddox McKee that was coupled with a throwing error that allowed two more runs to score for a 6-0 lead. Coffey (2 for 2) singled to start the fourth and Lassiter (2 for 3, 3 RBIs) crushed a 1-0 delivery from Bama reliever Braya Hodges over the wall in left for her career-high fifth homer of the season.
“We were in this spot last weekend, and it didn’t go our way,” Torina said. “We have to make sure we don’t take anything for granted. They understand this is the SEC and it requires your best game every day no matter what the day before held.”
the Sooners to help give LSU a 10-2 win and the series victory Eyanson finished with eight strikeouts while tossing a seasonhigh 107 pitches. He walked four batters, but he did a good job of keeping the ball out of the middle of the zone. He allowed just one extra-base hit, a double in the third inning. Both Oklahoma runs came in the third inning on a run-scoring single and a two-out, run-scoring double. Neither tally was earned because the leadoff hitter reached on an error committed by redshirt junior third baseman Tanner Reaves. Freshman right-hander Casan Evans replaced Eyanson and got a strikeout to escape the sixth. He then tossed a scoreless seventh, eighth and ninth to close out the win. Two-out hitting in the second inning handed LSU a four-run lead.
Junior Chris Stanfield kicked off the rally with a two-run double that drove in senior Josh Pearson and sophomore Steven Milam. Stanfield then scored on
freshman Derek Curiel’s bloop double down the right-field line. LSU stretched its lead to 4-0 after Jared Jones drove in Curiel with a single.
Curiel’s hit extended his onbase streak to 32 games, tying the LSU freshman record for consecutive games on base (since at least 1985) with Mike Fontenot (2000). The California native has reached base in every game. LSU went scoreless for the next three innings but tallied six runs over the next four innings including four in the ninth — to open up the score. Pearson homered twice blasting solo shots in the sixth and ninth innings. The second homer handed LSU an 8-2 lead and was his fifth of the year Junior Daniel Dickinson also homered to lead off the ninth.
Jones, Stanfield, Dickinson, Pearson and senior Luis Hernandez each had multiple hits. LSU ended the night with 15 hits and went 7 for 15 with two outs. LSU will finish its series with Oklahoma on Saturday First pitch is slated for 2 p.m., and the game will be available to stream on SEC Network+
Email Koki Riley at Koki. Riley@theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
center fielder Jalia Lassiter celebrates after
two-run
run against Alabama in the fourth inning of their game on Friday at Tiger Park.
STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
LSU first baseman Jared Jones celebrates after hitting a grand slam against UL on March 25 at Alex Box Stadium.
STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
Southern center fielder Jacoby Radcliffe, right, collides with Grambling
at Lee-Hines Field.
innings
How will Mulkey, LSU approach
o
ffseason churn?
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
Before she even left Spokane Arena, the site of her LSU women’s basketball team’s Elite Eight loss to UCLA, coach Kim Mulkey turned her focus to next season
“It’s time to get in the portal,” she said Sunday Mulkey wasn’t kidding On Tuesday, she told ESPN 104.5 FM that she had begun calling players who had entered the transfer portal on her team’s Sunday evening flight from Spokane, Washington, to Baton Rouge.
These days, college coaches can’t afford to waste much time. The portal already had been open for six days by the time the Tigers’ season ended. Rosters were churning, and programs already were recruiting Mulkey thinks the current landscape is “broken,” but she has no choice but to navigate it if she wants to field a team that can return to the women’s Final Four next season
Two LSU contributors are out of eligibility: Aneesah Morrow and Shayeann Day-Wilson. Two others are in the transfer portal: Sa’Myah Smith and Last-Tear Poa Flau’jae Johnson, perhaps the most important piece of all, reportedly has passed on the WNBA draft, but as of Friday, she has neither officially announced that decision nor formally stated she’s returning to the Tigers for her senior year. The portal is open for her, too, and it will be until April 23.
“This one leaves, this one goes, this one comes,” Mulkey said. “So next year, we’ll start this thing up again and see what kind of team you have and go to work.
Here’s a guide to LSU’s offseason, centered around the moves it can make in the transfer portal. Transfer portal
Last offseason, LSU searched the portal for a lead ballhandler and backcourt depth.
This year, its most urgent needs lie in the front court.
Morrow and Smith started 28 games together this season, combining to play nearly threefourths of the total minutes Mulkey gave to all five of her frontcourt players.
LSU is set to add Grace Knox, a 6-foot-2 high school forward ranked as the sixth-best recruit in her class, according to ESPN.
But three of its five forwards and centers from the 2024-2025 team, including senior Amani Bartlett, are now out the door, which leaves Jersey Wolfenbarger and Aalyah Del Rosario as the only frontcourt incumbents. To shore up their post spots, the Tigers can pursue some highprofile transfers.
Serah Williams, a 6-4 forward from Wisconsin, is a three-year starter a mainstay on the All-Big Ten defensive team and one of the top portal entries of 2025. This season, she averaged 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 49% from the field. Her blocks average led the conference in both her freshman (1.9) and sophomore years (2.8).
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Coming out of Thursday’s first semifinal were No. 8 Michigan State and No. 9 Kentucky The Spartans, who got a perfect 10 on vault from regional all-around champion Gabrielle Stephen, scored a 197.625 while UK was at 197.525.
To illustrate Clark’s point about
Ovechkin scores twice to tie Gretzky’s record
BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP hockey writer
WASHINGTON Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record by scoring the 894th of his career, setting off a wild celebration on the ice with his teammates and chants of “Ovi! Ovi!” in the crowd that included the “Great One” himself.
The Washington Capitals defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3.
Ovechkin scored on a power play with 13:46 left Friday night, stopping the game while fans rose to their feet to applaud the longtime Capitals captain. Clearly emotional, he skated several laps around center ice asking for more cheers, then returned to the bench where he blew kisses to members of his family in a suite.
A video montage of Ovechkin’s path to 894 played on arena video boards during the next stoppage in play He’s now one goal away from breaking one of hockey’s biggest records.
Like Morrow, former Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon, standing at 6 feet, is a tad undersized for the position she’d play at LSU.
But the former Big Ten Freshman of the Year has earned all-conference first-team recognition in two consecutive years, seasons in which she’s led the Buckeyes to a pair of top-four NCAA Tournament seeds. McMahon averaged 16.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this season while also converting 37% of the 3.1 shots she took from beyond the arc each night.
LSU also could take another shot at rising sophomore Kate Koval, a 6-5 center who’s now in the portal. She was the nation’s No. 5 recruit in the 2024 class, according to ESPN, and she considered the Tigers before she committed to Notre Dame.
Freshman class
LSU’s No. 1 freshman class is a group of four of the seven most highly rated recruits Mulkey and her staff have signed since she left Baylor in 2021, according to ESPN rankings.
Knox, 5-10 guard Divine Bourrage, 6-foot guard ZaKiyah Johnson and 5-9 guard Bella Hines can all, in some capacity, contribute to next season’s team.
But how heavily can LSU rely on them?
On Tuesday, Knox and Johnson played in the McDonald’s AllAmerica Game. Knox converted two of her eight field-goal attempts and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds Johnson notched 11 points, four rebounds and two steals on 5-of-14 shooting from the field.
The last time the Tigers enrolled four recruits who comprised the nation’s top freshman class, they also signed the country’s top two transfers: Hailey Van Lith and Morrow Two of the four prospects (Angelica Velez and Janae Kent) transferred to different schools after their freshman seasons.
Developing and retaining this incoming class will be key for an LSU team that needs depth.
The group’s ability to contribute next season could determine how close the Tigers ultimately come to beating South Carolina in the SEC and reaching the Final Four again.
Other questions
Two All-American guards are in the portal, but will LSU pursue either of them? And are they interested in joining the Tigers?
Both Ta’Niya Latson — the Florida State guard who led the nation in scoring this season — and Olivia Miles the Notre Dame star who made a surprise decision to pass on the draft — will have a long list of suitors.
With or without Latson and Miles, will LSU still pursue a transfer point guard like it has in each of the previous two transfer cycles? The two players who combined to start all but one game at the point last season (Poa and Day-Wilson) are moving on. But LSU can bring back both Mjracle Sheppard, a sophomore defensive ace, and Jada Richard, a sharp-shooting freshman from Lafayette.
being better, both Michigan State and Kentucky surpassed their season NQS (National Qualifying Scores) average. The Spartans were at 197.360, the Wildcats at 197.315, for the season. “Both of them are worthy of going to nationals,” Clark said. In Thursday’s meet, the Tigers performed inside a remarkably tight scoring band, posting nothing lower than a 9.85 and nothing higher than a 9.95. That was from
With Gretzky in attendance for the first time during the chase, Ovechkin gave him and nearly everyone else in the building reason to cheer early by scoring his 893rd goal less than four minutes in. He took a pass from Dylan Strome behind the net and banked the puck off the far post and goaltender
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin celebrates after scoring his 894th goal in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday in Washington.With the goal, Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record.
Spencer Knight’s back and in.
After a few seconds, Ovechkin’s personal goal song, “Shake, Rattle & Roll” by Big Joe Turner, started blaring from arena speakers as mascot Slapshot flipped the coun-
ter in one corner from 892 to 893. Scoring in a fourth consecutive game, Ovechkin reached 40 goals for a 14th time in 20 seasons, which is the most in league history With his second, he is at 41.
LSU loses starter, but picks up transfer
McMahon, Tigers now have four portal commitments
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
The comings and goings keep on rolling for the LSU men’s basketball team.
Late Thursday night, Portland junior Max Mackinnon became the fourth commitment for LSU out of the transfer portal, as confirmed by the player’s social-media account
Then on Friday, LSU starting center Daimion Collins announced on Instagram that he has decided to enter the transfer portal.
“After careful consideration,” the redshirt junior said in his statement, “I have decided to enter the transfer portal. This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the best step for my future and continued development Thank you Tiger Nation, for your unwavering support. I will always carry these experiences and lessons with me as I embark on this new chapter.”
SAINTS
Continued from page 1C
select Bryce Young. The trade has been universally panned in the aftermath, as Young has struggled to establish himself. That type of haul is about the going rate for the top pick. And, even in the event of an unexpected Ward slide out of the top 3 picks, the Saints still almost certainly would have to give up multiple first-rounders to move up. New Orleans would have to be utterly convinced that Ward would develop into a high-level quarterback, especially as the team would lack assets to build around him.
Is Ward that guy? It’s tough to say After stints at Incarnate Word and Washington State, Ward enjoyed a superb 2024 season at Miami, throwing for 39 touchdowns against seven interceptions while finishing fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He’s a creative player and a talented thrower But there does seem to be more risk associated with him than some other recent QB1s.
The wild-card option
COLORADO QB SHEDEUR SANDERS: While he is widely considered the next best quarterback prospect in
senior Aleah Finnegan on beam in LSU’s final routine of the night, allowing her to tie for the regional individual title in that event. Overall, 20 of the Tigers’ 24 scores were 9.90 or better, with 15 of them right at 9.90. Clark credited that to the skill his gymnasts exhibited during their routines but a string of small hops on the landings that prevented LSU from earning more scores like Finnegan’s on beam.
Collins also thanked his teammates, coach Matt McMahon and the staff. The 6-foot-9, 200-pound Collins averaged 8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 20.4 minutes per game. Collins, a former five-star recruit who started his career at Kentucky, shot 58% from the field and 20.4% on 3-pointers. He started 22 games in place of Jalen Reed, who suffered a seasonending ACL injury on Dec. 3. Collins missed almost all of his true junior year during the 2023-24 season when he dislocated his right shoulder He suffered the same injury a few times this season but only missed two games.
He played 152 more minutes this season than he did in his first three college seasons combined. One of his best games was a career-high 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, four blocks and four rebounds in an 82-79 win over Oklahoma on Feb. 15.
Collins is the sixth player this offseason to enter the transfer portal. He joins freshman Vyctorius
the draft, Sanders’ draft projections are all over the map. Some are pegging him in the top five, others have him as a late firstrounder Some wonder whether his arm strength translates to the NFL game; others point out his success on vertical throws in college. And this isn’t even getting into the hype that goes with his family lineage as the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. He’s a polarizing player who may or may not be available when the Saints’ turn comes around. If he is there, it will be fascinating to see what the Saints do. At his best, Sanders is a pointguard style of quarterback. He led the NCAA in completion percentage (74%) and finished his two-year run at Colorado with a 71.8% completion percentage. But there are questions about how his skills will translate to the professional game that make him a high-risk, high-reward play
The buzzy options
OLE MISS QB JAXSON DART, LOUISVILLE QB TYLER SHOUGH: Not every year is the same when it comes to the draft, but the way last year’s unfolded may provide some insight. Quarterbacks went off the board with the top three selections, which was expected, but what came next was not. The Falcons shocked people
Finnegan and freshman Kailin Chio tied for first place in the semifinal in the all-around with scores of 39.625, while senior Haleigh Bryant was a close fourth (39.575).
Miller, redshirt freshman Corey Chest, sophomore Mike Williams, junior Noah Boyde and junior Tyrell Ward.
Mackinnon, a 6-6, 200-pound guard, made the All-West Coast Conference second team after averaging 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. His efficiency is noteworthy as he shot 46.7% from the field, 40.7% from 3 and 88.7% from the free-throw line.
The Brisbane, Australia, native started his career at Elon where he played two seasons. As a freshman he was the Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Year after averaging 11.3 points on 46.7% field-goal shooting.
Mackinnon’s best game this was a 43-point explosion in a 92-82 win over conference foe San Diego. He went 9 of 17 from the field, 7 of 9 from beyond the arc, and had seven rebounds and four assists. Mackinnon joins UNLV point guard Dedan Thomas, Northeastern guard Rashad King and Mississippi State center Michael Nwoko as offseason additions from the portal for LSU.
when they selected Michael Penix at No. 8, and then two more quarterbacks went in the next four picks — J.J. McCarthy to Minnesota at No. 10, and Bo Nix to Denver at No. 12. Six quarterbacks in the first 12 picks, two of whom — Penix and Nix — were projected by some to go as late as Day 2 of the draft. When it comes to quarterbacks, there are risers almost every year, and this year’s versions may be Dart and Shough, who have both generated buzz recently as potential first-rounders. Dart was a three-year starter at Ole Miss after transferring from USC. He led the Southeastern Conference in passing last season (4,279) and led the country in passer rating (180.7 on the college scale, 122.7 on the NFL scale). He is not big by NFL standards, but he is sturdily built at 6-foot-2, 223. Like Sanders, there are questions about his arm strength.
There’s a lot to like about Shough, who has a prototypical build at 6-5 and 219 pounds and has the ability to push the ball downfield. But there are a lot of drawbacks, too: He suffered three season-ending injuries in college (two broken collarbones, one broken leg), ultimately playing seven seasons at three schools, and he will be a 26-year-old rookie.
Though Clark has said he has been averse to changing the chemistry of the LSU lineups this late in the season, he said he considered giving Chio a rest on floor and putting in sophomore Konnor McClain for the first time in that event this season. McClain has competed only on bars and beam this season after suffering an Achilles injury in May during a pre-Olympic meet, but Clark said it was a possibility she could perform on floor Saturday and possibly warm up on vault as well. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU coach Kim Mulkey talks with guard Flau’jae Johnson during a game against Auburn on Jan. 5 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center
THE VARSITY ZONE
Madison
Catholic guard Tyrian
while going for
championship game on March 8 at the University Center in Hammond.
Madison Prep’s Smith takes Class 3A honor
Richwood boys sweep major awards
Written for The LSWA
The storied Richwood boys basketball program won its first state championship since 2012 this spring.
As a result, the Rams can add another pair of awards to their record books after coach Terry Martin and junior standout Lavell Lane swept the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s superlatives for the Class 3A boys all-state team.
On the girls’ side, top honors went to another pair of state finalists in Academy of Sacred HeartNew Orleans coach Courtney Ward and Madison Prep sophomore Brooklyn Smith.
Lane earned the season-long recognition after leading the Rams this season with 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks per game.
The junior wing was also the Division III nonselect title-game Outstanding Player with his 19 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block to lead a rout of reigning champion Marksville.
Lane and Martin led Richwood to a 23-9 record this season and its sixth state championship, the past four (2005, 2009, 2012 and 2025) coming under the longtime coach.
Smith helped power Madison Prep to a 20-14 record against a challenging schedule, navigate the ups and downs and make a run to an eighth title game in the past 10 years.
The guard finished the season with averages of 18 points, five assists and three rebounds including leading the Chargers Di-
Evie West
PLAYER: Brooklyn Smith, Madison Prep COACH OF THE YEAR: Courtney Ward, Sacred Heart-N.O.
mention
Amos, Northwest; Jolie Baumgarten, South Beauregard; Zya Broden, St. James; Lybi Cross, Buckeye; Azyria Garrison, Berwick; Alyria Greene, Abbeville; Gabby Guillory, Westlake; Auriyon Lambert, Lake Charles College Prep; Taylor Lee, University Lab; Ryli Martin, University Lab; Alana Myles, Bastrop; Kaidence Ponder, Albany; Auri Ray, Madison Prep; Sadie St. Pe, Buckeye; Kylee Savant, Doyle; Kevbrasia Thomas, Booker T. Washington; Allie West, Buckeye; Triniti Williams, Jena; Kayleah Wilson Bastrop.
vision II select semifinal win over University High with 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Madison Prep was the runnerup to Vandebilt Catholic in Division II. Ward, in her third season at Sacred Heart, led the program to a 20-7 record, the No. 2 seed in the Division III select bracket and the program’s first title game. The Cardinals had suffered six straight losing seasons before Ward’s arrival from his previous job at St. Martin’s Episcopal but have now gone a combined 49-22 under her leadership with at least one playoff win each season.
Diverse U-High boys bowling team on a roll
Football power in its first state semifinal
BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer
There are no plays to call or sig-
nals for Aaron Vice to relay into his second University High team.
“I don’t think I ever expected to do an interview about bowling but this is awesome,” Vice said. “And so is this team.
“They’re a great group some are traditional bowlers. Others came from other sports. It’s been quite a ride. We’re excited about this week.”
The sixth-seeded Cubs made history by qualifying for the LHSAA bowling championships for the first time. U-High meets No. 10 Belle Chasse in a Cinderella boys semifinal battle set for 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Premier Lanes in Gonzales. The winner takes on the winner of No. 1 Shaw vs. fourthseeded South Terrebonne in the Division II final set for 1:30 p.m.
Vice is U-High’s football offensive coordinator He shares coaching duties with Brad Norwood, the former Zachary bowling coach, who now teaches at U-High. Former U-High football coach Chad Mahaffey, who is now the Walker football coach, started the U-High bowling program. Current head football coach Andy Martin also was the bowling coach before passing the torch to Vice, who bowled at Metro Bowl in physical education classes as a Redemptorist student.
“I came into this knowing a little about bowling, but not what Brad and these other guys do,” Vice said.
“The fun part for me is watching this team bond and compete.
“We’ve got football players. We’ve got guys who have never bowled before. And we’ve got three guys who will attend military academies next year.”
The 10-member U-High team is led freshman Jackson Dukes, who has a 204 average in his second season on the team Junior Daniel Russo is a third-year bowler with a 195 average and has won 90% of his head-to-head matchups. Eighth-grader Liam Davis has a 160 average and is a team newcomer The other seven bowlers are seniors with diverse backgrounds. John Hebert is an all-state offensive lineman set to play football at the Naval Academy Hebert is in his second year on the team. Adam Carruth was a member of the swim team who is set to attend West Point.
Another senior, Clint Heroman, provided an MVP-type performance in a 171/2 to 91/2 win over third-seeded David Thibodaux in the quarterfinals. Heroman came into the matchup with a 121 average and rolled a season-high 178 and a 174 to clinch the victory The other seniors — Matthew Mele (winning record, improving average), Barton Phillips (Naval Academy bound, second-year team member), Preston Jones (Nicholls State football commitment) and Leonce Griffin (football player) complete the roster
“The team dynamic is interesting. We we have younger guys who are the best bowlers and older athletes have a lot of experience in other sports,” Vice said. “The young bowlers know the sport and help their teammates technically
“Guys like John and Preston have experience in so many competitive situations. They help the younger guys navigate that.” Belle Chasse beat second-seeded St. Thomas More 22-5 in its quarterfinal and poses a formidable challenge.
“Those guys (Belle Chasse) are good,” Vice said. “Looks like it could be close. What a great opportunity.”
Email Robin Fambrough at rfambrough@theadvocate.com
Baseball
Thursday’s scores Ascension Christian 15, White Castle 0 Family Christian 18, Northeast 3 St. John 13, East Iberville 0 Tara 16, McKinley, 4 Central Private 14, Kentwood 4 Central Private 7, Kentwood 0 Walker 7, Dutchtown 6 Catholic 12, University 8 Central 12, Liberty 3 Live Oak 4, St. Amant 1 Plaquemine 2, St. Michael 1 Denham Springs 6, Prairieville 4 Dunham 10, East Ascension 3 Friday’s games Ascension Christian 14, Southern Lab 1 West
Adalyn Farrell, Denham Springs 6-4, 6-0
Hunter, Sanders put on a show at Colorado’s pro day
BY ARNIE STAPLETON and
PAT GRAHAM
AP sportswriters
BOULDER, Colo. — Shedeur Sanders insisted Friday he doesn’t necessarily need the bright lights of Broadway or the Bellagio at the outset of his NFL journey. He suggested he could just as easily thrive for the “Dawg Pound” fan base in Cleveland.
“I could bring cameras and eyes anywhere I go,” Sanders declared after throwing passes to a fantas-
tic foursome of two-way star Travis Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr., Will Sheppard and LaJohnty Wester at Colorado’s pro day dubbed the “We Ain’t Hard 2 Find Showcase.” “It don’t matter where I go, I know the influence I have on the society and the culture,” Sanders said “So wherever I go it’s definitely going to be an improvement than what it was before I got there.” Sanders proclaimed he’s the top quarterback in the NFL draft on April 24, although most mock
drafts have the Tennessee Titans taking Miami QB Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick, followed by either Sanders or Hunter, the 21-year-old two-way star and Heisman Trophy winner who skipped the testing periods Friday but shined while running routes and catching passes without gloves — from Sanders. Hunter also shunned the postworkout podium after scores of NFL talent evaluators from all 32 teams descended on Colorado’s campus for the showcase whose
was a nod to one of “Coach Prime” Deion Sanders’ mottos. NFL Network broadcast the event and ESPN also was on hand. The Browns own the second overall pick in the draft, followed by the New York Giants. Although both Sanders and Hunter figure to be selected in the top three picks, the Las Vegas Raiders could try to move up from sixth. Deion Sanders has said he wants Shedeur to go to the right team with the right fit and he portrayed the Browns as an ideal possibility
when asked about Shedeur and Hunter having dined with Browns bigwigs Thursday night. No matter where he lands, Shedeur Sanders will be part of a rebuild, something he said he used to: “I don’t think Jackson State or Colorado had a winning history before I got there. So, it’s just another day in the office, another year in the office for me. It’s the same thing over and over “I’m just thankful for the opportunity and whoever drafts me will be very lucky to get me.”
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Prep guard Brooklyn Smith, left, is fouled by Vandebilt
Johnson
a layup in the LHSAA Division II select
Before the start of Lent, bestselling author and evangelist Kevin Wells shared amessage during avisit to St. Agnes Catholic Church in Baton Rouge that has resonatedthroughout this meaningful season Wells, also an award-winning sports reporter,opened “Reflection on Marriage” withan emphasis on fortitude and later powerful insights on spiritual warfare.
“I’ve covered some of the greatest athletes who have ever lived,” Wells said, listing Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal,Kobe Bryant and Cal Ripken Jr
“They suffered because they all wanted to be the greatestin the history of theirsport. They endured violence. They had lonely nights. They pressed on Theyunderstoodfortitude.”
Wells gained adeeperunderstanding of fortitude and spiritual warfare through his wife Krista, who struggled with personal wounds and alcoholism before finding apath to healing. He documented their journey in his latest book, “The Hermit: The Priest Who Saved aSoul,a Marriage, and aFamily.”
“Fortitude is exactly what theworld needs because it’ll pressusmore to proclaim Jesus Christ like the martyrs at the end of the line,” he said The story’sorigin can be traced back to Wells. In 2009, he was attending a retreat when he took an assessment of his life.
“I had this pressed-down sensation of ‘Shame on you. You’re 40,and you have three kids. Youhave abeautiful wife. You have agreat job. Life’spretty good. You’re too comfortable,’” he said. “The retreat wasn’t working for me, because allit was for me was aweekendincubator to make me feel good about myself.”
In the spirit of humility,he asked God “to be flattened.” Amonth later, Wells suffered abrain aneurysm.
“I couldn’tmove. My body was just nothing. Ihad nothing. And I said, ‘I’m going to die,’ ”hesaid. Fortunately,Wells recovered. “No rhyme or reason, except for God sticking his finger in the midst,” he said. “Weall know this in the church. I’ma beneficiary of it.”
The near-death experience strengthened Wells’ desire for God.
“I wanted to live for God alone. Iintensified my prayer life,” he said. “Double rosaries. Daily Mass. Prison ministry I’m Lazarus from the tomb.”
About that time, Krista began to binge drink red wine secretly
“Krista starting seeing her husband go places she wasn’t sure she could go,” Wells said. “This gentle, quiet, giving person presented herself as adifferent entity.Satan is involved in alcohol. It just got worse and worse and worse.” So was the spiritual warfare.
“Satan was roaring,” he said. “I heardhim all the time. Isaw himall the time.” Abreakthrough came when Krista attended aretreat and met the Rev.Martin Flum.
“This is when everything changed because Krista had her spiritual father,” Wells said. “Krista became healed.” Her eight-year ordeal was over,and the couple is inspiring others with their story
Contact Terry Robinson at terryrobinson622@gmail.com
LSUMilitaryMuseumtells
BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
Claude Duval’shead was pounding, his joints were aching, and exhaustion had set in.
He was suffering from amix of mosquito-induced dengue fever,effects from the medical treatment for it and afresh sunburn from wading in thePacific off the coast of Tinian, where abattle awaited.
“The Battle of Tinian came right after the BattleofSaipan,and Claude and his men landedthere on July 25, 1944,” saidJames P. Gregory,director of LSU’sWilliamT.Brookshire Military Museum in Memorial Tower
“They were ordered to capturethe island, and Claude dug afoxhole in the beach to prepare for battle.”
He settled in, then fell asleep, awaking the next morning to learn the battle had been fought without him
“He was so sick that he didn’thear the fighting aroundhim,” Gregory said. “It was one of the loudest battles in the Pacific. His brother,Stanwood, haddug in nearby, andhethought Claude was dead until he sawhim. He got angry with Claude when he learned thatClaude had slept through it.”
Gregory laughs, his humor founded not in the battle’saftermath, where Claude Duval reunited with his brother on abloodybeach scattered with almost500 dead menbut in theirtypical sibling relationship.
“Theywere already in their early 30s, and were married with their own families, but they still acted like
ä See BROTHERS, page 2D
ClaudeDuval carried this Bible given to himbyhis mother throughout his service in the Pacificduring WorldWar II
BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer
New Orleans chef Nini Nguyen has cleared another hurdle on Food Network’ssixthseason of “Tournament of Champions.” After successful qualifying rounds and afirst match victory, Nguyen, 38, is next set to square offagainst San Diego-basedchef and frequent TV culinary competition series contestant Carlos Anthony They’re vying for aspot in the season’sfinal eight Aformer restaurant chef andbaker,Nguyenis now focused on TV competitive cooking, cooking classes includingpop-upsand writing cookbooks.She
got to the first round,but Iendedup
losing,” Nguyen said last week. But her loss then wastoManet Chauhan, who went on to win the championship. Chauhan, anative of Ludhiana, Punjab, India, also won Season 2and is acurrent judge on the show Still, every chef has achance of being stumped as there’sanother layer of challenge in this contest. It’s called the randomizer.Fieri
Nguyen
PROVIDED PHOTO By WILLIAM A. BROOKSHIRE MILITARy MUSEUM
ClaudeDuval, left, is reunited withhis brother,Stanwood, on the island of IwoJima.The brothers’ storyisthe centerpiece of the Brookshire MilitaryMuseum’sexhibit,‘LSU Commemorates IwoJima’s80th Anniversary: Honoring the Legacy of the DuvalBrothers.
STAFFPHOTO By ROBIN MILLER
Howto unstick chest drawers
Hints from
Dear Heloise: Ihave achest of drawers that is afamilyheirloom. My great-grandfather made it by hand as awedding gift formygrandmother.It’s really beautiful, and I’m proud to have it in my home office. The only problem is that all of the drawers seem to stick together,and it’s become difficult to move drawers in and out. What should I do to make the drawers move withease as they once did? —A.M., in Kentucky
A.M., take awax candle and rub it along both sides of the runners, which are located in the middle on the underside of the bottom of each drawer Also, run candle wax alongthe bottom edges of each drawer This will help keep your drawers from sticking together Heloise
Louisianaspices
Dear Heloise: My wife is from New Orleans and loves to cook Her dishes are absolutely delicious, but the odor of her cooking can and does lastfor days afterward. Ican be sittingin the living room and stillsmell dinner from two days ago. How can we get rid of those delicious southern spices? —F.R., in Pennsylvania
F.R., scented candles can help, but so can taking afresh furnace filter and adding a few drops of essential oils to the top side of the filter.Then just place it back in the furnace. When the furnace turns on with heat or cool air,the scent of essential oils will fill the whole house. —Heloise Killinggarbage odors
Dear Heloise: My trash can smells awful! Forafew years now,it’ssat in the hot Texas sun, and the smell of garbage just seems to be soaked upby the heat. How can Iget rid of trash can odors? —K.A., in Texas Kelly,take one or two slices of bread and soak them in vinegar.After they are completely soaked, place them on apaper towel and put them in the bottom of your empty trash can. Leave them there overnight, and the next morning, youcan remove them. This should help kill the odor —Heloise Blackmoldonbathmat
Dear Heloise: Ihave black mold growing on my plastic bath mat. Iput it out in the sun in hopes of killing the mold, but I swear it just seemed to make the mold grow! How can Iget rid of the black mold? —L.D., in Mississippi L.D., your bath mat can be washed in your washing machine using hot water,your regular laundry soap, and1 cup of bleach. If you have white towels or awashable throw rug, you can also toss these in fora little friction. Let the bathmat dry naturally on the patio or hang it over the shower curtain rod —Heloise Send ahint to heloise@heloise. com.
BROTHERS
siblings,” Gregory said. “You can readinto that in the letters they sent home.”
80th anniversary Gregory tells their story in the yearlong exhibit,“LSUCommemorates IwoJima’s80th Anniversary: Honoring the Legacy of the Duval Brothers.”
The LSU Military Museum’s mission is to highlightthe stories of military men and women with connections to the university.The Houma natives attended LSU in the1930s with Stanwood Duval earninghis bachelor’sdegree in chemistry.Claude Duvalleft for Tulane University,where he earned alaw degree.
Theexhibitfollows their story from enlistment in the U.S.Marine Corps Reserves in 1941 to the1944 battles on the Japanese islands of Roi-Namur,Saipan and Tinian, endingatIwo Jima in early1945, where Claude Duval served as a battalionintelligenceofficer and Stanwood asasecond lieutenant.
the first wave to hit the beaches, and Claude was just watching.”
Stanwood Duvallandedonthe beach with10men in his company
Continued from page1D ClaudeDuval’s uniform stands as the
The brothers survived thewar andreturnedtoHouma,where Stanwood Duval opened an insurance office. Claude Duval was elected to theLouisiana State Senate, which later named ameeting room for him in the bottom of the Louisiana StateCapitol.
Butthey never stoppedtalking abouttheir experiences in the war, wheretheypurposelyapplied for assignmentsinunits that placed them in the sameplaces and times.
“The military’sSole Survivor Policy didn’tapply in this case,” Gregorysaid. “The Navy’srule was forenlistedmen, so officers didn’thave to follow it.”
Tinianwas the Duvals’third battle.Their final stop wasIwo Jima, where the U.S. Marines’ conquest wasimmortalized by photographer Joe Rosenthal’s shot of U.S Marines raising theflag on Mount Suribachi SeparatedonIwo
“They got separated on Iwo,” Gregory said. “Stanwood was in
Seven were killed within thefirst two hours.
“So, he loses his company on the beach, and Claude is in the transport listening to theradio,” Gregory said. “He can hear his brother calling in artillery,but it keepsfailing becausehis radios keep getting blown up.”
Then silence.
“Claudethinks somethinghappened to Stanwood because he is nottalking anymore,and by the timehegets to the beach and up to thefirst airfield, he finally runs into Stanwood,” Gregorysaid. “That’s where this photowas taken.”
Areunion
Gregory points outanexhibit photo of the twobrothersholding aJapanese flag, taken the moment they reunited.
It’sthe samephotothat captures the attention of Claude Duval’s daughter, DorothyDuvalNelson, when she laterwalks into the museum withhusband, Charles and son Lee Clayburn Nelson, whoflew in from his home in New York.
“I sawthatpicture,and Isaid, ‘Oh,thatjust brings it allback home, right there,’”Dorothy Nelson said.
Herniece —StanwoodDuval’s granddaughter,Ann GwinDuval Rivera —agrees after walking in fromHoumafor asurprise reunion with theNelsons.It’sperfect timing as their reunion coincides withthat of the Duval brothers in thephoto.
“They talked alot about their experiences in thewar,soitwas a big part of my life growing up with that kind of conversation going on around me,” DorothyNelsonsaid.
“And Iwishmorepeople hadthe opportunity to perceive abit of it.”
Dorothy Nelsonwalks over to atrunk on the farside of the exhibit.Itbelonged to her father and traveled withhim to every assignment.Military-issueditems are still neatly arrangedinseparate compartments.
Lettersfound
Gregory discovered letters and other papersinthe bottom after
she donated it the museum.He’s combining thesewritings, along withthe brothers’ unpublished memoirs, into abook. Both memoirs are candid, but apassage near the end of Claude Duval’saccount is particularly so. In it,Claude Duvalwrites about returning to Iwo Jimafor areunion, where he was approached by aman whohad foughtthereat age 19.
The man shared astory of how his lieutenant ordered him to fire aflamethrower,which ultimately ignited ammunitionina nearby blockhouse and accidentally killed thelieutenant.
“I toldhim he absolutely did the right thing,”Claude Duval wrote. “First of all, Lt. LaRose had or-
deredhim to blast the blockhouse with his flamethrower.Secondly, Isaid, ‘He should have done it.’ Thirdly,ifhehad not, Iwould’ve told him to do it, and Iwould’ve shot him if he didn’tdoit. He said, ‘Well, it makes me feel better talking to you, knowing that Idid the right thing.’ “That’sthe passage Iwant to end my book with,” Gregory said. And it would be aperfect ending.
The William A. Brookshire Military Museum is located in Memorial Tower on theLSU campus. Hoursare from 10 a.m. to 3p.m Monday throughFriday.Admission is free. Call (225) 334-2003. Email RobinMilleratromiller@ theadvocate.com.
STAFFPHOTO By ROBIN MILLER
DorothyDuval Nelson, left, and her sonLee Nelson look at the neatly arranged military-issued items in thetrunk Claude Duvalcarried with himduring WorldWar II. ClaudeDuval wasDorothyNelson’sfather.She donated the trunk to the Brookshire Military MuseumatLSU
Heloise
Dear Miss Manners: My husband gotanew job, and as away to get to know his new co-workers, we decided to host aholiday party at our house. We invited the people he works closest with, his immediate boss, and everyone’s spouses. It was about 10 people in all.
Iamnot used to being ahostess, but put agreat deal of effort, time and money intothe food and decorations. We had turkey,ham and many sides and desserts. The spread was impressive and beautiful. When the guests arrived, it turned out they had all ridden with the boss and his wifeintheir large van instead of drivingtheir own cars. About 15 minutes after
their arrival, and before hardly any food had been served, the boss’swife gotaphone call and said she andher husband needed to help afriend move some furniture right now! She then proceeded to round up all of my guests,load them into their vanand drive away, leaving no one for the party. Afortuneinfood was left on my table. Iremember standing there, looking at it andcrying. Iwas so humiliated and angry.I honestly never want to host agathering of any kindever again. My question:Was thereany way to have prevented this rude woman from stealing away all of my guests?
Gentlereader: Counter-questions: Did the boss and his wife drop the guestsoff before theemergency furniture move? Were they left on thestreet? Coerced into helping?
Back to yours: Perhaps you could have told theother guests that you and your husband would help arrange transportation for them —either taking them home yourselves or facilitating rideshares or taxis
More importantly,Miss Manners hopes that with time, you will realize that this rudeness was extreme and rare, and that you will try your hand at entertaining again. It sounds as if you are good at it. She also hopes that your husband’snew job is not similarly fraught with chaos —orthat his boss is sufficiently contrite
CHEF
Continued from page1D
spins five wheels to determine what protein, produce, equipment, style and wildcard ingredientmust be used by the chefs in cooking theirdishes.
“I got turkey again, but this time it was turkey wings,” Nguyen recalled, adding that herdesignated protein in the qualifier round had been turkey as well. “I also had to use acrepe pan. And then, I’ll never forget, I had green grapes and tomatillos, and Ihad to make the dish buttery.”
For certain, the equalizer can be your friend or worst enemy
“You just have to be very good at incorporating a bunchofweird thingstogether.The randomizeris what humbles all the people who have alot of experience, because sometimes you get a weird randomizer like that and what do you do with that?
“When you’re there,you have like two minutes to decide whatyou’regoing to make, and you just have to
make it and hope that you put food on theplate,” she said.
Fast-forwardto thisseason’sMarch 23 episode, when Nguyen’sfirst matchup pitted her againstchef Claudette Zepeda, alsoof SanDiego. The required protein was,yes, turkey again, specifically turkey breast. The randomizer’s other picks: cantaloupe, a double boiler pan,citrusy andradicchio.
“So Ijust pray Inever see turkey again,” shesaidwith achuckle
In 30 minutes, Nguyen whipped up afried turkey cutletwith aradicchiocitrus salad and cantaloupe lemon curd sabayon
Judgesscore on ascale of 100, with 50 pointsdevoted to taste, 40 to use forthe randomizer, and 10 to plating.
“First of all, the colors aregorgeous. Theribbons of cantaloupe, excellent. Breadingand frying the turkey,brilliant,” commented judge Nancy Silverton, wellknown chef, baker,author and James Beard Award winner.“But IwishIwould have had more sabayon because Ireally needed more citrus.”
Chef judgesMarcus Samuelsson and Charlie Palmer alsocritiquedher dishfavorably Nguyen bested Zepeda 8679 to advance to the top 16.
“TournamentofChampions” returns at 7p.m. Sunday on Food Network, when theNguyen-Anthony faceoff is expected. The series also streamsonMax.
Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.
that he gets something out of the dreadful experience.
Dear Miss Manners: If my neighbor has ayard sale, should Ifeel obligated to purchase something, even if Ihave no use forit? Conversely,ifI have ayard sale and aneighbor wants to purchase something, should Itell them to just takeit, no charge?
Gentlereader: Unless your residential area has an unusual outside draw,mostofyour customers are going to be neighbors. If you give things away to them, it will be aYard Donation, not a Sale. Conversely,Miss Manners assures you that you are not obligated to buy anything from them. Butdoyour neighbors the favor of not wasting their timeby asking theorigin and history of every single item,thinking it is polite. That would just be taunting them
FirstNew Testament setsEaster event
First NewTestament Church,3235AubinLane,BatonRouge,willhostitsEaster Extravaganza from 2p.m. to 5p.m. Saturday,April 19. This free, all-ages event features free food, a$300 giveaway,scavenger hunt, pettingzoo and more. Formore information visit eventbrite.com.
By The Associated Press
Today is Saturday, April 5, the 95th day of 2025. There are 270 days left in the year
Todayinhistory: On April 5, 1933, as part of his New Deal programs, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), aDepression-era work relief program for single men aged 18-25; the program employed more than 2.5 million men for federal conservation and safetyprojects over its
Dear Miss Manners: Is it rude to take old vegetables from the refrigerator,come up behind someone and, unbeknownst to them, place the vegetables under their nose and ask if they should be thrownout?
Gentle reader: Rude and potentially hazardous —not just forthe nose, but forthe nervous system when they scare you from behind.
Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite,www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St Kansas City,MO 64106.
RELIGION BRIEFS FROM STAFFREPORTS
Abundant Life hosts theater production
Abundant Life Christian Assembly,58295 Main St Plaquemine, will present“The Gospel of Jesus Christ” from 6p.m.to8 p.m. Easter Sunday,April 20. This liveproduction tells thestory of Jesus’ birth, ministry,death,resurrection and ascension, and featuresmusic,special
TODAYINHISTORY
nine-year history
Also on this date: In 1614, Pocahontas, the daughter of Tsenacommacah chief Powhatan, married Englishman John Rolfe, awidower,inthe Virginia Colony In 1887, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, teacher Anne Sullivan achieved abreakthrough as her 6-year-old deaf-blind pupil, Helen Keller,learned the meaning of the word“water” as spelled out in the Manual Alphabet. In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death following their
effects andlive animals. Performed in thesanctuary and aisles, the event is brought to life by avolunteer cast and crew
Doors open at 5:15 p.m.
Guests are encouraged to be seated by 5:45 p.m. Admission is free. Limited wheelchair-accessible seating is available. For moreinformation, call (225) 320-2059 or (877) 573-2522.
conviction in NewYork on charges of conspiring to commit espionage forthe Soviet Union. (They were executed in June 1953.)
Today’sbirthdays: Actor Michael Moriarty is 84. Actor Max Gail is 82. Singer Agnetha Fältskog (ABBA) is 75. Rapper-actor Christopher “Kid” Reid (Kid ’n Play) is 60. Rock musician Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) is 59. Country musician Pat Green is 53. Musician-producer Pharrell Williamsis52. Rapperproducer Juicy Jis50. Actor Sterling K. Brownis49. Actor Hayley Atwell is 43.
ARIES (March21-April 19) Putmore energy intowhat you do and how you present yourselfand your attributes. Take thehigh road and don't look back. Letting go of the past is half the battle.
TAURUS(April20-May 20) Tidy up; take astab at streamlining your lifeand decluttering your space. Putyour energyinto altering your lifestyle to encourage peace of mind and more time for purposeful pastimes.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Bide your time. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don't want or need. Reach out to connections, getthe lowdown and makechoices based on what is easiest foryou.
CANCER(June 21-July 22) Get your facts straight beforeyou share information. Put more time and thought intohow you useyour energy and skills to get things done and raise your profile.
LEO(July23-Aug. 22) Keep your mind motivated and moving in an innovative direction. Learnall you can and adapt your findings to service your skills. It's up to you to find ways to stand out in a competitive world.
VIRGO(Aug. 23-Sept.22) Introduce yourselftopeople and pastimes that excite you. Participateincommunity events and be receptive to adopting changes that can benefit you personally.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Takeinthe atmosphere. Theinspiration you receive from interacting with people who are unique,creative or knowledgeable
about subjects that spark your curiosity will spur you to dig deeper.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Don't hide when you should be out and about Social eventswill change your perspective regarding someone of interest. Participation is your passportto better options, new beginnings and positive lifestyle changes.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov.23-Dec. 21) Think big, but don't go over budget. Someone will interfere or trytopersuade you to take on responsibilities you don't need or want. Protect your money, possessions and reputation.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You are sitting in abetter position than someone would have you believe. Listen to criticism, but decide for yourself what's best for you. Be passionate about the process, journey and overall outcome.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Afinancial opportunity is apparent. Buying, selling or investing moretime or money in yourself or your futureisencouraged and will send you down arewarding path.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Live lifeyour way. Follow your heart, live in the moment andparticipate in events and activities that pump you up. Say no to temptation, excessive behavior and overspending.
Celebrity Ciphercryptograms are created fromquotations by famous people, past and present.Eachletterinthe cipher stands foranother. TODAy'SCLUE:H EQUALS P
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increases fromMonday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
nea CroSSwordS
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer
BY PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
John Ruskin, who diedin1900, was an English art criticand philanthropist who also wrote on awiderange of subjects. He said, “Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating;thereisreallynosuchthing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”
Some people would not agree with that, especially those who liveyear-round in awarm climate. But at the bridge table sometimes the weatherlooks inclement with bad suit breaks, but occasionally thesun still shines. In today’s deal,how shouldSouthplayinthreeno-trumpafter West leads the heart king?
In this auction, South’s two-diamond advance wasforcingfor oneround. (I like thisagreement. If two diamonds is nonforcing, South hastocue-bid two hearts first with all good hands. Iprefer acue-bid to promise support for partner’s suit.) On the second round, South took ashot at the nine-trick game,hoping partner hadsomething in spades (or that West wouldnot lead that suit).
Notice that five diamonds goes down on the likely heartlead.
South, in asunny mood,thought he could see 10 easy tricks: two spades, one heart and seven diamonds. Aftertaking his heartace, declarer cashed his dia-
