ple during a month with a major holiday, when kids are home from school and families are trying to plan a Thanksgiving meal, said Susan East Nelson, executive director of the Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families.
“Kids aren’t going to have the food that they need right at the time as they’re not going to be in school because of the holiday,” she said. “You’re going to have kids who go without food.” The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides monthly benefits to low-income people to help cover the cost of groceries, is funded by the federal government and administered by states. Roughly 40 million Americans get food benefits through SNAP, including over 800,000 people in Louisiana — about 17% of the state’s population.
Federal officials earlier this month warned that funds for SNAP could run out if the government shutdown persisted into November On Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program at the federal level, sent a letter to states saying, “if the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation.”
USDA in the communication
‘WE LIKE WINNERS’
Trump welcomes LSU and LSU-S championship baseball teams
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON President Don-
ald Trump on Monday applauded LSU’s 2025 national championship baseball team in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. Trump said Louisiana is “a special state,” noting how extraordinary it was to have national champions for both the NCAA and the NAIA LSU Shreveport, whose team also was on-hand — hail from the same state. As the NCAA oversees sports at major colleges, the NAIA, or National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, governs sports at smaller institutions.
“Two amazing seasons,” Trump said. “You might have them, but not from the same state, amazing.”
Both LSU coach Jay Johnson and LSU-S coach Brad Neffendorf awarded Trump with team jerseys with the number 47, signifying the Trump presidency
With the help of dominant pitching by Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson, along with the timely hitting of Jared Jones, Derek Curiel and others, LSU in June won its second national championship in three years — its eighth since 1991.
Trump mentioned the contributions of several players who
ä See WINNERS, page 4A
directed states to put November benefits on hold “until further notice.”
The Louisiana Department of Health, which recently took over the administration of SNAP from the Department of Children and Family Services, did not respond to questions for this story Pat Van Burkleo, executive director of Feeding Louisiana, which represents the state’s five regional food banks, warned that
Hearing set for suspect in Hamas attack
Lafayette resident accused of aiding terrorist group
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
A 33-year-old man living and working in Lafayette who is accused of being involved in the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel is set for a hearing Wednesday in federal court in Lafayette to determine if there is probable cause to hold him. Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub alMuhtadi was arrested last week on allegations he aided a terrorist group and lied on his visa application, entering the United States via Dallas in September 2024, nearly a year after the attack on Israel that killed more than 1,200 people, including 49 American citizens. Some of the victims were shot point-blank with rifles, tortured, beheaded, or sexually abused, Supervisory Special Agent Alexandria O’Donnell of the FBI wrote in a 44-page federal affidavit Oct. 6. Wednesday’s appearance in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana in Lafayette will be al-Muhtadi’s second. He was in court Friday as an interpreter read O’Donnell’s affidavit in Arabic. He has been detained but has not been indicted.
It’s unclear if al-Muhtadi’s wife, who watched Friday’s proceedings from the courtroom, will be charged.
Al-Muhtadi was represented Friday by Lafayette attorney Lester Gauthier just for that hearing, along with Assistant Federal Public Defender John Piccione. Neither would disclose additional information Monday, such as where
ä See HEARING, page 4A
Lafayette’s new Guard Readiness Center causes uncertainty
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
Oaklawn residents are voicing concerns about Lafayette’s new Louisiana National Guard Readiness Center a facility whose groundbreaking two weeks ago
surprised them. The construction has left residents of the neighborhood, which will border the 83,000-square-foot facility on West Congress Street across from the Cajundome, to wonder what it will be used for and what that means in practice for their community Joel Bacque, a Oaklawn resident and real estate agent, said he found out the same time everyone else did, after the Oct. 8 groundbreaking. He worries about the impact the complex might have on property values in the quaint neighborhood where he has lived since 2017.
“I think the fact that there is a $30-plus-million facility that going to butt up against the neighborhood and no one apparently knew about it, that’s concerning,” Bacque said. “There are parts of the neighborhood that are further away, that are insulated from it, but there are definitely homes that are going to back right up against it.”
The groundbreaking prompted some residents to pose questions to state Rep. Annie Spell and Sen. Brach Myers, both Lafayette Republicans, who said they are working to get answers and better understand how it could have flown under the radar of the newly
Some residents voice concerns over construction ä See GUARD, page 4A
STAFF PHOTOS By JILL PICKETT
President Donald Trump poses for photos with LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson, left, and LSU Shreveport baseball coach Brad Neffendorf on Monday as they present jerseys made for him during an event to honor the 2025 national championships won by each school.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with LSU pitcher Kade Anderson during Monday’s event at the White House.
Louvre remains closed one day after jewelheist
PARIS The Louvre remained closed Monday,aday after historic jewels were stolen from the world’smost-visited museum in adaring daylight heist that prompted authorities to reassess security measures at cultural sites across France.
The museum’sstaff asked dozens of visitors who were queuinginfront of theglass pyramid entrance to leave. In amessage posted on socialmedia, the Louvresaid visitors who have booked tickets will be refunded.Itdid notprovide additional details. The Louvre willalso be closed on Tuesday,its weekly closingday On Sunday,thieves rode abasketlift up theLouvre’s façade, forced awindow,smashed displaycases and fled withpriceless Napoleonic jewels,officials said The theft occurred about 30 minutes after the museum opened, with visitors already inside,and was among the highest-profile museum thefts in living memory French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin acknowledged security failures on Monday
“One can wonder aboutthe fact that, for example, the windows hadn’tbeen secured, about the fact that abasket lift was on a public road,” he said on France Inter radio. “Having (previously) been interiorminister, I know that we cannot completely secure all places, but what is certain is that we have failed.”
Many CDC experts skip meeting amid shutdown
ATLANTA— CDCresearchers are beingforcedtoskip apivotal conference on infectious disease this week due to the government shutdown, missing out on highlevel discussions not long after surges in measles and whooping cough hit the U.S. IDWeek, the largest annual meeting of infectious disease experts in the nation,isthe leading venuefor experts to trade information about diagnosing, treating and preventing threats including bird flu, superbugs and HIV,among many other topics
The CDC typically sends scoresofresearchers and outbreak investigators. But of the hundreds of speakers listed in the printed programfor thefourdayconference, about 10 were identified as CDC scientists. And even that small number didn’t show up.
The Infectious Disease Society of America and itsconference partners selected Atlanta, where the CDC is based, as its host more than ayear ago Organizers were excited to have the meeting in “the heart of public health,” and CDC officials agreed to be heavily involved in planning, said Dr.Yohei Doi, aUniversity of Pittsburghresearcher who helped organize the meeting. But soon after President Donald Trump’sinauguration, there was an immediate, if temporary, freeze on CDC communications andparticipationatmedicalmeetings. That wasfollowedby layoffs and research fundingcuts.
Myanmar militaryraids major cybercrime center
BANGKOK Myanmar’smilitary has shut down amajor online scam operation near the border with Thailand, detainingmore than 2,000 people and seizing dozensofStarlink satelliteinternet terminals, state media reported Monday Myanmarisnotorious for hosting cyberscam operations responsiblefor bilking people all over the world. These usually involve gaining victims’ confidenceonlinewithromanticploys and bogus investment pitches
The centers are infamous for recruiting workers fromother countries under false pretenses, promising them legitimatejobs and then holding them captive and forcing them to carry out criminal activities.
According to areportinMonday’sMyanma Alinn newspaper, the army raided KK Park, awelldocumented cybercrime center, as part of operations starting in early September to suppress online fraud, illegal gambling, and cross-border cybercrime It published photos displaying seized Starlink equipment and soldiers said to be carrying out the raid, though it was unclear when exactly they were taken.
Amazon cloud suffersmajor outage
Disruption takes down many onlineservices around theworld
BY KELVIN CHAN and BARBARA ORTUTAY Associated Press
LONDON Aproblem with Amazon’s cloud computing servicedisrupted internet use around the world Monday,taking down abroad range ofonlineservices,includingsocial media, gaming, food delivery,streaming and financial platforms. The disruptionand the ensuing exasperation it caused served as thelatest reminder that 21st-century society is increasingly dependent onjust ahandful of companies for much of its internet technology,which seems to work reliably until it suddenly breaks down.
Aboutthree hours after theoutage began, Amazon
WebServices said it was startingtorecover,although problems lingered for some users. AWSprovidesbehindthe-scenes cloud computing infrastructure to some of the world’sbiggest organizations. Itscustomers include government departments, universities and businesses, including The Associated Press.
Cybersecurityexpert Mike Chapple said“aslow and bumpy recovery process” is “entirely normal.”
As engineersroll out fixes acrossthe cloud computing infrastructure, the process could trigger smaller disruptions, he said.
“It’ssimilar to what happens after alarge-scale power outage: While a city’spower is coming back online,neighborhoodsmay see intermittent glitches as crews finish the repairs,” said Chapple, an informationtechnology professor at the UniversityofNotre Dame’sMendozaCollege of Business.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByKIICHIROSATO
AVenmo mobile appshows it is not availableMonday during the Amazon WebServices outage.
Amazon pinned theoutage on issues related to its domain name system that convertsweb addresses intoIPaddresses, which are numeric designations that identifylocationsonthe internet. Those addresses allow websites and apps to load on internet-connected devices.
DownDetector,awebsite thattracksonline outages, said in aFacebook postthat it received over 11 million user reportsofproblems at morethan 2,500 companies. Users reported trouble with
Palestinians collect leaflets dropped by an Israeli drone warning people to stayaway from the so-called yellowline on MondayinKhan younis, in the southernGazaStrip.
U.S.envoysvisit Israel to bolsterceasefire
Gaza militantshandover ahostage’s remains
BY SAM MEDNICK, SAMYMAGDY and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press
TELAVIV,Israel TwoofU.S. President DonaldTrump’s envoys traveled to Israelon Mondaytoshoreupthe ceasefire in Gaza, aday afterdeadly violence gave thefragile dealits first major test.
The truceappeared on track as Israel receivedthe remains of anotherhostage in Gaza,and Israelallowed aiddeliveries to resume to the devastated territory. UnitedNations spokespersonStephane Dujarric did not say howmuchaid was getting in.
Israel on Sunday had threatened to haltshipments ofhumanitarian aid, and its forces killed dozensofPalestinians in strikes across Gaza after accusing Hamas militants of killing two soldiers. Israel later said it resumed enforcing the ceasefire.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and thepresident’sson-in-law, JaredKushner,met withPrime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu about developmentsinthe region. U.S. Vice President JD Vance and the secondlady, UshaVance, are scheduled to visitTuesday and meet with Netanyahu, the prime minister said in aspeech.
NetanyahualsowarnedHamas that any attacks against Israeli forces would be metwith “a very heavy price.”
Asked about maintaining the IsraelHamas ceasefire,Trump said the U.S. will give the situation a“littlechance” in hopes that there will be less violence.
He put the blame on Hamas and said the militant group must behave or face consequences “They have to be good, and if they’re not goodthey’ll be eradicated,” he said.
The U.S.-proposedtruce aimedatending two years of war took effect on Oct.
10
On Sunday,Trump told reporters that Hamas had been “doing someshooting.”
He also suggested that the violence might be the faultof“rebels” within the group.
Hamas security forces have returned to thestreetsinGaza, clashing with armed groups and killing alleged gangsters in what themilitant group says is an attempt to restorelaw and order in areas where
Israeli troops have withdrawn.
On Sunday,Israel’s militarysaid militants hadfiredattroops in areasofRafah in southern Gazathat are Israeli-controlledaccording to agreed-upon ceasefire lines.
Retaliatory strikes by Israel killed45 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Health Ministry,whichsaysa totalof80 people have been killed since theceasefire took effect.
Hamas, which continued to accuse Israel of multiple ceasefire violations, said communication with its remaining units in Rafah had been cut off for months and “weare notresponsible for any incidents occurring in thoseareas.”
The Israeli militarysaid Monday it was using concrete barriers and painted poles to more clearlydelineate theso-called yellow lineinGaza to where troopshave withdrawn and several instances of violence have occurred.
Earlier in the day, Israel said one of itsfighterjetsstruckand killedseveral people it said had crossed theyellow line in the southern Gaza cityofKhan Younis, approached troopsand “posedanimminentthreat.” In two similar incidents Monday in aneighborhood of GazaCity, themilitarysaid it struck several people who crossedthe line thereand posed an “immediate threat”toits troops.
Under the terms of theceasefire, Israel is still waiting for Hamas to turn over the remains of 15 deadhostages. Thirteen have been turnedover
The ceasefire’s next stage is expectedto focus on disarming Hamas, Israeli withdrawalfrom additional areas it controlsin Gaza, and future governance of the devastated territory.The U.S.plan proposes theestablishment of an internationally backed authority.
In an interview with CBS’ “60Minutes” news program over the weekend, Kushner said thesuccess or failure of thedeal would depend on whether Israel andthe international mechanismcould create a viable alternative to Hamas.
“If theyare successful, Hamas will fail, and Gazawill not be athreat to Israel in the future,” he said.
AHamas delegation ledbychiefnegotiator Khalil al-Hayyawas in Cairoto follow up on the implementationofthe ceasefire dealwith mediators and other Palestinian groups.
the social media site Snapchat, the Roblox and Fortnite video games, the online broker Robinhood and the McDonald’sapp, as well as Netflix, Disney+ and many other services.
Thecryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and the Signal chat app both said on Xthat they wereexperiencingtrouble related to the outage. Amazon’s own services werealsoaffected. Users of the company’sRing doorbell cameras and Alexa-powered smart speakers reported that they were notworking, while others said theywere unable to access the Amazon website or downloadbooks to theirKindle Manycollege and K-12 students were unable to submit or accesstheir homework or course materials Monday because the AWSoutage knocked out Canvas, awidely usededucational platform.
blockedfor now
BY CLAIRE RUSH and GENE JOHNSON Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. An appeals court on Monday puton hold alower court ruling that kept President Donald Trumpfrom taking command of 200OregonNational Guardtroops. However, Trumpisstill barred from actually deploying those troops, at least for now
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issuedtwo temporary restraining orders early this month —one that prohibited Trump from calling up the troops so he could send them to Portland, and another that prohibited him from sending any National Guardmembers to Oregon at all, after the president triedtoevade the first order by deploying California troops instead.
TheJustice Department appealed the first order, and
“I currently can’tgrade any online assignments, andmystudentscan’t access their online materials” because of the outage’seffect on learning-management systems, said Damien P. Williams,aprofessorof philosophy anddatascience at theUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte. Theexact number of schoolsimpacted wasnot immediately known, but Canvas says on its website it is used by 50% of college and university students in North America, including all Ivy League schoolsin the U.S.
in a2-1 ruling Monday,a panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided withthe administration.The majority said the president was likely to succeed on hisclaimthathehad the authoritytofederalize the troops based on adetermination he wasunable to enforce thelaws without them. However,Immergut’s second order remains in effect, so no troops mayimmediately be deployed. Theadministration has said that because the legal reasoning underpinning both temporary restraining orders wasthe same, it will now ask Immergut to dissolve her second order and allow Trump to deploy troopstoPortland. The JusticeDepartment argued that it is notthe role of the courts to second-guess the president’sdetermination aboutwhentodeploytroops. Oregon Attorney General DanRayfield,a Democrat saidhewould ask for a broader panel to reconsider the decision.
Louisiana’sfood banks don’thave the capacity to service everyone on food stamps.
“For every one mealthat the food banks provide, SNAP usually provides nine,” he said.
There isn’tenough foodintheir warehousestodo10times the
WINNERS
Continued from page1A
were gathered behind him. He notedwhich majorleague teams drafted the players Trump turned and shook hands withAnderson
“Welike winners at the White House, Kade,” Trump said.
The presidentnoted that Anderson was draftedbythe Seattle Mariners,who were set to play the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night —with the winner goingto theWorld Seriesagainst theLos Angeles Dodgers.
Trump asked if he’d be watching the game. Andersonsaidhe would.
Johnson nodded toward House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, and said that Louisiana had the top two leaders in the U.S. House —both of whom graduated from LSU. But most of hisaccolades went toward the players, who he said kepttheir heads when times were hardand practiced togetherness throughout the championship season
“They made it about theteam,” the coach said.
The LSU team arrived Sunday night and was fetedata U.S. House office building with astriking view of the U.S. Capitol. On Monday morning,the teams and their entourages, because theywere so large, convened in theHouse chamber
Trumpand SpeakerJohnson only mentioned in passingthatthe federal government hadbeen shut down sinceOct. 1. Trump said he, Mike Johnson and Scalise want theSenate Democrats to agree to aresolution to continuegovernment operations.
Several other topLouisiana officials also attended the ceremony, including Baton Rouge Rep. Julia Letlow,aRepublicanwhose district stretches from Monroe down to LSU’s campus andmuchofsouth Baton Rouge, where professors,
HEARING
Continued frompage10A
al-Muhtadi is being held or where he resided or worked in Lafayette before his arrest.
Court recessed briefly Friday while Gauthier and others in the court system discussed whether it would be improper for Gauthier to represent al-Muhtadi’swife.
Continued from page1A
elected officials.
Spell, R-Lafayette, said she learned of the facility when residents’ calls began coming in last week.
Spell said she was able to connect with the Louisiana NationalGuard, whereshe passed on residents’ concerns but couldn’tspeak to specifics about what the utilization of the facility will look and sound like. She also reached out to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the property owner, which is leasing the land for the facility
The lease agreement was signed in 2020, according to aLouisiana National Guard spokesperson.
“I’ve rounded all those specific concerns to the Guard, and I’m working on getting kind of afull landscape picture on those specific questions and getting an overall picture of howdoesthisfit into that area of Lafayette,” Spell said. Some answerstoresident’squestions may be delayed because of the federal government shutdown. Spell said she hopes to host atown hall that could ease Oaklawn concerns. AGuard spokesperson told The Acadiana Advocate during the groundbreaking
amount of distributionthey typically handle, he added.
Both VanBurkleo and East Nelsonsaidthe lack of SNAP funds will strain grocers andotherfood retailers, too.
“The retailers are the people whoget themoney from SNAP.So if there are no SNAP benefits, the retailers are going to see theloss,” East Nelson said.
Swaths of thefederal government shut down Oct. 1after law-
makers in Congresscouldn’treach adeal on ashort-termspending bill to fund federal agencies through Nov.21.
Democrats in the U.S. Senate for weekshavebeen withholdingtheir support for theRepublican spending bill anddemanding Republicans agree to extend tax credits thatsubsidize health insurance for millions of Americanscovered through theAffordable Care Act. Republicans have said negotia-
tionsonthe taxcredits can happen once the short-term funding bill passes. Fornow,discussions on the funding bill appear stalled. During ashutdown, nonessential government work is paused and hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed. Many functionscontinue, however,like air traffic control, military and public health. The Medicare and Medicaid programs also continue uninterrupted.
VanBurkleo said that based on discussions with officials at the Louisiana Department of Health, theagencyisexploring waysto get food to people whoneed it next month.
“They are very concerned about this, and Ithink they are going to try to figure out away to make Louisiana whole,” he said.
Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.
staff and students live; U.S. Sen.
John N. Kennedy,R-Madisonville, who taught law classes at LSU; and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-BatonRouge, who lives at the gates of the LSU campus.
“Only in Louisiana do you get two national champions in the same sportinone year!Itwas greatto mark the moment with President Trump and both teams at the White House,” Cassidy said.
Gov.Jeff Landry and state Reps. Mark Wright, R-Covington, and MikeBayham, R-Chalmette, were also on hand
The 1991 champions, the first, visited President George H.W.
Bush in the White House. Coach Skip Bertmanwas unable to accompanythe team. TheLSU teams that won thetitle in 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000 didn’tvisit theWhite House.
LSUcoach Paul Mainieri’s2009 national championship team visited the White House and was hosted by then-Vice President Joe Biden. Then-Sen.MaryLandrieu, D-New Orleans, gave theteam a tourofthe U.S.Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial andthe Arlington National Cemetery
Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.
on Monday.
Gauthier would notcomment Monday on whether he was hired to represent al-Muhtadi’swife, whose name has not been released
In the affidavit, O’Donnell referredto al-Muhtadi’swife twice. She said al-Muhtadi indicated on his June 16,2024, visa application to enter the U.S. that hiswife assisted himinfilling out the application. Al-Muhtadi indicated on the application that hehad no specialized skills or training in firearms,
had not served in any paramilitary or insurgent groups, was not amember of aterrorist group and hadnot committed political killings or other acts of violence. Federal officials said they have evidencethatlinks al-Muhtadi to terrorist groups, including Hamas. He rallied armed men and entered Israel to join thefighting on Oct. 7, 2023, officials said. The document also indicated law enforcementhad obtained authori-
zation to searchthe email records for an account used by al-Muhtadi’swife. TheFBI NewOrleans Field Office and Joint Task Force 10-7are investigating the case, according to the Department of Justice OfficeofPublic Affairs.The Louisiana State Police, Lafayette Police Department, LafayetteParish Sheriff’sOffice and U.S. Customs andBorder Patrolprovidedsignificant assistance, they wrote.
The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Nickel in Lafayette; trial attorneys A.J. Dixon, Andrew Sigler andJoint Task Force 10-7 lead attorney Alicia Cook, of the National Security Division’sCounterterrorism Section;and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell, of the Eastern District of Virginia. Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@ theadvocate.com.
that the facility wouldbe used for training, will meet logistical requirements forthe Louisiana National Guard and will significantly improve readiness for soldiers and units operating in Lafayette. It could mean, for instance, speedier response to hurricanesand other storm damage.
Thefacility willoperate throughout theworkweek.
The Acadiana Advocate requested alease agreement betweenULand the Louisiana National Guard. It has not received acopy yet
Thespokesperson did not say how much the lease was but said they can extendthe lease,with UL retaining the
ability to take control of the facility were it to fall outof use for a“period of time.”
There will not be weapons testing, they said. They also do not anticipatehelicopter traffic becausethe facilitywill not have ahelipad. There could be slight impacts to traffic during the once amonthdrill weekends that will see200 Guardsmen At other times, there will be around 30 peoplethere,the spokesperson said.
“Military personnelwill increasethe safety of the citizens nearby.Aswe have seen with recent and upcoming Guard mobilizations, militarypresence can help deter crime,”wrote the spokesperson.
Keen-eyedresidents may have been able to seethat this facility was coming to Lafayette if it hadgone through the normalbureaucratic process. However, because it is astate project on state property, those local approvals were notrequired.
It’s unclearwhatprocess residentswould go through to seek recourse against the facility if it ever brought about problems. Also unclear is if it would be subject to or would comply withlocal ordinances such as quiet hours.
Bacque saidmost of the concernscould have been alleviated to adegree if the process had been more
transparent and the Louisiana National Guard more forthcoming with its plans forthe area.
“I think an open line of communicationisalways going to help in asituation like this,” Bacque said. “Ifpeople aremadeaware of it ahead of time, and have the option to voice their concerns, that couldcertainly make most situations better.”
The Readiness Center began receiving state funding in 2022, according to capital outlay budgets. During that time,the projectwould have passed over the desk of then state Rep. Jean-Paul Coussanand formerstate Sen. Page Cortez. In 2024, U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, secured $33 million in federal funding forthe facilitythrough theNational DefenseAuthorization Act. In aMondayemail, Higgins threw hissupport behind the construction of the facility.Hedid not bring up the concerns posed by residents. The Louisiana National Guard is located in an old armory building on Surrey Street near the Lafayette Regional Airport, farfrom residential areas. The new complex will replace the current facility,which is morethan 50 years old. Construction of thenew facility is expected to be completed in 20 months.
STAFFPHOTOSByJILL PICKETT
President Donald Trumpspeaks Monday during an event to honor the 2025 national champion LSUand LSUShreveport baseball teams in the East Room of the White House.
Members of the LSU and LSU Shreveport baseball teams visit the Capitol Building
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Agroundbreaking ceremonyfor the Louisiana Army National GuardLafayette Readiness Center washeld on Oct. 8.
Trumpsayshe’sdoubtfulUkraine canwin war
BY SAMYAKULLAB and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
KYIV,Ukraine President Donald Trump said Monday that while he thinksitispossible that Ukraine can defeat Russia, he’snow doubtfulitwill happen.
Thecommentsfrom Trump added afresh layer of skepticism toward Kyiv as he plans to meet again in the coming weeks with Russian President Vladimir Putin for face-to-face talks in Budapest, Hungary, on ending the war
skyy,Trump made another reversaland calledonKyiv and Moscow to “stop where they are” and end their brutal war
Asked on Monday about his whiplashing opinion on Kyiv’s position, Trumpoffered thedour assessment about Ukraine’schances. He added, “I never said they would winit. Isaidthey could. Anythingcan happen Youknow war is a very strange thing.”
“They could still win it. Idon’tthink they will, but they couldstill win it,” Trump told reporters on Monday at the startofa White House meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Trump last month reversed his long-held position that Ukraine wouldhave to concede land and could win back all the territory it has lost to Russia.
But after alengthy call with Putin last week followed by ameeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelen-
Earlier Monday, Zelenskyy said that during the White House meeting Trump informed him thatPutin’s maximalist demand —that Ukraine cede the entirety of its eastern Donetsk and Luhanskregions—was unchanged.
Still, Zelenskyy described the meeting as “positive,” even though Trump alsorebuffed his request for longrange Tomahawkcruise missiles.
In public comments in the weeks leading up to his meetingwith Zelenskyy,Trump had appearedtowarm to the possibility of sending the Tomahawks,whichwould allow Ukrainianforces to
strike deeper into Russian territory.
But the U.S. leader’s tone changed after his latest call withPutin and he made clear thathewas reluctant to send Ukraine themissile system, at leastfor the time-being.
“In my opinion, he does not want an escalation with the Russians until he meets with them,” Zelenskyy told reporters on Sunday. Hiscom-
Comey’slawyers push for case againsthim to be tossed
BY ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press
WASHINGTON Lawyers for former FBI Director James Comey urged ajudge Monday to dismiss the case against him, calling it avindictive prosecution motivated by “personal animus” and orchestrated by aWhite House determined to seek retribution against aperceived foe of PresidentDonald Trump. The lawyers separately called for the indictment’sdismissal because of what they said was the illegitimate appointment of the U.S. attorney who filed the case days after being hastily named to thejob by Trump. The two-prong attack on the indictment, which accuses Comey of lying to Congress five years ago, represents the opening salvo in what is expected to be aprotracted court fight ahead of atrial currently set for Jan. 5. The motions challengenot only the substance of the allegations but also the un-
usual circumstances of the prosecution,whichincluded Trump exhorting his attorneygeneral to bringcharges againstComey as well as his administration’sabrupt installationofaWhite House aide to serve as topprosecutorofthe eliteoffice overseeing the case.
“Bedrock principlesofdue process and equal protection have long ensuredthat government officials may notuse courts to punish and imprison their perceived personal and political enemies,” wrote Comey’sdefense team,which includes Patrick Fitzgerald, the former U.S.Attorney in Chicago and alongtimeComeyfriend. “Butthatisexactlywhathappenedhere.”
They saidthe JusticeDepartment hadbrought the case because of Trump’shatred of Comey,who as FBI directorinthe earlymonths of Trump’s first term infuriated the president through his oversight of an investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. Trump fired
Comey in May 2017. The two have been open adversaries since,withComey labeling Trump “unethical” and comparing him to amafia boss andTrump branding Comey an “untruthful slime ball” andcalling for him to be punishedbecauseofthe Russia investigation.
“The government has singled out Mr.Comey for prosecution because of his protectedspeech andbecause of President Trump’spersonal animus towardMr. Comey,” defense lawyers wrote, adding thatsuch a“vindictive and selection prosecution” violates multiple provisions of the Constitution and must be dismissed.
Comey’sdefenseteam had foreshadowed the arguments during his first andonly court appearance in the case, wherehepleaded not guilty
Though motions alleging vindictive prosecutionsdo notoften succeed, thisone lays outatimeline of events intended to link Trump’sdemands for aprosecution with the Justice Department’s scramble to secureanindictment last month just before the statute of limitations was settolapse.
mentswereembargoed until Monday morning.
Zelenskyy also expressed skepticism about Putin’s proposal to swap some territory it holdsinthe Kherson andZaporizhzhia regions if Ukraine surrenders Donetsk and Luhansk, saying theproposalwas unclear.The Donetsk and Luhansk regions make up theDonbas Ukraine’sleader said
Trumpultimately supported afreeze along the current front line.
“Weshare President Trump’spositive outlook if it leads to theend of thewar,” Zelenskyy said, citing “many rounds of discussion over more than two hours with him and his team.”
Zelenskyy wasdiplomatic about his meeting with Trumpdespite reports that
he facedpressure to accept Putin’sdemands. The meeting followed the disastrous Oval Office spat on Feb. 28 when the Ukrainian president wasscolded on live television for not being grateful for U.S. support.
Zelenskyy said he hopes that Trump’smeeting in the coming weeks with Putin in Hungary —which does not support Ukraine —will pave the way for apeace deal. Zelenskyy said he hasnot been invited to attend but would consider it if the formatfor talkswerefairto Kyiv
He also took ashot at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, saying he does notbelieve thata prime minister “who blocksUkraine everywhere can do anything positive forUkrainians or even provide abalanced contribution.”
Zelenskyy said he thinks thatall partieshave“moved closer” to apossible end to the war
“Thatdoesn’tmean it will definitelyend, butPresident Trump has achieved a lotinthe Middle East, and riding that wave he wants to end Russia’swar against Ukraine,” he added.
SupremeCourt to weigh marijuanausers’gun rights
BY LINDSAYWHITEHURST Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court said on Mondaythat it will consider whether people whoregularly smoke marijuana can legally own guns, the latest firearm case to come before thecourt since its 2022 decision expanding gun rights.
President Donald Trump’s administrationasked the justices to revive a case against aTexas man charged with afelony becauseheallegedly hadagun in his home andacknowledged being aregular pot user. The Justice Department appealed after alower court largelystruckdowna law that bars people who use any illegal drugs from having guns.
Last year,ajury convicted Hunter Bidenofviolating the law,amongother charges. Hisfather,then-
President Joe Biden, later pardoned him.
Argumentsprobably will take place early in 2026, with adecision likely by early summer
TheRepublican administration favors Second Amendment rights, but government attorneys argued that this ban is ajustifiable restriction.
They asked the court to reinstate acase against Ali Danial Hemani. Hislawyers got the felony charge tossed out after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that theblanketban is unconstitutionalunderthe Supreme Court’s expandedviewof gun rights. The appellate judges found it could still be used against people accused of being high and armed at the same time, though.
Hemani’sattorneys argue the broadly writtenlaw puts millions of people at risk of technical violations since
BY JEFF MARTIN and KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press
ATLANTA— Police arrested a man at Atlanta’sbustling airport on Monday after getting atip from his family that he was planningtoshoot up the place,and foundanassault rifle and ammunitioninhis truck outside, the city’spolice chief said. Billy Joe Cagle, of Cartersville, Georgia, had described his plan to shoot up the world’sbusiest airport on asocial media livestream, Chief Darin Schierbaum said during anews conference
“The Cartersville Police Department wasalerted by thefamily of Mr.Cagle that he wasstreaming on social media that he was headed to the Atlanta airport, in their words, to ‘shoot it up,’ and the family stated that he was in possession of anassault rifle,” Schierbaum said, describingCagleasa “convicted felon Cagle,49, arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta InternationalAirport in a Chevrolet pickup truck that was parked right outsidethe doors to the airport terminal. When police went to thevehicle, they found an AR-15
with 27 rounds of ammunition, Schierbaum said.
“We’re here today briefing you on asuccess and not atragedy because afamilysaw something andsaid something,” the chief said.
Cartersville police Capt. Greg Sparacio, whose department received the initial tip fromfamily members, said Cagle “hadthe intention to inflict harm to as many people as he could.”
During the news conference, policeshowed surveillance video that shows Cagle arriving at the airport and body-camera video of his arrest.
at least 20% of Americans have tried pot, according to government health data. About half of states legalizedrecreationalmarijuana, but it’sstill illegal under federal law
The Justice Department argues the law is valid whenused against regular drug users because they pose aserious public safety risk. The government said the FBI found Hemani’s gun and cocaine in asearch of his home as they probed travel and communications allegedly linked to Iran. The gun charge was the only one filed, however,and hislawyers said theother allegations were irrelevant and were mentioned only to makehim seem more dangerous. The casemarks another flashpoint in theapplication of the SupremeCourt’s newtestfor firearmrestrictions.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByMANUEL BALCE CENETA Ukraine’sPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyyspeaks to reporters Friday in Lafayette Park across the street from the White House, followinga meetingwith President Donald Trump in Washington.
Trump
Trumpnominates Will Crainfor judgeship
on Louisiana’shighest court
BY TYLERBRIDGES
Staffwriter
Will Crain, an associate justice on the Louisiana SupremeCourt, was nominated Monday by President Donald Trump to be afederal judge in New Orleans.
If confirmed by the Senate, Crain would fill one of three vacancies on the federal benchinthe Eastern District of Louisiana.
Crainhas been ajudge at various levels since 2009, including the past six years
Crain was also atrialcourt judge and appeals court judgeinSt. Tammany Parish before winning anelection in 2019 to join theLouisiana Supreme Court. Trump wrote that Crain “has proven he has the Wisdom and Courage required to put our Constitution, FIRST.Now,morethan ever,weneed Judgeswho will holdviolent criminals accountable, enforce the Rule of Law,and protect our Inalienable rights.”
Crain is aRepublican who hasbeenknown forhis conservativerulings on the Supreme Court,particularly favoring thestate in criminal matters. Duringcampaigns
Nuclear security agency furloughing workers
BY MATTHEWDALY Associated Press
WASHINGTON The federal agencytasked withoverseeing the U.S. nuclear stockpile has begun furloughing employees as part of the ongoing federal government shutdown, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Monday. In avisittoNevada, Wright said the National Nuclear Security Administration is furloughing 1,400 federal workers as part of theshutdown, which began Oct. 1. Nearly 400 federal workers will remainonthe job, along with thousands of NNSA contractors,the Energy Departmentsaid. The NNSA,asemi-autonomous branch of the Energy Department, also works to secure nuclear materials around the world.
“Tough day today,Wright said in Las Vegas before ascheduled visit to the Nevada National Security Site in Mercury,Nevada.
”We’re working hardto protect everyone’sjobs and keep our national stockpile
secure,” Wright said Thefurloughs do notpose an immediate threat to national security,Wrightsaid, adding: “Wehave emergency employees and the current nuclear stockpile is safe.”
President Do nald Trump’sRepublicanadministration fired hundreds of NNSA employees earlier this year, before reversing course amid criticism the action could jeopardize national security.Similar criticismemergedMonday after Wright’sannouncement
Wright said thedisruptionwould affect employeesand their families and will delay testing of commercial reactors, includingsome small modular reactors that theTrump administration haspushed as acheaper alternativeto costly nuclear plants that can take years or even decades to bringonline.
“These are jobsofgreat gravity,”Wright said, urging congressional leaders to reopen the government as soon as possible.
to be ajudge, he loved to tell storiesabout his former boss, state Sen.Sixty Rayburn,a colorful populist Democrat who represented Washington Parishfor 48 years.
R.
steps on Oct. 6atJackson
Mondaytobea
Crain played akey role in drafting anew map for the seven-memberSupreme Courtthat state lawmakers approved in 2024. Legislatorshad last redistricted the SupremeCourt in 1996. Crain grew up in Bogalusa and graduated from LSU andLSU Law School.His father,Hillary,also served as ajudge in St.Tammany Parish for years and chaired the Louisiana Gaming ControlBoard under Gov.Mike Foster Trump also nominated Alexander VanHook to be adistrictcourt judge to fill the vacancy in the Western DistrictofLouisiana,which
includes Lafayette, Alexandria,Shreveport, Lake Charles and Monroe. He would be basedinShreveport.
During much of 2025, Van Hook served as acting U.S. attorney for the Western District. Before that, he spent 25 yearsworking as a prosecuting attorney in that office.
“He’sa terrifictrial lawyer,and I’mdelighted,” said U.S. District Court Judge Donald Walter,who is on seniorstatus andhas been on the bench since 1985. The nominations mean that Sens. JohnN.Kennedy, R-Madisonville, and Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, have blessed the picks.
Pope meetswithclergyabuse survivorsgroup
BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press
VATICAN CITY Pope Leo XIV met Mondayfor thefirst time with an organization of clergy abuse survivors and advocates,who said he agreed to maintain apermanent dialogue as they press for azero-tolerance policy for abuse in theCatholic Church.
Ending Clergy Abuse is a global organization that has been campaigning to universalize the U.S. church’s abuse policy.Among other things, thepolicy calls for thepermanent removal from
ministry of apriest basedon even asingle act of sexual abusethat is either admitted to or establishedaccording to church law
TheU.S.policy,firstarticulated in the 1990s,was publicly adopted at the height of the scandalthere in abid to restore trust and credibility in the U.S. hierarchy after revelations of decades of abuseand cover-up. It is church lawinthe United Statesbut is notembraced elsewhere.
Leo acknowledged “there was great resistance” to theidea of auniversal zerotolerance law,said TimLaw
ECA co-founder.But Law saidhetoldLeo that ECA wantedtowork with him and the Vatican to move the idea forward.
Leohas metbefore with clergy abuse survivors, and was the point person for listening to victimsinthe Peruvian bishops conference when he was abishopthere.
Buthistory’s first American pope acknowledged the significance of meeting with ECA as an activistorganization, members tolda news conference.
Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI before him also met with individualvic-
tims but had kept activist and advocacy groups at arm’s length.
“He said, ‘This is the next historic step: to sittogether and talk,’”said German participant MatthiasKatsch of Monday’smeeting. “He allowed us to stay in contact, to have an open channel of communications.”
The audience inside the Apostolic Palace lasted an hour and Leo listened intently,participants said. The Vatican didn’tinitially list it among Leo’saudiences Monday, though subsequent versions of the pope’sagenda included it.
By The Associated Press
QUITO— The survivorofa U.S. strike on asubmersible vessel accused by the Trump administration of transportingdrugs in theCaribbean was released by authorities in Ecuador after prosecutors said theyhad no evidence he committed acrime in the SouthAmerican nation, agovernmentofficial said Monday.
U.S. strike survivor committedcrime
The official, who asked not to be identified because they werenot authorized to speak on the matter,told The Associated Press that the Ecuadorian man,identified as Andrés Fernando Tufiño,was in good health after medical evaluations Adocument from the Ecuadoriangovernment obtained by AP said “there is no evidence or indication that could lead prosecutors or judicial authorities to be certain” of any violation of current laws by Tufiño. AP requested comment from theAttorneyGeneral’s Office, but did notimmediately receive aresponse. Theman was repatriated by theUnited States over the weekend following aU.S. military attack on asubmersible vessel suspected of transporting drugsinthe Caribbean.A Colombian citizen also survivedthe attack andremains hospitalized after being repatriated to that country U.S. military personnel rescued both men after destroyingthe submersible on Thursday.Trumpsaidon social media that U.S. intelligence confirmed the vessel was carrying “mostly fentanyl and other illegal drugs.” Ecuador: No evidence
Cole, right, help Justice Piper D. Griffin, down the
Square. Crain was nominated
federal judgeinNew Orleans.
JanRisher
LOUISIANA AT LARGE
Recreating chicken history
Back in 1996, when Raising Cane’sfounder Todd Graves was deepinthe throes of launching his first restaurant at the corner of Highland Road and EastState Street in Baton Rouge, he rented the small second-floor apartment next door
He moved his bed intothe living room so he could keep a clearview of the restaurant and drive-thru. He worked mostof the time, but when he was in his apartment and things got busy, he wouldhead down the stairs, out the front door and crossthe parking lot to help.
The apartment served adual purpose —itwas also therestaurant’ssupport office, with bulky computers filling the kitchen and former bedroom.
For Graves, that apartment is ground zero for the early years of what has since become his restaurant empire. In 2016, when the building came on the market, he bought it. Over the next two years, he not only restored the rather dilapidated building but also returned his old apartment to its 1996 glory He replicated it as closely as possible —furnishings,details, even thecereal boxes atop the fridge and the brown paisley comforter on the bed.
Though it’snot open to the public, Cane’sregional marketingdirector Zachary Corbin took me on atour last week.
“Toddwas passionate about trying to restore it, preserve it —for nothing else other than the fact that the history of the building is so important to our history,” Corbin said.
Cane’semployees often refer to Graves’ old apartment as the museum,” but the rest of the building serves more utilitarian purposes, including storage space downstairs for stashes of specific pieces unique to the original restaurant nextdoor —old-style napkin holders, ketchup squirt bottlesand replacement furnishings.
As Corbin and Iwalked upstairs to unit No. 4, Graves’ old apartment, he told me that Graves was in Nashvillegetting ready for the LSU-Vanderbilt game. Even so, the Cane’sfounder took sometime to answer a fewquestions about his decision to remake his old apartment, which is all about the details down to the scales in the bathroom.
“Look, Iwill tell you, I’ll tell you this, Todd is the most detailorientedperson I’ve ever met in my entire life,” Corbin said.“I genuinely believe it’sone of the things that’smade the business successful.”
Appreciating the level of detail required to bring 1996 back to life, Iasked Graves, “On a scale of 1to10, how sentimental areyou?”
He answered, “11!”
Certainly,the apartment was evidence of that.
“People always ask if I’m planning to sell or take the brand public, and the answer is ‘no’ because no one cares for acompany like afounder does,” Graves said. “We’ve been around for 29 years and still have the same menuaswedid when I opened ‘the mothership’ that firstday.”
He says when he first started, hisgoalwas to open one restaurant. He was focused on doing everything he could to make thatdream areality
Afterthe first successful fall semester,hebegan thinking about where he and his team could open asecond location on theother side of campus.Back then, he said he thoughtCane’s was arestaurant conceptthat would only work on acollege campus. After they opened the second
RIDE TO REMEMBER
ABOVE: Bike riders arrive Thursday at amemorial to Mickey Shunick on St Landry StreetinLafayette during theeighthannual memorial ride.The route tookcyclists from Moncus Park to thememorialand back
ABOVE: Cyclists ride during theevent,held in honor of Shunick,aUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette student who was abducted andmurdered in 2012 while riding herbicycle
LSUwon’t discipline students afterarrests
Grouptocontinue protests over presidential search
BY HALEYMILLER Staff writer
Agroup of students who were arrested at ameeting for the LSU presidential search this month —after one refused to stop speaking after herpublic commenttime expired and others blockedthe police car that held her —learned Monday that theuniversity will nottakeformal disciplinaryaction.
“I thinkwedefinitelyhit a nerve with them, andthey acted irrationally,and Ithink they’ve shownclear regretfor their actions,”student Margo Wilson said abouther meeting with the LSUStudent Advocacy and AccountabilityOffice.
Thosewho were arrested have notyet found out if criminal charges will be filed,theysaid at anewsconference Monday.
STAFFPHOTO By HALEy MILLER
LSU students whowere arrested at apresidential searchcommittee meetingearlier this month discuss the outcome of theirmeeting with the Student Advocacy and Accountability Office on Monday
Theywerearrestedoncounts of resisting an officerand obstruction of ahighwayofcommerce, with two students also arrested on the count of interfering with an educational process. Thestudentsare part of the Studentsfor aDemocratic Soci-
etyclub and have protested the ongoing presidential search over what they sayisa lack of student involvement.
“Majority of this boardhas no stake directly in LSUinterms of their attendance or employment,” student Carson Wall said. “Webelieve that the focus in who gets to pick the president should be thepeople whoare directly involved every day in the university’sday-to-day activities.” Todd Woodward, thevice president of LSU marketing and communications,said in astatement after the arreststhat the university “fully supports lawful free expression.”
The student group said they will continue protesting the timeline of the presidential search and the minimal student participation, including at the committeemeeting Thursday.They are pleased thatLSU is pursuing an “informal resolution” process that likely will involve writing an essay or taking acourse, the
Houstontruck driver arrested in fatalcrash in Rayne
The driver of an 18-wheeler was arrestedina crash earlierthis monthalong Interstate 10 in Acadia Parish that left aRayne man dead.
Thomas Smith, 49, of Houston, is accused of leaving the scene of the deadly crash Jeremy Thomas, 38, of Rayne, was killed in thewreck Authorities said Smithwas arrestedbythe Texas Department of Public Safety Violent Crimes Task Force on Tues-
day on an arrest warrant issued by theRayne Police Department. Police said the investigation revealed Smith had parked a red 2021 Volvo tractor hauling a white cargotrailer on theshoulderofthe I-10 West off-ramp at Exit 87 in Rayne on Oct. 5, when Thomas, driving ared 2022 Chevrolet pickup truck, rear-ended the semi-truckabout 3:15 a.m. They said Smithleft the scene before police arrived. All partiesinvolved in acrash must stayatthe scene, exchange information and provide aid if there are injuries, according to
Louisiana law. They arealso required to contact law enforcement if the crash results in more than $500 in damage or involves injuries or deaths.
RaynePoliceChief Carroll Stelly said adeadly hit-and-run charge can resultinupto10years in prison. The investigation is ongoing.
Teenagerinjured during homecoming ‘pranks’
Asouthwest Louisiana teenager was injured in apedestrian andvehicle crash whilepartici-
pating in homecoming “pranks.”
About 11:40 p.m. Thursday, deputies from the Calcasieu ParishSheriff’s Office were called to the 1700 block of Kevin Lane in Lake Charles in reference to acrash, according to anewsreleasefromthe office. There were severalcarsof minors in thearea taking part in homecoming “pranks,” according to the Sheriff’s Office. A resident at anearby homecame outside with apaintball gun and begantoshoot,and the minors
STAFF PHOTOSByBRAD KEMP
Community collegesliftLa., thanks largely to Sullivan’s leadership
They don’toften get the spotlight, but we can’t overlook how much Louisiana’scommunity colleges have grown in recent years andhow much they are reshaping our state’sworkforce. Around athird of the state’s280,000 college studentsattendcommunityand technical colleges,which offertwo-yeardegrees and other certifications.And last year, arecord 35,000 graduates received degrees or certifications from these institutions. That represents arebound after losses during the pandemic, when enrollment at communityattechnical colleges fell by as much as 28%. Andthese gainscome despite significant uncertainty aboutfederal support for higher education going forward Community and technical college courseshelp advance the hopes and dreamsofthousands of Louisiana residents. Highschool students choose community colleges as an alternative when other options seem out of reach, butalso increasingly to lower their debt burdenwhen they move to four-year institutions. Working adults look to community colleges when they seek to change careers to earn more money to supporttheir families. Thosewho have been out of the workforce for some time can earncertificationsattechnical colleges, often workingin apprenticeshipsthat lead directly to jobs.
The LouisianaCommunityand Technical CollegeSystem, which comprises 12 campuses, has been fortunate forthe past decade to have robust management and advocacy underthe leadership of President Monty Sullivan.Sullivan, who was appointed to leadthe system in 2014 after years at the helm of Delgado Community College in New Orleans,announcedthat he will be retiring early next year During Sullivan’stenure, enrollment tripled, the system said.And he was instrumentalin ushering through the M.J. Foster Promise Program, which provides scholarships for Louisiana adults pursuingworkforcetraining. Sullivan is also anationally known voice on education, testifying before Congress as it sought to expandthe Pell Grant program tothose seeking certifications and leadingnational organizations such as Rebuilding America’sMiddle Class, a coalition of community colleges.
The contributions of Louisiana’scommunity andtechnical colleges to ourstate shouldbecelebratedbyall. They help provide opportunities to the most diverse rangeofstudents. They not only change lives; they also help train a crucial pipeline of workers to industries thatour state hopes to build. LCTCS haspartneredwith economic development agencies todevelop skilled workers for jobs in healthcare, construction, technology and other high-demand,high-wage fields.
As Louisiana continues to mark gains in jobs and economic development, lots ofpeople deserve credit —publicofficials, businessleaders and ahost of nonprofit organizations.
But let’snot forget the unsungheroesworking in our community and technical colleges to trainthe workforce of tomorrow.It’spasttime for them to move from the shadows, steponto center stage and take abow
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 and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.
For more than half amillion Louisianans like me, Medicare Advantage is morethan just healthinsurance it’s alifeline. It provides predictable costs, coordinated careand critical benefitsthat traditional Medicaredoesn’tcover, like vision, dental, hearing, prescription drugs,transportation to appointments and wellness programs
Butnow,this essential program is under threat.
The No UPCODE Act, co-authored by Louisiana’sown Sen. Bill Cassidy, could raise premiums,limit access to care andreduce the benefits that seniorsand people withdisabilities relyoneveryday.Itcould also make it harder for doctorstocoordinate care —acrucial service for patients like me who managemultiple chronic conditions. When physicians don’thave afull view of apatient’shealth history, care suffers —and so do outcomes Agreat example of this is that one of my medicines could interact with another Each medicine was prescribed by
adifferent doctor.The result was to have Narcan on hand in casethe medicines had negative effects on each other
The No UPCODE Act’s impact would be felt most by the people who need carethe most: homebound seniors, low-income individuals, rural residentsand patients managing serious health challenges, like me. It’s exactly the wrongdirection. Thereare smarter ways to address fraud and improvethe system without sacrificing care. MedicareAdvantage already operates under strict oversight. Whatwe need is to strengthen this successful program, not chip away at it. Congressshould stand up for seniors— not saddle us with higher costs and fewer services. IurgeLouisiana’sleaders to opposethe No UPCODE Actand protect MedicareAdvantage for people like me who depend on it now andinthe future. It’sliterally amatter of life or death.
MICHELLE POWELL Metairie
Ourgovernmentiscompletely broken
Ourcongressmen have been kicking thecan down theroad again. They do this everyyear.Partisan politics is destroying our country If our members of Congress cannot agree on acontinuing resolution, they should feel thepain like every military and essential worker.What makes them better than theyoung man risking his life in themilitary? Congressshould not be paid. Then they will do thepeople’sbusiness without attention to party.Congress has not done itsjob. They are elected to uphold theConstitution and to representthe people in theirdistrict, not theirparty
IsuggestCongress pass alaw stopping theirpay likeeveryone else. Maybe they would come to some compromise when they can’tpay theirhouse note or buy groceries.
Iheard the Republicans say,“Let’s passthis now and we’ll negotiate later.”
You’ve had months to negotiate. What’s wrong with now? The president would not even have ameeting with the Democrats until theday be-
fore the shutdown.
Ourwhole Congress is incompetent, bought and paid for by Citizens United and big corporate money.In other countries, the government pays for campaigns, so there is no corporate or billionaire influence.Weare becoming an oligarchy,not ademocracy,and our president wants to be a dictator As evidenced by his “Trump 2028” hats. How inappropriate. Is blatant corruption incompetence? Andthe disdain for our Constitution is amazing. Please, Louisiana Congress members, standupand forego your pay, feel some pain withyour constituents, prove you care I’m a70-year-old NewOrleanian. The two-party system no longer works. We need athirdparty.Bullying is not theanswer.Congress, please get back to thepeople’sworkand ignore partisan politics
Youare killing ourcountry
PAUL M. BEL NewOrleans
Hypocrisy with side dishes of codswallop and canards are the hallmarks of Louisiana’sRepublican U.S. senators and congressmen. While they continue to receive wages, they continue to tell the furloughed, unpaid workers and those whomust workwithout pay,it’s not the administration’sfault. What did they,our elected officials, do to mitigate this? What realistic compromises did they offer?
The Affordable Care Act and National Flood Insurance Program,used and necessary to manyLouisianians, are now out of reach. Once again, they have put President Donald Trump’sprecarious desires over what is best forwe, the people. It seemstomethat all of them have failed to stand forfree speech, religious freedom, science-based medicine —for anything other than keeping their jobs. Instead, they all have chosen to carry out the wishes of a president whospends his timeranting about talk show hosts, how other presidents descend staircases and how news organizations give him bad publicity His comments on pregnant women’s health needs werebeyond harmful. I’m surprised he has any energy lefttofire anyone whodeals in facts or strength to curtail our civil rights.
If their aim is to create Trumpland and dismantle the U.S., they’re doing a fine job
KATHY A. RUSH NewOrleans
Something to comment on in everyedition
The good? KokiRiley’sinsightful Monday college football column. The bad? To again take Vladimir Putin’sword, this time that Russia would adhere to nuclear arms limits forone moreyear as per 2010’snew START pact. The ugly?
Putnot your trustinprinces
“I think this is verypro-life. Youcan’t getmore pro-life than this.”
After more than ayear of waiting if you consider the enthusiasm with which the Trump campaign promised to make America Fertile Again with IVF for all —Donald Trump delivered his fertility policy announcements on Oct. 16 from the Oval Office. In the end, he was not giving away IVF for free as the latest MAGA/MAHA gift to theworld, but he was making clear tothe fewwho stillweren’tclear: The mandoesnot know what pro-life is. And while pro-life is awomb-to-tomb thing, Donald Trumpstill doesn’t getit. From aprincipledpro-life perspective, the White House announcement could have been worse. There were no employer mandates, justencouragements. And among the recommendations were benefits for restorative reproductive medicine —which is actually just good old-fashioned health care: adoctor looking to see what is going on to cause obstacles tochildbirth. Buttopro-lifers who aredisappointed, and to pro-choicers who just hate him anyway, Ihave thesame thing to say: Be free. Put not your trustin princes.That is good advice anyday, on any front, but especially for politics. Andit’slongneeded when it comes to abortion andinnocenthumanlife. In many ways,thisshould have happened already.Roe v. Wade did focus the national mind. It both united and divided in its ways. I blame my own tribe for this theDemocratic Party becoming inhospitable to life. Joe Biden is theperfect example. Biden began hispolitical career against abortion. Buthis party changed, so he did, too.
Kathryn Jean Lopez
Former Philadelphia Archbishop CharlesJ.Chaput once made thepointthat he would never have predictedthat the Democrats would becomethe party of abortion on demand because there were too manyCatholics in it. The Catholics put their Catholicism to theside. That’snot the way it’s supposed to work. Buthere we are. People opposed to abortion often found themselves forced to voteRepublican —oratleast not vote for Democrats. That changed last year,when the Republicans dropped ending abortion from their platform. Not only was Trump declaring victory over Roe, but he was alsodeclaring abortion astate issue andpromising to makeIVF more accessible. People who had previously
bought intohis pro-life talk had arude awakening. Of course, that rude awakening should have comein2020. It was still January,and we didn’tknow it would be thepandemic year of our lives. Trumpbecame the first sitting president to show up in person tothe March for Life. Andhesaid the appropriate things—except theones about how every human life is made in the image and likeness of God.
Back in theOval Office, five years later,Trumpdeclared his fertility policy “pro-life” in response to aquestion about religious and pro-life objections to IVF.Ifheknew what the reporter was talking about, he played dumb. Andclearly didn’tcare.
The theme for the 2026 March for Life is “Life is aGift.” Andwhat agift it would be to be able totalk about human life without all of the chains of ideological loyalties. Howcan we simply let mothersbemothers? And let every baby be loved? Politics has so compromised us that we often can’tsee thehuman lives beyond thelabels. No more. Andwehave President Trumptothank.
Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.
Trumploves farmersintobankruptcy
down to aboutzero.
At a2018 news conference in New York City,Trump saidofAmerican farmers, “I lovethem, and they voted for me, and they loveme. And they said, ‘Wedon’t care if we get hurt, he’sdoing the right thing.”’
Atlantadaily shrinks— andwhat’s lost with it
Asound of morning silence is coming to Atlanta.
The sound of newspapers landing on sidewalks in residential neighborhoods will vanish when, at year’send, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joining anational trend, stops publishing print editions. Turning trees into paper,marking it with ink, trucking it to people whodeliver it to readers soon this laboriousness might be as forgotten as men with tongs lugging large slabs of ice forhome iceboxes. The waning of the 400-year era of newspapers is, however,about cultural changes moremomentous than the efficiency and convenience of written words presented digitally
The Economist reports that the share of American adults whoread forpleasure has fallen 40% in 20 years, and students’ ability to read in quantity,with comprehension, is in parallel decline. An Oxford professor of English says students “struggle to get through one novel in three weeks.” Students lack, another professor says, “habits of application and concentration.”
The sentences that are being read are shorter and simpler.The Economist says an analysis of hundreds of New York Times bestsellers “found that sentences in popular books have contracted by almost athird since the 1930s.” Readers, if they can be called such, whoare mentally wired for driblets of 280 characters cannot cope with Charles Dickens’s“Bleak House” (1.9 million characters). Can people unable to decipher sophisticated prose manage sophisticated political ideas?
But sophistication is not in the repertoire of journalism devoted to what Andrey Mir,aCanadian, calls the retribalizing of society.Inhis epigrammatic 2020 book “Postjournalism and the death of newspapers,” Mir,aself-described “media ecologist,” says the media lost agenda-setting power when the internet enabled crowdsourced agendasetting. As advertising dollars migrated to the internet, newspapers, which hitherto werefunded from above by selling readers to advertisers, became funded from below by selling themselves to readers. Newspapers encouraged readers to think of subscriptions as donations to political causes. Subscribers enjoy their “slactivism,” outsourcing their activism through “donscriptions” —subscriptions thought of as donations.
Mir says “the last newspaper generation” was born in the early 1980s. It came of age as the internet did. Soon journalism stopped being about informing people to makethem citizens, and began to be about making them agitated.
The new business model depends on polarization, amplifying readers’ irritations and frustrations. “A newspaper,” wrote Vladimir Lenin, “is not only acollective propagandist and acollective agitator, but also acollective organiser.”
“Americans,” Mir says, “consumemedia 12 hours per day.Counting weekends, this is twice as much as afull-timejob.” Because there is insufficient newstofill the time, emphasis has shifted to “expertise, commentaries, and opinions.”
Prestige newspapers’ membership models make them function, Mir says, as validators. Readers value the newspapers’ attitudes toward events, not the newsthat readers already know about events. Readers must be financially able and emotionally inclined to makedonscriptions. The workof reader-driven newspapers is to justifythe readers’ agenda and inculcate it in others, whowill become donors.
During his 2025 joint address to Congress, Trump said, “Our new trade policy will also be great for the American farmer —I love the farmer.” Hardly any sector has suffered from Trump’strade wars more than agriculture. Soybeans were hardest hit Before the first trade war in the first Trump administration, China was the biggest foreign market for U.S. soybeans, taking about 30% of totalproduction. Soybean exports toChina fell from $12.3 billion in 2017 to $3.1 billion in 2018. Joe Biden came into office, and exports rose in 2022 to arecord $16.4 billion. But farmers didn’tvotefor Biden’ssuccessor in 2024. They voted againfor Trump, even though he campaigned with apromise for TradeWar II, singling out China. And come “Liberation Day” on April 2, he launched it with heightened ferocity.China retaliated, targeting U.S. agriculturalproducts. This year,just as American soybean farmers anticipate abumper crop, exports toChina are
Other American farm products have also suffered greatly.They include corn,beef, tree nuts and pork. The political mystery endures. “It’s somewhat understandable that Trump appealed to rural voters in 2016. After all, hekeptsaying he loved farmers.
The first tradewar undoubtedly took them by surprise, thoughhedid bail them out with $23 billion in aid, courtesy of theAmerican taxpayer
Butwhy didthey votefor him a second time? Trumpreceived an even larger percentageoftheir support while promising another trade war
Almost 78% of voters in farmingdependentcounties supported him in 2024. Thereasons were probably part cultural —rural Americans tend to be moresocially conservative— and Trump’sinflation argument also hit home.Under Biden, prices were rising for fertilizer,fuel and equipment
Butevenifthis latest trade war ended tomorrow,growers of commodity crops like soybeans would still face lasting damage. They’ve spent decades cultivatingbuyers for their products in Chinaand elsewhere. Chinaislooking for new suppliers, and once those relationships are cemented, it will be hard to win them back. Chinahas turned to Brazil and Argentina forsoybeans—Australia for beef. It’s investinginport projects in Peru and Brazil to ensure areliable
supply of farm productsfrom South America. Trumpistalking about another big bailout of farmers, but once replaced, Americanshave lost long-term. No magic wand can bring their export marketsback to their former glory
The trade war has also further raised thefarmers’ prices, especially for fertilizer.Much of it comes from tradewar target Canada.
Onedoubts that other business interests would have been as accommodatingtoTrump’sruinous policies as farmers were after getting whacked thefirst time around.
Heartland grumbling has turned into louder protest. Butnomatter.Trump is presumably not running again for president.Henolonger needs their vote—orrural scenery for campaign backdrops. Andhecertainly doesn’t yearn for their love. He’s acity boy, and the company he favors hail from crypto, tech and Wall Street. How did Trumppull it off, abusing farmers while convincing them, like battered wives, that he still loved them? That took considerable talent, reminiscent of his much-quoted remark, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody,and Iwouldn’tlose any voters.” Thing is, people on Fifth Avenue are doing just fine. It’sthe farmers who are bleeding.
Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop.
What Mir calls the “commodification of the Trumpscare” has completed journalism’stransition from “making happy customers” fordepartmentstores and other advertisers, to “making angry citizens.” For what Mir calls postjournalism, the next challenge is to find asuccessor scare.
“The shiftfrom rationality to emotionality and peddling intensities” has, Mir says, madenegativity mandatory.Hence this from the New York Times website on May 14, 2020:
“Almost 3million U.S. workers filed forunemployment last week. Although the weekly tally has been declining since late March, experts are warning of along struggle ahead.”
There should be akey on the contemporary journalist’scomputer that prints the phrase “experts are warning of.” Mir writes, “The trendsetting emotional tone is easy to read even on the faces of TV hosts:”
“Inthe 1970s, TV anchors had to wearsmiles; now,they are obliged to wear an anxious grimace. Today’snews anchors makeakind of ‘basset face’ that would have looked unprofessional on 1970s TV.Inreturn, an anchor with a‘corgi face’ from the 1970s would look like an idiot on today’snews show.” Time flies. Until the 1840s, information could moveatabout 35 miles per hour —asafast as a train. Today,information matters less relative to opinions, and opinions are distilled to attitudes. These are performative, and they compete forattention with upwardly spiraling shrillness. Hence this distinctively 21st-century achievement: the velocity of stupidity
Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com
George Will
Froma Harrop
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
President Donald Trump speakstoreporters aboard AirForce OneonSunday, en route to Joint Base Andrews, Md., as he returnsfroma trip to Florida.
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restaurant, at 202 W. Lee Drive, and recognized the different traffic patterns withbusiness people at lunch,momsand dads going through the drive-thru to pick up meals for their kids on their way home and church groups on Sundays, he got the vision and the passion to grow Cane’s.
The company has seen enormous growth in the years since. Even so, Graves said, “there’sso much runway for Cane’s.” He’slooking forward to continuing to expand in the U.S. and beyond, specifically to opening in the United Kingdom next year,with additional international markets to come. Meanwhile, the original Cane’s just on the outskirts of LSU’scampus in BatonRouge, continuesto
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students said.
“I still think that we are being unfairly targeted for
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A16-year-old girlwas trying to get backinto a vehicle when the driver,an adult, put the car in reverse and struck her She was airlifted to ahospital out of LakeCharles and was listed as in critical, but stable condition, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
hum. Next door,thatsmall apartmentwaits —frozen in time, cereal boxes and all —standing as aquiet testamenttowhat can happenwhensomeonekeeps believing in an idea long after everyone elsehas gone home
Walking through Graves’ ode to 1996 mademewonderwhatkindofshrine therestofus might create if we took the time to hon-
our political views and the wayinwhich we express them,” Wall said. “I do think it wasunlawfulinthe waythat LSUPD conducted themselves, andI think it’s apparentthat LSUistrying to avoidbad publicityfrom
ebration,but we’veseen time andtimeagainhow quickly things canturn dangerous,” Sheriff Gary “Stitch”Guillory said in astatement.“What may startout as aprank can endintragedy.Someparents think thatbyparticipating in or supervising these activities, they are makingitsafer,but as we’ve seen things can still go wronginaninstant.I encourage parents to talk with their kidsabout makingsafe and responsible choices.”
or our own beginnings
Most of us rush forward, always chasing what’s next. Standing in that smallapartment, Ithought abouthow everygreatstory —inthis case, one that starts with chicken fingers andasecret sauce —begins witha dream worth holding onto
EmailJan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.
this eventbymoving to a more informal (process), butpersonally,I’m happy with these results.”
Email Haley Miller at haley.miller@theadvocate. com.
Vincentsaid there wereno updates.
PICK 5: 6-8-2-8-4 Unofficial notification, keep your tickets. started runningbackto theircars.
“Homecomingismeant
to be atimeoffun and cel-
On Monday,Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kayla
“Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’sOffice will finishtheir investigation anditwill be turnedovertothe District Attorney’sOffice,” Vincent said.
LOTTERY
SUNDAY,OCT.19, 2025
PICK 3: 2-2-6
PICK 4: 5-2-0-7
PROVIDED PHOTOS
Todd Gravesrestored apartment No. 4inthe buildingonEast State Street besidethe original Raising Cane’srestaurant on Highland Road in Baton Rougetoits 1996 glory, theyear he lived there when he started Cane’s.
The kitchen features the exact cereal that Graves had atop therefrigerator.
The words that once adorned the walls of the New OrleansPelicanspractice facility areathing of thepast Words like “Mindfulness,” “Joy” and “Compassion” thatdecorated thegym under the DavidGriffin regime have been replaced by thesetwo simple words: “One Goal.” Nexttothe words“OneGoal” is agiant picture of the Larry O’Brien trophy. No New Orleansteam —not the Jazz in the ’70s,the Hornets in the early 2000s, nor the Pelicans as they have been called since 2013 —has ever comeclose to lifting an NBAtrophy
But Joe Dumars, who replaced Griffin as the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketballoperations in April, hopes to change that. His first season on the job will answer some key questions forthe franchise.
The main one, of course, is this one: Are the Pelicansheadinginthe right direction?
But there are plenty more. Will Zion Williamson continue to be the face of the franchise? Will Trey Murphymakethe leapto superstarstatus? Will head coach Willie Green con-
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
Following another disjointedperformance from his offense at Ole Miss,LSU coach Brian Kelly told offensive coordinator Joe Sloan and wide receivers coach Cortez Hanktonto makeanadjustment LSU was going to paredownits playbook. Instead of running awidevarietyof plays, the Tigers would focus on mastering the concepts they couldalreadyrun efficiently
“Wewent into that process about three weeks ago through the bye week,” Kelly said during his weekly Mondaypress conference, “and Ithink it’sprovedto be effective for us.” Kelly has apoint. The Tigers had over 400 yards of offense in their next game against South Carolina. They then scored 24 points thispastSaturdayagainst Vanderbilt —the most it had scored against an FBS opponent this year —while averaging 4.8 yards per rush Improvementshavebeenmade,but they weren’tenough to take down the Commo-
tinuetobethe one guiding theship?
We’llfind out the answers over the next 82 games, starting Wednesday in Memphis, Tennessee, where the Pelicans play the Grizzlies in their season opener Realistically,the “one goal”of winningthe NBA title is far-fetched this season. Teams that won just 21 games the year before don’tascend to the top of theNBA ladder right away Dumars, who has been around the NBAlong beforethe playersonthe Pelicans roster were born, knows that.
doresonthe road or satisfy theanger of a frustrated fanbase
“If you really wanttotakethe bigpicture, Iwas pleased with alot of things, but it’sthe outcomes,” Kelly said. “Our fan base wantspositive outcomes, and Iget that. There’snothing that brings thecommunity together better than an LSU victory.And so we clearly understand that.”
Even afterwatchingthe film, Kelly’s takeaways from Saturday’soffensive performancedidn’tchange much. There weretoo manysituations where the Tigers needed atouchdown, but settled for afield goal instead. The most obvious of those lost opportunities came in thefourth quarterwhen LSU, trailing by 10, settled for afield goal after sophomore running back Caden Durham’s 51-yard run placed theTigers in first andgoal at the 2-yard line. Turning those typesofpossessions into
“Before youcan get to theplayoffs or acertain amount of wins, thefirst thingyou have to get to is,‘We competehard every night,’ ”Dumars said. “If you don’testablish that in your building first,you’re just talking. You’re just giving quotes out at that point. For me, it’s aprocess of establishinga hard,competitive playingteamevery night. Then we will get to thewins and losses.” PriorityNo.1 is staying healthy The Pelicans’four best returning players (ZionWilliamson, Trey
See PELICANS, page 3C
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
Things areabout to getmoredifficultfor a New OrleansSaints offense thathas already struggled to string together consistent efforts this season. The Saints got the worst kind of doublebarrel injury barrageMonday followinga loss to the ChicagoBears that dropped them to 1-6: Both Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy, whotore his biceps, andNo. 2running back Kendre Miller, who tore his ACL, would miss the remainder of the season.
“Obviously,it’sreally unfortunate, because both those guys we feltlike had been playing some really good football,” coach Kellen Moore said. The injuries are adevastating blow to an offensethatfinished Sunday’s loss ranked No.29inscoring and 24th in yards per game. McCoy,originally drafted in the second round of the 2019 draft, is the anchor, leader andlongest-tenuredmember of ayoung Saints offensive line. Not only is he acritical piece of the Saints’ offensive brain, calling out protections and helping get the offensive line in position, he is probably the best individual player on the offensive front.
“He’s oneofour most impactfulleaders on this team,soother guys are going to have an opportunitytofill that void on thefield,” Mooresaid. “Erik still hasthatpresenceto all these guys, no matter what capacity he’s in. He’ll do everything he can to help.
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
The frustration from the second straight Sun Beltsetback hasn’tlessened since Saturday’s22-10 homecoming loss to Southern Miss.
Butafter reviewing thefilm, UL coach Michael Desormeaux confirmed whathefelt during the battle. The effortand execution werethere formostofthe game —except for ahandfulofdisastrous plays. “You’re really,really pleased with theeffortand an intensity that ourguys playedwith andwe’re playing winning football 95% of the game,” said Desormeaux, whose Cajuns (2-5, 1-2) face a third straight first-place team in Troy (5-2, 3-0) at 6p.m. Saturday in Alabama. “But there’ssix or seven plays that you go back to andthose are the difference in the game.” And once again, the Cajuns aren’tmaking
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD Saints center ErikMcCoyruns aplayin the first halfofagame against the New England Patriots on Oct. 12. McCoysuffered aseason-ending bicepsinjuryinSunday’s game against Chicago.
ä See SAINTS, page 3C
Pelicans roster has new look
young team seeks to rebound for 2025-26 season
BY LES EAST
Contributing writer
The New Orleans Pelicans finalized their regular-season roster Monday, and it features six primary players that weren’t with the team last season.
The projected starting lineup features three players Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones — who missed a combined 143 games last season
So the team that opens the season Wednesday at Memphis will look very different than the one that literally and figuratively limped to the end of last season with a 21-61 record.
Three players on this year’s team — point guard Dejounte Murray, trade acquisition Kevon Looney and Derik Queen, the second of the team’s two lottery draft picks — are sidelined with injuries as the season gets underway
The combination of mainstays, familiar faces returning to health and veteran and rookie newcomers give fourth-year coach Willie Green a roster capable of greatly exceeding last year’s record — the second-worst in franchise history
This year’s team has the potential to approach the 49-33 record of two years ago tied for the second-best in franchise history
Whether the team can avoid the inordinate number of long-term injuries to key players that have plagued it in recent seasons and how quickly and how well Green and his staff can mesh the collection of parts will go a long way in determining the Pelicans’ success over the next six months.
“I love the connectivity of this group,” Green said after practice Monday “One of the most important components is being able to communicate on both ends of the court. This group has put in the work, and I think the new faces have assimilated to where we can get off to a good start.”
New executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said he assembled a roster capable of overcoming significant injuries. And that brings us to a closer look at the players on the Pelicans’ opening-day roster:
F Zion Williamson
The two-time All-Star is the team’s most important player When he’s playing they’re good When he’s not, they’re bad. Two years ago, he played in 70 games, and the Pelicans went to the playoffs Last year, he played in 30 games, and they had the secondworst record in the West. There’s more to those numbers than just Williamson’s availability, but it’s the biggest factor in this team’s prospects.
G/F Herbert Jones
A case can be made that Jones, a first-team all-NBA defender in his last full season two years ago, is as important to the Pelicans defense as Williamson is to the offense. His ability to contain the opponent’s best perimeter offensive player makes him a spiritual leader on the team, and offensively he has evolved into a double-figure on average each of the past two seasons.
C Yves Missi
As a 20-year-old rookie a year ago, Missi was pressed into a prominent role and led the team in games played (73) as well as starts (67). The acquisition of Looney and the drafting of Queen should lessen the burden on Missi, but it won’t initially because Missi, on whom the organization exercised a third-year contract option last week, is the only fully healthy big man to start the season.
G/F Trey Murphy
Murphy’s ever-expanding game made it easier for the previous regime to trade Brandon Ingram during last season rather than give him a maximum contract. Murphy’s rare 3-point range has always made him a valuable offensive asset, but his enhanced ability to drive to the basket, set up teammates, rebound and defend make him one of the team’s most important players.
G Jordan Poole
The Pelicans traded for Poole to boost the offense at both guard positions. Murray’s absence might require him to play more point guard early on, but he will be an important leader from both positions.
G/F Saddiq Bey
His career has been consistent with recent Pelicans history — showing a lot of promise before being derailed by injury His injury — a torn ACL — was suffered in a game with the Hawks against New Orleans on March 10, 2024, and his first game since then will come
Wednesday His perimeter shooting and ability to defend multiple positions should make him a key player off the bench.
G Jose Alvarado
The energy and enthusiasm that Alvarado brings off the bench on a nightly basis have made him a valuable contributor during the past four seasons. He’ll continue to be counted on to provide a lift.
G Jeremiah Fears
The Pelicans used the No 7 overall pick in the draft to grab the teenager out of Oklahoma. His ability to create for himself and others gives him an opportunity to carve out an important role right away, but the Pelicans have enough veterans in the backcourt to bring him along slowly if necessary
F/C Karlo Matkovic
He had a slow adjustment to the NBA as a rookie last season, playing in just six of the Pelicans’ first 42 games. But he played 36 of the last 40 games, scoring in double figures 15 times, including the last eight games, and grabbing
opener
double-figure rebounds six times. Matkovic, who missed practice Monday because of an elbow injury, enters the season as Missi’s primary backup while Mooney and Queen heal.
G Jordan Hawkins
Hawkins took on a bigger role as a second-year player last season and increased all of his per-game averages. His 3-point shooting should continue to earn him minutes, but just how many is uncertain if a deep backcourt stays mostly healthy Nonetheless, the organization likes him enough to have exercised a fourth-year option on him last week.
G/F Micah Peavy
The 40th pick in the draft naturally got overshadowed by the two lottery picks. Peavy has a chance to eventually find a niche.
F/C Derik Queen
The second lottery pick seems likely to be the first injured player to return. He had wrist surgery in the summer but was cleared last week to resume full activities.
F/C Kevon Looney
He is the oldest player on the team, though he won’t turn 30 until February Last season with the Warriors, Looney had his fewest starts and fewest minutes in five seasons, but the three-time NBA champion will have a significant influence on younger players and will provide an important inside presence when he returns. His sprained knee is scheduled to be re-evaluated in two weeks.
G Dejounte Murray
Murray’s leadership, defense and playmaking make him one of the team’s most important players. The timing of his return from Achilles surgery is uncertain,.
G Jaden Springer
In four NBA seasons, he has played in 110 games (six starts) with the 76ers, Celtics and Jazz. Players with two-way contracts
G Trey Alexander
He played in 24 games last season after joining the Nuggets as an undrafted free agent.
C Hunter Dickinson
The 7-foot-1 rookie undrafted free agent could have an early opportunity due to the team being short-handed at center
G Bryce McGowens
He has played in 118 games, including 21 starts, during the past three seasons while with the Hornets and the Trail Blazers.
Cajuns picked ninth in Sun Belt by coaches
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
What’s going to happen in the upcoming Sun Belt Conference’s men’s basketball season?
Based on the preseason poll, no one really has any idea. Eight teams got at least one first-place vote, including the UL Ragin’ Cajuns. When the dust settled, however, coach Quannas White’s Cajuns were picked to finish ninth in the preseason coaches poll. Also, a team filled with new coaches and players got no recognition on the preseason all-Sun Belt squad.
Nevertheless, White said he likes the progress being made.
“Practice is going well,” White said in his first weekly press conference of the season “The guys have been receptive, and they’re working really hard. I think we’ve had really good carryover from the summer to the fall.”
So far White said his first team may have more potential scorers than originally projected.
“The good thing about this team is we’ve got depth,” White said.
“When you talk about who may be the leading scorer, I think this team is versatile. I think we have seven, eight guys on this team who can jump up and get 20 on any given night so that will probably fluctuate from time to time.”
Meanwhile, rebounding is a team issue.
“Offensive and defensive rebounds for me are the same,”
White said. “I want to control the boards. That comes down to toughness and effort. Those are the two things you have to have, and we have.”
White gave specific credit to team trainer David Ventress for getting his team in shape to handle those lofty defense and rebounding demands.
“Coach David Ventress has done a great job over the summer,” he said. “I can’t brag on him enough.
These guys are in really good shape, and once they leave him and get with me, I get them in shape even more.”
White wasn’t yet willing to discuss any potential starting lineups for the season opener on Nov 3 at Ball State or the Nov 7 home opener against Southeastern.
He did mention a few newcomers who have emerged as team leaders throughout the offseason.
“Yeah, I’ve got a couple guys in Jamyron Keller and Jackson Olvera who have been good (as leaders) and Zeke Cook. It’s been by committee, but a lot of guys have stepped up like De’Vion Lavergne. We’ve got a really good group, and we’ve got a lot of leaders on this team.”
White has also liked what he’s seen from the three holdovers from last year’s team in senior Cook, 6-10 sophomore Jeremiah Evans and 6-8 redshirt junior Kyran Ratliff.
“I think they would say that they haven’t been challenged like this,” White said. “Credit to those guys, because those guys have made huge jumps in terms of their effort and what’s required.
“Jeremiah Evans is talented, super talented. He has an offensive skill set that we’re going to utilize this year.”
Police: Former NFL player
Martin died after struggle
OAKLAND, Calif.— Former All-Pro NFL running back Doug Martin died after a struggle with police officers who were taking him into custody while they were investigating a break-in at a home in Oakland, police said Monday Martin, best known for his stellar career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, became unresponsive after being arrested early Saturday, according to a statement released by the Oakland Police Department.
He was transported by paramedics to a hospital where he died, police said. He was 36. A cause of death has not been released.
Police said in a statement that Martin was involved in a break-in and that a “brief struggle” happened as police were attempting to detain him.
Nuggets, Braun agree to $125M, 5-year extension
DENVER Shooting guard Christian Braun agreed to a $125 million, five-year contract extension with the Denver Nuggets on Monday His agent, Bill Duffy confirmed the deal to The Associated Press. It was first reported by ESPN.
The 24-year-old Braun is coming off a season with the Nuggets in which he moved into the starting lineup. He averaged 15.4 points and 5.2 rebounds.
Known for his high-energy defense and hustle, Braun fits seamlessly alongside Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. The 6-foot-6 Braun was taken by Denver with the 21st pick in 2022 after finishing his career at Kansas with a national title.
Hawks, Daniels agree to $100M, 4-year extension
ATLANTA Atlanta Hawks guard
Dyson Daniels has agreed to a four-year, $100 million rookie contract extension, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press on Monday Daniels earned the extension after being named the NBA’s most improved player while finishing as the runner-up as defensive player of the year last season.
Daniels led the NBA with 3.01 steals per game last season. He added surprising offense by setting a career high with 14.1 points per game.
The Hawks acquired Daniels as part of a package that included two first-round picks in a trade that sent guard Dejounte Murray to New Orleans before the 2024-25 season.
Padres plan to interview Pujols for manager job
SAN DIEGO The Padres will meet with future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, sources said, as they seek to replace manager Mike Shildt, who announced his retirement last week. It is not known when the interview of Pujols will take place. Pujols, who retired in 2022 after 22 seasons playing for the Cardinals, Angels and Dodgers, is also expected to interview with the Orioles. Pujols interviewed with the Angels earlier this month but is no longer a candidate for that job, according to multiple reports.
The 11-time All-Star, whose 703 career home runs are fourth most in history, has never managed in the major leagues. He managed Leones de Escogido to the Dominican Winter League and Caribbean Series titles earlier this year
Texas Tech is banning tortilla-throwing tradition
LUBBOCK, Texas Texas Tech is banning the throwing of tortillas by fans on kickoffs after the 14thranked Red Raiders were penalized twice and fined for objects being thrown onto the field in their most recent home game.
Athletic director Kirby Hocutt said Monday fans entering the stadium would be instructed to discard tortillas, and there would be reminders before kickoff for anyone who took tortillas in to give them to stadium workers in order for them to be thrown away Anyone caught throwing tortillas would have their ticket privileges revoked from the rest of the academic year across all sports, Hocutt said.
Hocutt was the
jects
STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears practices on Oct. 10 at the Smoothie King Center The Pelicans chose Fears as the No 7 overall pick in the draft earlier this year
Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado is expected to be a valuable contributor off the bench.
CAJUNS
them — ranging from the fumble at the 1 to the 98-yard touchdown pass allowed on third-and-13 to running into the punt in the end zone.
“Unfortunately, it’s not like we’re going 3-for-3 in those six plays — we’re going 0-for-6,” he said. “You’ve got to love the way these guys believe and play for each other and are playing really hard. But in the critical moments, we didn’t get it done.”
Naturally, the most important issue to update is the injury report.
Perhaps the best news is that left tackle Bryant Williams, who left Saturday’s game with a leg injury, and Kaden Moreau, who didn’t play against Southern Miss, could both play at Troy
“Kaden, we’re pretty sure he’ll be good to go,” Desormeaux said.
practice last week that was complicating his ability to throw the ball in Saturday’s game.
“He rips one (pass attempt in practice Wednesday) and then all of a sudden he kind of goes down on a knee,” Desormeaux said. “It was just like, ‘Oh my goodness.’
Then on Thursday, he came out and threw it and we felt like he threw it good enough to be effective on a pretty short turnaround.
“He said he feels a lot better, which is good.”
“... We’ve
Now the Cajuns turn their attention to a Troy team that has made the plays when necessary to win close games. The Trojans edged Buffalo 21-17 and then won overtime games against South Alabama 31-24 and Texas State 48-41 after trailing 28-7.
got
a group of men in that building that they don’t have any quit in them. They show up day in and day out and work their tails off.”
MICHAEL DESORMEAUX, UL coach
“Bryant said he’s going to try to make it happen this week. The MRI results were a lot better than what we thought they were.”
Desormeaux also said center Cooper Fordham finished the game and so did right tackle Jax Harrington, who he confirmed “got the wind knocked out of him and just needed a minute to get back” to explain his exit late in the first half.
As for quarterback Lunch Winfield, Desormeaux said he somehow exited the game healthier than he entered it.
“He left more healthy, I would say,” he said. “I don’t know if he’s telling me the truth, but he said he felt better than he did the week before.”
Desormeaux explained Winfield had the ankle injury since the Marshall game, but actually suffered an oblique injury in
LSU
Continued from page 1C
touchdowns has been an issue for the Tigers dating back to last year
“We settled for field goals and they got touchdowns,” Kelly said. “And that ultimately was the difference.”
But don’t expect Kelly to take over playcalling duties in those moments, or start overruling Sloan’s decision-making within games at any point moving forward.
“Play calling is an art and a science. It’s both, right?” Kelly said “And if you start getting involved in that too much it does, in my opinion, over my career, it’s not the best thing.”
Kelly did add that he has veto power over certain play calls and has used that power in the past. But most of his involvement with LSU’s offense deals with the Tigers’ game planning throughout
PELICANS
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Murphy, Herb Jones and Dejounte Murray) missed a combined 194 games last season. The Pelicans’ inability to stay healthy is the main reason the team won the second-fewest number of games in franchise history It came on the heels of a 49-win season, tied for the second-most wins in team history The oddsmakers in Vegas project the Pelicans to be more like last season than the season before. The over/ under on wins set by Vegas is at just 31.5. Expectations from the national media are similarly low On the contrary, most of the local media members predict they will exceed that low bar Dumars is taking more of a waitand-see approach.
LSU LT Adams expected to miss game vs. Texas A&M
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
“Every game they’ve been in, it’s been a tight game in the fourth quarter and they find ways to win. They’ve taken advantage of the opportunities they’ve gotten and make plays in critical situations.”
In the win over Texas State, the Trojans threw for 415 yards, but Desormeaux warned not to be deceived by that big number
“Coach (Gerad) Parker was at Notre Dame, so they’re still in ‘12’ (two tight ends) personnel and played that type of game,”
Desormeaux said “They’re banged up a little bit up front, so they’re not running it as well, but some of that (passing yards) is the nature of the games they’ve played.”
With five games left in the season, Desormeaux is convinced his team is still focused on the big picture.
“The ones (fans) that doubt it I get it,” he said. “It’s certainly not what we want right now, but we’ve got a group of men in that building that they don’t have any quit in them. They show up day in and day out and work their tails off.”
the week
“I think, from my perspective, that’s the best place for me,” Kelly said
But, from a coaching standpoint, whatever the solution is for LSU’s offense has to be found this week The Tigers are a loss away from being essentially eliminated from the College Football Playoff discussion, and their next two contests are against top-5 opponents in Texas A&M and Alabama.
If the Tigers can’t figure it out now this season may go down as a lost cause for an offense that entered the year with high hopes.
“We’re disappointed with the loss, don’t get me wrong, and we want to do better for our fan base.
We get that,” Kelly said. “But having said that, there were a lot of things that we can take away from the game that we need to build on.”
Email Koki Riley at Koki Riley@theadvocate.com.
The ankle injury that offensive lineman Tyree Adams suffered on Saturday in LSU’s loss to Vanderbilt is expected to sideline him for at least one game, coach Brian Kelly confirmed on Monday Adams, a redshirt sophomore, started each of the No. 20 Tigers’ first seven contests at left tackle. He was injured in the first quarter of their matchup with the No. 10 Commodores, then was spotted later watching the rest of the game from the sideline on crutches.
LSU inserted redshirt sophomore DJ Chester at left tackle in place of Adams, but he struggled to slow down Vanderbilt edge rushers. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed three pressures, a hit and a sack across his 22 pass-blocking snaps.
The right side of the Tigers’ offensive line had just as much trouble. Redshirt freshman right tackle Weston Davis, according to PFF, surrendered five pressures and three hits across his 33 passblocking snaps.
Kelly said Monday that Chester will continue to start in place of Adams, though LSU (5-2) is planning to give freshman Carius Curne practice reps at that position throughout the week.
“(Chester’s) our most experienced guy,” Kelly said.
“He had one stumble where his foot got caught in the ground on the turf, and we had a sack that was given up. But by and large, he
SAINTS
Continued from page 1C
“I think the world of him. He’s been playing some phenomenal football.”
The two-time Pro-Bowler currently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ best pass blocking center, having allowed just three pressures and no sacks on 253 pass blocking opportunities. He was the service’s highest graded center overall last season, albeit in an injury-shortened campaign. This will now mark two straight years that McCoy has only played in seven games for the Saints. Last season it was elbow and groin injuries that cut his season short.
He’d worked his way back to the field throughout the offseason, and had played all but three of the Saints offensive snaps through the first six games. But he left Sunday’s loss against the Bears in the fourth quarter, cradling his arms against his body
The injury occurred when McCoy was pulling on a run off the right tackle. Bears safety Jaquan Brisker ducked under McCoy’s block, causing McCoy to reach with his left arm. The center collapsed to the turf
did what was expected of him, and I have confidence that he can go out there and do the job.”
LSU also faced the Commodores without linebacker Whit Weeks, defensive tackle Bernard Gooden and edge rusher Jimari Butler Receiver Aaron Anderson and offensive lineman Paul Mubenga returned to the field, but they each had quiet days. Anderson caught one pass for 18 yards, and Mubenga didn’t play a single snap Redshirt sophomore Coen Echols started in his place at left guard.
CBS Sports first reported the news that Adams was expected to miss time.
Two DBs to redshirt?
Two LSU defensive backs haven’t seen the field in over a month.
Kelly said Monday that it’s because the Tigers are hoping they can preserve redshirt seasons for both of them: cornerback Ashton Stamps and safety Jardin Gilbert
“We’re trying to protect them,” Kelly said. “Both of them. They’ve both played three games, so if we can, in fact, protect their year, we’ll try to.”
Neither Stamps, nor Gilbert, has seen the field since LSU beat Florida on Sept 13. Stamps started 24 games across the previous two seasons, but he’s since slipped down the depth chart behind sophomore PJ Woodland and five-star freshman DJ Pickett Gilbert is a fifth-year senior who prepped at University High and started his career at Texas A&M. He
in obvious pain after the play When McCoy left the game, the Saints turned to veteran Luke Fortner to handle center duties. New Orleans acquired Fortner during the preseason in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, sending defensive tackle Khalen Saunders to Jacksonville in the trade.
It’s not yet clear if Fortner will continue to handle center in McCoy’s absence The 2022 thirdrounder started 17 games at center as a rookie for the Jaguars, but lost his grip on a starting job last season and was considered expendable by this summer New Orleans has several other players with center experience on the roster, including Torricelli Simpkins and Cesar Ruiz.
“We’ll have to navigate the roster as far as how that position ends up playing out,” Moore said. “We have about 24 hours to sort through that and then we’ll have to put a plan of action together and move forward.”
While Miller didn’t play as substantive a role in the Saints’ offense as McCoy, his injury is just as disappointing for different reasons. Because of various injuries, Miller has played eight, six and seven games in his first three professional seasons.
The 2023 third-rounder suffered his injury on his first carry of the
“It’s a mistake to come in and just say ‘We’re going to change things overnight,’ ” Dumars said. “It’s just not how sports work The teams you saw in the Finals (the OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers), none of that was overnight. That was a process. It’s a process to get teams to where they want to be. But it shouldn’t be a process for the fans to see us play in a style that they like. The success part of it might be more of a process. But the style of play — resilience, toughness, hard, never quit — that’s what we want people to see right away.” Wednesday night in Memphis is step one. A winning season and a trip to the playoffs would be a success. Another dismal outcome like last season would be a disaster, especially for a team that traded away a 2026 first-round draft pick to trade up and select forward Derik Queen. It was a highly scrutinized, high-risk move that Dumars was willing to take. If Queen becomes a star, Dumars’ move will be genius. If the Pels struggle this season and Queen never pans out, the trade will be ridiculed for years to come. Dumars’ goal is to have a team that plays with the same toughness and resiliency that the people in New Orleans can relate to. He saw it in Detroit when he won NBA titles as both a player and again as an executive with the Pistons. He’s trying to bring that championship pedigree to New Orleans Players have taken notice.
Grizzlies on Wednesday in Memphis, Tenn.
“You can tell with the energy that Joe has brought in the building that you’re going to have to get after it,” Williamson said. “Nobody is going for that soft stuff. It’s kind of a ‘Bad Boys’ mentality.” Green spends much time in Dumars’ office discussing the game.
“It’s his presence and his mindset,” Green said. “Knowing what it takes to win championships both
transferred to LSU ahead of the 2024 season, a year in which he appeared in all 13 games the Tigers played and made nine starts at safety
LSU addressed that position in the portal when it signed Houston transfer AJ Haulcy and NC State transfer Tamarcus Cooley Now, according to Pro Football Focus, Gilbert has played fewer snaps this season than not only the two new starters, but also sophomore Dashawn Spears and junior Javien Toviano
“This would be a week,” Kelly said, “where they could play their fourth game and still maintain eligibility.”
Kelly talks Napier firing
Kelly was asked Monday about Florida’s decision to fire coach Billy Napier after a 3-4 start, and he said that the move is “the nature of the business we’re in.”
“Like I said earlier,” Kelly said, “it brings communities together It brings states together. It brings so much hope, right? And when there’s that much at stake, things like that do occur
“But I gotta be honest with you. I can’t take time to think about those things.”
Napier, a former UL coach, was hired to steer the Gators’ program the same year that LSU lured Kelly away from Notre Dame. Since then, Florida is 22-23 overall with a 12-16 record in games against SEC opponents. It was 1-3 during Napier’s tenure against Kelly’s Tigers, who suffered their lone loss in the series on the road in 2024.
game, with his left knee twisting awkwardly underneath him as Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards dragged him down following a 7-yard gain.
When Miller left the game in the first quarter, sixth-round rookie Devin Neal filled in as the No. 2 back behind Kamara, finishing the game with two carries for 9 yards. Neal also handled kick return duties in Miller’s absence.
It’s an unfortunate end to what had been one of the few bright spots for the 2025 Saints Miller had finally stayed healthy throughout training camp and the first six games of the season, and was carving out a role as a complementary back to Kamara. He had already established a career high in rushing, with 193 yards on 47 carries.
“I’m really proud of what Kendre has turned this season into from an individual standpoint, the progress he’s made,” Moore said. “It’s really unfortunate timing from an injury perspective, because even that run yesterday (that he got hurt on) was a really good run.
“There will be some challenging days for him because of this. We think the world of him. He’s going to be better moving forward, and he’ll be back and have more opportunities in the future.”
as a player and as an executive. I’m learning a lot. It just sets the tone for our culture. Just coming in with that mindset. Understanding that there is a responsibility and a standard that we all want to uphold. It starts with our leadership.”
Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney, two veteran players Dumars acquired during the offseason, know what a championship team looks like. Looney won three titles with the Golden State Warriors and Poole won one. Poole likes the make-up of what Dumars has assembled.
“As soon as you walk into a locker room at the beginning of the season, you can kinda feel it in the locker room with the guys with the chemistry and camaraderie,” Poole said. “We’ve got guys who compete. You don’t have to make us get after each other or make us play hard against each other We have guys that naturally want to get better I think ‘iron sharpens iron’ is a really good quote for this team.
It’s definitely the elements of a championship team.”
Those lofty aspirations aren’t coming this season, especially with the Pelicans playing in a Western Conference that is now more stacked than ever But the Pelicans will be reminded of the one goal every time they glance at the wall in the team’s practice facility
“I’m not going to put a number on it (a win total) because I don’t know what it is,” Dumars said “But I expect our team to play hard every night. I expect no less and I will accept no less.”
STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
New Orleans Pelicans players wait for drills during practice on Oct. 10 at the Smoothie King Center The Pelicans open the season against the
Whyit’s time to add this La. SuperPlant to theyard
With eye-catching, silvery foliage that’svelvet-soft to the touch, Dusty Miller is aunique plant. Add to that the fact that it’seasy to care for and readily survives frosty winter temperatures, and you’ve got arecipe for a winning plant for cool-season landscapes. That was the thinking of LSU AgCenter horticulturists when they named Dusty Miller a Louisiana Super Plant for 2025.
Dusty Miller (Centaureacineraria) is along-standingstaple of Louisiana gardens.AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg calls it “one of the best plants to use for fall and winter color.”
“It has this incrediblesilver color,which is often hardtofind in the landscape in Louisiana, and it lasts so long,” he said. Dusty Miller typically starts showing up in garden centers in October.Plant it this month, and it’ll carry you through the entire cool season —through Marchand beyond. While most folks treat it as an annual,Dusty Miller—which is native to the Mediterranean —can perennialize and live multiple years in warm climates like ours.
Aversatile plant, Dusty Miller works well in beds,along borders and in containers. It has alow,rounded growth habit, reaching 1to2 feet high andwide at most.
Dusty Miller’ssilver-to-white fuzzy,lobed foliage bringsinteresting visual and textural contrasts to the landscape. Its cool hues pop, serving as apleasing foil to more vibrant flowersand foliagesharing bed space with it. Because of its light color, Dusty Miller leaves can even appear to glow at night.
The soft feel of Dusty Miller isn’tjust nice to run yourfingers over.Italso is aturnoff for hungry deer,whichdon’t like to eat leaves with noticeable textures.
Although Dusty Miller is grown for its attractive foliage, it can begin to produce small, yellow blooms as spring approaches. Many gardeners clip these flower buds to avoid detracting from the foliage or take them as asign thatit’s time to remove the plantsfrom thegarden.
Ideally,Dusty Miller should be planted in full sun, which enhances its silvery tones. But part sun locations are fine, too.
“Planting this in full shade is not really the best idea, as it’sgoing to struggle and get leggy,” Stagg said.
Dusty Miller is alow-maintenance plant that usually doesn’tneed fertilizer or any special care. Once established, it’sdrought tolerant, and itcan handle light frosts and freezes.
For atwist on this classic cool-season plant, Stagg suggests trying out New Look,a newer cultivar
ä See DUSTY, page 6C
ABOVE: The fringed jacket worn by Bill ‘Buckskin Bill’ Black on WAFB-TV’s‘The Buckskin Bill Show’isondisplayinthe LSU Textile &CostumeMuseum’s exhibit, ‘Dressing Louisiana: Histoires de la mode de la Louisiane.
From Buckskin Bill
to Louisiana’s firstladies, LSUexhibit tells state’sstories throughfashion
This collar,asseen from the back, waswornbyevery
of
from 1970 to 1980.
Common threads
BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
“You’re nevercompletely dressed without asmile.”
Thelate Bill “BuckskinBill” Black alwaysclosedhis localtelevisionprogram with that phrase, and though he’s no longer here to “complete” his fringed outfit on display in theLSU Textile &Costume Museum, plenty of visitors are closing the gap with their own smiles.
The attire wornbyBlack’s alter ego during the35-year runofWAFB-TV’s “The BuckskinBill Show” stands center stageinthe museum’s exhibit, “Dressing Louisiana: Histoires de la mode de la Louisiane.”
Theshow runs through March 6, highlighting the state’sfashion spectrum from the sparkly Mardi Gras attire andLouisiana first ladies’inauguration pageantry to LSU athletics wear and, yes, Buckskin Bill. Storiesthrough fashion Black’sdisplay is wherethe museum’smission becomes
LSU Textile & Costume Museum gives a nod to LSU athletics fashion in its exhibit.
the Artist’sLoft Market.
clear.This show is about more than its featured garments —it commemorates the manyways Louisianans have created and used fashionasa tool foridentity and celebration.
Buckskin Bill figures into this narrative as acelebration of childhood as alot of Louisianakidsgrewupwatching his show between 1955 and 1990. His display stands next to the Hollywood glitz of another Baton Rouge area celebrity,Donna Douglas, known forplaying Ellie Mae Clampett in the popular 1960s sitcom, “The Beverly Hillbillies.”
BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer
ä See EXHIBIT, page 6C
STAFF PHOTOSByROBIN MILLER
RIGHT:
queen
NewOrleans’ Krewe of Proteus
LSU AGCENTERPHOTO By OLIVIA McCLURE
Dusty Miller works well in mixed container plantings.
Dear Miss Manners: In the eraof selfies, I’m as guilty as anyone of holding my phone out and snapping aphoto of my spouse and me in front of some interesting feature. Those photos stay on my phone, or maybe on asocial media account, but no further Conversely,mygrandparents, of blessed memory,who nevereven heard the word “selfie,” had 8x10 studio photographs of themselves framed and hanging on the walls in their respective living rooms. Ialso inherited large-format portrait photos of two pairs of great-
EXHIBIT
Continued from page5C
The glamor in Douglas’ exhibit case is upstaged by a pair of jeans, pink gingham shirt and rope belt —the official uniformofEllie Mae Clampett.
“Every time Donna Douglas made public appearances throughoutthe rest of her life,she often dressed in an Ellie Mae costume,” museum directorMichaelMamp said of theZachary native “Shedidn’tactually wear the costume in this case on the show,but she wore it at those appearances.”
Douglas’ Hollywood glamor is displayed behind the Ellie Mae costume in the form of asequined gown designed by Richard Blackwell
Yes, thesameRichard Blackwell, simplyknown as Mr.Blackwell, whose annual “Worst Dressed List” drew the ire of Hollywood fashionistasand socialites, including Princess Diana. However,itappears that Douglas was never targeted.
“She always wore Mr Blackwell’sdesigns on the red carpet,” Mamp said.
“The dress in this case is one of them.”
Notall namesare famous
Not all names in this show are famous, butthey do offer alook at Louisiana in a different light.
“While cataloging the collection, it impressed me howmanyinterestingstories there were about people from Louisiana,” Mamp said. “So Iwanted to create this exhibit as away to highlight those fashion histories of Louisiana.”
Mamp walks through the gallery,stopping to point out some of those stories.
There’sthe work of late New Orleans-based designer Ray Cole, who embellished silk gazar with liquid latex to create one-of-a-kind fabrics for his designs.
LOFT
Continued from page5C
Lisa Johnson, whose mother had abooth named “Mommacita’s,” took over the lease in May after her mother reached out to her for help. Johnson’sfriend Sharon LeBouef wanted to partner with her,and today,the space has beenreinvigorated as home for vendors, collectors, artisans, bakers and creators.
“I give all the credit to like Miss Donna and that core groupofvendors that just really didnot want to see it fail,” Johnson said. “And then when you come and look at it, Imean, it has such agood little niche forthis side of town.”
Open Thursdaythrough Sunday,with the food court openonSaturdays, the marketplace features local artisans, handmade goods, vintage finds, upcycled treasures, refinished furniture and food from local vendors
Johnson is proud that Artist’sLoft encourages the vendors to make their booth
grandparents, both of which are in fairly elaborate frames. They now hang in my living room.
Judith Martin MISS MANNERS
Thoughitwas obviously once common, Idon’t knowanyone who has framed portraits of themselves in their homes now
An oil portrait of my spouse and me isn’tinour budget,but Ihave been consideringhanging aprofessionally composed and framed photo of usinour home. Wouldthis come across as narcissistic? Or is it simply aloving continuation of athree-generation tradition?
“He used ahypodermic needle tospreadthe latex,” Mamp said. “So, each design was aunique artwork, and someofhis art designs are reminiscent of Modigliani.”
Afew newly donated pieces by designer Geoffrey Beenealso are featured. Themuseum dedicated a 2024 summer show to the Haynesville native whose designsattained an international following Of course, no Louisiana fashion story would be complete without anod to Mardi Gras, represented here by Winifred Robinson’ssequined goldcaptain’s dress from Baton Rouge’s2011 Krewe of Romany ball; the gown worn by AvaRobertsonas 2025 queen of NewOrleans’ Young MenIllinois Club; and Pauline McIlhenny Simmons’ 1971 queen’s dressfor New Orleans’ Krewe of Proteus.
“Thisdress cost $7,000 when it was made in 1971,” Mamp saidofthe Proteus gown. “It was designedby Nolan Miller,avery famous Americanfashion designer It’sinour collection, but the collar crown and scepter aren’t.”
Thecollar and scepter are nowpartofthe Louisiana State Museum’s permanent collection. Between1970 and 1980, the queens of the Krewe of Proteus allwore the same
space their own. They are allowed to paint the walls and decorate the booths to createa personalized experience for shoppers.
TheArtist’sLoft also rents wall space for artists, jewelry makers and photographers to display their work.
One moment ashopper can get lost in aboothofvintage art, then turn around andbecomeimmersed in comic books.
“It’smore of afamily atmospherewith the vendors,” Gaspard said. “It’s a placewhereyou don’twant to leave. And when you go, youwant togoback.It’smy happy place.” Johnsonand LeBouefinvite localartisansandcollectorsto join in and participate in the community market space far from theotherantique stores in Baton Rouge. Currently,all spaces are rented outexcept for three wall spaces, which are available.
LeBouef and Johnson aim to support local artists to have the ability to sell their work, whether it be glitter cupsand glittertumblers, soaps, candles,paintings or
theolder cultivar,which is called Silverdust,”
Gentle reader: Who, in what you so aptly named the EraofSelfies,will dare to raise thecharge of narcissism?And which is more blatant: including yourselves among family in your own living room,or posting it for all the world to see?
Showcasing painted portraits of oneself was considered acceptable because theywere presumably valued for their artistic merit, rather thantheir subjects —and never mind thatthe subjects had commissioned them in the first place. If you want to be above reproach, Miss Manners suggests that you avoid pictures in which you are shaking hands with the president or displaying the biggest fish you
collar crown and scepter, Mamp said. The dress doesn’t closeover the shoulders, and the collar is attached to an elaborate corset underneath, so thedress hasalong strip of hooks and eyes.
Mamp decided to stage a reunion of sorts.
He borrowedthe collar andscepter to reunite them with the dress for the first time in over 50 years.
“So, we have ahistory-making moment here,” he said.
Justaround thecorner from the Mardi Gras section, the museum pays homage to LSU athletics through acollection of uniforms wornby school athletes through the years. The most notable in this section is awarmup suit that LSUbasketball legend BobPetit wore before games between 1952 and 1954. Highlighting firstladies
However, even LSU’sathletes can’tsteal thespotlight from thegroup of inauguration ballgownsonthe opposite side of thegallery,each worn by one of Louisiana’s first ladies.
These gowns represent Alice Foster,Dodie Treen,Supriya Jindal, Donna Edwards andthe state’scurrent first lady,Sharon Landry,all of whom donated theirdresses to the museum.
“The first ladies’ choices are so interesting,” Mamp said. “Although Mrs. Jindal’s choice is avery beautiful gown, it was also very inexpensive. Youknow,Mr. Jindal’splatformwas all aboutfiscalresponsibility So, it’s interesting how each first lady alignedtheir aesthetic withwhatever their husband’splatform was.”
Whichiswhy Edwards chose local designer Yvonne Lafleurtodesignbothher ballgownand swearing-in suit
“She wanted to support localbusinesses, so shechose alocaldesigner,” Mampsaid
As for Foster’sgown, well, it could easily compete with those worn by Hollywood’s
wood carvings.
The Artist’sLoft Market is having agrand reopening from 10 a.m. to 3p.m. Nov 1with pop-up vendors, food and music.
“Our maingoal is just to letthe community knowthat we are here,” Johnson said. “Itisnew andimproved and this is where you need to come. Especially for the holidays. We are right here in your backyard. Now,being the cityofSt. George, we are trying to really be out there for the community.”
Roger Butner,a local familycounselor, discovered hispassion for nature photography anddisplays his eye-catching photos at the Artists Loft Market.
“It’saspecial place in Baton Rouge where community members of all kinds —artists, art lovers, shoppers, giftgivers and anyone looking for alittle something else in their day —get to meet one another and share beauty,creativity,ideas, conversations and new perspectives with one another,” he said.“It really is atreasure.”
ever caught. But frankly, she doubts that there is much danger these days, when modesty is no longer considered avirtue, but rather an unfortunate lack of self-esteem
Dear Miss Manners: Ihad dinner partyguests arrive 45 minutes early.They weren’tconfused about the time, they just came early.What should Ihave done?
Isat them in the living room, got themeach adrink and then abandoned them for 45 minuteswhile I changed clothes and finished up in the kitchen. They seemed peevish when Ifinally joined them, but honestly,what should Ihave done?
Gentlereader: Seated them in the living room, given them drinks,
golden age stars.
“I think it’s my favorite,” Mamp said. “It’s very 1930s Hollywood, and it’sgorgeous. And my favorite part is how it drapes in theback. Alice Fosteralways looked so beautiful in her clothes.”
Standing aloneatcenter stage is Landry’shanddraped silk inaugural gown, which was ordered through IDoBridalCouture of Baton Rougeand custommadein New York.
“I was just so thrilled that Mrs. Landry decided to give it to us,”Mampsaid. “It’sso beautiful.”
Mamp has rounded out the display with photos of the first ladies in their gowns, eachcompleting their ensemble withasmile.
Which would have made Buckskin Bill proud.
“Dressing Louisiana: Histoires de la mode de la Louisiane”runs through March 6atthe LSU Textile &CostumeMuseum in theHuman Ecology Building, 140 Tower Drive on campus.Hours are 11 a.m. to 4p.m. weekdays and 2p.m. to 4p.m. on the first Sunday of every month. Admission is free. For more information, call (225) 5781087 or visit lsu.edu/agriculture/textilemuseum/index. php/index.php.
By The Associated Press
and then abandoned them while you changed clothes and finished up in the kitchen.
Toobad they didn’task Miss Manners what they should have done: not arrived early,apologized if they did, thanked you for the drinks, and assured you that they would be fine sitting in the living room until you were ready
Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.
Today is Tuesday, Oct. 21, the 294th day of 2025. There are 71 days leftinthe year
Todayinhistory:
On Oct. 21, 2014, Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide for shooting and killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The conviction was later upgraded to murder; Pistorius was released on parole in January 2024.
Also on this date:
In 1797, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution, also knownas“Old Ironsides,” waschristened in Boston’s harbor
In 1944, U.S. troops captured the German city of Aachen —the first German city to fall to American forces in World WarII.
In 1959, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum opened in NewYork.
In 1966, 144 people, 116 of them children, were killed when acoal waste landslide engulfed a school and some20houses in Aberfan, Wales. In 2021, Actor Alec Bald-
win waspointing agun on the set of the Western movie “Rust” in New Mexico whenitwent off, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Charges of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin were dropped in July 2024. In 2024, jury selection beganinthe trial of aU.S. Marine Corps veteran,DanielPenny,for placing aman who was acting erratically on aNew York Citysubway traininMay 2023 in adeadly chokehold. In December 2024, Penny was cleared of allcharges, including criminally negligent homicide. Today’sbirthdays: Rock singer Manfred Mann is 85. TV’sJudge Judy Sheindlin is 83. Israeli PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu is 76. Former first daughter Patti Davis is 73. Film director Catherine Hardwicke is 70. Actor KenWatanabe is 66. Re-
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Tackle what's necessary first. Do what needs doing without complaint. Don't sign up for more than you can handle or anything that has hidden costs. Spend only what's necessary.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Don't hesitate when speed is of the essence Think and follow through, and you'll gain ground. Network, negotiate and use your charismatic charm to achieve your objectives.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Deal with domestic matters cautiously. Hesitation and uncertainty will mount if a decision is necessary. Maintain your status quo by consistently delivering high-quality work.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take charge without malice. It's how you go about getting others to do things for you that will lead to your success. Work your magic, and you'll get the results you hope for.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) A change at home will save you time and money. Refuse to let mixed emotions lead to unnecessary costs. Invest more time in cultivating a positive self-image.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Urge others to respect you and your property. Connect with people on a level playing field and avoid giving anyone the advantage over you. Know what you want, and don't stop until you reach your destination.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Think on the move, and you'll devise a plan that surpasses expectations. Trust your instincts and move forward with confidence. It's up to you to be a leader.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Your savvy ideas and dedication will open doors and win support It's how you represent yourself that will make a difference. Execute your plans with courage.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Listen and learn. Positive changes result from being diligent and leaving nothing to chance. Socializing will lead to opportunities and give you plenty to consider.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Follow the money and engage in events that show you the way to success. Pump yourself up and find an outlet for your skills. Use intelligence to reach your goals.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Take control over domestic situations that face change or require fine-tuning. Figure out how to keep things running smoothly. A tall order will offer a healthy gain.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Simplify your life, start conversations and distance yourself from out-of-control individuals. Be the one with discipline and foresight to take the path that protects you, your assets and your possessions.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
TODAy'S CLUE: A EQUALS U
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe peAnUtS
SALLY Forth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
LAGoon
bIG
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
nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
Bridge
BY PHILLIP ALDER
Robert Orben was aspeechwriter for GeraldFord.Orbensaid,“Ialwaysgetto theairportanhourearly.Thatway,Ican be one of the first to know that the flight has been delayed.”
Atthebridgetable,youcansometimes delay akey play, but much more often you should get down to businessimmediately.Howdoesthatapplytothisdeal?
Southisinfour spades. West leads the heart king. How should declarer proceed?
Over West’stakeout double, North’s redoubleindicated 10 points or more and denied fourormorespades.(With four or more spades, North would have responded two no-trump, whichshould be called Truscott, but is oftenknown as Jordan because he popularized the gadget in theUnited States.) After this redouble,eitherNorthandSouthbuythe contract or an opponent plays in something doubled forpenalties.
Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InStRuctIonS: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAY’S WoRD HonoRIFIc: on-or-IH-fik: Conferring or conveying esteem or recognition.
Average mark16words Timelimit 30 minutes Can you find 24 or morewords in HONORIFIC?
YEStERDAY’S WoRD —notABLY
nobly only talon tonal tony ably alto atony baton blat bloat blot boat bola bolt bony botany loan
today’s thought
“So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, loveyou me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that Ilove you. He said to him, Feed my lambs.” John21:15
loCKhorNs
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles
hidato
mallard fillmore
BRIEFS
FROM WIRE REPORTS
Trump suggests U.S. will buy Argentine beef
President Donald Trump said the UnitedStates could buy Argentinebeefinanattempt to bring downpricesfor American consumers.
“Wewould buy some beef from Argentina,”the Republicanpresident told reporters aboard AirForce One during a flight from Florida to Washington on Sunday.“If we do that, that will bringour beef prices down.”
Trump promised days earlier to address the issue as part of his efforts to keep inflation in check. U.S. beef prices have been stubbornlyhighfor a variety of reasons, including drought and reduced imports from Mexico due to aflesh-eating pest in cattle herds there.
Trump has been working to helpArgentinabolster itscollapsing currencywith a$20 billioncreditswap line and additional financing from sovereign fundsand the private sector ahead of midterm electionsfor his close ally President Javier Milei.
Cancellations up in Sept. for Disney+, Hulu Disney+ and Hulu subscription cancellations rose during the month that ABCbriefly canceled“Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” according to data from subscriptionanalytics company Antenna.
Walt Disney Co. owns the streaming platforms and ABC. ABCpulled the show offthe airfor lessthanaweekinSeptember in the wake of criticism over hiscomments related the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Antenna estimates total cancellationsinSeptemberwere 4.1 million for Hulu and 3million for Disney+. The “churn rate,” or the percentage of customers that cancel their subscriptions in aspecific month, jumpedfrom 5% in August to 10%inSeptember for Hulu. That figure jumped 4% in Augustto8%inSeptember for Disney+ However,sign-ups were higher in Septemberfor bothHulu and Disney+ than the prior five months.
Antenna is asubscription analytics company that tracks U.S. consumer data. The data excludes subscribers in bundle deals. In its most recent earnings report for the quarter ended June 28, Disney reported183 million Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions Disney declinedto comment Kering sells beauty division to L’Oreal French luxury goods company Kering said Sundayitis sellingits beauty divisionto L’Oreal for $4.66 billion. Under the agreement, Clichy, France-based L’Oreal will acquire the House of Creed highend fragrance company as well as licenses to create beauty and fragranceproducts forKering brands like Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga. The companies saidthey will establish astrategic committee to ensure coordination between Kering brands and L’Oréal. Kering and L’Oréal said they are also exploring joint business opportunities in the wellness and longevity market, combiningL’Oreal’sinnovation with Kering’sdeep understanding of luxury clients.
Thedeal hassomeprecedence. L’Oreal acquired the beautylicense for Kering’s Yves Saint Laurent brand in 2008.
Luca de Meo,CEO of Parisbased Kering, said the deal combinesL’Oreal’sexpertise with Kering’sluxury reach
“Joining forces with the globalleader in beauty, we will accelerate the development of fragrance andcosmeticsfor ourmajor houses, allowing them to achieve scaleinthis categoryand unlock theirimmense long-term potential, as did Yves SaintLaurent Beauté underL’Oréal’sstewardship,” de Meosaid in astatement.
THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business
Apple’srally
BY STAN CHOE AP business writer
NEW YORK U.S. stocks rallied on Monday to thecusp of theirrecords.
TheS&P 500 climbed 1.1% and pulled within 0.3% of itsall-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones IndustrialAverage jumped 515 points, or 1.1%, and theNasdaqcomposite gained 1.4%.
Apple led theway and rose 3.9%
amid optimism about demand for itslatestiPhonedesign. It was the strongestforce liftingthe S&P 500 and set itsown record high.
Cleveland-Cliffs jumped 21.5% after the steel company’sCEO, Lourenco Goncalves, said it would provide details soon about apotential deal with amajor global steel producer that could mean bigger profits. He alsosaid his company has potentially found signs of rare earths at sites in Michigan and Minnesota. Suchmaterials have grabbed the global spotlight after China recentlyput curbs on theexport of its ownrareearths, amovethat PresidentDonald Trump characterized as hostile.Trump’sensuing threat of higher tariffs trig-
gered big swings for Wall Street, but theconcerns eased abit after Trump said suchhigh tax rates on Chineseimports are unsustainable. Another source of worry for Wall Street, from the banking industry,also appears to be easing. Stocks of smaller and midsized banks climbedMonday,recovering some of their losses after acouple raised alarm bells last week by warning aboutpotentially bad loans they’ve made.
Zions Bancorp.gained4.7% Monday following its 5.1% drop last week, when it said it had found “apparent misrepresenta-
tions and contractual defaults” relatedtoacouple borrowers. Amazon’sstock held up despite awidespread outage for its cloud computing service that caused disruption forinternetusers around the world Monday.Amazon’sstock rose 1.6%. Alltold, theS&P 500 added71.12 points to 6,735.13. The DowJones Industrial Average climbed 515.97 to 46,706.58, andthe Nasdaqcomposite gained310.57 to 22,990.54. This weekfeaturesa raft of big namesreporting theirlatestquarterly results, including Coca-Cola on Tuesday,Tesla on Wednesday andProcter &Gamble on Friday
More Americansinsecureabout chancesonjob market,pollsays
36%ofU.S.adultsapprove of howTrump is handling theeconomy,itreveals
BY JOSH BOAK and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press
WASHINGTON Americans are growing increasinglyconcerned about theirability to find agoodjob underPresident Donald Trump, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research pollfinds, in what is apotential warning sign for Republicans as apromisedeconomic boom has given way to hiring freezes and elevated inflation. High prices for groceries, housing and health care persistasafear for many households, while rising electricity billsand the cost of gasatthe pump arealsosources of anxiety,according to the survey
Some 47%ofU.S. adults are“not very” or “not at all confident” they could find agood job if they wantedto, an increase from 37% when the question was last asked in October 2023.
Electricity bills are a“major”source of stress for 36% of U.S. adults at atime when the expected build-out of datacentersfor artificial intelligence could furthertax the power grid. Just morethan one-half said the cost of groceries are a“major” source of financial stress, about 4in10said thecost of housing and health carewere aserious strainand aboutone-third saidthey were feeling high stress about gasoline prices.
The survey suggests an ongoing vulnerabilityfor Trump, who returnedtothe WhiteHouse in January withclaims he could quicklytame the inflation that surged after the pandemic duringDemocratic President Joe Biden’s term. Instead, Trump’spopularityonthe economy has remained low amid amix of tariffs, federal worker layoffs and partisan sniping that hasculminated in a government shutdown.
Linda Weavil, 76, voted for Trump last year because he “seems like asmart businessman.” Butshe said in an interview that the Republican’s tariffs have worsened inflation, citingthe chocolate-covered pecans sold for herchurchgroup fundraiser that now cost more.
“I thinkhe’sdoinga great job on alot of things,but I’m afraid our coffee and chocolate prices have gone up because of tariffs,” the retiree from Greensboro, North Carolina, said.“That’s akickinthe back of the American people.”
The poll found that36% of U.S. adultsapproveofhow Trumpishandling theeconomy,afigure that hasheldsteady this year after he imposed tariffs that caused broad
economic uncertainty.AmongRepublicans, 71% feel positive about his economic leadership. Yetthat approval within Trump’sown partyisrelatively low in ways that could be problematicfor Republicans in nextmonth’s racesfor governor in NewJerseyand Virginia, and perhaps even in the 2026 midterm elections.
At roughly thesame point in Biden’sterm, in October 2021, an AP-NORC poll found that 41% of U.S. adultsapproved of how he was handling theeconomy,including about 73% of Democrats. Thatoverall number was a littlehigher than Trump’s, primarily because of independents— 29% approvedofhow Biden was handling theeconomy,compared with the18% whocurrently support Trump’s approach.
The job market was meaningfully stronger in terms of hiring during Biden’spresidency as the United States was recovering from pandemic-related lockdowns. Buthiring has slowed sharply under Trumpwith monthly job gains averaging less than 27,000 afterthe April tariff announcements People see that difference.
Four years ago, 36% of thoseinthe survey were “extremely” or “very” confident in their abilitytoget agood job,but that has fallen to 21% now Biden’sapprovalonthe economysteadily deteriorated through the middle of 2022 when inflation hita four-decadehigh, creatinganopening forTrump’s politicalcome-
back.
In someways, Trumphas madethe inflationproblems harderbychoosing to cancel fundingfor renewable energy projects and imposing tariffs on theequipment needed forfactories and power plants. Those added costs are coming before the anticipated construction of data centers for AI that could further push up prices without more construction.
Even though 36% see electricity as amajor concern, there are somewho have yettofeel aserious financial squeeze. In thesurvey, 40% identified electricity costs as a“minor” stress, while 23% said their utility bills are “not asource” of stress.
Kevin Halsey,58, of Normal, Illinois, said his monthly electricity bills used to be $90 during the summer because he had solarpanels, buthavesince jumped to $300 Halsey,who works in telecommunications, voted Democratic in last year’spresidential election and described the economyright now as “crap.”
“I’ve got to be pessimistic,” he said. “I don’tsee this as getting better.”
At afundamental level, Trumpfinds himselfinthe sameeconomicdilemma that bedeviled Biden. There are signs the economy remains relatively solid with alow unemployment rate,stock market gains anddecenteconomicgrowth,yet the public continuestobeskeptical aboutthe economy’s health.
BY LAURENDEZENSKI and HADRIANA LOWENKRON Bloomberg News (TNS)
WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump signed an agreement with visiting Australian PrimeMinister Anthony Albanese to boost access to critical minerals and rare earths, as the U.S. looks to reduce reliance on Chinese supplies.
“In aboutayear fromnow,we’ll have so much critical mineral and rare earthsthat you won’t know whattodo with them,” Trumpsaid Monday at the WhiteHouseduring ameeting between the two leaders.
Albanese said thedeal represented an $8.5 billion “pipeline that we have ready to go.” He hailed
the minerals and rare earths pact as taking thenations’ economic anddefense cooperation “tothe next level.”
The leaders said theagreement would include Australian processingofrare earths, with Albanese adding thatAustralia had “capacity” to expandthose efforts.The U.S. and Australia pledged to protect their domestic marketsfrom “unfairtrade practices,” includingthrough adopting trading standards that involve “price floors or similar measures,” according to the text of the deal circulated by Albanese’soffice.
The deal will beginwiththe U.S and Australia each paying more than$1billion over thenext six monthsfor initial projects, with
some furtherprojects in both countries and one development to include Japan, the Australianprime ministersaid. The document did not includedetails on which entities would provide that financing.
ThePentagon will help fund the construction of a100 metrictonper-year advanced gallium refinery in Western Australia as part of the deal, according to the White House. The Export-Import Bank of theUnited States is also issuing letters of interest for morethan $2.2 billion in financing on critical mineral projects.
The sitdown, Albanese’sfirst WhiteHouse visit since Trumpretook power,comesasthe Australian leader lookstoshore up ties with theU.S., using his nation’s
wealthincriticalminerals as leverage.China’smovetoimpose unprecedented export restrictions on rareearths hasrattled economiesacross the globe, with U.S. Treasury SecretaryScottBessent saying last week that allies —including Australia —are in talks about aunited response. Australia, which holds the world’s fourth-largestdeposits of rare earths, hassough to position itself as aviable alternative to Chinafor supplies crucialfor industries covering semiconductors, defense technology,renewableenergyand other sectors. The country is also the base of the only producer of so-called heavy rare earthsoutside China through Lynas Rare Earths Ltd.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByMARTALAVANDIER
Ioan Barsan, arecruiter withthe Miami Dade School Police Department, speakswithajob seeker during ajob fair earlier this month in Miami. Some 47% of
