The Times-Picayune 10-21-2025

OCT. 22ND -OCT.28TH

GRANDOPENING EVENT

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON President DonaldTrumpon

Monday applauded LSU’s2025 national championship baseball team in aceremonyinthe East Room of the White House.

Trump said Louisianais“aspecial state,” noting how extraordinaryitwas to have national championsfor both theNCAAand theNAIA —LSU Shreveport, whose team also wasonhand —hail from the same state. As theNCAA oversees sports at major colleges, theNAIA,or NationalAssociation of Intercollegiate Athletics, governs sports at smaller institutions.

“Two amazing seasons,” Trump said.“You might have them, but notfromthe samestate, amazing.”

BothLSU coachJay Johnsonand LSU-S coach Brad Neffendorf awarded Trump with team jerseys with the number 47,signifyingthe Trump presidency With the help of dominant pitching by Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson, alongwith the

ä See WINNERS, page 4A

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

The Archdiocese of New Orleans said Monday it is on track to sell Christopher Homes by themiddle of 2026 to abuyer who has agreed to keep the 15 apartment complexes as affordable housing for some 1,700 low-income seniors. The update comes as inspectors have arrived in recent weeks at some of the ChristopherHomes properties to conductenvironmental reviews and inspections.Con-

sultants have alsofiled requests with City Hall seeking to verify the zoning classification of the properties.

Thesaleofthe propertyiskey to resolving thearchdiocese’s long-running bankruptcy case. Andwhilesuch “due diligence” measures arenot unusual before a property dealtakes place, the activity has stoked concerns among someresidentsthat themorevaluable complexes under theChristopher Homes umbrellacould be sold to aprivatedeveloper and converted to hotels or market-rate apartments.

An archdiocese spokesperson saidthat is not thecase, referring

‘WELIKEWINNERS’

Shutdown threatens food stamps

Loss of moneywould affect about800,000 in La

Concern is growing in Louisiana that federal money forfood stamps could run out late next week if the government shutdown continues, interrupting aprogram that helps payfor groceries forroughly 800,000 people in the state.

The lack of money for food assistanceprograms would hit people during amonth with amajor holiday,whenkidsare home from school andfamilies are trying to plan aThanksgiving meal, said Susan East Nelson, executive director of theLouisiana Partnership forChildren and Families.

“Kids aren’tgoing to have the foodthat 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 whogowithout food.”

ä See SHUTDOWN, page 5A

to aletter sent last month to Christopher Homes residentsfromthe organization’sboard of directors.

“Anysale will requirethe new ownertopreserveand maintain all properties as affordable housing for seniors,” theletter said. “Most importantly, this means there will be no changes toyour rent.Italso meansthe new owners will extend theaffordability agreement for decades to come.”

According to court documents filed in thearchdiocese’sChapter 11 bankruptcy case, the properties are expected to generate as much as $50 million that will be added to

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

million brewpubhas hitanother hurdle over state funding for the adjacent parking garage. And now,Sen. Patrick Connick, R-Marrero, is asking the state attorney general to intervene.

Construction began ayear ago on the two-story brewpub, along with a148-space parking garage,

ä See BREWPUB, page 5A

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Louvre remains closed one day after jewelheist

PARIS The Louvre remained closedMonday,a dayafter historicjewels were stolen from the world’smost-visited museumina daring daylight heist that prompted authorities to reassess security measures at cultural sites acrossFrance.

The museum’sstaff asked dozens of visitors who were queuing in front of the glass pyramid entrance to leave. In amessage posted on social media, the Louvre said visitors who have booked tickets will be refunded. It did not provide additionaldetails. TheLouvre will alsobe closed on Tuesday,its weekly closing day

On Sunday,thieves rode abasketlift up theLouvre’sfaçade, 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 main reason is the government shutdown that started Oct. 1. Federal scientistsaren’t being paid and conference appearances are postponed unless they are funded outsideofannual government budgets.

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 dozens of Starlink satellite internet terminals,state media reported Monday Myanmarisnotorious for hosting cyberscam operations responsiblefor bilkingpeople all over the world. These usuallyinvolve gaining victims’ confidence online with romantic ploys and bogus investment pitches.

The centers areinfamousfor recruiting workers from other countries under false pretenses, promising them legitimatejobs and then holding them captive and forcing them to carryout criminal activities.

According to areport inMonday’sMyanma Alinn newspaper, the army raided KK Park,a welldocumented cybercrime center, as part of operations startingin early September to suppress onlinefraud,illegal gambling, and cross-border cybercrime.

CORRECTION

Anarticle Sunday provided incorrect information related to the sale of ahistoric firehouse on JacksonAvenue. Jeffrey Miller, aSan Francisco contractor,purchased the building. The article incorrectly reportedthat adifferent personofthat same name had purchased the building. TheTimes-Picayune regrets the error

Amazon cloud suffersmajor outage

Disruption takesdown many onlineservices around theworld

BY KELVIN CHAN and BARBARA ORTUTAY Associated Press

LONDON Amazonsays amassive outage of its cloud computing service has been resolvedasof Monday evening,after aproblem disrupted internet usearound the world, taking down abroad range of online services, including socialmedia, gaming, food delivery, streaming and financial platforms.

The all-daydisruption and theensuing exasperation it caused served as thelatest reminderthat 21st century society is increasingly dependent on just ahandfulofcompanies for much of its internet technology which seems to work reliably until it suddenly breaks down.

Aboutthree hours after the outagebegan early Monday morning, Amazon WebServices said it was starting to recover,but it wasn’tuntil 6p.m. Eastern that “services returned to normal operations,” Amazonsaid on its AWS

healthwebsite, whereittracks outages AWSprovides behind-the-scenes cloud computing infrastructure to some of the world’sbiggest organizations. Its customers include government departments,universities and businesses, including The Associated Press.

Cybersecurity expertMike Chapple said “a slowand bumpy recoveryprocess” is “entirely normal.”

As engineersroll out fixes across the cloud computing infrastructure, the processcould trigger smaller disruptions,hesaid.

“It’ssimilar to what happens after alarge-scale power outage: While acity’spower is coming back online, neighborhoods may seeintermittent glitches as crews finish the repairs,” said Chapple, an informationtechnologyprofessor at theUniversity of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

Amazon pinned theoutage on issues related to its domain name systemthat convertsweb addresses intoIPaddresses, which are numeric designations that identify locations on theinternet.Those addresses allow websites and apps to load on internet-connected devices.

DownDetector,awebsite that

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO

AVenmo mobile app shows it is not availableMondayduring the Amazon WebServices outage.

tracksonline outages, said in a Facebook post that it received over 11 million userreports of problems at more than 2,500 companies. Usersreported trouble with the social media site Snapchat, the Roblox andFortnitevideogames,the online broker Robinhood and the McDonald’sapp, as well as Netflix, Disney+ and many other services.

The cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and the Signalchatapp both said on Xthat they were experiencing trouble relatedtothe outage.

Amazon’sown services were also affected. Users of the company’s

Palestinians collect leaflets dropped by an Israeli drone warning people to stayaway from the so-called yellowline on MondayinKhan younis, in the

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.

Ring doorbell cameras andAlexapoweredsmart speakersreported that they were not working, while others said they were unable to access theAmazon websiteordownload books to their Kindle

Many college andK-12 students wereunable to submit or access their homework or coursematerialsMondaybecause the AWSoutageknocked outCanvas, awidely used educational platform.

“I currently can’t grade anyonline assignments, andmystudents can’taccess their online materials” because of the outage’seffect on learning-management systems, saidDamien P. Williams,aprofessorofphilosophy anddatascience at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The exactnumber of schools impacted wasnot immediately known, but Canvas says on its website it is used by 50% of college and universitystudents in North America, including all Ivy League schools in the U.S.

At the University of California, Riverside,students couldn’tsubmitassignments, take quizzes or access course materials,and online instruction was limited, the campus said.

Deployment blockedfor now

BY CLAIRE RUSH and GENE JOHNSON Associated Press

PORTLAND,Ore. An appeals court on Monday putonholda lower-court ruling that kept President Donald Trump from taking commandof200 Oregon National Guard troops. However,Trump is still barredfromactuallydeploying those troops, at least for now U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, aTrump appointee, issued twotemporary restraining orders early this month —one that prohibited Trumpfrom 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.

The Justice Department appealed the first order,and in a2-1 ruling Monday, a panelfromthe 9th U.S. CircuitCourt of Appealssided withthe administration.The majoritysaidthe president was likely to succeed on his claimthathehad theauthoritytofederalize thetroops based on adetermination he was unable to enforcethe laws without them However,Immergut’s second order remains in effect, so no troops mayimmediately be deployed. Soon after the ruling Monday,the Justice Department asked Immergut to immediately dissolve hersecond order,which would allow Trumptodeploy troops to Portland.The JusticeDepartmentargued that it is not the role of the courts to second-guess the president’sdetermination about when to deploy troops. Oregon AttorneyGeneral DanRayfield, aDemocrat, said he would askfor a broader panel of theappeals to reconsiderthe decision.

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

from the

Washington.

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 notwant an escalation with the Russians until he meets with them,” Zelenskyy told reporters on Sunday.His

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.

comments were embargoed 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

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.

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.

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 whowere gathered behind him. He noted which major league teams drafted the players.

Trump turned and shook hands with Anderson.

“Welike winners at the White House, Kade,” Trump said.

The president noted that Anderson was drafted by the Seattle Mariners, who were settoplay the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night —with the winner going to theWorld Series againstthe Los Angeles Dodgers.

Trump asked if he’d be watching the game. Anderson said he would.

Johnson nodded toward House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and HouseMajority 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 his accolades went towardthe players, who he said kept their heads when times were hardand practiced togethernessthroughout the championship season.

“They made it about the team,” the coach said.

The LSU teamarrived Sunday night and was feted at aU.S. House office building with astriking view of the U.S. Capitol. On Monday morning, the teams andtheir entourages, because they were so large, convened in theHouse chamber

Trump and SpeakerJohnson only mentioned in passing that the federal government had been shut down sinceOct. 1. Trumpsaidhe, Mike Johnson andScalise want the Senate Democrats to agree to aresolution to continuegovernment operations.

Several other top Louisiana officials also attended the ceremony, including Baton Rouge Rep. Julia Letlow,a Republican whose district stretches from Monroe down to LSU’scampus and muchofsouth Baton Rouge, where professors, staff and students live; U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy,R-Madisonville, who taught law classes at LSU; and Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-BatonRouge,

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atrust for survivors of clergy sex abusetotaling more than $200 million. If the case is settled, those funds will be distributed over several years to hundreds of abuse survivors.

Christopher Homes was founded by the late Archbishop PhilipHannan in 1966 and eventually grew to include 21 apartment complexes for low-income seniors in and around New Orleans. In the early 2010s, the church sold six of the complexes to Providence Community Housing, alocal nonprofit that develops affordable housing.

Last November,itturned overmanagement of the remaining 15 properties to Providence, though the archdiocesecontinues to own them.

The properties are scattered throughout the metro area. They includesuburban complexes like Wynhoven I and II on the West Bank, Metairie Manor I, II, III and IV in Metairie, and the 10-story Christopher Inn, which towers over FrenchmanStreet in the historic Faubourg Marigny.The latter,because of its location, is likelythe most valuable of the properties.

In September,the archdiocese and attorneys for clergy abuse survivors agreed to ajoint settlement in the bankruptcy case that included guaranteed fundsfrom the Christopher Homes sale. At the time, the archdiocese confirmed that it had reached apurchase agreement with abuyer,though it declined to identify them.

In theweekssince,consultants for that buyer have been conducting physical inspections of the properties and researching them in city records. AVirginia firm, Dominion Due DiligenceGroup,filed documents on the city’sOne Stop app seeking to verifythe properties’ zoning classifications. Among the ques-

President Donald Trumpspeaks Monday during

who lives at the gates of theLSU campus.

“Only in Louisiana do you get two national champions in the same sport in one year! It was great to mark the moment with President Trumpand both teamsatthe White House,” Cassidy said. Gov.Jeff Landry and state Reps. Mark Wright,R-Covington, and Mike Bayham, R-Chalmette, were also on hand The 1991 champions, the first visitedPresidentGeorge H.W Bush in theWhite House.Coach Skip Bertman wasunable to accompany theteam. The LSU teams that won thetitle in 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000 didn’t visit the White House.

LSU coach Paul Mainieri’s2009 nationalchampionship team visited the White House and was hosted by then-VicePresident JoeBiden Then-Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, gave the team atour of theU.S.Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial and the Arlington National Cemetery

tions they asked was “can theproperty be rebuilt as is if destroyed?”

Some residents, already on edge, said such questions only heightened fears thattheycould be forced to moveout amid abroader redevelopmenteffort.

“Some of us are skeptical, someofusare hopeful,” said JanBruno Livingston, a resident of ChristopherInn.

“I don’ttrust any pie that hasCatholic fingers in it.

I’mjust waiting to seewhat happens.”

Aspokesperson for the archdiocese said all of the information communicated to residents last monthin theletter from the Christopher Homesboard remains valid

“Weare committedto bringing in aresponsible andexperienced owner that shares in ourmission to provide high-quality affordable housing andhas an established track record,” thelettersaid. “Webelieve thatyou will be very pleased when the new owners are announced. Theircommitment to the ‘mission’isoutstanding.”

Court documentsfiled in thebankruptcy case initially estimated the sale of Christopher Homes could generateanywherefrom $36million to more than $50 million.Morerecentestimates in updated versions ofthe proposed settlement have

put thenumber at closer to $50 million.

Theproperties areencumbered by $70 million in debt from the U.S. DepartmentofHousing and Urban Development. That means the ultimate sale price will be at least $120 million and potentially muchmore since theHUD debt will have to be repaid beforethe $50 million goes intothe settlement.

HUD regulations makeit difficult, though not impossible, to convertthe propertiestomarket-ratehousing or some sort of commercial venture. If thatwere to happen, HUDwould require that residents be relocated to another affordable complex.

In its letter to Christopher Homes residentslastmonth, the board saidthatwon’t happen. Rather,the board suggestedthatthe buyer intends to pump millionsof dollars into theproperties, updating and upgrading them fortheir low-income senior residents.

“Aspart of our due diligence, we arealso gauging their ability to devote significant resources to improving residences,shared spaces andinfrastructure acrossthe community at no additional cost to you,”the letter said.

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

linear park and other infrastructure improvements, which have beentouted by officials as an economic driver for the West Bank. Thebrewpub, which will be operated by Port Orleans Brewery and AvoTaco, is expected to open next summer.

The total estimatedcost of the project is now $34.2 million, according to the 2025-26 capital outlay request, up fromthe original $25 million.

But in July,the state Office of Facility Planning told local officials that using parish funds to build the brewpub could notact as the local match for the stateto fund the parking garage construction, after the request had been pending for several years, according to documents obtained by The Times-Picayune. Louisiana law requires that local governments provide amatchofatleast 25% for capital projects funded by the state.

In response, Connick requested earlier this month that Attorney General Liz Murrell issue an opinion with the State Bond Commission on whether the brewpub could serve as alocal match.

If they decide the brewpub doesn’tcount as the local match, the parish will have three options, according to Jefferson Parish Council member Timothy Kerner Jr., who inherited the project after winning the District 1seat vacated by Marion Edwards. The parish can either put up several millionmore dollars for the parking garage, convert the brewpub building for public purpose and face possible legal action from Port Orleans for breaching their lease, or forego the parking ga-

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TheSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides monthly benefits to low-income people to help cover the cost of groceries,isfunded 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’spopulation 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 aletter to states saying, “if the currentlapse 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 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 FamilyServices, did not respond to questions for this story Pat Va nB urkleo,

rageentirely— an unlikely outcomeasall sides agree it’samuchneededassetfor the area, which also houses the parish courthouse and Louisiana 5th Circuit Court of Appeal Kerner opposed thebrewpub project duringhis campaign for office. He said he does not want to funnel any additional tax dollars into the parking garageand that the parish is now in “a terrible position.”

“It’svery concerning that we just found out thatthis project was not considered amatch only amonthago,” Kerner said. “Now alot of government and taxpayer money is at stake, and acritical project for the cityofGretnaand the West Bank is at stake.”

Supporters of the project have said sincelastyear, when the inspectorgeneralraised alarm bells on the project in apublic letter, thatthe 20,000-squarefoot brewery and taco restaurant

executivedirector of Feeding Louisiana, which represents the state’sfive regional food banks, warned that Louisiana’sfood banks don’t have the capacitytoservice everyone on food stamps.

“For every one meal that thefood banks provide, SNAP usually provides nine,” he said. Thereisn’tenough food in their warehouses to do 10 times the amount of distribution they typically handle, he added.

Both VanBurkleo and East Nelson said thelack of SNAPfunds will strain

would satisfythe state’slocal match requirement for the parkinggarage.

However,the OfficeofFacilityPlanning determinedthat the state cannot usetax-exempt general obligation bonds for commercial purposes, like arestaurant andbrewery —whichthe state agency had warned parish officialsabout the possibility of

grocers and other food retailers, too.

“The retailersare the peoplewho getthe money from SNAP.Soifthere are no SNAPbenefits, theretailers are going to see the loss,” EastNelson said.

Swathsofthe federal government shut down Oct. 1after lawmakers in Congresscouldn’treach adeal on ashort-term spending bill to fund federal agencies through Nov.21.

Democrats in the U.S. Senatefor weeks have been withholding their support forthe Republican spend-

as far back as 2023, according to documents.

In Connick’sletter,heargued thatbecause state bonds would only pay forthe public parking garage,and thebrewpub would be paid entirely through cash made available through theAmerican Rescue Plan Act, thenthatlaw should not apply

Joe Marino III, formerstate representative and Jefferson Parish Council memberwho shepherded the project,and Rep VincentCox III, aGretna Republican who succeeded Marino, both said they were underthe impression the local matchwas fully approved, rather than pending, and that they acted “in good faith” in sayingthe brewpub qualifiedas thelocal match. Connickwas not available for comment Monday

The state did approve design costs for the brewpub in the amount of $679,208.70 last year as aportion of the local match

ing bill and demanding Republicans agree to extend tax credits that subsidize healthinsurance formillions of Americans covered through the Affordable CareAct.

Republicans have saidnegotiations on the tax credits canhappen once theshorttermfunding bill passes.

For now, discussionsonthe funding bill appear stalled.

requirement, according to documents.

The state fundingissue is only the latest obstacletohit the brewpub project,which has sparked fiery political debate over thepast year —since Inspector General Kim Chatelain published aletter questioning theprocurement of contractsand the structure of the lease agreements with Port OrleansBrewery andAvo Taco. Chatelaindoubleddown on that opinionina 46-page report issued last July,despite taking heat from parish andstate officials who said she acted politically in issuing her letter. In her report, she affirmed that the project leases should be canceled andrestarted.

Prior to Kerner’selection, the only council memberinChatelain’scorner has been at-large member Jennifer VanVrancken, who has made several attempts to pause, amend and hold hearings on the project to no avail as her colleagues criticized the twofor having afriendship.

At Marino’s last meetingasan interim parish council member last April, the council voted 6-1to extend and amend the brewpub leasetoaddress some concerns raised by VanVranckenand Chatelain, though the two said they were unsatisfied with the suggestedchanges.

VanVrancken saidMonday the parish should forego thePort Orleanscontractentirelyand assume any legalrisks that may come from it.

“If we don’tcorrect it now,it’s going to keep giving us problems over thefuture,” VanVrancken said. “Better to bite the bullet now, do theright thing, endthis scenario and put it back on track once andfor all.”

Email Lara Nicholsonat lnicholson@theadvocate.com.

During ashutdown, nonessential government work is paused and hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed.

Manyfunctions continue, 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, the agency is exploring ways to getfood to people who need it next month.

“Theyare veryconcerned about this, and Ithink they are going to try to figure out away to makeLouisiana whole,” he said. Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse pfeil@theadvocate.com.

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.

36%ofU.S.adultsapprove of howTrump is handling theeconomy,itreveals DOW

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.

Apple’srally sendsWallStreethigher

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

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

Trumpsigns

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

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.

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.

Trumpnominates Will Crainfor judgeship

Nomineewould fill EasternDistrict benchvacancy

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Will Crain, an associate justice on the Louisiana Supreme Court, 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 on Louisiana’shighest court. Crainwas also atrial court judge and appeals court judge in St. Tammany Parish before winning an election in 2019 to join the Louisiana

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 to be ajudge,helovedtotell stories abouthis former boss, state Sen. SixtyRayburn, a colorful populist Democrat who represented Washington Parish for 48years.

Crain played akey role in drafting anew map for the seven-member Supreme Courtthatstate lawmakers approved in 2024. Legislators hadlast redistricted the

STAFF FILE PHOTOByCHRISGRANGER

Louisiana Supreme Courtjustices William J. Crain, left, and CadeR.Cole, right, helpJustice

Piper D. Griffindownthe steps on Oct. 6atJackson Square. Crain was nominated Monday to be afederal judgeinNew Orleans.

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 andchaired the Louisiana Gaming Control Board under Gov.Mike

Foster Trump also nominated AlexanderVan Hook to be adistrictcourt judge to fill the vacancy in the Western District of Louisiana,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.

Nuclear security agency furloughing workersamidgovernmentshutdown

BY MATTHEWDALY Associated Press

BY CHRISTINE FERNANDO Associated Press

CHICAGO Many federalof-

ficers assigned to immigration enforcement in the Chicago area have body cameras but Congress would have to allocate more funds to expand their use, officials testified Mondayatahearing about the tactics agents are using in Trump administration’scrackdown, which hasproducedmorethan 1,000 arrests.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis last week ordered uniformed agents to wear cameras, if available, and turn them on when engaged in arrests, frisks andbuilding searches or when being deployed to protests. She held ahearing Monday at which she questioned aU.S. Customs and Border Protection official and aU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officialabout theoperation andcomplaints that agents are increasingly using combative tactics.

Kyle Harvick,deputy incident commander withCBP, said Border Patrol agents who are partofOperation Midway Blitz have cameras. He said 201are inthe Chicagoarea.

But Shawn Byers, deputy field office director for ICE, said more money from Congress would be needed to expand camerause beyond two of that agency’s field offices. He said no cameras have beenworn by ICE agents working at abuilding in Broadview, outside Chicago, where immigrants pass throughbefore being detained elsewhere. It’s beenthe siteofprotests that at times havebeen tumultuous.

Byers also explained that while there are surveillance cameras outside the ICE facility,theyrecord over previous footage every 28 days Ellis expressed surprise when Byers said that meant footage from before Sept. 18 was gone. The Broadview facility became afocus of

protesters after Operation Midway Blitz began in early September

“All of that needs to be preserved,” Ellis said.

Nearthe end of the hearing, Ellis saidshe would allow attorneys to question additional federal officials, including GregoryBovino, theBorder Patrol chief who is leading CBP’sChicago operation and also was central to the immigration crackdown in Los Angeles.

The hearing was part of a lawsuit by news organizations and community groups witnessing protests and arrests in the Chicagoarea. Ellissaid earlier this month that agents must wear badges, andshe bannedthem from using certainriot control techniquesagainst peacefulprotesters and journalists.

Then last Thursday,she said she was a“little startled” after seeing TV images of street confrontationsin whichagents usedtear gas and other tactics.

Pope meetswithglobalgroup of clergy abusesurvivors

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Pope Leo XIV

met Monday for the first time with an organization of clergy abusesurvivors and advocates,who said he agreed to maintain apermanent dialogue as they press for azero-tolerance policy for abuse in the Catholic Church.

Ending Clergy Abuse is a global organization that has been campaigning to universalize the U.S. church’s abuse policy

Among other things, the policy calls for the permanent removal from ministry of apriest based on even a single act of sexual abuse that is either admitted to

or established accordingto church law

TheU.S. policy,first articulated in the1990s, was publiclyadopted at theheight of the scandal thereinabid to restore trust andcredibility in theU.S. hierarchy after revelationsofdecades of abuseand cover-up.Itis church lawinthe United Statesbut is notembraced elsewhere.

Leo acknowledged “there wasgreat resistance” to theidea of auniversal zerotolerance law,said TimLaw ECA co-founder.But Law saidhetoldLeo that ECA wanted to work withhim and the Vatican to move the idea forward Leo has met before with clergy abuse survivors, and

was the point person for listening to victims in thePeruvian bishops conference when he was abishop there.

Buthistory’sfirst American pope acknowledged the significance of meeting with ECA as an activist organization, members tolda news conference.

Pope Francis andPope Benedict XVI beforehim also met with individual victims but had kept activist and advocacy groups at arm’slength.

“He said, ‘This is thenext historic step: to sittogether and talk,’”German participant Matthias Katsch said of Monday’s meeting. “He allowed us to stayincontact to have an open channel of communications.”

Ecuadorsaysithas no evidence U.S. strike survivor committedcrime

ByThe Associated Press

QUITO— The survivor of a U.S. strike on asubmersible vessel accused by the Trump administration of transportingdrugs in theCaribbean was released by authorities in Ecuador after prosecutors said they had no evidence he committed acrime in the South American nation, agovernment official said Monday. The official, who asked not to be identified becausethey were not authorized to speak on the matter,told The Associated Press that the Ecuadorian man, identifiedas Andrés Fernando Tufiño, was in good health aftermedical

evaluations Adocument from the Ecuadorian government 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 theAttorney General’s Office, but did not immediately receivea response The man was repatriated by the United States over the weekend following aU.S. military attack on asubmersible vessel suspectedoftransporting drugs in the Caribbean. A Colombian citizen also survived the attack and remains

hospitalized after being repatriatedtothat country

U.S. militarypersonnel rescuedbothmen after destroying thesubmersible on Thursday. Trump said on social media that U.S.intelligence confirmed thevessel was carrying “mostlyfentanyl and other illegal drugs.”

There is little evidence to indicate that fentanyl is produced in theAndes, as the vast majority of it flows into theU.S. through Mexico. Trumpsaidthattwo peopleonboard were killed, and the two survivors were being repatriated to their home countries “for detention and prosecution.

WASHINGTON The federal agency tasked withoverseeing the U.S.nuclear stockpile has begun furloughing employees as part of theongoingfederal government shutdown, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Monday In avisit to Nevada, Wright said theNational Nuclear Security Administration is furloughing 1,400 federal workers as part of theshutdown, whichbegan Oct. 1. Nearly 400 federal workerswillremainonthe job, along withthousands of nuclear agency contractors, the Energy Department said. The nuclear agency asemi-autonomous branch of the Energy Department, also workstosecure nuclear

materials around the world.

“Tough day today,” Wright said in Las Vegas before a scheduledvisit to theNevada National Security Site in Mercury,Nevada. “We’re working hard to protect everyone’sjobs and keep our national stockpile secure,” Wright said.

The furloughs do not pose an immediate threat to national security,Wright said, adding: “Wehaveemergency employees and the current nuclear stockpile is safe.”

President Donald Trump’s Republican administration firedhundreds of nuclear agency employees earlier this year,before reversing course amid criticism the action could jeopardize national security.Similar criticism emergedMondayafter Wright’sannouncement.

Wright said the disruption would affectemployees and their families and will delay testing of commercial reactors, including some small modular reactorsthatthe Trumpadministrationhas pushedasacheaper alternativetocostlynuclear plants that cantake years or even decades to bring online.

“These are jobs of great gravity,” Wright said, urging congressional leaders to reopen the government as soon as possible.

Democratic Sen. Ed MarkeyofMassachusetts said it was “dangerously unacceptable that the Trump administration claimsit will have to temporarily suspend certain nuclear security programs because of theongoing government shutdown.”

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Recreating chicken history

Back in 1996, when Raising Cane’sfounder Todd Graveswas deep in the throes of launching his first restaurant at the corner of Highland Road and East State Street in Baton Rouge, he rented the small second-floor apartment next door

He moved his bed into the living room so he could keep aclear view of the restaurant anddrive-thru. He worked most of the time,but when he was in his apartment and things got busy,hewould head down the stairs, out the front door and cross the parking lot to help.

The apartment served adual purpose —itwas also the restaurant’ssupport office, with bulky computers filling the kitchenand 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 twoyears he not only restored the rather dilapidated buildingbut also returnedhis oldapartment to its 1996 glory

He replicated it as closely as possible —furnishings,details, even the cereal boxes atop the fridge and the brownpaisley comforter on the bed. Though it’snot open to the public, Cane’sregional marketing director Zachary Corbintookmeon atour last week.

“Todd was 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 referto 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 next door —old-stylenapkin holders, ketchup squirt bottlesand replacement furnishings.

As Corbin and Iwalked upstairs to unit No. 4, Graves’ old apartment, he told me that Graveswas in Nashville getting ready forthe LSU-Vanderbilt game. Evenso, the Cane’sfounder took some time to answer afew questions about hisdecision to remake his old apartment, which is all about the details —down to the scalesinthe bathroom.

“Look, Iwill tell you, I’ll tell you this, Todd is the most detail-oriented person I’ve ever met inmyentire life,” Corbin said. “I genuinely believe it’sone of the things that’s made the business successful.” Appreciating the level of detail required to bring 1996 backtolife, Iasked Graves, “On ascale of1 to 10,how sentimental are you? 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 29years and still have the same menu as we did when Iopened ‘themothership’ that first day.” He says when he first started, his goal was to open one restaurant. He was focused on doing everythinghecouldtomakethat dream areality

After the first successful fall semester,hebegan thinking about where he and his team could open asecond location on the otherside of campus. Back then,hesaidhe thought Cane’swas arestaurant concept that would onlywork on a college campus. After they opened the second restaurant,at202 W. Lee Drive, and recognized the different traffic patterns with businesspeople

ä See RISHER, page 2B

Search begins forcityattorney Role maychangesignificantly pending acharteramendment

BY BLAKE PATERSON and BEN MYERS Staff writers

New Orleans Mayor-elect HelenaMorenokicked off her search Mondayfor anew city attorney,a positionappointed by themayor that could have anew job descriptionifvoters approve acharter amendment on November’sballot.

Leading Moreno’ssearch for the city’snext chief legal officer are former City Attorney Sharonda

Williams andtrial lawyer Jennifer Greene, according to anews release from Moreno’stransition team.

“The CityAttorney is one of themost consequential positions in citygovernment. This leader must combine impeccable legal skill withintegrity,fairness and public trust,” Moreno saidinthe release.

The search comes ahead of the Nov.15election, when voters will be asked to approve an amend-

menttothe city’shome-rule charter that would reshape the relationship betweenthe city attorney andthe mayor who appoints them. The proposition aimstoensure thecityattorney’sindependence while representing the city as a whole, as opposed to one branch or individual. If voters approve, thecity attorney would be forbidden from taking sidesincouncilmayorlegalconflicts,and would also havesomeprotection against being fired by the mayor

Themayor wouldcontinuetoappoint the city attorney,but, if they arefiredbythe mayor,the charter amendment allows the sevenmember council to overturn the firing with five votes. That would complement another new council power —adopted by voters in a 2022 charter amendment —to ratify the mayor’schoice of city attorney,along with other departmentheads.

Limelight

St.Charles streetcar headsdowntown.

Property taxsalebegins

Owners havelimited window to paydebt

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

NewOrleans propertyownerswith delinquent taxes haveuntil Thursdaytopay off amounts owed before delinquencies are put out to bid.

The New Orleans Bureau of Treasury announced this week that its annual taxsale willrun Tuesday through Thursday for unpaid taxes from 2022, 2023 or 2024. Back taxes foryearspriorto2022 must be paid in full before paymentscan be applied to thepastthree years.

Residents andinterestedbuyers can see thedelinquent propertiesup for sale by visiting civicsource.com Thesale marks the last under Lou-

isiana’scurrent system, where investors payoff the delinquent debt through atax sale andoriginalownershavethree years to reclaim their property by makinggood on that debt at 1% monthlyinterest, includinga one-time5%penalty

At the end of that period, if the debt isn’tredeemed and the property goes to auction,original owners canretain equityintheir property if an investor bids less than100% interest. Under the new tax lien system, approved by voters last year and settotakeeffect Jan. 1, investors bidonhow much interest the debt mayaccrue. Bids will start at 1% amonth andcan go down as far as 0.7% amonth. Butproperty owners stand to lose their equityifitgoes

Metairie woman died in custody

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

Authoritieshave identified the woman who died while in custodyatthe Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna early Saturday morning. Keila Pena, 42, of Metairie, was pronounced dead at the jail, located in the 100 block of Dolhonde Street, according to the Jefferson Parish Coroner’sOffice. An autopsy was conducted

Monday,but her cause of death has not yet been determined.Authorities are awaiting theresults of further testing, including toxicologytests,according to the Coroner’sOffice. The agency didsay that Pena did notdie undersuspicious circumstances,and foul play is not suspected. Pena wasbeing held without bail at the jail after her arrest Oct. 4onmore than a dozen counts of being afugitive fromanotherjurisdiction, according to Jefferson Parish court records.

Man found dead in Grand Isle’s Caminada Pass ID’d

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

The Jefferson Parish Coroner’s

Office has identified the man whose body was recovered Friday afternoon from the Caminada Pass in Grand Isle.

Ronnie Thibodeaux, 72, of Larose, was pronounced dead after the Grand Isle Fire Department pulled him from the waterway across which the La. 1 bridge spans.

His cause of death has not yet been determined, but the Coroner’s Office said Thibodeaux did not die under suspicious circumstances and foul play is not suspected

Thibodeaux has a camp in the area and entered the water about 1 a.m. Friday, according to authorities. He wasn’t discovered until about 1 p.m.

The Coroner’s Office is working to conclude whether Thibodeaux suffered a medical event that preceded his entering the water or if something accidental occurred, such as a slip and fall. The testing could take several weeks.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com

TAXES

Continued from page 1B

to auction after three years, because bids would start at twothirds of the property’s market value and debts may be greater

Arrested LSU students not disciplined

Group to continue protests over presidential search

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

A group of students who were arrested at a meeting for the LSU presidential search this month — after one refused to stop speaking after her public comment time expired and others blocked the police car that held her — learned Monday that the university will not take formal disciplinary action.

“I think we definitely hit a nerve with them, and they acted irrationally, and I think they’ve shown clear regret for their actions,” student Margo Wilson said about her meeting with the LSU Student Advocacy and Accountability Office.

Those who were arrested have not yet found out if criminal charges will be filed, they said at a news conference Monday They were arrested on counts of resisting an officer and obstruction of a highway of commerce, with two students also arrested on the count of interfering with an educational process.

The students are part of the Students for a Democratic Society club and have protested the ongoing presidential search over what they say is a lack of student involvement.

“Majority of this board has no stake directly in LSU in terms

than what the original owner could gain The bureau is only accepting payments via cashier’s check or cash to reduce processing delays this week. Online payments are not accepted If property owners fail to pay off delinquencies, the taxes will

LSU students who were arrested at a presidential search committee meeting earlier this month discuss the outcome

with the Student Advocacy and Accountability

of their attendance or employment,” student Carson Wall said. “We believe that the focus in who gets to pick the president should be the people who are directly involved every day in the university’s day-to-day activities.”

Todd Woodward, the vice president of LSU marketing and communications, said in a statement after the arrests that 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

be sold through a public bidding process, and a lien will be placed on the property. If there are no bidders, the city will take over the lien. Property owners can mail payments to City of New Orleans, Bureau of Treasury, Department #165025, P.O. Box 62600, New Or-

committee meeting Thursday

They are pleased that LSU is pursuing an “informal resolution” process that likely will involve writing an essay or taking a course, the students said.

“I still think that we are being unfairly targeted for our political views and the way in which we express them,” Wall said. “I do think it was unlawful in the way that LSUPD conducted themselves, and I think it’s apparent that LSU is trying to avoid bad publicity from this event by moving to a more informal (process), but personally, I’m happy with these results.”

leans, LA 70162. Payments without a bill stub can be mailed to City of New Orleans, Bureau of Treasury, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1W40 New Orleans, LA 70112.

Email Joni Hess at joni.hess@ theadvocate.com.

The back room, which was originally a bedroom, was transformed into an office and acted as the restaurant’s support office.

RISHER

Continued from page 1B

at lunch, moms and 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’s so much runway for Cane’s.” He’s looking 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’s campus in Baton Rouge, continues to hum. Next door, that small apartment waits frozen in time, cereal boxes and all — standing as a quiet testament to what can happen when someone keeps believing in an idea long after everyone else has gone home. Walking through Graves’

INMATE

Continued from page 1B

Pena also had been booked with several attachments for missing hearings in court cases after she as charged with theft and possession of suboxone, according to court records.

About 1:15 a.m. Saturday, deputies at the jail noticed Pena slouched over in her housing area, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, which operates the facility

The deputies discovered her unresponsive Both on-site and responding emergency medical personnel began life-saving measures, according to the Sheriff’s Office. But Pena could not be revived. She was pronounced dead at 1:37 a.m.

Moreno, at a news conference last week, said she supports the charter amendment. She voted earlier this year to place the measure on the ballot in her role as City Council vice president.

The measure was one of many proposals recommended by a group of civic leaders earlier this year to improve city government. That group, The City Services Coalition, has argued that the city attorney often favors the interests of the mayor Tension over the city attorney’s allegiance is nothing new since the council and mayor have disagreed on legal matters for generations But those conflicts have hit new heights in Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s second term, with the mayor and council regularly facing off in court.

The charter amendment would force the city attorney, the head of the city’s Law Department, to stay neutral in council-mayor court confrontations, and to “exercise independent legal judgment” when faced with conflicting directives.

The new city attorney should have at least five years of legal experience, according to the job application posted to Moreno’s transition website, though 12 years of legal work plus experience in government, municipal or public law is preferred.

Moreno’s picks to lead the search for a new city attorney are both seasoned lawyers with deep roots in New Orleans politics and government.

Williams, who now serves as vice president, general counsel and director of government affairs at Loyola University, served as city attorney under Mayor Mitch Landrieu from 2013-15. During her tenure, she worked on the New Orleans Police Department’s consent decree and helped resolve longrunning firefighter pension and backpay litigation She currently serves on the Port of New Orleans board and previously chaired the Regional Transit Authority board.

“Having served as City Attorney I understand how vital this position is to ensuring government acts with both integrity and accountability,” Williams said in the release.

Greene is past chair of the American Association for Justice’s Women’s Trial Lawyer Caucus and is co-founder of Emerge Louisiana, which trains Democratic women to run for public office. She previously served on District Attorney Jason Williams’ transition team.

“Our goal is to ensure that on day one, the next City Attorney is ready to hit the ground running, handle complex legal matters, protect the city’s interests, and support the administration’s efforts to deliver results for residents,” Greene said in the release.

Transition co-chair Cedric Richmond, a former congressman and senior adviser to President Joe Biden, will provide oversight of the city attorney search committee. He’s also overseeing a separate search launched on Thursday for Moreno’s chief administrative officer

“The next City Attorney must understand our city’s complexities, from its neighborhoods to its history, and be ready to serve with both competence and compassion,” Richmond said in the release.

Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.

Ancar,Anna Cangelosi,Joseph Cordell, Dale Graham,Marlie Gutter, Elaine

Irvin Sr., Harold PfisterSr.,Jerry Remont,Deborah

Gutter, Elaine

Irvin Sr., Harold

PfisterSr.,Jerry

Remont,Deborah

Graham,Marlie

Ancar, Anna AlinaBarthelemy

Anna AlinaBarthelemy Ancar enteredintoeternal restonThursday,Septem‐ber 25, 2025,atthe ageof 88. Anna leaves to cherish her memories to two daughters,SandraEn‐caladeand ArikaAncar; two grandsons, Brandon Victorand Jordan “Buddie” Encalade(Elizabeth); seven great-grandchildren, ZoieAmanyah,Cambrie Elizabeth,AubreyLeeAnn AmiyahLynn, BraydenLee, Pearl Anna andMargaret Alice;her sister Grace LaCross (Wilbert); Godchil‐drenMarcieKinloch,Kevin “Chick” Bartholomew, FranceliaBarthelemy, Laura Bartholomew,and ChristinaGarrisonand ahosts ofnieces, nephewsand rel‐atives. Anna is preceded in death by herhusband Wilmer “Weet”of50years her parentsFelician and Agnes Barthelemy;her sis‐ter Alvina Ancar; son-inlaw LeanderEncalade; brothers-in-law,Winnie Ancar,Sr.,and Curry Ancar,Sr.;sisters-in-law, Bernadette (Cottee) Bartholomew andMazie Ancar;and Nephew Curry Ancar,Jr. Anna wasa lifelongresidentofPlaquem‐inesParishand adevoted parishioner of St.Judeand St. PatrickChurches.She enjoyed gardening, cook‐ing,baking, playingBingo, and visiting with her friends.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend thememor‐ial mass of ChristianBurial onWednesday October22, 2025 at St.Patrick Catholic Church locatedat28698 LA-23, Port Sulphur LA 70083 beginningat10AM. FatherLawrencewillcele‐brate themass. Funeral planningentrusted to RobinsonFamilyFuneral Home(504) 208-2119. For onlinecondolences please visit www.robinsonfamilyf uneralhome.com

Jeannette B. Cangelosi Devoted father of Kathleen C. Seamster (Brian), the late John J. Cangelosi and the late Marian C. Cangelosi. Cherished grandfatherofBrandy S. Johnston (Michael), Jeffrey G. Seamster, and Emily K. Seamster. Dear greatgrandfather of Josephine Johnston and Abigail Seamster. Josephwas the son of the late Charles A. Cangelosiand thelate Josephine Scramuzza Cangelosi. Joe was aWW2 veteran. He servedinthe Army Air Force as aball turret gunnerinItaly. Hewent on to earn adegreeinsociology from Tulane University. Afteracareerasajuvenile probation and parole officer with the state of Louisiana,heenrolled at UNO and earneda B.A. in FineArts.Heattendedart classes at theNew Orleans Jewish CommunityCenter for20years where he made manydearfriends During his retirement he activelypursuedhis art, creating innumerable paintings, collages, and assemblageswhich he enjoyedgivingtofamily and friends. He paintedupuntil the last few months of his life.Joe was adaily visitor to the P.J.'s in River Ridge where he gathered with friends and fellow coffee enthusiasts. Please join us in celebrating Joe slifeatthe American Italian Cultural Centerat537 S. Peters Street,New Orleans, LA 70130from 10 to 1on Saturday, October 25. There is street parking nearby and parking lots on theblock.

Cordell, Dale Katherine

Dale Katherine Cordell, a nativeofNew Orleans, and aresident of Covington passedawayonOctober 15, 2025atthe ageof75. Sheissurvived by her partnerof47years, Chrystine Staiger. She is preceded in deathbyher mother Grace Josephine Mandella Cordell,father Orville Eugene Cordell, and brother Donald Carl Cordell. Sheis survived by her brother David Eugene Cordell (Karen), and sisterCynthia Ann Cordell Melancon (Donald). Dale lovedher gardens and herpool,spending most of her time outdoors caring forthem. Avisitation willbeheld at St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church13396RiverRoad, Destrehan, LA on Wednesday,October 22 at 10:00AMwith aMassof Christianburial at 11:00 AM. Interment immediately following at St.Charles Borromeo Mausoleum

It is with deep sorrow and endlesslove that we share thepassing of Marlie Graham, age21. Knownby all as “Marliewitha bow, she wasthe very definition oflight,strength, and grace.Fromthe moment she arrived, shewas Daddy’s littlegirl—a sourceofjoy,laughter, and pride beyond measure. Thoughher time here was far tooshort,Marlielived witha strength that in‐spiredeveryonewho crossed herpath. She faced life’s challenges with courage andanunwaver‐ing smile. To know herwas tofeel herwarmth; to love her wastobeforever changed.Marlieblessed everyonewho waslucky enoughtoknowher.She may no longer be beside us, buther spirit will re‐mainforever in thehearts ofthose shetouched.Rest easy, sweetMarlie. The world is dimmer without you,but heaven shines a littlebrighter. Preceded in death by hergrandparents, Elmoreand DianaMartin, Thomasand Elaine Gra‐ham,great-grandmother, IdaO’Delland Leoand Ethel Griener. Sheisthe beloved daughter of Paige Martin Graham and Richard Paul Graham.Sis‐ter of MasonGraham. Also survivedbylovingaunts, uncles, cousinsand the Barnesfamily. Thefamily wouldliketoextendtheir

would like to extend their deepestappreciation to the doctors, nurses, and respiratory staffatChil‐dren’sHospitalfor their careand compassion.Visi‐tationwillbeheldat Mothe FuneralHome, 7040 Lapalco Boulevard, Mar‐rero, LA on Wednesday, Oc‐tober 22,2025from10AM to1:30PM. Services will followinthe funeralhome chapel. IntermentRest‐lawnParkCemeteryin Avondale. Family and friends areinvited to share condolences andmemo‐riesbyvisiting: www.mot hefunerals.com.

Gutter,Elaine MarieJeanmarie

Elaine MarieJeanmarie Gutter, adevoted wife, mother, andgrandmother departedthislifeonOcto‐ber 10,2025, at herNew Or‐leans residenceshortly after her83rdBirthday. Elainetreasured herfamily throughouther life,and theywerebyher side whenshe departed this life. Shewas born on Octo‐ber 4, 1942, to Alfred Jean‐marie Sr.and Josephine DesvigneJeanmarie.Elaine graduated from Xavier Uni‐versity PreparatorySchool, thenattended Robouin MemorialSchool andre‐ceivedher LicenseofPrac‐tical Nursing. Over her nursing career sheworked atMercy Hospital,Family Planning, &the Veterans Affair (VA) Hospital.Elaine was preceded in deathby her parents: Josephine& AlfredJeanmarie,Sr.,her husband Jerry T. Gutter,Sr. brothersAlfredJeanmarie Sr. andAnthony Jeanmarie, Sr. hersister-in-law Alcibia Jeanmarie,brother-in-law CurtisGutter, Sr.parents in law Silasand Gladys Davis Jackson andTheodoreGut‐ter.Laineyleavesbehind tocherish hermemoryher children: Jerry Gutter, Jr (Rachel)and TrudyJack‐son;granddaughters J’AvantiAugillard(Robert), BiJon Jackson, andJavion Gutter; onegreat grandson RobertR.Augillard, also,a hostofnieces, nephews, relatives,and close friends.Relatives and friends of thefamily, priests andparishionersof CorpusChristi Epiphany Catholic Church also em‐ployees of HousingAuthor‐ity of NewOrleans (H.A.N.O),Cantium,LLC EDG,Inc., UR FirstHome Health, Crescent City Schoolsand theVeterans Affair (VA) Hospital arein‐vited to attend aFuneral MassofChristian Burial Wednesday,October 22 2025, for10:00 a.m. at Cor‐pus ChristiEpiphany Catholic Church,2022St. Bernard Avenue,New Or‐leans,LA.Visitation will begin at 8:00 a.m. Inter‐mentwillfollowatSt. Roch CemeteryNo.2, 1725 St RochAvenue,New Orleans, LA70117.Arrangementsby the Boyd Family Funeral Home, NewOrleans,LA 70126. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins com (504)282-0600. Don‐avinD.Boydand Linear BrooksBoydOwners/Fu‐neral Directors.

Harold G. Irvin, Sr., age 86was born on March4, 1939inNew Orleans, LA departedthislifeonMon‐day,October 13,2025. Haroldwas a1958gradu‐ate of McDonogh #35Se‐niorHighSchool,a retired Freight Handlerand mem‐ber of ILALocal 3000 after 33years of service. He was anavidenthusiastfor rac‐ing andmotor bikes, spendingmanySundays onLakePontchartrain (the Lakefront)passing on his wisdomtothe young mo‐torist. OneofHarold’shid‐den talentswas hisexper‐tiseasa trumpetplayer. Heplayedwithhis own band, theTru Tones, and formerlyplayedwiththe bands of Irma Thomas, Jeanne Knight andthe

g NevilleBrothers. He was baptizedatanearly age and amemberSixth Bap‐tistChurch.Haroldwas the lovingfatherofHarold, Jr., Lennie, Sr.(Ethel),Glenn, MarilynJustinand Dr.Car‐olynJustinJohnson (Dr. Warren).Beloved brother ofRosalindI.Kay,Harris, Sr.,Mandaline I. Shields, AdamSr.,and BeverlyI Jelks.Haroldwas the proud grandfatherof10 and thegreat-grandfather of3.Heisalsosurvivedby a host of nieces,nephews, cousins,familyand friends.Hewas preceded indeath by his1st wife Juanita AtlowIrvin,and 2nd wife Patricia Irvin; his parents HelenMurrayIrvin and RussellG.Irvin,Sr; and his threebrothersRussell, Jr.,Henry Sr.and Benjamin Irvin. Relativesand Friends ofthe family areinvited to attend theCelebration of LifeService on Wednesday, October 22,2025, at GertrudeGeddesWillisFu‐neral Home,2120Jackson Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70113 at 10:00a.m Visita‐tionfrom9:00a.m.until 10:00 a.m. Rev. TorinT Sanders,PhD,Officiating. IntermentMount Olivet Cemetery, 4000 Norman Mayer,New Orleans, LA 70122. Youmay sign the guest book on www.ger trudegeddeswillis.com

Gertrude GeddesWillisFu‐neral Home Inc.,incharge (504) 522-2525

Jerry J. Pfister,Sr. from Norco,Louisiana passed awayonFriday, October17, 2025, at theage of 87.After highschool Jerry served his countryinthe United StatesArmy. Jerry retired fromShell OilCompany as a supervisor.Jerry is pre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐entsUrvin Pfister,Sr.,and NelliePfister Laiche,broth‐ers UrvinPfister,Jr. and Arsen Pfister,Sr, andsonin-lawDr. Mark J. Peters He is survived by hiswife f li f

y of 65 years, AliceLeBouef Pfister;daughters Kerry Naquin(Kevin) andKim‐berly Peters;son Jerry Pfis‐ter,Jr. (Paula); grandchil‐drenKevin Naquin,Jr. (Tracy),HaydenPfister (Halie),Blair Pfister,Lind‐say Ralser (Jacob), Cole Radetich, JamiePeters (Lyndsey),and BradleyPe‐ters(Whitney);greatgrandchildren Amelia Naquin, Julian Naquin, SawyerPfister,BeauPfis‐ter,Jackand Benjamin Pe‐ters. Relativesand friends are invitedtoattenda MassofChristian Burial at St. CharlesBorromeo Catholic Church,13396 River Rd Destrehan, LA on Thursday, October23, 2025, at12:00 PM.Visitationwill beheldatthe church from 11:00 AM until12:00 PM.In‐terment will follow at St Charles Borromeo Catholic ChurchCemetery.

Deborah Ann"Gram" Remont (Odle), age 78, passedaway peacefullyon October15, 2025, at her home in Covington, Louisiana. Born on October 24, 1946, in Dallas, Texas Deborah was the daughter of Merrittand Vera Odle. Deborah grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas and graduated from GrandPrairieHigh school before attending theUniversity of Texas at Arlington.Deborahspent 56 years of herlifededicated to herhusband, children,grandchildrenand great grandchildren. Knownaffectionately as "Gram," to hergrandchildren andgreat grandchildren,she couldsolve any problemwhetheritbea packedlunch,forgotten pairofdance shoes or a heartinneedofa little TLC. Alongwithher family, Deborah lovedall things Texas; she nevermisseda

Cowboysgame; gardening, cooking, playing with her grandchildrenand cross stitching Deborah was aproud Christian andanactive member of Northshore Bible Church.She embodiedthe spirit of Genesis 2:18: "Itisnot goodfor the man to be alone.Iwill make ahelpmate suitable for him." Herlifewas atestament to this verse and reflected herdesire to serve herfamilyand community.Deborah was preceded in death by her motherVeraOpal Palmer Odle, herfather MerirttLee Odle, and herbrother in law Donald Gumpert Sheissurvived by her Husband David, hersister RebeccaGumpert. Herchildren CynthiaRichey (ShaneRichey) and Kathryn Sober. HergrandchildrenBrittanyCrosby, Brian Crosby (Bekah Crosby), Alexandra McNeese (Seth McNeese), Adam Sober, Jackson Sober, William Sober, Sam Richey, andDrewRichey. Herlegacycontinues through hergreat-grandchildren: Lilliana, Everly, Emerald,Elliot, Ronan, Eleanor,and Baby Girl Crosby arriving next year. Deborah'sCelebrationof Life will be held at NorthShore Bible Church (19516 SunshineAve Covington La, 70433) on Thursday, October23, 2025 at 11:00am. Visitation will begin at 10:00am. In lieu of flowersdonationscan

OUR VIEWS

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. TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

OPINION

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

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-

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

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? ABC/Disney spin doctors proffering their “allowing” forthe return of Jimmy Kimmelwhen, in fact, they caved to the whimsofthe public.

Putnot your trustinprinces

“I think this is verypro-life. Youcan’t get more 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 forall —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 the world, but he was making clear tothe fewwho stillweren’tclear: The man does not know what pro-life is. Andwhile pro-life is awomb-to-tomb thing, Donald Trump stilldoesn’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 —whichis actually just good old-fashioned health care: adoctor looking to see what is goingontocause obstacles to childbirth But to pro-lifers who are disappointed, and to pro-choicers whojust hate him anyway, Ihave thesame thing to say:Befree. Put not your trustin princes. That is good advice any day,

on anyfront, but especially for politics. Andit’slongneeded when it comes to abortion andinnocent human life. In many ways, this should have happened already.Roe v. Wade did focusthe national mind. It both united and divided in its ways. I blame my own tribe for this the Democratic Party becoming inhospitable to life. Joe Biden is theperfect example. Biden began hispolitical career against abortion. Buthis party changed, so he did, too.

Former Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput once made the point that 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 the side. That’snot the way it’s supposed to work. Buthere we are. Peopleopposedtoabortion often found themselves forced to vote Republican —orat least not votefor Democrats. That changed lastyear,when the Republicans dropped ending abortion from their platform. Not only was Trumpdeclaring victory over Roe, but he was also declaring 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.

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.

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.”’ 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

We are watching very closely the tropical disturbance in the Caribbean. That systemis currentlynothreat to the Gulf Coast. Otherwise, the tropical Atlantic is quiet. Locally,another beautiful dayisinthe forecast.Expect mostly sunnytopartlycloudy, warm, humid and breezy conditions. Temperatures this afternoon willrise to the mid- to upper 80s. With southerlywinds, humidity willbemuch more significant. Rain chances will be 10-20% with the passageof anothercoldfront. Temps will be lowertomorrow.

SPORTS

McCoy, Miller out forrest of season

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

year 1ofJoe Dumars eratoset tone forPelicansfuture

The words that once adorned the walls of the New OrleansPelicanspractice facility area thing of thepast

Words like “Mindfulness,” “Joy”and “Compassion” that decoratedthe gym under theDavid Griffin regime have been replaced by thesetwo simple words:“One Goal.”

Next to the words “OneGoal”isa giant picture of the Larry O’Brien trophy

No New Orleans team —not the Jazz in the ’70s, the Hornets in the early 2000s, nor the Pelicans as they have been calledsince 2013 —has ever comeclose to lifting an NBA trophy

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 continue to be the one guiding the ship?

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Following another disjointed performance from hisoffense at Ole Miss, LSUcoach Brian Kelly told offensive coordinator Joe Sloan and wide receivers coachCortez Hankton to make an adjustment. LSU was going to pare downits playbook. Instead of runningawide variety of plays, the Tigers would focus on mastering the concepts they could already run efficiently “Wewent into that process about three weeks ago through the bye week,” Kelly said during his weekly Monday press conference, “and Ithink it’sproved to be effective for us.” Kelly has apoint. The Tigers hadover 400 yards of offense in their next game against SouthCarolina. They then scored 24 points this past Saturday against Vanderbilt —the most it had scoredagainst an FBS opponent this year —while averaging 4.8yards per rush. Improvements have been made, butthey weren’tenough to take down the Commo-

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 winning the 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 NBA long beforethe playersonthe Pelicans roster were born, knows that.

“Before you can get to theplayoffs or acertain amount of wins, the first

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 (Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy,Herb Jones andDejounte Murray)missed acombined 194 games last season.

ä See PELICANS, page 2C

dores on the road or satisf of afrustrated fanbase. “If you really wantto t picture, Iwas pleased with butit’sthe outcomes,” Kel base wants positive outcom There’snothing that bring together better than an LS we clearly understand tha Even after watching the aways from Saturday’s o mancedidn’t change much many situations where th atouchdown, but settled f stead. The most obvious of thos ties cameinthe fourthqu trailing by 10,settled for sophomore running back 51-yard runplaced the Ti goalatthe 2-yardline.

Bucs at Saints 3:05 P.M.

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

ErikMcCoyruns aplayin

first halfofagame against the New England Patriots on Oct. 12. McCoysuffered aseason-ending bicepsinjuryinSunday’s game against Chicago.

Spencer Rattlerhad arough daySunday. One week afterhis best performance as the New OrleansSaints starting quarterback,hesuffered his worst one: four sacks, threeinterceptions, afumble and a season-low 66.3 passer rating. It led to ademoralizing 2614 loss to the Chicago Bears and lowered his

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 second-worst record in the West. There’s more to those num-

PELICANS

Continued from page 1C

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.

“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

bers 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

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.

“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 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

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.

of the last 40 games, scoring in double figures 15 times, including the last eight games, and grabbing 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.

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.”

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

when

NEWORLEANS AREA FOOTBALLTOP 10s

LARGE SCHOOLS (5A-4A)

1. Edna Karr7-0 (1): The Cougarsposted their third shutout and did not allowatouchdown forthe fourth time this season while beating Jesuit. Up next is Warren Easton, ateamKarrhas dominated in recent seasons.

2. John Curtis 6-0 (2): The Patriots were in control forthree-plusquarters but let afumblereturn touchdown by Brother Martin makeitaone-score game. Ball security will be an emphasis this week against Jesuit. Curtis and Karrwill playWeek9

3. St.Augustine 6-1 (3): Twotouchdownsoff turnovers in Rummel territoryhelpedthe Purple Knights to another win.They’ll face BrotherMartin andHolyCross the next twoweeks— before a Week 10 showdown against Curtis.

4. Destrehan5-2 (4): The Wildcats scoreda season-high 68 points in arout of Captain Shreve andwill face Central Lafourche this week.The two losses cameagainst state-rankedCatholic-BR and Alexandria.Hahnville is Week 9.

5. St. Charles 6-1 (8): District playbegins against undefeated Belle Chasse. St. Charleswon this matchup 14-13 last season.Theonly loss this seasoncame on alast-playtouchdownbySt. James in Week 5.

6. Rummel 4-3 (5): Can theRaiders rebound from apoor offensive showing againstSt.Augustine? They’ll tryagainst Holy Cross.All three losses have come against top-5 teams in the state rankings

7. Shaw5-2 (9): The reigning Division II select state champion Eagles scoredaseason-high 50 points in ahigh-scoring win against Walker,a good sign for ateam that began the season withnine newstarters on offense.

8. Brother Martin 4-3 (6): Thethree-gamelosing streak has come against schools listed above Brother Martin in this ranking. St.Augustine is the next opponent.

9. Lakeshore 6-1 (10): The Titans topped 40 points for the second week in arow while beating PearlRiver.The lone loss came against Salmen. 10. Hahnville 6-1 (NR): The Tigers topped40 points for the fourth time, scoring aseason-high 49 in aroutofCentral Lafourche. Up next is East St.John, before hosting Destrehan in Week 8. Dropping out: Jesuit (4-3).

this week.

SMALL SCHOOLS (3A ANDBELOW)

1. Kennedy 4-3 (1): TheCougars posted their third shutout in awin against Booker T. Washington and will take athree-game win streak into their game against Livingston Collegiate.

2. Riverside 6-1 (2): TheRebels beat their twoclosestdistrict competitors by acombined 100-6 score overthe past twoweeks against St Martin’sand West St. John.

3. Newman 3-2 (3): TheGreenies,set to face Reed this week, are looking to finishstrong They’ll face high-scoring CountryDay in Week 9 and reigningstate champion South Plaquemines in Week 10.

4. NorthlakeChristian 4-2 (4): The Wolverines have wonthree in arow with sevenpoints allowed in that stretch, includinga 14-0 winagainst their closest district competitor, Pope John Paul II.

5. South Plaquemines 5-1 (5): TheHurricanes arequietly putting together anotherstrong season. District playbeginsagainst CountryDay

JarellMcGee of Edna Karr tries to evade St. Augustine’s John Carter during their game on Oct. 3. Karr stayedat No. 1and St. Augustine heldatNo. 3 in thisweek’s large-school rankings.

6. De La Salle 2-5 (6): The Cavaliers have topped 40 points in twodistrict winsafter starting theseason 0-5 entirely against schools withwinning records.

7. CountryDay 4-2 (8): The high-scoring Cajuns areonafour-gamewinning streak afterreaching 49 points for the fifth week in arow.Upnext is reigningstate champion South Plaquemines.

8. Pope John Paul II 4-3 (7): The Jaguarshad ahard-nosed loss to Northlakelast week but should be positionedto finish the season witha winning record.

9. Young Audiences 5-0 (9): Theupstartyaks cannot yetplayfor district honors, but theyare playing afull district schedule this season.They’ll face Haynes this week.

10. Haynes Academy 4-3 (NR): The yellow Jackets started theseasonwiththreelosses against teams that have winning records and are nowonafour-gamewinningstreak.

Dropping out: L.B. Landry(2-4) Christopher Dabe

BY JENNA FRYER Associated Press

TALLADEGA, Ala. When he fired the engine on his race car before last year’sNASCAR finale, Chase Briscoe sat inside the cockpitand cried. As an Indiana native aspiring to makeit to thetop levels of motorsports,hegravitatedto Tony Stewart, afellow Hoosier, three-time Cup champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer.Itwas a dream come true whenBriscoe, couch-surfing in North Carolina while trying to crack hisway into NASCAR, got aseat in 2020 at the team co-owned by Stewart.

But come the2024season finale, Stewart-Haas Racing was closing after the race andBriscoe’sfull circle career moment wouldend.

“I remember sitting on thegrid afterwefiredengines andjust crying for my wholechildhood.I

idolized Tony.Hewas my hero,” Briscoe said. Briscoe had alreadylinedup anew job at Joe Gibbs Racing, where Stewarthad wontwo of histitles in the first part of his NASCAR career,but after four seasons driving Stewart’sNo. 14, he wasunsure of what lifewould be like inside adifferent organization. He waspickedtoreplaceMar-

tinTruexJr.,who was retiring moving from FordtoToyotaand wouldn’thavehis hero around forguidance. It wasanemotional moment, part reflection andpart fear,for Briscoe.

“Justknowing that chapter of my life was ending, not knowing what the JGR chapter was really going to look like,” Briscoe said.

“You never know going to anew place. If Idon’t go win, I’m never going to get hired again because the expectation is youhavetogo to JGR and win.

“Ifyou can’t win in aJGR car, why would anybody hireyou for another team?” Briscoe has nothing to worry

about for the foreseeable future. Hisvictory Sunday at Talladega Superspeedwaylocked himinto thechampionship four and he will returntoPhoenix Raceway a year after splitting withStewart with hisfirst chance to win aCup title. Briscoe joined teammate Denny Hamlin in the championship field,with the final two slots to be filled this Sunday at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.ChristopherBell, thefinalJGR driver still eligible to race for the title, holdsaone-point edge over Kyle Larson for thefinaltwo spots in the winner-take-all decider It would be the first Cup title

forany of the three Gibbs drivers—assuming Bell advances —but Briscoe is the only one making his championship debut. His chance at the Cup comes at the same Phoenix track where he wonhis first CupSeriesrace, in 2022 driving for SHR. Arecent return trip back to the track causedhim to reflect on howhis career has developed and what is now at stake.

“I stood on the front straightaway,Ihadn’tdone that since I won there. Ikind of thought how thatday felt, winning my first Cuprace,”Briscoe said.“Next timeyou stand here, you might be achampion.”

Rattler still Saints’ starting QB, for now

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

After he committed four turnovers in last week’s loss to the Chicago Bears, Spencer Rattler will remain as the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints this Sunday against Tampa Bay But with second-round pick Tyler Shough waiting in the wings, Saints head coach Kellen Moore did not dismiss the possibility of a change at the position later in the season.

Asked if there would come a point when the Saints would have to take a look at Shough in the starting role, Moore said, “That’s week-to-week. We’ll see as we go. We’re focused on getting better right now Spencer obviously had a game where some turnovers occurred; we get to respond.” Rattler has started each of the Saints’ first seven games this season and has won some admirers for his play despite the Saints’ 1-6 record. He threw six touchdown passes against just one interception in the first six games and had the Saints in position to be competitive in the losses.

But things unraveled Sunday against a Chicago team that has now forced at least three turnovers in four consecutive games

Rattler lost a fumble on the Saints’ second play of the game and then followed with three interceptions. Through his seven starts this sea-

son, Rattler is completing 67.7% of his passes with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. Going into Monday night’s games, his 88.4

Daniels’ injury isn’t serious but defensive woes may derail Commanders’ season

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP national writer

WASHINGTON Of all the bad things that the Washington Commanders did, or that happened to them in their latest loss — and it’s a lengthy list — nothing was as worrisome as the sight of Jayden Daniels grabbing at his right hamstring as he limped off the field following a sack and fumble in the third quarter. While the MRI exam the quarterback had Monday showed nothing “significant or long-term,” coach Dan Quinn said, Daniels’ status for the team’s next game was uncertain, and there were plenty of other problems to deal with following a 44-22 drubbing by the Dallas Cowboys.

“It’s very frustrating,” Quinn said. “We’re going to look at everything.” They’d better His Commanders own a twogame losing streak, a 3-4 record that puts them in third place in the NFC East and a defense that is one of the NFL’s worst.

“It’s embarrassing, honestly,” defensive lineman Daron Payne said. “We got a way better team than we are putting on tape.” It won’t get any easier with a schedule that includes a Monday night road game next week against Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City, followed by games against Seattle and Detroit.

Daniels already missed two games this year with an injured left knee that currently is being protected by a brace. It was the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year whose magic helped Washington go 12-5 and reach the NFC championship game last season.

“To see one of our leaders going down, it definitely affected the team,” linebacker Frankie Luvu said after the loss at Dallas “He’s one of the guys we lean toward.”

What’s working

Very little. The Commanders have looked nothing like the team they thought would build off the

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if he wants to live another day as the Saints starter Tyler Shough is waiting in the wings. The rookie second-round draft pick has played sparingly this season, but he flashed enough talent in the preseason to push Rattler until the final weeks of camp in their spirited competition for the starting job. Rattler is a confident guy and has said all the right things about the Saints’ quarterback dynamic, but he’s smart enough to know the situation. The club selected Shough with the No. 40 overall pick in the NFL draft for a reason. He’s the highest quarterback drafted by the Saints since Archie Manning in 1971. At some point, team officials are going to want to

success of 2024. About the best that can be said about the offense is that it has been relatively effective most weeks, despite missing Daniels, his three best receivers and top running back Austin Ekeler for varying amounts of time to injuries. Special teams also have been fine. But the defense can’t stop anyone at the moment.

What needs help

The defense. This is not a new issue. And it doesn’t appear, at least for the moment, to be fixable Hard to know where the biggest blame lies, but there seem to be problems with the roster and the coaching. The group played well in the three victories, one of which came against a terrible opponent ( Las Vegas Raiders), another of which came against a now-benched quarterback (Russell Wilson and the New York Giants) and the other of which came against a team missing both starting offensive tackles ( Los Angeles Chargers) In its four defeats, Washington’s defense has allowed an average of 32.5 points

Stock up

Payne. He became the first NFL

get a look at him. Rattler might not see Shough over his shoulder, but like the infamous Keyser Soze, he has to feel his looming presence. Rookie quarterbacks are a crap shoot. There’s no guarantee they’ll be the answer or savior

While Jaxon Dart has revived the New York Giants, Cam Ward has done little to change the fortunes of the Tennessee Titans. Seven games into his NFL career, Ward has twice as many turnovers (10) as touchdown passes (four) and has already seen his head coach get fired. Jayden Daniels thrived a year ago, while Caleb Williams struggled. The best thing about rookie quarterbacks, as they say, is that they become second-year quarterbacks.

It’s not likely that Shough would change the fortunes of this Saints team. At least not enough to alter their trajectory or the

defensive lineman with three or more passes defended in a game’s opening half since 2012, and he combined with Jacob Martin to record a first-quarter safety That was Washington’s first safety since Payne got one against Philadelphia in 2022.

Stock down Marshon Lattimore. On the second play of Sunday’s game, Lattimore got bowled over by Dallas running back Lavonte Williams on a 9-yard run. On the third play, Lattimore got beaten on a 13-yard completion from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb. On the fifth, Lattimore was flagged for pass interference on George Pickens, resulting in a 37-yard gain that gave the Cowboys first-and-goal at the 2. Williams scored on the next play That was just the start of the latest poor performance by Lattimore. Later, he and safety Quan Martin collided, making things easy for Lamb on a 74yard TD pass. Lattimore also was beaten on a 44-yard completion to Pickens that set up another score just before halftime to put Dallas ahead 27-15.

win-loss record. Sunday’s setback was the Saints’ sixth in seven games this season. They have now lost 10 of their last 11 games and 18 of their past 22, dating to last season. It’s one of the worst stretches in franchise history, one that cost Dennis Allen his job and led Derek Carr to abruptly “retire” in the offseason.

Seven games into the season, the Saints find themselves still searching for an identity or a calling card. There’s no aspect of the game at which they excel, nothing to hang their hats on when the going gets tough. The Saints rank 24th in the league in total offense, 29th in scoring offense, 19th in total defense and 27th in scoring defense. Likewise, they are in the bottom half of the league in every other major situational category: third down, goal line, red zone. Most expected the Saints to struggle this season. With a new

Rattler beat Shough in a training camp competition for the starting quarterback job. To this point in the season, Shough’s only game action came late in a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Shough played one series, throwing two incomplete passes as the Saints went three and out.

After Sunday’s loss to the Bears, Moore said he did not consider making a switch during the game.

“We’ve just got to get better on offense,” Moore said. “Spence obviously had the turnovers in this game, but he’s played a lot of good football. We’ve got to get better I think (Rattler) is going to continue to grow and get better

“Tyler has gotten better as the season has gone on as well. Obviously, his is behind the scenes and he gets to develop from a scout team quarterback perspective.”

New Orleans has two tough games coming up against NFC powerhouses, hosting the Buccaneers this Sunday before traveling to face the 5-2 Los Angeles Rams in Week 9. The Saints’ bye week comes in Week 11 after a road game against the Carolina Panthers.

passer rating ranked 22nd among qualifying quarterbacks, just ahead of 2024 first-rounders Bo Nix and Michael Penix.

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line in position, he is probably the best individual player on the offensive front.

“He’s one of our most impactful leaders on this team, so other guys are going to have an opportunity to fill that void on the field,” Moore said. “Erik still has that presence to all these guys, no matter what capacity he’s in. He’ll do everything he can to help.

“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 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,

coach, a new quarterback, new coaching staff and new schemes on both sides of the ball, there were a lot of moving parts to synchronize.

But the Saints have somehow been even worse than expected In five of their seven games, they have never led for a single minute.

Of their 73 total offensive drives, they have trailed on 62 of them.

These are not the hallmarks of a team that is “close” or competitive.

And with games against Super Bowl contenders Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams on deck, the Saints are staring at a 1-8 start, which would be the club’s second worst in franchise history Perhaps even more ominous, the Saints entered the Bears game as one of the healthiest and least mistake-prone teams in the league. They had committed just four turnovers in their first six games. It made you wonder: What happens when the injuries and turn-

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

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 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.” Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

overs inevitably start to pile up?

On Sunday, we learned the answer Rattler’s struggles against the Bears were to be expected. There will always be growing pains with any young quarterback. Rattler’s struggles in key situations, though, are worrisome. His 67.7 passer rating on third down is anemic. And his 50.0 completion percentage in the red zone is lacking. Those numbers certainly won’t quiet his critics, many of whom have called for the Saints to elevate Shough into the starting role. Rattler is not a frail flower He’s overcome adversity before in his career and shown he will not wilt from a challenge in tough times. But if the mistakes and losses continue to mount, the Saints will have no other choice but to call on Shough. Rattler’s runway as the starter was shortened considerably on Sunday

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

LSUNOTEBOOK

LT Adams expected to miss game vs.Texas A&M

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The ankle injury that offensive

lineman Tyree Adams sufferedon Saturday in LSU’sloss to Vanderbilt is expected to sideline himfor at least one game, coach BrianKelly confirmed on Monday

Adams, aredshirt sophomore, started each of the No. 20 Tigers’ first seven contestsatlefttackle. 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 ProFootball Focus, he allowed three pressures, ahit and asack acrosshis 22 passblocking snaps.

Theright side of theTigers’ offensive line had just as much trouble. Redshirt freshman right tackle Weston Davis,according to PFF,surrendered fivepressures and three hits across his33passblocking snaps.

Kelly said Monday thatChester will continuetostart in place of Adams, though LSU (5-2) is planning to give freshman CariusCurne practice reps at that position throughout the week.

“(Chester’s) our mostexperienced guy,” Kellysaid.

“He had one stumble where his foot got caught in the ground on theturf, and we had asack that was given up. But by andlarge, he did what was expected of him, and Ihave confidence that he can go out there and do the job.”

LSU also faced the Commodores without linebacker Whit Weeks,defensive tackle Bernard Gooden andedge rusher Jimari Butler.Receiver Aaron Anderson andoffensive 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 CoenEchols started in his place at left guard.

CBS Sports first reported the newsthat Adams was expected to miss time.

On Saturday, LSU will return home to face No. 3Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m. on ABC. TheTigers have an off week between that game andtheir next one, aroad matchup with No. 4Alabama.

TwoDBs to redshirt?

TwoLSU defensivebacks haven’t seen the field in over amonth.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGEWALKER IV

LSU coach Brian Kelly walksthe field before agameagainst Vanderbilt on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.

LSU

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Turning those types of possessions into touchdowns has been an issue for the Tigers dating back to last year

“Wesettled for field goals and they got touchdowns,” Kelly said. “And that ultimately was the difference.”

But don’texpect Kelly to take over playcalling duties in those moments, or start overruling Sloan’sdecisionmaking within games at any point moving forward.

throughout the week.

“I think, from my perspective, that’s thebest place for me,” Kellysaid.

But, from acoaching standpoint, whatever the solution is for LSU’soffense hastobe found thisweek.The Tigers are aloss away from being essentially eliminated fromthe College Football Playoffdiscussion, and their next two contests are against top-5 opponents in Texas A&M and Alabama.

“Wesettled for field goals and theygot touchdowns. And that ultimately was the difference.”

BRIAN KELLy, LSU coach

“Play calling is an art and ascience. It’sboth, right?” Kelly said. “And if you start getting involvedinthat too much it does,in my opinion, over my career,it’s not the best thing.” Kelly did add that he has veto powerovercertain play calls and has used that power in the past. But mostofhis involvementwith LSU’soffense deals with the Tigers’ game planning

If theTigers can’tfigure 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’tget me wrong, and we want to do betterfor ourfan base. We getthat,” Kelly said.

“Buthaving said that, there were alot of things thatwecan take away from the game that we needtobuild on.”

Email KokiRiley at Koki Riley@theadvocate.com.

Kelly saidMonday that it’sbecause the Tigers are hopingthey can preserve redshirt seasons for both of them:cornerback Ashton Stamps and safety Jardin Gilbert

“We’retryingtoprotect them,” Kelly said. “Both of them. They’ve both played threegames, 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 twoseasons, but he’s sinceslippeddown thedepth chart behind sophomore PJ Woodland and five-star freshman DJ Pickett Gilbert is afifth-year senior who

prepped at University High and startedhis career at Texas A&M. He transferred to LSU ahead of the 2024 season, ayear in which he appeared in all 13 games the Tigers played and madenine starts at safety LSU addressed that position in the portal when it signed Houston transfer AJ Haulcy andNCState transfer Tamarcus Cooley.Now,according to Pro Football Focus, Gilbert hasplayedfewer snaps this season than not only the two newstarters, but also sophomore Dashawn Spears andjunior Javien Toviano

“This would be aweek,” Kelly said, “where they could play their fourth gameand still maintain eligibility.”

Kellytalks Napier firing

Kelly was asked Monday aboutFlorida’s decision to fire coach BillyNapier after a3-4 start, and he said that themove is “the nature of thebusiness we’re in.”

“Like Isaid earlier,” Kelly said, “it brings communitiestogether It brings statestogether.Itbrings so much hope, right? And when there’sthat muchatstake, things like that do occur

“But Igotta be honest with you. I can’t taketime to think aboutthose things.”

Napier,a former UL coach, was hired to steer theGators’ program the same year that LSU lured Kellyawayfrom Notre Dame.Since then, Florida is 2223 overall with a12-16 record in games against SEC opponents. It was 1-3during Napier’stenure against Kelly’sTigers, whosuffered their lone loss in the series on the road in 2024.

“Every institution has their own reasons,” Kelly said. “I don’tknow, certainly,whatthe reasons were. Ilike (Napier) as acolleague. I think he’sprofessional. Ithink he’s smart. But each institution hastheir own reasonsfor why they make those decisions, andI’m not privy to that.”

Napierwas the ninth FBS coach andsecondSEC coach to be fired this season.OnSept. 28,Arkansas fired sixth-year coach Sam Pittman andnamed offensive coordinator and former head coach BobbyPetrino its interim

Sarkisiansaysheneeds to do ‘a better job’ with struggling offense

BY JIM VERTUNO AP sportswriter

AUSTIN,Texas Themantra around the Texasoffenseundercoach Steve Sarkisianused to be “All gas, no brakes.”

TheLonghornsnow seem to be stuck in themud, and Sarkisian on Monday was blaming himselffor driving the preseason No. 1into theditch.

Texasbeat Kentucky16-13 in overtimelast week but had to overcome one of the worstoffensive games of Sarkisian’sfive-year tenure. The No. 22 Longhorns managed just 179 total yards against theWildcatsinthe latestslog behind first-year starting quarterback Arch Manning and arebuilt offensive line.

For the third time this season, theLonghorns managed only one offensive touchdown. Texas ranks just 77th nationally in passing offense, 79th in total offense and scoring offense and88th in third down conversions.

Sarkisian draws up thegame plans and calls the plays on game day

“I’vegot to do abetter job,” Sarkisian said. “I lookinthe mirror first.”

Sarkisianwon the 2020 national championship with Alabama as offensive coordinator before taking the Texasjob leading the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff the past twoyears. He said he has never considered giving up play calling at Texas.

“That’s why Igot hired Ithink being aplaycalleronoffense is one of my strengths,” he said “Somemay disagree. That’s OK.” Manning, thenephew of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks Peytonand Eli Manning,was oneof the top-rated recruits in the country.Sarkisianwas amajor draw for getting him to Texas.

“That’sthe reason Icame here, with just how smart he is calling plays,” Manning said. But Manning has shouldered much of the blamefrom Longhorns fans andnational critics for theoffensive strugglesthisseason. He is often on the run behind an offensive line that has badly struggled to protect him.Even when he hashad time, Manning sometimes looks unsure of reading defenses, will hold the ball too long or will missopen receivers. He has hadtwo games this seasonunder a50% completionrate, including 12 of 27 against Kentucky Texas(5-2, 2-1Southeastern Conference) plays at Mississippi State (4-3, 0-3) on Saturday. It will be Texas’ fourth consecutive game away from home.

“Obviously,wewanttoplaybetter offense all the wayaround,” Manning said.

Astellar defensehas propelled Texas the last two weeks to wins over Oklahoma and Kentucky Sarkisian said he understands why Texas fans are frustrated by what they are seeing on offense.

The Longhorns started the season No. 1and Manning was the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.Texas was theonly program to makethe playoffeach of the past twoseasons.

“We’veraisedthe barfrom where we were whenIgot here to where we are now.We’re a playoff team.That’swhatweare now,”Sarkisian said. “Whenthat becomes the standard, we all have to go hold ourselves to that standard.”

Ohtani makes history in series-clinching win

BY NOAH TRISTER AP baseball writer

Once Shohei Ohtani homered for the third time shortly after wrapping up his six scoreless innings on the mound — the superlatives began in earnest.

Best baseball performance of all time?

Best sports performance, period?

Pinnacle of overall human achievement?

That last one is perhaps over the top, but the first two questions are worth exploring. In Game 4 of the NL Championship Series on Friday night, Ohtani became the third player ever to hit three homers in a game in which he was a starting pitcher He also become the only person since at least 1906 to reach double digits in both total bases at the plate (12) and strikeouts on the mound (10).

To put his performance in more simplistic terms: There are three main components to baseball pitching, hitting and fielding. Ohtani pitched for two-thirds of the game and allowed the fewest runs possible. He had four opportunities at the plate and did the best thing possible in three of them. The other was a walk

It would have been hard for him to do any better unless he pitched more innings — or maybe played in the outfield and robbed a couple homers.

When Don Larsen threw his perfect game for the New York Yankees during the 1956 World Series, he dominated on the mound only

And it wasn’t for lack of opportunity He went 0 for 2 with a sacrifice at the plate that day, according to Baseball Reference.

As baseball has evolved, good pitching and good hitting have become mutually exclusive. It’s simply too hard for one player to excel at both at the big league level. Or so we thought. Then Ohtani came along

Wilt Chamberlain once scored 100 points in a game. Carli Lloyd had a hat trick in the first 16 minutes of a World Cup final. Secretariat’s 31-length win at the Belmont was so jaw dropping even non-horse racing fans can understand the enormity of it. You could argue those three — or even Larsen — were more dominant on those days than Ohtani. But their performances didn’t combine two increasingly incompatible skills in such a wondrous way

What’s comparable?

Bill Russell once had 30 points and 40 rebounds in Game 7 of the NBA Finals — but again, there’s always been a fair amount of overlap between great scorers and great rebounders. There was a time when big men stayed around the basket and guards shot jumpers, but now even centers can shoot 3-pointers and rack up assists. In basketball, that versatility is expected.

In the NFL, passing and running are distinct skills, but plenty of players possess both. Colin Kaepernick threw for 263 yards and ran for 181 in a 2013 playoff game. Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes have both surpassed 500

common. Darren McFadden was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Arkansas, dominating games on the ground while also taking snaps at quarterback in the Wildcat formation He once tied an SEC record with 321 yards rushing in a game — and also threw a touchdown pass that night. Walter Payton rushed for 161 yards in a 1983 game and also threw for two touchdowns. But the real analogy to Ohtani in football is a player who contributes on offense and defense, and those went out of style about 65 years ago. Travis Hunter won the Heisman last year for his work at receiver and defensive back, and perhaps he’ll produce an Ohtanilike game for the Jacksonville Jaguars at some point. In 1997 against Ohio State, Michigan’s Charles Woodson caught a 37yard pass to set up a touchdown, returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown and intercepted a pass in the end zone. Even in that game, though, Woodson wasn’t touching the ball that much. Does it really compare to Ohtani pitching six innings? In football’s earlier days, offensive players would sometimes handle kicking duties as well. In 1929, Ernie Nevers scored six touchdowns and kicked four extra points in the Cardinals’ 40-6 win over the Bears His 40 points individually are an NFL record that still stands.

As recently as 1970, 43-year-old George Blanda threw a game-tying touchdown pass, then kicked a 52-yard field goal in the final seconds to give the Raiders a victory over the Browns.

SCOREBOARD

Mariners, Blue Jays battle in Game 7

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVID J PHILLIP Toronto Blue Jays’ Daulton Varsho connects for an RBI single off Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby during Game 7 of the ALCS on Monday in Toronto. The game ended after this edition went to press.

Jones 5-11, Juszczyk 1-(minus 2) PASSING—Atlanta, Penix 21-38-0-241. San Francisco, Jones 17-26-1-152. RECEIVING—Atlanta, Pitts 7-62, Robinson 6-52, D.London 4-42, Mooney 3-68, Cas. Washington 1-17. San Francisco, McCaffrey 7-72, Jennings 4-31, Bourne 2-14, Moore 1-15, Farrell 1-11, Juszczyk 1-10, Colby 1-(minus 1).

320.4. 4, Niklas Norgaard, 320.2. 5, Nicolai Hojgaard, 318.8. 6, Kurt Kitayama, 317.3. 7, Michael Thorbjornsen, 317.1. 8, Chris Gotterup, 316.7. 9, Will Gordon, 316.4. 10, Trevor Cone, 315.8. Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Aaron Rai, 73.85%. 2, Paul Peterson, 73.41%. 3, Takumi Kanaya, 71.52%. 4, Ben Kohles, 70.97%. 5, Collin Morikawa, 70.65%. 6, Andrew Putnam, 70.15%. 7, Joel Dahmen, 68.71%. 8, Russell Henley, 68.68%. 9, Brice Garnett, 68.62%. 10, Lucas Glover, 68.36%. Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. Total Driving 1, Rico Hoey, 55. 2, Michael Thorbjornsen, 69. 3, Thomas Rosenmueller, 75. 4, Alex Smalley, 78. 5, Kevin Yu, 81. 6, Scottie Scheffler, 83. 7, Kevin Roy, 91. 8, Rickie Fowler, 100. 9, Isaiah Salinda, 102. 10, 2 tied with 104. SG-Putting 1, Sam Burns, .983. 2, Taylor Montgomery .932. 3, Harry Hall, .881. 4, Denny McCarthy, .656. 5, Cameron Young, .642. 6 (tie), Rory McIlroy and Sam Ryder, .597. 8, Nico Echavarria, .593. 9, Frankie Capan III, .589. 10, Brandt Snedeker, .577. Birdie Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 4.7. 2, Harry Hall, 4.56. 3, Justin Thomas, 4.46. 4, Jake Knapp, 4.42. 5, Taylor Montgomery, 4.38. 6, Nicolai Hojgaard, 4.35. 7, Michael Thorbjornsen, 4.34. 8, Keith Mitchell, 4.33. 9, Jesper Svensson, 4.31. 10, Cameron Young, 4.3. Eagles (Holes per) 1, Alejandro Tosti, 66.9. 2, Rory McIlroy, 87. 3, David Skinns, 87.2. 4, Karl Vilips, 88.4. 5, Michael Thorbjornsen, 91.3. 6, Steven Fisk, 95.5. 7, Kurt Kitayama, 96.9. 8, Sami Valimaki, 101.1. 9, Scottie Scheffler, 102.9. 10, Antoine Rozner, 103.1. Sand Save Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. All-Around Ranking 1, Scottie Scheffler, 191. 2, Keith Mitchell, 285. 3, Alex Smalley, 340. 4, Kevin Yu, 341. 5, Sam Burns, 347. 6, Rory McIlroy, 353. 7, Ludvig Aberg, 354. 8, Jake Knapp, 364. 9, Ben Griffin, 372. 10, Sepp Straka, 387. LPGA Tour Statistics Through Oct. 19 Scoring 1, Jeeno Thitikul, 68.95. 2, Minjee Lee, 69.59. 3, Nelly Korda, 69.7. 4, Hyo Joo Kim, 69.83. 5, Miyu Yamashita, 69.95. 6, Somi Lee, 70.05. 7, Hye-Jin Choi, 70.15. 8, Nasa Hataoka, 70.19. 9, Rio Takeda, 70.21. 10, Andrea Lee, 70.26. Driving Distance 1, Julia Lopez Ramirez, 284.86. 2, Polly Mack, 283.46. 3, Auston Kim, 281.99. 4, Bianca Pagdangnan, 280.29. 5, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, 280.11. 6, Bailey Tardy, 277.86. 7, Emily Kristine Pedersen, 277.85. 8, Madison Young, 275.12. 9, A Lim Kim, 274.43. 10, Fatime Fernandez Cano, 274.38. Greens in Regulation 1, Rio Takeda, .77%. 2 (tie), Allisen Corpuz, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Haeran Ryu and Jeeno Thitikul, .76%. 6, 5 tied with .75%. Putts per GIR 1, Jeeno Thitikul, 1.71. 2, Minami Katsu, 1.72. 3 (tie), Hyo Joo Kim and Sei Young Kim, 1.73. 5, 7 tied with 1.75. Birdies 1, Rio Takeda, 352. 2, Minami Katsu, 349. 3, Minjee Lee, 319. 4, Akie Iwai, 312. 5, Miyu Yamashita,

Required travel insurance is surging

Here’s what you need

BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT Travel Troubleshooter

Remember those travel insurancerequirements during the pandemic?They’re back

Agrowing number of countries aren’tjust suggesting you buy coverage. They’re demanding it as acondition of entry

“Travel insurance checks are making aquiet comeback,” says Sangeeta Sadarangani, CEO of London-based Crossing Travel.“It’snolongerjust about long-haul trips or exotic destinations —travelers are being asked for proof of coverage on everyday routes, sometimes even mid-journey on a train.”

She’sreferring to thenowinfamous Eurostar incident, where U.K. passengers bound for France suddenly found themselves answering questions at the border about their insurance coverage.

The enforcement varies wildly.Sometimes officials check during visa applications. Sometimes at the border Sometimes at airline check-in The Eurostar situation? That was aspot check.

“Wesaw these types of mandatory coverage requirements during COVID,” explains John Gobbles, chief operating officer of Medjet. “Back then, once the Caribbean islandsand countries like Chilestarted to open, many imposed specific requirements. Now the requirements are back.”

Which countries require travel insurance, and why? And how do you find apolicy that will be approved?

Whereinsurance

spike

cent for travelers to Argentina the next month. Europe’sSchengen Area also requires insurance. All29 countries in Europe that belong to the Schengen Area require visa applicants to carryabout $35,000 in medical coverage, including emergency hospitalization and repatriation. That’s not asuggestion buried in fine print. It’sahard requirement.

“All 29 countries of the Schengen Area require all Schengen visa applicants to take out travel insurance, but not just any policy will do,” explains Clément Goubon, chief marketing officer of Insurte. “The policy they choose has to meet specific criteria set by the Schengen Zone.” But here’sthe twist:France goes further.Itrequires all travelers —whether you have avisa or not —tocarrymedical travel insurance. Border agents can ask for proof.Ifyou don’thave it, they can deny entry Cuba won’tlet you in without medical insurance. Officials

BY HANNAHLEVITAN | Staff writer

Deep downthe bayou, Louisiana folklore comes alive, emerging from the murky waters that, for years, have fascinated locals andtourists alike.

Historical figures are re-imagined,and tales of pirates, werewolves, vengeful ghosts and devilish spirits return each October whenchillingstories resurface andthe paranormal feels closer to home. From the ghosts of Jean Lafitte and Madame LaLaurie to the extensive list of Cajuncryptids, Louisiana is teeming with local legends. Here’salook at 10 of the most notable in history

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 21, the 294th day of 2025. There are 71 days left in the 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 known as “Old Ironsides,” was christened in Boston’s harbor. In 1805, aBritish fleet commanded by Vice Adm. Horatio Nelson defeated a French-Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar; Nelson, however,was killed In 1940, Ernest Hemingway’snovel “For Whom the Bell Tolls” was first published.

In 1944, U.S. troops captured the German city of Aachen —the firstGerman citytofall to American forces in World WarII. In 1959, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum opened in New York. In 1966, 144 people, 116 of them children, were killed when acoal waste landslide engulfed a school and some 20 houses in Aberfan, Wales

DUSTY

Continued from page1D

centers in October.Plant it this month, and it’ll carry you through the entire cool season —through March and 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 climateslikeours

Aversatile plant, Dusty Miller works well in beds, along borders and in containers.Ithas alow,rounded growth habit, reaching 1to2feet high and wide at most. Dusty Miller’ssilver-towhite, fuzzy,lobed foliage brings interesting visual and textural contrasts to the landscape. Its cool hues pop, serving as a pleasing foil to more vibrant flowers and foliage sharing bedspace 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 your fingers over.Italso is aturnoff for hungry deer,which don’tlike 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

In 2013, aseventh grader at SparksMiddle School in Sparks,Nevada, shot andkilled ateacher and wounded two classmates before takinghis own life. In 2021, Actor Alec Baldwin was pointing a gun onthe set of the Western movie “Rust” in New Mexico whenitwent off, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchinsand woundingdirector Joel Souza.Charges of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin were dropped in July 2024. In 2024, jury selection began in the trial of aU.S Marine Corps veteran, Daniel Penny, for placing a manwho wasacting erratically on aNew York City subway train in May 2023 in adeadly chokehold.In December 2024, Penny was cleared of all charges, includingcriminally negligent homicide. Today’sbirthdays: Rock singer Manfred Mannis 85. TV’sJudge Judy Sheindlin is 83. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is 76. Former first daughterPatti Davis is 73. Film director Catherine Hardwicke is 70. Actor Ken Watanabeis66. Republican Sen. TedBudd of North Carolina is 54. Actor Will Estes is 47. Reality TV star Kim Kardashian is 45. Actor Glenn Powell is 37. Country singer Kane Brown is 32. Singer Doja Catis30.

Many gardeners clip these flower buds to avoid detractingfrom the foliage —ortakethemasasign that it’stime to remove the plantsfrom the garden

Ideally,DustyMiller should be planted in full sun, which enhances its silvery tones. But part sun locations are fine, too.

“Planting this in full shadeisnot really the best idea, as it’sgoing to struggle and get leggy,” Stagg said.

Dusty Miller is alowmaintenance plant that usuallydoesn’tneed fertilizer or any special care. Once established,it’s drought tolerant, and it can handle light frostsand freezes.

For atwistonthisclassic cool-season plant, Stagg suggests trying outNew Look, anewer cultivar

“The larger leaves have margins that are smoother andnot as highly serrated as theolder cultivar,which is called Silverdust,”he said. “Cirrus is another cultivar with less dramatic leaf serration. They’re all great plants.”

Dusty Miller is just one of manyplants that have beencrownedLouisiana Super Plants— adesignation reserved for tough, beautiful plants that are university-testedand industry-approved. To learn more about the program, visitwww.LSUAgCenter com/SuperPlants.

may request proof upon arrival. Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands visitors to have health insurance. Don’ttry boardingthat flight to the islands without it. Thailand, Turkey,the UAE and Russia also have amandatory travel insurance rule. Each has its own requirements, often tied to visa categories or specific entry points.

“From Argentina’sAndes to Seychelles’ islands, medical evacuation protection has become alegal must-have —not justasmart safeguard,” notes Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue. All told, 23 countries plus Europe’sSchengen region now require travel insurance,according to Insubuy.“And manymore require some sort of coveragefor certain visitors,” adds spokesman Mike Farren.

Bottom line: There’sanexcellent chance that if you’re crossing aborder,you’ll need travel insurance. And unlike the last period in when mandatory insurance was required, this one is likely to stick, say experts. “As more and more countries prioritize their publichealth

LEGENDS

Continuedfrom page1D

TheAxman Wielding achisel, ax and a passionfor jazz,amysterious serial killer broke into French Quarter homes in the early 1900s,claiming at least six victims.

Thegruesome series of murdersterrorized NewOrleans, veiling thecityinfear as officials tried —and failed —toidentify thekiller In 1919, The Times-Picayune published aletterfrom someoneclaiming to be the infamous murderer.“They have never caught me and they never will,”the letter reads, “I am not ahuman being, but aspirit and afell demon from thehottest hell.”

He also wrote that hisnext killing spree would occur around midnight on St. Joseph’sDay,but he promised to spare the lives of thosewho playedjazz. People quickly organizedjazzparties across town and the axman never did strike thatevening.

More than acentury later thenameless figure remains etched in distant memory, even making an appearance in thepopular TV series “American Horror Story.”

Delphine LaLaurie

Perhaps the most gruesome story toldonhaunted history tours is that of the LaLaurie Mansion, where an 1834 house fire unveiled thebrutaltorture of those enslaved by New Orleans socialiteDelphine LaLaurie.

LaLaurie’storture chamber —hidden within her RoyalStreet residence— revealed ahorrifying scene of violence and crueltythat shockedeven thoseofthe antebellum South.

Since then,Times-Picayune reports dating back to the1890s have referred to themansion as haunted, and thesitecontinues to lure in curious tourists today

Regardless of whether spirits haunt the mansion’s halls, thehistoriclandmark stands as areminder of New Orleans’ scarred past.

Evangeline

Popularized by Henry WadsworthLongfellow’s work, “Evangeline: ARomance of Acadia,” the legend of ayoung Acadian woman’s love and loss emerged from the exile of Acadians from Nova Scotia.

Longfellow chronicles Evangeline Bellefontaine’s journey to reunite with her fiancé, Gabriel Lajeunesse, after they wereseparated on whatwas supposedtobe their wedding day

The story resonatedwith readers around theworld, establishingEvangeline as alasting symbolofAcadian resilience andCajuncultural identity

Today,the spirited legacy lives on in southwest Louisiana, whereEvangeline Parish honors her in its name.

Thecasketgirls

In the early 18th century, agroup of women were shipped from France to marry theregion’scolonizers.

care systems, this trend is here to stay,” predicts Daniel Durazo, director of external communicationsatAllianz Partners USA.

Whythe crackdown Before COVID-19, insurance requirements existed but enforcement was lax. Then hospitals got overwhelmed. Governments absorbed massive costs treating uninsured foreign visitors. Health care systems strained under the weight.

“COVID-19 showed the vulnerability of health care systems, and insurance became atool for protection,” saysVlad Polyanskiy, chiefmarketingofficer at FlightRefunder Countriesrealized they were subsidizingtourists’ hospital bills, and that didn’t sit well.

“More countries are now requiring, or stronglyrecommending, medicalcoverage because of theincreased strainthat tourism places onthe public health system,”saysChrissy Valdez, Squaremouth’ssenior director of operations. “Often,this requirement is tied to visa applications or border entry.”

At Redpoint, Raymond Yorke seesthe same pattern.

“The core reason is simple,” he explains. “Many governments no longer want to absorb thecost of treatinguninsured travelers

have reportedly seen the

They arrived with small trunks called “cassettes,” but amisinterpretation of theirFrenchnickname “filles alacassette,” meaning “girls with luggage,”led to themore macabre “casketgirls” moniker,sparkingcenturies of speculation about their origins.

One versionofthe story claims the trunks were, in fact,caskets—each containing avampire.Those vampires were locked away at the top floor of the Old Ursuline Convent, where its shutters were sealed shut with nails blessed by apope.

Today,the Conventon Chartres Street,New Orleans’ oldest surviving building, remains astaple on hauntedhistory tours, keeping the vampire legacy alive.

Feufollet

Amysterious, glowing swampspirit known as the “feu follet” lurks just above themarsh, or so they say in Cajun folklore.

In Cajun French, thename translates to “foolish fire” and itsstory closely resembles thatofthe European “will-o’-the-wisp” legend, a light that is said to lure wandering travelers to danger Somedescribe the light as balls of fire connected to departed souls and elusive spirits. Others say the flickering orbs seem to dance just out of reach, taunting those who take notice.

Whether mischievous or malevolent, the legend remainsfirmly rooted in Louisiana lore, with manylocals claiming to have seen the mysterious light Swampmonster

Louisiana’sversion of Bigfoot is said to linger around themoss-drapedbayouof Honey Island Swamp, where local residents have claimed to witness atowering, hairy beast since the1960s.

Part man, partanimal, theswampmonster is said to stand at 8feet tall with piercing yellow eyes.

The monster’snamesake, Honey Island Swamp, was once awild and lawless bayou in the1920s,where itstangled foliage made it “ideal refuge for criminals,” The New Orleans States-

Unexpected medical evacuations, hospitalizations or even searchand-rescue operations can cost tensofthousands of dollars.”

There’sanother factor: reciprocity.Asvisa-free travel expands, countriestend to harmonizetheir requirements.The European Schengen model becomes thetemplate. Everyone follows suit This trend seems to be accelerating.

Howmuchisneeded?

The magic number is $35,000 in medical insurance, but it could be as high as $55,000. Experts recommend at least $100,000 because health care costs in those countries can bankrupt you.

The coverage mustinclude specific benefits:emergency medical treatment,hospitalization, repatriation, and increasingly,medical evacuation. Some countriesstill require COVID-19 coverage. Othersfocus on preventing tourists from skipping out on hospital bills.

Butexpertssay you should probably have morethan the minimum.

“That’s not always enough for a serious medical event, so Iusually advise clients to carry at least $100,000 in international medical coverage if they’re traveling overseas,” says Michael Foguth, a financial planner who works with

FILE PHOTO

Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau (also ahairdresser and anurse), predicted the future, conducted private ritualsbehind her French Quarter cottage, performed exorcisms and offered sacrifices to spirits.

Item newspaper reported at the time.

Cajun folklore often associates the monster with the Letiche, another human-like creature described as an abandonedchild raised by alligators, or the spirit of an unbaptized infant.

Regardless of the legend’s origin, the creature has come to symbolize the mystery of the bayou, where the marsh blurs the line between myth and reality

Jean Lafitte

The legend of Jean Lafitte, aFrench pirate and privateer,isshroudedinmystery andcontroversy, but his infamous smuggling operations in the Barataria wetlands have undoubtedly haunted the region.

He built asmuggling empire, trafficking goods and enslaved people in defiance of new 19th-century laws banning international trade.

With his brother Pierre, Jean rose to fame until being forced outbythe government in 1820.

Left behind is alegacy of secrecy andrebellion, defined by tales of hidden treasure, French Quarter hauntings and an Esplanade Avenue hotel that claims to be Lafitte’sCaptain’sQuarters.

MarieLaveau

The Queen of Vodou, MarieLaveau,isone of the

high-net-worth clients whotravel abroad.

What to do

Here’sachecklist of things you should do before traveling. Check requirements early Don’twait until you’re at the airport.Visit official government or embassy websites. Requirements vary by nationality,visa type and even transportation mode. Buycomprehensive coverage. The cheapest policy won’t cut it. Youneed one that meets minimum thresholds and includes emergency medical care, trip interruption, and medical evacuation.

Carry proof everywhere. Keep bothdigital and printed copies of your insurance certificate. Have them ready at check-in, boarding and immigration. Use areputable provider.Some countries only recognize coverage from approved insurers. Verify that your provider meets destination-specific criteria. So stay away from no-nameinsurance companies with iffy coverage. Go for aname you trust and work with an agent whoknows thedifference.

Maybefor thebetter

I’ve been telling travelers for years to buy travel insurance. As

most respected figures to ever come fromNew Orleans, herlegacy reaching allcorners of spiritualworld and enduring through endless features in pop culture.

Born around 1801, Laveau led alife of profound influence and mystery,shaped in large part by her status as a free woman of color living in asociety deeply divided by race.

Laveau wasa widelycelebrated spiritual healer,herbalist and hairdresser whose practice attracted people of all backgrounds for her guidance and blessings. Hertomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1remains aworldrenowned landmark, drawingvisitors from across the globe who cometohonor her memory.

Loup Garou

The Cajun versionofa werewolf, known as a“Loup Garou,”issaidtohaveshapeshifting abilities, making it even more elusive to those who try to hunt it down.

Mentions of the mythical creature in New Orleans can be traced back to 1899, when TheTimes-Picayune featured ghost stories in its Sundayissue.But the legend spans centuries and crosses cultures —fromFranceto Canada to Haiti. In 1908, another article explored the origins of the Loup Garou, writing that folklore transcends cultural boundaries. “There are certain pointsofsimilarityin the religious lore of all (cultures).”

Tataille

In Cajun folklore, a“tataille” is atroublesome— andsometimesfearsome —creature, like the boogeymanorthe monster hiding under the bed.

People have described the tataille as anything from a faceless foe to ashadowy presencelurking at the banks of the bayou. It has long been used as a cautionary tale to warn young children against wandering too farormisbehaving.

Want us to explore more folk legends? Email hannah.levitan@ theadvocate.com.

avery frequent traveler myself,I have several policies, and they’ve saved me from trouble more times than Ican remember “You never can predict when a disaster might strike,” says Susan Sherren, founder of Couture Trips. “Wealways remind our clients that their appendix doesn’t care what time zone or country it’sinwhen it decides to flare.”

Maybe this development will benefit travelers in the long run. If you treat travel insurance as astandard line item forinternational trips —not just forentry requirements, but forpeace of mind —you’re unlikely to end up spending thousands of dollars on an unexpected hospital stay Best of all, you won’thave to explain to aFrench border agent whyyou didn’tbring proof of insurance coverage.

Christopher Elliott is an author,consumeradvocate, and journalist.Hefounded Elliott Advocacy,a nonprofit organizationthat helpssolve consumerproblems. He publishesElliott Confidential, atravel newsletter,and the Elliott Report, anewssiteabout customer service. If you need helpwithaconsumer problem, you canreach him here or email himatchris@elliott.org.

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.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

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.

North’sthree-spade rebid indicated game-forcing values withexactlythreecard spade support.

South has four losers: two hearts and twodiamonds.Hehasonlyninewinners: five spades, one heart, one diamond and two clubs.

But if declarer canruff aloser in the shorter trump hand, it will generatean extra trump trick. Here, Southshould

ruffhis thirddiamond on the board. And there is no point in delaying. He takes thefirst trick and plays tworounds of diamonds

SupposeWestwins,cashestwohearts, andshifts to aclub. Declarer wins in his hand, ruffsthe third diamond high, drawstrumps and claims.

©2025 by nEa,inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

WiShinG Well

HErE is a

the number of

III. Whilethe Administrator feelsthe claimdoesnot constitute an enforce‐able debt of theDece‐dent’s estate,the heirs, who have been thus far identified,acknowledge andappreciate thecare that Ms.Tuckerand Ms Mackenzieprovidedto theDecedent’spets, and they desire to furtherre‐lievethe cost of contest‐ingthe claimthatwould be expected by the Ad‐ministrator. As such,the Administratorand the heirstothisSuccession agreeand aver that Ms Tucker andMs. Macken‐zieshouldbereimbursed from theDecedent’ses‐t t f