The Acadiana Advocate 04-16-2025 by The Advocate

2025 LEGISLATURE TRANSPORTATION

Fed up with bad roads

Lawmakers consider sweeping changes to DOTD

Some La. students have visas revoked

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

More than a dozen international students studying in Louisiana have had their visas revoked without explanation, university ofﬁcials conﬁrmed Tuesday part of the Trump administration’s nationwide targeting of foreign-born students at American colleges and universities.

In New Orleans, at least six international students have had their student visa status terminated: two students at Tulane University, two at Southern University at New Orleans and three at the University of New Orleans, according to university ofﬁcials. In Baton Rouge, seven international students at Southern University had their visas pulled, as did three students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. An LSU spokesperson did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether any of its students were affected.

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana lawmakers are considering legislation to overhaul the Department of Transportation and Development ä Car insurance legislation passes first hurdle. PAGE4A

In an effort to pick up the pace of how quickly Louisiana builds and maintains roads and bridges, legislators are considering sweeping changes to the state Department of Transportation and Development — including creating an entirely new ofﬁce outside the department to handle road work as well as privatizing many services.

Over the course of a three-hour hearing Tuesday, House transportation committee chair Ryan Bourriaque, R-Abbeville, presented a package of four different bills aimed at overhauling the Transportation

Chemin Metairie development could begin construction next year

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

A 716-acre master-planned community is being planned for Youngsville, with development beginning as early as next year

Department.

“We can acknowledge the department is unfunded,” Bourriaque said. “But we know we have issues with policies.”

It was clear over the course of the hearing that signiﬁcant pieces of the plan are still under construction. But all four bills were approved in committee as members voiced frustration with the pace of infrastructure work in Louisiana.

Rep. Jeff Wiley, R-Maurepas, gave the example of a yearslong push to build a new Mississippi River Bridge crossing

The development, which will be called Bailey Grove, will be located on property along Chemin Metairie Parkway just south of the Youngsville Sports Complex and include about 1,600 homes and other amenities, according to Prescott Bailey, a representative for Young’s Industries who spoke at the Youngsville City Council meeting Thursday

Plans also include over 100 acres of ponds, several dog parks and playgrounds and green spaces, all open to the public and connected through a sprawling trail system for

in Baton Rouge and long-standing trafﬁc problems on Interstates 10 and 12 as examples of projects that are “begging for addressing.”

“I know that if we don’t do anything, nothing will happen,” said Rep Travis Johnson, D-Vidalia, adding that in his six years as a member of the transportation committee, the project backlog “has not improved at all.”

If House Bill 621 passes, a new Ofﬁce of Louisiana Highway Construction would be created — not within DOTD, but under the Division of Administration, which functions as the administrative arm of

ä See DOTD, page 4A

walking and biking, Bailey said. It will also include housing units ranging from single-family to multifamily and independent senior living spaces, and will also feature spaces for businesses and restaurants and possibly a charter or private school. It would stretch from Decon Road to a strip of land adjacent to Detente Road.

Developers for the project, which is still in the planning stages, hope to bring plans to the Lafayette Parish Planning Commission and back to council members for approval by

The visa revocations, first reported by the Louisiana Illuminator, puts those students at risk of detention or deportation.

Led by the U.S. State Department, the visa terminations are part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration to the U.S., which has recently expanded to include noncitizens legally residing in the country Students who were granted F-1 or J-1 visas that allowed them to study at American universities have been targeted, in some cases because

the end of the year A groundbreaking could happen in early 2026.

The development is expected to take 20-25 years to complete, Bailey said. Plat approval will likely come in phases.

“It’s a little what you might see in some of these Texas master plan communities that have bigger playgrounds and bigger amenities,” Bailey said. “We want to set ourselves apart.”

Once approved, the Bailey Grove

See YOUNGSVILLE, page 4A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIEWESTBROOK

Belgian ant smugglers arrested in Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya Two Belgian teenagers were charged Tuesday with wildlife piracy after they were found with thousands of ants packed in test tubes in what Kenyan authorities said was part of a trend in trafﬁcking smaller and lesser known species.

Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, two 19-year-olds who were arrested on April 5 with 5,000 ants at a guest house, appeared distraught during their appearance before a magistrate in Nairobi and were comforted in the courtroom by relatives. They told the magistrate they were collecting the ants for fun and did not know that it was illegal.

In a separate criminal case, Kenyan Dennis Ng’ang’a and Vietnamese Duh Hung Nguyen also were charged with illegal trafficking in the same courtroom, following their arrest while in possession of 400 ants.

The Kenya Wildlife Service, or KWS, said in a statement that the four men were involved in trafﬁcking the ants to markets in Europe and Asia, and that the species included messor cephalotes, a distinctive, large and red-colored harvester ant native to East Africa.

The illegal export of the ants “not only undermines Kenya’s sovereign rights over its biodiversity but also deprives local communities and research institutions of potential ecological and economic benefits,” KWS said.

France expels Algerian officials amid tensions

PARIS France said Tuesday it was expelling 12 Algerian diplomatic ofﬁcials a day after Algeria announced the expulsion of the same number of French ofﬁcials in escalating tensions between the two countries.

Algeria said Monday that its expulsion of 12 French ofﬁcials was over the arrest of an Algerian consular ofﬁcial by French authorities in a kidnapping case, but relations between the two sides have been deteriorating since last summer That’s when France shifted its position to support Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara — a disputed territory claimed by the pro-independence Polisario Front, which receives support from Algeria.

Tensions further peaked in November after Algeria arrested French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who is an outspoken critic of Islamism and the Algerian regime. He has since been sentenced to ﬁve years in prison a verdict he subsequently appealed.

In addition to what French ofﬁcials called the “symmetrically” calibrated expulsion of 12 Algerian ofﬁcials, France’s ambassador to Algiers also was being recalled home for consultations, a statement from the French presidential palace said Tuesday It said Algerian authorities were responsible for “a brutal deterioration in our bilateral relations.”

Watchdog accuses Google of violations

TOKYO Japanese regulators on Tuesday accused U.S tech giant Google of violating anti-monopoly laws, echoing similar moves in the U.S. and Europe. Google Japan said in a statement that it found the action “regrettable.” It said it has invested in Japan signiﬁcantly to promote innovation as a technology leader.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission’s “cease and desist order” says Google must stop the preinstallation of the Google search engine in Android smartphones, which it said in effect shuts out competition.

It’s unclear if Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., based in Mountain View in the Silicon Valley, will take legal action to ﬁght the order In the U.S., a judge ruled last year that Google’s ubiquitous search engine illegally exploited its dominance to squash competition. Google has denied the allegations, arguing that it’s immensely popular because people like what it offers. The appeals process is likely to take years.

Japanese regulators began their investigation into Google in 2023. They said they consulted with overseas authorities dealing with similar cases.

NATO chief reaffirms support for Ukraine

ByTheAssociated Press

ODESA, Ukraine NATO’s support for Ukraine remains “unwavering,” the alliance’s secretary-general said Tuesday, emphasizing that more than 20 billion euros — over $22 billion — in security assistance has already been pledged by NATO allies in the ﬁrst three months of the year

Mark Rutte spoke on Tuesday in Ukraine’s port city of Odesa, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

His visit came days after two Russian ballistic missiles struck the city of Sumy on Palm Sunday morning, killing at least 35 people, including two children, and injuring 119.

The attack on the northeastern city, about 20 miles from Ukraine’s border with Russia, marked the second largescale attack in just over a week to result in signiﬁcant civilian casualties. Earlier this month, about 20 people were killed, including nine children, after a Russian ballistic missile struck Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih on April 4.

“I’m here today because I believe Ukraine’s people deserve real peace, real safety and security in their country, in their homes,” Rutte said during a joint news conference with Zelenskyy

The two met with wounded Ukrainian soldiers at a hospital in Odesa.

This is Rutte’s first trip to Ukraine since U.S President Donald Trump assumed the lead in ceaseﬁre negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow which have included several rounds of talks in Sau-

di Arabia.

“These discussions are not easy, not least in the wake of this horrific violence,” Rutte said, referring to the recent strikes. “But we all support President Trump’s push for peace.”

Ukraine has endorsed the broader U.S.proposed cease-ﬁre deal, though Russia has effectively stalled the process by attaching far-reaching conditions.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and its European partners are continuing to develop the infrastructure for the “coalition of the willing,” which is expected to act as a long-term security guarantee aimed at deterring future Russian aggression after a ceaseﬁre is in place.

Amid that uncertainty and U.S. warnings that Europe must take care of its own security and that of Ukraine in the future, the multinational force is seen as a ﬁrst test of the continent’s willingness to defend itself and its interests.

Zelenskyy said Turkey could play a signiﬁcant role in providing future Black Sea security guarantees for Ukraine.

“This is not about ending the war, unfortunately,” Zelenskyy said, commenting on the security meeting being hosted by Turkey on Tuesday and Wednesday “It’s about what comes after — the security guarantees for Ukraine following a ceaseﬁre.”

He said military representatives from Ukraine, France, the United Kingdom and Turkey are discussing the presence of a military contingent in the Black Sea as part of those guarantees.

Amendment to Peru law raises fears of rainforest destruction

BY STEVEN GRATTAN Associated Press

BOGOTA, Colombia — A recent amendment to Peru’s Forestry and Wildlife Law is drawing fierce backlash from environmental groups and Indigenous groups that warn it could accelerate deforestation in the Amazon rainforest under the guise of economic development.

The amendment eliminates the requirement that landowners or companies get state authorization before converting forested land to other uses. Critics say the change could legitimize years of illegal deforestation.

“To us, this is gravely concerning,” said Alvaro Masquez Salvador, a lawyer with the Indigenous Peoples program at Peru’s Legal Defense Institute.

Masquez added that the reform sets a troubling precedent by “effectively privatizing” land that Peru’s constitution deﬁnes as national patrimony. “Forests are not private property — they belong to the nation,” he said. Supporters of the amendment, enacted in March, say it will stabilize Peru’s agricultural sector and provide farmers with greater legal certainty.

The Associated Press sought comment from multiple representatives of Peru’s agribusiness sector, as well as Congresswoman Maria Zeta Chunga, a vocal supporter of the law Only one person in the agribusiness sector

responded, saying they did not want to comment Peru holds the secondlargest share of Amazon rainforest after Brazil, with over 70 million hectares — about 60% of Peru’s territory, according to nonproﬁt Rainforest Trust. It’s one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet and home to more than 50 Indigenous peoples, some living in voluntary isolation. These communities are vital guardians of ecosystems and the rainforests they protect help stabilize the global climate by absorbing large quantities of carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas that is the main driver of climate change. Passed in 2011, the original Forestry and Wildlife Law required state approval and environmental studies before any change in forest land use. But recent reforms have steadily weakened those protections. The latest

Biden will speak on Social Security in return to stage

BY STEVE PEOPLES and FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

CHICAGO Former President Joe Biden returns to the national stage Tuesday to elevate liberal concerns that President Donald Trump’s agenda is threatening the health of Social Security

The 82-year-old Democrat has largely avoided speaking publicly since leaving the White House in January, which is typically the tradition for immediate past presidents. That’s even as Trump frequently blames Biden for many of the nation’s problems, often attacking his predecessor by name.

Biden is expected to ﬁght back in an early evening speech to the national conference of Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled in Chicago. While Biden has made a handful of public appearances in recent weeks, Tuesday’s highproﬁle address focuses on a critical issue for tens of millions of Americans that could define next year’s midterm elections.

“This is an all hands on deck moment, which is why President Biden’s voice in this moment is so important,” Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a call with reporters ahead of Biden’s speech.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, meanwhile, took a shot at the former president’s age when asked about his speech.

“I’m shocked that he is speaking at nighttime,” Leavitt said during Tuesday’s White House press brieﬁng “I thought his bedtime was much earlier than his speech tonight.” She said that Trump, who is 78 years old, would sign a presidential memorandum Tuesday afternoon “aimed at stopping illegal aliens, and other ineligible people, from obtaining” Social Security beneﬁts. The memorandum will expand the Social Security Admin-

CustomerService:

istration’s fraud prosecutor program to at least 50 U.S. attorney ofﬁces, and establish Medicare and Medicaid fraud prosecution programs in 15 U.S. attorney ofﬁces, Leavitt said. Despite such moves, the Social Security Administration has been plagued by controversy under Trump’s leadership.

The Republican president almost immediately began slashing the government workforce upon his return to the White House, including thousands of employees at the Social Security Administration. Along with a planned layoff of 7,000 workers and contentious plans to impose tighter identity-proofing measures for recipients, the SSA has been sued over a decision to allow Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efﬁciency to access individuals’ Social Security numbers and other personally identiﬁable information.

Musk, the world’s richest man and one of Trump’s most influential advisers, has called Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.” At the same time, Social Security recipients have complained about long call wait times as the agency’s “my Social Security” beneﬁts portal has seen an increase in outages. Individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income, including disabled seniors and low-income adults and children, also reported receiving a notice that said they were “not receiving beneﬁts.”

The agency said the notice was a mistake. And the White House has vowed that it would not cut Social Security benefits, saying any changes are intended to reduce waste and fraud. Biden will be joined in Chicago by a bipartisan group of former elected ofﬁcials, including former Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., former Sen. Debbie Stabenow D-Mich., and former Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley

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amendment allows landowners and companies to bypass that approval, even retroactively legalizing past deforestation.

Peru’s Constitutional Court upheld the amendment after a group of lawyers ﬁled a constitutional challenge Although the court struck down some parts of the amendment, it left intact the law’s ﬁnal provision, which validates past illegal land-use changes. Legal experts say this is the most dangerous part In its ruling, the court acknowledged that Indigenous communities should have been consulted on reforms to the law and affirmed the Environment Ministry’s role in forest zoning.

Environmental lawyer César Ipenza summed it up like this: “The court admits the law violated Indigenous rights and (tribes) should have been consulted but it still endorses the most harmful part.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVGENIy MALOLETKA

Kateryna Sitak 23, a teacher cries while laying flowers and toys on a site of a Russian missile strike in Sumy Ukraine, on Monday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARTIN MEJIA

Cut down trees lie within view of the Cordillera Azul National Park, seen in the background near Chambira community, in Peru’s Amazon, on Oct. 3, 2022.

Harvard’s challenge to Trump could test limits of government

BY COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press

On one side is Harvard, the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, with a brand so powerful that its name is synonymous with prestige. On the other side is the Trump administration, determined to go further than any other White House to reshape American higher education. Both sides are digging in for a clash that could test the limits of the government’s power and the independence that has made U.S. universities a destination for scholars around the world.

On Monday, Harvard became the ﬁrst university to openly defy the Trump administration as it demands sweeping changes to limit activism on campus. The university frames the government’s demands as a threat not only to the Ivy League school but to the autonomy that the Supreme Court has long granted American universities.

“The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” the university’s lawyers wrote Monday to the government. “Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government.”

The federal government says it’s freezing more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard. The hold on funding marks the seventh time the Trump administration has taken such a step at one of the nation’s most elite colleges, in an attempt to force compliance with Trump’s political agenda. Six of the seven schools are in the Ivy League.

No university is better positioned to put up a ﬁght than Harvard, whose $53 billion endowment is the largest in the nation. But like other major universities, Harvard also depends on the federal funding that fuels its scientiﬁc and medical research. It’s unclear how long Harvard could continue without the frozen money Already, Harvard’s refusal appears to be emboldening other institutions.

After initially agreeing to several demands from the Trump administration, Columbia University’s acting president took a more deﬁant tone in a campus message Monday, saying some of the demands “are not subject to negotiation.”

In her statement, Claire Shipman said she read of Harvard’s rejection with “great interest.” Columbia was previously seen as a prime candidate to challenge the administration’s demands and faced blowback from faculty and free speech groups when it agreed to make con-

cessions instead.

“Harvard is obviously a particularly powerful institution. And its decision has potential to galvanize other universities into some kind of collective pushback,” said David Pozen, a Columbia law professor who argued that the government’s demands are unlawful.

Trump threatened Tuesday to escalate the dispute, suggesting on social media that Harvard should lose its tax-exempt status “if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’”

The impasse raises questions about how far the administration is willing to go. However it plays out, a legal battle is likely A faculty group has already brought a court challenge against the demands, and many in academia expect Harvard to bring its own lawsuit.

In its refusal letter, Harvard said the government’s demands violate the school’s First Amendment rights and other civil rights laws.

Study: More people are obtaining abortions but fewer traveling for it

BY GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press

Fewer people crossed state lines to obtain abortions in 2024 than a year earlier, a new survey has found.

The Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, estimates in a report released Tuesday that the overall number of clinician-provided abortions in states where it’s legal rose by less than 1% from 2023 to 2024.

But the number of people crossing state lines for abortions dropped by about 9%.

The report, based on a monthly survey of providers, is the latest look at how the abortion landscape in the U.S. has evolved since the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade in 2022 in a ruling that eliminated a national constitutional right to abortion and opened the door to state bans and restrictions.

Total number rose

Guttmacher estimates there were 1.04 million abortions in 2024, up about 1% from its total the previous year

Multiple studies have found that the total number of abortions in the U.S. has risen since Dobbs, despite some states implementing bans.

Twelve states currently enforce abortion bans with limited exceptions at all stages of pregnancy Four more have bans that kick in after about six weeks, which is before many women know they’re pregnant.

Guttmacher’s tally does not capture self-managed abortions such as people obtaining abortion pills from community networks, foreign pharmacies or through telehealth from medical providers

in states that have laws intended to protect those who send pills into places with bans. There’s a court battle over the constitutionality of such laws But another survey found that the number of telehealth pills being sent into states with bans has been growing and accounted for about 1 in 10 abortions in the U.S. by the summer of 2024.

Isaac Maddow-Zimet, a data scientist at Guttmacher, said even though the number of abortions is up, it’s likely some people who would like to end their pregnancies are not able to.

“We know that some people are accessing abortion through telehealth,” he said. “And we know it’s not an option for everybody.”

Travel declined

The number of people crossing state lines for abortions dropped to about 155,000 from nearly 170,000.

The year-to-year impact varies by state.

For instance, about 1 in 8 abortions in Florida in the ﬁrst half of 2023 were provided to people coming from out of state. By the second half of 2024 — when a ban on abortions after the ﬁrst six weeks of pregnancy took effect — only about 1 in 50 were for people from another state.

More people traveled to states including Virginia and New York after the Florida law took hold.

A drop in people traveling to Minnesota could be linked to abortions being offered again in clinics in Wisconsin. Most abortions in Kansas are provided to people from elsewhere and the number grew as clinic capacity expanded.

Obstacles affect some

A working paper released in March provided

different insight into the impact of the bans.

It found that birth rates rose from 2020 to 2023 in counties farther from abortion clinics. Rates rose faster for Black and Hispanic women, those with lower education levels, and people who are unmarried.

“The takeaway is that distance still matters,” said Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economic professor and one of the authors of the working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. “It really wasn’t obvious that that would be the case.”

“These bans are more than just policies; these are direct attacks on bodily autonomy,” said Regina Davis Moss, president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda.

The bans also exacerbate the huge disparities in maternal mortality for Black women in the U.S, she said. Black women died around the time of childbirth at a rate nearly 3.5 times higher than White women in 2023.

“We’re going to be faced with increasing numbers of births, which is going to increase the maternal mortality rate, the infant mortality rate and inequities in care,” she said. “It’s very upsetting and sad.” Bree Wallace, director of case management at the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund in Florida, which helps with the logistics and costs of abortions, said people who consider getting an abortion don’t always know their options.

“Many people don’t know their choices or think that it’s just not possible to go out of state,” she said. “A lot of people hear ‘ban’ or ‘six-week ban’ in their state and that’s it.”

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and BEN FINLEY Associated Press

GREENBELT, Md. A federal judge said Tuesday that she will order sworn testimony by Trump administration officials to determine if they complied with her orders to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to a notorious El Salvador prison.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland issued her order after Trump officials continually refused to retrieve Abrego Garcia, saying they defied a “clear” Supreme Court order She also disregarded Monday’s comments by White House officials and El Salvador’s president that they were unable to bring back Abrego Garcia, describing their statements as “two very misguided ships passing in the night.” “The Supreme Court has spoken,” Xinis said, adding that what was said in the Oval Office on Monday “is not before the court.”

Xinis said she will call for the testimony of government officials, including Robert Cerna, the acting field office director for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She expects the process to last about two weeks.

“The bottom line is it was a very simple directive,” Xinis said of her own order for the U.S. to return Abrego Garcia. I’ve got nothing. I’ve got no real response.”

The hearing came a day after White House advisers repeated the claim that they lack the authority to bring back the Salvadoran national from his native country The president of El Salvador also said Monday that he would not return Abrego Garcia, likening it to smuggling “a terrorist into the United States.” Abrego Garcia’s deportation has become a ﬂashpoint as President Donald Trump followsuponcampaignpromises of mass deportations, including to an El Salvador prison. Following Tuesday’s hearing, a crowd outside the

federal court house in Maryland chanted, “What do we want? Due process. When do want it? Now!”

An attorney for Abrego Garcia said contempt proceedings could be the logical next step after the discovery phase. “This is still a win, and this is still progress,” Rina Ghandi said. “We’re not done yet, though.”

Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, said shortly before Tuesday’s hearing that he was working hard to achieve the American dream for his family

“That dream was shattered on March 12 when he was abducted and disappeared by the United States government in front of our 5-yearold-child,” she said. “Today is 34 days after his disappearance I will not stop ﬁghting until I see my husband alive.”

Abrego Garcia, 29, lived in the U.S. for roughly 14 years, during which he worked construction, got married and was raising three children with disabilities, according to court records.

THE BOSTON GLOBE FILE PHOTO By ERIN CLARK

Hundreds of demonstrators gather on Cambridge Common during a rally at the historic park in Cambridge, Mass., on Saturday, calling on Harvard University to resist what organizers described as attempts by President Trump to influence the institution.

Carinsurance legislationpassesﬁrsthurdle

Billsintended to lowerrates

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Bills that insurance companies and business interests say would address Louisiana’scar insurance crisis advanced their ﬁrst step in the legislative processTuesday The measuresapproved by the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee would “levelthe playing ﬁeld,” according to state representatives who blame Louisiana’s high car insurance rates on alegal system that they say encourages too many lawsuits and bigpayouts to people injured in wrecks.

The committee approved the bills Tuesday on party-line votes with Republicans ﬂexing theirlegislative majority.

The trial lawyer lobby made no public effort to oppose the bills,

which will be heard on the House ﬂoornext week as part of astrategy to get them to the Senate early in the legislative session. Housememberssay privately that they believe thetriallawyer lobby hasgreater inﬂuence in the Senateand will try to kill or water down thebills there.

Gov. Jeff Landry told legislators Monday when he kicked off the two-month regularlegislative session that he favors a“balanced” approach that beneﬁts neither side over theother

That view has sparked consternationamong the Republican Housemembers pushing the antitriallawyer bills in an alliance with Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple Landryand Temple set aside their differences —but didn’ttalk to each other— during anews conference Tuesday on the Capitol steps where theyendorsed abill to allow drivers to use their cellphones only hands free. Rep. Brian

anydepartmental changes passedbythe Legislature this year

state government. It would be led by an executive director appointedbythe governor

The office would handle planning,engineering,design, construction, operation andmaintenance of any of the state’snonfederal aid highways, which include rural and local roads that aren’tmajor thoroughfares.

The highway construction office would be empowered to enter into contracts and promulgate its own rules for management of its own operations, independent of the Transportation Department. But the purview of the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction could also grow if lawmakers transfer additional duties away from DOTD and to the highway construction office.

“If they are operating in a very efﬁcient manner, there is opportunity for more dutiestobetransferredover, Bourriaque said. “This is a route to try and make improvements —don’tknow if it’sthe best route, but it is aroute, and we’re going to try and keep working through it.”

Inside of DOTD, anew Office of Transformation would be created and charged with implementing

An assistant secretary appointedbythe governor to leadthe Ofﬁce ofTransformationwould be “a change agent” that the public, lawmakers andthe Transportation Department itself “could rely on” to implement transportation projects from planning and design through construction, Bourriaquesaid.

DOTDwould berequired to phase out its own equipment andrepairshopsand privatizethose functions under House Bill 556. In addition, within thedepartment, anew Officeof Project Management would be directed to privatize services “tothe fullest extent possible,” under House Bill 528.

Privatizing to the“fullest extent possible” Bourriaque said, means making a “good faith effort to tryand identify efficiencies when it’spossible.”

On Tuesday morning, three of the four bills each haddozens of changes that hadbeen incorporatedjust theday before, leaving littletimefor lawmakers and Transportation Department Secretary Joe Donahue to review them. Donahuesaid hehad yet to have “candidconversationsabout the intent” of the new highway constructionofﬁce with Bourriaque.

YOUNGSVILLE

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could be larger and have more residents than Sugar Mill Pond, which will encompass just over 500 acres with 1,200 homes and aprojected 5,000 residents once all the homes arebuilt.

Young’sIndustries is the largest private landowner in the city

The project would ac-

celerate more residential growthinYoungsville, which had thelargest increase in population between 2000 and2020, accordingtoCensus data.

Bailey Grove can be transformative for the city,said Mayor Ken Ritter

The projecthas been in talks since he took ofﬁce in 2015, hesaid

“It represents an exciting opportunityfor Youngsvillebecauseittendsto bring signiﬁcant economic

Glorioso, R-Slidell, is thesponsor of the measure, House Bill 519. Landry, Temple, Glorioso and state Sen. PatrickMcMath, RCovington, who has sponsored the legislationinpreviousyears,all said thatgetting fewer people to text and watch videos while drivingwill lead to fewer accidents. That in turn, they said, will reduce car insurance rates.

The action on car insurance then movedinsidethe StateCapitol building as the Civil Law Committee debated andpassed several major bills over four hours.

The Democraticlegislators on the committeedidn’twin over any of the Republicans after questioning thelegislative sponsors or insuranceindustry representatives who testiﬁed in favor of the bills.

“Itactually wentbetter than I thought,” Rep.Nicholas Muscarello, R-Hammond, the committee chair,said as the hearing ended.

Landryissupporting one con-

“Thatisnot something that I’vewrapped my head fully around,”hesaid. “As Ihavethose conversations, hopefully we’llget to understand how they see that operating and how it will be better.”

During the three-hour committee meeting, Donahue saidmultiple times that he had not yet had achance to have asubstantive discussion with Bourriaque aboutthe updatedlegislation

For example: The bills had previously called to eliminate the positionofchief engineer at the department, but that provision had been removed.

After thehearing, Donahue said thedepartment isn’topposed to change and that he believes “ongoing discussions”with Bourriaque will yield “clarity about what it is they’re actually trying to achieve.”

But he arguedthatincreased funding forthe department“is thebig missing piece from being able to have better roads and bridges in thestate of Louisiana.”

“You will begin to see meaningful change to the statusofthe infrastructure whenever we begin devoting more revenue to that portionofthe needsofthe state,” he said.

Email AlysePfeilatalyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.

beneﬁts, including jobcreation,increased commercial activity andnew amenities forour residents,” Ritter said. “We’re excited about it, but it underscores the responsibility that we have to makesurethat we’re growing wisely and protecting the reasons that make Youngsville agreat community.”

Email StephenMarcantel at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.

tentiousmeasure,House Bill 34, by Glorioso, who told the committee that it would allow defendants to tell jurors how much people injured in wrecksactually pay in medical bills. Under current law, jurors hear thetotal amount billed, regardless of what the plaintiff paid.

Glorioso said lowerpayouts for medical bills would lead to reduced car insurance bills.

“Let’s unblindfold the jury,” Glorioso said.

Rep. Chad Brown, D-Plaquemine, noted that the Legislature has passed several anti-trial lawyer measures in recent yearsthat were supposed to lower rates.

“But we’re still amongthe highest in thecountry,” Brownsaid.

The committee approved the measure on an 11-3 vote, similar to theother bills.

Another controversialmeasure approved Tuesday is House Bill 431byRep.Emily Chenevert, RBaton Rouge.

HB431 would bar adriverresponsible foratleast51% of an accident fromreceiving adamageaward to cover his or her injuries. Under current law,the driver responsible for,say,51% of the accident can collect apayment equalto49% of the overall damage award. Sidney Degan, aNew Orleans attorney,toldcommittee members that current law encourages lawyers to sueeven when the driver is largely at fault because insurance companies would rather settle than face alawsuit that dragsout and runs up big legal fees.

Landryhas not saidpublicly whether he supports HB431.

The committeealso approved House Bill 434 by Rep. Jason DeWitt, R-Alexandria, which would reduce the payout to an injured driver whodoes not have car insurance. Landry supports the bill.

Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

$800M carbon capture plant planned for BR port

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

Fidelis, a Texas-based energy company is partnering with Microsoft on a proposed $800 million facility at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge which aims to capture carbon dioxide that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere and either store it underground or use it to create fuel.

Microsoft signed a contract with Fidelis’ portfolio company AtmosClear to remove 6.75 million metric tons of CO2 from circulation over a 15-year period as part of a larger effort by the tech giant to offset its greenhouse gas emissions, Fidelis said Tuesday

Using materials like sugar cane bagasse and trimmings from “prudent” forest management, AtmosClear plans to produce “clean” energy while capturing carbon dioxide for permanent storage or use as a feedstock for low-carbon natural gas or other synthetic fuels

It’s unclear where the CO2 will

from page 1A

they expressed pro-Palestinian views or participated in campus protests.

Mike Strecker, a spokesperson for Tulane University, said that the university was aware of two students whose visas had been revoked for “previous criminal arrests” that were not related to any protests. He did not elaborate on the criminal allegations but said the university has contacted the students and directed them to third-party legal resources.

“The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority,” he said.

Janene Tate, a spokesperson for Southern University, said the campuses were not given a reason for the revocations. Citing the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which protects student information, Tate declined to offer further information.

Katie Dawson, a spokesperson for the University of Louisiana system, conﬁrmed that the UL and UNO students had been affected but declined to offer any more information, citing student privacy laws.

The speed and scope of the federal government’s efforts to terminate the legal status of international students have stunned colleges across the country Few corners of higher education have been untouched, as schools ranging from prestigious private universities, large public research institutions and tiny liberal arts colleges discover status terminations one after another among their students.

At least 600 students at more than 90 colleges and universities have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated in recent weeks, according to an Associated Press review of university statements and correspondence with school

A rendering shows the $800 million carbon capture facility that AtmosClear is proposing in partnership with Microsoft at the Port of Greater

be sequestered, though several companies in the region are seeking permits for wells to inject and store it in rock formations deep underground.

The project is expected to create 75 permanent jobs and 600 construction jobs. The company said it is the world’s largest CO2 removal contract to date.

The announcement comes as

ofﬁcials. Advocacy groups collecting reports from colleges say hundreds more students could be caught up in the crackdown.

Around 1.1 million international students were in the United States last year a source of essential revenue for tuition-driven colleges. International students are not eligible for federal ﬁnancial aid, and their ability to pay tuition often factors into whether they will be admitted to American schools. Often, they pay full price.

Many of the students losing their legal status are from India and China, which together account for more than half the international students at American colleges. But the terminations have not been limited to those from any one part of the world, lawyers said

Some of the students were involved in pro-Palestinian protests, including Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and legal permanent resident who has been detained in Jena since last month Last week, an immigration judge in Louisiana ruled that Khalil could legally be deported Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department was revoking visas held by visitors who were acting counter to national interests, including some who protested Israel’s war in Gaza and those who face criminal charges.

But many students say they don’t fall under those categories Students have filed lawsuits in several states, arguing they were denied due process.

The Department of Homeland Security and State Department did not respond to messages seeking comment.

There are about 6,850 international students in Louisiana, according to data from the U.S. Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. They made up just over 3% of all students in Louisiana colleges and universities last fall.

Louisiana has won an increasing number of projects in recent years aimed at reducing emissions or contributing to the transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy Economic development officials have touted carbon capture, ”blue” hydrogen and ammonia and other technologies as potential areas for growth, though many of those projects are

The visa cancellations have resulted in a ﬂurry of legal action. On Tuesday the ACLU of Indiana sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on behalf of seven Indiana international students whose visas were “abruptly terminated without explanation.”

Earlier this month, the ACLU of New Hampshire sued the DHS on behalf of a Dartmouth College student. The lawsuit claims the student hadn’t committed a crime or participated in a protest in the U.S. or elsewhere.

Foreigners who are subject to removal proceedings are usually sent a notice to appear in immigration court on a certain date, but lawyers say affected students have not received any notices, leaving them unsure of next steps to take.

Some schools have told students to leave the country to avoid the risk of being detained or deported. But some students have appealed the terminations and stayed in the United States while those are processed.

Among the students who have filed lawsuits is a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student who is supposed to graduate May 5, with a job offer to join the faculty His attorney, Charles Kuck, said the student was likely targeted for termination because of an unpaid trafﬁc ﬁne from when the student lent his car to a friend. Ultimately, the violation was dismissed.

“We have case after case after case exactly like that, where there is no underlying crime,” said Kuck, who is representing 17 students in the federal lawsuit. He said his law ﬁrm has heard from hundreds of students.

“These are kids who now, under the Trump administration, realize their position is fragile,” he said. “They’ve preyed on a very vulnerable population. These kids aren’t hiding. They’re in school.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

still in early stages of commercial development and some have faced local opposition. Fidelis officials said a final investment decision on the project is expected later this year. Construction would begin in 2026, and commercial operations would start in 2029. In 2020, Fidelis leased 141 acres from the port, where its subsidiary, Grön Fuels, announced a proposal to build a renewable fuels project that could be a $9.2 billion multiphase development The plant would use soybean and canola oil, tallow and used cooking oil to produce renewable diesel and jet fuel. That project has yet to break ground on its ﬁrst $1.2 billion phase and is on hold while the company waits for clarity from Washington on federal clean energy tax incentives, company ofﬁcials said. West Baton Rouge Parish President Jason Manola said he’ll push Fidelis to hold public meetings so any questions or concerns about the AtmosClear facility can be

addressed Because the project is located on port property, it doesn’t require the same approvals from parish government that other developments might.

The port’s executive director, Jay Hardman, did not respond to interview requests.

Microsoft is making the investment as part of its goal of becoming carbon-negative by 2030, meaning that it’s removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it’s producing.

Microsoft announced a similar agreement with the ﬁrm CO280 on Friday on a project aimed at capturing emissions from pulp and paper mills.

“We are proud to work with Fidelis on this pathbreaking project, which will bring together science, engineering, and commercial innovations to offer a compelling model for carbon removal in the United States,” Brian Marrs senior director of energy and carbon removal at Microsoft, said in a news release.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Baton Rouge.

Floodgate being shut to fight rising river

Closure

is first time structure has been used on

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

A permanent gate that blocks backwater flooding from affecting 30,000 people in six parishes began to be closed Monday morning ahead of expected high water on the Atchafalaya River

The closure of the 405-foot-long Bayou Chene ﬂoodgate is the ﬁrst time the 3-year-old structure has been used due to high water in the

Atchafalaya, a St. Mary Parish levee ofﬁcial said.

The $80 million floodgate finished in April 2022 was ﬁrst used last fall for Hurricane Francine. Levee district operations crews began moving the submersible gate shortly before 7 a.m. Monday and were expected to be ﬁnished in the afternoon Tim Matte, the former mayor of Morgan City and the levee district director, said the levee district de-

Atchafalaya

cided to move the gate more than a week sooner than its operational plan calls for — when the Atchafalaya gauge at Morgan City hits 7 feet. The Atchafalaya at Morgan City was a little over 4 feet on Monday and isn’t predicted to hit 7 feet until April 23, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast Monday A relatively quick rise is predicted for the Atchafalaya and, as

that water rises, the ﬂow in Bayou Chene moves more quickly creating a challenge to move the gate that’s longer than a football ﬁeld and about as tall as a four-story building.

“We think by closing it a little bit earlier that it will accomplish two things. One, it will be safer, and we won’t put the equipment at any risk by closing it a little earlier and, number two, the quicker you can do that, the more water you can block from getting into the basin,” Matte said. Crews must empty water from

inside the ﬂoodgate so it ﬂoats up from its resting location along the shore and can be swung on its hinge, known as a pivot pile, into position in Bayou Chene and resubmerged.

The gate closes off the bayou, becoming the central piece of a 1,100-foot-long ﬂoodwall that goes across the bayou and ties into levees that head off into Terrebonne Parish and Avoca Island. The gate and its levees can hold back a rise of about 6.5 feet, based

TAKING WING

ABOVE: Brent Mose with DezMeaux’s seasons up some boudin stuffed chicken wings Saturday during the Wing Wars of Acadiana: Acadiana’s Chicken Wing Festival & Cook-Off at Parc International in Lafayette

RIGHT: Chicken wing aﬁcionados Kelly Hicks, left, and Jay Ronsonet enjoy some wings at the festival on Saturday

Complaint filed with police over use of force Video of Lafayette incident circulates on social media

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

The Lafayette Police Department confirmed a complaint was ﬁled with their ofﬁce Monday in reference to an incident outside a bar in downtown Lafayette last week.

A video circulating on social media showed what appeared to be a Lafayette police officer punching a man in the face while he was being restrained on the ground. The department said the man was actively resisting arrest. The incident occurred about 11:50 p.m. Wednesday after officers responded to a complaint in the 300 block of Jefferson Street. Officers were providing security at a local business when a security guard attempted to escort a man off the premises, police said.

Study finds racial inequality in La. industrial jobs

Disparities exist in petrochemical jobs nationwide

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

People of color are underrepresented in jobs at oil reﬁneries and chemical plants across the country, according to a new peerreviewed study with some of the most extreme disparities in Loui-

siana.

Differences in education do not explain these outcomes, the study found. The researchers at Tulane Law School and the University of Massachusetts Amherst discovered that when people of color are employed in petrochemical jobs, they are mostly working in the “lowest of the low-paying” positions.

The authors of the study, which was published in the journal Ecological Economics on Wednesday say the research raises questions

about the economic justiﬁcations of these sectors in local areas.

cost.”

Police said the man punched the security guard in the face. Officers attempted to arrest the man but said he resisted and did not comply with instructions. Officers were able to put handcuffs on the man, but only after the video showed the officer punching the man and possibly using a stun gun on him beforehand. The man, who is unidentiﬁed, was charged with simple battery and resisting an ofﬁcer Police said the man had active warrants, as well.

ä More from the Wing Wars. PAGE2B ä See RIVER, page 2B

“The department acknowledges that an internal affairs complaint was filed on April 14, 2025, concerning this incident. Chief (Paul) Trouard has promptly initiated a thorough internal investigation in response to this complaint,” the announcement read.

“We always think of pollution versus jobs tradeoff,” said Kimberly Terrell, a research scientist at the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic. “It’s not really a tradeoff when the people who are being impacted aren’t getting any of the beneﬁts and are getting all of the

Industry and economic development groups stressed their investment in supporting Louisiana workers. A representative for Louisiana Economic Development, the state’s business agency, said that “providing opportunity for every community in our state is not only our agency’s focus, but our commitment.”

The Louisiana Chemical Association, which represents dozens of

ä See JOBS, page 3B

“To ensure the integrity of the ongoing review the Lafayette Police Department will refrain from offering further details about the incident at this time,” it continued.

An investigation will launch in the coming months, police said.

Stephen Marcantel writes for The Acadiana Advocate as a Report for America corps member. Email him at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

Terrell

STAFF FILEPHOTO By BILL FEIG

Amodule for the floodgateisshown during construction of the BayouChene flood control projectDec. 11, 2020,inAmelia.The $80 million floodgate was finished in April 2022.

RIVER

Continued from page1B

on current water levels in the bayou, Matte said. Thefloodgatesouth of Amelia protects St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Martin, Assumption and Iberville parishesfrom backwater flooding in the basin.

Temporary submersible barges and sheet piles have been used four othertimes in roughly the same location in Bayou Chene to block high waters in theAtchafalaya —1973, 2011, 2016 and 2019. In 2019, Gov.John Bel Edwards announced that the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority would finance thefloodgate with federal revenue sharing from offshore oiland gas production. Heavy rains in the Mid-

west are ﬁlling watersheds that drain into the Mississippi and its related waterways, likethe Atchafalaya. TheAtchafalaya is projected topeak at 7.5feetat Morgan City on April 25, and stay at thatheight until the predawn hours of April 26, when waters willbeginto fall, according to theNOAA. Last week, state ofﬁcials suggested high water in the Mississippiwas leading to evaluation bythe U.S. Army Corps of Engineersabout partially openingthe Bonnet Carre Spillway upstream of New Orleans.

But Corps officials said the river is notexpected to reach the required streamflow to trigger opening of the venerable series of ﬂoodgates near LaPlace. The spillway opens when Mississippistreamﬂowhits 1.25 millioncubic feet per second, orroughly17feet on theCarrolton gauge in New Orleans.Forecasts last week

put the peak just below that level but within theforecast’smargin of error

TheMississippi at Baton Rouge is expected tohit 40.6 feet, or just intomajor ﬂood stage, on April 23. The river lastreached that height or greater in Baton Rouge in April 2020, when it peaked 4feet higher.Itwas also the last timethe Bonnet Carre was opened.

David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY

MONDAY,APRIL 14, 2025

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PICK 4: 3-7-4-5 PICK 5: 5-5-8-3-2 POWERBALL: 3-20-3052-62 (1) Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

casino dealer,Violetman face theftcharges

Pair accusedofstealing more than $10,000

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

Aroulette dealer at Caesars Casino in NewOrleans and aVioletman were arrested Friday and accused of stealing morethan $10,000 from the casino through late bets, according to Louisiana State Police. Ahmod Junius,23, andthe dealer, 46-year-old MargaretLake, were each arrested on acount of theftbetween $5,000 and $25,000, troopers said.

On Tuesday, detectives from the NewOrleans Ofﬁce of the State Police Gaming Enforcement Division began investigating the theftand determinedthat Lake was intentionally assisting Junius by allowing him to place several late wagers, according to State Police.

Detectivesexecuted search and arrest warrants at Junius’ Violet home Friday, arresting him andbooking him into the Orleans Justice Center Lakewas arrested and booked into the Orleans Justice Center the same day Late bets refer to placing abet afterthe time when no more bets are allowedtobetaken.Latebetting is considered aform of cheating. State Police did not say what evidencewas used to conclude that Junius was placing late bets and that Lake was assisting Junius.

Email Marco Cartolano at Marco. Cartolano@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Contestants toss wings Saturdayinthe Wing Toss during the Wing Wars of Acadiana: Acadiana’sChickenWing Festival &Cook-Off at

Parc International in Lafayette.

JOBS

Continued from page1B

manufacturing companies in the state, stressed that the sector is invested in workforce and educational development. David Cresson, the CEO of the industry group, pointedtoSTEM programs for students beginning in elementary school as well as partnerships withSouthern University and River Parishes Community College.

“Werecognize the importance of examining equity in employment,however,this study offers an incomplete and misleading portrayal of our industry and its contributions,” Cresson said.

Other industry and business associationsdeclined to comment.

What studysaidabout La

The study used publicly available federal data to examine the racial demo-

CHRISGRANGER

ployment in thestate’s industrial manufacturing sector.HepointedtoLouisiana Economic Development’sFastStart program for workforce developmentand talentattraction, among other initiatives.

“Weare committed to closing the training gap in Louisianabyinvesting in early education, STEM training andtechnical scholarships to ensure that all membersofour communities are represented among our industrial workforce,” he said.

ityatDonaldsonville High School, serving not only students but also adults in the evenings. It is part of an effort by RiverParishes Community College to bringservices to amajority-Black community with poverty rates over 40%, an aging and shrinking population, andmanyresidents withoutadequate transportation.

sector were peopleofcolor This trend persisted when looking at Louisiana cities andparishesindividually

“People of color had about halftheir expectedshare of highest/higher-paying jobs and aboutthreequar-

Email Josie Abugov STAFF

cal facilities operating in our backyards,” shesaid.

“It’sabout the persistence of asystemthatwas never designed forAfrican Americans to truly thrive.”

‘Opportunity to discriminate’

Local leaders in Ascension Parishhave also collaborated on programs to prepare residents to capitalize on incoming industry jobs.The parishrecently scored two major lower carbon, multibillion-dollar facilities for theirwest bank industrial complex just upriverofDonaldsonville.

Some of theseefforts include early childhood

Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment said the programsare designed to give Donaldsonvillearea residents apathto the $100,000-per-year jobs these future facilities are expected to provide.

“This is something that is not only good for Ascension Parish, but it’sgood forthe region, surrounding parishes, including the state as awhole,” Cointmentsaid.

Staff writer David Mitchell contributed reporting.

Sharon Lavigne holds pictures April 16, 2024, of neighborhood activists whodied in her area. Lavigne, founder of the organization RiseSt.

OUR VIEWS

Jobdisparities in La.’senergy, chemical industries need addressing

It is disappointing to read that, decades after chemical- and energy-based industriesproliferated across the United States and in Louisiana, the employment opportunities that they provide arestill not widely shared.

That’sthe conclusion of anew analysis undertakenbyateam from Tulane Law School and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The study,published lastweekinthe academic journalEcological Economics, parsedpublicly available federalemployment data to arguethat people of colorlack broadaccess to thehighest paying job in those industries.

Louisiana did not fare well in thereport. St John the Baptist Parish, forexample, had the worstdisparities of all the areas the authors studied. The parish has apopulation that is approximately 70% people of color,but only about 17% of the highest-payingjobs at local chemical plantsare held by peoplewho are non-White It’s better in the lowest-paying jobs, butstill only about 50% of those are held bypeopleof color,the researchers found.

Statewide, approximately 40%of working-age Louisianans are people of color,but only 18.5% of those at the upper echelonsinthose industries are, the study found.

Among other states with highconcentrations of petrochemical industries, Texasand Illinois arealso among those with the worst disparities.

The authors found thatthe oft-citedexplanation for these disparities —that differences in education resultindivergingemployment results —did not justify thestatus quo.InSt. John, for instance, they concluded that among the parish’sresidents there was “almost noracial gap in college education.”

The study also raises questions about the promises made when newplantsare announced or planned.

“Wealways think of pollution versusjobs trade-off,” said Kimberly Terrell, aresearch scientist at the Tulane EnvironmentalLaw Clinic. “It’snot really atrade-off when the people whoare beingimpactedaren’t getting anyof the beneﬁts and aregetting allofthe cost.”

Thestudy’sauthors urge state andlocal authorities to consider economic benefitdistribution when deciding whether to permit anew project. In otherwords, officials should specifically make sure there are plansthatwill enable people of color, especiallylocals, to get highpaying jobs.

These conclusions werehailed byenvironmental justice groups like Rise St. James,which haslongargued that petrochemical plants in that parish disproportionately harm minority communities. On the other side, industry leadersinLouisiana stressed that they worked hard to make opportunities available for all residents.

We urge state and industry leaders to study these findings carefullyand redouble theirefforts to open employment opportunitiestoall. Per the study,this means not just investing in job training and educational initiatives, but undertaking specific policies tomake surejob creation benefitslocal communities.

Thesecommunities livewiththe effects of having alarge-scale industrial facility nearby. It’sonly right that they should also reap the beneﬁts.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone 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. TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

Trump’santagonizingcould harm state’stourism industry

President Donald Trump’srecent comments on Canada —specifically, his proposal for Canada to becomethe “51st state” —are troubling for many reasons, not least of which is the potential economic harm it could inflict on New Orleans. Canadian visitors contribute significantly to our economy In 2023, Canadian touristsplayed a keyrole in the city’stourism industry, generating millionsinrevenue and supporting tensofthousands of local jobs.

Canada represents theNew Orleans region’sNo. 1international tourism source, and any disruption to this ﬂow could be devastating. According to a recent report, just a10% decline in Canadian visitation to the U.S. could lead to aloss of $2.1 billion in spending and theelimination of 14,000 jobs. International visitors are considered “long-haul” travelers, who generally stay longer and, in turn, spend more money,making them alucrative part of our tourism market. International touristsalso tend to travel to more places across thestate than domestic

tourists.

For New Orleans, where tourism representsnearly 40% of the operating budget, theloss of Canadian travelers would directly impact our economic growth, the taxes needed to keep our community safe and the livelihoods of 75,000 workers in our hospitality and entertainment sectors. Given the recent and arguably shortsighted tensions between the U.S. and Canada, it is critical to ask: Are Louisiana’srepresentatives in Washington, as well as our governor,taking the action needed to protect Louisiana’s economy? Will they put politics aside and stand up to theWhite House to address thereal consequences this antagonism could haveontourism and jobsinNew Orleansand Louisiana? Ourelected ofﬁcials need to act decisively to ensure that NewOrleans remainsa top destination forinternational visitors. The economic stakes are simply too high to ignore.

GRANT COOPER NewOrleans

Graves tenacity on Social Security washelpful

Idon’tknow former U.S. Rep.Garret Graves nor have Iever met him Idoknow his tenacity for “making right”through theSocial Security Fairness Act was due to apassionate desire for fairness and making America liveuptoits promiseofsocial security.

For thosewho are unaware of what Social SecurityFairness Act is,itundoes aformer action basically denying people from receiving full beneﬁts from Social Security because they

were teachers, ﬁremen, policemen, parish or stateemployees. They paid into Social Securityonother jobs, but because they received agovernment pension, their Social Security wasreduced. Now,because Graves had the dogged determination to not give up, thousands of people are receiving what is rightfully owed them. Thank you, sir!

ROYGEESEY Crowley

Thechoiceisbetween cuttingtaxes or balancingbudget

Let’sget real. We hear constantly that we need to cut our federal taxes. What we don’thear regularly that our federal debt is currently $1.8 trillion, andthat our annual revenue requires $138 billion, or 8% of our federal revenue, just to pay interest on our federal debt.

The next time politicians tell you they are running to cut your taxes, ask them if they understand economics. Tell them instead that they might get your voteifthey run on abalanced budget

RAYSCHELL Prairieville

DCFS’impact on families needstobe scrutinized

Iwant to discuss the Department of Children and Family Services and its impact on families, particularly regarding child protective services. While this agency is designed to protect children, it often faces criticism forpractices that can lead to the unjust disruption of families. Many feel that the system prioritizes its procedures over the well-being of children, resulting in unnecessary separations that deeply affect both parents and children.

Iaim to provide practical advice and resources forfamilies dealing with DCFS, especially those who cannot afford legal representation. Navigating the system can be overwhelming. But there are strategies families can use to advocate for themselves. By sharing feedback, mechanisms and support resources, Ihope to empower families to stand up against injustices they may face within the system.Mygoal is to foster resilience and unity within families and ensure they have the tools and knowledge to navigate these challenges effectively

DIAMON BELL Baton Rouge

Carbon captureholds no intrinsicvalue to society

Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association President Tommy Faucheux’sletter of March 5promoting “carbon capture as economic development” and “the key to Louisiana’senergy future” mademethink of the Hans Christian Andersen story,“The Emperor’sNew Clothes,” and Iwondered how long Faucheux had worked as fantasy tailor Let’sface it, carbon capture is nothing morethan asophisticated form of griftwhose only reason for existence is to scavenge money from the public treasury with no corresponding beneﬁt to society RACHAELHUGGHINS Baton Rouge

CalebWilsonshouldbemy Omega brother, buthe’snot

Democratspulling theirpunches on Trump’strade war

These tariffs, just not those tariffs.

Will Sutton

Louisiana will see hundreds, then thousands, of members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. as they head from their southern Louisiana homes, from parishes acrossthe state, from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas —the four states that make up Omega’s Mighty Ninth District. There willbe Omega brothers from beyond this region, too, because nearly everyone loves visiting New Orleans. The Bruhz will be headquartered at the Hyatt Regency on Loyola in New Orleans for the 88th annual district meeting. There were close to 2,000 brothers registered to take care of Omega’sfraternal business the last time Ichecked. That might be the ofﬁcial count,but if you’re anywhere in or near downtown and the Central BusinessDistrict, expect to see hundreds or thousands more men dressed in purple and gold. Freshly minted Tulane University Omega brothers Rodrek Williams, Justin Haysbert, Shazz Preston, Gerrod Henderson and George Washington will likely be there when they don’thave school responsibilities. Caleb McCray,Isaiah Smith and Kyle Thurman won’tbethere. Neither will Caleb Wilson. Wilson died one night in February after something happened during an unauthorized fraternity off-campus activity.Police allege that Wilson and others were punched. They say Wilson collapsed. McCray,Smithand Thurman have been charged in the incident. They were my Omega brothers. Now they are not. Thefraternity expelled them. Wilson likely would’ve been my Omega brother.Now he’s not. From all I’ve heard from those who knew him, he would’ve been a great Omega brother

The fraternity Iknow has azerotolerance policy against hazing, and we’ve been against hazing for decades.That doesn’tmeanthat there aren’tlots of Omegamen who have experienced hazing. “It was horrible,” said one Omega withmore than 70 years in the frat. “No one should experience that.” I, too, was hazed. Not as bad, though. The fraternity and most Omegamen have matured. Hazing is taken seriously.Like other fraternities and sororities, bands and organizations, hazing has been an unofﬁcialpart of us. But it’s wrong. And it’sagainst the law

Touting ourselves with an unofﬁcial mascothasn’thelped. Don’tcall me a “Que Dog.” I’m an Omega man

The Wilson case is probably the most prominent case since the Loui-

siana Legislature passed the felony anti-hazing law called the Max Gruver Act in 2018. The Legislature named it after aLSU Phi DeltaTheta fraternity pledge who died from an alcohol poisoning hazing incident in 2017. Prosecutors can bring felony charges in hazing incidents involving coerced consumption of alcohol, serious bodily harm or death.

I’m certain our Omega founders didn’tenvision hazing when they establishedour four cardinal principles for Omega: manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift.For the more than four decades that I’ve been an Omega,the fraternity has increasingly come down hardagainsthazing —with words, actions and punishment.

ThefraternityI know expelled three Memphis police memberswho were involved with the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols in 2023.

The fraternity Iknow expelled members who were involved withthe unauthorized and unsanctioned activity thatled toWilson’sdeath.

Wilson, 20, aSouthernUniversity and A&MCollege junior majoring in mechanical engineering, died on a February night in Baton Rouge as he was doing what he thought he had to do to become an Omega. The caseis still being investigated by theBaton Rouge Police Department, Southern University and Omega. There could be more charges. Therecould be more expulsions. Iwas initiated in July 1981 in aNew Jersey graduate chapter.Soon after,

Ibecame alife member,making a lifelong commitment to thefraternity beyond learning theorganization’s history,learning organization poems and songs and learning asecret handshake.

Ipaid what for me was alarge sum in my 20s.I’ve been achapter,district and national committee member,a chapter ofﬁcer and adistrict ofﬁcer I’ve volunteered with thegood brothers of Omega’sRho Phi Chapter scanning tickets at the New OrleansJazz and HeritageFestival. Next year will be my 45thyear in thefrat. When Iheard the news about Wilson,myheart dropped and my shoulderssunk. Iwanted to write about the incident back then.Icouldn’t. Iwas so angry.One of my brotherstold me he cried. Omegas are hurting.

Ididn’tknow Wilson or themen charged in the incident. People I know tellmethosewho have been charged are good people, good people who made amistake.

Unfortunately,one or more mistakes cutshortthe life of ayoung man with apromising future.

As Omegas gather in New Orleans, Iask my brotherstorecommittothe organization’sfounding principles and stop hazing. Iexpect Omegatodo even more. Iexpect the state Legislaturetodomore. But, in theend, we must take individual responsibility as Omegamen to stop thecancer that hazing has become.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Qualityofeducation then andnow

How did I, my parents, grandparents and ancestors going back to the founding of thenationmanagetoget adecent education before the federal Department of Education (DOE) was created byJimmy Carterand aDemocratic Congress?

Quite well, thank you. Iwent to apublic school where the basics weretaught —math, reading, U.S. history and science without apolitical agenda —and Igraduated from college without help from thegovernment. Ipaid back my small (by today’s standards) student loan. Tuition was cheaper thenbecausegovernment had not become involved in education to the extent it has today

the country are any indication, parents are increasingly fed up.

This has been the mealy-mouthed critique of President Donald Trump’strade wars frommany Democrats. They awkwardly triangulate between bashing Trump’scatastrophic ideas and touting support for their own similarly spirited, if scaled-down, ideas No wondertheir message is falling ﬂat.

Trump’scurrent tariff regime —including “only” 10% levies on 70 countries, plus 145% on China will devastate the U.S. economy. His tariffs imposed so far are estimated to raise atypical household’sannual costs by $2,700, with lower-incomeAmericans shouldering the biggest burden. Recession risks have surged, companies have begun furloughing workers, and our once-close allies are ﬂipping us the bird.

If this is acurse to the U.S. economy,itshould be awindfall for Democratic politicians. Instead, Democrats areblowing their good fortune.

Rather than shouting from the rooftops that trade wars are bad, Democrats babble in “yes, buts.” Yes, these particular tariffs are costly and regressive, they say,but whenDemocrats impose tariffs, somehow they present no such downsides.

The most obvious cognitive dissonancerelates to Trump’sﬁrst-term tariffs. Democrats assailedthese policies in the 2018 midterms and 2020 presidential election —shortly before adopting themastheir own. For instance, in 2019 then-presidential candidate Joe Biden said Trump’sChina tariffs ledto“American farmers, manufacturers and consumers losing and paying more.” The 2020 Democratic platform said Trump had “launched reckless, politicallymotivated tariff wars that have punished American workers, antagonized our allies, and beneﬁtedour adversaries.” They were right!

But as president, Biden extended (nearly) all of Trump’sexisting tariffs. In some cases, he expanded them or replaced them with slightly different trade barriers. He did so with vigorous support from his party Given this checkered record, it’snowonderDemocrats struggle to articulate aclear,credible critique of Trump’s(now muchworse) tariff policy. In asocial media video this month, House Democrats opened with an awkward defense of protectionism: “I think awrong-for-decadesconsensus on ‘free trade’ has been arace to the bottom,” Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pennsylvania, said, adding thatwe need “a better trade approach” that is “pro-worker. Deluzio clariﬁed that he didn’tmean Trump’strade approach, per se —even though Republicans likewise claim Trump’sapproach is “pro-worker.”

Recently,Michigan Gov.Gretchen Whitmer,a Democrat, gave aspeech criticizing Trump for wielding tariffs like a“hammer.” When askedhow would she deploytariffs differently,Whitmercould not answer.“Idon’tknow how Iwould have enacted them differently,” she said. “I haven’treally thought about that. What Ihave thought about, though, is, you know,tariffs are, need to be used like ascalpel, not ahammer.”

Elsewhere, lefty populist thinkers explain that Trump’stariffs are bad but tariffs could be good if only the resulting revenue were used forthings Democrats like. Both they and their horseshoetheory-demonstrating conservative counterparts contend that Trump’sexecution might be lousy but the underlying premise —that Americamust build higher economic walls —remains correct Real trade wars, it seems, have never beentried. To be clear,there are some limited circumstances in which tariffs (or sanctions) could be an appropriate waytobuild U.S. capacity or punish badbehavior.For example, if an adversarial country has a stranglehold on some technology criticaltonational defense. Or if an exporter is using slave labor

Cal Thomas

President Donald Trump’s stated goal of eliminating the DOE has begun with his executive ordersdownsizing the bureaucratic population andfederal grants. He will need Congresstoapprove its complete demolition.

The failure of the DOE to improve testscoresinwhat was once considered the basics is wellknown,but it bears repeating.

Federal spending on K-12 public schools has tripled just in thelast two decades, but proﬁciencyin reading and math has declinedand if tumultuous meetings at school boards across

Accordingtoanew Gallup poll, thepercentage of adults who report being dissatisﬁed with the public schools has steadily increased from 62% in 2019 to 73% today.That’s thelowest, notes Gallup,since 2001. Just how desperate theestablishmentistopreserve this failingeducation system can be seeninabill under consideration bythe Illinois legislature. If passed, it would severely harm the growing home-school movement. The bill would require home-school families to submit formseach year to their local public school that include names, birthdates, grade levels and home addresses of their children. Families whofail to submit the forms would be subject to criminal truancy penalties. Nevermindthat fewer than onein three Chicagopublic school students can read at grade level. Federal,state and local governments provide $878.2 billion, or $17,700 per pupil, to fund K-12 public education, according to the Education Data Initiative. Clearly thereturn on this investment is not advancing education achievement.

AWall Street Journal editorial doesn’tlet Republicans off the hook when it comes to education misspend-

ing at all levels: “Republicans in recent decades have helped Democrats expand the Education bureaucracy and balance sheet. Its $1.6 trillion in student debt would make it the ﬁfth largest U.S. bank. The (DOE) doles out $270 billion ayear,which it can use to promoteaPresident’s agenda and please parochial interests in Congress.” That last part is where much of thechallenge lies when it comes to reform,not only in theDOE, but in so manyother programs and legislation where members vote according to their own interests, not thegeneral welfare. Whatever good theDOE might do can be rolled into other government agencies and the building leased to privatecompanies which will help reduce thenational debt.

Iwas not an “A” student in my public schools, but the quality of education Ireceived prompted me later in life to pursue knowledge in history and other subjects.

When he was running for president in 1980, Ronald Reagan told aPBS interview the federal government had “usurped” education “and has proven incapable of operating (it).”

No one could have said it better Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@ tribpub.com

But that’snot whateither party has endorsed. Both Trump and his Democratic critics have supported broad tariffs on our allies and on randomconsumer goods (tiki torches, guitars, toothbrushes) with no plausible security or “resiliency” justiﬁcation. How did Democrats back themselves into this corner? Partly they’re pandering to pro-tariff constituencies (i.e., unions, once reliable Democratic allies). Populist, anti-“neoliberal” think tanks have also overtaken the party.These often employpolitical operatives churning out pseudo-scholarly research, which the media then credulously cites.

That’show you end up with Democratic leaders embracing such quackery as “greedﬂation” and price controls —both of which, by the way,the Trump administration is also nowﬂirting with. This Trump blunder should be yet another layup for Democrats, but they can’treally dunk on it now, can they?

But the political calculus on all this is changing. Aggressive trade barriers, no longer abstract hypotheticals, are proving as disastrous as “neoliberal” economists predicted. Americans hate Trump’s tariffs. Even most manufacturing workers think they’re abad idea, according to aPostpoll. Democrats should stop pulling their punches. What the country needs is an unequivocal, full-throated condemnation of pandering protectionism. Let this be the moment that liberates the Democratic Party from the populists tying them to the same mercantilist, regressive, costly command-and-control economic policies that so often drive Trump’sagenda

Email Catherine Rampell at crampell@washpost. com.

Catherine Rampell

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Friends pose outside the Celebration of Life Services for Caleb Wilson at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Kenner on March 15.

SPORTS

Kellyreﬂects on Lacy’s death

LSUcoach says WR ‘was abrightstar’

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Coach Brian Kelly on Tuesday

reﬂected on the death of former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy after the Tigers wrapped up their penultimatespring practice.

Lacy,24, died in Houston on Saturdayfromanapparentselfinflicted gunshot wound while authorities pursued him in acar chase, according to theHarris County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.On Monday,agrand jury was scheduled to hear evidence related to the fa-

talcar crash that Louisiana State Police accused himofcausing in December

“Kyren was abright star,” Kelly said. “He had an incredible personality.I’ll remember him as somebody that had alovefor the game,a love for being aTiger and was aguy that played with greatemotion. When you think of Kyren, you’re gonna smile most of the time because of the way he handledhimself

“He was aguy that was fullofenergy,and Ithink alot of his teammates will remember him that way as well.”

Kelly said LSU will“lean heavily” on itsprofessional counseling staff in thedays andweeksahead to give players access to one-on-

oneconversations, if they need them, to process Lacy’s death.

“Certainly,it’saprocessfor them,” Kelly said, “the grieving andshock,and certainly,the disbelief.

“I think everybody on our team in some way had arelationship at different levels with Kyren. So, everybody is gonna deal with it differently,soﬁrst,understanding that, right? That there’s not one way that you’re supposed to feel, right?”

On Jan. 12, state police said Lacy was booked intoLafourche Parish Correctional Complex on counts of negligent homicide, felonyhit-and-run andreckless

LINE ’EMUP

Decisive Pels need Dumars to make right choices

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

24-

Four of the New Orleans Saints’ Week 1starters in 2024 along the offensiveline were homegrown, and all of them were top-50 picksintheir respective drafts. Might the Saints tryto make it five in 2025? It may as well have been written in inkthat the Saints were going to select an offensive tackle with their first-round pick ayear ago. New Orleanshad aglaring needatthe position, andnobody knew what tomake of 2022 ﬁrst-rounder Trevor Penning. New Orleans followed through, selecting Taliese Fuaga No. 14 overall. Fuaga was imperfect as arookie, especially against high-level pass rushers, but he immediately fortified the left edge of theoffensive line with aphysicalplaystyle.Penning, shifted to the right side, turned in his best season as a professional by far— though that was alow bar to clear This year,the Saints’attention turns to guard. Theylost one veteran (Lucas Patrick, who signed with the Bengals) but picked up another (free agentsigneeDillon Radunz), but it’sprobablynot agood idea to write Radunz’sname

in pen in the startingﬁve. NFL talentevaluatorscan’t seemtofigure out whether several prospectsinthis class ﬁt better as guards or tackles

at the next level. That was aquestion with Fuaga last year as well.And while New Orleans has shown no inclination to make this type of move, guard may wind up being Penning’sbestposition,too.

Even though theSaints have bothtackles returning from lastseason, is it out of the questionthatthey use one of their premiumpicks on one of the top tackles in this draft, with theideaofshifting either thedraft pick or oneof their current startingtackles inside? Or perhaps the Saints would prefer to snap up apure guard later in the draft. Here are some players who makesense.

LSUOTWill Campbell

Dependingonthe scouting service, Campbell is considered the best offensive linemaninthis class, andhe might have been considered asurefire top-fivepick if it weren’tfor the measurables. Yes, we’re talking arm length. Campbellmeasured in with 32 -inch arms at the NFLcombine, which is short by NFL standards and is whysome wonderwhether he will need to play guard in theNFL.But despitegoing up against some of college football’sbest pass rushers in the Southeastern

Joe Dumars’ 40-year NBAjourney has taken him from the Bad Boys to abad team. It will be up to Dumarstotransform that bad team into agood one and erase all of the misery leftbehind from the second-worst season in NewOrleans Pelicans’ history

Rod Walker

Less than 24 hours after the Pelicans fired David Griffin as their executive vice president of basketball operations, they found his replacement. Dumars, aShreveport native and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer after astandout career with the Detroit Pistons, has been handed the keys to the Pelicans, asource confirmed to The Times-Picayune. The suddenness of the hire indicates team owner Gayle Benson and the rest of the team brass already had their guy picked out. Ideally,you would have liked to see the team go through athorough search to fill the position. Or at least pretend to. Instead, the Pelicans chose aperson they werefamiliar with before Griffin even had cleaned out his office. Dumars, 61, has been linked to this role with the organization in years past, and now he gets his chance to try to do in NewOrleans what he once did in Detroit as both aplayer and an executive.

He played guard on the Pistons teamsinthe late 80s and early 90s that won twoNBA championships. After he retired, he took over as the director of basketball operations for the Pistons in 2000 and helped build ateam that wonthe NBAtitle in the 2003-04 season. He wasnamed executive of the year the season before that. He stayed with the Pistons through 2014 and took ajob in the Sacramento Kings front ofﬁce ﬁve years later.In 2022, he was named executive vice president and head of basketball operations forthe NBA.

NowDumars, whose jersey hangs in the rafters at McNeese State, returns to Louisiana to try to get the Pelicans pointed in the right direction after a disastrous 21-61 season.

Pelicans coach Willie Green, aDetroit native, grew up afan of those Bad Boy Pistons teamsthat featured Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer,Dennis Rodman and Dumars.

Soon over the next fewdays, we’ll see whether Dumars is afan of Green. The ﬁrst big decision Dumarswill makeisdeciding whether Green remains the coach. The twoofthem never have worked together.Green just completed his fourth season with the Pelicans, and he increased his win total in each of his ﬁrst three seasons, including last year when the Pels won the second-most games (49) in franchise history

STAFFFILE PHOTOByHILARy SCHEINUK LSU wide receiverKyren Lacyshakes hands with coachBrian Kelly before walking down victoryhill before kickoff against UCLA on Sept. 21 in TigerStadium. Lacydied Saturday in Houston fromanapparent selfinflicted gunshot wound.

ä See LACY, page 3C

LSU hopes Sutton’s numbers translate

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

One focus of LSU men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon’s attempt to remake his roster this offseason was to bring in experience and physicality, two glaring issues from last season.

Omaha transfer Marquel Sutton, who is entering his ﬁfth collegiate season, arguably embodies those qualities more than any of LSU’s ﬁve transfer portal signings.

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward was the Summit League Player of the Year after averaging 18.9 points on 47.9% shooting from the ﬁeld and 27.7% from the 3-point line. He also averaged 7.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

The Tulsa, Oklahoma, native started his career at the juniorcollege level at Connors State College in Oklahoma. He recently led Omaha (22-13) to a Summit League regular-season and tournament title, and a NCAA Tournament appearance as a No. 15 seed.

Sutton’s best ability is his rebounding. He had a 22.6% defensive rebound rate, good for second in his conference. He had nine double-ﬁgure rebounding games and had a Summit League Tournament record 18 rebounds in the championship game against St. Thomas.

A proven rebounder is what LSU needs after ﬁnishing 347th in defensive rebound rate last season, according to KenPom.

Sutton is most comfortable scoring as a rim ﬁnisher in post-ups and fastbreak situations With his strong frame, he overpowered the smaller forwards in his conference. His rugged build also complemented his cutting. While Sutton’s athleticism isn’t immense, he still ﬁnished 36 dunks and made 70.4% of his 206 shots at the rim, according to BarTtorvik

A healthy share of his dunks came in the open court, where he’s capable of grabbing a rebound and advancing the ball.

Sutton’s self-created scoring likely will not be efﬁcient offense in the Southeastern Conference. He was accustomed to having mismatches because many of his defenders were shorter and less athletic than him.

Against similar-sized defenders, Sutton doesn’t have the moves to create easy scoring. The closest facsimile to SEC

competition on Omaha’s schedule were games against UNLV, Minnesota, Iowa State and St John’s. Against those opponents, Sutton averaged 10.8 points on 31.4% from the ﬁeld (1 of 14 from 3), 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 turnovers in 32.5 minutes. Against St. John’s in the NCAA Tournament, he scored 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting while grabbing four rebounds.

The 22-year-old is not a high leaper or ﬂexible mover At times, his feet looked heavy when maneuvering through traffic. He sometimes shufﬂes his feet when he looks to attack on the perimeter, and he isn’t an adept ballhandler in the half court.

The athletic concerns are pronounced on defense. He isn’t a good lateral mover, limiting his help and perimeter defense. He is more bound to the ground and not overly strong to make up for it when defending high-major bigs. Sutton’s raw defensive numbers were poor in the Summit League, which was ranked as the 17th-best conference by KenPom. He averaged only 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks. Against the four toughest teams, he was sometimes outmatched physically by players shorter than him.

To be a large-minute player, Sutton has to be a 3-point shooting threat for LSU. His 3-point shoot-

ing volume (101 attempts) was high, but he simply missed far too many He made 25 of 91 (27.5%) on catch-and-shoot 3s and 9 of 33 (27.3%) when unguarded in the same scenario, according to Synergy

While the Omaha signing will lose some of his advantages he once enjoyed in the Summit League, he’ll be asked to do far less for LSU. Sutton’s rebounding and experience should translate, giving him a chance to contribute for the Tigers right away Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com

WNBA draftees now aim to make rosters

BY DOUG FEINBERG

in the WNBA

with the

Bueckers

the

Her

for a

of the other 37 players drafted Monday night to make teams when training camps open in less than two weeks. The WNBA has notoriously been one of the toughest leagues to make. Even with the addition of the expansion Golden State Valkyries this season, there’s a maximum of 156 roster spots in the league.

Last year’s draft class headlined by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese had 13 players make opening day rosters, which was down two from the previous season and four from 2022. Many teams draft international players to stash them overseas until potentially having them join the franchise at a future date. The league is growing on and off the court. Last season had record viewership and attendance, which has led to huge optimism in the WNBA heading into the season which begins on May 16. While this season is in a good place, the league and players union are working on a new collective bargaining agreement that will need to be decided before the 2026 season takes place.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said she’s “optimistic about coming to a transforma-

UConn guard Paige Bueckers looks to shoot against UCLA during the Final Four game on April 4 in Tampa, Fla

tional CBA at some point.” She described the talks being in the early phases. Players are looking for higher salaries, a new economic model and improved beneﬁts.

“We want to have a fair deal for all, but it has to be within the confines of a sustainable economic

model that goes on for 10 years,” she said. Salaries are going to be a huge part of the negotiations. They are expected to grow exponentially in the new CBA with the 11-year media rights deal the WNBA signed last July that will bring in at least

LSU women add forward transfer from East Carolina

The LSU women’s basketball team picked up a commitment Tuesday from a transfer forward who started 72 games across three seasons at a mid-major school. Amiya Joyner, a 6-foot-2 rising senior from East Carolina, is now in line for a role in coach Kim Mulkey’s overhauled frontcourt rotation.

Joyner averaged 15.0 points and 9.6 rebounds last year in 32 appearances with the Pirates. She also shot 48% from the field. In 2022, she was one of the top 100 high school recruits in the country according to ESPN, and the most highly rated freshman signee in East Carolina program history

The Tigers now have landed two transfer forwards: Joyner and 6-5 rising sophomore from Notre Dame Kate Koval.

Reed’s great Masters run opens major opportunities

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Patrick Reed was so consumed with a putter that went cold during the Masters that he might not have contemplated where his third-place ﬁnish could lead. He moved up to No. 49 in the world ranking, which at the very least assures a spot in the PGA Championship next month if he wasn’t in already And the PGA Championship gives him another chance to accrue ranking points, something he can’t get with LIV Golf.

The PGA Championship, to be played May 15-18 at Quail Hollow, is the ﬁnal week before the U.S. Open exempts the top 60 in the world. It doesn’t take much for Reed to move up because his divisor in the formula is at the minimum 40.

Smith to retire with Dallas with a one-day contract

Tyron Smith is set to retire with the Dallas Cowboys after the perennial Pro Bowl left tackle spent his ﬁnal season with the New York Jets. The Cowboys set a Wednesday announcement from Smith without providing any details. A person who spoke with The Associated Press said the 34-year-old intended to sign a ceremonial oneday contract in order to retire with the franchise that drafted him in the ﬁrst round 14 years ago.

The selection of Smith at No. 9 overall triggered a rebuilding of the Dallas offensive line, which was among the best in the NFL within a few years of that move. Smith made 161 starts over 13 seasons with the Cowboys before making 10 starts for the Jets last season.

Dolphins pursuing trade options for CB Ramsey

$200 million a year That deal goes into effect next year

Bueckers is going to make around $78,000 this year in base salary That’s slightly more than Clark and Reese made last season under the current rookie contract scale. All three have supplemented that income with huge endorsement deals with companies such as Nike, Gatorade, Bose and State Farm. Those deals started when they were in college.

Prioritization will also be a key point in negotiations between the players and the league. Three of the top 10 picks in the draft were international players — tied for the most in league history The WNBA has had stiff penalties over the past few seasons for veteran players who don’t make training camp on time because of overseas commitments. As the game becomes more global, something will have to give.

The league is adding two more expansion teams in 2026 with the addition of Toronto and Portland. The WNBA will add at least one more franchise soon after that. Yet Engelbert is concerned about diluting the talent pool too quickly

“You don’t want to degrade the quality of the game, already going to 16. We’re adding 33% additional roster spots by adding 48 spots to a league of 144,” she said before the draft Monday night.

For now, the 38 players who heard their names called on Monday night will do their best to try to make a team in the upcoming weeks.

The Miami Dolphins are pursuing trade options for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, general manager Chris Grier conﬁrmed on Tuesday Ramsey did not ask for a trade, and he didn’t ask for more money, Grier clariﬁed, but after weeks of conversations with Ramsey’s representation, both agreed it would be best to potentially move on. Grier declined to go into detail about the contents of discussions he’s had with Ramsey nor a clear reason for potentially parting ways with the cornerback, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 and given a three-year, $72.3 million contract extension ahead of the 2024 season. That deal made Ramsey the highest-paid cornerback in the league at the time.

Reds activate Diaz, McLain and Hays off of injured list

The surging Cincinnati Reds will have all their key players for the ﬁrst time this season after making a series of roster moves before Tuesday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners in their threegame series.

The Reds activated right-hander Alexis Diaz, inﬁelder Matt McLain and outﬁelder Austin Hays. Diaz, who was dealing with a left hamstring strain since the start of

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOSH JURGENS Omaha forward Marquel Sutton tips the ball in against St Thomas in the Summit League Tournament on March 9 in Sioux Falls, S.D

Saints winlawsuit

over ﬂeur-de-lislogo

BY RASHAD MILLIGAN Staff writer

The New Orleans Saints’ logo is still theirs.

The NFL franchise recently faced alawsuit brought by Michel Messier,aselfproclaimed member of French royalty who said he and his family ownrights to theSaints’ logo design,Sportico ﬁrst reported Tuesday Messier claimed he is a “direct descendant of the Kings of France (Scotland, Aragon andCastille).” That branch of royalty, according to him, owns the rights to the fleur-de-lis design used as the Saints’ logo. He lost the case in the

Trademark Trial and Appeal Board at the Federal Circuit.

Chiefjudge Kimberly Moore, judge SharonProst andjudge Leonard Stark ruled Messier lackedenough of an argumenttopresent an appeal, so the case was dismissed.

The Saints’currentlogo has remained the same since their NFL inception in 1967. New Orleans received its trademark registration for the logo from the U.S. Patent andTrademark Ofﬁcein 1974. NewOrleanswas allowed to use theﬂeur-de-lis design for the logo for “entertainment services in the form of professional football gamesand exhibition.”

Louis VII is believedto have been theﬁrst French king to use the fleur-de-lis design on his shield, according to Britannica. The general use of ﬂeur-de-lis designs on banners andFrench royal pieces might have been used earlier.King Louis VII lived from 1120-80.

According to trademark law, Messier had to show he suffered an imminent injury caused bythe Saints. The judgesalso emphasized in the casedismissal that his family doesn’tofferorsell merchandise that uses the fleur-de-lis design, or he isn’tinvolvedinentertainment servicesrelated to football.

LACY

Continued from page1C

operationofavehicle.The charges stemmed froma Dec. 17 crash that killed a Thibodaux man, 78-year-old Herman Hall, and injured two others on La. 20 near Perez Lane.

Police said Lacy “recklessly passed multiple vehicles at ahigh rate of speed by crossing the centerline and entering the northbound lane while in ano-pass zone.” Lacy’sdefense attorney, Matthew Ory,saidinFebruary that his client “briefly passed othervehicles”and “safely reentered his lane without incident.”

Ory said in astatement Sunday that he believes evidence in the case would have led the grand jury to decline charges against Lacy.He also said he wouldorder a review into the police investigationofLacy’sinvolvement in the crash.

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

“Kyren was ayoung man with immense promise,”Ory said, “and he was crushed under theweight of an irresponsibleand prejudiced process. The pressure and perception likely became unbearable.”

Lacy,who exhausted his collegiate eligibility at the end of the 2024 season,spent the ﬁrst two years of his career at UL, then transferred to LSU prior to the2022 season. He caught 112 passes for 1,692 yards and 16 touchdowns in three years with the Tigers.

The Thibodaux native did not attendthe NFLscouting combineorthe Senior Bowl, but he did participate in drills as part of theLSU pro day March26.

On Saturday,a female family member called authorities to report Lacy had fired agun at theground during anargument,the sheriff’s office said.Law enforcement respondedto thescene, then learned that Lacy had driven away

Conference, Campbell allowed only two sacks in his ﬁnal two seasonsatLSU. Missouri OT Armand Membou

If it’snot Campbellatthe top of theoffensive linerankings, it is Membou.Like Campbell, there are questions aboutwhether Membou best profilesasa guard or tackle —for Membou, it is becausehestands ashade below6-foot-4. He was atwo-year starter at right tacklefor Missouri, and in 411pass-blocking snaps last season he did not allow asack, according to ProFootball Focus. He also fits the athletic profile the Saints usually look for: Membou was named on Bruce Feldman’sannual“Freaks List” last year NorthDakotaState OL Grey Zabel Zabel was North Dakota State’sstarting left tackle last season, but he played four different positions during his time there and is considered one of the draft’stop interior offensivelinemen —inpart because of his 32-inch arms. Zabel is tall (6-6) and explosive for his size(combine-best36.5-

WALKER

Continuedfrom page1C

This season, the Pelicans hit rock bottom. They lost 17 games by 20 points or more, including a49-point thumping (theworst in franchise history) to the Miami Heat in thenext-tolast game of the season. ”I didn’tdogreat,”Green said after the regular-season finale. “I have to take full ownership of where we are right now as ateam. I’ll go back and reflect.Iwas beating myself up every gametrying to figure out how to get us competing and playing at the highest level that we can play ”Wefailed. Ifailed.” As aresult, Griffin was fired by Benson. The next key decisions fall on the shoulders of Dumars. Will Dumars put the Peli-

cans’ woesthis season on Green and makeacoaching change?

Or does he run it back with Green, whowas dealt about as bad of ahand as acoach possibly could get this season. The injury bug started biting the team at training camp in Nashville, Tennesse, and never let up. The best ﬁver players (Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum,Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy and Herb Jones) missed atotal of 220 games. That doesn’t include Brandon Ingram, whoplayed just 18 games before Grifﬁn traded him to the Toronto Raptors.

My guess is Green gets another year to ﬁnish out his contract. Dumars’ second major decision will be what to do with Williamson, whojust completed his sixth season. Williamson played in just 30 games this season, abig

reason forthe Pelicans’ woes. When Williamson plays, the Pelicans have a chance against mostteams in the league. When he doesn’t, they don’t. DoesDumars take a chance on getting the version of Williamson that played in 70 games ayear ago?

Or does he trade away the guy whoGrifﬁn tried, unsuccessfully,tobuild the team around forthe past six years?

My guess here is the Pelicans moveinadifferent direction. But only Dumars really knows. We’ll hear moreabout his plans when he speaks to the media in the next handful of days to lay out his vision. Nobody knowshow well Dumars will do. Time, something Benson didn’twaste in hiring Dumars, will tell.

About 20 minuteslater, police said, ofﬁcerstriedto stop Lacy,but he sped away in his car,starting achase thatlasted several miles and ended in acrash.

Authorities discovered Lacy had shot himselfonce they triedtoremovehim from hisvehicle andtake him intocustody Lacy’sfather,Kenny,encouraged parents in aFacebook post Sundaytotalk to theirchildren aboutmental healthatanearly age.

Kelly said Tuesdaythat he is “always on guard” for mental-health concerns that can arise among players on his teams

“Unfortunately,inmycareer,”Kelly said, “this is not the first time that thishas happened. Mentalhealthis part of one of the facetsof player development that you’reworking with in my ﬁeld. Unfortunately,it’shappened before, and Inever take asituation like this as onethatcould neverhappen.”

inch vertical), and he cleared up any smallschool questions with an excellent week at theSenior Bowl. Some see him as acenter, while others seehim as aguard. Either way, he will offer positional ﬂexibility

Ohio StateOTDonovanJackson Athree-yearstarter at abig program with experience at bothleft guard and left tackle, Jackson is mainly viewed as an interiorplayer in the NFL. The former five-star prospect started the first 31 games of hiscollege career at left guard before switching to left tackle becauseofa teammate’sinjury last season. While he struggled against Penn State’sAbdul Carter,widely considered a top-three pick, he finishedstrong while Ohio State was making anational championship run.

GeorgiaOGTateRatledge Ratledgewas an All-American each of his ﬁnal two years at Georgia, starting 37 games at rightguard in his career there —includingall 14 on Georgia’s2022 national championship run. The former ﬁve-star recruit is also an excellent athlete, posting elite-level numbers on the explosiveness andspeed metricsatthe combine. AccordingtoPro Football Focus, Ratledgeallowed two sacks in hisentire college football career

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacypulls Ole Miss linebacker Khari Coleman for extra yardage after acatchonOct. 12 in TigerStadium.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO By CARLOS OSORIO

Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings, left,poseswith Pistons president of basketball operations JoeDumars after anewsconference in AuburnHills, Mich., on Aug. 6, 2013.

Does Wordle help?

Expertsreveal wayskeepyour brainsharp

BY CINDYKRISCHER GOODMAN

South Florida Sun Sentinel (TNS)

FORT LAUDERDALE,Fla. Will playing Wordle regularlyfendoff Alzheimer’s? Will the fish oil you take daily keep your memory sharp?

Many people think it’sworth trying anything to help with brain health. After all, theforecast is worrisome: The number of people livingwith dementia, including Alzheimer’s, is expected almost to double every 20 years.

In South Florida,researchers are studying ways to stop cognitivedecline, which is knownas memory slide. They are looking at what people eat, how they live, and who they spend their time withtolearn what canaffectbrain health

“There are so many strategiesthat have been of interest in the last ﬁve to 10 years,” said Dr.Daniel Vela, neuro-interventionalsurgeon for St. Mary’s Hospital with Palm Beach Health Network. Not allthe strategies panout. Some, though, do seem to be of value

Sleepmakes adifference

Researchers agree that sleep allows the brain to rest, repair itself, andremove all the toxins thatcan accumulate duringthe day Vela recommends keeping a regularsleep schedule as much as possible by going to bedand wakingupthe same time each day.Tohelp with better sleep quality,headvises getting morning sunlight.

“This exposure in the early mornings to sunlight is aregulator of your sleep cycle,” he said. Aimtoget at least 15-30 minutes of natural light exposure as soon as possible after waking up.

Dr.Nicole L. Baganz, assistant director of FAUStiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, said while guidelines say you should aim for eight hours of sleep anight for some people six hours is good enough. “It’sindividualized how much sleep is necessary,but lots of studies conﬁrm the powerful effects of sleep on brain health.”

Howdietaffects brainhealth

Everything youput in your mouth affects your brain health, particularlyifyour diet triggershigh cholesterol or diabetes.

“Diet management is important,” Vela said. “You need to keepyourarteries clean, especially the arteriesofthe brain, which is what we endoperating on in certain peoplewho have experienced repetitivebrain bleeds or brainattackslike stroke.” Vela said that as people age, they accumulate cholesterol in their arteries, affecting blood ﬂow to the brain. He advises alow-cholesterol diet to ward off this accumulation

Vela says reducing your sugar intake also can help keep your brain sharp. Research has uncovered apotential link between consuming excessive sugar and an increased riskof dementia. “Part of our diet is not only to consumeantioxidants, nutrients, magnesium, and healthy fats, butthe most important strategy to maintain cognition and brain healthisto stay away from added sugar.”

Dr.Andrew Newberg, aneuroscientist and MRI director at Florida AtlanticUniversity’s

ä See SHARP, page 6C

LIVING

BY JOANNABROWN Staff writer

It’s been abusyfew yearsfor Daniel and Melissa Esteban. Since opening achurreriainthe Acadiana Mall in 2018, they’ve seen Lafayette’slove for churros grow to thepoint that The Churro’sBoutique willsoon expand to asecond location, in Youngsville.

Churreriasare popularinMexico,Spain andSouth American countries, wherethe fried dough pastry is aubiquitous treat that can be picked up from astreet cart, or purchased from inviting sidewalk cafesthat keep the hot, crispy,sugared snacks rolling out of the fryer all day long.

Churros range in style from simple confectionsthatresemble afunnelcakeintaste andtexture, allthe waytoloadedtreatsthat come withﬁllings, dipping sauces and loaded toppings. At TheChurro’sBoutique, currently located in an Acadiana Mall kiosk near the JCPenneywing, customers can order their churros ﬁlled with options like cream cheese, Bavarian cream, dulce de leche or chocolate —and don’tforget the chocolate dipping sauce on the side.

An Oreo churro sundae by The Churro’sBoutique, located in Lafayette in the Acadiana Mall. Daniel and Melissa Esteban are opening asecond locationin youngsville in the coming weeks

The Estebans really shine when it comestocreative toppings, withrecent itemslike the tropicalchurro, whichcomes dressed with freshkiwi, strawberries and banana.Their king cakechurro is a

yearly favorite during Mardi Gras, and new creations include churro fries, churro nachos,anOreosundae churro and even churro cinnamon rolls.

In order to give their creativity room to expand, the couple,who are from Colombia, decided it was time to take on astorefront of their own.The Churro’s Boutique will open at 2761 EMiltonAve.,Youngsville, around the beginning of May, according to Daniel Esteban.

“Finding the right location in Lafayette is tough. It’shard to ﬁnd and expensive,” he said. “I was so happytoﬁnd this place, because Youngsville is growing up. The feedback hasalreadybeen amazing. We have people calling every day to see if we’re already open, and sometimes people will come open the door while we’re working there.

“Wecan’twait. We feel grateful to the people there already expecting us.”

Thenew shop will have indoor dining,withanexpandedmenu consisting of sweet and savory crepes, milkshakes, smoothies and more.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

The SamoaChurro Roll by The Churro’sBoutique, located at the Acadiana MallinLafayette.

Errant text couldundolongtimefriendship

Dear Miss Manners: Iampart of a group of six college friendsfrom 50 years ago. We stay in touchby texting often, and getting together in person every few years. We are spread out geographically, but one friend and Iare just a few miles apart and have always seen each other more often. Iwas to stop by this friend’shouse to pick something up, and Itexted her my expectedarrival time. In response, Ireceived what Iwould describe as across text amean-spirited and unﬂattering statement about my husband and me. (Everyone in the group also knows my husband from school.) The friend criticized our life

ByTheAssociated Press

Today is Wednesday,April 16, the 106th day of 2025

There are 259 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On April 16, 2007, Seunghui Cho, a23-year-old Virginia Tech student, killed 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus beforetaking his own life. It remains the deadliest school history in US history

On this date:

In 1945, aSoviet submarine in the Baltic Sea torpedoedthe ship MV Goya, which Germany was using to transport civilian refugees and woundedsoldiers.

As many as 7,000 people died as the ship broke apart and sank minutes after be-

BEST

Continued from page5C

Lettuce wrap tacos n Superior Grill, 7333 Highland Road, Baton Rouge It’spatio season! While the weather is still nice, I am venturing to as many outdoor restaurants as possible. My ﬁrst stop was aMonday night dinner at Superior Grill on Highland Road.

Yes, the margaritas are great (as always), but the lettucewrap tacos were afresh, crunchy and delicious alternative to the

SHARP

Continued from page5C

Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, has studied nutrition and brain health and recommends eating more plantbased foods. “Make sure you get your vegetables, fruits, and nuts with good oils, and try to avoid processed foods,” he says. That type of diet, he says, reduces inﬂammation that could negatively impact brain health.

Getyourvitamins,minerals

Certain vitamins and minerals are commonly touted as prevention for memory decline. Magnesium, for example, protects brain cells from damage caused by oxidative stress, inﬂammation, and neurotoxins. A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition in March 2023 found eating more magnesium-rich foods lowers the risk of dementia —especially in women. Omega-3 fatty acids may also be beneficial. Astudy by the University of Texas Health Science Center found that eating cold-water fish andother sources of omega-3 fatty acids may enhance cognition in middle age. The researchers found consuming more omega-3s was associated with better abstract reasoning, or the ability to understand complex concepts using logical thinking.

Baganz said getting nutrients from abalanced diet is more effectivethansupplements.

Games, puzzlescan help Doing Wordle, adaily crossword puzzle, or any game that requires problemsolving, strategic thinking,

over these years, but now Ifeel betrayed.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

choices, lookingdown on us. We were both in thecar when Iread it aloud. My husband was angry, and Iwas hurt, not having known she felt this way Iwas left wondering who thetext was actually for Theidea that it was possibly for the rest of this group of friendsbroke my heart.Istopped all contact with her The groupisnow planning our next in-person reunion, andI do not know howtorespond, asI do not feel I can bearound her comfortably.I don’tknow if the group received the text as well. What is the bestway for me to handlethis?The grouphas been aspecialpart of all of our lives

TODAYINHISTORY

ing struck. In 1963, the Rev.Martin Luther King Jr.wrotehis “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in which thecivil rights activist responded to agroupoflocal clergymenwho had criticized him for leading street protests. King defended his tactics, writing, “Injustice anywhere is athreattojustice everywhere.” In 1972, Apollo 16 blasted offfor themoon withastronautsJohnYoung, Charles Duke and Ken Mattingly on board. In 2010, theU.S. government accused Wall Street’s most powerfulﬁrm of fraud, saying GoldmanSachs & Co. had soldmortgage investments without telling buyers the securities were

heavieroptions —perfect for an early-week dinner

The lettuce wrap tacos have bright, lemon-ﬂavored grilled shrimp,sautéed zucchiniand squash and fresh, creamy slices of avocado. Thedish also comes witha side of rice andanoption for beans or soup (inlieu of the side dish,I chose extra rice andqueso to putontop of my taco).

—Margaret DeLaney, health coordinator

Homemade ranch,fries n Pop’s Poboys,740 Jefferson St., Lafayette Hands down, these are

and quick decision-making can stimulate andchallenge keybrain regions. However, why they may slow decline, scientific evidence that gamesimprove brain health is limited.

Expertssay games serve apurpose but advise mixing up the brain-stimulating activities.

“Reading, learning new things,talking to people, just engaging thebrain in many different ways is good for your brain,” Newbergsaid. “Themore you do different things,the better off you’ll be in terms of your cognitive reserveand putting off the effects of aging.”

Social activity is crucial

“Lonelinessisone of worst things thatcan happen to thebrain,” says Baganz at FAU. “Socialconnectionis important for mental health andreduces cognitivedecline. Positive emotion such as compassion and appreciation is strongly linked to brain health and mental health.”

Baganz recommends volunteering in the community and reengaging inactivities youoncefound challenging, or even learning anew language —anything that engages thebrain andexposes you to social interaction

Exercise is important

Research shows the parts of the brainthatcontrol thinking and memory are larger in volume in people who exercise than in people whodon’t.

Baganz says any type of exercise,including walking, chairyoga, or strength training,will help. “Exercisingproduceschemicals that canpromote brainhealth,” she says. “Try to getsome sort of aerobicexercise

Gentlereader: Ourdevices change much faster than thehuman condition, which means etiquette can usually adapt relatively easily

Your friend thought about, wrote and got caught writing somethingunkind about you. Though thoroughly unpleasant for you, it is not the ﬁrst time in human historysuch athing has happened; in fact, it is why the apology was invented.

Youdonot mention what happened when you broke off contact. Senders are not always aware theyhave sent what you call cross texts, an important point.

Miss Manners would have had you textback at the time that you did not believe this textwas

CHURRO

meantfor you. An apology should then have been forthcoming, after which you could have decided whether 50 years of friendship could be salvaged. If there remains the possibility that your friend is unaware of what happened, you might conﬁde to one of the other group members, whenyou decline the next outing, that ahurtful text was sent —without sharing details in the hope that that will elicit the apology

Dear Miss Manners: Either due to my age or the illusion that Ihave my life together,Iamfrequently asked for advice regarding life decisions,such as if afriend should buy acar,ahouse or whatever The problem is that to answer thequestion intelligently,I need

to ask questions that are normally none of my business, such as, “What is your income? Your credit rating? Are you thinking about having children? How is your current job going?”

Is there apolite but direct way of asking these without appearing unnecessarily nosy?

Gentle reader: “Isthis acasual question, or are you asking fora really in-depth analysis (which I’mperfectly willing to do)?”

Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite,www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postalmail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

crafted with input from a client who was betting on themtofail. (In July 2010, Goldman agreed to pay $550 million in asettlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but it did not admit wrongdoing.)

Today’sbirthdays: Singer Bobby Vinton is 90. Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is 78. Football coach Bill Belichick is 73. ActorEllen Barkin is 71. Singer Jimmy Osmond is 62. ActorJon Cryer is 60. Actorcomedian Martin Lawrence is 60. Actor Peter Billingsley is 54. Actor Lukas Haas is 49. Actor-singer Kelli O’Hara is 49. Actor Claire Foy (TV: “The Crown”) is 41. RapperChance the Rapper is 32. ActorAnya Taylor-Joy is 29. ActorSadie Sink is 23.

my favorite fries around. With that homemade ranch dressing, eating these fries is akin to aspiritual experience. They’re crunchy.They’re flavorful. They have all thethings I’m looking for in agood fry —and that dip. Chef Collin Cormier once told me that he tried every potato and cooking process he could find to figure out how to makethese fries —and that therestaurant takes three days to maketheir ranch dressing. No shortcuts. Just good eats.

—Jan Risher,Louisiana culture editor

regularly,evenjust abrisk walk.”

Be patient, though. Several studies have shown that it takes about six months to start reaping the cognitive beneﬁtsofexercise.

Mental well-being

Newberg at FAUhas studied spirituality and its link to brain health. He found meditation and prayer help stave off memory decline.“These practicesalter theway the brain works,” he explains “They help the brain regulate itself and help withcognition as wellasloweringstress, anxietyand depression.”

Someofthe myths about brain healthmake researchers like Newberg eager to set people straight.

Genetics determinefuture Brainhealth as youage is acomplex interplay between genetic predisposition, and environmental andlifestyle factors. Expertshavedetermined that about40% of dementia cases could be delayedbytreatable mid-life factors.

Treating hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes and obesity can lower your risk. Alcoholkills braincells

Moderate alcohol use doesn’tkill brain cells. Alcoholcan affect brain structure, function,and overall health, but it doesn’t directlycause the death of brain cells.

Videogames on thebrain

Video games’ effect on children remain unclear, but for adults, the beneﬁt to brain health variesdepending on thetype of game. Experts say games that connect people around the world and those that require youto switch between tasks have the mostbeneﬁt.

Continuedfrom page5C

DanielEsteban’sfather hadbeenlivinginthe Lafayette area for several years when Daniel and Melissa emigrated in 2012. They originally plannedto open abakery,inhomage to their culture.

“In Colombia, they have a bakery on every corner.We eat bread every day,” said Melissa Esteban. However, costs for building outafull bakery set-up provedexcessive —and for churros, allyou need is great dough and afryerthat can operate seamlessly as peoplefrom every cornerofAcadiana come to the mall to walk, shop and eat.

The

TheEstebansweren’t even able to testout their churro machine at home before its grand debutat theAcadiana Mall seven years ago, because it operates on 220 volts. “Thenight before we opened was the first timeweusedthe machine,” said DanielEsteban. “The first day was justtalking with people and making sure everything was fried. Butitwent really well, and now finally we said, ‘let’sdo our own place.’

“Wejustwantpeopleto know we’reafamilybusiness, we’re local,” says Melissa Esteban. “Sometimes, being in the mall, people think we’re achain. So, especially for people who don’tgotothe mall, we’d love foryou to come and visit in Youngsville.”

The original The Churro’s Boutique location will remain in the Acadiana Mall, but the kiosk will move soon from its current location by the now-shuttered Forever 21, to theVictoria’s Secret court.

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

STAFFPHOTO By LESLIEWESTBROOK Owners Daniel and Melissa Esteban are pictured outside theirbusiness,

Churro’sBoutique, in youngsville.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Set the pace, agenda and goal and get moving toward your destination. Having a plan and the ability to do everything yourself will deter others from interfering.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Take the time to declutter your life. Walk away from situations that are stifling your progress. Be responsible for your actions and straightforward about your intentions.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) A change will offer a different perspective regarding what's possible. Take a moment to view your options and adjust any aspect that doesn't fit your agenda. Avoid putting your health at risk.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Apply energy to whatever brings the highest return. Protect your reputation by going a step above others' expectations. Pay attention to how you present yourself and how you handle your money.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Take pride in what you do and say; you'll appeal to people who can contribute to your long-term goal. Strive to reach the highest pinnacle and take a bow.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Concentrate on what's important to you. Initiate domestic and home improvements that can help to lower your costs. Engaging in a joint venture or sharing expenses will work out if you set ground rules.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Heart-to-heart talks will help you avoid a meltdown with someone. Incentives, a positive

attitude and suggestions regarding what you can contribute to make your relationship purposeful will help.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Tone down your rhetoric and avoid a dispute. Live within your means, regardless of temptation. Set feasible goals and focus on personal growth, health and fitness.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stick to the basics, the truth and a budget you can afford. You will set yourself back if you take on too much or try to impress others with exaggerated information.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Cultivate meaningful relationships. Don't ignore the signs and signals you receive. Using your astute memory to find solutions that satisfy everyone will put you in the driver's seat.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Smile and move forward positively. What you achieve will send you to bigger and better opportunities. Financial gain, personal growth and advancement are apparent.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Educate yourself and confidently move forward. What you know and how you present your wisdom will help manifest optimal changes. Don't limit yourself by setting boundaries.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

toDAy's cLuE: H EQuALs P

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

peAnUtS

zItS

FrAnK And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

Carl Sandburg, a poet who won three PulitzerPrizes,said,“Apoliticianshould havethreehats:oneforthrowingintothe ring,onefortalkingthrough,andonefor pulling rabbits out of if elected.”

A bridge declarer should have three hats: one for counting his losers, one for countinghis winners, and one for watching his entries — our theme this week.

In today’s deal, how would a milliner play in three no-trump after West leads the spade queen?

The South hand has only 21 high-card points,butitisstrongenoughtoopentwo clubsinsteadoftwono-trump.Counttwo for an ace and one for a king. A typical two-no-trump opening totals seven. This hand tallies to nine. Upgrade when you have a lot of aces and kings.

North is nearly worth a slam-invitational rebid of four no-trump, but not quite. With no five-card suit or 4-4 fit, you normally need a combined 33 points for six no-trump.

South starts with seven top tricks: two spades, two hearts, two diamonds and one club. He would hope to get a third diamond trick, assuming the missing cards split 3-2. But declarer would still need another winner. It is much simpler totakethreeclubtricks.However,South mustbecarefulbothnottoblockthesuit and to have a dummy entry available after driving out the club king.

Declarer must take

By Andrews McMeel

Each Wuzzle is a

Previous answers:

InstRuctIons: 1. Words

toDAy’s

Average

today’s thought

that being often reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Proverbs 29:1

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

J&J expects$400M in tariff-related costs

Health care giant Johnson &Johnson expects about $400 million in tariff-related costs this year

The costs will be felt primarily within the company’smedical technology unit, which makes a range of medical devices and surgical products. The most substantial impact comes from tariffs against China and retaliatory tariffs from China, said Joseph Wolk, Johnson &Johnson’schief ﬁnancial ofﬁcer,in aconference call with analysts following the company’slatest earnings results. The company’sestimate also includes the impact from tariffs on aluminum and steel, along with tariffs against keyU.S trading partners Canada and Mexico. Johnson &Johnson said that contractual agreements already in place limitits leverage on price increases that could potentiallysoften the impact. The costestimate does not include possible tariffsonimports of pharmaceuticals. The Trump administrationhas launched an investigation into imports of pharmaceuticals, which is a step toward imposing tariffs. Tariffs, especially on pharmaceutical products, could lead to supply chain issues and shortages, said CEO Joaquin Duato. He said the best way to build up manufacturing in the U.S. is through tax policy,not tariffs.

Zuckerberg considered spinning off Instagram

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg once considered separating Instagram from its parentcompany due to worries about antitrust litigation, according to an email shown Tuesday on the secondsay of an antitrusttrial alleging Meta illegallymonopolizedthe socialmedia market.

In the 2018 email, Zuckerberg wrote that he was beginning to wonder if “spinning Instagram out” would be the onlyway to accomplish important goals, as big-tech companiesgrow.He also noted “there is anon-trivial chance” Meta could be forced to spin out Instagram and perhaps WhatsApp in five to 10 years anyway He wrote that while most companies resist breakups, “the corporate history is that most companiesactually perform better afterthey’ve been split up.” Zuckerberg, who was the ﬁrst witness, testiﬁed formorethan seven hours over two days in the trial that could forceMeta to break off Instagram and WhatsApp, startups the tech giant bought more than adecade ago which have since grown into social media powerhouses.

The trial is one of the ﬁrst big tests of the Federal Trade Commission’s ability to challenge Big Tech under the Trump administration. The lawsuit was ﬁled against Meta —then called Facebook —in2020, during Trump’sfirst term. It claims the company bought Instagram and WhatsApp to squash competition and establish an illegal monopoly in the social media market.

Bank of America to pay $540M in FDIC suit

Afederal judge has ordered Bank of America to pay more than $540 million to resolve long-running litigation from a U.S. regulator that alleged the company underpaid mandatory assessments for deposit insurance. The order,reached March 31 and published publicly on Monday,arrives overeight years after the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation suedBankof America in 2017. Back in 2017,the FDIC accused Bank of America of refusingtopay more than $500 million in assessments—a ﬁgure it laterexpanded to $1.12 billion —alleging that the banking giant failed to honor a2011 regulatory rule and “unjustly enriched itself” at the FDIC’sexpense.

The Bank of Americalater ﬁled amotion to dismiss in part, strongly denying it acted with an intent to evade such payments.

U.S. movesahead on tariffs

apart from those for imports from China, he has said he still plans tariffs on pharmaceutical drugs, lumber,copper and computer chips.

BY ELAINE KURTENBACH AP business writer

BANGKOK TheTrump administration has taken its next stepstoward imposing more tariffsonkey imports, launching investigations into imports of computer chips, chipmaking equipment andpharmaceuticals.

TheDepartment of Commerce posted notices about theprobes late Monday on the Federal Register,seekingpublic comment within three weeks. It had not formally announced them earlier

Although President Donald Trump paused most of his biggest tariff hikes last week for90days,

The Commerce Department said it is investigating how imports of computer chips, equipment to makethem and productsthat contain them— whichinclude many daily necessitiessuch as cars, refrigerators, smart phones and other items —affect national security.Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 permits the president to order tariffs for the sake of national security.

The probe includesassessing the potential for U.S.domestic production of computer chips to meet U.S demand and the roleofforeign manufacturing andassembly, testing and packaging in meeting those needs.

Among other aspects of theentire computer chip supply chain,

thegovernmentintends to also study the risks of having computer chip production concentrated in other places and the impact on U.S. competitiveness from foreign government subsidies,“foreign unfair trade practices andstatesponsored overcapacity.”

After Trump said electronics wouldnot be includedinwhat his administration calls “reciprocal” tariffs of up to 50% on somenations,U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnickexplained in an interview on ABC News that pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and autos will be handled with “sector speciﬁc” tariffs “And those are not available for negotiation,” Lutnick said. “They are just going to be part of makingsure we reshore the core national securityitems that need to be madeinthis country.Weneed to

makemedicineinthiscountry,” he said.“We need to make semiconductors.”

Theinvestigation into pharmaceutical imports includes ingredients used to make such drugs and touches on many of the same aspects of relying on imports to makethem

Askedabout his plans for more tariffs on pharmaceuticals, Trump saidMonday,“We’re doing it because we want to make our own drugs.”

More than 70% of the materials, or active pharmaceutical ingredients, usedtomakemedicines made in the United States are produced in other countries, with India, the EuropeanUnion and Chinaleading suppliers. TheU.S. produces about aﬁfth of all pharmaceuticals made worldwide, but consumes about 45%,far more than any other country

Some say an Easter basket isn’tcomplete withoutPeepswhile others deride themas being indestructible. Some use theminrecipes or even artwork.

punchand sourwatermelon. The varieties andcolorsvarythroughout the year with different holiday seasons.

BY TASSANEE VEJPONGSA and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

BETHLEHEM, Pa.— Love them or hate them, those marshmallowPeeps that comeinblindingly bright colors and an array of ﬂavors are inescapablearound theEaster holiday. Millionsare made daily in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by Just Born QualityConfections, afamily-owned candy manufacturer that also churns outHot Tamales, Mike and Ike fruitchews and Goldenberg’sPeanut Chews. Peeps is Just Born’s most recognizable brand andone of ahandful of candies that evoke strong reactions —good and bad.

“Evenifyou’renot usually one to gravitate to eating the Peeps, there’s always so many other funwaystoinclude them in your celebrations,” said Caitlin Servian, brandmanager for Peeps On average, about 5.5 millionPeeps are made each day

That adds up to 2billion ayear —orroughly six Peeps for everyman, woman and child across the U.S. That’senough Peeps to circle the Earth twice.

First hatched in yellow, the sugary chicks and bunnies come in nine colorsfor this Easterseason, including pink, blue andlavender And there areeven moreﬂavors —14for Easter —from cookies andcream, to fruit

Before the early 1950s, making the candies by hand took 27 hours.

Bob Born, who became known as the “Father of Peeps,” cameupwith away to speed up the process. He anda companyengineer designed amachine to makethem in less than six minutes. The same process is used today

The main ingredients —sugar,corn syrup andgelatin—are cooked andcombinedto createmarshmallows, which arethenshaped and sent through a“sugar shower.”

Awhopping 400 pounds of sugar is used per batch for Peeps’ colored sugars.

Freshly made Peeps —each chick weighs one-third of an ounce —then move along a conveyor so that they can cool before being packaged.

BYSTANCHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK U.S. stocks drifted Tuesday through arare quiet day for ﬁnancial markets.

TheS&P 500 slipped, the Dow Jones Industrial Averagefell and theNasdaq composite edged down slightly

Themodest moves offered some respitefollowing thehuge swings thathave battered Wall Streetrecently,not just daytoday butalso hour to hour. The day before, the S&P500 went from again of 1.8% to aslightlossand back to againas it struggled to keep up with shifts

in President DonaldTrump’strade war,which some economists warn could cause aglobal recession unless it’sscaled back. Perhaps more importantly,the U.S. bond market also showed more signs of calm after its sudden and sharp moves last week raised worries that investors worldwide may no longer see U.S. government bonds as ano-brainer go-to when times are scary

The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.33% from 4.38% lateMonday. It hadpulled back to there from 4.48% at theend of last week after surging from just 4.01% aweek earlier.A drop in yields is what usually happens when investors are scared, and this week’smoves offera returntoform for what historically had been seen as one of the safest

investmentspossible. Thevalue of the U.S. dollar also steadied after tumblinglast week, which had raised more worries that Trump’stradewar was degrading its status as asafe-haven investment, as with U.S. Treasury bonds. The dollar’svalue ticked higher againstthe euro andSwiss franc, though it slipped against the British pound.

On Wall Street,Albertsons’ stock fell 7.6% despite reportingastronger proﬁt for the latest quarter than analysts expected.The companybehind Safeway, Vons andother grocery stores gave aforecast for proﬁt in the upcoming year that was short of analysts’. DaVita sank 3% for asecond straight dropafter it saidaransomware attack is affecting some

of its operations. The health care company said it’sstill investigating theattack, whichitlearned about Saturday,and that it can’tyet know the “fullscope, nature, andpotential ultimateimpact.”

On the winning sideofWall Street was Bank of America, whichclimbed 3.6% after the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Most bigU.S. banks have been reporting strong resultsfor the start of the year,boosted by their stock trading deskstaking advantage of all the huge swings caused by Trump’son-again, off-again tariff announcements. Citigroup also topped analysts’ expectations, and its stock rose 1.8%.

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