Doctor: Trump ‘fully fit’ to serve after physical WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Donald Trump’s doctor says the oldest man elected president is “fully fit” to serve a’s commander in chief as the White House released results Sunday of Trump’s recent physical exam
The 78-year-old Trump is 20 pounds lighter since his checkup as president in 2020 showed him bordering on obesity
His physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, cited an “active lifestyle” that “continues to contribute significantly” to the Republican president’s well-being. Trump turns 79 on June 14
In a three-page summary of the comprehensive exam from Friday, the doctor said Trump is “fully fit to execute the duties of Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.”
Trump weighed 224 at the checkup, down from 244 at that physical more than four years ago. His BMI, or body mass index, which is a measure of one’s weight relative to height, is down to 28.0, which drops Trump to the category of overweight.
The summary noted that Trump previously had cataract surgery on both eyes, but gave no date or dates. A common procedure among aging people, the surgery typically involves removing a cloudy eye lens and replacing it with an artificial lens to help clear up vision In July 2024, according to the report, then-candidate Trump had a colonoscopy that found a benign polyp and the condition called diverticulosis. It’s a common condition in which the walls of the intestine weaken with age.
Trump again passed a Montreal Cognitive Assessment test, a short screening test to assess different brain functions, Barbabella wrote.
Lutnick: New tariffs on semiconductors coming
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tariff exemptions announced Friday on electronics like smartphones and laptops are only a temporary reprieve until the Trump administration develops a new tariff approach specific to the semiconductor industry, U.S Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday “They’re exempt from the reciprocal tariffs but they’re included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two,” Lutnick told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday President Donald Trump added to the confusion hours later, declaring on social media that there was no “exception” at all because the goods are “just moving to a different” bucket and will still face a 20% tariff as part of his move to punish China for its role in fentanyl trafficking.
The White House late Friday said it would exclude electronics from broader so-called reciprocal tariffs, a move that could help keep the prices down for popular consumer devices that aren’t usually made in the U.S.
Pet tortoise reunited with family after tornado
KOKOMO, Miss. — Myrtle, a cherished pet tortoise, has been reunited with its family in Mississippi weeks after disappearing during a deadly tornado outbreak in March.
“He’s been through a lot,” said Myrtle’s grateful owner, Tiffany Emanuel. “I know that he knows just as much as I do that every step of the way I’m going to be there helping him, caring for him, making sure he gets you know, the help that he needs.”
The Emanuel family fled their home in the rural Kokomo area as a tornado hit on March 15. They returned to find two pine trees had fallen on top of their tortoise’s backyard home Myrtle was missing.
Weeks later, a neighbor found the injured tortoise. He was taken to the Central Mississippi Turtle Rescue for medical treatment on April 4.
“The lady who found the tortoise called me and she said she had run into the owners,” said Christy Milbourne, the organization’s founder and co-director
“She said, ‘I think they’re going to be calling you.’ So, I was excited, and then the owners did call and say, ‘Yeah, that’s my tortoise.’” Emanuel is now nursing Myrtle back to health.
PENNSYLVANIA
1 booked in arson at governor’s mansion
Authorities say fire forced Shapiro and family to evacuate building
BY MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. A man scaled an iron
security fence in the middle of the night, eluded police and broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion where he set a fire that left significant damage and forced Democratic Gov Josh Shapiro, his family and guests to evacuate the building, authorities said Sunday
The man, captured later in the day will face charges of attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault, authorities said.
Shapiro said he, his wife, their four children, two dogs and another family had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover at the residence on Saturday and were awakened by state troopers pounding on their doors at about 2 a.m. Sunday. They fled and the fire was extinguished, officials said. No one was injured.
At a Sunday evening news conference in front of the badly damaged south wing of the governor’s residence, Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris identified the man in custody as Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg.
Paris emphasized that the investigation is continuing. Authorities did not disclose the man’s motive, but an emotional Shapiro — who is viewed as a potential White House contender for the Democratic Party in 2028 said he is unbowed.
Shapiro said that if Balmer was trying to stop him from doing his job, then he’ll work harder, and he added that Balmer will not stop him from observing his faith
“When we were in the state dining room last night, we told the story of Passover” and the exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt to freedom, Shapiro said. “I refuse to be trapped by the bondage that someone attempts to put on me by attacking us as they did here last night. I refuse
to let anyone who had evil intentions like that stop me from doing the work that I love.”
Authorities said the suspect hopped over a nearly 7-foot-high iron security fence surrounding the property, eluded officers who became aware of the breach and forcibly entered the residence before setting it on fire.
Lt. Col. George Bivens said Balmer had a homemade incendiary device — he wouldn’t describe what kind — and appeared to have carefully planned the attack He was inside the residence for about a minute before he escaped, Bivens said.
Bivens said Balmer was later arrested in the area.
Shapiro said the fire was set in the very room where the families celebrated Passover with a seder with members of Harrisburg’s Jewish community on Saturday night.
“We don’t know the person’s specific motive yet,” Shapiro told the news conference. “But we do know a few truths. First: This type of violence is not OK. This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society And I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other directed at one particular party or another or one particular person or another. It is not OK, and it has to stop. We have to be better than this.”
The fire badly damaged the inside of the large room that is often used for entertaining crowds and art displays. Large west- and south-facing windows were completely missing their glass panes, shattered glass littered the pathways and doors stood ajar amid signs of charring. Window panes and brick around doors and windows were blackened and charred.
Inside, a charred piano, tables, walls, metal buffet serving dishes and more could be seen through broken windows and fire-blackened doors.
The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was called to the residence and put out the fire at the Susquehanna Riverfront mansion. Shapiro and his family had been sleeping in a different part of the residence, police said.
Russian missiles mar Palm Sunday celebrations
More than 30 killed in Ukrainian city
BY SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press
SUMY Ukraine Russian missiles struck the heart of the Ukrainian city of Sumy as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, killing at least 34 people, officials said, in the second large-scale attack to claim civilian lives in just over a week.
The two ballistic missiles hit around 10:15 a.m., officials said. Images from the scene showed lines of black body bags on the side of the road, while more bodies were seen wrapped in foil blankets among the debris. Video footage also showed fire crews fighting to extinguish the shells of burnedout cars among the rubble from damaged buildings.
The dead included two children, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said in a statement. A further 117 people were wounded, including 15 children, it said.
“Only filthy scum can act like this taking the lives of ordinary people,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. In a statement on social media, he said the first strike hit buildings belonging to a city university, while the second exploded above street level.
The head of the Ukrainian president’s office, Andriy Yermak, said the strike also used cluster munitions in an attempt to kill
as many people as possible. The Associated Press was unable to verify the claim. The attack on Sumy followed a deadly April 4 missile strike on Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih that killed some 20 people, including nine children. Zelenskyy called for a global response to the attack. “Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs. What’s needed is an attitude toward Russia that a terrorist deserves,” he said.
Other world leaders also condemned the attack, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying that it undermined Washingtonled peace talks between the two sides.
“Everyone knows: This war was initiated by Russia alone. And today, it is clear that Russia alone chooses to continue it — with blatant disregard for human lives, international law and the diplomatic efforts” of U.S. President Donald Trump, he wrote in a statement.
Elsewhere in Ukraine two women, ages 62 and 68, and a 48-year-old man were killed in Russian attacks on the Kherson region, local Gov Oleksandr Prokudin said. Another person was killed during Russian shelling on Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Gov Vadym Filashkin said.
The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov said a Russian strike hit one of the city’s kindergartens, shattering windows and damaging the building’s facade. No casualties were reported.
Abrego Garcia wrongly sent to El Salvador prison
BY BILL BARROW Associated Press
The Trump administration is doubling down on its decision not to tell a federal court whether it has any plans to repatriate a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported last month and remains confined in a notorious prison in El Salvador, despite a Supreme Court ruling and lower court order that the man should be returned to the United States.
The U.S. district court judge handling the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia now is weighing whether to grant a request from the man’s legal team to compel the government to explain why it should not be held in contempt. Any move toward a contempt finding would represent an extraordinary turn in the Trump administration’s assertion of presidential authority both generally and specifically over immigration policy
The government’s latest daily status update, filed Sunday as required by Judge Paula Xinis, states essentially that the Trump administration has nothing to add beyond its Saturday statement that, for the first time, confirmed that Abrego Garcia, 29, was alive and remained in an El Salvador prison under the control of that country’s government. That means for the second consecutive day, the ad-
ministration has not addressed Xinis’ demands that the administration detail what steps it was taking to return Abrego Garcia to the United States.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that the Trump administration must bring him back. Xinis followed that with an order Friday requiring the administration to disclose Abrego Garcia’s “current physical location and custodial status” and “what steps, if any, Defendants have taken (and) will take, and when, to facilitate” his return.
The Trump administration has asserted that Abrego Garcia, who lived in the U.S. for about 14 years before being deported, is a member of the MS-13 gang. Abrego Garcia has disputed that claim, and he has never been charged with any crime related to such activity The Trump administration has called his deportation a mistake but also has argued, essentially, that its conclusion about Abrego Garcia’s affiliation makes him ineligible for protection from the courts.
Abrego Garcia’s location was first confirmed to the court by Michael G. Kozak, who identified himself in the Saturday filing as a “Senior Bureau Official” in the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Sunday’s status update was signed by Evan C. Katz, who was identified in the filing as assistant director of Enforcement and Removal Operations for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
Rescue workers clear the rubble Sunday of a university building destroyed by a Russian missile strike on Sumy Ukraine.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARC LEVy
Investigators respond to the scene after an overnight fire at the governor’s official residence on Sunday in Harrisburg, Pa
Convalescing pope opensHolyWeekatVatican
Francisgives in-persongreeting at St.Peter’s
Square
BY COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press
VATICAN CITY Aconvalescing Pope Francis greeted the crowd in St. Peter’sSquare on Palm Sunday,wishing more than 20,000faithful a“Happy Palm Sunday, Happy Holy Week,” in yet another reassuring public sign of his recovery from a life-threatening battle with double pneumonia.
Many in the crowd reached out to touch Francis’ hand or garments as he was brought in awheelchair down aramp to the main altar,where he issued his brief greeting into a microphone. The 88-year-old pope was not wearing nasal tubes for supplemental oxygen, as he had during asimilar appearance last Sunday On his waybacktoSt. Peter’sBasilica from where
he had emerged, Francis stopped to bless arosary,and offered candy to aboy who greetedhim.
Francisisenteringhis fourthweek of convalescence during which doctors have advised him to avoid crowds. While Francisisclearly eager to showheisfeeling better, he has not spoken more than
afew
wordsinpublicashe recovers fromasevere respiratory crisis thathas labored his speech. The Vatican saidit was waiting to advise on what role he may play in upcoming Holy Week eventsleading up to Easter Sunday It was hissecondtimein St. Peter’sSquare before a crowd since leaving thehos-
pital, following last Sunday’s unexpected appearance that thrilledthe faithful. He also met privately with King Charles III and Queen Camilla this week, and made an impromptutourofSt. Peter’sBasilica, stopping to pray,and to thank apair of restorers fortheir work on the basilica’smasterpieces
Israel intensifiesstrikes across Gaza
BY WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Awave of Israeli strikes acrossGaza on Sunday hit ahospital and other sites, killing at least21 people,includingchildren,as Israel vowed to expand itssecurity presence in the small coastal strip.
The predawn strike on AlAhli HospitalinGaza City was the latest of severalattacks on northern Gaza’slast major hospital providing critical health care.
Hospital director Dr.Fadel Naim said the emergency room, pharmacy and surrounding buildingswereseverely damaged, affecting over 100 patients and dozens of staff.
One patient, agirl, died during the evacuation following an Israeli warning because staff were unable to provide urgent care, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. Israel said it struck aHamas command and control center at the hospital, without providing evidence. Hamas denied
BY JUSTIN KABUMBA and
JEAN-YVES KAMALE
Associated Press
GOMA, Congo— At least 50 people were killed in weekendattacks in Congo’s conflict-battered east, authorities saidSaturday.The government traded blame with Rwanda-backedrebels over who was responsible for the violence that quickly escalated the conflict in the region. The renewed violence that residents reported in and around the region’slargest city of Goma —which the M23rebelscontrol— was
the allegations Al-Ahli Hospitalisrun by theEpiscopal Diocese ofJerusalem, which condemned theattack, saying in astatement it happenedon“Palm Sunday, the startofthe Holy Week, the most sacred week of the Christianyear.”
Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and worshipers in Gaza City marked it in a church whose gilded trim andintactwalls were acontrast to the widespread debris elsewhere Associated Press video showed thehospital’scavedin roof surrounded by rubble. Thehealth ministry’s director general, Dr.Munir al-Boursh,said patients had been carriedoutside in beds andslept in the streets.
“Nothing was left safe inside the hospital, or all over Gaza,”said MohammadAbu Nasser,aninjured manwho sat on hisbed outdoors and lookedatthe destruction.
The health ministry said the hospitalwas temporarily outofservice andpatients were transferred to other
the biggestthreat yet to ongoing peaceefforts by both theGulfArab state of Qatar and African nations inthe conflict that has raised fears of regionalwarfare Goma resident Amboma Safari recounted how his familyoffourspentthe night undertheir bedastheyheard gunfire and bomb blasts through Friday night. “We saw corpses of soldiers, but we don’t know whichgroup they are from,” Safarisaid. In the secondcity of Bukavu, which theM23 also controls, dozens of the armed Wazalendo localmilitia mem-
hospitals in GazaCity. The aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians called it the fifth attack on Al-Ahli sincethe war began.
Hospitals have special protection underinternational law. Israel hasbesiegedand raidedthem, someseveral times,and struck multiple ones while accusingHamas of usingthemascover for its fighters.
LastmonthIsrael struck Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, thelargestinsouthernGaza, killing twopeople and causing alarge fire, the health ministry said. The facilityhad been overwhelmed when Israel endedatwomonth ceasefire last month with asurprisewaveofairstrikes.
Hours later Sunday,a strike on acar in DeiralBalahincentral Gaza killed at leastseven people including six brothers, according to staff at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies.The youngestbrother was 10. Their father,Ibrahim Abu Mahadi, said hissonsworked
berswho fight alongside Congolese forces marched fora few hours toward the local airport as theyappeared to stage achallenge against the rebels.
The group, which later retreated,declared aceasefire on Sunday to give ongoing peace talks “a chance.”
The decadeslong conflict between Congoand theM23 rebels escalated in January, when therebels made an unprecedented advanceand seized the strategic eastern Congolesecity of Goma, followed by thetown of Bukavu in February
for acharitythat distributes food to Palestinians. “For what sin were they killed?” he said.
AP reporterssaw the mangled, bloodiedcar as relatives wept over the bodies. Israel’s military asserted thatitkilled thedeputy head of aHamas snipercell.
An airstrike Sunday afternoon hitahouse in theurbanJabaliyarefugeecamp in northern Gaza, killingat least seven people including two women, according to the Indonesian hospital.
Apregnant woman was rescued from the rubble. AlaaManoun later wept after learning her youngest daughter had died, alongwithher husbandand hermother.Two other daughters, ages 4and
On Saturday, theeve of Holy Week,Francis went to the St. Mary Major Basilica in central Rometopray privately before afavorite icon of the Virgin Mary,Salus Populi Romani. The basilica, which he typically visivts before and after hisforeign trips, was also hisfirststop after leaving theGemelli hospital on March 23.
In the traditional Sunday blessing, the pontiff thanked thefaithfulfor theirprayers. “At this timeofphysical weakness, they help me to feel God’scloseness, compassion and tenderness even more.” Forthe ninth week, including his five-week hospitalization starting Feb. 14, the blessing was delivered as atext.
The pope offered prayers for those suffering in the conflict in Sudan, which marks its second anniversary on Tuesday, andfor Lebanon, where civil war began 50 years ago, as well as for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, Congo,Myanmar and South Sudan.
In aprepared PalmSunday
homily read by atop Vatican cardinal,Francis urgedthe faithful to carry thecross “of those who suffer around us” to mark the start of the solemn Holy Week. CardinalLeonardo Sandri, vicedean of the College of Cardinals, led the celebrations, leading aprocession of cardinals around the piazza’s central obelisk carrying an ornately braidedpalmthat recalls Jesus’ triumphant entranceinto Jerusalem, when crowdswaved palm branches to honor him.
The initialwelcome contrasts with the suffering that follows, leading up to his crucifixion, which Christians observe on Good Friday, followedbyhis resurrection, celebrated on Easter Sunday The faithful emerged from St. Peter’sSquare carrying blessed palm fronds or olive branches to mark the occasion. While the pope’sappearance was widely expected, pilgrims acknowledged some concern that gusts of wind might keep him from entering the square.
AlaaManoun, whoisseven months pregnant, is rescued Sunday from her family’shome in Jabalia al-Balad,Gaza City,after it was struckbyanIsraeliarmyattack that killed at leastseven people, including her mother,daughter and husband.
7, were injured. Manoun hada brokenankle but otherwise seemed OK, according to adoctor
No scan was available, since the only machine in northernGaza was at Al-Ahli Hospital, now damaged.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByJEHAD ALSHRAFI
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GREGORIOBORGIA
Pope Francis arrivesatthe end of Palm Sunday Mass on SundayinSt. Peter’sSquare at the Vatican
cuts drew attention last fall andsparked the creation of anew electricity franchise fee to soften the blow,but thebudgetaryimpact of the cuts that remained is still revealing itself.
With questions about downedgaugeshaving emerged on social media, city-parish officials say they have recently found enough moneyfrom the priorbudget year to cover the cost previously on the chopping block. The spending needs council approval, however
The23gauges monitor several flood-prone waterways across swathsof theparish, particularlyin theirupper reaches. Their loss would mean no USGS gauges on entire waterways or longstretches of them through Central, Zachary, theunincorporated part of the northern parish, as well as centraland southern partsofthe city
Among the waterways affected are the Comite River,White Bayou, Beaver Creek, Sandy Creek, Ward Creek, DawsonCreek, Bayou Fountain, Claycut Bayou, Jones Creek, Bayou Manchac, Hurricane Creek and Corporation Canal, according to alisting provided by USGS.
Data from the gauges, which provide water level, streamflow and rainfall information, remain publicly available online, thoughat least one of them, at Claycut Bayou, was recentlybeing reported down by Facebook users
Data from the solar-poweredgaugesare alsofed to NationalOceanic andAtmospheric Administration satellitesand used by NOAA’s National WeatherService office for Baton Rouge and New Orleans for river forecasts, NOAAand USGS officials said.
‘We’re losing data’ JulieLesko, asenior service hydrologist with the National WeatherService office, whichisinSlidell, said even if the gauge funding remains cut, the loss would not affect the main USGS forecasting gauges in the Baton Rouge area.
But the affected gauges, which would cost $205,170 to run for another year, do provide supplementary data that refine estimates from the office’s forecasting models, she added.
“So, that would be the concern, is we’re losingdata, we’re losing river data that could potentiallyimpact the accuracy and quality of the forecasts,” Lesko said.
The Comite River,in particular,isknown as a “flashy” waterway, meaning it can experience quick changes in water elevations as rainfills theupstream watershed.
The weather service’sriver forecast center canstill produce strong estimates, Leskow said, “but less data is less data.”
TheTrump administration has proposed sweeping personnel and otherfund-
BY ROBERT BADENDIECK and MEHMET GUZEL Associated Press
ing cutstofederal agencies acrossthe government, including to NOAA, but USGS hasn’tpaidtooperate its gauges foryears. The USGS instead relies on local or state agencies tofinance the gauges’ operation, an agency official said.
City-parish funding for the USGSgaugesinEast BatonRouge Parishhas occurred for years, the agency official added. But USGS was informed earlier this year that the city-parish wouldmore than likelynot renewthe fundingfor the fiscal year beginning later in 2025.
Before the city-parish’s announcement this week of apossiblesolution, aUSGS official said that negotiations were continuing totry to find money.
“As of this afternoon, the USGS continues to have conversations withthe East BatonRouge Parish Department of Public Works about funding the network for 2025, andwe have notdisabled webaccess to or removed any equipment from the stations,” Aub Ward, assistant director forthe Southwest Data Program in USGS’sLower MississippiGulf Water Science Center, said on April 2.
‘Had to make adjustments’
Without funding, Ward said USGS wouldeventually be legally obligated to remove the gauges.
Theoutgoing administration of Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome had called for 10% to 20% departmental cuts to account for a$40 million loss in revenue expected from the establishment of the city of St. George.
Thecity-parish administrationwas abletoblunt that impactwith about $7 million in one-time federal COVIDstimulusmoney and another $3.5 million with thenew franchise feefor
ISTANBUL Turkey has begun anew phase in sweeping restorations of the nearly 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, focusing on preserving the monument’shistoric domesfromthe threatof earthquakes.
Officials saythe project will include reinforcing Hagia Sophia’s main dome and half domes, replacing the worn lead coverings andupgrading thesteel framework while worship continues uninterrupted in the mosque
Entergy usersinunincorporated parts of theparish. Evenwith those additions, the transportation and drainage departmentaccepted anearly 11.5% cut, slicing its operational budgetbyabout $1.9 million. That budgetfellto$14.6 million for 2025, city-parish documentssay Fred Raiford, city-parish transportation and drainage director,said the river gauges werepartofseveral cuts he didn’twanttomake, including engineering contracts andcontract bridge replacements.
“I know howimportant these gauges are, but I mean lotsofthings in the budgethad to be cutthat are important. Ihad to make adjustments,” he said in an interview last week.
Thosecutscouldn’taffect tens of millions of dollars in expected taxpayerdedicated spending on roads from the Green Light Program andMovEBR or fromfederal recovery and hazardmitigation dollars earmarked for drainage projects.
But Raifordsaid that after the 2025 cuts were adopted in December and the final accountingof2024was complete, he had enough unspent surplus dollars from the prior year to cover next year’sgauge expenses Raiford said he expects to ask the Metro Council,
whichcontrolsthe purse strings in the city-parish, to adopt the use of the dollars.
Underthe council’smultistep procedures for such adecision, avotelikely wouldn’thappenuntil May, he said.
But Raiford also added that those one-time dollars wouldn’taddress any potentialshortfall next year
He said he doesn’thave enough money to do what he needs and more cuts could be coming. Aplanned tax rededication votethis fall could end up weighing heavily on what happens next year,hesaid.
“Wewill have to look and see what happens in the November election,”hesaid.
David J. Mitchell canbe reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.
Anewly installed tower crane on the eastern facadeisexpected to facilitate the efforts by transporting materials, expediting the renovations.
“Wehavebeen carrying outintensive restoration efforts on Hagia Sophia and its surrounding structures forthree years,” said Dr.Mehmet Selim Okten,a constructionengineer,lectureratMimar SinanUniversity and amember of thescientific council overseeing the renovations.
“At the end of these three
years, we have focusedon the seismic safety of Hagia Sophia, the minarets, the main domeand themain arches, especially due to the expected Istanbul earthquake.” In 2023, a7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey,destroying or damaging hundreds of thousands of buildings and leaving more than 53,000 people dead. While Istanbul wasnot impacted,the devastationinsouthern Turkey heightenedfears of asimilarquake with experts citing the city’s proximity to fault lines. Oktensaida “new phase” of workisabout to begin, onethathedescribesas themostsignificantintervention in over 150 years and in the totality of the structure’s long history “A tower crane will be installedonthe eastern facade, andthenwewill cover the top of this unique structure with aprotective frame system,” he said. “That way, we can work moresafely and examine the building’slayers academically,including damage it suffered from fires and earthquakes in the 10thand 14thcenturies.”
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in the state. As aresult, they hope insurance companies will offer discounted premiums to homeownersin south Louisiana who have been hammered with soaring costs that have thrown the state into an insurance crisis. Some state officials even believe more insurers will be willing to write policies in storm-prone coastal Louisiana if acritical mass of homes are better equipped to withstand hurricanes.
One bill would set up adedicatedfunding stream for a state grant program to give $10,000 each to homeowners that want fortifiedroofs.
Several lawmakers are proposing various tax breaks to homeowners who voluntarily equip their homes with stronger roofs. Another bill would require insurerstooffer a certain discount on premiums in exchange for fortified roofs, an effort that failed last year but may gain new support from Gov.Jeff Landry this time.
State Rep. Aimee Freeman, D-New Orleans, is sponsoring abill supported by Insurance CommissionerTim Temple to require thatany new roof in coastal parishesbebuilt to the fortified standard. Asimilar bill was shelved in 2023 amid oppositionfrom homebuilders.
“Weknow that we can’t grantour wayout of this problem,” Freeman said.
“We’re(never) going to have thefunding neededtogrant everyone afortified roof.”
because it lowers risk and is seen as less likely to blow off during ahurricane. Roof damage is the mostexpensive form of damage frommajor storms forinsurers, especially when it allows water to pour into ahome.
“We’re trying to lessen damage to people’s homesto ultimatelyhelpthemachieve lowerhome insurance rates,” Hebert said. He hopeshis bill to set up adedicated funding stream for the grant program will ensure the programisnot subjected to the whims of the Legislature.
Hebert said his constituents are still being squeezed by high insurance premiums
“Itisthe No. 1issue,” he said.
Discount debate
anteeing discountsfor building astronger roof.Louisiana modeled its program on Alabama, which requires minimumdiscounts forupgraded roofs. So far, Louisiana has not done the same. Sen. Royce Duplessis, DNew Orleans, filedabill to require insurers to offer a 20% minimum discount for afortifiedroof.A similarbill failed in the Legislature last year,amidopposition from Temple.
‘The wayout’ Louisiana set up the fortifiedroofgrant program in 2022,modeled on Alabama’s program that has seen widespread uptake and led to relief on insurance premiums
The crop of bills underscores the enduring nature of the insurance crisis, which has not meaningfully abated formost homeowners in southLouisiana.Onaverage,policyholders who saw their premium change have experienced a9%increase since last year,according to a Times-Picayune|The Advocate reviewofstate data Landry signedanindustryfriendly package of bills last Maythatheand lawmakers said should helptolower costs,but hassince said he’s frustrated with alack of progress. Temple remains bullish on the prospects of rate decreases this year
theedges of aroof, which is wherehurricane windsoften start tearing it apart
So far,the statehas allocated acollective $45 million to the program and doled out 2,332 grants to build fortifiedroofs, with 1,700 more in progress.
Fortified roofs are oneof thefew potential insurance crisis solutions that have garnered widespread, bipartisan support in thestate. Democrats andsome consumer and housing groups have hotly contested other free-market insurance strategies championed by theGOP-dominated Legislature and Temple Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge,said it will take timeto see more insurers enter the marketand drive down rates. In the meantime, he’sproposing adding a$10,000 tax creditfor homeownerswho voluntarily put anew fortified roof on their homes. That woulddramatically increase
the tax break for homeowners,who currently can only get atax deduction of $5,000.
“That’sthe way out,” Talbot said. “That’sthe only way we’re allgonna live here,if youput afortified roofon your house.”
‘No. 1issue’
The state grant program hascontinued to win support at theLegislature,but Temple andsomelawmakers hope to set up apermanentfunding stream to continue doling out roof grants. After approving $30 millionfor theprogram for 2023, the Legislature approved $15 million last year
Rep. Troy Hebert,R-Lafayette, is sponsoring abill to dedicatemoney from premium taxesand feestothe grant program, raising about$30 millionayear.That’sroughly enough for 3,000 homeowners annually
Insurers offer varying discounts for afortified roof
Most people who are building fortified roofs here are doing so outside the grant program.Since January 2024, thenumber of peopledoing so rose from 878 to 4,146, Ford said. The department has promoted strengthening roofs through TV ads in hopesthatmoreLouisianans will upgrade their roofs voluntarily
Arecent state audit found that getting afortified roof in south Louisiana provides morebenefits —premium discounts andfewer hurricane losses —than it costs in the long run. The median recipient in asurvey conducted by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’sOffice got a22% insurance discount.
“This is aprogramthat works,” Temple said. “People like it. It’sthe mostimmediateway to getareduction in your premium.”
Still, somehousing advocates andlawmakers want thestate to go furtheringuar-
Landry said in an interview late last year thathewas frustrated with alack of progress on property insurance premiumsand that insurers should be required to step up and offera minimum discount for fortified roofs. Duplessis said his bill is about fairness, given that insurance companies benefit fromstrongerroofs andthe state is giving outtaxpayerfunded grants to support the program
“We’reusing state money to benefit insurance companies that are not guaranteeing at least aminimum discount? It’s bad policy,” he said. Temple said he’spushing Hebert’s bill to make sure theprogram is fundedinthe future, and he saidhesupports abill by Talbot to ramp up tax benefits for people who add afortified roof.Temple also supports Freeman’sbill to require fortifiedroofs in coastal parishes when someone builds or reroofsahome. Temple pointed to Alabama, whose two coastal counties require fortified roofsinnew builds and
“Weneedtohave
LIOUS LANE By virtue of theprovi‐sions of LouisianaRe‐vised Statute47:2201
seq.and
Council Ordinancenum‐ber 19497, theParishof EastBaton Rougehas been authorized to
thispropertyasadjudi‐cated property.You have been identified as a party who mighthave a vestedorcontingentin‐terestinsaidproperty, which wasassessedin the name(s)ofSANDY DAVIS ANDMELVINA GRIMESWILSON, and was adjudicatedtothe ParishofEastBaton Rouge in theyearof2019 for unpaid taxesfor the yearof2018. Thesalewill takeplace in accordance withthe provisions of LA R.S.47:2201 et seq. Your interestinthe property willbeterminatedifyou donot redeem
W. KIRBY TRACT Improvements thereon believedtobearonMu‐nicipal No.()LEMON ROAD. By virtue of theprovi‐sions of LouisianaRe‐vised Statute47:2201 et seq.and Metropolitan Council Ordinancenum‐ber 19494, theParishof EastBaton Rougehas been authorized to sell thispropertyasadjudi‐cated property.You have been identified as a party who mighthave a vestedorcontingentin‐terestinsaidproperty, which wasassessedin the name(s)ofISIAH YOUNG JR ROSA MOORE SMART,AND ORALEE and wasadjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in theyearof2021 for unpaid taxesfor the yearof2020. Thesalewill takeplace in accordance withthe provisions of LA R.S.47:2201 et seq. Your interestinthe property willbeterminatedifyou donot redeem theprop‐ertybymakingall re‐quiredpaymentstothe taxcollector listed below PUBLIC NOTICERecquisition 11297652 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJU‐
MemberHeck, Seconded byCouncil Member Monachello to enactpro‐visions of theInterna‐tionalPropertyMainte‐nance Code andtopro‐videfor relatedmatters Public comment was openedwiththe follow‐ing speakers:Justin Dupuy AYES: Cook,Heck, Him‐mel,Edmonds Monachello
NAYS: None ABSENT: None
(2)MotionbyCouncil MemberEdmonds,Sec‐onded by CouncilMem‐ber Cook to amendTitle 4 relative to administra‐tivehearingsand to pro‐videfor relatedmatters Public commentopened withthe followingspeak‐ers:Sheri Morris AYES: Cook,Heck, Him‐mel,Edmonds Monachello
NAYS: None ABSENT: None
(4)MotionbyCouncil
(3)MotionbyCouncil MemberEdmonds,Sec‐onded by CouncilMem‐ber Cook to regulate massage establishments andto provide forre‐l d p lated matters. Publiccomment opened withthe followingspeak‐ers:Chief Ardeneaux AYES: Cook,Himmel, Edmonds, Monachello NAYS: Heck ABSENT: None
FAA: Sightseeingchopper companyceasing operations
Helicopter crashed
Thursday,killing 6
BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press
NEW YORK
TheFederal Avia-
tion Administration said Sunday that the helicopter tour company whose sightseeing chopper broke apart in flight and crashed in New York, killing the pilot and afamily of five visitors from Spain, is shutting down operations immediately The FAA, in astatement posted on X, also said it would launch an immediate reviewofNew York
Helicopter Tours’ operatinglicense and safety record.
The move came hours after New York Sen. Chuck Schumer had called on federal authorities to revoke the operating permitsofNew York Helicopter Tours.
Thecompany’ssightseeing helicopter broke apartinmidair and plungedinto the HudsonRiver Thursday,killing the tourists from Spainand thepilot,a Navy SEAL veteran.
At anews conference Sunday before the announcementbythe FAA, Schumer said thecompany shouldberequired to halt all flightsasthe National Transporta-
tion Safety Board investigates the deadly crash
TheSenate Democratminority leader also called on the Federal Aviation Administration to ramp up safety inspections for other helicoptertourcompanies, accusing themof“cutting corners and putting profits over people.”
The victims included passengers Agustin Escobar,49, his wife, MercèCamprubí Montal, 39, and their three children, Victor,4,Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. The pilot was Seankese Johnson, 36, aU.S Navy veteran who received his commercial pilot’slicense in 2023.
“One of thethings we can do to
honorthose livesand trytosave others is to make sureitdoesn’t happenagain,” Schumersaid. “We knowthere is one thing for sure aboutNew York City’shelicopter tour companies:theyhaveadeadly track record.
Thursday’scrash has renewed safety concernsabout NewYork’s sightseeingexcursions, apopular touristdraw that whisks passengershigh abovethe city,offering soaring views of theStatueofLiberty, the WorldTrade Center and otherlandmarks.
In the last two decades, five helicopters on commercialsightseeing flights have fallen into
the Hudson and East rivers as a result of mechanical failures, piloterrors or collisions, killing20 people
The president of New York Helicopter Tours, Michael Roth, did notrespond to phone andemail inquiries. The company said in a statement published on its website that it was cooperating with authorities in theinvestigation In responsetoSchumer’s calls for moreoversight, an industry group, Eastern RegionHelicopter Council, saidManhattan’ssightseeing choppers“already operate under the moststringent of regulations.”
in both the House and Senate are throwing their support behind an effort to restructure the Departmentof Transportationand Development.
“We’re hoping to see projects done faster —still the same qualitywork, still all the safety measuresin place,” said Senate President Cameron Henry,RMetairie.
Henry emphasized the effort is not centered on firing DOTD employeesbut is instead focused on speedingup project timelines and streamlining procedures.
“The goal is to improve DOTD and its current situation as it relates to project delivery,communication with stakeholders and accountability,”said House Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Ryan Bourriaque, R-Abbeville.
Bourriaque, akey player in plans for the transportation department overhaul, said strongeraccountabilitymeasures areaimedat keeping project timelines on track and reducing permitting delays.
Kate Kelly,communications director for Landry, said “DOTDreform” also is among the governor’stop priorities this session.
Just months into his administration last year, Landry ordered histransportation secretary,Joe Donahue, to put together aplan to “rehabilitate” the oft-maligned department.
That resulted in areview of the agency by aprivate consultantaswell as a44page Strategic Improvement Plan issued by DOTD, which conceded inefficient and inconsistent project delivery is apressing problem.
House Speaker Phillip DeVillier,R-Eunice, said the root of DOTD’sproblems lies in an old systemwhere “if you want somethingin your district, you have to voteacertain way.”
“Infrastructure has always been done through politics,” he said. “That’swhat you see DOTD is builtupon. Whatwe’re trying to do now is shift it and actually take careofour infrastructure for achange and make it a priority of the state.”
‘MAHA’
Landry has voiced support
on social media for“MAHA” —asloganpromoted by U.S. DepartmentofHealth and HumanServices Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.that echoes President Donald Trump’s “MakeAmerica Great Again”catchphrase.
Thegovernor recently posted that he looks forward to working with Trumpand Kennedy,who has drawn criticism for his skepticism of vaccines, “to bring the MAHAmovement to the forefrontinLouisiana.”
Sen. PatrickMcMath, RCovington, champions the MAHA cause.
He is sponsoring asweepingnutritionbill thatwould banthe purchaseofsoft drinks using federal food aid payments, prohibit the use of ultra-processed ingredients in public schools and require restaurants to tell customers if theycook with seed oils like canola or corn oil.
The plan would take time and money to implement, McMath has acknowledged Butitalsoispart of acampaigntopressurefood companies to change ingredients in ultra-processed products.
DeVillier said he is “excited” to learn moreabout McMath’s plan.
Henry said he expects “good things to come” from the nutrition legislationand called McMath’s proposed timeline for changes “very realistic.”
Taxesand spending
Duringatax-focusedspecial session in November lawmakers approved major changes, includingreducing individual and corporate income taxrates andincreasingthe statesales taxrate
Theyalso proposed Amendment 2, asweeping revisiontothe Louisiana Constitution’s tax and finance provisions. Butvoters rejected the plan bywide margins on March29.
Lawmakers hopedtoimplement dozens of policy changesthrough Amendment 2. But now they have narrowed their focus and say they want to putatleast afew of those before voters again
One would freeup money formoreimmediate spendingneeds by combiningtwo state trust funds: the BudgetStabilization Fund,with abalance of $1.07 billion, and the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund, with $2.73 billion. The moneyfunneled into
those accountscan be spent in only certaincases, such as when the state is facing abudget shortfall or other emergency circumstances.
“Wehave more money in savings now than we’veever had,”DeVilliersaid. And theonly way to accomplish certain goals“is by taking the resourcesthatwehave today andputting them to work,”hesaid.
DeVillier said some of that money could be usedonroad construction, watersector improvements, long-delayed maintenanceprojects at universities and lowering sales and income taxes.
Henry also backs combining thetwo accounts to free up moremoney
Aside from the trust fund plan, Henry, DeVillier andRep.Julie Emerson, a Carencro Republican who chairs the House tax-writing committee, allsignaled that an effort to phaseout a propertytax on business inventory will also resurface during thesession.
Education
Ahigh-profile element in the failedAmendment 2was aplan to permanently increase the salariesofteachers by $2,000 andsupport staff by $1,000
During thepast two budgetyears, lawmakerstwice approved thatpay as atemporary stipend. But this year, the latest revenue projections show that lawmakers need to account for an expected$194 millionshortfall.
With that budget holelooming, stateleaderssaidthey aren’tsure theycan comeup with theroughly $200 million needed to makethe raises permanent.
“That’s apart of the conversationthat we’rehaving,” said DeVillier,a sentiment echoed by Henry Landrythis month sent a letter to teachers, writing “noexistingalternative recurringresources existto fund the permanent salary increase you deserve.”
But, Landry said, “my door is opentofinding asolution.”
Rep. JackMcFarland, R-Jonesboro, chairofthe House Budget Committee, said he’s “encouraged by members and the publicthat theteacher stipend is apriority.
“Our education system is on the rise in Louisiana,”he said. “Teachers are playing a large role in that.”
Another issue stirring controversy for this session is
funding for Landry’ssignature education initiative, the LA GATORScholarshipprogram, new taxpayer-funded schoolvouchers families can use forprivate schools or other education expenses.
Landrywants$93.5 millionfor GATOR scholarships for the next budget year,up from current-yearfunding of about$44 millionfor the state’s existing school voucher program.
Henry said he was “notremotely” expecting the $93.5 million ask and only supports spending up to $50 million.
Budget worries
Dramatic federal funding cuts andfears that Congress will slash Medicaid spending have sparked worry in Louisiana.
Some, like McFarland, say they are remaining calm, proceeding with the factsavailable to thematany giventime —and keeping an eye on what is happening in Washington.
“I can’tbudget for something thatI don’tknow yet that the federal government’s gonna do,” he said.
McFarland said he has spoken with some members of Louisiana’scongressional delegation.
“I think everyone’sfully awareinD.C. that Louisiana has asignificant population that depends on Medicaid,” he said.
Lastweek McFarland said
that despite widespread talk about cuts to health care and education, “I haven’tseen those yet.”
State health officials this month said theyanticipate losing $86 million from eight federalgrantseliminated by theTrump administration
At abudget meeting last week, then-interim state Health Secretary Drew Maranto spoke to legislators about the possibility of federal fundingcuts.
“Ifthe feds make changes, we obviously would have to implement them,” he said “The programasitiscurrently designed is unchanged.”
Askedifhehad spokenwith Louisiana’scongressional delegation, Maranto—whose last dayinthatpositionwas Friday— would only say that he has“engagedwiththe federal delegation over the last few weeks and will continue to do so.”
Henry has said he has discussed the issue with U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, with whom he is close.
Henry said he told Scalise that if federal funding is cutfor agiven program, the problem it is designedtoaddress still exists —and states must thencome up with the funding.
Auto insurancerates
Aheadofthe session, Landry andDeVillier have
both madelowering auto insurances rates akey priority —albeitindistinctways.
Landry this week unveiled thetypes of legislation he believes will achieve that goal —something he said would require accountability on the part of both insurancecompaniesand triallawyers who represent accident victims DeVillier last summer directed someHouse legislative leaders to convene months’worth of meetings aimed at determining why Louisiana’sauto insurance rates are so high.
“Mycommitteechairshave done avery good job digging intothis, andI’m hopeful that theinsurancecrisis that we haveinLouisiana is going to be addressed this session,” he said.
Henry emphasized the “tough” balancing act that state lawmakers are forced to make in debatesover insurance rates. Whilelawmakers arewary of insurance companies that want policyholders to cede their power to challenge the fairness of claims payments, Henry said, they also want to avoidover-regulating insurersand driving them away, reducing competition.
“We’re just trying to finda happy medium in all of this,” he said. Staff writersPatrick Wall and Emily Woodruff contributed to this report.
METRONEWS
Ex-LSU football player dead afterpolicechase
BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer
Former LSU wide receiver Kyren
Lacy was founddead Saturday night in Houston from an apparent self-inflictedgunshot wound after a car chase with police, according to the Harris County Sheriff’sOffice. He was 24.
Lacy was involved in averbal argument with afamily memberand discharged agun into the ground, the Sheriff’s Office saidSunday. When the Constable’s Office responded to the sceneatapproximately 11:15 p.m., they said Lacy had driven away in hiscar
Law enforcement triedtostop him 20 minutes later,and Lacy fled. He was involved in acar chase for several miles before crashing, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Upon trying to remove Lacy from the car and place him in custody deputies said they discoveredLacy had suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound andfound a handgun in thevehicle. Emergency
personnel pronounced him dead at the scene
According to apreliminary investigation by the Sheriff’s Officehomicide detectives and crime scene units, Lacy shot himself during the pursuitand beforethe car crashed. Police saidareview of body camera and car dash-mounted video did not indicateany shots were fired after the chase ended Lacy was accused of causing a fatal car crash on Dec. 17 in LafourcheParish that killed a78-yearoldman and injuredtwo others. He faced countsofnegligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of avehicle, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office said. He turned himselfinonJan.12 andwas released after posting $151,000bail.
Agrandjury was scheduled to hearLacy’scase Monday.His attorney,Matthew Ory,saidinastatementSunday that he believed the evidence would have led to a“declination of charges.” Ory added he would demand areviewofthe po-
lice investigation.
“Kyrenwas ayoung manwith immense promise, and he was crushedunder theweight of an irresponsible andprejudiced process,” Ory saidinthe statement. “The pressure and perception likely became unbearable.”
Lacy,aThibodauxnative, was
one of LSU’sleading receiverslast season with 58 receptions for866 yardsand nine touchdowns,which tiedfor the mostinthe SEC. He recently worked out at LSU’spro day in advance of the NFL Draft
“We’re saddened to learn of the tragic passing of former LSUfootball student-athleteKyren Lacy,” LSUsaidinastatement.“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family andloved ones,aswellas his former teammates and coaches impacted by his passing.”
According to arelease fromLouisianaState Police, Lacy wasdriving a2023 Dodge Charger on La. 20 near Perez Lane at thetimeofthe December accident. He then“recklessly passed multiple vehicles at a
high rate of speed by crossing the centerline and entering the northbound lane while in ano-pass zone,” police said.
As thedriverofa northbound pickup truck swerved to the right to avoid acollision with Lacy,the driverbehind thetrucktook evasive action andcrossed thecenterline, striking asouthbound Kia Sorento head on, police said. After the accident, policesaid Lacy drove around the crash scene without stopping to help, call emergency services or report his part in the crash.
Apassenger in the Kia, Herman Hall, of Thibodaux, wastransported to ahospital, where he died from his injuries. Ory claimed in astatementreleased Feb. 2that Lacy did notcause the collision. The statement said,inpart,thatwhile Lacy “briefly passed other vehicles, he safelyre-entered his lane without incident.”
Lacy was athree-starrecruit who began his career at the UniversityofLouisiana at Lafayette.
Lafayettemothertaken into ICEcustody
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
Venessa Marroquin, of Lafayette, left her 3-year-old daughter with family on March 28 and drove to New Orleans for what she thought would be aroutine check-in with officials at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement fieldoffice there. Instead, she was arrested and transferredtoadetention facility in another state.
Marroquin was heldinaHancock, Mississippi, jail for three days, then moved to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, said Terry Lavergne, afriend, sponsor and godfathertoher daughter
“You can imagine what a3-yearold is going through,” Lavergne said. “She put her head on my shoulder and cried.” Marroquin, her husband and other family members don’thave visas or other legal status to be in the United States, said Lavergne, a Donald Trumpsupporter who said he doesn’tblame the presidentfor herdetention.The family doesn’t cause any trouble, he said Around five years ago, the familyleftElSalvador afterabrother was killed and asister was threatened, Lavergne said. Scared for their lives, he said, they walked into the United States from Mexico and cametoLafayette because arelative was here.
“They are scared andgetting more scared,” Lavergne said.
There aretens of thousands of immigrants like Marroquin, who are allowed to remain in theU.S., sometimes for decades, even though their asylum applications have been denied, their case is pending appeal or they’re working through the legal process for asylum.
ICE releases such people under orders of supervision, which allows the government to monitor and track them. ICE considersthese orders to be humanitarian in nature, according to immigration advocates, as they are often granted to people who havechildren to care for
or medical needsthatmakeitdifficult for them to be held in detention.
The orders of supervision arerevocable, which means the government can choose to terminatethem anddetainthe undocumented person at any time. However,aslong as theindividual hasn’tviolated any regulations or committed any crimes, they have typically been allowed toremain free.
Thatis changing, immigration experts said.
‘Low-hanging fruit’
Under previous administrations, immigration officialswere instructed to prioritize detaining and expellingpeople whoposed threats to public safety or hadcriminal records.
However,one of Trump’sfirst actionsafter he was sworn in for his second term was to broaden ICE’s mandate— now allimmigrants without legal status are prioritized for arrest,including those who have been checking in and cooperating with authorities, immigration attorneys said.
ICE agents are facing quotas, according to The Washington Post. Each office is expected to arrest 75 immigrants daily.Lafayette is part of theNew Orleansfield office that includes Alabama, Arkansas,Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Because of thequotas, some of those being arrested anddetained are those who have been living under orders of supervision, Nora Ahmed, legal director of the ACLU of Louisiana, said Monday “Numerous peoplehavelived in this country for years anddecades by following through on their orders of supervision,”Ahmed said.“When this administration came into power andwas wonderinghow to meet quotas, they started identifying people with orders of supervision.”
It’seasier and takes fewer resources to detain people like Marroquin, who follow the rules and show up for appointments with ICE, than to findthose who don’treport or are undocumented andhave no record
withICE, Ahmedsaid.
“I thinkICE considersthemtobe low-hanging fruit,”JeffMigliozzi, spokespersonfor Freedom for Immigrants, said Tuesday.“It’s away for them to prettyeasily and quickly juiceuptheir arrest numbers.”
During the campaign Trumpsaid ICE would targetviolent criminals. Butagentsare going after anyone who is not acitizen, he said —“peoplewithjobs, businesses, supporting their families, doing everything they’re supposed to do.”
The ICE field office in New Orleans declined to comment on quotasorMarroquin’scase. Followingthe rules
There are Americans who believe anyone crossing the border intothe U.S. is hereillegally and should be deported. However,itislegal,Migliozzisaid, to come to theU.S., including walking across theborder to seek asylum. When immigrants turn themselves in or seek asylum theyare following the rules, he said. From alegal perspective, immigration is supposed tobea civil process, not apunishment, Homero Lopez, director andmanaging attorneyofImmigration Services and Legal Advocacy in New Orleans, said. Detention, he said, is supposed to be forthose deemed adangerto thecommunity or aflight risk and even then, bond may be set.
The 73-year-old grandfather detained by ICE in Lafayette on April 1, he said, is probably not aflight risk. He was referring to Jose Francisco Garcia Rodriguez, who was driving to work when ICE agentspulled him over andarrested him. ACuban refugee who is theprimary caregiver to his wife suffering dementia, Rodriguezwas held in thePine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Evangeline Parish for aweek beforebeing released. Hisstepson said he hasanappointmentwith ICE agents.Meanwhile, attorneys are hard-pressed to counsel immigrants whoare living under orders of supervision.
He playedtwo seasonsbefore transferring to LSU. Lacy caught 112 passes for 1,692 yards and 16 touchdowns in three seasons with the Tigers.
Lacy’sfather,Kenny Lacy,encouraged parents to check on their children’s mental health after his son’sdeath.
“Young parents,start talking to your kids at averyearly ageand make sure they areconfident and comfortable confiding in you,”he wrote in aFacebook post. “Don’tbe cool with ‘I’m Alright, or I’m good’ whenyou know deep down something isn’t right. Mental health is real, andfor the most part, it’sinvisible. Don’tignore the signs, even if they mayseem small.
“Our lives have changed forever and this will never be ok, but God needed my baby more than he was needed here. This has to be the biggest pill our familieshavehad to swallow,but Iknow the love and compassion in our families will get us through. This will never get easier,but we’ll learn to live with it.”
Shootingsleave 3wounded at Strawberry Festival
BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer
Three people were wounded in two unrelated shootings around the Ponchatoula Strawberry FestivalonSaturday night, authorities announcedearly Sunday The first shooting wasabout 9:25 p.m. near the festival’sticket booth at Ponchatoula Memorial Park,where deputies with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office found twowounded teenage boys. One had agraze wound to theleg andthe other hadbeen shot in the abdomen.
Fiveminuteslater,the Ponchatoula Police Department responded to gunfire at the Ponchatoula Community Center just outside the festival grounds at North Fifth and East Beech streets. There, they discovered anotherteenage boywho had been shot in the leg.
The three victims weretaken to ahospitalfor treatment and were in stable conditionasof Sunday morning, police said.
Theincidents are being investigated as separate cases. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office is assistingwith the investigation on the festivalgrounds while the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Of-
ficeisassisting with the investigationoff the grounds.
The shootings prompted authoritiestoshut down thefestival an hour early on Saturday Sunday’siteration of the free festivalopenedasplannedwith a9 a.m. church service, but was set to close down at 5p.m., two hours earlier than initially scheduled.
Officials hadnot announced an arrest in either caseasofSundaymorning, but officialssaid lawenforcementwould continue to patrol the grounds and downtown Ponchatoula for the festival’sfinalday
“Both of theseincidentsare upsetting andunacceptable and those responsible will be found and held accountable,” Ponchatoula PoliceChiefBry Layrisson said in astatement Sunday “The businesses and nonprofits that rely on this event for yearround support do not deserve to have their progress and positivity derailedbyfoolishness and the families thatenjoy this event should not be fearful to simply go out foranevening of fun. If you can’tbehave respectfully in acrowd or handle disputes maturely,don’tcome to our community forour events,” he said.
SonofGonzalespolice officerarrested, accused of fatallystabbingmother
Theson of aGonzalespolice officer has been arrested after his motherwas fatallystabbed Saturday at a Prairieville home, according to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office. Dillon Marshall, 23, was booked on counts of second-degree murder and aggravated assault andwas being held Sundayinthe Ascension Parish Jail.
Deputies responded to acall about astabbing about noon Saturday at aresidenceonMisty Oak Court. The victim wasidentified as 48-year-old Shanitra Marshall. Dillon Marshall was arrested at thescene. The suspect’s father is an officer with the Gonzales PoliceDepartment. Police Chief Sherman Jackson released a statementonSundayoffering support. “The Gonzales Police Depart-
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ment is deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred yesterday involving the family of one of our own,” he said. “Our most heartfelt thoughts and prayers are withour officer and his lovedonesduring this incredibly difficult time.Asadepartment, we stand together in support, offering strength, comfort, and privacy as they navigate this unimaginable loss.”
One personbooked on suspicion of DWI
One personwas booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison between noon Saturday and noon Sundayfor suspicionofdriving while intoxicated. JordenWilkerson, 25, of Baton Rouge wasbooked on one count each of operatinga vehiclewhile intoxicated, driving with an open alcohol container of alcohol speeding and driving without a license, insurance or registration.
PHOTO By MOLLyBAHLINGER
Children participate in an egg hunt at the West Baton RougeEaster Egg-stravaganzaonSunday.
Susan Gandy Olds, 73, of Baton Rouge, LA,passed awaypeacefully on April 6, 2025,atthe ButterflyWing of Hospice of Baton Rouge. Susan was born August 26, 1951,inNatchez, MS Shewas the onlydaughterofDr. Thomas Howard Gandy and SueBuford Gandy. Susan attended high school at All Saints Episcopal School in Vicksburg, MS where she made many lifelong friends. Shewenttothe University of SouthernMississippi and then to Louisiana State University whereshe earnedher bachelor's de-
gree in earlychildhoodeducation.
Susan taught school in East Baton RougeParish formany years, and those friendshipscontinuedlong after retirement
She is survivedbyher loving husband, John RussellOlds, her daughter and son-in-law Mary Margaret and Wyn Singer, and three loving stepdaughters, Beth, Courtney &Robyn Olds who willforever hold her memory in their hearts. She also leavesbehind her threebrothers, Warren Buford Gandy and hiswife Nell,Thomas Howard Gandy, Jr.and his wife Paula, William Wiley Gandyand his wife, Christy and loving sister-in-law Vera Lee Olds.Susantreasured her threeamazing grandchildren, Trip Singer, John HartSinger, and Simon Boonchai. Susan willbedearly missed by allthatknew her. She loveddogs, planting flowers,estatesale shopping,and gathering with friends, butmostly she lovedany moment that she spent with family Susan livedlife to the
fullest, and thefamily wouldliketothank theentire nursing staffofthe Our Ladyofthe Lake Regional Medical Center's Neurological Critical Care Unit, Dr. Greg Fautheree, and The Hospice of Baton Rouge's Butterfly Wing forimpeccable care and love throughthese last few weeks. AMemorial Service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church on Tuesday, April15, beginning with visitationat9:00 followed by aserviceat10:30. In lieu of flowers,memorial donations may be madeto The Hospice of Baton Rouge's Butterfly Wing.
When youneed thenews. Wherever youreadthe news
Thenewspaper of record for BatonRouge
We need areal accounting of DOGE
Iwould like to see afair and honest reckoning ofthe real fiscal benefit of replacing our inspectors general program with the Department of GovernmentEfficiency.Asfar as Ican tell from several news sources, DOGE has “saved” taxpayers between $9 billion and $65billion; that is atremendous disparity,and Ihave no idea what this mysteriousgroup is costing the governmenttorun. Even if the unelected Elon Musk is offering his services gratis, it would be unfair (and certainly unwise) for me to assumethat all themany techies surrounding himare doing likewise. So,what’s thecost? Then we can compare this with the facts of the government audit that determined that, in 2023, the inspectors general uncovered wasteand fraudtothe tune of $90.1 billion. This same audit determined that thecost to taxpayers was $1 spent for every $26recovered. That soundslike apretty good use of tax dollars. With all the boasting and bragging of this administration, it might be useful to look at honest and independent evaluation of the actual numbers. The inspectors generalhave been successfully used to catchmisuse, wasteand fraud in government on behalf of the American public. Iamskepticalofany politician who seeks to undo the independent work of an oversight committee and replace it with an appointed group with responsibilities only to that politician. Where has common sense gone?
REV.MICHAELKUHN NewOrleans
YOUR VIEWS
Hurtingrenewableshurts everyone,even oiland gas
Recently,amid federal uncertainty, Diamond Offshoreterminated its agreement with Louisiana to develop offshore wind in state waters. Diamond, aglobal oil and gas companybased in Texas, is among many energyplayers navigating shifting policies. While President Donald Trumphas promised policies favoring fossil fuels, industry expertsrecognize that modernenergy production is deeply integrated. Undermining renewables ultimately harmsthe very oil and gas industries Trumpaims to protect. Companies like Diamond consume vast amounts of electricity,and adiverse energy portfoliolowers costs —benefiting their bottom line. Investing in offshore wind and other renewables remains in their best interest.
Ourenergy future is increasingly interwoven. An “all of the above” approach is essential to meeting rising energy demand, but it’salso driven by financial markets, where traditional energy producers are investing heavily in renewables. Their priority is reliable, cost-effective energy,regardless of the source. Take the Louisiana Energy Users Group,
acoalition of major industrial consumers advocating for better electricity options through theLouisiana Public Service Commission. Major oil and gas producers including Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell —support diversified energy access to maintain affordabilityand reliability
While LEUG membersmay benefit from expanded fossil fuel development, they also recognize the value of investments in solar,wind and other renewables. Federal tax credits, recently enhancedtosupport domestic production and legacy energy communities, create new opportunities to meet growing demand while reducing costs —even for fossil fuel companies. Renewable energy prices have plummeted, offering traditional energy producers a competitive edge. Framing energy as azerosum battle between old and new technologies is counterproductive. Instead, fostering collaboration across theenergy sector will ensure areliable, affordable and sustainable future for all.
JOSHUABASSECHES assistant professor of environmental studies and public policy at Tulane University
What coverage of Hoffman’sexecution should teachus
Thank youfor your excellent reporting on the execution of Jessie Hoffman on March 18 bythe stateofLouisiana at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Ihave been visiting Angola for over 15 years (withtime out for the pandemic) to help leada monthly Bible study sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Louisianaand to helpleadanannualthree-dayretreatsponsored by KairosPrison Ministry International.Every time Icheck through themain gate, Imeditate on theappropriateness of thesign statingthatIamentering the Louisiana State Penitentiary.This is aplace for people to be imprisoned—tolimit theirharmful behavior,tobepunished and to do penance.
As aChristian, Iamopposed to the death penalty.Jesus toldthe accusers of the woman caught in adultery that anyone of themwith-
out sin could throw the firststone to put her to death. They all walked away. “Go,sin no more,” Jesus told the woman. Idid not know Hoffman, but Iwas moved by theguest columnonMarch 17 written by The Rev.Michaela Bono, his Buddhist priest chaplain on death row. She described him as ahumble, changed man whoserved as a“mentor,guiding younger men on their own paths to peace and helping them manage conflict and choose alife away from violence.”
Our life and our bodies are giventousby God,not the state. The state does not have the right to terminateanyone’slife. Icannot imagine Jesus looking down from His cross affirming this or any execution.
RICHARD SAXER NewOrleans
Jewish voices must denounce deportation of Khalil
The detention and threatened deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, aPalestinian green card holder whohas not been charged with acrime, is a clear violation of the First Amendmentand athreat to the civil liberties that prevent the United States from morphing into adictatorship. Khalil, arecent graduate of Columbia University,was astudent negotiator during the Gazasolidarity encampment on Columbia’s campus. On March 8, federal immigration agents abducted Khalil and took him to the LaSalle Detention Center in Jena, an ICEfacility with ahistory of deaths and allegations of abuse. The Trumpadministration has since revoked his green card and is attempting to deport him As Jews, we have watched in horror as tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gazaand the West Bank are murdered in the nameofour supposed safety.Now,wewitness as the Trumpadministration begins to disappear activists here —inour name, and in our homeofLouisiana. The experience of being stripped of legal status is familiar to Jewish people, as it has happened to us throughout our history.We know what comes next. The Trump administration has escalated the U.S. government’slongstanding campaign of violence against immigrants and asylum seekers, manyof whom are held in appalling conditions in ICEfacilities across Louisiana. And ICEhas begun to target morestudent protestors, including Palestinian Columbia student Leqaa Kordia. These repressive actions are clearly meanttostoke fear and to disrupt carefully tended networks of solidarity.Asthe administration mobilizes against immigrants, activists, trans people, universities, and the basic rights that hold our society together,wehave amessage: Louisiana is watching. And we will not be afraid. We will continue to show up and speak out.
OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com.
Aggressive drivingoninterstates gettingout of hand
Speed limits, especially on the interstate, needtobeenforced. Ihave witnessed more peoplegetting mad because someone passinginthe left lane isn’tdoing it fastenough while road ragers think theleft lane is for traveling 90 mph to 120 mph.
People don’thave the right to tail others or cut and slam on their breaks. Ihave witnessed road ragers doing this to others without consequence multiple times.
That is causing theaccidents, and while slow driving in theleft lane may contribute, it’sthesehigh-ratespeeders and aggressive drivers that are notbeing addressed. They are amuch bigger problem than someonedoing the speed limit and passing slower drivers in theleft-hand lanes.
TheClinton administration didn’ttackle balancing the budget, as stated by MuhammadYungai in arecent letter.Actually he fought for deficit spending like every other Democrat had always done. The Republicansled byNewt Gingrich presented the balanced budget and Bill Clinton vetoed it,
budget
but theRepublicans managed to override theveto and as usual Democrats stole the credit for doing this.Facts are facts. Clinton did not balance thebudget intentionally. He fought it and lost.
DAVID BASSHAM Houma
reflectviewpoints of newspaper’s readers
Iamwriting in response to a March 19 letter where Patrick Grossie, of Lafayette, complained that “conservative viewpoints were not adequately represented” in this newspaper.Hereferences the fact that conservative viewsare the majority in Louisiana.
However,Kamala Harris won 82.2% of the vote in Orleans Parish. Further,itismyunderstanding that letters on the editorial page are representative of the majority point of view of letters received on various topics.
Idon’tbelieve that there’sany journalistic rule stating that conservative and liberal viewpoints should be equally presented by which letters to the editor are chosen to run.
GENE SHAPIRO NewOrleans
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
Offshore windpower could be asource of energyfor many industries.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO Elon Musk attends the finalsfor the NCAA wrestling championship on March 22 in Philadelphia. Musk is thedriving force behind the Department of Government Efficiency
WALT’S CAPTION CONTEST
EGGDECORATING
Nice! We received 669 entries in this week’sCartoon Caption Contest,with lots of zany approaches and snarky lines! Our winner’s punchline wasshortand funny, and it fit perfectly from acat’sperspective!Great work everyone!Asalways, when we have duplicate entries,and we always do,wepick the earliest sent in.Here arethisweek’s winner and finalists.Well played, Folks! —Walt
PETER KOVACS, BATONROUGE: “Eggs are so pricey, it’s cheaper to paint your pets.”
FRANK ARRIGO,BATON ROUGE: “It won’t lastlong.He didn’t use primer first.”
DONALD BOREY,GONZALES: “Do youthink this is how Blue Dog gothis start?”
CHRIS DU PASSAGE, MANDEVILLE: “Atleast youget a bath, I’vegottaclean this myself.”
HOWARD W. STREIFFER, METAIRIE: “No more sugar for the kid!!”
PETER A.VIGLIA II, EVERGREEN, CO.: “Todaywas better before he woke up.”
ROBERT KOHN, RIVER RIDGE: “I knewMom nevershould have enrolled him in that ContemporaryArt Camp!”
LARRYDEBLIEUX, METAIRIE: “Just imagine what this kid could do to afreight train!”
JIM FLOCK, HARAHAN: “Amazing! He also managed to getsome on the eggs!”
JANGARDNER, SPRING,TEXAS: “He’sgonna need a bigger basket.”
MARTHA STARNES,KENNER: “Next year,I’m hiding the eggs… and the paint!”
SHEREE MURRAY, BATONROUGE: “And theywant himto take overtheir Home Decorating Business!”
LEANNE WEILL, BATONROUGE: “They’re so expensive that they DO merit theFabergé treatment!”
BONNIE LOSEE, LAFAYETTE: “It’s goingtotakeforever to lick this off!”
Congress should nixonlinesafetybillagain
As abusinessman from Metairie and former chair of the RepublicanParty of Louisiana, I’ve had the privilege ofworkingalongside leaders like SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Benton, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, to advance the priorities that matter most to Republicans.Under President Donald Trump, we cut through Washington’s redtape, revitalized the economy and prioritized the needs of hardworking American families.
Now,aswemove forward, Republicans in Congress must remain focused on advancing Trump’sAmerica First agenda strengthening our economy and standingupagainst the Bidenadministration’sfailed policies.
parents —not Washington politicians
Thesebills create unnecessary regulatory burdens that would stifle free speech andAmerican technological innovation.
It’simperative that Republicans remain steadfast in opposing policies that expand government control at the expense of individual liberties and parental rights.
leaders alike.
Whytenure andacademic freedomare important
American universities, including those in our state, are universally recognized to be the greatest in the world. We produce by far the mostoriginal, lifesaving research and the mostworld leaders in every field, from astronomy to zoology
The foundations for this greatness are academic freedom and tenure, which are currently,and we believe wrongly,under attack.
Academic freedom can be hard to understand, but it does not mean that professors can say or do anything they like. It means that students and scholars are able to produce cutting-edge knowledge unconstrained by private or political interests, without fear or favor.We makesure that no one can buy or bully the truth.
We have been given this precious right because knowledge freely madeand accessible to all is a universally recognized public good. Tenure, similarly, protects scholars recognized by their peers forlong-term projects such as pursuing new treatments forstroke and Alzheimer’sdisease, documenting the behavior of remote stars and seeking usefulcoastal wetland restoration approaches.
Great universities across the globe have embraced these principles to attract the world’sfuture leaders to their campuses, and to promote discovery at the highest level. Institutions which do not protect scholars from private or political interference can never be great, because the greatness of knowledge lies in its accessibility not to the few, but to all.
Recently,inLouisiana and across the nation, universities and other public educational institutions have becometargets of politicized criticism. Executive orders have unfairly accused teachers of “indoctrination,” and sownfear among the international students and faculty whose expertise and experience we cherish.
In response to sweeping accusations, institutions have begun taking downwebsites and seeking to expunge words such as “diversity” or “women” from course materials, data sets and grant applications. These actions are hasty and reckless, and are having chaotic consequences such as the cancellation of grants, the purging of course syllabi and the editing of museum displays. Even moreisatstake here than academic freedom.
American citizens are losing access to information and services created for the public by the National Park Service, the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention, the Census Bureau and the National Institutes of Health, among others. These actions threaten to create adangerous ‘big brother’ apparatus, one that may try to erase the reality that this nation simply is and has always been diverse. These actions also unfairly accuse of dereliction thousands of teachers and researchers whoare doing their utmost to educate our children and improve our world. Finally, the censorship or removal of data robs the public of the free access to knowledge and information paid forbyour tax dollars and critical to the functioning of our democracy
That means rejecting any measures that would undermine conservative values, particularly those that would lead to an even greater expansion of the federal government’spower
The Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA,is one such bill. While it claims to protect children online, in reality,itthreatens parental autonomy by shifting power awayfrom families and into the hands of unelected bureaucrats.
This legislation opens the door for the government to dictate what content is deemed appropriate for children, anissue that should lie solely in the hands of
The Republican Party made the right decision in leaving KOSA behind in 2024, and we must remain committed to rejecting any efforts to revive it in 2025. While we all agree on the importance of making the internetsafer for children, last year’s version of the bill was deeply flawed and opened the door to greater government control over online content. It’s just one example of how wellintended policies can ultimately threaten free speech, privacyand therightsor parentstoraise their children without interference.
Instead of getting sidetracked by legislation like KOSA, House Republicans must stay focused on the real priorities: curbingwasteful government spending, supportinghardworking families and safeguarding our fundamental freedoms. Claims that KOSA will make the internet safer for kids have been disputed by policy expertsand conservative
Worse,itisa distraction from the America First prioritiesthat Trump promised to restore when he reclaimed the White House. KOSA represents an unnecessary legislative hurdle that would only drag the president’s priorities into the mud, slowing thecritical progress needed for our great nation to once again workfor the American people,a guiding principle that was lost under the Bidenadministration.
Trump’svision for America is clear: put theinterestsofour citizens first, cut unnecessary regulations and hold Washingtonaccountable.That’swhat made his first termsosuccessful, and it’swhat will keep our movement strong. House Republicans have acritical role to playin advancing this agenda and ensuring that our nation stays on the right track. This is adefining moment for the American people. We cannot afford to lose focus or allow distractions like KOSA to pull us away from the issues thattruly matter
Iurge House Republicans to stand firm, reject unnecessary government overreach and double down on the America First policiesthat will keep our country strong, secure and prosperous.
Roger Villere is the formerchair of the Louisiana Republican Party
We write this column as Boyd professors, the highest academic status conveyed upon scholars in the LSU System,with the support of twelve fellow Boyds from all across the system.Werealize that we and our colleagues are imperfect, like all humans. But we know that limiting academic freedomsand denying public access to freelycreated knowledge will not makeusgreat, but on the contrary,doom us to second- or third-rate status and cheat our students of the highest-quality education they deserve. We hope and believe Louisiana’sleaders in the business community,ingovernmental affairs and in the entertainment and hospitality sectors know how vital universities are to our state. Estimates suggest that we contribute over $6 billion annually to the state’seconomy,and our health care system and engineering sectors depend on the thriving of our university systems. Academic freedom ensures that across all sectors, the public has access to knowledge created without fear or favor
Suzanne L. Marchand is aprofessor in the LSU Department of History and R. Eugene Turner is an emeritus professor in the LSU College of Coastand the Environment.
WINNER: Debbie Thomas,Baton Rouge
Roger Villere GUEST COLUMNIST
Suzanne L. Marchand GUEST COLUMNIST
R. Eugene Turner GUEST COLUMNIST
Trump team triestoproject confidence amid tariff moves
BY BILLBARROW AssociatedPress
ATLANTA— Trump administration officials were out in force across the television networks Sundaydefending President DonaldTrump’s economicpolicies afteranother week of reeling markets thatsaw the Republican administration reverse course on some of its steepest tariffs. Trump, meanwhile, said onhis social media platform that there ultimatelywill be no exemptionsfor his sweeping tariff agenda, disputing characterizations that he has granted tariff exceptionsfor certain electronics, including smartphones, whose production is concentratedinChina.Rather,Trump said, “those products are subjectto the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to adifferent Tariff ‘bucket.’” White House advisers and Cabinet members tried to project confidence and calm amid Trump’sonagain, off-again approach to tariffs on imported goods from around the world. But their explanations about the overall agenda, coupled with Trump’slatest statements, also reflected shifting narratives from apresident who, as acandidate in 2024, promisedanimmediate economic boost and lower prices but now asks American businesses and consumers for patience.
Aweek ago, Trump’steam stood by his promise to leave the impendingtariffs in place without exceptions. They used their latest news show appearances to defend his move to ratchet back to a10% universal tariff for most nations except China(145%), while seeming to grant exemptions for certain electronics like smartphones, laptops, harddrives, flat-panel monitors and semiconductor chips.
Long before launching his first presidential campaign in 2015, Trump bemoaned the offshoring of U.S. manufacturing.His promise is to reindustrialize the UnitedStates and eliminate trade deficits with other countries.
Last week, CommerceSecretary Howard Lutnick, interviewed on CBS’ “Facethe Nation,” played up national security.“You’ve got to realize this is anational security issue,” he said, raising the worst-case scenarios of what could happen if
the U.S. wereinvolved in awar.We don’tmake medicine in this country anymore. We don’tmake ships. We don’thave enough steel and aluminumtofight abattle, right?”
he said
On Sunday,Lutnick stucktothat national security framing, but White Housetradeadviser Peter Navarro focused more on the import taxes being leverageinthe biggereconomic puzzle.
“The world cheats us. They’ve been cheating us for decades,”
Navarro said on NBC’s“Meet the Press.” He cited practices such as dumping products at unfairly low prices, currency manipulation and barrierstoU.S. autoand agricultural productsentering foreign markets.
Navarroinsisted thetariffs would yield broader bilateral trade deals to address all thoseissues. But he also relied on aseparate justificationwhen discussing China: the illicit drug trade
“China has killed over amillion peoplewiththeir fentanyl,” he said.
Speaking before Trump’sTruth Social post disputing thenotion of exemptions, Lutnick alluded to that comingpolicy.“They’re goingto have aspecialfocus-type of tariff to make sure that thoseproducts get reshored,”hetoldABC’s “This Week ”
Navarro namedthe United Kingdom, theEuropean Union, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Israel as among the nations in active negotiations with U.S. Trade RepresentativeJamieson Greer, Lutnick and other officials.
Greer said on CBS that his goal was“to get meaningful deals before 90 days”— the duration of Trump’s pause— “and Ithink we’re going to be there with several countries in the next few weeks.”
Talks with Chinahave not begun, he said.“We expect to have a
Commerce SecretaryHoward Lutnick speaks to reporters Wednesday outsidethe White House in Washington.
STAFF PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN
conversation with them,” he said, emphasizing it would be between Trump andChinesePresident Xi Jinping.
Trump took an aggressive tone himself Sunday in his social media post, saying “wewill notbeheld hostage by other Countries, especially hostile tradingNationslike China, which will do everything within its power to disrespect the American People.”
Navarro was not as specific about Beijing. “Wehaveopenedupour invitation to them,” he said. Lutnick characterized the outreach as “soft entrees …through intermediaries.”
Pressedonwhether thereisany meaningful back and forth, Navarro said, “The president hasavery good relationship with President Xi.”
Then he proceeded to criticize severalChina’s policies andtrade practices.
Others confronted some of the more complex realities of trying to achieve Trump’sgoal of restoring a bygone era of U.S. manufacturing.
Lutnick suggestedthe focusis on returning high-tech jobs, while sidestepping questions aboutlower-skilled manufacturingofgoods suchasshoes that could mean higher prices because of higher wages for U.S. workers. Butsome of that high-tech production is what Trumphas, for now,exempted from the tariffs that he and his advisers frameasleverage for forcing companiestoopenU.S facilities.
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House EconomicCouncil, did acknowledge widespread angst.
“The surveydata has been showing that people are anxious about the changes alittle bit,”hesaid, beforesteering his answer toemployment rates.“The hard data,” he said,“has been really,really strong.
Ecuadorvotersreelect conservative millionaire in presidential vote
BY GONZALO SOLANO and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press
QUITO, Ecuador— Ecuadorian voters weary of crime on Sunday reelected President Daniel Noboa, aconservative young millionaire with adivisive no-holds-barred crime-fighting record, but his opponent vowedtoseek arecount over what she described as “grotesque” electoral fraud. Figures released by Ecuador’s National Electoral Council show Noboa receiving 55.8% of the votewith morethan 90% of ballotscounted, while leftist lawyer Luisa González earned 44%.
Ecuador’stop electoral authority,Diana Atamaint,saidthose results showed an “irreversible trend” in favor of Noboa. Thewin gives Noboafouryears to fulfill the promises he first madein2023, when he stunned voters by winning asnap electionand a16-month presidency despitehis limited political experience.
González’sdefeat marks the thirdconsecutive time that the partyofRafael Correa, the country’s most influential president this century,failedtoreturn to thepresidency Noboa, heir to afortune built on the banana trade, is expected to continue applying some of his no-holds-barred crime-fighting strategies that part of the electorate finds appealing but which have tested the limits of lawsand normsofgoverning. González on Sundaytoldsupporters hercampaign “does not recognize the results presented by the“(National Electoral Council),” arguing among other issues that preelection polls showed her ahead of Noboa.
Thecandidatesadvanced to Sunday’scontest after getting themost votes in February’s first-round election. Noboa led González by about 17,000 votes. Voters are primarily worried about the violence that transformed the country,starting in 2021 —aspike in crimetied to the trafficking of cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru.
Both candidates have promised
President Daniel Noboa castshis vote Sunday,accompanied by hischildren, in the presidential election runoff in Olon, Ecuador Figures released by officialssay Ecuador has reelected Noboa as president.
tough-on-crime policies, better equipment forlaw enforcement and international help to fight drugcartelsand local criminal groups.
“My vote is clear,”saidIrene Valdez, aretireewho votedfor Noboa. “I wanttocontinue living in freedom.”
College student Martín Constante had adifferent view
“I think Luisa is goingtochange things, because Noboa has been very authoritarian,”Constante, 19,saidneara voting center in Quito, thecapital.“Ourcountry needs alot of changes.”
More than 13 million people were eligible to vote, whichis mandatory for adults up to the age of 65. It is optional forpeople aged 16 and 17 and over 65. Failure to vote results in a$46 fine. Atamaint saidseveral people, including voters and poll workers, had been arrested over ballot anomalies. She said some cases involved double voting and others stemmed from reports of counterfeit, premarked ballots. Atamaint added that 17 people were caught taking photos of their ballots, whichthe National Electoral Council banned forthis election citing reports of voter coercion by criminal groups. The violation comes with amaximum fine of $32,000.
Many Ecuadorians used their vote to express rejection of a candidateand notnecessarily to endorse the candidate they voted for.
Ozone
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SPORTS
Morrow’s tenacity an assetfor WNBA teams
numberscould easily translateto thepros
BYREED DARCEY Staff writer
It’seasy to measurethe impactthatAneesah Morrow made on her DePaul and LSU teams across her dominant four-year collegiate career
It’strickier to project how all of her production will translate to theWNBA.
Only one woman in NCAA Division Ihistory has ever posted more career double-doubles thanMorrow,and just two haveever grabbed more rebounds. TheLSU staraccomplished both of those featseventhough
she’sonly 6-foot-1,addingtothe significance of her achievements yet complicatingmatters for WNBA teamstasked with finding theright role for her in theleague. Is she aguard? Awing? Aforward?
Dallas Wings general manager Curt Miller —the lucky recipient of theNo. 1pick of Monday’sdraft andthe rights to select UConnstar Paige Bueckers —doesn’tthink hispeersshouldoverthink it
“She’ll be adog,” he said on Thursday Millersaid Morrow’srebounding numbers “pop off thecharts.”From her freshman season at DePaul through her senior year at LSU, she grabbed1,714boards— over 300 more than any other Division Iplayer corralled over that span.
But will the WNBAteam that chooses Morrow move her to the perimeter? Givenher size, will it station herfarther away from thepaint andask hertoshoot more 3s?
“I think whichever franchise is fortunate to endupwith her,”Millersaid, “isgetting areally talented player, firstand foremost. I, personally,inmydecadeinthis league, think thatrebounding has translated, and players that rebounded in college ended up rebounding in thepros.”
AngelReese added evidence to support that theory last season.
As arookie, shepulled down13.1 rebounds per game—aWNBA record. Reese also set the league record for totalboards in asingle season (446) before she injured her wrist
ä See MORROW, page 4B
FORTHE BOOKS
McIlroy, famous forhis heartbreaks, nowfamousfor hisMasters win
AUGUSTA, Ga. Earlier this week, Rory McIlroy related astory of how his daughter Poppy recently came home from schoolwhereher classmates were talkingabout him and asked, as only a4-year-old can, “Daddy,are you famous?” Yes, dear Poppy,heis. That’swhat happens when you win the Masters tournament That’swhat happenswhen you win the career grand slam. For along time, andunfairly,McIlroy was famous for his losses. His almostbut-not-quites. His heartbreaks. How he hit one of thecabins (again, they’re really enormous houses)onthe 10thhole here at Augusta National Golf Clubinthe 2011 Masters when hehad aonestroke lead going to the second nine. How he came up short at the 2022British Open at St.Andrews,
Scott Rabalais
where every British subject dearly wants to win. How he missed two short par putts on 16 and 18 in the finalroundofthe 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, handing victory to Bryson DeChambeau. It all added up to aweight on McIlroy’sshoulders. Weight he carried with him to thefirst tee Sunday along with his two-strokelead over that same DeChambeau. “I was really nervous going out,” McIlroy said. He drove intothe cavernous bunker at 1, got on the green in three and three-putted for adouble bogey.It dropped him intoatie for the lead with DeChambeau and flipped the switch on one of the wildest, most dramatic Masters final rounds ever And for McIlroy,ashewalked to thesecond tee, the double bogey
ä See RABALAIS, page 5B
BYLUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
Four rookies topped 1,000yards receiving last season, afirst in NFLhistory,but it would be asurprise if the 2025 class came close to repeating that milestone. This year’sclass of receivers is generally considered to be one of the weaker ones in recent memory—atleast in termsoftopend talent. But while there might not be an obvious ready-made No. 1inthis class, like Ja’Marr Chase or Malik Nabers, there are plenty of options foraNo. 2orNo. 3. In that way,New Orleans is in an interesting spot. It already has twotalented, young wide receivers already in Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed,but both arecoming off
ä See SAINTS, page 3B
—Scott Rabalais
Rod Walker
STAFF
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEyLANDIS
RoryMcIlroyreacts after winning in aplayoff against Justin Rose in the final round at the Masterstournament on SundayinAugusta, Ga.
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9p.m.Los Angeles at Edmonton NHLN MEN’S SOCCER
2p.m.CoventryCity at Hull City CBSSN Fulham at AFC BournemouthUSA WNBA
AUBURN, Ala. In the eighth inning, with runners on second and third and one out, it was the perfect time for LSU baseball to break through. Its offense had struggled all week, only scoring 11 runs over its past three games. This was agolden opportunity to buck that trend before it returned to Baton Rouge for anine-game homestand.
Trailing 3-0, sophomore Steven Milam grounded out to drive in arun beforesophomoreJake Brown hit atwo-out, run-scoring single to cut the LSU deficit to3-2.
“It’s late in thegame,” Brown said. “All that you can really do is try to get the bat to the next person.”
But those signs of life weren’t enough forLSU to squeakby with avictory. Auburn won 3-2to sweep the series on Sunday afternoon at Plainsman Park.
It was the first time Auburn (2610, 9-6 SEC) has swept LSU(31-7, 10-5) since 1988.
“I got some good advice before I came out here from another coach in the league indirectly,”LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “You’re going to take apunch to the gut. You’re going to get sweptatsome point on the road in this league.
“Holding it together,staying together and moving forward, and making it about coaching baseball is what makes the difference.”
LSU finished the afternoon with four hits. Outside of the eighth inning, junior Chris Stanfield’sdouble in the fifth and freshman Der-
ek Curiel’ssingle in the third were its only hits. LSUdidn’tstrikeout much (only five times), but hit into alitany of fly outs (13)
Theonly other inning where LSU seriously threatened was in thefifth. It had runners on second andthird with nobody out.
Butinstead of putting up a crooked number,Curiel popped outtosecondbase, junior Jared Jones struck out and junior DanielDickinson struck out withthe bases loaded after awalk. LSU’s deficitremained at 3-0.
“That game was there for the taking today,” Johnson said, “and we didn’tdoit.” Sundaywas abrief outing for
LSUright-handed starter Chase Shores. The redshirt sophomore only lasted two innings, surrendering three hits, three earned runs and two walks. He allowed atwo-run double in thefirstinningbeforeallowinganother runonaground ball double play in thesecond. Shores startedthe thirdbut he hit the leadoff batter andwas replaced by junior right-hander Zac Cowan.
“(After)two and ahalf games of notscoring alot, Ididn’tfeellike we could afford to get behind by five,” Johnsonsaid. “So we put a guy in that doesn’tgive up runs.” Cowanmaintainedhis brilliance
to keep LSU within striking distance, tossing 42/3 shutout innings. He only recordedtwo strikeouts butinduced nine fly outs and 38 of his50pitches were strikes. Freshman right-hander Casan Evans replaced Cowan with two runnersonand two outs in the seventh inning. Evans forced aflyout to endthe inningbefore tossing a scoreless eighth. After Sunday,Evans and Cowan bothhold ERAs under 0.80. LSUreturns home on Tuesday to face McNeese State. First pitch fromAlexBox Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. and thegame will be availabletostreamonSEC Network+.
Crochetdominates againstold team
BY MATT CARLSON Associated Press
CHICAGO TheBostonRed Sox needed alift, and Garrett Crochet delivered. Against his former team,too. Boston lostthe first two games in its weekend seriesagainstthe Chicago White Sox. But Crochet turned in adominant performance on Sunday,leading the Red Sox to a3-1 victory.
The 25-year-old Crochet was working on ano-hitter before ChaseMeidroth singled with one out in the eighth inning. The ace left-hander waslifted after Meidroth’sgrounder went into left field.
Crochet (2-1) struckout 11 and walked one in his first game against his first big league franchise. He threw 96 pitches, 65 for strikes.
“I felt like Ikept alot in reserves,” Crochet said. “I didn’t really start ramping it up in velo until later in the game. Yeah, Ifeel like Icould have thrown five more innings.”
Crochet retired his first 15 batters before Brooks Baldwin reached on aleadoff walk in the sixth. He had an idea that manager Alex Cora would lift him after Meidroth’shit.
Crochet threw 88 pitches in his first start of theseason, 102 in his second and 107 in his third.
“I know my workload hasbeen prettyhighthe past couple of outings but Ifelt good today,soIwas
readytokeep going,” he said. “But youknowitwas kind of ‘Once they get thefirst one, we’re going to do to thepen.’”
Crochet tippedhis cap to Meidroth,who played in just his
thirdmajor league game. Crochet was traded from the White Sox to theRed SoxinDecember fora package of four prospectsthat included Meidroth.
“That’sactually thespotwhere I wanted to throw the cutter,soI’m OK with it,” Crochet said. “I think Idid fool him alittle,but he’sa good bat-to-ball guy.Hedoesn’t swing and miss aton.”
Boston had lost five of six.
“Get a‘W’ and move on,” Cora said. “Balancing everything, I said ‘I’ll give you ashot until they get ahit.’
“Honestly,I’ve never been so happy for the opponent to geta hit.”
Selected 11th overallbyChicago in the2020 amateur draft, Crochet made his big league debut that September.Hehad a2.82 ERA in 2021 while striking out 65 in 54 1/3 innings, then had Tommy John surgery on April 5, 2022. He didn’treturn to the major leagues until May 18, 2023.
Crochet went 6-12 with a3.58 ERAin32starts last year fora WhiteSox team that went 41-121.
He waspicked for the AL AllStar team in his first season as a starter
He receiveda $170million,sixyear contract from the Red Sox that was announced on April 1.
Paredes’ 3-runhomer caps Astros’big 2ndinning
By The Associated Press
HOUSTON Isaac Paredes hit a three-run homer to cap Houston’s five-run second inning, Hayden Wesneski struck out acareerhigh 10 and the Astrosbeat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Sunday Cam Smith and MauricioDubón hit RBI singles off Angels starter Kyle Hendricks (0-1) before Paredes launched his home run into the Crawford Boxes to give
the Astrosa 5-2lead. Paredes has homered in three straight games, all toleft field. Jeremy Peña hadanRBI groundout in the sixth and Jose Altuve hit asacrifice fly in the seventh. Wesneski(1-1) allowed three runs —all on solo home runs— and five hits in six innings. He retired 11 straight during one stretch before Kevin Newman’s two-out singlein thefifth. Taylor Ward led off for the An-
gels with asolo homer,his 10th career leadoff home run. He hasfive homers in his past five games Nolan Schanuelhit asoloshot in thesecond and Jorge Soler hit asolo home runinthe sixth. Hendricks allowed five runs andfour hitsinfourinnings. Hendricks had allowed tworuns over 11 innings in his first two starts this season. Abig moment for the Astros, came withthe Angels having run-
ners on first and second and two outs in the seventh, BryanAbreu struck out Ward to end the inning and keep Houstonahead by three. Houston’s pitching combined for 16 strikeouts andnowalks. After an off day on Monday,Los Angeles left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-2, 5.00 ERA) starts Tuesday in theopenerofa three-game series at Texas.Houstonleft-hander Framber Valdez (1-1, 2.50) starts Monday in the opener of a three-game seriesatSt. Louis.
IN BRIEF FROM STAFFAND WIRE REPORTS
No. 3Texas A&Msoftball
claims4-1 win vs. LSU
Third-ranked Texas A&M completed aseries sweep of fifthranked LSU with a4-1 victory on Sunday in College Station, Texas. LSU moves to 35-8 and 8-7 in the Southeastern Conference.Texas A&M improves to 37-5 and 11-3. LSU pitcher Tatum Clopton (5-1) went fiveinnings.Clopton struck out two and gave up four runs on four hits and two walks. Texas A&M pitcherEmily Leavitt (4-0) earned the win after striking out two and surrendering onehit andone walk in four innings.
Avery Hodge led LSU offensively,going 2for 3including adouble anda run scored.MaciBergeron added an RBI single in the seventh inning. The Aggies’ big hit was a three-run homer by KK Dement in the fourth.
Ex-SU football player accusedofstrangulation
Former Southern football player Quaydarius Davis was arrested Saturday in Oklahomaand accused of strangling awoman, according to theinmateindex for the Tulsa County Sheriff’sOffice.
He was booked intothe Tulsa County Jail for first-degree burglary,domestic assault and battery by strangulation. According to the Tulsa CountySheriff’s Office, bail wasset at $25,000 forDavis. The arrest followsthe posting of avideo to Instagram by awoman alleging that Davis attacked her Davis was removed from the Southern football team in October 2024 for breaking team rules. On April 5, he posted astatement on Instagramsaying he will enterthe transfer portalasa graduate student with one year of eligibility
Yankees’Stroman takes shot for swellinginknee
NEWYORK— New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman had a cortisone shot to treat swelling in his inflamed leftknee.
Stroman wenttoahospital for scansafter the 33-year righthander mentioned pain to the team following Friday’sstart, whenhe allowed five runs and got twoouts in arainy 9-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Stroman was placed on the 15dayinjuredlist Saturday, oneday after throwing 46 pitches in steady rain. Boone said he did not know how much time Stroman will miss but hoped his absence would be short-term Stroman hadsurgery on March 19, 2015, to repair atornACL in his leftknee. He returned to amajor league mound that Sept. 12.
Celtics coachsays Brown had injections for knee
Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has confirmed areport that JaylenBrown receivedinjections during theweek to help his troublesomeright knee that’slimited his playing timethe past month. It was first reported by ESPN that Brownreceivedpainmanagementinjections. The reigning Finals MVPsat outFriday’svictory over Charlotte and missedSunday’sregular-season finale win in the rematch against the Hornets. Mazzulla says it’s“just part of the rehab process forhim to get back to be his absolute best.”
In Boston’srun to the championship last spring, Brown was their main defender against the opponents’ top scorer.Mazzulla said it wasthe player’sdecisiontosit out. In doingso, he became ineligible for postseason awards because he’ll be short of the league’s threshold fortotal games played.
Verstappen has rough day, finishes sixth at Bahrain
SAKHIR, Bahrain From first to last —atleast briefly —inthe space of aweek.
Aqualifying master class put Formula 1reigning champion Max Verstappen on course forvictory in Japan last week butonSunday in Bahrain he was faroff the pace. At one stage Verstappen was in last place, before recovering to finish sixth and minimize the ground lost in the standings.
Verstappen started seventh but steadily lost places —including being overtaken by 18-year-old rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli and his old rival Lewis Hamilton —and complainedoftirewear,brake problemsand overheating.
STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSUoutielder JakeBrown,shown in action against Mississippi State on March 29 at Alex Box Stadium, had an RBI single in Sunday’s3-2 road loss to Auburn.
ASSOCIATED PRESPHOTO By NAM y. HUH
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet struck out 11 and walked one 713 innings against the ChicagoWhite Sox on Sunday in Chicago.
By WADE PAyNE
Larson dominates, claims emotional victory at Bristol
BY NATE RYAN Associated Press
BRISTOL Tenn With added motivation to honor a late friend, Kyle Larson seemed to have an extra gear Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway
The Hendrick Motorsports star led 411 of 500 laps in a victory that was dominant as it was emotional. Larson, racing just days after the death of Jon Edwards, his former public relations representative, picked up his second Cup win of the season. It was his 31st Cup victory and third at Bristol.
“This one is definitely for Jon,” Larson said. “He is just a great guy, so we’re going to miss him. Wish he was going to be here with us to celebrate, but I know he’s celebrating with us in spirit. Just a flawless race at Bristol for the team. Really, really good car That was a lot of fun.”
Denny Hamlin finished second in his 400th consecutive Cup start, falling one spot short in his bid for a third consecutive win. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was gracious in defeat, noting Larson’s victory came after a somber week that
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injury-plagued 2024 seasons when they combined to play in just 14 games. Injuries are going to continue to be a concern for Olave and Shaheed because of their comparatively slight frames. Those two have been spectacular at times, but even when they’ve shared the field, the Saints have clearly lacked a possession receiver to complement their skills. That still remains somewhat true even after the Saints added veteran Brandin Cooks in free agency At tight end, the Saints just committed to Juwan Johnson for three years. Johnson has flashed big-time ability as a move tight end, but he has never managed to sustain it over the course of a full season Does the Saints’ financial commitment to Johnson mean they can’t use a high-level draft asset on another pass-catching tight end? That remains to be seen. Here are some receivers who could be intriguing options for the Saints with their selections on Days 1 and 2 of the NFL draft WR TETAIROA MCMILLAN • ARIZONA: Not only is McMillan widely considered the top receiver in this class — potentially the only one that would go in the top 10 but he also possesses the exact skillset the Saints have been missing since Michael Thomas injured his ankle in the 2020 season opener
The 6-foot-4, 219-pound McMillan is a contested-catch artist, using his big frame and velcro hands to box out defenders and beat them to the ball. Though he reportedly ran an impressive 40-yard dash at a private workout, he is not considered a burner who separates with speed. That did not stop him from racking up 174 catches for 2,721 yards in his final two seasons with the Wildcats.
TE TYLER WARREN PENN STATE: The track record for first-round tight ends isn’t great, but the nature of the position is changing, and Brock Bowers is coming off one of the greatest rookie seasons by a tight end. This isn’t to say Warren is going to follow in Bowers’ footsteps, but he might be the only tight end worth considering with the Saints pick. He was a dy-
In Year 20, Spurs’ Paul starts in all 82 games
BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer
In Year 20, Chris Paul started all 82. And he made some NBA history in the process. Paul was in the San Antonio Spurs’ starting lineup for their season finale on Sunday making him the first player to ever make 82 starts this deep into a career
The previous mark on that front was held by Utah’s John Stockton, who started all 82 games in his 19th and final season. Paul — who turns 40 in less than a month — is one of three players to have a season with 82 appearances at his age. Stockton did it in the seasons where he turned 39 and 40, and Michael Jordan turned 39 in his final season while playing in all 82 games and starting 67 of them.
“It’s crazy,” Paul said. “I was talking to my wife about this. When you’re sort of in it, you’re not really thinking about it. It’s like, ‘OK, it’s Game 30. OK, it’s Game 40something. It’s game such and such.’” It became Game 82. And Paul never missed a beat.
row And Mikal, who was my teammate, he never misses a game.” Also playing in Game 82s on Sunday: Golden State’s Buddy Hield, Detroit’s Malik Beasley, Washington’s Bub Carrington and Minnesota’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker Bridges was playing in his 556th consecutive regular-season game Sunday — out of a possible 556. He hasn’t missed any game since his junior year of high school, including 116 at Villanova and 39 NBA playoff games. Add that up, and he’s played in 711 consecutive games since entering college.
The Knicks held out four starters for a meaningless game standings-wise Sunday Bridges was the exception.
also included the deaths of longtime motorsports journalist Al Pearce and championship truck owner Shigeaki Hattori.
“You’ve got to give that team their due and Kyle his due,” Hamlin said. “Just a dominant performance. Looked like a pretty flawless day for him. It was all I had to try to keep up. Glad we were able to give him a little bit of a run but this weekend we’re all thinking about Jon Edwards and his family, Al Pearce, Shigeaki Hattori. We’ve lost a lot of great people in our sport over this past week. So our thoughts are with them.”
Ty Gibbs was third, followed by Chase Briscoe and Ryan Blaney who led 48 laps but faded to fifth after pitting late and betting on catching a caution. The final 235 laps were run under the green flag in a race with only three yellow flags, the fewest at Bristol since August 1982.
Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet was one of several cars sporting a decal in the memory of Edwards, the Hendrick Motorsports director of communications whose death was confirmed in a Thursday state-
ment from the team. The cause of death was not announced.
The 53-year-old Edwards was a PR specialist during Jeff Gordon’s four Cup championships. After becoming Gordon’s right-hand man, Edwards also worked closely with Larson since the star joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 and won his first championship.
On Saturday at Bristol, Larson dedicated an Xfinity Series victory to Edwards, who took vacations with the driver and became his closest friend on the No. 5 team. Gordon, who retired from driving in 2015 and since has become the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, was emotional when talking about Edwards before and after the race.
“It’s been a rough week,” Gordon said. “I lost somebody who was like a brother to me and so many other people that he impacted I just want to say thank you to everybody that has been sending messages, making phone calls. Kyle was obviously very close to him, and Jon did a lot for him. You could tell he was driving with a passion out there.”
ASSOCIATED
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan tries to make a catch over West Virginia cornerback Garnett Hollis in the second half of their game on Oct. 26 in Tucson, Ariz.
namic all-purpose weapon in his final season with Penn State, tallying 104 receptions for 1,233 yards along with 218 rushing yards and four touchdowns (while averaging 8.4 yards per carry). He is a versatile weapon who could find an immediate impact role in Moore’s offense.
WR LUTHER BURDEN • MISSOURI: This time a year ago, Burden was considered a potential top-10 pick after a superb 2023 season with Mizzou. His star has dimmed some after his production fell off a cliff in 2024 (1,212 receiving yards to 676). Though he is not the big-bodied receiver that McMillan is (Burden is 6-0, 204 pounds), he does profile as a slot receiver with run-after-the-catch ability, which would fit nicely with what Olave and Shaheed already bring to the table. While Mizzou routinely tried to hit the easy button with Burden (75% of his career catches were made within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, according to Pro Football Focus), there might be more to his game than he was allowed to show in college.
WR JAYDEN HIGGINS IOWA STATE: Higgins originally focused on basketball in high school before committing himself more toward football in his junior year He
was a two-star recruit who began his career at Eastern Kentucky before finishing with Iowa State. Higgins broke out in his final season there, making 87 catches for 1,187 yards. He has a prototypical build for an outside receiver, standing 6-4, but he might fit best as a power slot in the NFL.
WR JACK BECH • TCU: Bech is a Louisiana product who began his career at LSU before finishing at TCU, where he proved himself with an outstanding season to close his college career (62 receptions, 1,034 yards, nine touchdowns). He followed that up with a standout week at the Senior Bowl, where he finished as the game’s MVP He profiles as a slot receiver in the NFL.
TE MASON TAYLOR LSU: Taylor finished his career as LSU’s all-time leader in receptions by a tight end, recording 129 receptions in three seasons. Throughout the process leading up to the draft, he has been trying to convince teams that he is a complete tight end who can impact the game as a receiver or as a blocker and his 6-5, 251-pound frame should allow him to play in line — though he is probably farther along as a pass -atcher Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
He’s one of six players who made 82 starts in this NBA regular season, which was ending Sunday The others: New York’s Mikal Bridges, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels, Houston’s Jalen Green, Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen and Paul’s San Antonio teammate Harrison Barnes.
With Paul, Barnes and Julian Champagnie, the Spurs became the first team since the 2017-18 Minnesota Timberwolves with at least three players to appear in 82 games.
For Barnes, who is in his first year with the Spurs, Sunday’s game was his 304th in a row He and Paul are the first Spurs to play all 82 games since Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills in 2018-19 — and the first Spurs to start all 82 games since Bruce Bowen in 2006-07.
“Year 20, this is only the second time in my career playing 82 games,” Paul said. “And also playing as long as I have, I think I know how hard it is. That’s why I have so much respect for Harrison, who is doing this for the third year in a
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game in late April. Sunday’s loss came in a meaningless game in a season where meaningless games became the norm. The players who were supposed to help the Pelicans take the next step this season Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Yves Missi, Jordan Hawkins, Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown — were all sitting on the bench in street clothes watching the Thunder drive the final nail in this season’s coffin. Meanwhile, Jose Alvarado played alongside mostly players who spent much of their time this season with the G League Birmingham Stallions.
The Pelicans finished 21-61, marking the second worst season in franchise history Only the New Orleans Hornets had a tougher season in 2004, finishing 18-64.
“We’ve dealt with the injury bug before, but this obviously was the strongest one,” Murphy said before the game. “It sucks, especially with a team so talented. We never really get to see the full group and its full potential. It sucks. It’s life. It’s basketball. Things happen like that and you just have to move on and flip to the next chapter.” Only Pelicans’ owner Gayle Benson, who watched from her suite above section 101, knows what the pages of the next chapter will look like.
Five months after firing Saints’ head coach Dennis Allen, Benson will have to now take a long hard look at making changes to her other franchise. The future of executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin and head coach Willie Green both seem uncertain after such a disastrous season.
Pelicans’ coach Willie Green said after the game that he hasn’t had any talks with the front office about his future. But Green offered an honest assessment of how his fourth season went.
“I didn’t do great,” Green said. “I have to take full ownership of where we are right now as a team. I’ll go back and reflect. I was beating myself up every game trying to figure out how to get us competing and playing at the highest level that we can play We failed. I failed.”
“I think he’s earned that right,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s a tribute to him. I think he’s worked hard to put himself in that position. I’ve said this before: He should be commended for it.” Bridges played the first six seconds to extend the streak Sunday, took a foul, got subbed out by Landry Shamet and went to the bench. (He did something similar in the final game of the 2023-24 season, playing four seconds for Brooklyn against Philadelphia on the last day.)
“I mean, they just asked to see what I want to do,” Bridges said. “It’s really for the young guys, because I could play a quarter or play a half, but that’s taking away from young guys like (Pacome Dadiet and Kevin McCullar Jr.), guys that played well today, too, but just for their minutes.” It happened elsewhere as well: Allen played 41 seconds for Cleveland on Sunday to get to 82 starts, then was subbed out. Sacramento’s Jonas Valanciunas appeared in 81 games this season, not 82, with a big caveat he was inactive for two teams on the same day, which is the only reason why he didn’t get to 82 this season. Valanciunas was traded by Washington to the Kings on Feb. 5; he appeared that night as inactive for both of those teams on the official NBA boxscores because the trade was pending.
Season ticket holders are frustrated and rightfully so. Not just with the losses, but also all the injuries. The quintet of Williamson, McCollum, Jones, Murphy and Dejounte Murray missed a total of 220 games, all variables that made this season a tough pill to swallow for everybody
“That’s the most difficult part, there is so much you can’t control,” Green said. “You have to sometimes surrender to it and continue to fight and stay in there.”
The Pelicans, who got a gamehigh 20 points from Antonio Reeves and a double double (10 points, 16 rebounds) from Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, put up a fight against OKC. It helped, of course, that the Thunder had already wrapped up the top seed in the Western Conference and rested their starters.
There were plenty Pelicans’ games this season that weren’t close. They lost five games this season by 40 or more points, including the worst loss in franchise history (153-104) to the Miami Heat on Friday Ending the season on a 7-game losing streak is understandable with the players the Pelicans had available down the stretch. It’s what they did in November and December when they were close to full strength that concerned Murphy
“We have to be better as a team,” Murphy said. “There were a lot of things we weren’t doing on our end. We were out there healthy and just fine. We had enough guys out there to win games and we weren’t pulling through games. We’ve got to get better and mature more as a team and be more cohesive.” Sunday was also the end of a frustrating season for all sports fans in the city Coupled with the Saints’ 5-12 finish, the 26 combined wins by the two New Orleans franchises ties the record for the fewest wins ever In 2004, the Saints went 8-8 and the then-Hornets finished 18-64.
Who knows how different this Pelicans’ season would have been if not for all the injuries? But, as Alvarado reminded us a few weeks ago, nobody really cares about that.
“I’m pretty sure everybody gets tired of the ‘what if?’” Alvarado said. “We know how good we are. The ‘what if’ is getting pretty tired. We’ve got to just do it.” This season, they didn’t. Thankfully, it’s over
PRESS FILE PHOTO By RICK SCUTERI
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOT0
Kyle Larson leads Ryan Preece, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin during a NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday in Bristol, Tenn.
PRESS PHOTOS By JESSICA HILL
UConn women celebrate ‘special day’ with their fans
BY JIM FULLER Associated Press
HARTFORD Conn. Not long after Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma as “the greatest coach in the history of college basketball” following Sunday’s championship parade, the Hall of Fame head coach came up with a new title to bestow on the state of Connecticut.
UConn has referred to itself as the “Basketball Capital Of The World” with 18 national men’s or women’s titles since Auriemma led the women’s basketball program to the first of 12 national titles 30 years ago. With parades being held in Hartford in 2023 and 2024 in honor of the back-to-back national titles won by the Huskies’ men’s basketball program, Auriemma told the assembled crowd in front of the XL Center, “this is the third parade in three years so we are officially the parade capital of the world.”
UConn finished the season with a 37-3 record after winning its last 16 games. The Huskies won the six games in the NCAA tournament by an average of 32.8 points to win their first national championship since 2016
“You guys are amazing,” UConn guard Azzi Fudd said “You guys make it possible to keep bringing home championships. This championship means everything, but to do it with this team, this team is so special. They are all my sisters, my friends for life. We have been through so much together.”
One of the hard lessons came when UConn learned of the death of Abby Zittoun, a 13-year-old from Simsbury The team had become close to Zittoun and her family during Abby’s seven-year battle with cancer She died on Oct. 16. Her family made it to Tampa, Florida, to cheer on UConn. Fudd thanked them for their support, and that drew a huge cheer from the crowd.
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Paige Bueckers, who is expected to be the first pick in the WNBA Draft on Monday, Final Four Most Outstanding Player Fudd and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Freshman of the Year Sarah Strong led the Huskies to their record 12th national title.
“There is a lot of thanks to go around,” Bueckers said. “We can’t possibly thank everybody who helped us on this journey.”
The parade was originally scheduled for Saturday. However with rain in the forecast it was moved to Sunday afternoon.
The festivities culminated with a rally in front of the XL Center UConn stated that no state or city funds were used to stage the parade. An estimated crowd of 20,000 turned out to support the Huskies
“We have the greatest team in the country and we have the greatest fans in the country,” Auriemma said.
Auriemma has been known to make bold proclamations at previous UConn championship parades. He didn’t predict that his team would win the national title again
during the 2025-26 season, but he came pretty close.
“Remember (UConn men’s basketball) Coach (Dan) Hurley said there was going to be a 3-peat,” Auriemma said. “Well, things didn’t go exactly according to plan, but it was a 3-peat. I don’t know whether it is going to be us or them, but we are going to try to make it a 4-peat.”
After the championship rally Auriemma reflected on the last gathering to honor a UConn basketball championship team.
“There is a tremendous amount of affection that they have for our players as individuals and our team,” Auriemma said. “There is a bond that they create and it is pretty powerful. A day like today just reinforces that.
“The enthusiasm and the passion that our fans have for our team is just remarkable. We were talking about the very first one on the bus. We tried to reminisce about how much time has gone by since that first one. You see the reaction of the kids and they were blown away by the whole event. It was a great day for them, a great day UConn Nation.”
Former LSU forward Smith lands in Virginia
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
Former LSU women’s basketball forward Sa’Myah Smith announced Sunday that she’s transferring to Virginia. Smith, a rising redshirt junior, played three seasons with the Tigers. She entered the transfer portal on March 31, just a day after her LSU team’s season ended with an Elite Eight loss to No. 1 seed UCLA. Since then, coach Kim Mulkey and her staff have lost three more players to the portal — point guard Last-Tear Poa, center Aalyah Del Rosario and forward Jersey Wolfenbarger — and signed one transfer, a former high-profile recruit and Notre Dame forward named Kate Koval. The losses have given the Ti-
gers a clear need for frontcourt pieces.
All five post players from their 2024-2025 team, including star senior Aneesah Morrow, have moved on, either because they exhausted their eligibility or decided to transfer Smith averaged 6.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a redshirt junior but found a way to play the best basketball of her career in the NCAA Tournament. In those four contests, she averaged 13.8 points, 10.3 boards, 2.3 steals and 1 block per game while shooting 64% from the field. Now Smith will hope to build on those showings in a Hokies uniform. According to ESPN, she was one of the 10 best players to enter the portal this cycle. The transfer portal is open for women’s basketball players until April 23.
Clark vs. Reese, Sky will tip-off WNBA Rivals Week
BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer
NEW YORK Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will face Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky in prime time to tip off the inaugural WNBA Rivals Week in August.
Other games will include two between New York and Minnesota in a WNBA Finals rematch; a matchup of projected No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers and Dallas against Clark’s Fever; and Atlanta’s Brittney Griner facing her old Phoenix squad.
The week will be sponsored by Ally Financial, a new partner for the league this season.
“You can have a great partnership, but you also have to have great activation,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a Zoom interview
“There’s going to be a full slate of games that week and that’s going to be a cool part of the activation.”
Rivalry week games will be broadcast on a variety of networks, starting with the primetime game between the Fever and Sky on CBS on Aug. 9.
“The timing of that week is critical, because in August you start to really make that playoff push,” Engelbert said. “So it would be great to have those matchups during that period to drive that
playoff push into September and crown a champion in October.”
The NBA has had a Rivals Week for three years. Engelbert has mentioned in the past how important rivalries can be to grow the sport. The league started the Commissioner’s Cup in 2021 and that in-season tournament has helped spawn rivalries between New York and Las Vegas as well as the Liberty and Lynx over the past few seasons.
“To have two teams who are just competing extremely hard every single time they match up and every time you watch is great basketball,” Bueckers said “So I think it was a perfect opportunity to start that — there’s so many great rivalries in the league.
This isn’t Ally’s first foray into women’s basketball. It was one of the inaugural partners with the 3-on-3 Unrivaled league that finished its first season last month. The conversations with the WNBA started years before Unrivaled came into existence.
“What Cathy and her team have done with the league, the cultural currency of the players, the media connectivity, the entire ecosystem, is just phenomenal,” said Andrea Brimmer, Ally Financial’s chief marketing officer
Bueckers has had busy week since national championship
BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer
NEW YORK It’s been a whirlwind week for Paige Bueckers since she won her first national championship with UConn.
The Huskies star player has been going back and forth between Connecticut and New York doing morning and night time talk show appearances. Bueckers stopped by “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and interrupted his monologue to let him hold the national championship on Wednesday night.
Later in the week she came back to New York for WNBA rookie orientation before finally going back to Connecticut for a parade to celebrate the school’s 12th NCAA title they won in Tampa, Florida. She’s been enjoying the moment since the storybook ending to her college career Bueckers’ life won’t slow down after Monday night when she’s expected to be taken No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings at the WNBA draft.
Bueckers will be headed to Texas to do appearances and get ready for training camp that begins on April 27. She’ll be in the spotlight trying to revitalize the Dallas franchise. Her No. 5 jersey is expected to be one of the top sellers in the WNBA this upcoming season. The 23-year-old guard has been in the spotlight since her high school days in Minnesota. She’s been one of the most popular players ever since she stepped foot in Storrs, Connecticut, in 2021.
Bueckers burst on to the season as a freshman in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. She became the first player ever to earn AP Player of the Year
honors in her first year Then injuries hampered her next two years before she finally was healthy again.
“It was a journey of resilience, of overcoming adversity,” she said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world just because it became such a beautiful story and a remarkable journey of ups and downs, highs and lows, of keeping the faith, of working extremely hard, and I really wouldn’t trade it.” Her name, image and likeness valuations are among the top for women’s basketball players. She has deals with major sponsors Nike, Gatorade, Verizon and Dunkin’ Donuts She added last week.
It’s something that none of the previous UConn greats such as Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart had when they entered the WNBA. On the court, Bueckers has been one of the most efficient players in college basketball during her time at UConn. She finished her career shooting over 53% from the field, 42% from behind the 3-point line and 85% from the free throw line.
“It’s going to be fun to watch her because I expect a similar efficiency from her at the pro level,” ESPN analyst Lobo said. “I actually think it will be good if her efficiency is down a little bit because that means she’s hunting shots more, which is kind of what she has the ability to do and what we saw especially throughout the course of the Big East and NCAA Tournaments.
“But she’s a special talent who can just get where she wants to get and once she gets there, hit her shots at a ridiculously high efficiency.”
PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
rebound in the first quarter
Maravich Assembly
ASSOCIATED
Members of the UConn women’s basketball team celebrate atop a bus during a parade in honor of their NCAA championship on Sunday in Hartford, Conn.
UConn’s KK Arnold, left, and Paige Bueckers, right, share a laugh during a parade celebrating the Huskies’ NCAA championship win on Sunday.
THE 89TH MASTERS
HOLEOFTHE DAY
No.13: Azalea
Par5,545 yards
Round 4average: 4.660
Rank: 16
Eagles:1
Birdies: 24
Pars: 21
Bogeys:6
Doublebogeys or worse: 1
Howit played: When the 13th hole waslengthenedby35yards in 2023, somecritics thought it wouldtakethe dramaout of the hole.Hardly. Rory McIlroylaidupherebut still hita wedgeintoRae’s Creek forSunday’s only doublebogey.Earlier,Justin Rose birdied 13, completing abirdiebirdie-birdie runaround Amen Corner that would propel him into aplayoff. There’splenty of dramainAzalea yet. Scott Rabalais
Hole position at 16 honorsNicklaus’ great1975victory
Gloryfor Rory
McIlroyoutlastsRose in sudden-death playofftowin first Masterstournament Former University High golfer hasbestMasters outing since2018
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
AUGUSTA,Ga. In aplacewhere
tradition means so much, Masters officials changed afamiliar Sunday pinplacement thatwas the site for one of the tournament’sgreatest momentstohonor another great moment. Insteadofcutting the cup near the pond and bunker on the left, the place it was where TigerWoods chipped in for birdie in 2005, they put it on the back right portion of the green. That’swhere the flag was when Jack Nicklaus drained an uphill40-footer in 1975 en route to his fifth of six green jackets. LSU’sTiger limps home
Former LSU All-American Sam Burns hadashot at his best career Masters finish. But adouble bogey-double bogey end to his round at 17 and 18 left him witha second straight 3-overpar 75 and in atie for 46th at 5over 293. Burns, 28, has made four Masters appearances, with atie for 29th in 2023 and two missed cuts Reed rallies forthird
Former University High golfer Patrick Reed enjoyed his best Masters since his 2018 victory, firing afinal-round 69 that put him in solo third placeat9under 279. Reed’sround included aonehop and an eagle 2atthe par-4 17th hole,one of the highlights of the entire round. “I hit it 90%, and then all of asudden we can’treally see it becauseit’skindofshiny and everything up there” on the green, Reed said. “I was flag hunting, andthey said it one or two-hopped in. It was either
RABALAIS
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strangely did something for him that abracing double whiskey in Augusta’sclubhouse couldn’t have done
“It’salmost like it calmed my nerves,” McIlroy said. That’sgood, because the entire day was nerve wracking.For everyone DeChambeau took the lead with abirdie at 2, but McIlroy then went birdie-birdie on 3and 4and amazingly was now up three shots on DeChambeau after he bogeyed those same holes. Eventually, DeChambeau would fade from prime contentioninto atie for fifth with ascuffling 75. But others wouldtake up the charge. JustinRose. Ludvig Aberg, runner up to Scottie Schefflerlast year.Scheffler himself, and former University High golfer Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters winner Still, for atime it looked like McIlroy was going to run away to Butler Cabin and the green jacket
AP PHOTO By GEORGEWALKER IV
Former University High standout
Patrick Reed celebrates after a eagle on the 17th hole during the finalround at the Masters tournament on Sunday in Augusta,Ga.
goinginoritwas going to be really close.”
Anotherimprobableeagle on thepar-4 18th would have put Reed in the playoff won by Rory McIlroy over Justin Rose,but he made par
Drive, Chip andPutt Registrationisnow open for the2025-26 Drive, Chip andPutt youthcompetition, with three localqualifyingsites in Louisiana.
The events will be June 10 at TheIsland Golfand Country Club in Plaquemine, June18atthe DavidToms 265 Academy in Shreveport andAug. 4atTPC Louisiana in Avondale. There is also aqualifier July17atThe Club at Diamondhead in Mississippi.
Boys and girlsages7-15are eligible to participate. Winners advance from local to subregional and regional qualifiers,with 40 boysand 40 girlsinfourage groups advancing to the DCP Finals, Sunday, April5,2026 at Augusta National. There is no entry fee. For more information visitwww.drivechipandputt.com.
ceremony when he went to 14 underwith abirdie at 10. But he let everyone, particularly Rose, backinto it with adouble bogey on thegettable par-5 13th when he fanned asimple wedge shot into the bottom of rocky Rae’sCreek. It led to McIlroy’sfourth double bogey ofthe week. Can you make fourdoubles andwin the Masters? Maybeyou canifyou do what McIlroy did twoholes later, hittingasweeping 7-iron from 208 yardsoverthe pond and onto the 15th green to set up abirdie.
His wedge betrayed him again on 18, as hefoundabunker and made bogey to wind up in a sudden-death playoff with Rose, hisfriend and respected rival, who earlier made agutsy birdie on thesame hole. Both hit great shots to the 18th green in their sudden-death playoff, aproper gapwedge this time for McIlroy that he put to four feet leading to awinning birdie.
The birdie made McIlroy just the sixthman ever to win the career grandslam —all four majors —the Masters,U.S. and British Opens, and the PGA Champion-
BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer
AUGUSTA, Ga.— The closer Rory McIlroy came to fulfilling his lifetime dream —winning theMasters —the more it kept slipping away.Sunday at AugustaNational felt like his last 11 years in themajors, blunders mixed in with sheer brilliance.
Atwo-shot lead gone in two holes. Afour-shot lead gone in threeholes with ashocker of amistake. A5-foot putt on thefinal hole to win narrowly missed.
And thenMcIlroyturned what couldhavebeenanother major collapseinto his grandest moment of all when he hit wedge to 3feetfor birdieina suddendeathplayoff againstJustinRose to become —finally —a Masters champion and take his place in golf history as thesixth player with the career Grand Slam.
“There were pointsinmycareer whereIdidn’tknow if Iwould have this nice garment over my shoulders,” McIlroy said, that Masters green jacket looking like aperfect fit. “But Ididn’tmakeiteasy today Icertainly didn’tmake it easy.I was nervous.
“It was one of the toughestdays I’ve ever hadonthe golf course.”
The reward was greater than he imagined, and it showed. He rapped in that finalputt, raised both armsinthe air andlet the putterfallbehind him. He covered his head, dropped to his knees, and before long his forehead was on the green as his chest heaved with emotion
That was 11 years of pent-up emotion from his last major,when he begantocarry theburdenof getting the finalleg of theGrand Slam. It was 14 years of remembering thetime he wasted afourshot lead with an 80 on thefinalday
as a21-year-old.
“I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” he said.
The thought could have easily crossed his mind during thefinal round.
What couldhavebeena coronation for McIlroy along the back nine turned into aheart-racing, lead-changing, jaw-dropping finish at golf’s greatesttheater that endedwith McIlroysobbing with joy and disbelief
It endedwith more heartachefor Rose,who lost to Sergio Garcia in aplayoff in 2017 and forced this one with aclutch 20-foot birdie on the18th hole for a6-under 66. He wound up joining Ben Hogan as the only players to lose twice in playoffs at Augusta National.
“It’sthe kind of putt youdream aboutasakid, andtohaveitand holeit, it was aspecialfeeling,” Rosesaid. “And unfortunately,the playoff, they always end so quickly.Ifyou’re not the guy to hitthe great shot or hole the great putt, it’sover. But not really anything I could havedone moretoday.”
The joy on McIlroy’sface never left him from the time that putt dropped —onthe green, in Butler Cabin when defending champion Scottie Scheffler first helpedhim into the green jacket,and during thetrophy presentation on the 18th green.
“My dreams have been madetoday,” McIlroy said.
Moments later,speaking to 4-year-olddaughterPoppy, he told her: “Never give up on your dreams. Never,ever give up on your dreams.”
This wasshaping up as another horror show forMcIlroy,who in 2011 lost afour-shotlead on the finalday with a43onthe back nine, ahighlightreel that nowcan start collecting dust.
Right when it looked as though he would throw away another major, McIlroy delivered twomajestic shots when nothing less would do, twobirdies that sent himtothe 18th hole with aone-shot lead.
That still wasn’tenough. He hit a wedge into the bunker and wound up missing a5-foot parputtfor a
ship. It made him the first European to do it Butperhaps, most importantly, it relieved him of an enormous burden he’dcarried since that cabin-rattling tee shot in 2011. Since, strangely in away,hewon
the2014 British Open to put him one Masters victory away from the grand slam that everyone expected he would quickly capture. It all seemed to slide off McIlroy as he sank to his knees on the 18th green, more relieved, he admitted,
1-over 73 and the first Masters playoff in eight years. Faced withmorefailure,McIlroy responded with another booming drive,and this wedge bounced onto theslope of thetop shelf with enough spin to trickle down toward the hole, closer and closer,until it stopped 3feet away And whenRosemissedfrom15 feet, McIlroy finally sealed it. “I just thinkall week howI responded to setbacks, that’swhat I’ll take from this week,” McIlroysaid though he could have been speaking for the last decade.
McIlroy went 11 long years without any major,knowing the Masters greenjacketwas allthatkept him from joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, BenHogan andGeneSarazen as theonly winners of golf’s four professional majors. Nicklaus and Player spoke on Thursday how they thought this was histime.Woods was among those to congratulate McIlroy and welcomehim to the club.
SowildwasthisSundayatAugusta National that McIlroy set aMasters record as the first champion to make four double bogeys —two in the first round that put him seven shots behind, two in the final round that turned this into athriller U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who beat McIlroy at Pinehurst No. 2last June, had the lead after two holes when McIlroy opened with adouble bogey.DeChambeau crashed out with apair of three-putts and two shots into the water on the back nine, closing with a75.
Ludvig Aberg, arunner-up in his Masters debut ayear ago, suddenly had ashare of the lead when McIlroy fell apart on the middle of the back nine. He missed abirdie putt from the fringe to take the lead, then finished bogey-triple bogey McIlroy and Rose finished at 11-under 277, twoshots ahead of former Masters champion Patrick Reed (69). Scheffler, trying to win theMasters forthe third time in four years, never got anything going this week and still shot69to finish fourth.
than elated. His face sank to the grass as tears flowed. That wasfollowed by ahug from his long-time caddie, Harry Diamond, from his wife Erica, from Poppy,from fellow Irishman and defending Zurich Classic co-champion Shane Lowry,from everyone in the gallery it seemed. Rory wantedto share the greatest moment of his golfing life with everyone. Finally,hepulled away from one last embrace and announced, “I’ve got to go get agreen jacket.” McIlroy broke downagain when he thought of his family,his team/ entourage every golfer has now “They know the burden I’ve carried here year after year,” McIlroy said. “Totry and try and try again.” No more trying. No more failing. No morequestions. No more dreaming of what this winning momentwould be like and fearing, at 35, it might never come.
“A momentlike that makes all the years and the close calls worth it,” McIlroy said.
An historic momenttoend one of the mostthrilling and momentous Masters ever
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByDAVID J. PHILLIP
Rory McIlroyposes for aphoto withhis wifeErica Stoll,and daughter Poppy, as he holdsthe trophy after winning the Masters tournament on Sunday in Augusta, Ga
Rory McIlroylifts the trophyafter winning the Masters tournament on
If this were aromantic comedy, it wouldbecalled“Tracyand Stacie’sBig Adventure.”Ifitwerea seafaring adventure novel, thetitle could be “Around the Loop in 125 Days.” Whatever you call it, the five-monthnautical journey that St. Bernard residents Tracy and Stacie Alfonso recently completed was thetrip of alifetime. Now the couple is home and their shrimp boat dockedonce again at Delacroix Island aftercompleting the 6,000 mile Great Loop. Tracy Alfonso, whogrew up in acommercial fishing family and shrimped all of his life, had dreamedofnavigatingthe Great Loop since he heard aboutit. Called the greatest boatadventure in North America, thejourney entails circumnavigating muchofthe United States and parts of Canada. Therouteisinmostly protected waters. Itincludes the Atlantic IntracoastalWaterway,New York State canals, Canadiancanals,the Great Lakes, inland riversand the Gulf.What makes thevoyage so specialisthat “Loopers” take on this adventure using their own boats in their own time. Some have done it in as little as sixweeks.Oth-
researchingthe GreatLoop, deciding on the right vessel for the journey.After much deliberation, they chose the boat they know best —the Stacie Lynn, a41-foot Lafitte Skiff and the family shrimpboat. Stacie Alfonsosaidithad everythingthey needed. “Wehave anice galleywitha largeboothtoeat at, and we have abedroom and bathroom downstairs in the Vofthe boat. Thebedroom has twofull-size bunks.Weused oneasacloset for thetrip.”
What are some activitiesfor the visually impaired?
Managing everyday tasks is morechallenging forthose whoare visually impaired and whoalso have dementia. Affected individuals with vision impairment face ahost of obstacles because of their condition. They are first and foremost considered afall risk because of reduced mobility and must be assessed regularly.Internally,they lose confidence, and the individual often feels a“burden” to others. The social exclusion, such as limited accessibility in public venues like movies and restaurants, promotes loneliness and further isolation. Additionally,the visually impaired have limited awareness of available support services and often have financial constraints forthe assistance they need.
ers havetaken years to complete it.
Stacie Alfonso, aretired principalfromthe St.BernardParish Public Schools,was intrigued by the challenge, butnot as much as her husband.
“I was hesitant to go,but in July 2023, Tracy gotsickand went into cardiac arrest. After this lifechanging experience, we decided it was time to do this,” she said.
Gettingready forthe journey
To prepare,the couple began
Her husband madeimprovements beforehand. Working with his sonand other family and friends, he cleaned and painted it, installeda newgenerator,put the dinghy on deck, installed awasher/ dryercomboand asmall freezer, and put up alarger tarp for shade. Afly bridge was alsoadded so “I couldcould driveuptop,and we couldsee everything,” he explained.
After fueling up with 750 gallons of diesel, andloading 150 gallonsof water and provisions aboard to last several months, (including Louisiana seafood in the freezer), the Alfonsos were ready to embark.
The Stacie Lynn departed Delacroix Island on May 23, 2024. Each
WholeFoods launches Chantillylatte with La.ties
BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer
The cult-favorite, New Orleans-born Berry Chantilly Cake is now available in latte form. Have your cake, and drinkit too. Whole Foods announced on its socialmedia that itscoffee bar launched the BerryChantilly Latte, and it’snow available at selectlocations “Indulge in the flavorof
creamy vanilla sweetened with berries and awhisper of almond,” apromotional sign reads. The coffee-based drink is offeredhot or iced, and in full transparency,itdoesn’t taste exactly likethe cake. The almond flavor is so faintthatit’s difficulttodetect.However,the coffee flavor is complemented by asweetness that most likely comes from theberry syrups. The drink is delicious but not
exactly like the cake. The traditionalconfection filled with fresh berriesoriginated on Magazine Street at the Whole FoodsArabella Station store in NewOrleans. Chaya Conrad, who worked in the bakerysection, whipped up the cake basedonher grandmother’s recipe, andsoonenough, Whole Foodsstores added it to their bakery menus.
An iced Berry Chantilly Latte from Whole Foods
In planning activities for the visually impaired, communication is mostimportant, and is not much different from communicating with an individual with dementia without avision impairment. For instance, always speak in a normal tone and use everyday language, identifying yourself upon arrival. Avoid patronizing language, don’tassumethey need things simplified, and ask before offering assistance and follow their instructions. With the visually impaired, provide specific directions instead of vague references and describe visual details when relevant. Be the guide and describe environmental changes such as if there’sastep down or achange in the layout of the room. Above all, respect their individuality and independence. According to goldencarers. com, manyactivities can be planned forthose individuals whoare visually impaired.
n READ ALOUD: Read books, magazines or newspapers tailored to their interests.
n TALKING BOOKS: Borrow audiobooks from the library for independent listening.
n SHARE JOKES: Lighthearted humor can liftspirits and spark conversations.
n TACTILEGAMES: Play textured board games like dominoes or tactile chess.
n COFFEE OUTINGS: Weekly trips to acafe provide social and sensory stimulation.
n AIR DRYCLAY: Working with clay encourages creativity through touch.
n SOCIAL GROUPS: Connect individuals with peer support groups forsocialization.
n VOLUNTEER COMPANIONSHIP: Arrange forregular visits from volunteers.
n PET THERAPY: Visits from gentle animals can provide comfort and joy
n GENTLE EXERCISE: Activities like chair yoga or tai chi with verbal cues help maintain mobility
n LISTEN TO THERADIO: Engage with talk shows, book readings or music programs.
n GARDENING: Plant herbs in
PROVIDED PHOTOS
The Stacie Lynn motors toward theStatue of Liberty on Liberty Island in Newyork Harbor.The boat is a41-foot Lafitte Skiff that servesasthe Alfonso family shrimp boat.
TheStacie Lynn passes the 630-foot-tall GatewayArch in St. Louis, Missouri.
Aquaticphysicaltherapy aboonfor some patients
Dear Doctors: Ihad atotal hip replacement. Ialso have arthritis It has made it hardto getback on my feet. My doctor is wanting me to try aquatic physical therapy. Is it all that different from the regular physical therapy I’vealready been doing? Why would it be more helpful?
Dear reader: For those who are not familiar,physical therapy is ahealth care practice designed to restore or improve strength, balance,flexibility,range of motion, coordination and mobility.It canalso improve cardiovascular health and can helpreduceinflammation. Physical therapy is often recommended for people recovering from an injury,surgery or illness. In addition to awide range of exercises, it mayalso include the use of massage,heat treatments, electrical stimulation,
Dr.Elizabeth Ko Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS
manual therapy and visualization. Drug-free pain control and pain management are alsoimportant components ofthis practice. Aquatic physical therapy and nonaquatic physicaltherapy share thesamegoals. The difference is thataquatic physical therapy harnesses theunique properties of water in ordertoachieve them.
To thatend, it takesplace in warm water, typically apool thathas been heated to between 89 and
95 degrees. The warmth helps increaseblood flow,and thus oxygen delivery,tothe targetareas.It often alsohas asoothing effect on the body and the mind
Because water is dense, it creates steady resistance as you movethrough it.The degree of resistance can be adjusted by changing speed or direction, and with the use of equipment such as weights, floats, paddles or webs. Andbecause water resistance is multidirectional, it engages the muscles and connective tissues morecompletely than the same land-based exercise would.
Anotherbenefit of aquatic therapy is something known as hydrostatic pressure. That’sthe gentle but steady force thatwater exerts on your body when you’re submergedinatub or apool. Hydrostatic pressure can boost lymphatic
Facing thehomeschooling debacle
universe.
Dear Heloise: I’d like to chime in on homeschooling with afew of my observations since Ihave several friends who homeschool. They use high-quality,outside materials and attend activities withother similar families. This is especially helpful for children who are experiencing delays in reading. These are bright children! The extra time and attention of homeschooling catches them up. However,Ihave seen parents who homeschool and have deficiencies, and they often pass these deficiencies on to their children. Finally,Iworked in a large, bustling law office. We could tell when acompletely homeschooled child got ajob as areceptionist. They were like ababe in the woods with little understanding of how to interact with alarge group of people, and theiron-thespot problem-solving skills were weak. Being in school provides such skills More importantly,homeschooling that uses nonsecular science materialsdoes society agreat disservice. We benefit from the discoveries and clarifications that scientific minds provide about our world and the
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circulation andhelpease swelling in the joints and tissues, anditadds an additional physical cue to track the position or trajectory of alimb
Perhaps most importantisbuoyancy,which liftsand supports the body during exercise. This allows the musclestowork without the stress and pressure of gravityon the joints andconnective tissues.
Research has shownthat aquatic physical therapy can be beneficial to people whoare recovering from joint-replacement surgery This is particularly true forthose, like yourself, whohave undergone atotal hip replacement. Exercising in water provides the resistance needed to build and strengthenmuscle. The warmth helps muscle to becomemore pliant, and the buoyancy of water eases pressure on the new joint. Oneinteresting study compared
the post-surgical recovery of hip-replacement patients whodid only land-based physical therapy and those whoalso included the aquatic version. The researchers found that patients whose physical therapy regimens included both types of PT had afaster and moresuccessful recovery Full recovery after total hip replacement can take from six months to ayear.Regular physical therapy is crucial to asuccessfuloutcome. Whichever form of PT you choose, be sure to follow the complete treatment plan. Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles CA, 90024.
TODAYINHISTORY
By The Associated Press
Thedecision to homeschool children shouldn’t cost amother ajob she enjoysand is successful at, unless thechild’s needs make it necessary.Myadviceisfor parents wantingtohomeschool is to do so for part of theK-12 years, with at least three years in apublic or privateschool. If the mother (or father) wants to remain working, find aMontessori school to cover theyears that you’d want yourchild to be homeschooled. —Mrs.Young, in Roanoke,Virginia Mrs. Young, we received numerous letters on this subject …some prohomeschooling andothers against theidea. Afew suggested that ifthe father was so keen on homeschooling, he should quithis job and do it. Afterdoingresearch on thematter,I’ve come to believe that aprivate school or even apublic oneisagood option. Yes, homeschooling has itsadvantages, and if the parent is interested in teaching their children, they should go for it.
However,wehad alarge number ofletters from peoplewho hated being tied to thehouse all day or just
Loop as well.
day,the couple would witness thesunrise,eat breakfast, and travel for about five hours.
Life on thewater
Stacie Alfonso said the usual speed was about8 knots. “This is our comfort zone, and the most fuel-efficient way for us to travel. The boat can run up to 28 knots, but we would burn50 gallons an hour.At8knots we burn 3to4gallons an hour.” Along the way,she would cook, bake or grill. “In the evening we either anchor out or dock at amarina, and if we were at atown, we wouldtouritand usually have dinner there.” But Tracy Alfonso was on amission. After reaching a destination his motto was simple: “OK, we’ve seen it Time to move on to thenext spot.” Along the way,they would always meet new people, many of whom were on the
ACTIVITIES
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pots for arewarding, handson experience.
n COOKING TOGETHER: Prepare simple meals together for sensory enjoyment.
n TRIVIA GAMES: Share quizzes, riddles or wordpuzzles for mental stimulation.
n NATURE WALKS: Enjoy outdoor walks while experiencing natural sounds and scents.
n FISHING: Findsafe locations where individualscan
There were afew challengingexperiences. “In the Neuse River inNorth Carolina, asquall came, bringing extremelyrough seas and heavy,blindingrain,” StacieAlfonso recalled.“With limitedvisibility,Tracy was abletouse theGPS and radartoguide us to asafe spot to wait out the weather.”
She also recalled traversingthe aptly namedStoney Lake, outside of Ontario, Canada. “When he turned out of thechannel toward otherboatsdockedthere, ourboat ended upona rock. Tracy wentstraighttowork. He launched the dinghy, which helped theboat to lift up, and then he grabbed the bow rope and pulled the big boatoff of therock withthe dinghy.”
Experiencing bigmoments
Tracy Alfonso said one highlight stands out above therest —305 feet inthe air to be exact. When they reached the NewYork Harborand gota picture of the Stacie Lynn in frontof the Statue of Liberty.“We couldn’tbelieve we made it
enjoy thepeacefulness of fishing and theoutdoors
n CHILDREN’S VISITS: Organize visits from local schoolchildren to foster intergenerational connections.
n AROMATHERAPY SESSIONS: Exploreessential oils and scents for relaxation and sensory enrichment.
n LISTEN TO PODCASTS: Introduce engaging podcasts coveringavarietyoftopics.
n BIRD-WATCHING: Setupa bird feeder so individuals can enjoy listening to birds in the yard. Vision impairment and
didn’tlike teaching. They missed interacting with adults or missed the work that they enjoyed before. A few even said they were resentful of having the “duty” of teaching placed on their shoulders.
So, I’d have to say it’s an individual decision and one where thestay-at-home parent has to be fully on board with the task, or there will be problems. —Heloise Coloredkeys
Dear Heloise: Ihave so many doors, storage unitsand lockboxes that Idecided to get akey made for each lock in adifferent color.It saves alot of confusion. I also made anote of each color and what it unlocks, and Ikeep it in my day planner in case Iforget. Nancy R., in Lima,Ohio Teaching children to swim
Dear Heloise: Iadvise parents to make sure that kids know they can swim even with clothes on. Children have fallen in thewater and panicked because they weren’tinswimwear.You could have afun “practice” session in shortsand tennis shoes toshow them how it works. Ilove to read your column daily —Pat, retired elementaryteacher Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
to theStatue of Liberty on ourown shrimp boat,probably the only shrimp boat to ever anchor there.”
By the end of the trip, they had befriended several wealthy boat owners. “Weleft Louisiana on a shrimpboat, and here we are in Canada eating hors d’oeuvres and drinking Champagne on theback of ayacht,” he said.
Theexperiencewas lifechanging anda reminder of thegood in the world, Stacie Alfonso said. “With the hustleand bustleofthe world today,wesometimes forget that there arelots of good people out there. We made some of what we feel will be lifelong friendships with somewonderful people.”
And the couple has documented proof of theirincredible journey. Recently they received acertificate of achievement,a BaccaLooperate Degree from America’sGreat Loop Cruisers Association honoring them with the title of Gold Looper It reads, “May the life lessons, friendships and memories gained on this journey last alifetime.”
dementia can make everyday tasks morechallenging, but withthe right support, individuals can maintain their independence, stay engaged and continue enjoyingtheir favoriteactivities
Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts“The Memory Whisperer.” Emailher at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.
Today is Monday, April 14, the 104th day of 2025. There are 261 days left in the year
Todayinhistory:
On April14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth during aperformance of the play “OurAmerican Cousin” at Ford’sTheatre in Washington; Lincoln was taken to aboarding house across the street and died thefollowing morning at 7:22 am.
On this date: In 1912, theBritish liner
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The cake is nowavailable forpurchase in Whole Foods Markets across the United States. ButinLouisiana so far,the latte is only available at locations in Baton Rouge and Shreveport.
RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 11:40 p.m., ship’s time, and began sinking. (The ship wentunder two and ahalf hours later,killing over 1,500 people.)
In 1935, the devastating “Black Sunday” dust storm descended upon the central Plains as hundreds of thousands of tons of airborne topsoil turned a sunny afternoon into total darkness.
In 2021, aWhite former suburban Minneapolis police officer,Kim Potter, wascharged with seconddegree manslaughter for
Conradleft Whole Foods to become the bakery director for Rouses Markets but now owns Bywater Bakery in New Orleans, where she’sstill baking andselling incredible Chantilly cakes.
Last year,Whole Foods altered the recipe for its bythe-slice, single-serving offering of the cake. The new version featured fruit compote instead of fresh fruit in the cake’slayers. After revolt-like reactions from customers, the grocery store chain reverted back to the original recipe. The Berry Chantilly Latte is available at Whole Foods foralimited time. Staff writer Chelsea Shannon contributed to this report.
Hints from Heloise
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Let your creative imagination lead the way, and you'll devise aplan that helps you modify how you approach life, love and happiness. Investmoretime in becoming self-reliant.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Ashift in how youlive andcare for yourself will lead to ahealthy routine. Displaying your skills to encourage an efficient environmentwillpositionyou forsuccess in other aspects of your life.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Settingupa networking system that helps get your message into the mainstream will draw attention to what you have to offer.Don'tpromisemore thanyou candeliver.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Test your skills, useyour imagination and participate in an event that can make adifference. Raisingyour awareness and your skills will contributetoyour success.
LEO(July 23-Aug.22) Go where the action is anddoyourpart. It'suptoeveryone —you included—toget involved in bringing about positive change. Keep your finger on the pulse of anything that motivates you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Take note of what your loved ones are doing. Protecting and supporting others will give you peace of mind, insight anda unique perspective regarding the possibilities.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Putmorethought and energy intoyour surroundings,how
you liveand what you can do to make yourspace more user-friendly. Making alist of your priorities will help you use your time and energy efficiently.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Participate and spread joytothose you encounter Share your knowledge, experience and talents,and you'll attract people who help you reach your desired results.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Check to seewhat you can partwith before you make plans or allocate funds. Someone closetoyou will try to convince you to take on morethan you can handle.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Ajoint venture or commitment will play out favorably if you designate whoisresponsible forwhat. Adetailed agreement will helpyou maintainequality and encourage long-term stability.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.19) High energy put to good use will bring handsome rewards. Mapout your plan for the day and beginknocking things off your to-do list witha vengeance.Whatyou accomplishwill be gratifying.
PISCES (Feb.20-March 20) Consider your cost of living and create afinancial plan that helps you save money. Take an interest in maintaining ahealthy and vibrant lifestyle to offsetmedical issues and costs.
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with severalgiven 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 the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Saturday’s Puzzle Answer
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
BY PHILLIPALDER
P.G. Wodehouse, aprolific English author whospent alot of his life on Long Island,hadseveralunhappyexperiences withaunts whenhewas young. He transferredthisanimositytohisbooks,including this passage from aBertieWooster and Jeeves novel: “There came from withoutthe hoof-beats of agalloping relative, andAunt Dahlia whizzed in.”
Bridge players —whether an aunt or an uncle or another relative —need entriesfor various reasons,including to cashwinners, to take finesses and to draw trumps. In this deal,what is the critical entry card that allowsSouth to make four spadesafter West leads the heart queen?
Asimple Stayman sequence leadsto four spades. (Note that ared-suit lead defeats three no-trump.)
South starts with four losers: one in each suit. The careless declarer wins trickoneandimmediatelyplaysatrump. But then West can win withhis ace and lead another heart(East being careful to complete ahigh-low to showhis doubleton). Suddenly South cannot avoidgoing down one
The more thoughtful declarer realizes that he must eliminate theheart loser before touchingtrumps. And once the diamondace hasbeen dislodged, he can discardtwoheartsfromtheboard.Buthe must be careful to winthe first trickwith
wuzzles
dummy’sking. South then calls for the diamond six.East winsand returnsthe heart five, but declarer takes that with hiscarefully conserved hand entry, the heartace, and cashes histwo diamond winners,discardingdummy’sremaining hearts. Finally, with onlythree losers, he plays on trumps.
Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previousanswers:
word game
InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or moreletters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such
ToDAY’s WoRD GRIEVEs: GREEVS: Suffers; feels sorrow.
Average
Can you find 21 or morewords in GRIEVES?
sATuRDAY’s WoRD —EAsEMEnT
TheLordcan bring joytoyour lifetoo.Begrateful to Himfor allhis blessingstoyou. G.E. Dean
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C. PiCKles
2-027A
GROVE GARDEN DR
1-087A TWIN OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 819 TRAMMEL AVE
1-087B TWIN OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 819 TRAMMEL AVE
1-088 LABELLE AIRE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 12255 TAMS DR
1-089 BREC -FOREST PARK COMMUNITY REC.CENTER 13900 SHARRELLS FERRYRD
1-090A BREC -FOREST PARK COMMUNITY REC.CENTER 13900 SHARRELLS FERRYRD
1-090B BREC -FOREST PARK COMMUNITY REC.CENTER 13900 SHARRELLS FERRYRD 1-091A RYAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 10337 ELM GROVE GARDEN
1-091B RYAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 10337 ELM GROVE GARDEN
1-092A RYAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 10337 ELM GROVE GARDEN
1-092B RYAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 10337 ELM GROVE GARDEN
1-093 GLENOAKS PARK ELEMENTARYSCHOOL 5656 LANIERDR 1-094 1ST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SCOTLANDVILLE 1246 ROSENWALD RD
1-095A CRESTWORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 11200 AVENUE F 1-095B CRESTWORTH ELEMENTARY
1. Do you support an amendment granting theLouisiana Supreme Court jurisdiction to disciplineout-of-statelawyers for unethical legalpractices inthe state of Louisiana, andtogrant thelegislature theauthority to establish trial courts of limitedand specialized jurisdiction?
