The Acadiana Advocate 10-22-2025

Threedeadinplane crash

Aircraft went down in pastureinCarencro; flight originated in Texas

BY JULIA GUILBEAU and STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writers

Three people werekilledwhen asmall plane crashedinapasture near aFamily Dollar off Gloria Switch Road in Carencro, according to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Officials were called to the scene about 11 a.m. Tuesday,Sheriff’s Office spokespersonSgt. Chris Cormiersaid, after awitness reported

asmallplanecircling the air,then crashingdown near aroundabout at Gloria Switch Road and La. 93.

Theaircraft landed in apasture behind ahomenearametal fence line in arural partofLafayette Parish. Upon arrival, deputies confirmed that all three occupants aboard died at thescene. Following notification of the family, the deceased havebeen identifiedas58-year-old Bruce Verduyn, of The Woodlands,Texas;46-year-

old Lydia Laws,ofSpring, Texas; and 42-year-old JustinRamsey,of The Woodlands

“The aircraftwas aBaron Beechcraft; it’sa smallaircraft with two props. That’spretty much allwe have right now,” Cormier said at the scene. Deputies were blockingoff the scene as of 11:30 a.m. and asking drivers to avoid theareaasthey awaited investigators from theFederalAviation Administration, which will lead the investigation.

The plane wasidentified by FAA registrantdata as a2006 Beechcraft G58 Baron, owned by Align Aviation in The Woodlands.Its latest registrationcertificate wasissued Sept. 11, suggesting arecentchange in ownership. Ramseywas listedbythe Texas Secretary of State’s Office as the registered agentfor Align Aviation. FlightRadar24 showed thetwinengine plane took offfromDavid

See CRASH, page 4A

Louisiana soybeanfarmers are concerned that China’sboycott will have adetrimental effectonnextyear’s prices.

Shutdown hits La.farmers at harvesttime

Lowprices, high costs, tradeuncertainty also fuel concern

BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer

It’sakey momentonStephen Logan’s farm in Gilliam. And in farming, he said, “timing is everything.”

His team hasharvested the final corn, soybeans, cotton and peanuts, in that order Now they’re spreading cereal ryeseed and making plans for the nextgrowing season

Butthe government shutdownhas made paying forthose cover crops and finalizing those plans moredifficult.

Each fall, farmers acrossLouisiana count on thenow-shuttered U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies for financial assistance andinformation.For three weeks,they’ve been unable to get a loan from the agency,applyfor aconservation program or receive amarket report

“Allofthatisshut down,” Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain said.

That meansmanyfarmers areflying blind as they try to decide when to sell this fall andwhattoplant next February,adecision they often make months in advance.

“That information is needed now,” Strain said. Governmentprograms are even more critical as farmersare struggling with high

ä See FARMERS, page 4A

Twoget prison terms

forbribery Kickback scheme defendants sentenced in federalcourt

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Twomen involved with kickback schemes at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife andFisheries and the Lafayette District Attorney’sOffice were sentenced Tuesday in federal court. Lafayette businessman Leonard Franques pleaded guilty in January 2024 to conspiracy to commit bribery involving the wildlifedepartment. He also was implicated in the kickback scheme in the District Attorney’sOffice but wasn’t charged in that scheme. Federal Judge David Joseph in Lafayette on Tuesday sentenced Franques to ayearinprison,a$100,000fine and orderedhim to forfeit $69,300. He will be allowed to report to prison afterthe

ä See BRIBERY, page 4A

U.S. chess grandmaster

Naroditsky dies at 29

Daniel Naroditsky, a chess grandmaster who started as a child prodigy and quickly became one of the most influential American voices in the sport, died Monday He was 29.

The Charlotte Chess Center in North Carolina, where Naroditsky trained and worked as a coach, announced his death on social media, calling him “a talented chess player, educator, and beloved member of the chess community.”

“Let us remember Daniel for his passion and love for the game of chess, and for the joy and inspiration he brought to us all every day,” his family said in a statement shared by the center The cause of death was not immediately known.

Naroditsky became a grandmaster, the highest title in chess aside from World Chess Champion, at the age of 18. Years earlier, the California-born player won the Under 12 world championship and spent his teenage years writing chess strategy books as he climbed the world rankings. He was consistently ranked in the top 200 worldwide for traditional chess and also excelled at a fast-paced style called blitz chess, maintaining a top 25 ranking throughout his adult career. Most recently Naroditsky, known to many as Danya, won the U.S. National Blitz Championship in August.

Loggins demands removal of Trump video

Kenny Loggins is objecting to the use of his music in a social media post showing an artificial intelligence-generated video of President Donald Trump dumping excrement from a fighter jet on last weekend’s “No Kings” protests.

The video, posted Saturday night on the Republican president’s Truth Social platform, was accompanied by Loggins’ song “Danger Zone,” which appears on the soundtrack of the blockbuster 1986 Tom Cruise fighter pilot movie “Top Gun.” Loggins, in a statement Monday on his website, said he was not asked for permission and called for the video to be removed “I can’t imagine why anybody would want their music used or associated with something created with the sole purpose of dividing us,” Loggins wrote. “Too many people are trying to tear us apart, and we need to find new ways to come together We’re all Americans, and we’re all patriotic.”

As of Tuesday morning, the video remained on Truth Social.

Representatives for Loggins responded to The Associated Press’ request for additional comment Tuesday by reissuing his statement from the day before. The White House responded to a request for comment with a still from “Top Gun” with the caption “I FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED,” paraphrasing one of the film’s famous lines.

Shopper shoots man who groped customers

LOS ANGELES — A woman shot and killed a man who groped and attacked customers inside a Compton store, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. On Sunday, deputies from the Compton Sheriff’s Station responded to an emergency call of a disturbance, which was later updated to include a gunshot victim, at a shopping center in the 1300 block of East Alondra Boulevard, according to a news release. The Sheriff’s Department did not name the store where the incident took place.

A preliminary investigation found that an unidentified man entered a store following a female customer Investigators say the male groped the female customer, which prompted the store’s employees to ask the man to leave. According to the news release, the man responded by becoming verbally aggressive, throwing and damaging merchandise in the store. Officials say the employees and customers then noticed the man had an object in his hand that they believed was a knife. They said he threatened to kill and harm everyone in the store, according to authorities.

Stolen Louvre jewels worth an estimated $102 million

100 investigators involved in hunt

BY SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press

PARIS The glittering sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds that once adorned France’s royals could well be gone forever, experts said Tuesday after a brazen, four-minute heist in broad daylight left the nation stunned and the government struggling to explain a new debacle at the Louvre.

Each stolen piece — an emerald necklace and earrings, two crowns, two brooches, a sapphire necklace and a single earring — represents the pinnacle of 19thcentury “haute joaillerie,” or fine jewelry. But for the royals, they were more than decoration. The pieces were political statements of France’s wealth, power and cultural import. And they are so significant that they were among the treasures saved from the government’s 1887 auction of most royal jewels.

Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor whose office is leading the investigation said Tuesday that in monetary terms, the stolen jewelry is worth an estimated $102 million but also noted that

the estimate doesn’t include historical value About 100 investigators are now involved in the police hunt for the suspects and the gems, she said.

The theft of the crown jewels left the French government scrambling — again — to explain the latest embarrassment at the Louvre, which is plagued by overcrowding and outdated facilities. Activists in 2024 threw a can of soup at the Mona Lisa. And in June, the museum was brought to a halt by its own striking staff, who complained about mass tourism. President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the Mona Lisa, stolen by a former museum worker in 1911 and recovered two years later, will get its own room under a major renovation.

Now the sparkling jewels, artifacts of a French culture of long ago, are likely being secretly dismantled and sold off in a rush as individual pieces that may or may not be identifiable as part of the French crown jewels, experts said.

“It’s extremely unlikely these jewels will ever be retrieved and seen again,” said Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds, a major European diamond jeweler, said in a statement. “If these gems are broken

up and sold off, they will, in effect, vanish from history and be lost to the world forever.”

At once intimate and public, crown jewels are kept secured from the Tower of London to Tokyo’s Imperial Palace as visual symbols of national identities.

In the Louvre’s case, the gems were stolen from the former palace’s gilded Apollo Gallery, itself a work of art rendered in “sun gold and diamonds,” per the museum’s website. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said more than 60 police investigators are involved in the manhunt for the four robbery suspects. The thieves were divided into two pairs, with two people aboard a truck with a cherry picker they used to climb up to the gallery, Nunez said. Photos showed the equipment’s ladder reaching to the floor above street level.

Taken, officials said, were eight pieces, part of a collection whose origin as crown jewels date back to the 16th century when King Francis I decreed that they belonged to the state. The Paris prosecutor’s office, leading the investigation, said that two men with bright yellow jackets broke into the gallery at 9:34 a.m. half an hour past opening time — and left the room at 9:38 a.m before fleeing on two motorbikes.

Mahmoud Khalil makes appearance in appeals court

Trump administration continues efforts to deport him

BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK — Mahmoud Khalil appeared Tuesday in a federal appeals court in Philadelphia as he continues to challenge a deportation case brought by President Donald Trump’s administration over his pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia University

The hearing before the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals came as the government seeks to overturn a lower court order granting Khalil’s June release from a Louisiana immigration jail.

Khalil’s attorneys have asked the three-judge panel to affirm the district court’s ruling, which prevents federal authorities from detaining him again and beginning the deportation process.

Drew Ensign, an attorney for the government, countered that the lower court judge overstepped his authority and that the case should be left to the immigration judge in Louisiana.

“All of this is being conducted in an improper forum,” Ensign said “So that should be a full stop.”

An immigration judge last month ruled that Khalil could be deported, though the case is now under review by a separate appeal board.

Khalil, who is a legal U.S. resident married to an American citizen, has vowed to continue advocating for Palestinians as his case plays out. He was recently permitted by a magistrate judge to travel across the country for rallies and other events.

“This case is about every single person in this country, whether they’re citizens or not,” Khalil told supporters after the hearing. “It’s about their freedom of speech and their ability to dissent and their ability to speak up, especially about Palestine and the genocide that’s happening.”

Khalil was the first protester arrested in the Trump administration’s sprawling effort to deport student activists, academics and others who joined pro-Palestinian protests, which the government has equated with antisemitism. Khalil has repeatedly rejected allegations of antisemitism.

ICE shoots man after he rammed vehicle, DHS says

U.S. marshal, suspect injured in Los Angeles

BY JAIMIE DING Associated Press

LOS ANGELES Federal officers

shot a man in the elbow and a deputy U.S. marshal was hit in the hand with a ricochet bullet during an immigration enforcement operation in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security said.

The immigration agents fired “defensive shots” as the man they were trying to arrest rammed their car with his vehicle as he tried to escape a traffic stop, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement The man had entered the U.S. illegally and previously escaped custody, she said. It’s not immediately known when he entered the U.S. or was previously detained. A ricochet bullet struck a deputy U.S. marshal in the hand. Both the marshal and the suspect are in the hospital.

“These are the consequences of conduct and rhetoric by sanctuary politicians and activists who urge illegal aliens to resist arrest,” McLaughlin said.

U.S. Marshals Service office spokesperson Tlaloc Olvera confirmed one of their officers suffered a nonlife-threatening injury while helping with immigration enforcement and was in stable condition.

Los Angeles police said they were providing traffic control and were not involved directly in the federal operation.

Last month, an ICE officer fatally shot a suspect during an immigration enforcement operation after the man drove his car at officers and dragged one of them. Others have died while fleeing federal immigration agents, including a man struck and killed on a Southern California freeway in August.

ICE tracks attacks against its officers and has blamed activists for an increase in attacks, saying their rhetoric encourages people the agency is pursuing to resist arrest.

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HonoringLeadershipandWelcomingNewVision d

Celebrating JamesWhite and Welcoming Will Lipsey

as CLBThe CommunityBank’sNew President and CEO.

JamesWhite SeniorVicePresident

is proud to shareanimportant leadership transition andrecognizethe remarkable contributions of twooutstandingindividuals

JamesWhite:ThreeDecadesofLeadership

Jamesisa1981graduateofLouisiana Tech University with abachelor’sdegreeinAgricultureEducation. He beganhis journeywith CLB in the 1980s as an AgricultureLender,quickly earning the trustofboth colleaguesand customers

Duringhis tenure, Jamesplayeda pivotal role in the successful mergerofCatahoulaLaSalle Bank and Bank of Jena. Hissteady leadership helped navigatethe challenges of integrating twodistinctbanking cultures—he worked closely with staff to ensureasmooth transition,provided open communication, and madesurethat customersexperienced uninterrupted, personalized service. Under James’sguidance, CLB expanded intothe LafayetteMarket, bringinginnovativeproductsand genuine communitybanking to LafayetteParish. Hiscommitment to listening to customerneeds andempowering his team has left alasting impact on our bank’s cultureand reputation.

Beyond the office,Jamesiseager to spendmoretime with hisgrandchildren, children, and hiswonderful wife Sandy, while continuing to serveCLB as Senior Vice President. His warmth, integrity, and friendshipare cherishedbyall who knowhim,and we look forwardtohis ongoing contributions in his newrole

WillLipsey:LeadingwithExperienceandVision

We areexcited to announce that Will Lipsey has been named President and CEOofCLB The CommunityBank. Will is a1989graduateofNortheastLouisiana Universitywith abachelor’sdegree in Financeand CommercialBanking. Over his decadesatCLB,includingadistinguished tenureasChief Financial Officerand ExecutiveVicePresident, Will hasled severalsuccessful initiatives. Most notably,hespearheaded the bank’s digital transformationproject,which introduced online banking and online accountmanagement.This innovation madebanking more accessible and convenient forour customers, especially thoseinrural areas, andstrengthenedour connectiontothe communities we serve. During Will’stenureasCFO and EVP, the bank realized significant growth in assets due to his leadership in asset management and implementing newinvestment strategies. Will’sleadership extends beyond banking—he is actively involved in civic and communityorganizations,including the Catahoula Chapter Lions Club and New EraBaptistChurch. At home,Will treasurestime with his children, grandchildren, and his lovely wifeJulie.Heenjoysrelaxing on the lakeand cooking with family and friends,embodying the spirit of communitythat has shapedCLB

NewMembersoftheExecutiveLeadershipTeam New xecutiveLea sh Team

CLB’sPresident and CEO, Will Lipsey, is pleased to announcethe appointment of newmemberstothe

Leadership Team: Tari Barras as Acadiana Market President; Chris Tassin as ChiefOperating Officer; andMalcolm Ward as Executive Vice President.Theyjoin current ExecutiveTeammembersJamesWhite, Senior Vice President, and Paul Tweedy,Senior Vice President&Chief Business Development Officer, whoboth continue to serveaskey membersofthe Executive Team.

Tari Barras Acadiana Market President

Ms.Barras is alifelongresidentofAcadiana, gaining early career experienceatother banking institutions in the Lafayettemetropolitan area.Sincejoining CLB in 2020 as Vice President and Branch Manager at the Johnston Street location, she has brought more than twodecadesofexperienceincommercial and consumer lending. She notably ledthe development andlaunch of our Acadiana Johnston Street and Scott Branches, which facilitated communitybanking and personal serviceto our customers,while contributingsignificantly to CLB’s growth within theLafayetteMarket. Her leadership is instrumental in supporting CLB’scontinued success in Acadiana.

JulieMcCarthy Vice President of Compliance

Malcolm Ward Executive Vice President

Mr.Tassin began his tenureatCLB in 2008 as an InformationTechnology Manager based at theMain OfficeinJonesville.With 17 years of expertiseinbanking IT and operations— and having served as Operations Officer for thepastthree years—he has playedacriticalroleinenhancing operational efficiency throughout CLB’sbranches. Most recently, he directed theimplementation of CLB’s Mobile Banking Platform,providing customerswith secure, real-timeaccess to banking services across devices.His background will be valuable as CLB continuestoadvanceits digital banking initiatives and achieving operational streamlinedprocesses.

Promotion Update

Mr.Wardgraduated with adegree in Business Management from the Universityof Louisiana-Monroe in 2007.After establishing acareer in Human Resourcesand Complianceoutside the banking sector,hejoined CLB The CommunityBank in 2020 as a Lender at the Jena Branch. ElevatedtoJena Branch Manager in 2024, Mr.Wardoversees both personnel and operations while leading lendingactivities. Under hisguidance, the branch achievedsignificant increasesinloan and depositgrowth, driven by improvedloan processing and enhanced customer service measures

CLB TheCommunityBank is proud to announcethe promotion of Julie McCarthytoVicePresident of Compliance. Julie joined CLB in 1984 in the bookkeepingdepartment and has served in various capacities, most recently as BSAand ComplianceOfficer.Julie has shown instrumental leadershipinher role as complianceofficer,navigatingcompliance needs in an ever-changing technological and regulatory environment. Julie’s expertiseand dedicationmakeher exceptionally qualifiedfor this promotion and a valuable assettothis institution.

We areconfident in thefuturedirectionofCLB The CommunityBank and inviteall stakeholderstocongratulate TariBarras ChrisTassin,and MalcolmWard on their new appointments to theExecutiveLeadership Team. We would alsolikeyou to join us in congratulating JulieMcCarthy on her promotiontoVicePresident of Compliance.

CRASH

Continued from page1A

Wayne Hook Airport near Klein, Texas, northwest of Houston. The craft dropped fromradar at 11 a.m. just west of Carencro, momentsbeforea scheduledlanding at the Lafayette RegionalAirport. Across the street from the crash, in alittle white house, Kay Weatherford was watering her roses about 11 a.m. when she began to hear awhooshing soundfrom above.

When she lookedup, shesaw the plane spiraling down before crashing on its belly

“I’m still shaking with all of this,” Weatherford said.“Isaid, ‘That sounds weird; that’saweird noise.’

Then you hear ‘poof.’ Iwas already in the road on the call with 911,

saying,‘planecrash,plane down.’”

Theaircraft crashed near abarn that Weatherford said hada person inside.Alsonearbywas ahome.

One resident at the house said they were not home when thecrash occurred

When Weatherford arrived near theplane, she said she sawtwo bodiesinside thecockpit

“I just made the sign of the cross and startedprayingontheir souls to go up,” Weatherford said.

No other details aboutthe crash were immediately available.

Later Tuesday afternoon, the pilot of asmall plane, which was flying from Texas into RustonRegional Airport, diedwhenhis plane crashed in arural area southeast of Rustonand southofits intended airport.

EmailJulia Guilbeau at jguilbeau@theadvocate.com.

holidays on Jan. 6.

The other man sentenced in federal court Tuesday,Joseph Prejean, pleaded guilty in 2023 to one count of conspiracy todefraudthe federal government for his partina briberyand kickback scheme in the pretrial intervention program.

He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years ofsupervisedrelease, orderedtopay a$40,000 fine plus aspecialcondition of 20 hours of community service per month working with at-risk people, which he has done for years.

Prejean also has to report to prison on Jan. 6.

His attorney,Donald Washington, asked the judge for leniency, noting his decades of community service helping at-riskadults and children turn their livesaround.

Prejean is aformerly incarcerated person who owns agym in Carencroand another business wherehe provided inspirationaltalks, for instance.

Joseph chastised Prejean for abusing the trust of people sentto him by the District Attorney’sOffice for help with criminalcharges, including drugaddicts. Instead of helping them, he said, Prejean extorted money from them.

Washington noted thelarge

FARMERS

Continued frompage1A

prices for most of what they buy,including fertilizer, and low prices for mostof whatthey’re selling,several farmers said.

“We’re very resilient, and we try to work with whatever’sthrownatus,” said Logan, amember of the Environmental Protection Agency’sFarm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Council. “But this is a verytough time in agriculture.”

About 91% of agriculture economistssurveyed in September said they believe the U.S. crops sector is in arecession, according to the Farm Journal’smonthlysurvey of about 70 economists.

Amongthe reasons: Low grain prices, high input costs and trade uncertainty, especially with China, which has been boycotting the purchase of U.S. soybeans in response to President Donald Trump’stariffs on imports from China. The Trump administration has touteda possible multibillion-dollar bailout for farmers affected by the trade dispute, now on hold amid the shutdown

During Trump’slast administration, changes to trade policies “suckedat the time but seemed to help

assistant U.S. attorney lauded the help Franques provided, saying recordingshemade spelled out the schemes. Investigators, he said, hadn’t been able to captureformer Assistant DistrictAttorney Gary Haynes admitting to thebribery schemes with wire taps.

In recordings, texts and emails playedduring Haynes’ trial, he advised co-conspirators not to say anything incriminating because of possible wiretaps.

AcryingFranques,after the verdict,hugged his wife, whowas complicit in the two schemes but wasn’tcharged in either.She was called by the defense as awitness in the SeptembertrialofHaynes but used the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that protects against self-incrimination to decline to testify

he retired.

Franques was involved in asimilar scheme in the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Officepretrial intervention program with Guidry and Haynes, whowas in charge of the program Haynes and Guidry agreed to send defendants to programsoffered by Franques’ businesses, loosening qualifications so more could be admitted, increasing proceeds to Franques.

Franques agreed to split the revenue with Guidry and Haynes. Haynes was convicted by a federal jury in Septemberonsix charges. He will be sentenced in December Guidry,who pleaded guilty in March to federal bribery and conspiracy charges, wassentenced to four years in prison.

numberofpeople who vouched for Prejean, including the Rev. Chester Arceneaux, rectorofthe CathedralofSt. Johnthe Evangelist in Lafayette; state Sen. Gerald Boudreaux; and Walter Guillory, former director of the Lafayette Housing Authority who went to federal prison after pleading guilty in 2014 to two counts of federal bribery andwire fraud.

Federalinvestigators beganto

unravel thetwo bribery schemes because of Prejean. ALafayettearea defense attorney told theFBI in 2021 that Prejean tried to extort thousands of dollars from one of his clientstoclear his criminal charges withthe District Attorney’sOffice.

The FBI tapped Prejean’s phone, where they learned aboutGuidry, then tapped his phone.From there, theylearned details of the two schemes Tuesday afternoon during Franques’sentencing hearing, an

Franques could have been sentenced to up to 37 months in prison, but he and his wife, whoran at least one of the businesses and delivered payout checks to Haynes, had cooperated with the FBI since December2022, allowing investigators to record conversations between himand co-conspirators.

In the Wildlife andFisheries scheme, Dusty Guidry,the hub of the two schemes, worked withthen-departmentSecretary Jack Montoucet to arrange for Franques’ business to receive a statecontract to offer online hunting and fishing safety courses. Franques and Guidry were to set aside money for Montoucet when

Afterthe sentencing, friends and family waitedfor Franques in the lobby of the federalcourthouse in Lafayette. Theyeventually exited the courthouse, shielded by alarge umbrella, walking past waiting newscameras.

Whilethat took place, Franques and his attorneys exited from a set of doors on the other side of the courthouse, walking to another vehicle waiting in the street. As reporters attempted to photograph him, amember of the party again useda large umbrella to shield him and keep reporters away Email ClaireTayloratctaylor@ theadvocate.com.

in the long-term,” said Michael Frugé, whofarms rice, crawfish and soybeans in Eunice. This time, “will we see some beneficial results long-term? Yettobedetermined.”

Frugé is concernedthat China’s boycott will have a detrimentaleffect on next year’ssoybean prices. Current pricesofabout$10 a bushel aren’tbad, he noted. Butthe inputcosts forall his crops— from fertilizer to boat repairs —haveskyrocketed, said Frugé,whose high-proteinParish Rice landedonWalmart shelves in 2024. “Themath just doesn’twork.”

On Oct.1,swathsofthe federal government, including the USDA, shuttered after lawmakerscouldn’t reach adeal on ashort-term spending bill to fund federal agencies throughNov.21. Typically,inthe fall, farmers wouldbestudying USDA market information, including supply-and-demand estimates, progress reports and export sales numbers, said MichaelDeliberto,a professor with the LSU AgCenter.They’d then use that data to make decisions about whethertostoreorsell a crop they’ve just harvested. That information, some of it drawn from surveys, also affectsprices, Deliberto said. Arecordcroporunexpectedly low yield could

sway the market. For example, answers to questions like “how much soybeans did we crush last month?” can affect prices going forward. The marketseesthat “objectiveinformation, the market digests it andthen prices respond.”

Right now,that “key piece of fundamental information”ismissing, he said.

USDA offices areclosed to farmers who have aquestion, need to fill outpaperwork or want to apply for a conservation program. The USDA is not offering its marketingassistance program, akey piece of financing that typically allows a farmer to pledge their harvested grain as collateral fora low-interest, shortterm loan.And they’re not accepting newapplications for conservation cost-share programs,such as the Conservation Stewardship Program That program helps farmerspay forchanges to their land that improve habitat, soil healthorwater quality Logan has been planting cover cropsfor adecadeon an increasing share of his acreage in Caddo Parish. Underaconservation program, thegovernment approves amultiyear plan and then paysashareofthe cost There’snoexactreturn, Logan said, but over the years, he’s seen how planting cover

crops has helped the health of his soil.

“You cansee it,”hesaid.

“You can smell it ” He expects that farmers who aren’talready invested in the program, “ina year like this, when commodity prices areatalow,” might

skip it.

“It’shard to go spend$20, $25 an acre additional money to do that …when you may do it for10years before seeing thedifference,” he added.

This fall, Logan bought the seed andstartedplanting it.

But he hasn’tyet received the government’sshare.

“Wehave to continue on with our operation,” he said. “If you’re aweeklate, you might as well notdoit. We’re counting on the government to hold up their end of the deal.”

Senate Republicansgatherat WhiteHouse with Trump

Shutdown enters itsfourthweek

BY LISA MASCARO, MARY

CLARE JALONICK and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON Head Start programs for preschoolers arescrambling for federal funds. Thefederal agency tasked with overseeing the U.S. nuclear stockpile has begun furloughing its 1,400 employees. Thousands more federalworkersare going without paychecks.

But as President Donald Trump welcomed Republican senators for lunch in the newly renovated Rose Garden Club —heportrayeda different vision of America, as aunified GOP refuses to yieldtoDemocratic demands for health care funds, and the government shutdown drags on.

“Wehave the hottest country anywhere in the world, which tells you about leadership,” Trump said in opening remarks. It was afestive atmosphere under crisp, but sunny autumn skies as senators

settled in for cheeseburgers, fries and chocolates, and Trump’sfavoredsongs— “YMCA” and “You Can’tAlways Get What YouWant”— played over the new sound system.

Andwhile Trump said the shutdownmust come to an end —and suggested maybe Smithsonian museums could reopen— he signaled no quick compromise with Democrats over the expiringhealth care funds.

LateratanotherWhite House event, Trumpsaid he’s happy totalk withDemocrats about health care once the shutdown is over “The government hastobe open,” hesaid As the governmentshutdown enters its fourth week —ontrack to become oneof the longest in U.S. history —millions ofAmericans are bracingfor health care sticker shock, while othersare feeling the financial impact. Economistshave warned thatthe federal closure, with many of the nearly 2.3 million employees workingwithout pay, will shave economic growth by 0.1 to0.2 percentage points perweek

The Democraticleaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries had outreached to the White HouseonTuesday,seeking a meetingwith Trump before thepresident departsfor his next overseas trip, toAsia

“Wesaid we’ll set up an appointment with him anytime, anyplace beforehe leaves,” Schumer said.

With Republicans in controlofCongress, the Democrats have few options. They are planning to keep theSenate in sessionlate into the night Wednesday in protest TheHouse hasbeenclosed for weeks.

TheRepublican senators, departing the White House lunch withgiftsofTrump caps andmedallions,said there is nothing to negotiate withDemocratsover the healthcarefunds until the government reopens.

“People keep saying ‘negotiate’ —negotiatewhat? Senate Majority Leader John Thune saidafter the hourlongmeeting. He said Republicans and the president are willing to consider discussions over health care, “but open up the government first.”

Presidentconfirmstalks on Ukrainewar areoff fornow

Trumpdoesn’t want ‘wastedmeeting’ with Putin

BY MATTHEWLEE and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

fund Ukraine’swar efforts, despite somemisgivings aboutthe legality andconsequencesofsuchastep.

The U.S. and Russian presidents last met in Alaska in August,but the encounterdid notadvance Trump’sstalledattempts to end awar that began almost four yearsago

$250Mballroom being constructed

BY DAVE GOLDINER Newyork Daily News (TNS)

The White House has started demolishingpart of the East Wing to make room for President Donald Trump’s planned massive new ballroom, even though officials previously promisednothing would be “torn down”for the $250 million vanity project. Federal workers were warned not to sharephotos of heavy construction equipment that tore into the façade of the historic wing, leaving shattered windows, wiring and other debris piled on the ground next to the centuryold building.

WhiteHouse’s East Wing wall demolished ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI

Work begins on the demolitionofapartofthe East Wing of theWhite House in Washington.

Trump proudly proclaimed the kickoff of the ballroom construction project on his social media site and in person at aceremony honoring theLSU and LSU-Shreveport baseball championship teams. The White House moved ahead with the massive constructionproject despite not receiving approval from the National CapitalPlanning Commission,which is supposedtoapprove con-

struction workand major renovationstogovernment buildings in theWashington, D.C., area. The 90,000-square-foot glass-windowed ballroom will houseupto1,000 guests and is expected to be bigger than theentirerestofthe White House.

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Tuesdayhis plan foraswift meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putinwas on hold because he doesn’t want it to be a“waste of time.” It was the latesttwist in Trump’s stop-and-goefforttoresolve thewar in Ukraine.

Thedecision to hold off on themeetinginBudapest, Hungary,which Trump hadannounced last week, was made following acall Monday between SecretaryofState Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “I don’twanttohavea wastedmeeting,” Trump said.“Idon’t wanttohave awaste of time —sowe’ll see what happens.”

Trump’shesitancy will likely come as areliefto European leaders, who have accused Putinof stalling fortimewithdiplomacy whiletryingtogain ground on thebattlefield.

The leaders —including theBritish primeminister,French president and German chancellor —said they opposedany push to make Ukraine surrender land captured by Russian forces in returnfor peace, as Trump most recently has suggested

They also plan to push forward withplans to use billionsofdollars in frozen Russian assets to help

The Kremlin didn’tseem to be in arush to get Trump andPutin togetheragain either. SpokespersonDmitry Peskov said Tuesday that “preparation is needed, serious preparation” before ameeting.

Trump suggested that decisionsabout themeeting would be made in the coming days.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been trying to strengthen Ukraine’spositionbyseeking long-range Tomahawk missiles from theU.S although Trumphas waffled on whether he would provide them.

“Weneed to endthis war, andonly pressure will lead to peace,”Zelenskyy said Tuesday in aTelegram post.

He noted that Putin returned to diplomacy and called Trump last week when it looked like Tomahawk missiles were apossibility.But “assoonasthe pressure eased alittle, the Russians begantotry to drop diplomacy,postpone thedialogue,” Zelenskyy said.

On Wednesday,Trump will hold talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to aWhite House officialwho wasnot authorized to comment publicly andspoke on conditionofanonymity. The officialdid notprovide any detail about Trump’sagenda forthe talks.

The military alliance has been coordinating deliveriesofweaponstoUkraine,

many of them purchased fromthe U.S. by Canada and European countries. Ameeting of the Coalition of the Willing —a group of 35 countrieswho support Ukraine —isdue to take place in LondononFriday. Trump’sstance on the warhas shiftedthroughoutthe year.Heinitially focusedonpressuring Ukraine to makeconcessions, but then grew frustrated withPutin’sintransigence. Trump often complains that he thought his good relationship withhis Russian counterpart would have madeiteasier to end the war Last month, Trumpreversed his long-held position that Ukraine would have to give up land and suggested it could win back allthe territory it has lost to Russia But after aphone call with Putin last week and asubsequent meeting with Zelenskyy on Friday, Trump shifted his position again and called on Kyiv andMoscow to “stopwhere they are” in themore than three-year war On Sunday,Trumpsaid theindustrial Donbas region of eastern Ukraine should be “cut up,” leaving mostofitinRussian hands. TrumpsaidMonday that while he thinks it is possible thatUkraine canultimately defeat Russia, he’s now doubtful it will happen.

Ukrainian and European leadersare trying hard to keep Trump on their side.

“Westrongly support President Trump’spositionthatthe fighting should stopimmediately,and that the current line of contact should be thestarting point of negotiations,”the leaders’ statement said. “We can allsee that Putincontinuestochoose violence anddestruction.”

Suit seeks to force swearing in of elected Arizona rep

Johnson says he’s waiting for House to return

By The Associated Press

PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a lawsuit that seeks to get Democrat Adelita Grijalva sworn in as the state’s newest member of Congress after U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to seat her a month since winning the post. The Democratic attorney general filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Washington on behalf of Grijalva. It asks a judge to let other people, such as federal judges, who are authorized to administer the oath, swear in Grijalva if Johnson has not done so. Mayes has said previously that the delay in giving Grijalva, the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress, the oath of office leaves over 800,000 people in the southern Arizona district without representation.

Grijalva, a former school board member and member of a county governing board in the Tucson area, easily won a Sept. 23 special election to fill the post previously held by her father, progressive Democrat Raúl Grijalva, who died in March after serving in Congress for more than two decades. She said the delay has left people in her district without the constituent services that are normally provided by congressional offices.

Johnson has said Adelita Grijalva will be sworn in when the House returns to session, blamed the government shutdown for the delay and accused Mayes of seeking publicity when she threatened to file the lawsuit. Once she is sworn in, Grijalva would narrow the margins and give Democrats

supporters calling for House Speaker Mike Johnson to swear her in recently at the Capitol in Washington.

more power to confront Trump and the GOP agenda.

Democrats have accused Johnson of delaying Grijalva’s swearing-in because it improves their chances of forcing a vote for the release of the Justice Department files on the sex trafficking investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein. Johnson has rejected the accusation. Grijalva has pledged to back the effort to release the Epstein investigation documents and would be the last signature needed for a petition to force that vote.

In an interview Tuesday hours before the suit was filed, Grijalva said the delay means she is unable to sign a lease on office space within her district to respond to constituent requests I don’t have constituents until I’m sworn in,” Grijalva said. Johnson said Grijalva was elected the week after the House had already gone out of legislative session following its vote on a short-term spending bill to fund the federal government. “So I will administer the oath to her, I hope, on the first day we come back into legislative session,” Johnson said Monday “I’m willing and anxious to do that.”

Lawmakers who win spe-

cial elections generally take the oath of office on days in which legislative business is conducted, and they are welcomed with warm applause from members on both sides of the aisle. They give a short speech as family and friends watch from the galleries. There is precedent for doing it differently On April 2, Johnson swore in Republican Reps. Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine, both of Florida, less than 24 hours after they won their special elections, during a pro forma session. Johnson has said the circumstances were unique because the House had unexpectedly gone out of session that day Patronis and Fine had already arranged for their families, friends and supporters to be in Washington. But Johnson also said there is precedent for not yet administering her the oath of office.

He noted that Rep. Julia Letlow, a Republican from Baton Rouge, waited 25 days before her 2021 swearing-in ceremony, filling the seat her late husband was elected to but never filled after dying of COVID-19. At the time, Democrats controlled the House.

Jan. 6 rioter arrested for threatening Hakeem Jeffries

He had been pardoned by Trump

Democrat, would be making a speech in New York City this week

Trump demands DOJ pay him $230M, report says

BY BRIAN NIEMIETZ

New york Daily News (TNS)

President Donald Trump has reportedly demanded the Justice Department pay him $230 million in compensation for past investigations against him — and he just may get his wish.

Trump’s claims against the department, which he’s staffed with allies including his former personal attorney, are without precedent, according to The New York Times.

Justice Department regulations allow for the deputy attorney general to sign off on such a settlement. That office is occupied by Todd Blanche, who worked for Trump in the private sector and famously represented him during his 2024 “hush money” trial in New York City

Stanley Woodward Jr., who heads the department’s civil division and has represented a number of other

BY SARAH GANTZ and JULIA TERRUSO

The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

Former President Joe Biden completed a round of radiation therapy at a Penn Medicine cancer center in Philadelphia on Monday as part of his treatment for prostate cancer, according to a family representative. Biden, 82, announced in

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON A man whose convictions for storming the U.S. Capitol were erased by President Donald Trump’s mass pardons has be en arrested on a charge that he threatened to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Christopher P. Moynihan is accused of sending a text message on Friday noting that Jeffries, a New York

“I cannot allow this terrorist to live,” Moynihan wrote, according to a report by a state police investigator Moynihan also wrote that Jeffries “must be eliminated” and texted, “I will kill him for the future,” the police report says. Moynihan, of Clinton, New York is charged with a felony count of making a terroristic threat. It was unclear if he had an attorney representing him in the case, and efforts to contact him and his parents by email and phone were unsuccessful.

Moynihan who’s 34, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for joining a mob’s Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. In January, he was among hundreds of con-

victed Capitol rioters who received a pardon from Trump on the Republican president’s first day back in the White House.

Jeffries thanked investigators “for their swift and decisive action to apprehend a dangerous individual who made a credible death threat against me with every intention to carry it out.”

“Unfortunately, our brave men and women in law enforcement are being forced to spend their time keeping our communities safe from these violent individuals who should never have been pardoned,” Jeffries said in a statement.

House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked about the case during a news conference on Tuesday and said he did not know any details of the threat against Jeffries.

MAGA figures, including FBI Director Kash Patel is also permitted to authorize a payment. Trump’s demand reportedly came in the form of two administrative claims that could be heard by a court if ignored or declined by the DOJ. However, that’s unli kely considering the president is “already negotiating, in essence, with his subordinates,” according to The Times, citing sources familiar with the matter

searched for classified documents in 2022. It also accuses the DOJ of malicious prosecution in charging him with mishandling the sensitive records.

Trump seemed to allude to his claims against the federal government in the Oval Office last week.

“I have a lawsuit that was doing very well, and when I became president, I said, I’m sort of suing myself,” he told reporters. “I don’t know how do you settle the lawsuit, I’ll say give me X dollars, and I don’t know what to do with the lawsuit.”

Trump’s claims were filed in 2023 and 2024 The first one reportedly says that, among other things, his rights were violated when the FBI and a special counsel investigated potential links between his 2016 presidential campaign and Russian interlopers. The second complaint alleges the FBI and the DOJ violated his privacy when his Mar-a-Lago estate was

When asked about the potential ethical conflicts involved in such a payment being approved by Trump’s allies, a DOJ spokesman told the New York Times that “in any circumstance, all officials at the Department of Justice follow the guidance of career ethics officials.” The Justice Department isn’t required to publicly announce settlement agreements reached on administrative claims, according to department officials Such compensation is typically paid with tax dollars.

May that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease that had spread to his bones.

A spokesperson for the Bidens, Kelly Scully, said that following his treatment over the course of several weeks, Biden “rang the bell” at Penn, alongside his wife, Jill Biden, his daughter Ashley Biden and grandchildren, Hunter and Finnegan.

Ringing the bell at Penn typically signifies that a patient has completed cancer treatment, according to the health system. But Biden has not yet made a statement on his

treatment, and it wasn’t immediately clear if the former president would need additional treatment.

Ashley Biden posted a story on her Instagram of the bell-ringing moment alongside a woman who Scully confirmed was Biden’s doctor at Penn. Another photo showed the doctor with a bouquet of flowers standing with Biden.

“Dad has been so damn brave throughout his treatment,” Ashley Biden wrote in her post. “Grateful.” A Penn spokesperson directed questions to the Biden family

Vance optimistic aboutGazaceasefire

ButVPnotes

‘veryhard’ work to come

BY RENATA BRITO, MELANIE LIDMAN and SAMYMAGDY Associated Press

KIRYATGAT,Israel

U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday called progress in Gaza’s fragile ceasefire better than anticipated but acknowledgedduringanIsraelvisit the challenges that remain, from disarming Hamas to rebuilding aland devastated by two years of war Vance noted flareupsof violence in recent days but said the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that began on Oct. 10 is going “better than Iexpected.”

The Trump administration’sMiddle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, added that “we are exceeding where we thought we would be at this time.”

They visited anew center in Israel for civilian andmilitarycooperationas questions remain over the long-term plan for peace, including when and how an internationalsecurity force will deploy to Gazaand who will govern the territory after the war

Vance tried to downplay any idea that his visit —his first as vice president —was urgentlyarrangedtokeep the ceasefire in place. He saidhefeels “confident that we’re going tobeinaplace wherethis peacelasts,” but warned that if Hamas doesn’tcooperate, it will be “obliterated.”

Jared Kushner,U.S. President DonaldTrump’s son-inlawand one of the architects of the ceasefire agreement,

noted its complexity: “Both sides aretransitioning from two years of very intense warfare to now apeacetime posture.

Vanceisexpected to stay in the region until Thursday and meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials.

On Tuesday,Netanyahu fired his national security adviser, TzachiHanegbi, butgavenoreasonfor the decision. Israeli media said

Japan’sfirst female leader is an ultraconservativestar

Womenoften passed over in country

BY MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press

TOKYO— Sanae Takaichi, a star of ultraconservative Japanese politics and arare woman to rise in its maledominatedhierarchy,has been electedthe country’s first female prime minister Takaichi, 64, is also the first woman to lead the Liberal Democratic Party that has dominated Japan’spostwar politics almost without interruption. She admires former British Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher and is a proponent of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’sconservative vision for Japan.A China hawk, she is aregular at Yasukuni Shrine, seen by China, the two Koreas and other Asian victims of Japan’sWorld WarIIaggression as aplacethat glorifies the country’swartime past The leader of acountry that ranks poorly internationally for gender equality, Takaichi had rarely mentioned the issue during the campaign. She did remark after winning the presidency of the ruling party: “Now that the LDP has itsfirst female president, its scenery will change alittle.”

First elected to parliament from her hometown of Nara in 1993, she served in

elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrivesat theprimeminister’s of

in TokyoonTuesday.

key partyand government posts, including ministerof economicsecurity,internal affairs and gender equality, thoughher diplomaticexperience is thin.

She has calledfor astronger military,more fiscal spendingfor growth,promotion of nuclear fusion, cybersecurity and tougher policies on immigration.

As astudent, Takaichi was adrummer in aheavy-metal band androdeamotorcycle.

She says she’saworkaholic who would rather work at homethan go out and socialize. But after two unsuccessful bids to lead the LDP,she says she’smade effortsto build more connections with colleagues.

She asked all party lawmakers to “work like a horse.”

“I will abandon theword ‘work-lifebalance.’ Iwill work,work,work andwork,”

she said in comments that sparkedstrong, if mixed, online reactions.

Female lawmakers in the LDP have often been passed over for ministerialposts, or been pushed aside if they spoke up about diversity and gender equality.Women hold only about 15% of the seats in Japan’slower house, themorepowerful of the twoparliamentary chambers. Only two of Japan’s47 prefectural governorsare women.

Takaichi hasavoidedtalking aboutgenderissues in thepast, sticking with oldfashioned views favored by male partyheavyweights.

She had vowed to significantly increasethe number of women in hergovernment,but on Mondayshe appointed just two as ministersand athird as one of her three special aides.

She supports the imperial family’smale-only succession,and opposesboth samesex marriage and amending the19th-centurylaw that requires marriedcouples to have thesame surname.

“Ms. Takaichi’spolicies are extremely hawkish, and Idoubt she would consider policies to recognize diversity,” said Chiyako Sato, apolitical commentator andsenior writerfor theMainichi newspaper Apparently because of her views on genderand diversity,supportfor Takaichi among women is lower than that of men in mediasurveys, Satosaid.

Hanegbihad opposedthe renewal of Israel’s Gazaoffensive in March, and Israel’s failed attempt to assassinate Hamas’ leadership in an airstrike in QatarinSeptember In astatement, Hanegbi noted “times of disagreement” with Netanyahu.

Late Tuesday, Israel’s militarysaid the remains of two more Gaza hostages had been returned to Israel, where they would be identified.

Sincethe ceasefire began on Oct. 10, the remains of 15 hostages havebeenreturned to Israel. Another 13 stillneedtoberecoveredin Gazaand handed over

On his visittoIsrael Tuesday,Vance urged a“little bit of patience” amid Israeli frustration withHamas’ pace of returning the hostages.

“Some of these hostages are buried under thousands of pounds of rubble.Some of thehostages, nobody even knows where they are,” Vance said.

Israel is releasing 15 Palestinian bodies forthe remains of each dead hostage, according to Gaza’sHealth Ministry.Itsaid Tuesday that Israel had so fartransferred 165 bodiessinceearlier this month.

As he faced journalists’ questions over the ceasefire’snext steps, he said “a lotofthiswork is very hard” and urged flexibility

“Once we’ve got to apoint whereboth theGazansand our Israeli friends can have some measure of security, then we’ll worry about what thelong-term governance of Gazais,” he said. “Let’sfocus on security,rebuilding, giving people somefood and medicine.”

Although some 200 U.S.

troopswererecentlysent to Israel, Vance emphasized that they would not be on theground in Gaza. But he said officials are beginning to “conceptualize what that internationalsecurityforce would look like” for the territory He mentioned Turkey and Indonesia as countries expected to participate.The flags of Jordan, Germany Britainand Denmarkwere on the stage wherehespoke Britainsaidlate Tuesdayit would send asmallcontingent of military officers to Israel to assist in monitoring the ceasefire.

While the ceasefire has been testedbyfighting and mutual accusations of violations, both Israel andHamas have said theyare committed to the deal. International organizations said they were scaling up humanitarian aidentering Gaza, while Hamas-led security forces cracked down againstwhatitcalled price gouging by private merchants. The World Food Program said it had sent more than 530 trucksintoGaza in the past 10 days, enough to feed nearlyhalf amillionpeople fortwo weeks. That’s well under the 500 to 600 that entered daily before the war

Appealscourt overturnsUribe conviction

BY ASTRID SUÁREZ Associated Press

BOGOTA,Colombia An appealscourt on Tuesday overturned theconviction of Colombian former President Álvaro Uribe for bribery and witness tampering forwhichhehad been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest.

Uribe, 73, has denied anywrongdoing. He was sentencedinAugust following anearly six-month trial in which prosecutors presented evidence that he

attempted to influence witnesses who accusedthe law-and-order leader of having links to a paramilitary groupinthe 1990s.

The court on Tuesdaysaid the conviction had“structural deficiencies,” used vague premises and lacked comprehensive analysis. Twoofthe three judges on the panel voted to overturn

theconviction;the third thought it shouldbeupheld. Uribe,who governed from 2002 to 2010, has calledhis convictionpolitical persecution, claiming that the judge was biased against him.Inthe appeal, hislawyers questioned the validity of the evidence and argued that the former president’sresponsibility wasnot “unequivocally” proven. Prosecutors and victims can appeal Tuesday’srulingtoColombia’sSupreme Court.

Firms selected for drainage projects

Johnston, Louisiana Ave. to see improvements

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

Mayor-President Monique Bou-

let’s administration announced that four engineering firms have been selected to lead design and engineering for the Johnston Street and Louisiana Avenue revitalization efforts.

as the end of 2027.

Ex-public defenders file lawsuit against state

Officials allege retaliation led to contract nonrenewals

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Four former top public defenders are suing the state after they were ousted earlier this year a decision they say was motivated in part by “personal animosity.”

The lawsuit, filed Friday in East Baton Rouge Parish, alleges State Public Defender Rémy Starns pushed out the public defenders in retaliation after they opposed his policy goals, including efforts to seize more control over Louisiana’s public defense system

Starns, the Office of the State Public Defender and the Louisiana Public Defender Board, which sided with Starns in July in a dispute over the defenders’ jobs, are named as defendants in the lawsuit

The plaintiffs include Trisha Ward, Brett Brunson, John Hogue and Michelle AndrePont. They have argued state law should have protected them from Starns’ decision not to renew their contracts, and say they were fired without just cause. Their lawsuit asks for a judgment to give them back their jobs and also seeks punitive damages.

Starns, who did not return requests for comment Tuesday, previously argued that he was within his rights to decide not to renew the defenders’ contracts, and that the nonrenewals did not amount to termination.

In February, he sent letters to the defenders informing them that their contracts would not be renewed, but he did not provide a reason. The defenders appealed his decision to the Louisiana Public Defender Board, which held multiple hearings on the matter between April and July During that time, five board members left and were replaced. Not all of them were gubernatorial appointees. But the lawsuit alleges that Starns and Gov Jeff Landry’s office worked to stack the board with members who would back Starns

The lawsuit also alleges that some of the new board members’ appointments were contingent on their votes against the defenders. In the end, the five newest board members voted to uphold the contract nonrenewals, while the four original members sided with the defenders.

The dispute involves a bill passed during a 2024 special session Landry convened to overhaul criminal justice policies. Prior to the new law, an oversight board selected the state public defender, who needed the board’s approval for decisions over contracts and spending. The new law, backed by Landry, gave the governor the power

Currently, $28.5 million in local, state and federal funds are available for design and early improvements to the 8.5-mile stretch of roadways.

“This corridor connects our peo-

The firms will work on designing new drainage improvements for main thoroughfares, such as Johnston which currently lacks drainage. They will also work on traffic, utility and connectivity upgrades, according to a Monday news release.

ple, our neighborhoods, and our commerce,” Boulet wrote. “It’s been discussed for years — but now, the work is underway The improvements we make here will shape how Lafayette moves, grows and thrives for decades to come.”

In September, Boulet and her team held a drainage improvement meeting to discuss the best ways to address frequent flooding in downtown and surround-

ing neighborhoods. The meeting focused on fixing drainage issues along Johnston Street, the city’s busiest and bisecting roadway. As it stands today most of Johnston Street lacks proper stormwater drainage. It’s a big lift with a hefty price tag.

Estimates for drainage improvements alone on Johnston could reach $12 million, while a baseline places the project at $5 million, according to previous reporting.

Construction could begin as early

There are six drainage projects under construction, totaling $82.3 million. An additional eight projects, valued at $11 million, are in the design phase.

In June, the Lafayette City Council approved transferring ownership of part of Johnston Street from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to local control in exchange for the city relinquishing control over

Teche in Breaux Bridge. Proceeds from the event benefit the Paddle Trail, which has access docks and other amenities for paddlers along the bayou

Dressed to impress

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

OUR VIEWS

La.depends on Johnson to uphold duty, swearin Arizonarep

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Benton has sometimes risen to the occasion of managing afractious legislativebodywith deftness and decorum. We are sorry to see him failing those standards, along withall semblance of basic fairness, in refusingtoswear in anewly elected Democrat fromArizona. As leader of the full House,not just of his fellow Republicans, Johnson should understand how unjust it is to deny representation to 813,000 people for amonth (and counting) after unchallenged electionresultsare in Adelita Grijalva’sfather,Raul, held theseat for 22 years until he died on March 13. The younger Grijalva, who has spent 23 years in local elective office, won alandslidevictory to fill his seat on Sept. 23. In the longhistory of the House, it has been customary afterspecial elections to swear in the newly elected member as soon as the electee can arriveinWashington.

This standard has applied even when the House is not otherwise in session: Asrecently as April, Johnson called theHouse into “pro forma” session just to swear in twoRepublican special-election winners from Florida. If he can do that forRepublican electees replacing two who resigned, why not for aDemocratwho is replacing her father after atragic death?

Now,though, Johnson says he won’tseat Grijalva because the House isn’tinsession, an argument that contradictshis treatment of the two Floridians. The speaker also usesthe excuse that Democratic then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi took 25 days to swear in Louisiana’sJulia Letlow after her husbanddied from COVID-19. That explanation doesn’thold water, either: Congress was out of session then specifically because that deadly pandemic made it unsafe to reconvene.

Yetinthe current case, Johnson —not for pressing health concerns but forpurely political reasons—ischoosing not to conveneduring the government shutdown. Even during ashutdown, it would be easy to convene aceremonial, pro forma meeting to put Grijalvatowork.

Imagine if this happened to aLouisianan elected during nonpandemic times. Because Louisiana holds off-year state elections, Louisiana is particularlysusceptible to special congressional elections. Beginning with thedeath of longtime Rep. Hale Boggs in aplane crashin 1972, Louisiana has held astunning 12 special contests; indeed, Johnson’s partnerinleadership,House Majority Leader SteveScalise,won onesuchspecial election afterhis predecessor Bobby Jindal was electedgovernor.Louisianans would have howled furiously if any otherspeaker treated those electees as Johnsonistreating Grijalva. Being amemberofCongress involvesa lot more than casting votes. Members and their staff handle numerous constituent problems with federal agencies. That needy constituency growsonlylargerand more desperate when most of the government isn’t working. Johnson knows better than to denyGrijalva’s constituents full representation.Heneeds to rediscover his better angels, do theright thing and seat her without further delay

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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

Whateverthe ruling,wemust standfor fair representation

Louisiana v. Callais —acase that speaks to the very soulofdemocracy and fairness in ourstate —was argued again in the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 15.

This moment is deeply personal for me. Since 2019, I’ve been engaged in this processthat began withthe U.S. Census and led to thecreation of a Louisiana congressional map in 2022 that was not fair and representative of everyone in the state.

Iknocked doorsasacensus enumerator,made calls at phone banks to encourageothers to vote, knocked doors, wrote postcards, gave my time and money to political campaigns, waved signs to get out the voteand eventually gave testimonytodefend fair maps and fair representation for votersthat look like me.

Iwas proud to do my part in what Icall “sacred civic action” because I

believe Ihave acivic responsibility to be informed and engaged. Evenwith all that, I’m still left to feel at times: Do my efforts really make adifference?

Years of advocacy andfaithful persistence have brought us to this moment —where thehighest court now considers aLouisiana map thatrightfully creates asecond majority-Black congressional district. This is not simply apolitical issue; it’samoral and spiritual one. It’sabout truth,representationand honoring thesacred worth of every person’s voice and vote.

As Ireflect on this moment, Iamreminded that we are called not only to advocate, but to intercede —topray, to standand to speaklife into systems that were never designed for everyone’sflourishing.

CYNTHIA YOUNG Baton Rouge

Themessage behind No Kingsprotests

Hundreds marched along Perkins Road on Saturday in Baton Rouge, peacefully

With other Americansinover 2,500 locations,they protested apretendking’srule by decrees,whims and tweets. This land is of “we thepeople,” of laws and the Constitution.

They arewhat we Americans swear an oath to, as do he and his courtiers, although they seem to forget that.

Achildren’sstory tells of an emperor who soldempty goods,not clothes; his courtiersadmired and abetted his fantasy till alittleboy punctured that. Americans are now doing thesame.

Spinelesssycophantssuch as Mike Johnson lie about us as “hating America” or “terrorist sympathizers” when it is they who betray American values

He is speaker of the House, not just theRepublicans in it, and Trump is president of the country,not just his MAGA followers. They areour elected “representatives,” not lords or kings.They aim to

rule by dividing us. Ahouse divided cannot standorendure. “One nation, indivisible, withliberty andjusticeto all” seems like empty words to them. They hurtfederal workers and people’shealth care Taxpayer monies do not belong to them but are“of thepeople.” It is in greenbacks,not colored red or blue, for them to choose who they dispense to. Ours is adiverse country,the 50 states of the United States, neither red nor blue. They label whole states as “blue” to punishasifAmericans, Republican and Democrat,did not live in them.

On Saturday,not just one child’s voice but millions roared to stopthe recklessplunging of agreat country toward disaster.Theyseem oblivious but need reminding daily that they wake up in acitynamed for our first president who led the overthrow of a king and warned against precisely the likes of them.

A.R.P.RAU Baton Rouge

LSU’sgameday atmosphere haschanged dramatically

IamanLSU graduate and asupporter of LSU. Over the years, there has been amarked difference in the atmosphere at LSU, beginning with the traffic flow at the LSU-South Carolina game. Throngs of pedestrians were either oblivious to or ignored traffic lights and traffic cops —pouring across streets, causing traffic jams.

Tailgaters play loud music with vile lyrics. We have children at our tailgate. Traditionally,the men at our tailgate go into the stadium and the ladies and children watch the game at the tailgate. One of the ladies politely walked to the other tailgate and asked if they would turn down the music so they could hear the gameontelevision. She was cursed. Other passersby madethem feel unsafe. Others, while they watched the game, walked by and vandalized their decorations. The ladies no longer feel safewatching the gameat the tailgate.

The environment in the stadium is little different. If people leave their seats, others maketheir wayinto our section and take their seats. Many shout obscenities and use foul language. We’ve been subjected to fans coming into our section and smoking pot.

And LSU is complicit. The LSU band plays “Neck” with people shouting obscene lyrics. There are children in our section and in the stadium

There wereshootings after the South Carolina game.

Last year,I went to an improv program at LSU. The comedian asked the audience to shout out the most vulgar words they could think of.

Looking further into academics, did LSU,our flagship university,really drop the requirements forACT testing foradmission? What kind of flagship are we piloting?

We get what we allow.What are we allowing? Imust ask myself that question as Isupport and attend LSU functions.

LISA GARDNER Baton Rouge

Presidentcontinues to defy conventional wisdom ... so far

Sweetheart deal is over for academia

Michael Barone

“What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what allthe damned fools said would happen has come to pass.” That was themordant comment of Lord Melbourne, Queen Victoria’s first prime minister,on the failure of aliberal reform to achieve the results promised with great assurance by the articulate liberal eminences of the day With two centuries of foresight, he might just as well have been describing President Donald Trump’striumph, celebrated “ina state of ecstasy” in Israel’sKnesset last week, as he secured thereleaseof hostages held by Hamas for two years and won support from multiple Muslim nations for his 20-point peace plan between Israel and Hamas Certainly,more than anyonehas accomplished since Israel’svictories in theSix-Day Warof1967 andthe Yom Kippur Warof1973, the era when it became accepted wisdom that Arab andMuslim nations would recognize Israel’slegitimacy only after it reached some form of agreementwith Palestinian leaders on the creation of a Palestinian state.

The conventional wisdom was that pressure must always be exerted on Israel, the leadersand voters of which had obvious qualms about relinquishing any supervision over armed and hostile neighbors within shootingrange of their geographically tiny country.

The 1990s saw atest of that conventional wisdom, with Israel accepting the Oslo framework, and BillClinton, in his final days as president, using his very considerable skills toget Israel to agree to agenerous settlement, only to have it shot downatthe last minute by Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat.

The Second Intifada that followed, and the Hamas terrorists’takeover of Gaza after Israel relinquished it in 2005, ended any significantsupport for a“two-state” agreement byIsraeli voters. But peddlers of the conventional wisdom ignoredIsraelis’ characteristic bluntness and persisted in taking seriouslyArabstates’ ritualistic affirmations of support for aPalestinian state. Trump chose adifferent path. Rather than pressuring Israel to make concessions or pleading with the Palestinians to accept them, he pursued,and secured,direct agreements between Israel and other Arab nations. During his first term, his team, led by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, forged the Abraham Accords by capitalizing on

the Gulf states’ ambitions for economic growthand regional stability Trumpmoved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem,recognized Israel’s sovereignty over theGolan Heights, and withdrew from former President Barack Obama’sIran nuclear deal. In his secondterm, unlike former President Joe Biden,who repeatedly sought to restrain Israel’sresponse to Hamas, Trump backed Israel’smilitary offensives andfollowed through on his 12-day war that crippled Iran’snuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow PressureonHamas’ hosts in Qatar, hometoamajor U.S. air base, escalated after Israel launched missiles on Sept.9toassassinate Hamas leaders there. Trumppublicly disapproved of the strike and, during Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu’sWhite House visit on Sept. 29, even urged him to call Qatar’sruler and apologize. Whether it wasgenuine remorse or amaneuver straight out of Michael Corleone’splaybook, the gesture appears to have worked. The Qataris soon pressedHamas to accept the first stage of Trump’s20-point peace plan, therelease of all surviving Israeli hostages, after Trumpreaffirmed, in the Knesset andafterward, that he would fully back Israeli retaliation should Hamas break thedeal.

Former Israeli Ambassador to the UnitedStates Michael Oren wrote that Trump“knows thelanguage of strength.”

Here, Ithink, is something that sepa-

rates Trumpfrom theconventional wisdom and, by awider margin, from those here and abroad who have been demonstrating in favor of Hamas and thePalestinians. Those who called for aceasefire for two years are conspicuously not joining in thecelebrations for theceasefire now in place.

The demonstrators and thepurveyors of the two-state solution tendto side withwhat they consider the oppressed over those they consider the oppressors. They consider any skepticismabout the moral worth of the weaker party as “punching down.” The demonstratorschant that Israel is committinggenocide. The conventional wisdom says Israel, with all its advantages, must makeconcessions Trump, and the large majority of Americansover 30 who have favored Israel over thePalestinians for many years, admire self-sufficiency,competence, inventiveness and success. The U.S. and Israel have their faults. Butoverall and from ahistorical perspective, they have been glorious successes.

Which you can argue were characteristics of thediplomacy that experienced observers dismissed as amateurish and slapdash, and whose further course remains uncertain. In any case, its success so farhas transformed Trump’slust for his own Nobel Prize from thecomic to the conceivable. Michael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarone.

NewJersey’swindpower debacle

In one of his classic NewJersey ballads, Bruce Springsteen sings of the sun “rising over them refinery towers.”

If New Jersey Gov.PhilMurphy hadgotten his way,the Boss would need to update the lyrictorhapsodize about enormous wind turbines looming on the horizon instead.

Murphy’sobsession with wind power is one of the reasons that the state’sgubernatorial race is competitive and Republican Jack Ciattarelli has achance to upset Murphy’s potential Democratic successor Mikie Sherrill in amuch-watched off-year election.

Gov.Murphy brought aEuropeanstyle energy strategy to New Jersey and got European-style results. Wind has been as much adebacle for the Garden State as it’sbeen forGermany, where Murphy was the ambassador priortobecominggovernor of New Jersey Murphy’sidea was to decommission fossil fuel and nuclear plants and build up wind. It was arainbow-and-ponies energy strategy,and sure enough, the decommissioning happened, while the wind did not. If you constrain the supplyofsomething, while demand for it goes up, prices will inevitably increase. New Jerseyans understandably haven’t appreciated this lesson in Econ 101, which has come out of their pocketbooks. Rates increased by about 20% be-

ginning in Juneofthis year,ontop of what were already some of thehighest rates inthe country.There is yetmore where that came from projected for next year

When Murphy took office, the prevailingwinds of fashionable opinion said that wind power was the future

So, New Jersey set outto become the wind capital of the United States. It was going to get 3,500 megawatts from offshore wind. No,7,000. Come to think of it, whynot make it 11,000? The higher thenumber,the greaterthe climate virtue. At first, New Jerseyset agoal of achieving 100% clean energyby2050, then goosed itupto2035. It’sall comeacropper, as wind has been ano-show.The pandemicand Trump administration regulatory hostility to winddidn’thelp, but the basic problem is that wind is uneconomical, even with the feds andthe state showering wind companies with lavish subsidies and credits. Meanwhile,New Jersey took out coal, natural gas and nuclear plants without replacing them, and the governor fought pipelines with theresolve of Winston Churchill vowing to resist theNazis on the beaches andlanding grounds. Thegovernor fought the PennEast natural-gas pipeline project —which would have connectedLuzerne County,Pennsylvania,toMercer County, New Jersey,along a116-mile route —all the way to the Supreme

Court. The governor lost,yet PennEast gave up in frustration anyway.

Neighboring Pennsylvania,also with aDemocratic governor,isanotable contrast. It actually decommissioned more coal-firedplants thanNew Jerseydid, but didn’tsuffer shortfalls in capacity because it readily embraced natural gasasanalternative rather than chasinganenergy will-o’-thewisp.

Murphy’smake-believe planwas that by 2050New Jersey’spower mix would be 34% wind, 23% solar, 16% nuclear and6%biogas, with another 21% fromout-of-state wind and solar Here, back in reality,after eight years of stupendous clean-energy exertions, New Jerseystill gets90% of itsenergyfromnatural gas and nuclear.Only about8%comes from renewables, largely solar.

NewJersey was asmall netexporter of energy when Murphy took office, andnow it is alargenet importer It contributes less to the regional grid than when Murphy started. Energy is adominant issue in the gubernatorial race and deserves to be. Murphy is the author of an asinine entirely predictable policy failure that directlyaffectsthe welfare of residents of his state. If Murphy is capable of introspection, he might wanttocontemplate the questionasked in another Springsteen song long ago: “Is adream alie if it don’tcome true, or is it something worse?”

Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry

As the Trumpadministration’swar on universities settles into its entrenched phase, it’s given new urgency to along-simmering debate about whether,and how,academia should pursue viewpoint diversity.This conversation has been happening fordecades, mostly between conservatives whowant moreofitand an academicestablishment that wants to leave well enough alone. Now, that conversation has become existential.

The argument forviewpoint diversity,which this column has mademany times, was pithily summarized by physicist Richard Feynman in Caltech’s1974 commencement address: “The first principle [of science] is that you must not fool yourself —and you are the easiest person to fool.” Humans are experts at seeing what we expect to see, especially when we really really wantsomething to be true, so it takes strenuous effort —and, often, an outsider with adifferent viewpoint —tokeep us from making fools of ourselves.

I’ve spent less timewriting about rebuttals to viewpoint diversity,such as “Seven Theses Against Viewpoint Diversity” just published by Lisa Siraganian in Academe, the magazine of the American Association of University Professors. To sum up those theses very,very briefly, she sees claims of ideological bias in academia as unproven, and arguments forviewpoint diversity as weak, bad-faith, and inimical to the search fortruth and academic self-governance. Or as the headline of her companion essay forthe Chronicle of Higher Education put it: “Viewpoint Diversity Is aMAGAPlot.”

Iwon’ttake on the theses here because a number of good rebuttals have already been written. Rather,Iwant to quarrel with that headline, not just because it’sempirically false —many devoted Trumphaters favor viewpoint diversity —but because it correctly positions Siraganian’sargument as astrategic moveina political battle. It’s arallying cry forprogressive academics to repel the attack on their territory and aseries of talking points to be used as propaganda. As arallying cry,itmight be effective, but as propaganda, it stinks. It’s an argument made forthe faculty senate, rather than the battlefield faroutside the ivory tower where this war is being fought. So even if you think Siraganian’sarguments are correct in the abstract, they’re astrategic disaster In the wider world, asking whether academia really skewsleft makes you look like an idiot or,slightly morecharitably,like someone so encased in abubble that they don’teven know what they’re missing. As forinsisting on your right to complete self-governance, free from “secondary,external aims,” as Siraganian puts it …well, if you expect someone else to pay you to pursue truth, at somepoint, you must accept somesecondary,external aims.

Academics tend to recoil from such acrass and mercenary idea, and fair enough, but the world is acrass and mercenary place. We talk about pursuing truth forits own sake, but most academics are pursuing it in exchange for money they can use to satisfytheir manyless elevated needs. The people whoprovide that money want something in return. Many will not be content to know that somewhere the global stock of Truth is increasing. Especially if one of the Truths you insist on is that they are dimwitted bigots.

This harsh reality has been hidden from academics because the 20th century gave them a sweetheart deal. (Noshade intended: It gave one to journalists, too.) As acomplexifying industrial society demanded morescientific research and knowledge workers, federal funds flowed into labs and tuition subsidies, while families paid moreand morefor that increasingly valuable ticket to amiddle-class job. Few wereinclined to poke too hard into the inner workings of the goose that laid the golden eggs, lest she stop depositing the goodies.

That happy state of affairs let universities subsidize research with no obvious practical benefit. It also let the academy develop aleftwing culture that appeared increasingly hostile to the society paying its bills. Universities, once the custodians of Western civilization’spriceless gifts, now look morelike the chroniclers and critics of its endless oppressions.

Obviously,that kind of social criticism is far from all that universities do, but it’scertainly moreofwhat they do than it was 30 or 50 years ago. We can debate whether having moreconservatives will elevate the quality of academia’s research output. But at the very least, they might have checked the unforced errors that ravaged higher education’sreputation. That might seem acrude consideration against the lofty ideals of scholarship. But no one gets to pursue their lofty ideals until they have first taken care of basic necessities.

MeganMcArdle in on X, @asymmetricinfo.

TwoTexansarrestedinroadrageincident

I-10 shooting

BY MICHELLEHUNTER Staff writer

Aman and woman from Houston are facing a charge of attempted second-degree murder after authorities say they shot at another vehicle during a road rage encounter on Interstate 10 in Metairie.

Tilease Jacques and Kyandrea Berry,both 33,were arrested Oct. 11 in Baton

Rouge after being tracked there by investigators,accordingtoSgt. Brandon Veal, spokesperson forthe Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office

Theshootingoccurred earlierthat same day on I-10 near Clearview Parkway,Veal said. A47-yearold New Orleansman and his child, 11, were westbound when they came upon the suspects’ SUV, which was headed in the same direction.

Jacques was behind the wheel. The victim tried to pass theSUV becausethe vehicle was traveling more

slowly than he was, accordingtoVeal. Butshe kept speeding up.

“(Jacques) conducted maneuvers to prohibit the victim’svehicle from getting in front of them,” Veal said.

TheSUV pulled alongside thevictim’svehicle and aperson in the passengerseat, later identifiedas Berry,openedfire, according to authorities.The bullet struck the driver’s-side door of the victim’svehicle but no one was injured, Veal said.

The SUV continued on while the victim madefor

the shoulder of the interstate. Thevictim’sdrastic lane changes caught the attention of aStatePolice trooper on the interstate, according to Veal. The officer learned of theshooting and notifiedthe Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators identified thesuspect vehicle, tracking it to LaPlace, Veal said. Authorities put out an alert on theSUV,and police pulledthe vehicle over in Baton Rouge.

Jacques was taken to Jefferson Parish on Oct. 15. In additiontoattempted murder,she was bookedwith

assault by drive-by shooting, aggravated criminal damage to property and illegaluse of aweapon, Veal said.

She was being held Tuesday at the Jefferson ParishCorrectional Center in Gretna in lieu of a$375,000 bail.

Berry was still being held Tuesday at the East Baton RougeParishPrisonasa fugitive from Jefferson Parish. He will face the same charges, Veal said.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate. com.

St.James pollutionlawsuit allowedtoproceed

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

Alawsuit seeking amoratorium on new industry in St. James Parish and accusinglocal governmentof steering polluting plants into Blackneighborhoods can proceed after theU.S Supreme Court declined to take up the case.

The parish government had appealed to the nation’shighest court after afederal appeals court breathed new life into the case earlier this year Filed in 2023 in U.S. District Court in New Orleans, thesuitwas broughtbyMt. Triumph Baptist Church and two environmental groups, RiseSt. James and Inclusive Louisiana. They accusethe parish of issuingdiscriminatory landuse decisions for decades.

So far,the legal dispute hasn’tbeen over the merits of the allegations, instead focusing on the rightofthe

DEFENDERS

Continued from page1B

choose thestate public defender,and it placed more power into Starns’ hands, allowing himto hire and fire chief publicdefenders andgiving him more controlover spending. The reconstituted board still has to approve contracts worth more than $250,000, andithas power over the compensation plan forthe districtchiefs,

EVENTS

Continued from page1B

Franklin will host trickor-treaters from 6p.m. to 8p.m. on Oct. 30.

Trunk-or-treat events

Broussard: The seventh annual trunk-or-treat at St. Julien Park will take place at the Broussard Sports Complex from 5p.m. to 8p.m. on Saturday.The eventwill feature decorated trunks, a bubble bus, dancing, face painting, funjumps and a variety of other games and activities, includinga costumecontest.

Duson: TheDuson Community Center is hosting a trunk-or-treat party from 6p.m. to 8p.m. Oct. 30.

Lafayette: The Lafayette PoliceDepartment will host its ninth annual trunk-or-treat celebration from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at Cajun

Field.Halloween bagswill be provided for all children, and there will be police vehicles present from different agencies full of candy and treats.

Pumpkinpatches

Pumpkin patchesand other fall events are in full swing across Acadiana.

Poche’sPatch and Maze is open Thursdaythrough Sunday,through Halloween night, at 930 Guilbeau Road, Lafayette. Admission is $10.

Parc de Oaks in Lafayette will host its final pumpkin patch of the season from 4p.m. to 7p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5p.m. Sunday.Itisfree

plaintiffs to sueand whether the lawsuit was filed in a timely fashion.

U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier threw outthe suit early on, finding the claims were brought too late or by plaintiffs who didn’thave the “standing” to sue.

But athree-judge panel of the U.S. 5thCircuit Court of Appeals overturned Barbier in April.

Andinanunsignedorder Monday,the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the parish’sappeal.

Astha Sharma Pokharel, an attorney for Mt. Triumph and Inclusive Louisiana, said that “clears the way for us to show to afederal court how the parish has been inflicting dangerous,cancer-causingfacilities on Black communities in violation of the Constitution, resulting in thispublic health emergency.”

Clara Potter, asupervisingattorneywith the Tu-

which was alsoa point of contention between Starns and the public defenders. Ward oversaw public defenders in Evangeline Parish; Brunsonin Natchitoches Parish; Hogue in East Carroll, Madison and Tensasparishes; andAndrePont in CaddoParish Aspokespersonfor Landry did not provide acomment onthe lawsuit. Jeffrey Hufft,who chairs the Louisiana Public Defender Board, did notreturn requests forcomment.

Chemical plants andoil and gasfacilities surround a neighborhood on the west bank of St. James Parish. A lawsuit accusing local governmentofsteeringpolluting plants into Black neighborhoodscan proceed after the U.S. Supreme Courtdeclined to takeupthe case.

lane EnvironmentalLaw Clinic, added thatthe Supreme Court affirmed “the correctness” of the5th Circuit’sruling.

“Our clients deserve to have theirday in court to

demonstrate that St.James Parish’s pattern and practice of land-usedecisions is harming their community and theenvironment,” said Potter, whoseclinic is representing Rise St.James

FIRMS

Continuedfrom page 1B

part of Ambassador Caffery Parkway As part of the agreement, Lafayette Consolidated Government agreed to consider creating an economic development district along Johnston Street between College Road andAmbassador CafferyParkway,and possibly along Bertrand Drive, to help payfor its improvements.The district would be governed by the City Council, whichcould imposean

additional salestax on customers who buy from businesses in thedistrict.

An economic development districtfor JohnstonStreet has not yet been created. It would standalong several districtsalready in the city Boulet said she hopes the Betrand Drive Revitalization project, which will provide major accessibility and street improvementto asmall stretch of roadway between Johnston Street and College Road,will act as ashowcase for thelarger vision of what Johnston Street could be.

In late 2024, estimates

to enter, and will feature foodtrucks, photobooths, face painting and other activities.

Fright trails Acadianaishome to two Halloween-themed haunted trails geared toward those looking for scarier thrills this season.The Fright Trail in Scott, 5305 CameronSt., features20acres of wooded trails open throughNov.1

Ticket prices and otheradmission details can be found online, andorganizers do not recommend bringing children younger than8

New Iberia is hosting “Frightmare on Main Street,” open on Fridays and Saturdays through Nov.1

The immersive experience takes place on the grounds of ahistoric home at 924 E. Main St., New Iberia, and admission is $25 perperson OtherHalloween activities

Halloween concertatUL: The UL Symphony presents its annualHalloween concert, where theorchestra members are dressed up and the audience is encouraged to join thefun with theirfavorite Halloween costumes.

The concert will feature a guest appearance by dancers from The Ballet Studio in Lafayette. Admissionis$10 for adults and children, and free forall UL students, facultyand staff withcurrent identification. Tickets can only be purchasedin person at the concert. The concert will be at 7p.m.Oct.30atAngelle Hall Auditorium,601 E. St. Mary Blvd., Lafayette.

Trick-or-treat at the BOO-seum: The UL Science Museum will host science-focused Halloween activities featur-

Butcher-Kerr,Carol Fountain Memorial FuneralHomeat 11am

Obituaries

WebreJr.,Dr. Preston 'Jay'

Attorneys for the parish government couldn’tbe reached for comment.

Parish and industry representatives have in the past cited the economic development,jobs and tax revenue such plants bring while denying any discriminationinthe process.

Noting the lawsuit is “replete with allegations” of unequal treatment against Black residents, the 5th Circuit found parish decisionsfrom the 1960s through 2022 highlighted by the plaintiffs provide sufficient information to letthemtry to proveapatternofdiscriminatory behavior.

Barbier,who stayed the case pending theSupreme Court’sruling, hinged his timelinessanalysis on the parish’s adoptionofalanduse plan in 2014, nearly a decadebefore the suit was filed. Typically plaintiffs have ayear to suefor such claims.

for that project hovered between $5 millionand $10 million.

The council on Tuesday was expected to decide on whether to declare the Bertrand Drive Project apublic necessity and begin the process of acquiring the necessary rights of way and properties required for the project.

The project is projected to break ground sometime early next year,according to previous reporting.

Email StephenMarcantel at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.

ing trick-or-treat stations, a costume contest and STEM activities throughoutthe museum.Mustpay museum admission to attend.

Trick-or-treat will be held from 2p.m. to 5p.m. Saturday at the museum,433 Jefferson St., Lafayette.

Boo at theZoo: The Halloween celebration at Zoosiana, 5601 U.S. 90 East,Broussard, will continue through the end of October,with themed activities geared toward animal-loving kids —like ascavenger hunt featuring bats. Nightmare on Jefferson Street: The annual Halloweenthemed popup at Pamplona Tapas Bar,631 Jefferson St., Lafayette, is geared toward Halloween-loving adultslooking to combine the creepy magicofthe holidaywithPamplona’s expertly crafted cocktails and tapas. The popup will continue through the end of themonth,and reservations arerequired; check Pamplona’sonline booking system foropen slots, and be prepared to book quickly

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

LOTTERY

MONDAY,OCT.20, 2025

PICK 3: 4-8-0

PICK 4: 2-8-7-7

PICK 5: 9-7-3-4-3

POWERBALL: 32-38-6667-69 (19) Unof

Catholic Memorial ser‐vices will be held forDr. Preston “Jay”Webre,Jr. at 1:30PMonThursday, Octo‐ber 23,2025, in La Chapelle deMartin& Castille of Lafayette.Jay,ashewas affectionately known, was 76whenhepassedaway peacefullyathis home on October 19,2025, with his beloved wife by hisside. Visitationwillbeheldon Thursday, October23, 2025 from11:30 AM untilthe timeofthe funeralservice at1:30PMatMartin& CastilleFuneralHome, 330 StLandryStreet,Lafayette, LA70506.ReverendHoward Blessingwillofficiateat the services.Jay wasa na‐tiveofThibodaux,LAand a proud veteranofthe UnitedStatesArmy. He was agraduateofLSU Den‐tal School,and lateroper‐ateda successful private dentalpracticein Lafayette,where he cared deeply forhis patients and community.Jay loved being outside-whetherhe was hunting, fishing, play‐ing around of golf,or working in hisgarden. He was also alifelongsup‐porterofLSU football and cherished hismanyfriend‐ships.But aboveall,what truly broughthim happi‐nesswas spending time withhis grandchildren. Familyvacations andtime together createdsomeof his most treasuredmemo‐ries. He is survived by his wifeof55years,Sydney Blanchard Webre; hisson DougWebre,and wife, Lexie Webre; grandsons, Preston “Fisher” Webre and John Douglas“Jack Webre;and agranddaugh‐ter,EloiseAnn Webre. He is alsosurvivedbyone brother,RobertWebre and wifeDebi, twosisters, Judie W. Martinez and MaryW.Terracina andhus‐bandChris,along with manyniecesand nephews. Jay wasprecededindeath byhis parents, Gladys RouxWebre andPreston JosephWebre,Sr. He will berememberedfor hisde‐votiontofamily, hiswork ethic,and hisquick wit. Viewthe obituary and guestbook online at www mourning.com. Martin & CastilleFuneralHomeDOWNTOWN, 330St. Landry Street,Lafayette,Louisiana 70506, 337-234-2311.

Howto place an Obituary Notice

Howto place a Memorial Ad EMAIL: obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FORMORE INFORMATION: 225-388-0289

Wheredo LSU, Kelly go from here?

What was oncerare —the midseason firing of college football coaches —has become the norm.

Among the more prominent schools to jettison their coaches already thisseasonare Florida, Arkansas,Penn State, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Stanford and Virginia Tech.

ä

Locally,add Southern tothatlist, as Monday it cut loose coach Terrence Graves after a dismal 1-6 start. Southern’spatience with Graves was practically nonexistent even though in 2024, his first season, he led the Jaguars to an 8-5 record andaberth in the SWAC championship game. But this year’sstart was too much to overcome, and now Southern quickly is in the market for afootball coach once again.

All of these highly activecoach ejector seats begs the question as to how long LSU’spatience will last with Brian Kelly?

Let’sstart with the obvious:

Though I’ve heard and seen from plenty of LSU fans who are done with Kelly,he’snot gettingfired by LSU. Nor should he. Asdisappointing as Saturday’s31-24 loss at Vanderbilt may have been from a perception standpoint for LSU, Kelly is still 34-13 overall and 5-2 this season. That’snot aplatinum record but it isn’tawful, either Kelly’sproblem is that theloss to Vandy puts him at 5-10 against ranked opponents at LSU over the past 31/2 seasons. By comparison, Kelly’spredecessor,EdOrgeron, was21-13 against ranked teamsduring his 51/2 seasons as the LSUcoach While Ihaven’tunearthed any realistic observer who believes theTigers can win their finalfive regular-seasongames to get to 10-2 and make the College Football Playoff, the fact remains LSU still has achance. Imagine that thenow No. 20-ranked Tigers pull what, by Las Vegas point spread standards would be amild upset, and knock offNo. 3Texas A&M on SaturdayinTiger Stadium (6:30 p.m., ABC). It would propel the Tigers into November with at least the potential to winout against the likes of Alabama and Oklahoma and reach the CFP If LSUloses onemoregame, there’sa99% chance the Tigers areout. With what LSU hasspent on this team this season —$18 million toretain and build aroster,and roughly $20 million in salaries for Kelly and his coaching staff —the season would be rated as abona fide failure. Failure that afterlosses at Ole Miss and Vandy appears inevitable, though it hasn’thappened yet The big-picturequestion is what happens to Kelly if LSU doesn’t make it to the CFP,the unabashed goalfor the Tigersonce they assembled all of this talent for 2025. He would be owedjust short of $52 million, or 90% of what is remaining on his initial 10-year contract In acollege football world where Jimbo Fisher was sent packingby Texas A&M in 2023 for $75 million and Penn State bid adieu to James Franklin earlier this month with about $50 million due him, it’s difficult to imagine LSU having the means or willingness to ponyup that kind of cash. Remember,the school also would have to buyout thesalaries of any assistant coaches notretained by the next coach.And, it’s worth noting, LSU doesn’t make the final payment until December on Orgeron’s$17 million buyout, a quaint sounding figure given today’s coaching buyout inflation

My opinion as of now is that LSU will have to ride it out withKelly The more salient question is whether Kelly would want to keep going. Ifigure he would. He didn’t leave Notre Dame for LSU fouryears ago because this was hisdream job. He said he wanted aprogram that gave him abetter chance to win thenational championship. I’m sure that’s true, but what’sprobably even more true is he wanted that$100 million contract LSU put in frontofhim.

STAFF

Cajuns’Isomplaying quickerthanintended

Freshman OL stepsupafter wave of injuries

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

ä UL at Troy 6P.M. SATURDAy,ESPN+

When the UL coaching staff brought former Northshore High of Houstonoffensive tackle Jakoby Isom into theprogram in what should have been the spring of his seniorhigh school year,neither party hadany idea what was about to unfold.

“Wewere fired up about him,” coach Michael Desormeaux said. “Wefelt like he wasgood enough to go out there and be physical enough to play.”

At the time, the depth chartonthe offensive line lookeddeep, so the idea was to play Isom in the four allowed games to maintain his redshirt status.

“Wedidn’tsee asce-

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

Skepticism is understandable. Afterall, season after season it has been stated howthisisthe year Zion Williamson

figuresitall out.

ä Pelicans at Grizzlies.

7P.M. WEDNESDAy,GSN

Pelicans fans have waited in frustration for him to fulfill that“Let’s Dance” promisehegave to thecity of New Orleans that June nightin2019when the Pelicansdrafted him with theNo. 1overall pick. Those promises have gone unfulfilled in acareer that has had morelows than highs. For every jaw-dropping dunk and mind-boggling stat line, there has been acollection of DNPs to offset them.

Williamson has been withthe Pelicans for six seasons. Of the 492 games he could have played, he’splayed in less thanhalf of them at 214. Six seasons in, he has yet to suit up fora playoff game. They say thebest abilityisavailability More times than not,hehasn’tbeenavailable.

But this year might be different Williamson seems moreeager than ever to reach every ounce of potential storedin hisslimmer body.Henow has abetter understanding of the difference between being talented andbeing great.

“Greatness is every day,” Williamson said.

“It’swhen you don’twant to do it and when you want to do it. It’s whenfacing crazy adversity. Greatness is you do it every day.You show up everyday.You make it happen every day.”

Williamson didn’talways get that. Credit JoeDumars, hired in April as the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, for helping get that message through to him. Dumars, Williamson andnew senior vicepresidentofbasketball operations Troy Weaver held several“man-to-man” conversations this offseason.

“The main thing that I’ve talked to Zion

nario whereweweregoing to need him to play,” Desormeaux said. But arashofinjurieson theoffensive line andone valued backup deciding to retire from thesport meant Isom was needed to shoulder abigger load. It’s agood thing the 6-foot-3, 325-pounder came to UL early

“Thatactually help me a lot,” Isom said. “It helped me with my teammates …goodfriendships.They

Hotand cold vs. therun

N.O. hasn’t stopped rush game consistently

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

On aweek-to-week basis, there’s no aspect of the Saints that’smore inconsistent or confusing than the run defense.

In Sunday’s26-14 loss, the Saints looked helpless as the Chicago Bears offensive line dominated the trenches and watched the running backs rip off more than 5yards apop. What happened to the team that held the NewEngland Patriots to under 3 yards per carry just aweek earlier?

ä Buccaneers at Saints. 3:05 P.M. SUNDAy FOX

“There’sgoing to be some healthy discussions as aresult of that,” coach Kellen Moore said. That being the 222 yards the Saints allowed on the ground to the Bears.

Someweeks, the run defense is sound, able to penetrate at the point of attack and limit yards after contact. And others, like this past weekend, opposing teams get to the second level with ease and take advantage of players not in their correct gaps. During Monday’snews conference, Moore harped on “gap integrity” and tackling among the issues plaguing the unit.

The hot-and-cold streak hasn’t quite alternated by the week, but the pattern has been close. New Orleans struggled to contain the Arizona running backs in the opener before doing abetter job against San Francisco and Seattle. Then, Buffalo had so much success that James Cook won AFC Offensive Player of the Week. The Saints kept Giants rookie Cam Skattebo mostly in check, but quarterback Jaxson Dartwas aproblem.The Patriots got nothing. The Bears got everything. Which is the real run defense? “Itcomes downtoevery man just doing their job,” Saints defensive end Chase Young said. “In the NFL, when you’re playing in the league, it only takes one dude to not do his job forittobea(big) play.” There doesn’tappear to be one type of run hurting the Saints repeatedly.Asmuch as Chicago ran outside the tackles on Sunday (on 62.5% of runs), it did so at a lower rate than San Francisco’s 65.4%, and the 49ers only had 77 yards rushing on 26 carries. The Seahawks are also primarily an outside-zone running team,and their rushing attack was perhaps the only thing that didn’twork in their blowout winover the Saints. The Bills found success inside and out.

Blue Jays pitcher touts big earners

Gausman says team can compete with high-priced Dodgers

BY IAN HARRISON Associated Press

TORONTO Blue Jays pitcher

Kevin Gausman isn’t worried about facing the high-priced Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

“We’ve got a lot of guys making a lot of money too,” a beer-soaked Gausman said after Toronto won its first pennant in 32 years by beating the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Monday night in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

“It’s two really good teams. It’s going to be some really good baseball,” said Gausman, who pitched at LSU in 2011 and 2012 “A lot of big names, obviously.”

That’s for sure. But then again, Gausman is right that it’s not only the defending champion Dodgers who boast some sizable salaries. The veteran right-hander is paid $23 million a year, making him one of four Blue Jays players earning more than $20 million a season. Also in that group are Vladimir Guerrero Jr ($28 million), George Springer ($25 million) and Chris Bassitt ($22 million).

Another six Toronto players earn more than $10 million a year led by José Berríos’ $19 million annual salary. Toronto’s opening-day payroll of $239,242,531 ranked fifth in baseball. The Dodgers ($319,537,290) were second to the Mets. Of course, while the Blue Jays may have big earners they haven’t won any postseason hardware since claiming back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and ‘93. They know Los Angeles is a star-

the World Series at home Friday night because they finished the regular season with 94 wins, one more than the NL West champion Dodgers.

Monday night’s ALCS win that he expects to play when the World Series gets underway

Saints shuffle roster after Miller, McCoy injuries

The New Orleans Saints have made a series of roster moves with center Erik McCoy (biceps) and running back Kendre Miller (ACL) out for the season.

The team announced Tuesday it signed running back Velus Jones to the active roster and added running back Audric Estime to the practice squad, while placing McCoy and Miller on injured reserve. The Saints added the running backs after Miller and McCoy got hurt in Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears.

This marks the second time that Jones is on the Saints’ 53-man roster The 28-year-old appeared in the first five games as the team’s kick returner He was cut earlier this month but was soon re-added to the practice squad.

Vikings stick with Wentz at QB on a short week

Carson Wentz will make his fifth straight start at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, with J.J. McCarthy lacking time during a shortened week to keep building up his sprained right ankle.

Coach Kevin O’Connell announced his decision on Tuesday, ahead of the team’s road trip to play the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night that’s coming on the heels of a 28-22 loss at home on Sunday to the Philadelphia Eagles. After McCarthy went through a workout on the field, the Vikings determined his ankle wasn’t quite strong enough yet to give him or them the best chance to succeed against the Chargers.

McCarthy will serve as the emergency third quarterback. Rookie Max Brosmer will be the backup.

studded team with an October track record lately that speaks for itself.

“To get to where you want to go, you’ve got to beat the best,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of facing the Dodgers, who took two of three against Toronto during the regular season. “Whether it’s talent, payroll, whatever you want to call it, man, they’re a damn good team.” Schneider and the AL East champion Blue Jays will have home-field advantage and open

“They’re a powerhouse,” Toronto outfielder Nathan Lukes said “They’ve been known to do it over and over again, but we’re not scared of them.”

The Blue Jays have made it this far in the playoffs without shortstop Bo Bichette The twotime AL hits leader and two-time All-Star hasn’t played since he sprained his left knee in a Sept. 6 collision with New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells.

Bichette, who has been testing his knee by hitting and running for several days, said after

“I’ll be ready,” Bichette vowed. Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won ALCS MVP honors after batting .385 with three doubles and three home runs against Seattle. He has six homers and 12 RBIs this postseason and has struck out just three times. Guerrero was tearful after the Blue Jays wrapped up their onerun win over the Mariners, but said he’s eager for the matchup with the Dodgers.

“I know they have great players,” Guerrero said through a translator. “So do we. But it’s on the field where everything matters.”

Three Acadiana-area schools to move up in class

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

It was only a matter of time. And now, that time has arrived

The Lafayette Renaissance and Acadiana Renaissance athletic programs will be moving up to Class 4A beginning next fall, according to enrollment numbers released by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.

Considering how quickly both schools have grown since being established, neither ARCA nor LRCH were surprised by their placement

“Going up to 4A is something that was expected,” ARCA’s Ivy Landry said.

“I think it is going to be a good transition for us. We were in 2A for a couple of years and 3A for a couple of years. Now, we’ll be in 4A and eventually — by the time we do this (reclassification) again in two years — we’ll be in 5A.”

“As the school year kicked off, we knew we would be going to 4A,” LRCH football coach Hunter Landry said. “We knew we would be making that jump. Our school is growing at a rapid rate.”

The Eagles whose football program will begin playing for district and postseason honors next season, submitted an enrollment of 977, while the Tigers, who are in their second season playing for district and postseason honors in football, submitted an enrollment of 996.

In addition to the Eagles and the Tigers, the St. Thomas More Cougars (1,076) are returning to Class 5A, while both the Carencro Bears (974), and the Eunice Bobcats (601) are moving down in classification. The Bears, who are in 5A, will move down to 4A, while the Bobcats are going from 4A to 3A Although Teurlings Catholic (851) will remain in 4A, it will benefit from a new rule that will keep it from being placed in the Division I select bracket during the postseason. Instead, the Rebels will compete in Division II select,

while the Cougars will remain in Division I select.

“From what I read, I think it is correct,” said Rebels coach Michael Courville, about the rule that requires all teams placed in Division I brackets to be placed in 5A districts. “It was something that was passed in January that was supposed to go into effect this year, but now it has been moved to next year.”

With the return of the Bears and Rebels to 4A, and the additions of Acadiana Renaissance and Lafayette Renaissance, will the LHSAA make two big districts that would include other Acadiana-area schools such as Westgate (830), Cecilia (773), David Thibodaux (746 no-football), North Vermilion (738), Beau Chene (705), Northside (669), Comeaux (667),

Opelousas (640), Rayne (639) and Breaux Bridge (629) or three small districts?

“I would definitely hope for the big district, because the tough part of scheduling is the nondistrict games,” Hunter Landry said. “Having a big district makes it easier so that you don’t have to go find so many nondistrict games. Not only does it increase the amount of new faces we get to see, but it increases the competition and allows for you to make more money.”

Courville, who admits he isn’t sure how it would break down, agreed with Landry

“I’m a proponent of the big district,” Courville said. “It’s also harder to find nondistrict games.

I’d rather have to travel five, 10 or 15 minutes for a game than to

travel three and a half hours for a game. The big district just makes life easier, and it is beneficial when you play local games. So I wouldn’t say I have a preference, because to be the best, you’re going to have to beat the best.”

Other than a desire to stay as close to the area as possible, Landry said how the district is constructed “doesn’t really make a difference.” “Eventually, you’re going to have to play everybody,” Ivy Landry said. “We are all for competition. We’d like to play teams closer to home because it makes it easier for the parents to go to and it’ll help build up rivalries. So, the closer the better.”

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

Leg injury forces Djokovic out of Paris Masters

PARIS Novak Djokovic is withdrawing from next week’s Paris Masters, he announced on social media Tuesday, just days after he stopped playing in an exhibition event because of a leg injury

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has competed infrequently this season, appearing in eight ATP Tour events outside the majors. Djokovic, who is 38, reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open this season. From late May to late September, the past three Slams were all he entered.

He was one of the half-dozen men invited to the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia last week. Djokovic lost to Jannik Sinner, then faced Taylor Fritz to determine the third-place finisher but stopped after one set.

Trout testifies he didn’t know Skaggs used drugs

Angels superstar Mike Trout testified Tuesday morning that he knew team employee Eric Kay had a drug problem but that pitcher Tyler Skaggs showed no signs of drug use.

Trout, a three-time American League MVP award winner, has played with the Angels his entire 15-year career and is under contract through the 2030 season. He was a teammate of Skaggs from 2014-19, when the left-handed pitcher died in a Texas hotel room July 1, 2019, after snorting a counterfeit oxycodone pill that contained fentanyl, a powerful opioid. Key a former Angels communications director, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison after being convicted in 2022 of providing the pills that led to the Skaggs’ overdose.

Pacers extend contract of Nesmith by two years

The Indiana Pacers began the work of keeping their core starters together long-term Tuesday by signing forward Aaron Nesmith to a two-year contract extension. Financial details were not immediately available. His contract was set to expire after next season. Nesmith has emerged as a key two-way player for Indiana the past two seasons. He’s arguably the Pacers best defender and has developed into a clutch scorer on teams that reached the 2024 Eastern Conference finals and the NBA Finals in 2025. They’ll need both elements of his game to overcome the expected season-long

of All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton. Injuries limited Nesmith to 37

and

ChicagoBears running back D’AndreSwiftcarriesona4-yard touchdownrun against the Saintsinthe firsthalf on SundayinChicago. Swift rushed for 124 of the Bears’ 222 yards in a26-14 victory.

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

Some of the issues may come down to tendencies. When the Saints call plays that feature alight box —less than seven defenders near the line of scrimmage —opponents are feasting The Bears, for instance, recorded 131 of their 222 yards rushing against light boxes, whilethe Giants (99 of 136) and the Cardinals (93 of 146) alsopicked up most of theiryards in those favorable situations. The Patriots game remains anotable outlier,as New England averaged only 3.8 yards per carry on such looks

Are the Saints deployingtoo many light boxes? Let’stake a further look at how often New Orleans has used one, according to Next Gen Stats:

n Week 1: Cardinals (51.9%)

n Week 2: 49ers (30.8%)

n Week 3: Seahawks (15.2%)

RABALAIS

Continued from page1C

It’sdifficult to imagine Kelly walking away from slightlymore than half of what’sleft on thebalance sheet. But consider this:He willbe 64 years oldonSaturday Mostofthe starters on this year’s roster will be gone after this season. That means findingthe moneytobuild another talented roster for 2026 And that includes having the means to land ahot shot transfer portal quarterback to take over for fifth-year signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier.Unlessyou can find aTrinidad Chamblisslike Ole Miss did, those don’tcome cheap How willing will LSU boosters be to help Kelly collect more millions to rebuild the rosterifthey don’tget areturn on this year’s

ISOM

Continued from page1C

brought me in and were like, ‘We’re going to help you. Allyou have to do is ask.’ We’re never alone.” Isom began taking advantage of such offensive line veterans as JaxHarrington, Cooper Fordham, George Jacksonand Bryant Williams.

“I learned alot,” Isom said. “It’s very different than high school. I learned to take the right steps. I learned where to put my hands. I learned how to watch film. Desormeaux said Isomcoming fromaquality high school program helped because “he wasused to the work.”

As if that wasn’tenough thrown at Isom, he was then asked to play center and guard after being afulltime tackle in high school.

n Week 4: Bills (40.6%)

n Week 5: Giants (62.1%)

n Week 6: Patriots (51.9%) n Week 7: Bears (45%)

Butthere are trade-offs to this approach.The Saints deploy light boxes in part because they want to prevent explosive passing plays, somethingthey’vebeen prettygood at this season. And NewOrleans is reacting to the personnel onthe field. TheGiants ran aspread, shotgun-heavy offense with Dart at quarterback, while the 49ers and Seahawks playedmore under center.Some of theruns that the Saints have allowed in lightboxes also aren’t on designed rushing plays, as they’vefaced their fair share of mobile quarterbacks (Kyler Murray,Josh Allen,Dart).

New Orleans’ problems stopping therun aren’t new.The Saints triedtoaddress the area in theoffseason bytrading for defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, signing safety Justin Reid and using five of their nine draft selec-

tionsondefense.

Their latest performance will lead them to seek additional solutions.

Numberstoknow

129.4:That’s how manyrushing yards per gamethe Saintshave allowed, the ninth-worst markin theNFL. The Saints were at 141.4 last year,ranking as the secondworst rushing defense.

45%: Opponentshave combined to rush intoalight box against theSaints on 45% of their rushing attempts. That’sthe 12th-highest rateinthe league. The Eagles (57.7%) andthe Giants (53.1%) lead the league. 8.7%: The Saints have given up untimely big plays this season, but they’re doing amuch better job at preventing them overall. Opponentshave an explosive rate of 8.7% against New Orleans, which is the sixth-lowest percentage in the league. Explosive plays are defined as completions of at least 16 yards or runs of at least 12 yards.

investment (aCFP berth)? On top of all that will be the

pressure for Kelly tomake wholesale changes to his offen-

“Just playfast,playhard and playphysical. If youmess up, messupfull speed.”

JAKOByISOM, UL freshman offensivelineman

“That was abig chance,” Isom said. “They didn’teven move me to guard. They moved me to center.I hadnever snappeda single down before, but Ihad to understand I hadtotakethat road.

“SoIcame back here at night trying to snap andget better at snapping.”

As it turned out, the starting centerFordham hasbeen the only healthy member of the top seven linemen, so Isom has endedup playingguard when called upon.

“I just hadtolearnthat Ican’t getback on my set too far, especially since I’ma heavierplayer,”

he said.

Even morechallenging for Isom is his first action came at Missouri.

“What was going through my

mind was just don’tbenervous,” Isom said.

“Just play fast, play hard and play physical.Ifyou messup, mess up full speed.”

Desormeaux said Isom accomplished all of those objectives.

“That was atough environment (atMissouri), and he played really well,” he said.“He was really physical. He’sjust young, so he makes some freshman mistakes at times, buthe’sa really goodplayer. He’sdone areally good jobfor us.”

Likeall of the UL offensive linemen, Isom hadhis issueswiththe dynamic James Madison defense, but “he’sworked really hard to get it fixed.”

The pressure wasreally on for Saturday’sgame against Southern

aboutisresponsibilityand accountability,”Dumars said “WhatI’vesaidtohim is with greatness comesresponsibility Youdon’tget to be great and not be responsible. It’s been aheavy emphasis on that.”

Williamson has listened.Even media members have noticed abig difference. In years past, Williamson wasn’tavailable as much to themedia during the preseason.It’sbeen much different since those talks with Dumars, who hasconnected with Williamson in away that former executive David Griffin wasn’t able to.

It helps thatWilliamson, a historian of the game, knows all about Dumars’ accomplishments as one of the Bad Boys on the Detroit Pistons championship teams.

“I knowhe’sgoing to hold me to areally high standard,” Williamsonsaid. “If Islip up or anything, Iknow he’sgoing to be right there to makesure Iget right back on path.”

Williamson also has spent valuable time this offseason working out with Hall of Famer Teresa Weatherspoon.She’s like a big sister to him. They became close when Weatherspoon was on thePelicanscoaching staff, and they’veremainedclose sinceher departure in 2023.

Theearlyreturns are good, but none of it matters unless Williamson can stay healthy and lead the Pelicans to wins as they look to rebound from a21-win season, tied for the second-worst record in franchise history Histeammates have noticed the difference.

Up next

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and MVPcandidate Baker Mayfield come to town.

Mayfield’sMVP case took a slight hit in Monday’srough outing against the Detroit Lions, but thequarterback has otherwise been fantastic. His four fourthquarter comebackslead the league, and he has thrownfor the sixth-most yards passing, despite TampaBay’s myriad injuries at receiver

Ayear ago, the Buccaneers carved up the Saints on the ground when running back Sean Tucker had 136 yards in a51-27 win.

ButTampa Bay’srunning attack hasn’tbeenaslethal this season, with the Buccaneers averaging just 99 yards per game. That could be an area to watch this weekend.

Email Matthew Parasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com

sive coaching staffinthe wake of what to this point has been a woefully underproductive unit, similar to what he did with his defensive staffafter the 2023 season. Does Kelly,even with what he has left on thebooks, wanttodo all that heavylifting once again for 2026? Or does he take the pathofalot of veteran coaches in recent years whodecided the NIL/transfer portal era wasn’tfor them?

Idon’t pretend to know Kelly’s mind, and maybe he doesn’tknow it, either.But Idobelieve his future regarding this season and next will be Kelly’sdecision to make.Whereheand the Tigers go fromhereisthe big question now.

For more LSUsports updates, sign up forour newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

Miss. Startingleft guard Kaden Moreau wentdowninthe James Madisongame, so Isom gothis

first start

“It was me or nobody else, so I had to get it right,” Isom said.

Theoffensive line quite often is thekey to ateam, but things have been borderline desperate depth chart-wise at UL this season because of theinjuries.

So far,Isomfeelsthat he is improving with each outing.

“I feel like my footwork has improvedand my knowledge of the playbook,” he said. “I’mlearning it alot better andI’vegotten alot stronger.”

If he’sgoing to continue his upward trajectory,Isomintends to stay focused on “watching alot of film

“It’sjust about learning the opponent and learning what you’re supposed to do in your playbook.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

“Weknow Z. We know how good he is,” guard Jose Alvarado said. “But one thing Isee is hisconfidenceinhimself.He’s confident in his whole gameand confident in whoheis. That’sone thing Ihadn’tseen before. Not saying that he wasn’tconfident before.But he has alittlemore swag andpep to hisstepnow,and I’mexcited to see him play.” Williamson playingmeanseverything to thePelicans.It’swhy everyprognosticationabout the Pelicans’ season usually starts with these four words: “If Zion is healthy .”

Willie Green,who is entering his fifthseason as head coach, knows thePelicanswillgoas far as Williamson leads them It’s no coincidence that when Williamson played acareer-high 70 games two seasonsago,the Pelicanswon 49 games. That tiedfor the second-most wins in franchise history Green’sexpectations for Williamson are even higher

“Keep taking astep forward with the conditioning component,” Green said. “I have to commendhim. He’s doing everything he needs to do to take care of his body.That’sgoing to be important forhim to be available forus.

“Continue to step on thefloor and being the Zion that we know he’scapable of being. When he’s doing that, he’sone of the top players in this league.”

When he’snot, he’sone of the most scrutinized players in the league.Williamson used to keep receipts of all the scrutiny

“There was atimewhen Ikept tabsand notes,” he said. “That’s in thepastfor me.The past is going to stay in thepast. I’monly looking forward to the future.”

For now,that future is still in NewOrleans.One of Dumars’first big decisions when he took over was stickingwith Williamson

Many fans were ready for the team to moveonfrom Williamson, but Dumars thought otherwise because he believesinWilliamson. Even moreimportantly,Williamson believes in himself more than ever before.

“Whatever my team needs, that’swhatIwill do,” Williamson said.

The only thing the Pels really need is forhim to play

It’s the only way to makethe skepticism go away

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com

Erath’s X-factor leads quest for perfect record

BY NEAL MCCLELLAND Contributing writer

They are usually called X-factors.

Those are the players who can make or break a game. The players for whom opposing teams have to account at all times. The players whom coaches will find a way to use in multiple formations and find a way to insert into the game in any situation.

Erath senior Jahlil Charles is that X-factor for the Bobcats this season “Oh, absolutely,” Erath coach Eric LeBlanc said. “He does it all for us. Not only is he the quarterback of the defense for us at his linebacker spot, but he also plays running back, receiver and is the Wildcat quarterback for us on offense.

“He does it all for us.”

The Bobcats, who take on St. Martinville at 7 p.m. Thursday, have the chance to go 8-0 to start the season for only the second

ACADIANA AREA POLLS

LARGE SCHOOLS

1.Teurlings Rebels (7-0): It’s about time for the Rebels to play a competitive game.Teurlings has outscored its past three opponents 168-14.With East Ascension up next Friday and St.Thomas More after that, the fourth quarter might not be an afterthought for a change.

2 Southside Sharks (6-1): There’s every reason to believe the Sharks are ready for the challenge, but the next two weeks should be very interesting for Southside.This week, it’s the huge showdown with Acadiana, then traveling to Carencro next Thursday 3 Carencro Golden Bears (5-2): Something tells me the Golden Bears are one of the few teams around who have really enjoyed the blowout wins because Carencro is throwing the ball

Erath running back Jahlil Charles has been a consistent weapon for the Bobcats during this undefeated season

time in school history. “He is the leading rusher on the team with just under 600 yards through the first seven games,”

at a level the program has never seen before — averaging 61.7 points a game over the past month.

4. St.Thomas More Cougars (5-2): It hasn’t always been smooth or easy, but the Cougars have now won five straight games with two more expected blowouts over the past three games of the regular season. Now a little healthier in the backfield, the running game may add to the arsenal.All will be needed at Teurlings on Halloween.

5.Acadiana Wreckin’ Rams (4-3): The early-season rumblings are way behind the Rams now, but the big challenges aren’t. It’s the grudge match against Southside this Friday, then the Hatfield and McCoys do battle with Carencro coming to town on Nov. 7

SMALL SCHOOLS

1. Lafayette Christian Knights (6-1): If there was any lingering doubt about

LeBlanc said. “Plus, he is one of the leading tacklers on defense.

“He stays on the field all game for us and contributes something

how good Lafayette Christian is, it was eliminated with the 41-7 demolition of Notre Dame.The Knights have really looked like the best team in all classes since the season opener with the obvious exception of that one major slip-up road game against Shaw.

2. Notre Dame Pioneers (5-2): On one hand, the Pios have showed a few cracks this season. On the other hand, their only two losses are to the top-ranked team in the big-school poll in undefeated Teurlings Catholic in a nailbiter and to the top-ranked team in the small-school poll in Lafayette Christian.

3. Catholic-NI Panthers (6-1): This is getting to be a curious trend. For the third consecutive week, the Panthers scored 49 points in wins over Lake Charles Prep, Franklin and Delcambre.We’ll see if Loreauville can hold the Panthers to under 49 this week.

on just about every play.

Charles was always a standout player on defense He was a starting linebacker last season and was the leader on that side of the ball.

But on offense last season, he was the backup running back and didn’t see many plays on that side of the ball. However, the Bobcats lost several key players to graduation, and because of that, he was the “next man up” for the Bobcats as the 2025 season started.

It was an opportunity he ran with, racking up 594 yards and five touchdowns on 64 carries.

“He has more than exceeded our expectations at running back,” LeBlanc said. “He really turned out to be a natural back there.”

Originally, Charles was supposed to the second back in the offense behind Aiden Bourque.

But he turned out to be such a good running back that LeBlanc changed the offense from RB1 and RB2 to RB1A and RB1B.

“It really made us better running the ball because we could use

them interchangeably,” LeBlanc said. “Now teams can’t concentrate on knowing what we are doing because we can do everything with either back.”

Charles relishes his role as an X-factor

“I love it,” the Erath senior said. “It’s a role that lets me do what I do best, and it lets me help the team in the best way I can.”

Charles said the experience of last season really motivated the teams this year

Last year, Erath finished 8-1 overall and was the No. 2 seed in the playoffs but fell to Loreauville a team Erath beat in the regular season — in the second round after getting a first-round bye

“A lot of players thought that since we beat Loreauville in the regular season, we’d win the playoffs,” he said. “That loss to them really hurt, and we used it as motivation for this year.

“We’re not going to let that happen again.”

Erath

(7-0): It’s not exactly like Catholic High’s point totals, but it’s been pretty cookie cutter for the Bobcats of late as well, with wins of 43-15, 48-0 and 49-0 over the last three weeks.The next two should be a challenge against St. Martinville and Kaplan. Erath won’t likely be naming those scores.

5. Lafayette Renaissance Tigers (6-

SCOREBOARD

Comp-Att-Int 28-50-1 20-29-1

Sacked-Yards Lost 4-18 4-26 Punts 6-43.833 5-51.2

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 1-1

Penalties-Yards 6-35 6-50 Time of Possession 28:21 31:39

INDIVIDUALSTATISTICS

RUSHING—Tampa Bay, White 10-38, Tucker 1-4, Bridgewater 1-(minus 1). Detroit, Gibbs 17-136, Montgomery 13-21, Goff 2-7. PASSING—Tampa Bay, Mayfield 28-50-1-228. Detroit, Goff 20-29-1-241. RECEIVING—Tampa Bay, Otton 7-65, Shepard 7-25, Egbuka 4-58, T.Johnson 4-58, White 4-6, Miller 1-14, Tucker 1-2. Detroit, St. Brown 6-86, Gibbs 3-82, Wright 3-23, Raymond 3-17 LaPorta 3-15, Montgomery 2-18

MISSEDFIELDGOALS—Detroit, Bates 54. LATE MONDAY Seattle 27, Houston 19 Houston 0 6 6 7 19 Seattle 14 0 13 0 — 27

FirstQuarter Sea—Charbonnet 1 run (Myers kick), 7:28

Sea—Smith-Njigba 11 pass from Darnold (Myers kick), :00. SecondQuarter Hou—FG Fairbairn 36, 2:18 Hou—FG Fairbairn 46, :00

ThirdQuarter Sea—FG Myers 26, 10:34

Hou—Anderson 0 fumble return (pass failed), 7:24. Sea—FG Myers 47, 5:15

Sea—Charbonnet 2 run (Myers kick), :54. FourthQuarter Hou—Marks 4 pass from Stroud (Fairbairn kick), 2:04. A—68,632. Hou Sea First downs 18 19 Total Net Yards 254 316

Rushes-yards 17-56 33-118 Passing 198 198 Punt Returns 3-25 5-67 Kickoff Returns 6-154 4-116

Interceptions Ret. 2-28 1-23

Comp-Att-Int 23-49-1 17-32-2

Sacked-Yards Lost 3-31 2-15 Punts 7-49.143 4-51.25

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-2 Penalties-Yards 10-105 12-93 Time of Possession 27:43 32:17 INDIVIDUALSTATISTICS

RUSHING—Houston, Stroud 2-25, Chubb 5-16 Marks 10-15. Seattle, Walker 17-66, Charbonnet 12-49, Barner 1-2, Darnold 3-1. PASSING—Houston, Stroud 23-49-1-229. Seattle, Darnold 17-31-1-213, Kupp

5-1 37 6 10. Destrehan 5-2 26 NR Othersreceivingvotes: Central 19, Parkway 15, Archbishop Rummel 12, Neville 6, Southside 5, Carencro 4, Thibodaux 4, Ouachita 3, Hahnville 2, Brother Martin 1, Liberty 1, St. Paul’s 1. Class 4A Rec. Pts. Prev

1. North DeSoto (9) 7-0 127 1

2. Teurlings Catholic (2) 7-0 122 2

3. St. Thomas More 5-2 110 3

Plaquemine 6-1 88 4

Iowa 7-0 76 5

Franklin Parish 5-2 71 6

St. Charles 6-1 66 7 8. Archbishop Shaw 5-2 59 8 9. Lakeshore 6-1 50 9 10. Vandebilt Catholic 7-0 31 10 Othersreceivingvotes: Belle Chasse 17, Franklinton 12, Loyola 9, Tioga 6, Westgate 4, Northwood-Shreveport 3, E.D. White 3, Brusly 2. Class 3A Rec. Pts.

1):

N.O.-based filmmaker

nabs $800K ‘Genius Award’

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

Garrett Bradley is a2025recipientofthe prestigious MacArthur Foundation grant, better known as the MacArthur “Genius Award.” The $800,000 grant is meant to fosterBradley’s career as an innovative filmmakerwho has been lauded for her blend of experimental technique and her devotion to authenticity.Bradley was one of 22 recipients this year Bradley was born in New York City in 1986, and has made movies in New Orleans for more than adecade. Her 2014 film “Below Dreams,”was astudy of the challengesfaced by three 20-somethings making theirway in the CrescentCity. The New York Times review of “BelowDreams,” noted Bradley’s “impressionistic style” andher use of “mostly nonprofessional actors.”

In 2020, her full-length documentary “Time” followed the struggles of awoman raising afamily whileseeking the release of her husbandwho was serving a60-year sentence in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Bradley won the Sundance Film Festival’sUS Documentary Directing Award for “Times,” become the first Black woman to earn the title.

Bradley directed the “Livein theAll Along” episode of the televisionseries“Queen Sugar.” Her films have appearedinthe 2015 Prospect.3 Arts Biennial, New Orleans’bygoneinternationalart exhibition, and at The New Orleans Museum of Art, as well as in prestigious exhibitions across the country

According to the MacArthur Foundation website, Bradley “harnesses the full potential of moving images to evoke feeling and render the textures of her subjects’lives.”

TheMacArthur Foundation grant program was established in 1981, and, according to the foundation website, is meant to reward “exceptional creativity,” the “promise for important futureadvances based on atrack record of significant accomplishments which could be enabled by our support,” and the “potential for the fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work.”

Twenty-twoartists,authors, andscientists wereawarded the grant this year.They hail from all over theUnited States.

NewOrleans andLouisiana have produced their share of MacArthur fellows in recent years. Louisiana-born poet Jericho Brown won the Genius Grant in 2024. Composer and Tulane University professor Courtney Bryan and Loyola University law professor Andrea Armstrong,anincarcerationlaw scholar,won the award in 2023.

ALLYOU CANEAT

BY JOANNABROWN Staff writer

I’ve loved agood buffet my whole life.

There’sjust something about an endlessly replenishing platterof biscuits, or enough fried chicken to feed the multitudes, thatfills me with thecomfort of abundance —particularly when it’sfresh, perfectlyseasoned and lovingly prepared

Suchisthe case forthese buffets,which aresomeofmyfavorite picksfor acasual breakfast, lunch or dinnerinAcadiana, especially when feeding alarge group. These options cover everything from authentic Cajuncuisine to wellprepared Asian dishes.

One of thestate’s last remaining Shoney’s,inMorgan City, is still putting outastar of abreakfast buffet, with optionsthatinclude French toaststicks andanamazing, peppery white gravy— and Rascal’s Cajun Restaurant in Duson has arice dressing on their buffetline that’sequivalent to a grandma’srice dressing. When frequentinga buffet, it’s important to follow the basic rules of buffet etiquette:

n Always check to see that the buffet line is well-kept and regu-

larly wiped down, withthe dishes oftenchanged out. If anyofthe food looksold, it’sprobably not a good choice.

n Diners have an importantrole to play in maintainingbuffet hygiene —always geta newplate

with each trip, and use the provided utensilsfor serving. Nevertouch anyofthe food or serving dishes with yourhands, and respectthe sneezeguard (thetransparent

Savorthatnew feelingwithour

Trythiseasyway to open cans

Dear Heloise: Recently,I watched aflight attendant open up cans using acredit card under the tab. After Ireturned home, Ihad ablack bean can to open and tried using the credit card to pull the tab up. No broken fingernail or sore fingers! Iwould guess that people who have arthritis would find this to be an easy way to open cans. —D.B via email Weight loss woes

BUFFET

Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: Since Iamon alow-carb, low-sugar diet, jellies and jams are off-

By The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 22, the 295th day of 2025. There are 70 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Oct. 22, 2012, cyclist Lance Armstrong was formally stripped of his seven Tour de Francevictories and received alifetime ban from Olympic sports after the International Cycling Union chose not to appeal doping charges against Armstrong by the United States Anti-Doping Agency Also on this date:

In 1836, Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first elected president of the Republic of Texas,which earned its independence

Continued from page5C

San Francisco and New York City

These slippery,stuffed wontons swimming in tangy,flavorful oil arelegit —especially alongside the spicy garlic cucumber salad. Granted, Dumpling &Bao’ssoup dumplings (pork, chicken and shrimp xiao long boa) are exquisite, as well. The pan-fried dumplings come with sizzling, crispy skirts that made my heart sing. But it was those incredible red oil wontons that Icouldn’tstop thinking about. Iwent home talking about them and had to take my husband back two days later,only to find aline out the door to get in. Iamnot good at waiting, but Ihappily took my place in line. Once again, they did not disappoint.

limits to me. But once in a while, aguy hastohave a peanut butter and jelly (or jam) sandwich. Peanutbutter on a no-net-carb tortilla is OK. For my fruit spread, Itakeseveral frozen blackberries and thaw them out in the microwave. If they aren’tsweet enough,I add ateaspoon of monkfruit andartificial sweetener.It is very satisfying and has few carbs. Uncle Johnny, via email Dehumidifying

Dear Heloise: If you live in ahumidclimate and are

TODAYINHISTORY

from Mexico that year in a military rebellion. In 1962, in anationally televised address, President John F. Kennedy revealed the presence of Soviet missile bases under construction in Cubaand announced anaval blockade of all offensivemilitary equipmentshipped to Cuba. In 1968, Apollo 7, thefirst crewed mission of NASA’s Apollo space program, returned safely from Earth orbit, splashingdown inthe Atlantic Ocean. In 2014, agunman shot andkilled asoldier standing guardatawar memorial in Ottawa, then stormed the Canadian Parliamentbuildingbefore he himself was shot and killed.

building or remodeling ahouse that has pocket doors, you may wantto makesure that the pocket is sealed against outside air.Ilive in ahouse without such sealing, and moist air blows past thepocket door and raises thehumidityin a300-square-foot room to 75%.

Adehumidifier,which lowers the humidity to 40%, removes 2gallons of water aday from the air and has been doing so daily for over aweek. —Ron S.,inCharlottesville,Virginia

Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Today’sbirthdays: Black Panthers co-founder Bobby Seale is 89. ActorChristopher Lloyd is 87. Actor Derek Jacobi is 87. Actor Catherine Deneuve is 82. Physician and author Deepak Chopra is 79. ActorJeff Goldblum is 73. Actor-comedian Bob Odenkirk is 63. Olympicgold medal figure skater Brian Boitano is 62. Country singer Shelby Lynne is 57. ReggaeDJand singer Shaggy is 57. Film director Spike Jonze is 56. Argentine President Javier Milei is 55. FormerMLB All-Star Ichiro Suzuki is 52. ActorJesse Tyler Fergusonis50. Actor Corey Hawkins is 37. Actor Jonathan Lipnicki is 35. Rapper 21 Savage is 33. Rapper Roddy Ricch is 27.

Dumpling& Bao opened mere weeks ago, and it seems too good to be true.

Truthbetold,Ican’twait to go back. Is threetimes in four daystoo much?

—Jan Risher, Louisiana culture editor

Chicago dog

n Frankie’s Dawg House,2318 CedardaleAve., Baton Rouge

Usually after work,I’m pretty tired and go straight home to winddown forthe evening, butonThursday, Ifelt ravenousfor ahot dog. AfteraquickGoogle search, Frankie’sDawg House looked likethe place to be. This experiencetaught me that sometimes ahot

dog is best enjoyed still in your work clothes after a long day.Iordered theChicago dawg (never had one before),and it hit thespot The hearty bites of thehot dog paired well withthe kick of onions and fresh tomato. Ilove pickles, so that added bonus points. The side of tater tots were just theright amount of saltyand soft on the inside.

Sipping acrisp Dr Pepper throughout themeal was thecherry on top.

Somemustard stained my shirt,but Iwasn’teven that mad because how could Ibe mad in astate likethis? I’ll have to trythe chili dog on my next visit

—Maddie Scott, features reporter

roof over the buffet serving area that helps block sneezes and coughs from reaching the food).

n Don’tdisrupt theflow or linger unnecessarily long over dishes. The entire point of abuffet is thatcustomers can return as many times as their stomachswill allow,so don’tget stopped by decision paralysis on the first trip.

n Be mindfuloffood waste. Don’t take more than youcan eat, andabsolutely never bring leftover food back to thebuffet

Trythesebuffetsfor a laid-back but quality dining experienceinAcadiana, acrossarange of cuisines —and let me knowifyou have afavoritebuffet in thearea.

KingBuffet

n 541 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette; Open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturdayand 11 a.m. to 9p.m.Sunday.

Consistently ranked as oneofthe topchoices among Asianbuffets in Lafayette, King Buffet near Cajun Field at theUniversityof Louisiana at Lafayette has something for everyone.

The buffet features acres of serving lines, offering everything from steamingplatters of eggrolls to afully manned Mongolian grill. KingBuffet is always bright, well-kept and busy meaning food never lingers too long in thechafing dish, and it’s always fresh and delicious.King Buffet isalso open for service on days like Thanksgiving, Christmas and other majorholidays.

Richard’s

Seafood Patio

n 1516 S. Henry St., Abbeville; Open 5p.m.to9 p.m. Mondaythrough Saturday.

Open since 1957,Richard’s Seafood Patiohides its bountyoffresh Louisiana seafood inside an old, unassuming building down

acountry highwayinVermilion Parish. Everything is in season andpreparedonsite, such as local crawfish, shrimp and crab —boiled, fried, stuffed andservedtoanalwaysbusy dining room full of locals. Richard’s also serves an array of traditional Cajun dishes on the serving board, including one of the best, country-style dark roux seafood gumbos I’ve ever had.

Shoney’s n 1011 Greenwood St., Morgan City; Open 7a.m. to 11 p.m.Sunday through Thursdayand 7to3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.The breakfast buffet is not available all day.

Agood old-fashioned breakfast buffet never disappoints. One of the last remaining Shoney’srestaurants in Louisiana still offers itsclassicbreakfast buffet with mounds of fluffy eggs, pilesofbiscuits, every type of breakfast proteinand stacksofcrispy French toast stickswith warm syrup on the side.

Rascal’sCajun Restaurant n 133 Frontage Road, Duson; Open 9a.m. to 9p.m. Mondaythrough Saturday and 9a.m. to 4p.m. Sunday.Call ahead to confirm thebuffet hours and menu.

Situated inside aShopRite travelcomplexattached to an interstate casino,Rascal’soffers one of the best Cajun buffet experiences

the area has to offer.The space serves several oldtime customers, some who eat there several times a week, andscores of families that go for the popular Sunday fried chicken buffet or Friday night seafood buffet. Rascal’sconsistently puts outsomeofthe tastiest examples of Cajun cooking. The friedchickenbuffet is out on Sundays, Thursdays andSaturdays, and the seafood buffetison Friday.Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday buffets feature chickenstew,fried pork chops and meatball stew. Buffethours also differ from regular restaurant hours, with the buffet open for lunch on Sundays, lunch and dinner only fromMonday to Friday,and dinner hours on Saturday Destination India n 5503 Johnston St., Lafayette; Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m Mondaythrough Sunday Lovers of Indian food can enjoy aLafayette buffet that featureschicken tikka masala, lambbiryani and an array of classic Indian vegetable and meat dishes with authentic levels of spice—

communitiesacrossthenationandaroundtheworld.Whenyousupportyour localRedCross,youmakeadirectimpactinyourcommunity Poweredbygenerosity. TheRedCrossisnotagovernmentagency.Wearea501(c)(3) nonprofitthatreliesonthepowerofvolunteersandthegenerosity ofdonorstocarryoutourhumanitarianmission. RedCrosssupportersprovideabeaconofhope.Fromhelping duringdisasters,toprovidinglifesavingtrainingandsupporting militarycommunities,theRedCrossistherewhenhelpcan’twait.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Take the initiative and sprint forward with enthusiasm. Treat what you do, how you do it and what you accomplish with pride, and don't underestimate yourself or your ability to make things happen.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov 22) Participation will pay off. Attend networking events, trade shows or a reunion that brings you in touch with old associates willing to share valuable information. Don't sell yourself short.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take care of yourself, your needs and your reputation. Focus on your health and financial well-being, and you'll reduce stress. Put your energy into building wealth, not spending it unnecessarily.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Check out what's happening in your professional industry. There is much to gain if you participate in functions that offer a platform to exploit your skills, assets and experience.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Go over your personal papers, health records and long-term plans It's essential to observe the changes around you and adjust your plans accordingly Choose peace over pressure.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) It's time to wheel and deal. Get your priorities straight and set out to satisfy your needs. A heart-to-heart talk with someone special will help you put things in perspective.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Place greater emphasis on partnerships, joint ven-

tures and long-term commitments. Reach out to institutions that can help you put together the framework for what you want to achieve.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Be open to suggestions. Contact the people and go to the places that can help you learn what you need to know to make the most of opportunities that can add stability to your life.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Consider what you must learn to reach your objective. Sign up for a course, reach out to someone already doing what you want to pursue or start making the changes necessary to position yourself for success.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Share what you can do. Your suggestions and offers of assistance will lead to opportunities Set a price and build a name for yourself. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Learn as you go; listen and ask questions, but hold back from divulging too much about yourself or what you can do. A joint venture appears difficult. Consider moving forward alone.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Change may tempt you, but you should consider every aspect before you take a leap of faith. Evaluate the cost and the work you'll face if you move in one direction or another.

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

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Thereisa Chinese proverb that says: “Toknow the road ahead, ask those comingback.”

Wouldn’t it be nice at thebridgetable to ask someone who has already played the deal where themissing cards are located? Sadly, the game doesn’twork that way. You must make your own decisions on which roads to take.

In this deal,South is in six hearts. AfterWest leads the diamond king, what shoulddeclarer do?

North employed the Jacoby Forcing Raise. South’s three-diamond rebid showed asingleton (or void) in that suit. The next three calls were control-bids (cue-bids), after which South bid what he thought he couldmake. Declarer has apotential loser in each black suit. He starts with11top tricks: two spades, six hearts, one diamond, one club and adiamond ruff in the South hand.Sodeclarerneeds either athird spade winner or asecond club trick. However, which of those roads should he take?

To get athird spadetrick requires a3-3 break,whichthemathematicianswilltell you happens about one-third of the time.

To obtain asecond club winner requires finding East with at least oneclub honor. Now the probability risestoapproxi-

mately three-quarters. The right road is clear. South shouldwin withdummy’s diamond ace, draw trumps staying on the boardand runthe club 10. It losesto West’s queen, but when declarer returns to the dummy withaspade and takes a second club finesse, that works and he can claim.

©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 RIVETED: RIH-vih-tid: Attracted or held completely, suchasa person’s attention.

Average mark 24 words

Time limit 40 minutes

Can you find 33 or morewords in RIVETED?

contract as more fully defined inthe bid docu‐ments. No contractors maywithdrawhis bidfor at leastforty-five (45) days after thetime scheduledfor theopen‐ingofbids. Each bidshall be submittedonlyonthe bidformprovidedwith

hkestler@lafayettela.gov Bidderssubmittingbids electronically arere‐quired to providethe same documentsasbid‐ders submitting through themailassoonasavail‐able.Onlya bidbond, certified checkor cashier’scheck shallbe submittedasthe bidse‐curity.Electroniccopies of both thefront and back of thecheck or bid bond shallbeincluded with theelectronicbid Bids must be signedin accordance with LRS Title38:2212(B)5. ACor‐porate Resolution or Cer‐tificate of Authorityau‐thorizingthe person signingthe bidisre‐quired to be submitted with bid.Failure to sub‐mita CorporateResolu‐tion or Certificate of Au‐thoritywiththe bidshall be causefor rejectionof bid. Copies of thebidding documentsexceptfor SectionC –“Standard Specificationsfor Roads, Drainage,Bridges and OtherInfrastructure2023 Edition” areavailable at theOffice of Purchasing locatedat705 West Uni‐versityAvenue, Lafayette, LA 70502 upon paymentof$35 perset non-refundable.NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE AC‐CEPTED -ONLYCHECKS OR MONEYORDERS MADE PAYABLETO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐DATEDGOVERNMENT. Copies of Section“C” Standard Specifications forRoads,Drainage, Bridgesand OtherInfra‐structure” 2023 Edition areavailable from the Public WorksDepartment at 1515 EUniversityAv‐enue,BuildingA LafayetteLA70501. Bid Documentsshall be availableuntil twentyfour hoursbeforethe bid openingdate. Questions relative to thebidding documentsshall be ad‐dressedtoHeather Kestlerat hkestler@ lafayettela.gov. Contractorsare re‐questedtoattend aprebidmeeting, whichwill be held on November 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM in the largeconferenceroom, f lid d

or by a Louisianadomiciled in‐surance companywithat leastanA-Ratinginthe latest printing of theA.M Best’s KeyRatingGuide to writeindividualbonds up to tenpercent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as showninthe A.M. Best’s KeyRatingGuide or by an insurancecom‐panyingoodstandingli‐censedtowrite bid bondswhich is either domiciledinLouisiana or ownedbyLouisiana resi‐dents.The bidbondshall be issued by acompany licensed to do business in Louisiana. Thecerti‐fied check, cashier’s check, or bidbondshall be givenasa guarantee that thebiddershall exe‐cute thecontract, should it be awardedtohim,in conformity with thecon‐tract documentswithin ten(10)days. No contractor maywith‐drawits bidprior to the deadline forsubmission of bids.Withdrawalof bids thereafter shallbe allowedonlypursuantto LAR.S.38§2214.C. Other‐wise, no bidder may withdraw hisbid forat leastforty-five

Bids

thePurchaser basedon thelowestresponsible andresponsivebid sub‐mitted whichisalsoin compliance with thebid documents. The LafayetteConsolidated Government reserves the righttorejectany andall bids forjustcause in ac‐cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractorsorcontract‐ing firmssubmittingbids in theamount of $50,000.00 or more shall certifythattheyare li‐censed contractors under Chapter24ofTitle 37 of theLouisiana Re‐visedStatutesof1950 andshowtheir license numberonthe frontof thesealedenvelopein whichtheir bidisen‐closed.Contractors shall be licensed forthe clas‐sification of “MUNICIPAL ANDPUBLIC WORKSCON‐STRUCTION, ELECTORICA OR TELECOMMUNICA‐TIONS, LOWVOLTAGE”. Bids in theamounts specified abovewhich have notbid in accor‐dancewiththe require‐ments, shallberejected andshall notberead. Additional information relative to licensingmay be obtained from the LouisianaState Licensing Boardfor Contractors, BatonRouge,Louisiana TheLafayette Consoli‐datedGovernment strongly encourages the participationofDBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in allcon‐tracts or procurements letbythe LafayetteCon‐solidatedGovernment forgoods andservices andlabor

cause; such actions will be in accordance with Title38ofthe LouisianaRevised Statutes.Nobiddermay withdraw his/herbid within forty-five (45) days after theactual date ofthe opening thereof. TheContractor shallobtain,maintain during thelifeofthe

ness in theState of Louisiana, in the amountsand forthe pur‐pose stated andsubject to theOwner’s approval 1. BIDBOND: A"BidGuar‐antee" equivalent to 5% of thebid priceconsist‐ingofa firm

dence that they hold li censeof proper classifi‐cation of Municipaland Public WorksConstruc‐tion”infullforce andef‐fect at thetimedraw‐ings,specificationsand formsare requested from theoffice of theEn‐gineers. Contract docu‐mentsmay be obtained at theoffice of McBade Engineers& Consultants, LLC, 327IberiaStreet Suite5,Youngsville Louisiana70592,Phone Number (337)451-5823, upon paymentof fifty dollars($50.00)for each complete set. Deposits on the firstset of docu‐mentsfurnished bona fide primebidders will be fullyrefundeduponre‐turn of thedocuments no laterthanten (10) days afterreceipt of bids.On othersetsofdocuments furnishedtobidders,the deposit(less actual cost of reproduction)willbe refunded upon return of thedocuments no later than ten(10)daysafter receiptofbids. They will notbemailedwithout such arequest.Plans andspecificationsshall be availableuntil twentyfour (24) hoursbefore thebid openingdate. If thereare anyquestions regardingbidding proce‐dures, contactMcBade Engineers& Consultants, LLC, ProjectEngineer at (337)451-5823. KENRIT‐TER, MAYOR PublicationDates:Octo‐ber8,15and 22,2025 161571-oct 8-15-22-3t $193.57

in thefullamountofthe contract as more fully d fi d i th bid d

BRIEFS

Dow hits arecord as U.S. stocks climb

The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit arecord on Tuesday as the floodgatesopened for companies reportinghow much profit they made during the summer

The Dow rose 218 points, or 0.5%, and toppedits prior all-time high, whichwas set early this month.The S&P 500 index, which is much more important on Wall Streetand dictates the performance of many more 401(k) accounts, was essentially flat and finished 0.3% below its own record, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%.

3M helped drive the Dow to its record after reportingbigger profit for the latest quarter than analystsexpected. Its stock had the biggest jump in priceamong the 30 companies that make up the average. In the more representative S&P 500 index, General Motors helped leadthe way andrallied 14.9% after reporting stronger quarterly results than analysts expected,while also raising its forecasts for some full-year financial targets. CEOMary Barra said it’s moving quickly to reduce its losses in 2026 and beyond for itselectric-vehicle business, as “it is now clear” that EV adoption will be lower than planned. Keeping the market in check were drops for some Big Tech stocks, which lost momentum following their own big rallies.

A2.4% drop for Google’sparent company,Alphabet, from itsall-time high wasamong the heaviestweights onthe S&P 500. So were Broadcom’s1.9% fall andNvidia’s0.8% decline. Premium drinks, minis give Coca-Cola aboost

The Coca-Cola Co. saidsales of premium beveragesand mini cans helped boost its third-quarterresults despite tepid demand in the U.S. and elsewhere.

The Atlanta beverage giant saidTuesdayitcontinues to see adivergenceamong consumers in North Americaand Europe,withhigher-income buyers opting for its more expensive brands like Smartwater,Topo Chico and Fairlife while middle- and lowerincome consumers are under more pressure.

Henrique Braun, Coke’s chief operating officer, said thecompany hasfocused on affordability by shrinking package sizes and leaning into sales of mini cans. Earlier this month, Coke announced it will sell individual, 7.5-ounce mini cans for the first time at North American convenience stores starting Jan. 1. The mini cans have asuggested retail price of $1.29.

“We’re pivoting accordingly. We knowthat theconsumer landscape has not changed,” Braun said during aconference call with investors.

GM boosts full-year earnings outlook

General Motors anticipates asmaller impact from tariffs andisboostingits full-year adjusted earnings forecast as its third-quarterperformance topped Wall Street’sexpectations.

Shares surged more than 15% in afternoon trading on Tuesday, its biggest one-day jump since May 2018. The automaker reducedits expectations for the full-year gross impact from tariffs to arange of $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion. Its previous guidance was $4 billionto$5billion. GM anticipates its tariff mitigation actions will offset about35% of the impactdue to alower tariff base.

On Friday,President Donald Trumpgave domesticautomakers additional relief from tariffs on auto parts, extending what was supposed to have been ashort-term rebate until 2030. It’spart of aproclamation Trump signed Friday that also made official a25% import tax on medium and heavy-duty trucks,starting Nov.1

BUSINESS

THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business

Warner Bros.Discovery mullsbuyoutoptions

BY WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP business writer

NEW YORK Warner Bros. Discovery —the home ofHBO, CNNand DC Studios —has signaled that it may be open to selling all or parts of its business, just months after announcing planstosplitintotwo companies

In an announcement Tuesday,the entertainment and media giant said it hadinitiateda review of “strategic alternatives” in light of “unsolicited interest” it had received from multiple parties,for boththe entire company and Warner Bros. specifically Warner Bros. Discovery did not specify where that interest was coming from, and aspokesperson saidthe company couldn’tshare additional information when reached by The Associated Press. But its review arrives after growing reports of apotential bidding war including fromSkydance-owned Paramount, which closed its own $8 billion merger in early August. Citing anonymoussources familiar with the matter,The Wall Street Journal recentlyreported that Paramount approached Warner Bros. Discovery about amajority-

cash offer in late September —but that WarnerChief Executive David Zaslav hadrebuffed those first overtures. According to the outlet, ParamountSkydanceCEO David Ellison later considered takinga more aggressive approach,such as going directly to shareholders.

CNBChas alsoreported that Netflixand Comcast areamong other interestedparties, citing unnamed sources. Comcast declined to comment Tuesday.Paramount and Netflix did not immediately respond to the AP’srequests for statements. If asaleofall or part of Warner Bros. Discoveryarrives, it would markaconsiderable shift in theU.S. media landscapethatis“already trending towards aconcerning level of consolidation,” said Mike Proulx, vice president andresearchdirector at Forrester He pointed to thestreamingspace in particular—noting that, on one hand, apotential transaction could help scale the company’sstreamers to better compete with other platforms. But on the other hand, consumers could see fewer choices controlled by just ahandful of corporate giants.

“When just afew conglomerates

JPMorgan Chase unveilsnew headquarters

60-story building reshapes NyCskyline

BY KENSWEET AP business writer

NEW YORK JPMorgan Chase unveiled its new 60-story headquarters to the public on Monday,one of the first major office buildings to be constructed after the COVID-19 pandemic and one that will remake theNew York City skyline for decades.

The bronze and steel tower at 270 Park Ave., whichreportedly cost$3 billion, replaced the Union Carbide Building,which sat on afull city block between 47th and 48th streets and Park Avenue andMadison Avenue for nearly60years. JPMorgan expectstohouseroughly 10,000 of its24,000 New York-based employees in the newbuilding, with some employees startingtheir first workdayatthe tower at thesametimeas thecompanyheldits ribbon-cutting ceremony

“For 225 years, JPMorgan Chase hasalways been deeply rooted in New York City.The openingofour newglobalheadquarters is not only asignificant investment in New York,but also testamenttoour commitment to our clients and employeesworldwide,”saidJamie Dimon, CEO and chairman of JPMorgan, in astatement.

The completionofthe new 270 Park is amajor accomplishment forDimon, who hasbeen one of the

loudest voices calling for employees to report to an office for work. The building was designed beforethe COVID-19 pandemic made remote workmorecommon. The bank held meetings to consider halting work on the building to either redesign it or scale it back,but Dimonwas insistent that workshould continue as designed. Both politicians and CEOs, particularly Wall Street CEOs, have been vocal about the need for companies to have offices. NewYorkpoliticians must answer to local businesses that have existed for decades and are usedbyworkers to eat, groom, shopand drink at “Tohave this investment at this extraordinary timeisa testament to that New York audacity andambition,” saidGov.Kathy Hochul, who attended as part of the ribboncutting ceremony. Theceremony ended with the playing of “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Zand Alicia

Keys

At 1,388 feet, thenew building, designed by famed architect Norman Foster, is taller than theEmpireState Building’sroofline and is now the fourth-largest building in Manhattan. The building contains 2.5 million square feet anda block’sworth of public space. The bank also commissioned five new artworks for thebuilding, adding to thebank’salready substantial

like Skydance, increasingly control thelion’sshare of some of themost popular platforms, it raisesall sorts of questions around the future of content diversityand expression,” Proulx said over emailTuesday “Bigger is better might be good for shareholdersbut will consumers ultimately benefitwith better quality content, lower prices, and accessibility?”

Still, he added,much of that will depend on whether asale happens andwho ends up buyingWarner Bros. Discovery Back in June,WarnerBros.Discovery outlined plans to split its cableand streaming offerings —with HBO, HBO Max, as well as Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group and DC Studios, to becomepart of anew streaming andstudioscompany; whilenetworks like CNN, Discovery and TNT Sports and digital products suchasthe Discovery+ streaming service andBleacher Report would make up aseparate cable counterpart.

Warnerexpected the split to be complete by mid-2026 —and said Tuesdaythat continuing to advance this separation was still among the

options it’sconsidering.

“Wetook the bold step of preparingtoseparate theCompanyinto two distinct, leading media companies, Warner Bros. and Discovery Global, because we strongly believedthis wasthe best path forward,” Zaslav said in astatement. Still, he added, “it’snosurprise that the significantvalue of ourportfolio is receiving increased recognition by others in the market.”

The company said that there’sno definite timeline for its review process —and noted that, beyondthe separation that is already underway, “there can be no assurance” that a transactionwill emerge SharesofWarnerBros. Discovery, headquartered in NewYork, were up nearly11% by market close on Tuesday.

Warner Bros.Discovery was createdjustthree yearsago when AT&T spun off WarnerMedia, which was merged with Discovery Communications in a$43 billion deal. An even bigger transaction could attract antitrust scrutiny butlike otherrecent mega-mergers andproposed transactions, could find success under the Trump administration.

art collection.The bank will house itstradingoperations in the building across eight floors, and has contractedout severalfoodand coffee vendorstocreatea city-within-abuilding concept. Thebuilding was amajor engineering andarchitectural undertaking by Foster,the building’slead architect and Tishman Speyer,who handled construction and engineering. The old Union Carbide building hadtobesystematically demolishedover aperiod of twoyears, mostofthat demolition happening during thepandemic. Construction wascomplicated by thefactthat the site sits above the rails of the Metro North Railroad and the Long Island Railroad that run underneath Park Avenue into Grand Central Terminal.

For years, JPMorgan has worked outofseveral buildings around Grand CentralTerminal, aresult of

OpenAI launches Atlasbrowser

BYMATTO’BRIEN and MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP technologywriters

OpenAI saidTuesdayitisintroducing its own web browser,Atlas, putting the ChatGPT maker in direct competition with Google as more internet users rely on artificial intelligence to answer their questions

Making its popular AI chatbot a gatewaytoonline searchescould allow OpenAI, the world’smost valuable startup,topull in more internet trafficand therevenue made from digital advertising. It could also further cut offthe lifeblood of online publishers if ChatGPT so effectively feeds people summarized informationthatthey stopexploring the internetand clickingontraditional web links.

OpenAI has said ChatGPT already hasmorethan800 million users but many ofthemget it for free. The San Francisco-based company also sells paid subscriptions but is losingmore money than it makes and

has been looking for ways toturna profit.

OpenAI said Atlas launches Tuesday on Apple laptops and will later come to Microsoft’sWindows, Apple’siOS phone operating system andGoogle’sAndroid phone system

OpenAI CEOSam Altmancalled it a“rare,once-a-decade opportunity to rethink what abrowser can be about and how to use one.”

But analyst Paddy Harrington of market research group Forrester said it will be abig challenge “competing with agiant whohas ridiculous market share.”

OpenAI’sbrowser is comingout just afew months after one of its executives testified that the company would be interested in buying Google’sindustry-leading Chrome browser if afederal judgehad requiredittobesold to prevent the abuses thatresulted in Google’s ubiquitous search engine beingdeclared an illegal monopoly

But U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta lastmonth issued adecision that rejected the Chromesale sought by

the U.S. Justice Department in the monopolycase, partly because he believed advances in the AI industry already are reshaping the competitive landscape.

OpenAI’sbrowser will facea daunting challenge againstChrome, whichhas amassed about 3billion worldwideusers andhas been adding some AI features from Google’s Gemini technology Chrome’simmense success could provide ablueprint forOpenAI as it entersthe browser market. When Google released Chrome in 2008, Microsoft’s InternetExplorer was so dominant that few observers believed anew browser could mount a formidable threat.

ButChromequickly won over legionsofadmirersbyloadingwebpages more quickly than Internet Explorer while offering other advantages that enabled it to upend the market. Microsoft ended up abandoning Explorer and introducing its Edge browser,which operates similarly to Chromeand holds adistant third place in market share

Aribboncutting ceremony was heldTuesday to mark the opening of JPMorgan Chase’snew headquarters at 270 Park Ave. in New york. JPMorgan expects to house roughly 10,000 of its 24,000 New york-based employees in the new 60-story building.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KENSWEET

thebank’sgrowthand acquisitions over the years.

Corporate execs and investment bankersstill use 383 Madison Ave., theformer headquarters of Bear Stearns, and 277 Park Ave., which housed Chemical Bank,alsoa predecessor of the current JPMorgan Chase. Parts of JPMorgan started using the Union Carbide Building in the mid-1990s, but the bank always struggled to fit allits operationsin the building. The building wasdesigned to house 3,000 employees when it was built in the 1960s, and JPMorgan housed more than 6,000 there within afew short years of moving in.

With 270Park finished, the bank says it will nowstartarenovation of 383 Madison. Dimon said the bank has purchased afew other adjacent properties near 270 Park to centralize its operations around its new headquarters for the long term.

behind Apple’sSafari. Perplexity,another smaller AI startup, rolled out its ownComet browser earlier this year.Italso expressedinterest in buying Chrome andeventuallysubmitted an unsolicited$34.5billion offer for the browser that hit adead end when Mehta decided against aGoogle breakup.

Altman said he expects achatbot interface to replace atraditional browser’sURL bar as the center of how he hopes people will use the internet in the future.

“Tabs weregreat, butwehaven’t seen alot of browser innovation since then,” he said on avideo presentation aired Tuesday Apremiumfeature of theChatGPT Atlas browser is an “agent mode” that accesses the laptop and effectively clicks around theinternet on the person’s behalf, armed with auser’sbrowser history and what they are seeking to learn and explaining itsprocess as it searches. “It’susing the internet foryou,” Altman said.

Findinghope

breastcancer

PRESENTED BY

‘Revolutionary’ breastcancer care in Acadiana improves outcomes,survivalrates

By Amanda McElfresh |amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This articleisbrought to youby OurLadyofLourdes Health

It’sthe second most common cancer affecting womeninthe U.S., andit’s thesecondleadingcause of cancer deathfor womeninthe nation.So, it’s no surprise breast cancer is beingstudied continuously,withnewer treatments routinelybeingdeveloped andreleased.

That’s accordingtoWissamHanayneh, MD,aboard-certified andfellowshiptrainedcancer specialist with theOur Lady of Lourdes JD Moncus Cancer Center Newerclasses of medications called antibody drug conjugates, forexample, arechemotherapy medicines designed to targetand deliverchemotherapy specificallytocancer cells. Anotherclass of medications called “immunotherapy,” Dr.Hanayneh explains, arerevolutionizing what oncologists aredoing everyday to treataggressivebreastand othercancers.

MD

They sort-oftakethe brakes off your immunesystem. It allowsyour immunesystemtoessentiallysee thecancerand fightit,”hesaid. “Overthe past 20 years, thereare so many successstories in thebreastcancerworld that keep pushingthe envelope forwardand providingbettercurerates, better survival rates.

Dr.Hanayneh,who trainedatthe prestigiousMoffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, recentlysat down with theAcadianaAdvocatetodiscuss these revolutionarytreatmentsand otheradvancementsinthe diagnosisand treatmentofbreastcancer in Acadiana. Providingworld-class cancer care closetohomeallowspatients here to stay closetofamily, friends andother lovedones.

Patients whomaintainastrongbondwithfamilyand faith“areabletogo throughall theuncertainty that comeswithhavingacancerdiagnosis, yet still keep moving forward,”Dr. Hanayneh explained. “That’s averyinspiring thingtosee.Ithelps me be abetterdoctorfor them.”

On Advanced Local Care:

“You’reabletoget world-class care whilestill beingaround [your] families, withouthaving to travel forhours.”

On Targeted Chemotherapy:

“New classesofdrugs called antibodydrugconjugates...very specificchemotherapy drugs that targetthe cancer itself,have reallybeenrevolutionizingwhat we do.”

On Immunotherapy:

“[Immunotherapy]take[s] the brakes off of your immune system...itallowsyourimmune systemtoessentiallysee the cancer and fightit.

See the full conversation with Dr.Hanayneh at youtu.be/szpfiz9lqgo or snap the QR Code

ABroughttoyou by Our Lady of Lourdes Health

sthe firsthospitalinthe region to invest in the teamsand toolsneeded to fightcancerright here at home,Our Lady of Lourdes Health,Acadiana’s premier comprehensivecancer program, continues to raise thestandardfor area patients. With precise, minimallyinvasivetechniques backed by thelatesttechnologyand expertcare, OurLadyofLourdes Health andits JD Moncus Cancer Center team focusongetting patients back to themoments that reallycount

Discover more at LourdesRMC.com/cancer

Celebrating amid the Winds and the Wins: Breastcancer

patient reflects on her survival journey

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi |stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

This articleisbrought to youby OurLadyofLourdes Health

BrandyMiddlebrooks isn’tjustsurviving She’sthriving. “Myhusband andI celebrate everyday,” themotherofthree shared with an infectioussmile.“When thewinds come,we’re together.Whenthe wins come,we’re together.You can’task forbetterthanthat!”

Winds of Change

AJennings native andlongtimeresidentofRichard Middlebrooks, 48, hadatumor removedfromher rightbreastinearly 2000. Testsconfirmed thegrowth wasnoncancerous. Whileworking as thelibrarian at CrowleyHighSchoolinOctober 2022,Middlebrooks noticedalumpwithabruisenearwhere thetumor was removedpreviously.

“I knew somethingwas there, butItried tricking my brainintodenying it after everything Iwentthrough 22 yearsearlier,” she explained.“Iknewthe bruise was notnormaland Icouldn’t putoff gettingtestedany longer.

Ascreeningmammogram,and laterabiopsy, confirmed herworst fears. Middlebrooks hadstage 2breastcancer.Further testingrevealeditwas triple negative breast cancer,whichaccounts for10-15% of all breast cancersand is often more aggressive

KnowYour Enemy

Middlebrooks, like so many otherpatients, immediately immersedherself in anything theinternet hadtooffer on thesubject.Mostofwhatshe found eventuallywas determined to be incorrectoroutdated. “Itwas so overwhelming,”she said.“Ibelievedthere wasnothingthatcould be done foratriplenegative diagnosis, butthatwasn’ttrue.

Unlike most breast cancers, triple negative breast cancer does notrespond to anti-estrogen therapies, accordingtoDr. Gene Brierre,acancerspecialist with OurLadyofLourdes JD Moncus Cancer Center whooverseesMiddlebrooks’treatment andrecovery. However, anewer option, immunotherapy,ischanging theway oncologists approach breast cancer treatment.

“Whenadministered in tandem with chemotherapy,” Dr.Brierre explained,“immunotherapy has been shown to significantly improvesurvivalrates andto reduce recurrence in patients with triple negative

breast cancer.”

By thetimeMiddlebrooks begantreatment in January2023, thetumor in herright breast was considered large, andthe cancer hadspreadtoone of herlymph nodes under herarm.Fortunately, hertreatment beganjustasimmunotherapy,which utilizes thepatient’sown immune system to target and fightcancer cells, wasestablishedasa standard of care.Middlebrooks receivedthe revolutionarynew treatmentalong with 18 rounds of chemotherapy

Thegoal of immunotherapy wastoshrinkthe tumor—that wasthe hope,” said Middlebrooks. “I was blessedthatitnot only shrunk thetumor forme, but thetumor wascompletelygonebythe time Iwentinto surgerytoremovethatbreast.

TheSearchfor ‘Normalcy’

At many points alongthe journeyMiddlebrooks felt she couldn’t controlanythingthatwas happening around herand to her. Yet, therewas onethingshe was determinedtodecide forherself.“Iwantedtocontrol when Ishavedmyhead,”she shared.“Cancer took so much from me This wasone thingIhad over cancer.I didn’t let it take my hair.Itookmyhair.”

Middlebrooks’eldestson wasplanninghis wedding. Herdaughterhad just starteddoctoralstudies in physical therapy in Shreveport.Her youngest son beganclasses at SOWELATechnical Community CollegeinLakeCharles.So, Middlebrooks shopped forthe perfectwigs forthe upcoming weddingand everyday life.

“I wasn’t goingtolet adiagnosisslowmedown,” Middlebrooks explained.“Looking at thepictures now, you’dnever know Iwas so sick.Ijustgaveitup to God. Ilet Himtakecontrol.Ireceivedblessing after blessing That’s all Him.

After chemotherapy came amastectomyand 35 rounds of radiationtherapy,aprocessthatleft Middlebrooks mentally,physicallyand spiritually exhausted.Reconstructionmeant more surgery. Middlebrooks wasn’t prepared to face it,evenwiththe overwhelming supportthatsurroundedher at work, at home andatchurch. SheconfidedinDr. Brierre leaningonthe trustshe developedinhim over the course of hertreatment

“Dr. Brierre told me,‘You’re notgoing to realize how much youwantthisunlessyou do it.’ But, ultimately

he left thedecisionuptome,”Middlebrooksexplained “It’snot until youare cancer-freethatyou caneven reallythink aboutit. Then you’re so tiredand just want normalcy back.But I’msogladIdid it The reconstruction helpedmefeelnormalagain.”

Family,Faith and Forgiveness

Middlebrooks has been cancer-freefor thepasttwo years. Whilethe treatmentjourney wasarduous,she managedto find hope andhealinginthe positivity she surrounded herselfwith. Herfamily, friends, andfaith community proved to be aconstantsourceofstrength, as did thephysiciansand nurses at theJDMoncus Cancer Center

“I can’ttellyou howmanyfriends told me Iwas blessedtohaveDr. Brierreasmyoncologist. Ifeellike I’mthe luckiest person in theworld,” Middlebrooks said.“He is awonderfuldoctorand thestaff working with him areexcellent. They make youfeelasthough they areyourbestfriend—that they areonyourteam. Iknowtheydothisevery day, andothersringthe bell, too, butitwas such aspecial connection forme.”

Thedenial andprocrastination Middlebrooks gave into forsomanyyears couldhavepainted amuch differentoutcome forher.But,she said,you can’tfocus on thenegative.You have to be positive to surviveand thrive after acancerdiagnosis.

“Not gettingtestedfor so long,thatwas on me.Ihad to forgivemyself,”Middlebrookssaid. “Put yourself andyourhealth first. Findthe blessingsinevery day. TrustGod.Itall sounds so simple,now.Cancerisnot a deathsentence, anditdoesn’t have to be.”

Formoreinformation on OurLadyofLourdes JD Moncus Cancer Center,visit fmolhs.org/locations/ acadiana/our-lady-of-lourdes-jd-moncuscancer-center or snap theQRcode

One Conversation at aTime—Howthe High-Risk Breast Cancer ClinicatOur Lady of Lourdes is transforming preventative care

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi

|stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

This articleisbrought to youby OurLadyofLourdes Health

Breasthealthisapersonaljourney.Eachperson’s path is lined with differentsigns,milemarkers andquestions–DoIhaveagreater risk of developing breast cancer? When shouldIstart screeningmammograms? Should annual testing involvemoreadvancedimaging?It’snowonder many feel findingthe rightanswers seemsdauntingand difficult to navigate.

Acadianawomen have anew resource to helpthem make senseofitall and find theright path forwardfor their personal health needsand lifestyle. TheHighRisk Breast Cancer Clinic at OurLadyofLourdes JD Moncus Cancer Center offersadedicated space to continue conversationssparked by concerns over family history, personal risk factors,orprior screeningresults. This specializedclinic serves as acrucial intersection betweenthe many medical disciplines involved in breast cancer care andempowerswomen to take aproactive approach to managing their risk

“Breasts canbesuper confusing, and patients often don’tknowiftheyshould be talkingtotheir OB-GYN, primary care doctor,ortheir surgeon,ifthey alreadyhaveone,” said KellyCrim, a women’shealthand adultgerontology nursepractitioner wholeads theHighRisk Breast Cancer Clinic at OurLady of Lourdes. “It’sgreat to have abreast specialist whodeals specificallywith questionsinthatarea. Itellmypatients, if youhaveany questions, call me.”

in their family or if their mammogramresults list a Tyrer-Cuzickscore of 20%ormore. Even before their firstmammogram,whichistypically recommended at age40, womencan utilize theonlineTyrer-Cuzick risk assessment calculator to receive an estimatedrisk by inputtinginformation regardingtheir reproductive past andfamilyhistory,Crimsaid. Afamilyhistory of ovarianand prostate cancer is also importanttonote in theriskassessment, she added, as it cansignalan increasedriskofbreastcancer

Beginningwiththe firstappointment,the HighRisk Breast Cancer Clinic seekstocultivate arelaxed, conversational environment. As Crim walksthrough theTyrer-Cuzickquestionnairewithapatient, she becomesfamiliarwiththeir personal andfamily

then he couldbeacandidate forgenetic testingto determineifhis daughtersmight be at high risk.”

TheHigh-RiskBreastCancerClinicemphasizes theimportanceofongoingcommunicationbetween healthcare providersand patients. Patients are encouragedtocontinueseeingtheir OB-GYN on an annual basisand to visitthe clinic once ayear forcomprehensivemonitoring. Whilethe primary goal of theclinicisearly detection of breast cancer risk reductionstrategiesare an importantpartof theconversation. Most casesofbreastcancerare notpreventable,however,detecting it in theearliest stages has been shown to significantly increase patient outcomes andsurvivalrates

Akey factorindiscerninganindividual’sriskis family history. Othercontributingelementsinclude thetimingofpuberty,menopause,and childbirth Crim explained.Indetermining if someoneisat increasedrisk, theclinic uses thewidely accepted Tyrer-Cuzickriskassessmenttool, whichcombines data from adetailedreproductivehealthquestionnaire, family history, andmammogram resultstoestimatea woman’slifetimeriskofdevelopingbreastcancer. Crim encourageswomen to make an appointment if they areaware they have ahistory of breastcancer

historyand canoffer recommendationsfor anyneeded testing. Often forthose at agreater risk,for example,a breast MRI or ultrasound will be scheduledinaddition to an annual mammogram. Crim coordinates any necessary referralsand candetermine if apatientis eligible forgenetic testing—a processthatchecksDNA forgenemutations that mayilluminateanincreased breast cancer risk

“Men don’tthinkabout breast cancer as much as women, andtheir personal risk of developing it is much lower,”Crimsaid. “However,ifthere is alarge family historyofcancer on themaleside of thefamily,

Breast cancer treatmentinvolves amulti-disciplinary team that includesgeneral surgeons and/or surgical oncologists, who remove portions of diseased breast tissue. Plasticsurgeonsprovide breast reconstruction.Other specialists mayinclude medicaloncologists, radiationoncologists, pathologists and radiologists because, as Crim noted, breast cancer treatmentisateameffort. “Thebeautyofhavinganurse practitioner in this position is that I have thetimeand availability to discuss awoman’s risk in-depth,” Crim said “It’salot of listeningand ensuring she feelsheard Thereare inevitably alot of questionstheyneed answered.Alot of encouragement is needed,aswell. I’m here when they need me,and Ilet my patients know Iamaccessible.

Discover more aboutlocal comprehensivecancer diagnosisand treatment optionsavailable by visiting LourdesRMC.com/cancer or snap theQRcode

At OurLadyofLourdesJDMoncus Cancer Center,quality isn’tagoal —it’s astandardwe’ve earned. As one of only four cancer clinicsinLouisianato receive theQOPI national quality certification, we’rerecognized for delivering safe,effective and patient-centered care.Fromdiagnosis to survivorship,we’re here to guide, treat and support you withthe excellence you deserve. That’s whywe’rethe region’strusted cancer treatment destination. It allcountshere. LearnmoreatLourdesRMC.com/cancer.

Sweekriti Adhikari, DO, Hematology and Oncology