NEW YORK A dozen states sued the Trump administration in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York on Wednesday to stop its tariff policy, saying it is unlawful and has brought chaos to the American economy
The lawsuit said the policy put in place by President Donald Trump has been subject to his “whims rather than the sound exercise of lawful authority.”
It challenged Trump’s claim that he could arbitrarily impose tariffs based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The suit asks the court to declare the tariffs to be illegal, and to block government agencies and its officers from enforcing them.
The states listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit were Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Vermont.
The lawsuit maintains that only Congress has the power to impose tariffs and that the president can only invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act when an emergency presents an “unusual and extraordinary threat” from abroad.
“By claiming the authority to impose immense and everchanging tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency, the President has upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy,” the lawsuit said.
Senate’s No. 2 Dem won’t seek reelection
Catholic faithful pay final respects to pope
BY COLLEEN BARRY and NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press
VATICAN CITY Thousands of people began filing through St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis on Wednesday at the start of three days of public viewing ahead of his funeral.
important to me because he en-
couraged coexistence. He brought many people together.”
BY JIM VERTUNO Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas City leaders in Uvalde, Texas, approved a $2 million settlement for families of the victims of the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, marking the first time one of the myriad lawsuits has led to financial compensation.
Attorneys for the families first announced the terms of the settlement with the city in May 2024, and it was approved by the Uvalde city council Tuesday night.
The settlement with the city will spread the $2 million among the 21 families of the victims killed in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, said Javier Cazares, whose daughter Jackie was one of 19 fourth-graders killed by the gunman. Two teachers were also killed.
WASHINGTON Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said Wednesday he will not seek reelection in 2026, ending his more than fourdecade career representing Illinois and accelerating a generational shift in Senate Democratic leadership where he has long held the No. 2 position Durbin, 80, is in his fifth Senate term and was first elected to the House in 1982. His decision not to run will set off a scramble for his Senate seat in solidly Democratic Illinois and for his leadership position in Washington as many in the party agitate for a new and more aggressive approach to confronting Republican President Donald Trump in his second term.
Throngs of the faithful made their way to the 16th-century basilica’s main altar where Francis’ open wooden casket was perched, as Swiss Guards stood at attention. Over the coming days, tens of thousands of people are expected to pass through, and the Vatican said it may extend the viewer hours even longer due to high turnout. In the first 8½ hours, 19,430 people paid their respects to the pope.
“The decision of whether to run has not been easy,” Durbin said in a video posted to X. “I truly love the job of being a United States senator But in my heart I know it’s time to pass the torch.” Durbin served seven terms in the House before succeeding his mentor, Paul Simon, in the Senate in 1996. Durbin has been the No. 2 Senate Democrat since 2005. From that post, he helped shape the career of an up-andcomer from Illinois, Barack Obama, who was only four years into his first term in the Senate when he was elected president Among Durbin’s more significant legislative achievements, he is largely credited with putting in motion the movement to ban indoor smoking. Having watched his 53-year-old father die of lung cancer when he was 14, Durbin won approval of legislation he sponsored in 1987 prohibiting smoking on short commercial flights and expanded it to nearly all domestic flights two years later Dallas students walk out after shooting
DALLAS Dozens of WilmerHutchins High School students walked out of class Wednesday morning in protest, a Dallas ISD spokesperson said, marking their first day back to the school since a classmate brought a gun to campus and opened fire. As many as 50 students participated in the demonstration at about 11:15 a.m before returning to the school before noon The protest comes after police say Tracy Haynes, 17, walked into the school on the afternoon of April 15 and opened fire, injuring at least four students.
Francis was laid out in red robes, clasping a rosary and wearing a bishop’s miter, the traditional pointed headdress. Mourners waited hours to reach the casket, which was behind a cordon. Some held their cellphones aloft as they neared to snap photos in what has become a modern ritual.
“It gave me chills,” said Ivenes Bianco, as she left. She was in Rome from the southern city of Brindisi for medical care, and came to pay her respects. “He was
Francis’ casket wasn’t put on an elevated bier as was the case with past popes — but placed on a ramp, facing the pews. It was in keeping with his wishes for the rituals surrounding a papal funeral to be simplified to reflect his belief that the pope’s role is that of simple pastor, not world leader Cardinals, meanwhile, met in private to finalize preparations for Saturday’s funeral and plan the conclave to elect Francis’ successor Francis died on Monday at age 88, capping a 12-year pontificate characterized by his concern for the poor and message of inclusion, but also some criticism from conservatives who sometimes felt alienated by his progressive bent. Francis first lay in state in the hotel where he lived, in a private viewing for Vatican residents and the papal household. Images released by the Vatican on Tuesday showed the pope in an open casket, his hands folded over a rosary Wednesday opened with the bells of St. Peter’s tolling as pallbearers carried Francis’ body into the basilica, in a procession through the piazza where he had delivered his final goodbye. Francis had made a
surprise popemobile tour through the faithful on Easter Sunday, after his nurse assured him he could despite his frail health from a bout of pneumonia and long hospitalization. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is running the Vatican until a new pope is elected, led the procession to the altar, with clouds of incense and the choir chanting the Litany of Saints hymn. In pairs, cardinals approached the casket, bowed and made a sign of the cross, followed by bishops, ushers, priests and nuns. Then the doors were opened to the public. There was the squeak of sneakers, the rustling of kneeling nuns, the murmur of quiet prayers. A cough, a child’s cry
“We knew there were many people, so we approached this with calmness,” said Rosa Morghen from Naples, adding: “It’s the feeling one experiences when a family member passes away, as he is a father, a grandfather who has gone.”
The public viewing ends Friday at 7 p.m., after which Francis’ casket will be closed and sealed.
The funeral has been set for Saturday in St Peter’s Square. It will be attended by world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy
Trump: Zelenskyy prolonging war by refusing to cede Crimea
BY ILLIA NOVIKOV, AAMER MADHANI and JILL LAWLESS Assiociated Press
KYIV, Ukraine President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Ukraine’s president, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prolonging the “killing field” after pushing back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan.
Zelenskyy on Tuesday ruled out ceding territory to Russia in any deal before talks set for Wednesday in London among U.S European and Ukrainian officials. “There is nothing to talk about It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy said.
During similar talks last week in Paris, U.S officials presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal, according to a European official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity
Trump called Zelenkyy’s pushback “very harmful” to talks.
“Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” he wrote on social media.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after sending troops to overrun it Weeks later, Moscow-backed separatists launched an uprising in eastern Ukraine.
Trump also asserted they were close to a deal and that Ukraine’s leader can have peace or “he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” adding that Zelenskyy’s statement “will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field,’ and nobody wants that!” Wednesday’s meeting was pared back at the last minute, while Vice President
JD Vance said negotiations are reaching a moment of truth.
“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say ‘yes’ or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Vance told reporters during a visit to India.
He said it was “a very fair proposal” that would “freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today,” with both sides having to give up some territory they currently hold. He did not provide details.
Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations that might bring a ceasefire and open the door to full peace negotiations, as he mourned nine civilians killed when a Russian drone struck a bus earlier in the day
“We insist on an immediate, complete and unconditional ceasefire,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media, in accordance with a proposal he said the U.S. tabled six weeks ago. Western analysts say Moscow is in no rush to conclude peace talks because it has battlefield momentum.
The suit addresses the botched law enforcement response by requiring enhanced training for city police officers. It also expands mental health services available to the families and the greater Uvalde area, sets May 24 as an annual day of remembrance, and establishes a permanent memorial in the city plaza.
“This is a small win in a larger battle and a lot of injustice we are still going through,” Cazares told The Associated Press. “I couldn’t care less about the money.”
Uvalde Mayor Hector Luevano said the city’s settlement included “restorative justice initiatives for the families” but declined to discuss details. He did not say why it took nearly a year to approve the previously announced deal.
The families have several other lawsuits pending, including a $500 million lawsuit against Texas state police officials and officers. There’s also a suit against social media company Meta Platforms, the company that made the video game “Call of Duty,” and the maker of the rifle used in the attack. Two former Uvalde schools police officers face criminal charges of child endangerment and abandonment.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EMILIO MORENATTI
The body of Pope Francis is carried into St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Wednesday, where he will lie in state for three days.
PHOTO PROVIDED By UKRAINIAN EMERGENCy SERVICE
carry out bodies of passengers Wednesday after a Russian drone hit a public bus in Marhanets, Ukraine.
Durbin
fi
gure over thenext four years by serving as Treen’stop government adviser
Henry then joined the Adams & Reese law firm in Baton Rouge, wherehelobbied theLegislature for insurance companies for decades.
“Hewas apeoplepersonand had agood sense of humor,very easy to talk with, very intelligent,”said former House Speaker and Senate President John Alario, who was ayoung HouseDemocrat from Westwego when Henry was speaker and also adelegate to the 1973 constitutionalconvention.“He always seemed to have avisionof where we were goingand aplan to accomplish what we wantedtodo. He helped shepherd the constitution through. There was no handbook on how to handle that.”
Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Frances Turner Henry, and two children in Baton Rouge: Patrick Henry,anattorney,and Lori Henry Taylor Funeral arrangements are pending.
Henry grew up in Jonesboroin Jackson Parish,where his father served as the safety coordinator at the local paper mill and his mother,apianist, taughtmusic at school. They were areligious family,attending church three timesa week.
Henry acquired his nickname as aboy because hisolder sister couldn’tpronounce hisgiven first names, Edgerton Lewis. Henry didn’trun for office during high school because, he admittedlater,hewas afraid he would lose and couldn’tstand the thought. But by the time he graduated fromLSU Law Schoolin 1961, Henry wasdreaming of running
for governor one day
He got his political start by winning aHouse seat in 1968.
The‘YoungTurks’
At the time, the United States was undergoing dramatic change.
Black people hadjustwon the right to vote in the South, women were claimingmorerightsatwork and at home and college students were organizingmassivedemonstrations against the Vietnam War.
JohnMcKeithen was in his second term as governor Henry and another 10 representativesstagedtheir own mini-revolution at the Capitol by questioning asystem where rank-and-file state legislators were expected to rubber-stamp the governor’splans, no questionsasked.
Henryand theothers— dubbed “Young Turks” by thepress —began asking why lobbyists were allowed to roam the House chamber and even vote legislators’ voting
machines.Theyasked whythey were givennochancetoexamine thestate budget beforevoting on it.
Theyasked whytheyweren’t given advance notice before a legislative committee met. They asked whytheydidn’thavetheir own staff to analyze the likely impact of bills.
Over the next several years, the Young Turks gained enough political strength to ban lobbyistsfrom the floor,give themselves more time to study budget bills and hire stafftostudy the fiscal impactof bills.
Speakerofthe House
Henry,after winning reelection to his House seat in 1972, secured the votesofhis colleagues to become the new speaker
He hadtomanagea105-memberchamber that was dividednot alongpartisan lines —the House had only ahandful of Republicans
then —but on the question of populism versus establishment reform.
Henryhad afootinboth camps, witha desire to have government programs help working class families in places like Jonesboro, while wantingtomovethe state forward.
Working mostly harmoniously withEdwards, then in his first term,Henry helped usher into law anumber of highly regarded reformssought by good-government groups.The changesgenerally made the state’s operations more transparent andbetter aimed at helping the general public, not just special interests.
“He had the mix of personality intelligence and ability to be the perfect person to lead the House, deal withEdwin Edwards and put together the dream of independencethat the Young Turks had aboutchanging the oldwaysof doing business in Louisiana,” said Alfred “Butch” Speer,ayoung legislative aide during the 1970s who went on to run the House’sday-today operationsfor 36 years as its clerk. “TheytrustedBubba to do what needed to be done and knock heads when necessary with Edwin Edwards.”
The Young Turks —following the lead of then-state Rep. James Dennis of Monroe and then-state Rep.Bill McLeod of Lake Charles —calledfor anew conventionto replace the 1921 version that had become hopelessly outmoded but still benefited entrenched interests.
In 1973, 132delegatesmet throughout theyear at aconvention overseen by Henry to modernize Louisiana’s1921 constitution. They approved the proposed new constitutionona voteof121-1,attesting to Henry’spolitical skills to bring people together
“You have to have at leasta certain amount of compromise to get at least aportion of what you want through thelegislative process,”
Henry said during a1977 interview on Louisiana Public Broadcasting. “You have to have give and take.” In 1974, votersapprovedthe new document, which simplified the operationsofgovernment, notably by allowing local governments to make substantivechanges without having to winthe Legislature’sapproval.
Life afterthe Legislature
Henry declared his candidacy forgovernorin1979 at Jonesboro High School to emphasize his commitment to better preparing students forcollege and the workforce. Most of the state’snewspapers and good government groups supportedhim.But he finished fifthinthe open primary
The runoff pitted Louis Lambert, aPublic Service Commission member andDemocrat,against Treen, aRepublicanrunning in what was then an overwhelmingly Democratic state.
Henry and the three other Democrats who lost in the primary then-Lt. Gov.JimmyFitzmorris, Secretary of State Paul Hardy and state Sen. Sonny Mouton —all endorsed Treen.
He edged out Lambert to become the first Republican governor since Reconstruction.
Treennamed Henryashis commissioner of administration, in charge of running stategovernmentday to day and producing the governor’sannual budget.
Henrynever ranfor office again, settling in Baton Rouge as alobbyist and, ultimately,asanelder statesman. In his lateryears, he andthe otherYoung Turks or the delegates of the constitutional conventiongathered fromtime to time to reminisce aboutthe battles they fought.
Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Chad Boyer,R-Breaux Bridge, is sponsoring House Bill 253, which would restrict what types of kratom products could be sold to preventwhat expertssay are dangerous, synthetic products from being on the market.
It would also ban the sale of kratomtopeople under 21, require that products be registered with the Louisiana Department of Health and set standards for kratom product labels With HB253, which is backed by some in the kratom industry,Boyer says he is seeking amiddle ground that balances the concerns of people who worry kratom is dangerous with those of constituents who say kratom has helped them overcome mental illness, Boyer said Kratom comes from atree native to SoutheastAsia, where it has been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years.
Research on kratom is thin and inconclusive so far,and there is much about it that scientists do not understand, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. But it appears to have stimulating effects at low dosages, and sedating and opioid-like effects at higher dosages.
People report using kratom to self-treat chronic pain, alleviate withdrawal symptoms and treat mental illness. But the substance is not approved for medical use by the U.S. Food &Drug Administration, which warns against the use of kratom as amedical treatment because it has notyet evaluatedits safety and effectiveness.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse cautions that kratom may cause rare but
severe neurological symptoms, heart and lung problems, and liver problems. Kratom products can also containharmful contaminants.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, which lists kratomasaDrug and Chemical of Concern, says users have experienced alonglist of effects, among them seizures, nausea, vomiting and hallucinations.
Boyer presented HB253 last week tothe House Health andWelfare Committee.
There, Christopher McCurdy,aprofessorofmedicinal chemistry at the University of Florida who studies kratom, testified in support of the bill. He said researchatUFhas “shown great medical potential for kratominits use to enhance moodand also move individuals off of substances of abuse.”
But he also supportedrestricting thesaleofsome kratom products, particularlybecause of acompound they contain that McCurdy said carries abuse potential. Thatcompound, 7-hyrdoxymitraginine, is found at low levels in kratom postharvest,McCurdy said. But some kratom products,created synthetically in labs, contain higher concentrations and have exploded on the market even though they are dangerous, hesaid HB253 would ban such productsby limiting legal products’ 7-hydroxymitraginine concentration to the level found naturally in kratom plantspost-harvest, McCurdy said HB253 also wouldban the sale of kratom to people under21. It would further require the products to be labeled with ingredient lists and warnings that kratom can be“habit-forming.”
Manufacturers would have to register their prod-
ucts with the Louisiana Department of Health, providing test results showing theirproductscomply with state law.The Health Department would chargea feetocoverthe costsofthe registration program
The department would be responsible for enforcing the new law,which would cost thedepartmentbetween $400,000 and$600,000 annually over the next five years, according to thebill’s fiscal note.
Thatdocumentalsosays the proposal would bring in an undetermined amount of revenuefor the Health Departmentfromregistration fees.
During the House Health and Welfare Committee meeting, concerns arose about the costofthe bill. In an interview,Boyer said he is exploring waystofund kratom regulation.
The committee cleared the bill, sending it to theHouse Appropriations Committee, whichwill weigh itsfiscal impact and decide whether to send it to the full House for avote.
Boyer’sbill was backed by several Louisianans who testified aboutthe positive impact kratom had on their lives.
Leann Pierson, of Baton Rouge, said she had long suffered from depression, anxiety and chronic pain. Kratom helpedher to stop all her medications,aswell as opioids, and to “becomea functioning human.”
“I’ve taken it for nearly 10 years,” Pierson told the committee. “It saved my life.”
But Morris said he’s heardfrom people who say their loved ones have been harmed by kratom addiction. He does notthink Boyer’sbill would protect consumers, he said, but rather thekratom industry
“In no way shape or form is that whatthis is about,”
responded Boyer,who said his bill aimstoprotect some constituents from aproduct theyconsider dangerous while allowing other constituentstocontinue to use a product that helps them.
Powerful lawenforcement lobbying groups, including the Louisiana District Attorneys Association and the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, arebacking Morris’bill for an outright ban, officials for both groups said.
Astatewideban “would give lawenforcementthe authority to do something about it when we come across kratom in Louisiana,” said Sheriff Steven McCain, of the Grant ParishSheriff’s Office.
McCain saidkratom became aproblem in his community several years ago,
when local grandparents, parents and school professionals told him young people wereincreasinglyabusingit.
Awoman also showed McCain adeath certificate for her grandson that listed akratom overdose as the cause of death, McCain said. Given those concerns, he successfully askedthe parish to ban kratom and has heard few concerns since, he said.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “a very smallnumber of deaths have been linked to kratomproducts compared to deaths from other drugs.”
But Grant Parish is not the only place in Louisiana where kratom has caused public safety concerns. Zachary and Ascension Parish, for example, also have
banned the substance. In October,the St.Tammany Parish coroner said awoman died of a“lethal dose” of kratom, though there were otherdrugs present in her system In 2021, a2-year-old who ingested kratom and an “extraordinarily high, lethal level” of tianeptine,anantidepressant, died.Asdetails of the case becamepublic in 2023, it fueled apush to ban kratom in Livingston Parish. SheriffJason Ard,who said kratomwas often present at drug busts, supported such aban, though it failed to pass. Now, anewly constituted Parish Council is again considering aban.
Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BILL FEIG
Bubba Henry, left, shares alaughwith John Alario at a2017 gathering of thepeople whowrote the state constitutionin1973.
STREETS
Continued from page 1A
ing bridges on Johnston Street over Coulee Mine, over a canal southwest of Glouchester Road and a drainage structure at Johnston Street over a canal southwest of Brentwood Boulevard.
The state will retain responsibility, according to the ordinance, for traffic signals at Johnston Street and Ambassador Caffery Parkway, at Johnston Street and College Road as well as College Road at Bertrand Drive.
In exchange, the city will relinquish to the state Department of Transportation ownership of 3.87 miles of
Ambassador Caffery Parkway between Johnston Street and Bertrand Drive.
The state will take over all traffic signals and drainage structures along that section of Ambassador Caffery Parkway over Coulee Mine, over a stream just west of Galbert Road, over a stream just south of Dulles Drive, over a stream just south of Lemoine Drive and over a stream just south of West Congress Street, according to the ordinance.
City Council member Andy Naquin was concerned Tuesday about whether the city or state would be responsible for repairing the sound wall along Ambassador Caffery Parkway and how long it can take for the state to make repairs.
Public Works Director Warren Abadie said typically the state highway department would not maintain a sound wall, but since this one is in the right of way for Ambassador Caffery Parkway, he thinks it would be the state’s responsibility. Lafayette, Abadie said, could probably make repairs to the sound wall and seek reimbursement from the state.
“As it relates to this exchange, the public should not notice anything different,” Jamie Boudreaux, chief communications officer with Lafayette Consolidated Government, said Wednesday Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate. com.
ly permitted offshore wind project in the Northeast that would provide power to half a million New York homes.
The wind industry also relies heavily on imports, and higher costs from Trump’s new tariffs could discourage new projects, analysts say While the administration is trying to thwart the development of new wind projects, some nearby states have embraced wind power for years and tied it into their power grids.
Texas has 239 wind-related projects while Oklahoma has 29, with thousands of turbines between them that provide a significant portion of electricity to area customers.
Mississippi got its first wind farm last year, when AES began producing electricity at its 184-megawatt Delta wind project located on private property in Tunica County Its customer is the tech giant Amazon, which is spending $16 billion to construct two new data centers in the state and has a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions for all of its operations by 2040.
Bellard toured the 14,000acre wind farm in October and said that each of its 41 turbines takes up less than an acre of farmland. That’s a vastly smaller footprint than solar farms, which have stirred opposition in some rural areas for locating on land that could otherwise be used for agriculture.
“It’s no inconvenience to the farming industry,” Bellard said of wind farms.
In a statement, AES confirmed that it has active lease agreements for two potential wind projects in Louisiana, one in St. Landry and Evangeline parishes and another in Madison Parish. The company wouldn’t say how much acreage it has under contract or its project timeline.
Cordelio Power did not respond to a list of questions.
The proposed projects range in size, with some calling for a few dozen wind turbines and others more than 100, according to interconnection requests filed with the Midcontinent Independent System Operator which oversees the regional power grid.
Unlike in the Southwest, wind development in the southeastern United States is a relatively recent trend. The region has long been overlooked by developers because of its slower wind speeds, though technological advances are making projects in this part of the country more economical.
To be sure, the industry is facing pushback in some Deep Red states that have yet to see significant investment from wind developers. Arkansas recently sent a bill to the governor’s desk that industry supporters say would essentially put a moratorium on new wind farms in that state.
No such legislation has been filed in Louisiana, however Under both Republican Gov Jeff Landry and his Democratic predecessor, John Bel Edwards, the state has tried to position itself as an energy hub that embraces traditional fossil fuels, renewable sources of energy and the infrastructure needed to produce it all.
A bill filed by state Rep. Kimberly Coates, R-Ponchatoula, would require land-based wind farms to get a permit from the state Department of Energy and Natural Resources before constructing projects. She said she doesn’t oppose land-based wind farms and simply wants to put rules
in place before moving forward.
Wind industry advocates say there’s a clear demand among commercial and industrial customers for renewable energy Jenny Netherton, senior program manager at the Southeastern Wind Coalition, points to the waitlist for solar power from Entergy as evidence. “Onshore wind is a readily deployable, utility-scale renewable energy resource that can help meet this existing demand by Louisiana businesses and attract new investments,” Netherton said.
Wind energy is also among the cheapest forms of power in the country and isn’t at the whims of fluctuating fuel prices, like gas-fired plants, she said.
Cameron Poole, energy and innovation manager at Greater New Orleans Inc., said that land-based wind farms could attract new investments in Louisiana from industries that are seeking renewable energy to power their operations. He described the technology as another “tool” in the state’s economic development “tool kit.”
The projects could also provide job opportunities for students enrolled in a new, two-year program at Nunez Community College that trains students to be entry-level wind turbine technicians, Poole said. Bellard is bullish on what wind farms could mean for St. Landry Parish’s coffers, noting that property taxes are higher for commercial rather than agricultural land.
In December, the St. Landry Parish Council approved a new ordinance setting out permitting requirements for wind farms. Wind farms are also a boon for landowners, who on average receive around $6,700 per year for each megawatt of wind power produced on their property, according to the U.S. Department of Energy The AES project proposed for Acadiana is projected to generate around 156 MW of power
The city of Lafayette may swap ownership of a section of Johnston Street and Bertrand Drive, shown in this Nov. 27, 2024, photo, with the state highway department taking ownership of part of Ambassador Caffery Parkway.
Congressional delegates tour ICE facilities
Meetings held with Mahmoud Khalil, other detainees
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, led a group of fellow Democrats on a tour of two of the nine Louisiana facilities being used to house thousands of immigrants the Trump administration wants to deport.
“We met Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident and Columbia grad student detained after peaceful pro-Palestinian advocacy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement denied his request to attend his son’s birth on Monday,” Carter said Wednesday morning, referring to ICE, which is carrying out the deportations.
The group looked at conditions in two privately owned facilities in Jena and Basile, then met with detainees Khalil, Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts Ph.D. student detained after co-authoring an op-ed, and Wendy Brito, an asylum-seeking El Salvadorean stay-at-home mother of three from Marrero who was detained during a routine “check-in”
that is part of the procedures for her to become an American citizen.
“All appeared physically well, but their detentions raise serious concerns about due process and First Amendment rights,” Carter said. “Emotionally and mentally, they’re a wreck. They just want to
go home and they’re unsure why they’ve been detained.” Carter said Democrats, who are the minority, can’t effectuate change legislatively, but they can call attention to the situation. For instance, Carter was a guest on MSNBC on Tuesday night.
The group also included U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat who, as the
ä See TOUR, page 4B
A crawfish farmer empties traps just before sunrise on a pond near Rayne on April 17. Easter weekend opens the high time of Louisiana boiled crawfish season, extending through the Mother’s Day boil and the Father’s Day boil.
House committee advances teacher pay
Bill comes after Amendment 2 rejected
BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer
BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff
Less than a month after voters soundly rejected a state constitutional amendment that included making stipends teachers received last year a permanent part of their salaries, lawmakers again are pushing a bill to reorganize education funding to boost pay The House Education Commit-
tee unanimously voted Tuesday to approve House Bill 466, a repackaged version of a bill from November’s special tax session that requires school systems to give teachers raises using savings from a related piece of legislation. That second bill would eliminate three long-standing trust funds in order to pay off debts owed by the state’s teachers retirement system, for which individual districts currently pay interest. With the money districts are expected to save from the move, they’d be required to give raises of $2,000 to teachers and $1,000 to support staff. If both bills pass, Louisianans
would again head to the polls to vote on the measure.
In March, voters rejected wideranging constitutional changes all wrapped up into Amendment 2. {span}Unlike that attempt, HB466 by Rep. Josh Carlson, R-Lafayette, focuses on teacher pay Voters would only have to consider whether to eliminate the trust funds to raise teacher pay, rather than also weighing{/ span} a bevy of other changes to the state’s tax system in one swoop. Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, who authored companion bill HB473, said the legislation re-
sponds to criticism that Amendment 2 was too complicated 115 pages long, it also included a cap on income taxes, new limits on government growth and nearly a dozen other changes.
“We heard a lot of feedback that people would like this in more single-dose issues, which is why we broke up the larger amendment,” she said. It’s still unclear whether teachers could expect to receive any additional compensation this year however, as the public vote needed to approve the raise would likely not happen before
Broussard unveils $5M public service complex
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIEWESTBROOK
Khalil
It is arare sight indeed to seetwo polesin Louisiana’sstark politicaldivide come together on any topic.
That’swhy we were heartened last week to see two of the state’sdedicated political footsoldiers —Democratic Rep.Troy Carterand Republican Rep. Clay Higgins —jointogether to sponsor abill that would increase thepower of federal regulators to confiscate anddestroy seafood that has been found to be contaminated, adulterated or misbranded.
This measure is especially key in Louisiana’s shrimp industry,which has been hard hit by imports thatare sold at cheaper prices than Gulf-caughtshrimp. Imported shrimp can contain high levels of contaminants and chemicals, but largely due to staffing shortagesatthe Food andDrugAdministration, which ischarged with testingimportedseafood,only atinyfractionof inbound seafood is inspected before it hits the U.S. market. Under the provisions of the billCarterand Higgins have proposed, inspectors with the FDA would have greater leeway in deciding when to impound and destroy importedseafood found to be mislabeled or in violationofU.S health and safety guidelines. Federal inspectorswiththe Food and Drug Administrationalready have authority to seize and destroy food that is misbranded or adulterated. But often, importers are allowedtokeep theproduct, and oftentimes they just take it to another port wherethey hope theinspections are not as strict.
“Billions of pounds of uninspected seafood continuetoenterour country,causing major healthconcerns,” Higginssaid.The bill will help “protect consumers,” Carter added. Evenifthe bill passes,itmay betough to overcome inspection shortages exacerbated by staffing levels at the FDA that make it virtually impossible for targetstobemet,according to a Government AccountabilityOffice Reportpublished in January
The FDA has not met inspection targets since 2018, the report said.
Louisiana shrimpers have complainedfor yearsthatimported shrimp were undercutting their market and making it impossible formany of them to stay afloat financially State legislators have taken some stepsto address the problem, requiringrestaurants to disclose to customers if theysell foreign-caught shrimp or seafood, but those measureshavenot gone farenough for many
The problem was highlighted even further lastyear, when testing of theshrimp sold by five vendors at the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival in Morgan City —anevent staged to highlight theproduce of Louisiana shrimpers —found four of them to be selling imported shrimp
We have long supported Louisiana’s shrimpers, who catch so much of what is turnedinto amazing dishes on Louisianatables. We alsolike to support people in Congress workingtogether forgoodends, as Carter andHiggins areinthis case. We lift adelicious (shrimp) cocktail to you, gentlemen.Moreofthis, please.
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
The resultsfromthe public’svote on Amendment Three sent aclear message:Louisiana voters favor evidencebased strategies over superficial solutions to enhance public safety. They want real solutions —solutions backed by facts, dataand resultsthat actually make our communities safer And we have proof that thosesolutions work. In 2017, Louisiana took abold, bipartisan step to reform our criminal justicesystemthrough the Justice Reinvestment Initiative. It wasn’tabout slogans or quick fixes —itwas adata-driven efforttoreduce crime, cut costs and make families safer.Iwas proud to support that effort then, and today,aswehold anew fiscal session, it’scritical thatweprotect and build upon the principles that have worked. Before JRI, Louisiana had the highestincarceration rate in the country, nearly double thenational average. That approach wasn’tmaking us safer —itwas draining our state budget and leading to higherrates of recidivism. We werespending moretolock people
up without addressing the root causes of crime.
JRIchanged that trajectory.Between 2017 and 2022, the state saved approximately $153 millionasaresult of these smart-on-crime policies. But moreimportantly,those savings were reinvestedwhere they could do the mostgood: crime victim services, rehabilitation programs, reentry efforts and juvenile justice initiatives. Instead of simply warehousing people, Louisiana started focusing on what works —giving people apathway out of the system and reducing the chances they’d commit new crimes.
The evidence is clear: Investing in proven strategies toprevent crime and reducerecidivismisthe only way to deliver lasting public safety It’s timetodouble down on what’s working —not retreat to failed policies of the past.The path to safer communities is through evidence-based solutions like JRI, not empty promises.
DANNY MARTINY
formerstate senator and member of the Louisiana Justice Reinvestment Task Force
In November 2024, before the election results were determined, Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post said that the results of the election will tell us what kind of country we have. We can differonthe right goals for the government to pursue, but they should be pursued within the basics of whoweare. Ibelieved that we’re a country governed by the rule of law, equal protection under the law,the rights of individuals and due process. Evidently,I waswrong. Avisa, a green card or citizenship should keep us safeunder the law.I grieve the loss of systematic, orderly,lawful activities to chaotic acts clearly not consistent with what our government promised.
Iama regular voter,registered independent. Ivalue the country and the rule of law over my individual political opinions. The only power we have to address government issues is to contact our representatives. Please ponder the issues above before you decide what you wantour country to be.
JANE METCALF Baton Rouge
“Taxation without representation.” One of America’s first trending memes,this pithy phrase captured in threewords the animating spirit of the American Revolution.
Levies imposed by distant authoritiesand paid by local people without their consent, input or possibility of reliefisthe essential definition of colonization.
And this continues today in Louisiana,abetted and accelerated by our ostensible representatives in Congress and the state Legislature, which have allowed boththe cutting of billions in publicly funded federal assistanceand the raising of trillions in new sales taxes (tariffs) without lifting a finger or uttering awordof objection.
In short, it’staxation without representation.
While the colonistsofour own nation’shistory rose up, severed ties and ultimately won awar of independence from our colonizers, longoccupied Louisiana never seemed comfortable withits new status as a free state
Asleepy province of several distant nations, Louisiana has repeatedly and
consistently sought new great powers under which to subjugate itself.
Thomas Jefferson purchased us (as part of the first commercial “bundle”) for the prorated price of acouple hundred thousand bucks. We have never been anything but abargain.
After theCivil Warended Louisiana’soccupation by aslave-powered agricultural economy,westruck oil in Evangeline and immediately sold ourself to anew industry,which eventually spawned ahost of predatory, oil-adjacent industrial colonizers.
Which brings us to thepresent day —literally to today’slocal news in which three-quartersofa billion dollars in publicly fundedstorm aid to Louisiana citizens was cutout of FEMA, and $4 billion (plus tax exemptions) simultaneouslyinvested in asingle chemical plant in Ascension Parish. When will it become clearer to Louisiana citizens that our nominal representatives have once again allied themselves withthe great powers and againsttheir own people?
MATT MULLENIX Baton Rouge
Your April 21 article by John Stanton of Gambit Weekly about Festival International in Lafayette contains lots of accurate, positive information. Unfortunately,italso harbors some potentially harmfulencouragement, as the author says “First off, it’sfree... [and] you can pack alunch and beers.” Sorry,but the reality of it is that if enough people bring their own food and drink to Festival, there is no way it can remain free. It would be better forthe writer to encourage festivalgoers to leave their ice chests at home and purchase areasonably priced cold beer and someofthe regional and international foods while enjoying the music, dancing and camaraderie. Festival is free, but it depends on income from vendors to pay forbands and production. Please encourage support forthe vendors and let the good times continue to roll forfree.
ALake Charlesman confirmed hisuse of counterfeit money “on multipleoccasions”topoliceofficers.
Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Financial Crimes Unit detectives assigned to the U.S. Secret Service Task Force were notified April 15 that 28-year-old Lake Charles manJason Thibodeaux Jr was possibly using counterfeit money in the area, according to aTuesday news release.
booked intothe Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged with monetary instrument abuse, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $82,000.
CRIME BLOTTER Advocate staff reports
On April 17, detectives found Thibodeaux, who had at an active warrant for contempt of court, at aLake Charles restaurant and took him into custody Detectives found more than $600ofcounterfeit money on Thibodeaux, according to theSheriff’s Office. After searching his car, they found more counterfeit money and “suspected marijuana anddrug paraphernalia.”
“When detectives spoke with Thibodeaux, he confirmed he used counterfeit money on multiple occasions,” the release stated.“He further statedhewas doingitwith the intent to obtain real money as change.”
Thibodeaux was arrested and
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ranking member of the House Homeland Security committee, has criticized Trump’simmigration policies, and U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey,U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressleyand U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, all from Massachusetts, where Öztürk lives.
Öztürk was taking awalk in Boston when agroupof masked men grabbed her and pushed her into acar,a video shows. Carter saidthe 30-year-old graduate student from Turkey was not told why she was being detained or where she was going, and was repeatedly refused access to alawyer.She had written apro-Palestinian op-ed piece for the university paper
Khalil, 30, is aPalestinian from Syria who holds a green card and is married to an American citizen. He attended arally on Columbia University’scampus in New York City but professes to be anti-Hamas and was only interested in pushing for a peaceful resolution to the war between Hamas and Israel, Carter said.
“You don’thave to like what’sbeing said —but under our amazing Constitution, the First and Fifth Amendments protect us all. Free speech anddue process are not partisan privileges. They are the foundation of our democracy and ashield against political persecution,” Carter said.
Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kayla Vincent said thatsofar in 2025 the Office has arrestedtwo individualsfor monetary instrument abuse. In 2024, there were three individualsarrested for the charge.
“Passing counterfeit money is acrime that affectsbusinessesand individuals throughout our community,”Sheriff Gary “Stitch”Guillorysaid in therelease. “It onlytakes afew seconds to check your cash, and doing so can protectyou frombecomingavictim.”
Guillory also said some tips for spottingfakecashinclude feeling thepaper for the unique textured feelofrealbills, looking for awatermark and check for the color shifting ink.
Man arrested in Easter Sunday shooting in Rayne
Baton Rouge authorities arrested aman in connection to an Eas-
ter Sunday shooting in Rayne that left multiple people injured. Demond Marquise Tenner,22, of Baton Rouge, faces four countsof attempted first-degreemurder, aggravated criminaldamagetoproperty,and reckless andillegaluse of weapons, according to aRayne Police Departmentannouncement.
The shooting left multiplepeople injuredand threatened nearby children, officials say.Two people wereshot in thehead but managed to drive themselves to the police station.
Rayne police responded around 7:30 p.m. Sundaytoa shooting in the900 block of Lyman Avenue.
After being shot,police said, the two victims, an 18-year-old woman anda28-year-old man, drove in a privatevehicle to theRayne Police Department seeking help.
After first aid was given, thevictims were taken to aLafayette hospital for further treatment.Both hadsuffered gunshotwounds to thehead but areinstable condition
Police are also searching for Courtney Kendell Rogers Jr., 26, who is alleged to be involved in the shootingand is wanted on thesame charges
Tenner is currently being taken to the Acadia Parish Jail, where his
PHOTO PROVIDED By
Rep. Troy Carter, D-NewOrleans, speaks at aTuesdaynews conferenceoutside theSouthLouisiana ICEProcessing Center in Basile. At left is Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.; to the rightare Rep.Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.,and Sen Edward J. Markey,D-Mass. Along withRep. JimMcGovern, D-Mass., theDemocratic members of congress toured two facilities detaining immigrants that the Trumpadministration wantstodeport. Both theBasile and Jena centers are privatelyownedbythe GEO Group
bond is $700,000.
Twoarrested in chicken thefts
TheEvangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested twopeople in connection to multiple chicken thefts in multiple parishes.
Brannon S. Buller,33, of Ville Platte, was arrested in Allen Parish andisawaiting extradition on charges of theft of livestock, simplecriminaldamagetoproperty, misdemeanor theft, and criminal trespassing, according to an EPSO announcement.
Toni Lebleu, 38, of Ville Platte, faces three counts of principal theft of livestock.
On March 27, deputies responded to the 1000 block of Old Park Road in reference to chickens being stolen from acoop. Buller was identified as asuspect through video surveillance.
The Allen Parish Sheriff’sOffice reached out during their investigation to inform them that Buller and his girlfriend, Lebleu, were suspected of similarthefts in the parish.
Once in custody,the twoallegedly admitted to the thefts, and some stolen chickenswererecovered.
Buller is currently being held
crime shehas committed, Carter said.
Carter said he foundit interesting that Khalil and Öztürk were transported morethan athousand miles, past several other detention facilities, to be deposited in Louisiana. Carter saidthat could be becauseLouisiana, unlike some other states, does not have arule requiringdetainees to be released after 72 hours.
Also,Louisiana is partof theU.S. 5th Circuit Courtof Appeals, based in New Orleans, whichisconsidered one of the nation’smost conservative federal appellate courts and where any litigation involving adeportee would end up.
Markey, during anews conference Tuesday,made asimilar point, arguing that the Trump administration would receive more favorable treatment for theirdeportation arguments before the5th Circuit.
“The very pointofwhat they’re doing is to make these people examples of thosewho theTrump administration wants to make examples of,” he said.
PAY
at the Allen Parish Jail and is awaiting extraditiontothe Evangeline Parish Jail. His bond is set at $40,000. Lebleu is beingheldat the Evangeline Parish Jail with a $30,000 bond.
Man arrested on counts of childpornography
ANew Iberiaman wasarrested Tuesday on multiple counts of pornography involving juveniles.
Agents with Attorney General Liz Murrill’sLouisiana Bureau of Investigation arrested 34-year-old Riley Broussard of New Iberia. He is chargedwith50countsof pornography involving juveniles under 13.
The Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office also charged Broussard with possessionofa firearmorcarrying aconcealed weapon by aperson convicted of certain feloniesand unlawfuluse of body armor
Agents said they received atip from the National Center for Missing andExploitedChildren, leading to Broussard’sarrest.
Authorities took Broussard to the Iberia Parish Jail, where he was booked on the charges. His bond information remains pending. The investigation is ongoing.
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thenextschool year begins. During Tuesday’smeeting, Emerson addressed worries that some districts would notbeable to fully fund theraises on theirown using their expected savings To alleviate those concerns last fall, lawmakers amended the bill so that the statewould step in to cover thedifference forthose districts through Louisiana’s education funding formula. While initial estimates expected between four and 43 districtswould need the state to subsidizethe raises, Emerson said newestimates putthatnumberat nine or less. Thetotal cost to thestate, shesaid, would be from $1 millionto$5million.
And unlikeunder the original amendment, teachers at charter schools, many of which don’tpay into the state’s retirement system, would also be eligible for raises, Emerson said.
lutelyhaveacommitment to makesure we fund those as well to keep everybody on the same level playing field.”
Emersonestimatedthose subsidized raises would cost thestate about $15 million
Many opponents of the previous attempt argued that the trade-off —diverting millions of dollars that help fund dozens of state education efforts each year —was too great. Others said that because the raises would not be built into the state’seducation funding formula,theywould lack protection, allowing lawmakers to later use the fundsfor other projects. Carlson said he believes thebill is still thebestoption Louisiana has to give teachers along-awaited salary increase.
Both have also beencauses célèbres among Democrats andcivil libertarians.
Brito, who has lived in
The detentions of Khalil and Öztürk were carried out under ararely used law that authorizes Secretary of State Marco Rubioto determine an individual as “deportable”iftheyhave “reasonablegrounds”tobelievethe individual would adversely affect U.S. foreignpolicy
America for 17 years, was detained at her“check-in” meeting but was not allowed to phone herfamily or alawyer.She was held incommunicadoand Brito’s husband didn’tlearn of her detention until the school called and said nobody had picked up their children, Carter said. Sheisstill unsure what
Nine facilitiesinLouisiana are used by U.S.Immigration andCustoms Enforcement to detain about 9,000 immigrants awaitingdeportation, saidAlanahOdoms Hebert,executive director of the ACLUofLouisiana. Most of the facilities are privatelyowned andfor-profit. Shesaidonsocial mediathat thetour was to call attention to the situationand allow access to attorneysand due process.
Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.
“I know alot of our friends from (OrleansParish)especially were concerned about that,” shesaid. “Wedoabso-
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“Manyofyou have expressed the desire to help fund apermanentteacher payraise,” he said. “I think this is really theonlyway that I’ve seen that we’re able to do that.” The bill next heads to the House floor fordebate. Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@ theadvocate.com.
“It just made sense,” Bourque said. Though the ribbon-cutting was last week, the facilities began coming online around the New Year Thepolicedepartment headquarters opened on Jan.1,Oliviersaid, with the fire andpublic works headquarters openingin the months prior “The commitmentto services to theresident is paramount to our city It’sthe city’sresponsibility to make these kinds of investments,” Bourque said.
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St. John Street Buchanan Street: Vermilion Street to Congress Street LafayetteStreet &Rue
Bibliotheque: Vermilion Streetto Congress Street No ParkingAreas Effectivethrough Sunday Jefferson Street:Lee AvenuetoMain Street Jefferson Street: Vermilion Street to Cypress Street Lee Avenue: Jefferson StreettoGarfield Street
Effective through Sundayduring event hours Jefferson Street: Main Street to VermilionStreet (after 5p.m.) Buchanan Street:Congress StreettoCentral Street
RueBibliothequefrom Congress to Central Street West Congress from SecondtoBuchanan Street
Taylor Street: Garfield StreettoVermilion Street Lee Avenue: University AvenuetoJefferson Street
Barry Street:Lee Avenue to Lafayette Street
Parkinggarageinformation
Pare Auto du Centreville: Closed to thepublic through Sunday (startingat5:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; all day on Saturday and Sunday).
Access available to regular permit holders and permit holders only
Buchanan Street garage: First and second floors closed to thepublic through Sunday (startingat5:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; all day Saturdayand Sunday.Upper levels remainopentoregularpermitholders, Festival permit holders and the general public.
LOTTERY TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2025
PICK 3: 2-7-7
PICK 4: 3-2-3-4
PICK 5: 7-2-5-3-6
MEGA MILLIONS: 25-39-49-52-65 MEGA BALL: 22
SARA SEVERENS,
12:30 p.m.Seattle at Boston MLBN
3:30
6p.m. Clemson at NC State ACCN
6p.m.Oklahoma at Georgia ESPNU
7p.m.
10
2p.m.
7p.m.Round 1ABC/ESPN/NFLN
5:30 p.m.Florida at Tampa BayTBS
6p.m.Toronto at Ottawa ESPN2
8p.m.Vegas
8:30 p.m.Winnipeg at St.Louis ESPN2 MEN’S SOCCER
Southside scares reigning champs
NICK FONTENOT
Contributingwriter
When Southside jumped out to an early 2-0 lead against St. Amant on Tuesday in the Division Inonselectplayoffs, Gators coach Amy Pitre said her team didn’t flinch.
After all, the three-time defending state champions havebeen in this position plenty of times. Whilethe game plan wasn’t clicking early,Pitre said she believed it was only amatter of time before the bats came alive.
“Wehad afew days to work on a game plan, and we did agood job at least trying to execute it,” Pitre said.“You’re notalwaysgoingto come out and execute right away We struggled, but we stayed focused and got going.”
Southside pitcher Briley Lovell kept the Gators in check until the third inning, when St. Amant tied the game with apair of runs.
Aided by eight walks, the Gators scratched across single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to pull out a4-2 win.
“That was ahard-fought playoff atmosphere,” Pitre said. “We knew (Lovell) was goingtohave her moments—and she did.But even when she was getting us out, we stuck to our plan and hoped it would work, and that’sexactly what happened.”
Lovell finished with five strikeouts.
Sharks coach Paige Hulin said her team’sinability to deliver in key moments proved costly.St. Amant pitcher Braylee Decoteau allowed just five hits while striking out 11.
“All the things that have plagued us all season showed up today,”Hulinsaid. “Wedidn’t show up when it mattered.We couldn’tget thebig hit when we needed it. Credit to(St.Amant) —when they gotrunners on, they cashed them in.
“Wegot two early runs because we were swinging at better pitches. Thenwestarted watching strikes and chasing balls out of the zone, which we knew(Decoteau)would throw.”
Pitresaidthe intenseenvironment at home is something the Gators have worked hard to cultivate, and it’s something that fuels theirpostseasonsuccess.
“Wehaven’tplayeda road playoff game sinceI’ve been here,” Pitre said. “That comfort of being in front of our fans definitely gives us an edge. Ilove what we’ve built here. Butifthis group wantstoleave theirmark,we have to keep building andworking. It’s not easy,but that’swhat this program is allabout.”
Double winnersshine at 5-3A district meet
NEAL MCCLELLAND
Contributing writer
It was aday for double winners at the District 5-3A track and field meet held at Kaplan High on Tuesday Maybe the biggest winner was Kaplan junior Kevin Small.
The reigning Class 3A state champion in the discus, he took his first step toward defending that title with awin in his signature event at the district meet and added awin in the shot put and a fourth-place finish in the javelin, which means he heads to the regional meet next week in all three events.
“I’ve been practicing alot over the past weeks and the weekends,” Small said.
It is the second straightdistrict discus title for Small, who has some extramotivationashetries to repeat as the state title holder in his signature event.
“My mom passed away in 2023, and when I’m out there Ithink of her and Iwant to win for her and make her proud of me,” hesaid
It’salso the first year that hehas performed in the shot put andthe javelin after concentratingonthe discus as afreshman andsophomore.
PHOTO By LEAH MCCLELLAND
The Acadiana Renaissance relayteam executes ahandoff during Tuesday’s 5-3A district meet at Kaplan High.
“I started doing that this year and Ilike it,” Smallsaid. “I just go out, do my best and try to win each time.”
Another double winner at the meet was Acadiana Renaissance Charter AcademyjuniorTreasure
Matthews,who wonthe triple and long jumps, settingnew school recordsinthe process.
She beat her own record in the triple jump andbeather teammatesrecord in thelong jump
“I just try to be more consistent andpush myself as hard as Ican,” Matthews said. “This was my first year doing triple,and Iamvery happy with my progress. Ididn’t
make it outofregionallastyear and that served as my main motivation for this year
“I’vebeen getting alittlebetter each week, and that’swhat Iwant to do.”
Another ARCA athlete who stood out at the meet was sprinter Maci Gautro,who won at 100 meters, 200 meters and ran aleg on the second-place 4x200-relay team. “I was able toget out of the blockquickly andpushed myself down thetrack as fast as Icould,”
Gautro said. “The biggest thing thatI have been working on is gettingout of theblocks.
“That’s my biggest problem.IfI can get out of the blocks cleanly,I have abetter race.” Gautro, asophomore, is arelative newcomer to the sprints as she ran cross country in middle school but discovered that it really wasn’ttoher liking.
“I foundout that Ididn’tlike running long distances,” she said. “It’s alot easier to run 100 meters than it is to run 3miles.”
ErathseniorSean Herrington also pulled off the double Tuesday as he won the 110 and 300 hurdles.
“It feels great coming out here for district andgetting awin,” Herrington said. “My season has been very good for the 110’sbut up and down in the 300.
Herrington said he hasonly losttwice this season in the 110 hurdles.
He saidheplanned to comeout andget thewins in his races not just make sure that he finished in the topfour to advancetothe regionals.
He alsohas some motivation from last year
“Last year,I missed going to state by three one-hundredths of asecond,” Herrington said. “I’ve put in all the work so far. Idon’t want thattohappen againthis year.”
Floridaproduct leaves high school earlytojoinUL
BY KEVINFOOTE Staff writer
The two first crossed paths last fall early in the highschool basketball season when thenHoustonassistant coachQuannas White was recruiting North Tampa Christian teammate Toni Bryant.
“He took aliking to me,” UL signee Caleb Sanders said of White.
So shortly after Whitebecame the new head coach of theRagin’ Cajuns, Sanders got acall from him.
“He told me he liked my game and how hard Iworked and he offered me,” Sanders said. “Wegot to know each other alot better He’sareally,really goodcoach.” Sanders committed to theCajuns and is expectedtoformally sign in May
How much does White like Sanders?Sandersisessentially reclassifyingand forgoing his senior season at NorthTampa Christiantoenroll at UL in June.
“No, I’m not really worried aboutleavingearly,” Sanders said.“Iknowcoach Quannas is going to get me right. He comes from awinning program, so I know he’sgoingtodevelop me over the summer
“I just can’t wait for himtodevelopme. We’regoingtohavea really good year.”
As ajunior,Sanders helped his team reachthe state finalfour for the first time in school history before losing in four overtimes in the semifinals.
The 6-foot-6, 185-pound small forwardaveraged 12.6 pointsand 10.6 rebounds while shooting 60% from the field, 45% from 3-point range and 67% at the free-throw
line. “He (White)preaches defense, and that’ssomething Itake pride in,” Sanderssaid. “In my opinion, I’m acomboguard —a three-andDtype of player.” Sanders is rankedasthe 46th best smallforward nationally, according to 247Sports, as well as the No. 18 overall player in Florida.
“Weknowwhat they did last year (at Houston) on defense,” Sanderssaid.“He recruited a coupleofother players from Tampa that areknown for their defense, too.
“So going into the season next year,you alreadyknowhow we’re going to win. It’s off his philosophy of working hard,moving our feet and shooting the ball.”
Among the things Sanders will focusonimproving for the college game is “getting my shot up
LSU men’shoops guard Givens goes in portal LSUmen’sbasketball guardCurtis Givens entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports. The freshman entered beforethe portal closed Tuesday Givens averaged 4.8 points on 26.9% fromthe field and1.6 assists in 18.2 minutes pergame, including 12 starts, last season. In LSU’s91-62 loss to Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament, he hadseven points five rebounds, threeassistsand zero turnovers in 26 minutes. The 6-foot-3 guard was theNo. 65 player in thecountry in the 247Sports Composite coming out of high school. He is the seventh LSU playertoenter thetransferportal, joining freshmanVyctoriusMiller, redshirt freshman Corey Chest, sophomore Mike Williams, redshirt junior Daimion Collins, junior TyrellWard andjunior Noah Boyde
Fredette,U.S. Olympian, retires from basketball
Jimmer Fredette,the 2011 Associated Press men’s collegebasketball player of the year at BYU who went on to become an NBA lottery pick and then played for theU.S.in3x3 at last year’s Paris Olympics, announced his retirement on Wednesday.Fredette, 36, was the No. 10 pick by Milwaukee in that 2011 draft. He spent parts of six seasons in the NBA with Sacramento,New Orleans, Chicago, Phoenix and New York.
He also played professionally in Chinaand Greece, winning the MVPawardinthe Chinese Basketball Association in 2017.
He averaged 28.9 points per game for BYU in the 2010-11 college season, leading the country on hisway to theAPplayerofthe year award.
Nuggets coachoptimistic Porter will play in Game 3 DENVER Michael Porter Jr.participated in the DenverNuggets’ practice Wednesday and interim coach David Adelman said he was hopefulPorter wouldplayinGame 3against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night. Adelman also said astomach bug that hadswept through the team earlier in the week, one that had him doubting if Jamal Murray would even play Monday night, was abating. Porter sprained his left shoulderlateinthe Nuggets’ 105-102 loss in Game 2and wasn’t on the floor when Denver missed desperation 3-pointers in the final seconds.
Porter was in significant pain afterward, grimacing as he got dressedand saying he’dnever dealt with that kind of pain.
Hall of Fame DT McMichael dies at age 67 from ALS
Steve McMichael, astar defensive tackle on the Chicago Bears’ famed 1985 Super Bowl championship team whose larger-than-life personality madehim a fixturein the Windy City for decades and a natural for professional wrestling, has died following abattle with ALS. He was67.
McMichael died Wednesday afternoon, his publicist, Betsy Shepherd, told The Associated Press. An All-Pro in 1985 and 1987, McMichael was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024.
He played in afranchise-record 191 consecutive games from 1981 to 1993 and ranks second to RichardDentonthe Bears’career sacks listwith 921/2.His final NFL season waswith Green Bayin 1994.
faster,but that’ssomething we’re going to work on whenever Iget there this summer.”
Sanders had offers from Portland, California,High Point, Bryant, UC-Bakersfield, East Carolina, Florida International and BostonCollege. He visited Boston College andCalifornia before settling on UL.
“You can just tell when something is going to be great,” Sanders said. “Coach Quannas never lied to me.He’salways been straight forward.Hetoldmeexactly how they’re goingtouse me this year
“He comes from winning. His philosophy is winning, so Itook that intoaccount when Iwas tryingtomakemydecision.Really, it was kind of ano-brainer.”
EmailKevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.
Jrue Holiday,wifejoin ownership of soccerteam
Former U.S. women’snational team star Lauren Holiday and husband Jrue Holiday of the Boston Celtics have joined the ownership group of the North Carolina Courage in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Lauren Holiday was on the U.S. teams that won the 2015 Women’s World Cup and gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
Jrue Holiday is atwo-time NBAchampion and two-time AllStar whohas also played for the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Orleans Pelicansand the Milwaukee Bucks.
Thetwo haveinvested in the Courage through their Holiday Family Trust, the team announced Wednesday.Lauren Holiday will serve as an advisor and ambassador forthe NWSL club.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE
Southside coach PaigeHulin’sSharks playedwell against powerhouse St. Amant butlost4-2.
Saints go heavy on offense early in mock draft
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
The 2025 NFL Draft is upon us, and the New Orleans Saints currently are armed with their most top-100 selections since their alltime great 2017 draft class.
Currently is the operative word in that sentence. New Orleans already has been rumored to be looking to trade up from its spot in the second round, potentially using some of their other draft picks as ammunition to do so.
Until that happens, let’s gaze into the future to try and identify who the Saints may take when their turns come around on the first two days of the draft. To provide a pool of available players, this mock draft was completed using Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator
No. 9
Considered: Missouri OL Armand Membou, Penn State TE Tyler Warren, Texas CB Jahdae Barron
The selection: Warren
Several fun options went off the board just before the Saints’ pick, including Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and Georgia pass rusher Jalon Walker But one of the best players in the draft was still there.
Warren immediately would add some playmaking juice to the offense. He recorded massive numbers in his final season with the Nittany Lions, catching 104 passes for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 8.1 yards per carry as a Wildcat quarterback He’s a polished receiver with
LSU
Continued from page 1C
purely speculation.”
It will become reality soon enough. Campbell flew to Green Bay Wisconsin, on Monday as one of 17 players invited to attend the draft. His parents joined him the next day After months of workouts, meetings with teams and scrutiny of his arm length, a day their family said they were “anxiously awaiting” has arrived When Campbell’s name gets called — several draft analysts project him to go No. 4 overall to the New England Patriots — he will end a long drought for the LSU program. Thirty LSU players have been drafted in the first round since Faneca went No. 26 overall in 1998 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not a single one
DUNCAN
Continued from page 1C
of his motives and mindset before talking about his status with the team. Those meetings presumably will take place in the days and weeks ahead as Dumars conducts his damage and mitigation assessment of the basketball operation. How those get-togethers go largely will dictate the direction of the franchise going forward.
Dumar was nattily dressed in a charcoal suit and crisp white dress shirt Tuesday, but a pair of coveralls and shrimp boots might have been more appropriate attire. He has a mess to clean up.
The Pelicans are coming off the second-worst season in franchise history and have lost the confidence and attention of their loyal fanbase.
The disastrous 21-61 season cost David Griffin his job as vice president of basketball operations and is expected to spur more changes on Airline Drive.
As Dumars noted, Griffin did a lot of good things during his six-year tenure. He professionalized and elevated the front office, adroitly navigated the messy divorce from Anthony Davis, and oversaw the shrewd draft selections of Tre Murphy, Herb Jones, Dyson Daniels and Yves Missi. His undoing, though, was an inability to make the Zion Experience work.
It certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying. Griffin built the entire roster around Zion’s talents. He brought in respected veteran guard CJ McCollum to serve as a mentor and hired a new training staff to try to get the best out of him. None of it worked.
Enter Dumars
The product of a blue-collar, Louisiana household, Dumars starred for the famed Detroit Pistons Bad Boys teams in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his prime, he was charged
Penn State tight end Tyler Warren pulls in a touchdown pass as Boise
State safety Ty Benefield defends during the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31 in Glendale, Ariz.
sure hands, and he’s adept at creating yardage after the catch.
Warren also offers some value as a blocker, using his prototypical 6-foot-5, 256-pound frame to wall off defenders.
Tight end would be a bit of a luxury pick, considering the Saints just signed Juwan Johnson to an extension. But more than any positional need, New Orleans needs to stockpile good young players, which are in short supply on its current roster Membou was tempting in this spot some evaluators consider him the best offensive lineman in
was an offensive linemen. I definitely haven’t thought about that,” Faneca said, “but especially the direction the program has gone since I left and where it has been, that is hard to believe.”
Before Faneca, two LSU offensive linemen were picked in the first round of a professional draft.
Dave McCormick went in the first round of the 1965 AFL Draft, though he was selected in the fifth round of the NFL draft. A year later George Rice was picked No. 12 overall in the NFL draft and in the third round of the AFL draft.
“We’ve had plenty of great linemen come through and play,” Faneca said. “It’s just for some reason or not, getting drafted in the first round hasn’t happened. It’s not always, as you can see from the guys that we have had in the NFL, it’s not always the end of the world. There’s still more football to be
with defending Michael Jordan one-on-one, so going toe-to-toe with Zion over dinner or in a meeting room will not intimidate him. If anything, he will relish the challenge. Dumars didn’t mention Williamson directly by name, but many of his comments Tuesday were a thinly veiled message aimed directly at the starcrossed superstar
“You’re not going to be successful just with talent alone,” Dumars said. “There are some intangibles that you have to have. You’ve got to figure out: Does this guy really want to be great? Is he going to work? Is he going to show up? Does he have toughness? All of those intangible things besides who can run fast, who can jump high, who can shoot the ball. I can see that. Anybody can see that.”
Dumars then added, pointing to his chest, “What you don’t know is, what’s in here. Does this guy have it?
Dumars will spend the next few weeks trying to answer those questions about Zion.
the class — but it’s not clear how the Saints view their current offensive front. Would they consider moving Trevor Penning inside? Would they use a top-10 pick on an interior offensive lineman, as some view Membou’s best fit at guard? It’s definitely a possibility they go in this direction, but the Warren pick feels safer No. 40
Considered: Alabama OL Tyler Booker, Arkansas DE Landon Jackson, Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, Alabama QB Jalen Milroe
played, and your career still plays out.”
To Faneca’s point, several former LSU offensive linemen went on to successful NFL careers without being first-round picks. Kevin Mawae became a Hall of Fame center after getting drafted in the second round, and seventh-rounder Todd McClure was a longtime starter for the Atlanta Falcons. Andrew Whitworth was picked in the second round and assembled a Hall of Fame-worthy career Seven offensive linemen were drafted in the past five years. There was almost another firstrounder before Campbell. In 2015, La’el Collins was a projected firstround pick before Baton Rouge police sought to question him in the shooting death of a pregnant woman, though he was not a suspect. Collins went undrafted before signing with the Dallas Cowboys.
thumb, foot and hamstring have undermined Williamson’s progress and caused him to miss more games (258) than he’s played (214) so far in his career As a result, the Pelicans have won fewer than 45% of their games during his tenure.
Still, his talent is so prodigious and his potential so immense, team officials have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to nurture his development, often shielding him from outside scrutiny while waiting — and probably, praying — for him to mature into the franchise leader they thought they were getting back in 2019.
Along the way, the growing pains have frustrated management and ownership.
“You’re not going to be successful just with talent alone.”
JOE
DUMARS Pelicans VP of basketball operations
It’s an indictment on the former No. 1 overall pick — and indirectly, Pelicans’ leadership — that we still don’t know the answers six years into his career Throughout his time in New Orleans, Williamson has demonstrated an affinity for the good things associated with being an NBA franchise player — the money, status and fame while shirking its other inherent responsibilities — among them, responsible leadership and mature, off-court decision-making. When healthy and focused, Williamson is a force of nature capable of singlehandedly dominating games with his rare combination of brawn, quickness, agility and explosiveness. Unfortunately, the times Williamson has been healthy and focused have been few and far between Injuries to his knee,
The selection: Dart I don’t expect Dart (or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Louisville’s Tyler Shough) to be here when the Saints make their pick at No. 40 — which is why I’m also not anticipating the Saints to stay in this spot.
We’ll see how it plays out Thursday, but there has been plenty of smoke in recent days suggesting some quarterback-needy teams may wait until early in the second round to target a quarterback. That includes teams such as the Browns (No. 33) and Giants (No. 34).
Let’s say the Saints don’t select a quarterback in the first round. And let’s also say the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t select one with the No. 21 pick. If New Orleans really wants to address quarterback early, then it would make sense to trade into the back quarter of the first round to get ahead of the Browns and Giants and make sure they get their guy And Dart may be their guy The Saints had a big presence at Ole Miss’ pro day, and while that is far from an indicator that they love him as a prospect, it does show they’re doing their homework.
Dart has NFL size (6-2, 223 pounds), a strong arm (FBS-best 10.8 yards per attempt) and is a solid athlete (14 career rushing touchdowns), but the Saints would have to be comfortable with his ability as a processor At Ole Miss, he was not often asked to see the whole field.
No 71
Considered: Cal CB Nohl Williams, LSU DE Sai’vion Jones, South Carolina DT TJ Sanders
The selection: Williams
He’s going into his eighth season in the NFL.
“It’s a huge thing, and then after awhile, it’s just the next step,” Faneca said “It’s not the end of the road.”
For Campbell, it’s the next step in a career that continues to check the right boxes. He was the No. 36 overall recruit in the 2022 class coming out of Neville High, then cemented himself as LSU’s left tackle two weeks into spring practice as an early enrollee. Campbell became a two-time first-team AllSEC selection and 2024 consensus first-team All-America selection.
“Hopefully he goes in the first round, but there have been a lot of first-round busts throughout the years,” Campbell’s dad said. “No matter what round you’re picked (in), you’ve still got to go do the job and do it well. I told him it doesn’t really matter where you’re picked.
SAINTS
Continued from page 1C
is heavy on defensive linemen, while lighter on cornerbacks New Orleans has nine overall selections, four of which come in the top 100 and six in the top 150.
For this scenario, let’s operate as though the Saints have both of their current third-round selections. There is still one glaring hole on the roster, and that is at cornerback. New Orleans currently has only three players with real NFL experience at the position. Enter Nohl Williams, who intercepted an FBS-best seven passes in his final collegiate season all of which happened under Peter Sirmon, the former Cal defensive coordinator who now serves as the Saints linebackers coach.
There are some concerns about Williams’ speed — he ran a 4.50 40-yard dash at the combine — but a perfect prospect doesn’t exist at this stage of the draft. No. 93
Considered: LSU OG Miles Frazier, Georgia OG Dylan Fairchild, Georgia RB Trevor Etienne
The selection: Frazier
Unless the Saints use their top pick on an offensive lineman, one of the two third-round picks feels like the best place to beef up the interior of the offensive line. Even when New Orleans had its preferred starting five on the field last season, left guard was a weak spot. Frazier offers a little more upside than Fairchild. He’s huge (6-5, 317) and displayed the athleticism the Saints covet in their offensive linemen (a 9.58 Relative Athletic Score at the combine). He played every position but center at LSU, though most of his experience (28 starts) came at right guard.
Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
As long as you go do your job, you can play for a long time.” Campbell told his dad recently he accepted that wherever he ends up, God planned for him to go there He just wants to find out where he will start his NFL career, see who else gets picked by his new team and then go play football.
His mom prayed that he ends up with a franchise that’s the right fit for him, hoping he “finds the same fulfillment and passion and purpose in his next team” that he did at LSU. Before he left for Green Bay, Campbell told his parents they couldn’t cry when he gets drafted. “Well,” his mom said, “good luck with that.”
For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter
the new coaching for input ahead of the draft. Working with head coach Kellen Moore, he said, has been “great,” and he noted they have a number of other assistants who have played quarterback. He later added he agrees with Moore’s philosophy to build the roster “inside-out,” which means to focus on adding to the trenches.
Williamson was suspended for a game earlier this season for violating team rules, had been regularly late to flights, meetings and other team functions, and was a no-show for the Pelicans’ official team photo shoot late in the season. The latest tabloidinducing legal drama at his Kenner home was the proverbial last straw
“Certain things are universal,” Dumars said. “You win with good people. We really want to bring in the right type of players here. We want people that are going to embrace New Orleans and this state. You have to put a tremendous amount of emphasis on your staff to dig in to find out what’s this guy made of. Does this guy really want to be great? Is he going to come here and be a part of the culture? Is he going to buy in?”
Dumars wasn’t talking directly about Williamson, but everyone understood the message: It’s time for Zion to get on board or be shipped out. Dumars will learn the answer soon enough. If he can’t reach Williamson, I’m not sure who can.
Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.
The Saints also have done a lot of homework on this year’s quarterback class, with coach Kellen Moore and his staff attending pro days for the top prospects. New Orleans is believed to be interested in Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss and Tyler Shough from Louisville, which could require the Saints to trade up for either prospect if they pass on them at No. 9. In Round 2, the Saints hold the 40th overall pick, but they are set to pick after other quarterback-needy teams in the New York Giants (No. 33) and Cleveland Browns (No. 34).
Unwilling to answer on Carr, Loomis did field multiple questions about potentially drafting a quarterback. He left the possibility open — “all teams are in the business of quarterbacks,” he said — but cautioned “overdrafting” at the position.
“I think if you’re drafting up really high, you better love them,” Loomis said.
Loomis said he hopes the ninth pick will yield a key player who the team can “count on” for the next decade.
The Saints have taken a quarterback in back-to-back drafts with Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler Loomis said he likes each of those players, but he hasn’t changed how he approaches scouting the position. Rattler and Haener combined to go 0-7 in starts when Carr was injured last season, with Rattler starting six of those contests. With Carr injured and the other two still developing, does Loomis feel the Saints have a starting quarterback on the roster?
“I’m not going to answer that question because that’ll lead to a bunch of speculation, whichever way I answer,” Loomis said. Loomis said he has leaned on
Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley also has shared his preferences with the “structure of our defense changing,” Loomis said.
As for Carr, Loomis declined to say whether the clarity New Orleans is seeking is about the severity of Carr’s injury or how the injury happened.
The Saints also restructured Carr’s contract last month to free up more than $30 million in salary-cap space in 2025. Loomis said “restructures can come in all sorts of forms” when asked if a player has to pass a physical for the restructure to take place.
Asked about the quality of this year’s quarterback class, Loomis said there are some “really good” players, but he suggested the quantity isn’t as strong as past years.
As a general manager, Loomis has not taken a rookie quarterback in the first round — and as a franchise, the Saints haven’t done that since 1971 when the team took Archie Manning with the second overall pick.
“Look, the guys you fall in love with at that position, (that) you feel like are immediate players, are going to be taken in the top 7 or 8, 10 picks, right?” Loomis said. “That’s just the nature of it. That doesn’t mean you can’t find a really good quarterback later, just more often, later it’s more speculative and there’s more development that’s required.”
When the Saints are on the clock Thursday at No. 9, Loomis’ actions will reveal whether the Saints love any of these quarterbacks enough to take them that high. Even if he’s not ready to answer questions about Carr
Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ROSS D FRANKLIN
Flavors lead to successof Chicken Picadillo
BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)
Picadillo is apopular Latin dish made with ground meat onions, green bell pepper,tomato sauce, capersand raisins. Thesuccess of this dish lies in the blending of sweet and savory flavors.
Ihave captured the essence of its taste and texture in this 15-minute, no-fuss dinner using ground chicken as themain ingredient for alighter result. It only takes afew minutes to gather the ingredients,but they all cook together in less than 15 minutes.
I
find that this is aquick and easy meal to have on hand.It freezes well, so Ioften make double the recipe and save half foranother meal.
Chicken Picadillo
Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer
4teaspoons canola oil, divided use
1cup frozen diced onion 1cup frozen diced green bell pepper
2medium garlic cloves, crushed ¾pound ground white meat chicken breast
2cups low-sodium, tomato sauce
2tablespoons Worcestershiresauce
2tablespoons capers
¼cup raisins
2tablespoons distilled white vinegar Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Microwaveable brown rice to measure 1cup cooked Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2cups washed, ready-to-eat lettuce
1tablespoon reduced-fat oil and vinegardressing
1. Heat 2teaspoons oil in alarge nonstick skilletover medium-high heat and add the onions, green pepper,garlic and ground chicken. Sauté 3 to 4minutes, breakingupthe chicken into small pieces as it cooks.You canuse the edge of acooking spoon to break upthe chicken.
2. Addthe tomato sauce and saute untilthe sauce startsto bubble, about 2to3 minutes. AddWorcestershire, capers, raisinsand vinegar. Reduce heat to medium and cook gently for about 3to4minutes. Add salt and pepper
3. Divide in half and place on 2dinner plates.
4. Microwavethe brownrice according to the package instructions. Measure 1cup and savethe remaining rice foranother meal
5. Toss the rice with the remaining 2teaspoons of oil. Divide the rice in half and place on the plates with the picadillo. Serve alittle washed, ready-toeat lettuce on the side with the dressing.
NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 612 calories(23 percent from fat), 15.8 gfat (2.1 gsaturated, 7.5 gmonounsaturated), 126 mg cholesterol, 47.1 gprotein,72.9 gcarbohydrates, 9.5 g fiber,461 mg sodium.
leLasting ftovers
Make crawfish stew,Creolecream cheese grits, andanItalian saladafter thecrawfish boil
Liz
Williams TIPOFTHETONGUE
When we have a crawfish boil in Louisiana, we make sure to have our vegetables, too. Yearsago, adding corn and potatoes to thepot was de rigueur,but today people add any vegetables they like, such as carrots, onions, celery,mushrooms and even artichokes.Sausage is often thrown in for good measure. Of course, there can be leftovers, an opportunity to create somethingnew.This crawfish stew is versatile enough for people who have leftovers from aboil as well as those of us whobuy abag of frozen crawfish tails.Ifyou didn’t use all of these vegetables in your boil, just addfresh vegetables to supplementwhat youhave. Boil the fresh veggies beforeyou add them to the stew.You don’twant to overcook some vegetables and undercook others Ihopethissparks some ideas
ä See CRAWFISH, page 6C
Crawfish Stew
Serves 4to6
2tablespoons olive oil or baconfat
2tablespoons all-purpose flour 1tablespoon tomato paste 1onion, chopped 1sausage, cut into small pieces, if you put sausageinto your boil.Ifyou did not, use about ¼pound chopped tasso
1. Place theoil or fat into aheavy-bottomed stewpot Heat over medium flameuntil theoil begins to shimmer.Add the flour.Stir until the flour becomes the color of peanut butter.Add thetomato paste and stir until it is incorporated into theroux.
2. Chopanonionleftover from thecrawfish boil. If you didn’tboil onions or there are none left, addafreshly choppedonion. If youare using acooked onion, cook for2 minutes. If you are using araw onion, cook for 7to8minutes or until it softens. Add the sausage and cook another minute. If you use tasso instead of sausage, cook for 3minutes.
3. Addthe garlic, corn kernels, carrots andmushrooms. These vegetables will have come from theboil. Stirgently.Add 1cup
of hotwater.Stirand cook for2 minutes.Addpotatoesandcrawfish. Stir for 2more minutes. If you likeyour stew looser,add abit more hot water.Then stir andcook for aminuteor2 more Don’tadd thepotatoes too early. They are probably already soft andslightly overcooked.
4. Test for seasoning using a clean teaspoon. Because these vegetables andcrawfish have absorbed seasoning from the previous boil,you must taste the stew to adjust the seasoning. If it is too bland, add your favorite CajunorCreoleseasoning mix ¼teaspoon at a time, cooking for 1minute after each addition. Keep adding, if moreseasoning is needed.
5. Serve over grits (recipe included) or cooked rice, garnishingwithslicedgreen tops of scallions, if desired.
STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Crawfish stewand creole cream cheese grits
TNS PHOTO By LINDAGASSENHEIMER Chicken Picadillo
Italian GreenSalad with Gorgonzola
Serves 4to6
1 cup babyarugula leaves
1cup babyspinach leaves
½cup basil leaves
½bulb fennel thinly sliced
¼poundgorgonzola, crumbled intopieces the size of alargeblueberry
6pitted black olives cut in half (optional)
6cherry tomatoes cut in half(optional)
Salad dressing
1. Place all of the ingredients in asalad bowl. Right before serving, pour on the salad dressing andtoss.Serve immediately
Serves 4.
1cup yellow grits
½teaspoon salt
SALAD DRESSING:
½cup olive oil
3to4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1tablespoon Creolemustard
¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1clove garlic, minced
1teaspoon dried oregano
1. Place all ingredients in ajar.Cover with alid and shake vigorously.Justbefore serving thesalad, pour half of the dressing on the salad andthen toss. Serve therest of the dressing in asmallbowlonthe table forthose people wholike more dressing.
CreoleCream CheeseGrits
¼teaspoon ground black pepper
¼teaspoon smoked paprika
½cup Creole cream cheese at room temperature
WHAT MEMORIES LURK BENEATH BE
It’sbeen 50 years, but some people still don’tthink it’ssafe to go back in the water
The blockbuster 1975 movie “Jaws,”about a monstergreat white shark that terrorizes aNew England beach town, marks ahalfcenturythissummer.yetfor manypeople, the horror feels as recentasthe last time they nervouslystepped into the surf
ByTheAssociated Press
Today is Thursday April 24, the 114th day of 2025. There are 251 days left in the year
Todayinhistory: On April24, 1916, Irish republicans launched the Easter Rising, arebellion against British rule in Ireland. Though the rebels surrendered to British forces six days later,the uprising set the stage for republican victories in the Irish general election of 1918 and the establishment of the Irish FreeState via the AngloIrish Treatyin1922.
On this date:
In 1915, in what is considered the start of theArmenian genocide, theOttoman Empire began rounding up Armenian political and cultural leaders in Constantinople.
We’retaking alook at this cultural phenomenon, and we want to hear from you.
For example, wherewereyou when you first saw“Jaws”?
Howmanytimeshaveyou seen it since?Did it change your life, and if so how?
Whydoyou think “Jaws”has
TODAYINHISTORY
He was the first human spaceflight fatality
In 1980, the UnitedStates launched Operation Eagle Claw,anunsuccessful attempt to free 53 American hostages in Iran that resulted in the deaths of eight U.S. service members.
In 1990, Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying the $1.5 billion Hubble Space Telescope.
In 1995, the final bomb linked to the Unabomber exploded inside the Sacramento, California, offices of the California Forestry Association, killing chief lobbyist Gilbert B. Murray (Theodore Kaczynski was later sentenced to four lifetimes in prison foraseries of bombings that killed three people and injured 23 others.)
had such alasting effect on the public, including sequels, more attention to sharks and subsequent hits like“Shark Week” and “Sharknado”? Email us at holidays@ theadvocate.com.We’ll include someresponses in a storyabout the movieand its long-lasting impact. Include your nameand town,and (not forpublication) adaytime phone number
1. Bring 2cups of water to aboil. Add the salt, pepper, and paprika. Reduce theheat to asimmer. Then add the grits, whisking all the while to avoid the formationoflumps.The grits will thicken. This takes no more than 5minutes. Then remove from the heat and cover.Set aside for10minutes.
CRAWFISH
Continued from page5C
for
2. Right before serving, remove the lidand stir in the Creolecream cheese.
This should loosen the grits. Addupto¼cup more Creolecream cheeseifyou prefer looser grits. These grits are designed to be a base foragravy dish like shrimp Creole or crawfish stew,sodonot season them too much or theseasoning may not be compatible with thegravy.
And maybe besides corn and potatoes, you consider adding more vegetables to your boil. The seafood boil seasoning and the crawfish give the vegetables adelicious, spicy flavor Thestewisreally versatile,and if you don’thave something, or if you are not afan of one of the vegetables, leave it out I’dlove to hear about what youput in your boils. We may discover anew taste sensation! Justemail me
Liz Williamsisfounder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans.Listen to “Tip of the Tongue,” Liz’spodcast about food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts. EmailLiz at lizwillia@gmail.com.
Pork and Asparagus Stir-fry
Serves 4. Recipe adapted from bonappetit.com.
2-3teaspoons olive or vegetable oil, divided
1½ pounds asparagus, trimmed,cut on adiagonal into
1- or 2-inch pieces
Kosher salt
1pound ground pork
6scallions, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped
5garlic cloves, finely chopped
1(2-inch) piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
2tablespoons Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or mediumdrycooking sherry
2tablespoons soysauce
1teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1-2 teaspoons chili crisp, plus additional for serving
Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving,optional
1. Heat 1tablespoon oil in a large skillet on high.
2. Once the pan is hot(oil will be lightly smoking), add halfofthe asparagusand a couplepinchesofsalt and cook, tossing only onceor twice so the pieces have a chance to blister, until crisptender and lightly browned, about 4minutes
3. Transfer asparagus to a plate. Add another teaspoon oliveoil to skillet (noneed to wipe it out) and repeat with remaining asparagus
4. Reduce heat to mediumhigh. Add remaining 1teaspoon olive oil to skillet,then add groundpork, spreadingit out in an even layer
5. Season with acouple
Cucumber salad
pinches of saltand cook, undisturbed, untilmeat begins to brown underneath, about 2 minutes.
6. Break up meat witha woodenspoonandaddchopped scallions, garlic andginger. Cook, stirring, until pork is crisp andmixture is very fragrant,about 2minutes
7. Add wine or sherry,soy sauceand chili crisp, and return asparagus to skillet. Cook, turning to coat with pork mixture, until heated through, about 1minute.
8. Transfer stir-fry to aplatter or large shallow bowl and drizzle withsesame oil. Serve withrice and additional chili crisp, if desired, garnished with chopped cilantro.
Serves 4. Recipe is by GretchenMcKay,Post-Gazette.For aless spicysalad, omit the chilicrisp
1pound cucumbers, sliced verythin
1teaspoon kosher salt
2tablespoon rice vinegar
1tablespoon soy sauce
2teaspoons toasted sesame oil
4cloves garlic, finely minced
In 1960, rioting erupted in Biloxi, Mississippi, after Black protesters staging a “wade-in” at aWhites-only beach were attacked by acrowd of hostile White people.
In 1967, Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov was killed when his Soyuz 1spacecraft smashed into theEarth after his parachutes failed to deploy properly during reentry
In 2013, in Bangladesh, a shoddily constructed eightstory commercial building housing garment factories collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.
In 2018, former police officer Joseph DeAngelo was arrested at his home near Sacramento after DNA linked him to crimes attributed to the Golden State Killer; authorities believed he committed13murders and more than 50 rapes in
1-inch piece of fresh ginger,grated 1½ teaspoons sugar
1heaping teaspoon chili crisp
1teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, plus more for garnish Red chili pepper flakes, for garnish
1. In amedium bowl, tosscucumber and salt. Let them sitfor 5-10 minutes while you prepare the dressing.
2. In alarge serving bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar,sesameoil, chili crisp, garlic, ginger,sugar and sesameseeds.Set aside.
3. Rinse cucumber slices with cool water in acolander two or three times to remove thesalt, then strain into abowl. Pat dry with paper towels.
4. Pour cucumberslices into the bowl with the dressing andtoss well to combine. Garnishwith sesame seeds and red chili flakes for extra heat.
STIR-FRY
Continued from page5C
they’re tossed in apan with ground pork that’sbeen cooked with Asian aromatics —garlic, ginger and green onion —along with soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. It was incredibly quick, andreally hit thespotwhen paired with asuper-simple (andspicy) cucumber salad that also took just minutes to throw together.Both include the gentle heatof chili crisp,which youcan easily omit if appealingto tamer taste buds. When choosingasparagus, look for brightgreen stalks with tightly closed andcompact tips. To keep it fresh in the fridge until cooking, store it upright in aglass or cup with about an inch of water,and cover the topswith aplastic bag. Igenerally prefer superthin asparagus becauseI believe it’s themost tender, but you can alsouse thicker spears. Just be sure peel thebottom third after snapping off the knobby ends.
the 1970s and 1980s. (DeAngelo would plead guilty in 2020 to 13 counts of murder and be sentenced to life in prison without parole.) Today’sbirthdays: Actor Shirley MacLaine is 91. Actor-singer-filmmaker Barbra Streisand is 83. Fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier is 73. Actor Eric Bogosian is 72. Actor Michael O’Keefe is 70. Actor-comedian
STAFF PHOTO By BRETTDUKE
nea CroSSwordS
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
BRIEFS
Wall Street rises as Trump softens talk
U.S. stocks rose Wednesday as aworldwide rally came back around to Wall Street after President Donald Trumpappeared to back offhis criticismofthe Federal Reserve and his tough talk in his trade war
The S&P 500 addedtoits big gainfrom Tuesday thatmore than made up for asteep loss on Monday. The Dow Jones IndustrialAverage and the Nasdaq composite also rose Wall Street’sgains followed strong moveshigher for stocks across much of Europe and Asia. They also continued a dizzying, up-and-down run for financial markets as investors struggle with how to react toso much uncertainty about what Trump will do with his economic policies.
The market’slatest move was up in part because Trump said late Tuesday that he has “nointention” to fire the head of the FederalReserve. Trumphad been angry with Jerome Powell, whom Trump had called “a major loser,” because of the Fed’s hesitance to cut interest rates.
Pastor calls for ‘full Target boycott’
The pastor of aGeorgiamegachurchwho led anationwide 40-day “fast” boycott of Target stores over the retail chain’s commitment to diversity initiativesisnow calling for that effort to continue as a“full Target boycott.”
The Rev.JamalBryantsaid this week that the Minneapolisbased retailer has not metall of theboycott effort’sdemands.
Among them: Restoring its commitment to diversity,equity and inclusion principles and pledging moneytoBlack-owned banks and businesses.
Target announced in January that it would phase out ahandful of DEI initiatives, including a program designed to help Black employees build meaningful careers and promoteBlack-owned businesses. Conservative activists and President Donald Trump have sought to dismantle DEIpoliciesinthe federalgovernment and schools.
Target did not immediately respond to multiple requests for commentbyphone and by email on Wednesday
Norfolk Southerntopay $600M settlement
The companythat ownedthe railcar that caused thedevastating EastPalestine trainderailmentin2023 won’thave to help pay for the $600 million settlement Norfolk Southern agreedtowith residents
An Ohiojurydecided Wednesday that GATX isn’tliable for the settlement even though thefailure of abearing on its railcarcarrying plastic pellets causedthe pileup onFeb 3, 2023. GATX has maintained Norfolk Southern operated and inspected the train and all the cars and was responsible for delivering the cargo safely “GATX is pleased with the trial outcome,which affirms what we have known for some time: Norfolk Southern aloneis responsible forthe derailment and resulting damage in East Palestine,” the company said in astatement.
Norfolk Southern called the verdict disappointing butsaid it won’taffect the railroad’scommitments to everyone affected by the derailment.
After the train derailed in East Palestine, an assortment of chemicals spilled and caught fire.Three days later,officials blew open five tank cars filled with vinyl chloride because they feared those cars might explode, generating amassiveblack plume of smoke that spread over the area and forced evacuations.
Norfolk Southern lost asimilar lawsuit last year when it tried to force GATX andOxyVinyls, which made the vinyl chloride, to help pay for theenvironmental cleanupafter the derailment that has cost the Atlanta-based railroad more than $1 billion. It madesimilar arguments in this trial
Study: Companieshavecaused$28Tinclimate damage
BYSETH BORENSTEIN AP science writer
WASHINGTON Theworld’s biggest corporationshavecaused$28 trillion in climate damage, anew study estimates as part of an effort to make it easier for people andgovernments to hold companies financially accountable, like thetobacco giants have been.
ADartmouthCollege research team cameupwith the estimated pollutioncausedby111 companies, with more than half of the total dollar figure coming from10fossilfuel providers:Saudi Aramco, Gazprom,Chevron,ExxonMobil, BP,Shell, National IranianOil Co., Pemex, Coal Indiaand theBritish CoalCorporation For comparison, $28 trillion is a shade less than thesum of all goods and services produced in the United States lastyear
At the topofthe list,Saudi Aramco and Gazprom have each caused abit more than $2 trillion in heat damageover the decades, the team calculated in astudy published in Wednesday’sjournal Nature. The researchers figured thatevery 1%ofgreenhouse gas put into the atmospheresince 1990 has caused $502 billion in damage
question: Whatcan we actually claim about whohas caused this?” said Dartmouth climate scientist Justin Mankin, co-author of the study.“And that really comes down to athermodynamic question of can we trace climate hazards and/or their damages back to particular emitters?”
The answer is yes, Callahan and Mankin said.
from heat alone, which doesn’tinclude the costs incurred by other extremeweather suchashurricanes, droughts and floods. People talk about making polluters pay, andsometimeseventake them to court or pass laws meant to rein them in. The study is an attempttodetermine “the causal linkagesthat underlie many of these theories
of accountability,”saidits lead author,Christopher Callahan, who didthe work at Dartmouth but is nowanEarth systemsscientist at Stanford University.The research firm Zero Carbon Analytics counts 68 lawsuits filed globally about climatechange damage, with more thanhalf of them in the United States.
“Everybody’sasking the same
The researchers started with known final emissions of the products —suchasgasoline or electricity fromcoal-firedpower plants —produced by the111 biggest carbon-oriented companies going as far back as 137 years, because that’sasfar back as anyofthe companies’ emissions data go and carbon dioxide stays in the air for muchlonger than that. They used 1,000different computer simulations to translate those emissions into changesfor Earth’sglobal average surface temperature by comparing it to aworldwithout that company’semissions.
This system is modeled on the establishedtechniquesscientists have been using formore than adecade to attribute extreme weather events, such as the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave, to climate change.
Chineseautomakerstakeleading role
BY ELAINE KURTENBACH AP business writer
SHANGHAI— Leadingautomakers are showcasingtheir latest designed-for-China and theworld models at theShanghaiauto show this week, fighting nottobeedged aside in the world’slargest car market while watching for U.S.President Donald Trump’snextsteps in his trade war
This year’sshow in the sprawling industrial outskirts of Shanghai comes at apivotal moment. Three decades after Beijing setout to builda world-classautoindustry,local manufacturers account forabout two-thirds of salesinside China, and agrowing share of globalexports.
To gain access toChina’spotentially huge market, foreign automakers like Volkswagen, General Motors, BMWand Ford set up joint ventureswith state-owned local companies beginning in the 1980s and ’90s, helping them build the capacity and technology tocompete on aworld scale
They also created sprawling supply chains in Shanghaiand other major manufacturing hubs, helping to nurture other big names in Chinese automaking,suchasBYD,Geely and Great Wall Motors. With growthathome limited by brutal competition, Chinese autocompanies are expanding rapidly,especially in Southeast Asia andother developingeconomies with relatively affordable sedans, SUVs andpickup trucks.
Shanghai’sauto show is agathering forthe “survival of the fittest,” said ZhouLijun, directorand chiefresearcher of the industry analysis group Yiche Research Institute.
With Trump raising tariffs and theEuropean Union slapping dutiesonChinese electric vehicles, selling to some overseas markets is growing increasingly challenging.
“Geopolitics arevery complex and the situation remains uncertain,” WeiJianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motors, told reporters Wednesday.“But Great Wall is always exploring investments in overseas markets.”
Encouraged by government subsidiesfor scrapping oldercars for the latest models, Chinese drivers have embraced the switch to electrics, with salesofbattery-powered and hybrid vehicles jumping 40% last year
Atotal of 31.4 million vehicles, including buses and trucks, were sold last year in the world’sbiggest market by sales, up 4.5% compared to ayear earlier,the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported.
Growth in sales of EVs was offset by falling sales of traditional gasoline anddiesel-powered vehicles, which still accounted for just over half of new car sales.
Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD nudgedpastTesla as theworld’sbiggest maker of EVsbysales last year,reporting revenue of over $100 billion.
It recentlyannounced an ultra-fast EV charging system that it says can provide afull charge for its latest EVs within five to eight minutes, aboutthe time needed to fill up at the pump. It plans to build more than 4,000ofthe new charging stations across China.
Statewidetechnologycompetition will spotlighttop students
BY TIMOTHYBOONE Business editor
Thedeadline is approaching to apply for aspotinthe first statewide technology competition, designed to showcase the latest software and hardwarebeing developed across Louisiana. The NexusTechnology Cup will spotlight innovative developments created by high school and college students, along withtech enthusiasts. The event will be held June 17-19 at the Water Campus in Baton Rouge. Theroots for the competition go
backtoNexus Louisiana President and CEO Tony Zanders’ days as a student at Henry W. Allen ElementaryinNew Orleans, when he was taking part in the school science fair
“Ifyou won at theschool level, you would go to the UNO Lakefront Arena to compete at the citylevel. It was so exciting,” he said. “And if youwon at thecity level, yougot to come to the state competition, which was up here in BatonRouge. Whenyou gotinvitedtoBaton
surprised to see the coding work beingdonebyhigh school students andwanted to spotlight their work, while giving them avenue for academiccompetition. The competition will have three tracks: onefor highschool students, onefor college studentsand an open track for anyone buildinginteresting technology. It fits in withNexus Louisiana’smission to expand tech startups, developthe workforce
andstimulate economic growth, Zanders said. Atotal of $100,000 in cash prizes will be awardedtothe winning teams, withthe top finishers in each categorytaking home between $5,000and $10,000. Afew dozen teamshave signed up forthe event, and Zanders said he expects more entries before thedeadline. To be eligible,teams must submit an application before April 30, detailing an original project primarily developed by team members. For more information or to register,go to nexusla.org/technologycup/.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByNGHAN GUAN
Visitors look at the newFireflymodel from Chinese automaker Nio during the Shanghai auto showonWednesday
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO By ERIC RISBERG
The Chevron Richmond Refineryisseen in Point Richmond, California, in 2023. Chevron is one of 10 fossil fuel providers that have caused more than half of the total dollar figure of $28trillion in climate damage, accordingtoa recent study.
