NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Lawyers for retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre asked a federal appeals court Tuesday to revive a defamation lawsuit Favre filed against a fellow Pro Football Hall of Fame member, former tight end Shannon Sharpe, amid the backdrop of a Mississippi welfare scandal that is one of the state’s largest public corruption cases.

A federal judge in Mississippi threw out the lawsuit in October, saying Sharpe used constitutionally protected speech on a sports broadcast when he criticized Favre’s connection to the welfare misspending case.

Favre’s lawyer, Amit Vora, told three 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges in New Orleans that the lawsuit should be revived, arguing that Sharpe accused Favre, who has not been charged with a crime, of theft.

Sharpe said during a September 2022 broadcast of the Fox Sports show “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed” that Favre was “taking from the underserved,” that he “stole money from people that really needed that money” and that someone would have to be a sorry person “to steal from the lowest of the low.”

“That’s actionable defamation, because that reasonable listener is taking the word steal literally and not figuratively,” Vora said.

Sharpe’s attorney, Joseph Terry, told the judges that Sharpe’s remarks were clearly an opinion offered when he was asked about a news report on the Mississippi welfare scandal and how the reports will affect Favre’s legacy.

“If you read his comments in context, it’s quite clear that he was expressing his opinions rhetorically,” Terry said.

The panel gave no indication when it would rule.

Mississippi State Auditor Shad White has said that from 2016 to 2019, the Mississippi Department of Human Services misspent more than $77 million from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program—funds intended to help some of the poorest people in the U.S.

Among White’s findings was that Favre improperly received $1.1 million in speaking fees from a nonprofit organization that spent TANF money with approval from the Department of Human Services. The money was to go toward a $5 million volleyball arena at The University of

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• With growing national division over President Joe Biden’s fitness to serve another four years, Mississippi Democratic Party leaders are rallying to support his bid for re-election. Meanwhile, state Republican leaders question both Biden’s ability to serve and his record.

President Joe Biden had what he called “a bad night” during the first presidential debate with his Republican rival, Donald Trump. In the aftermath, there have been calls from within the President’s own party for Biden to step aside.

As of Sunday, almost a dozen congressional Democrats have urged Biden to withdraw from the race.

Biden has resisted those calls, telling MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough during a live call-in on Monday that he’s “not going anywhere.” Despite the national rancor over Biden’s continued candidacy, Mississippi Democratic Party leaders are rallying to the President.

“This is not time to look for an alternate,” said Mississippi’s Democratic Party Chair Cheikh Taylor. “This is a time to dig down and make sure we have the right person in office and that is Joe Biden.”

Biden, at 81, is already the nation’s oldest serving president in history. He would be 86 upon the completion of a second term. Trump is not too far behind at 78. Either candidate would be the older person ever elected to the presidency if successful.

Taylor said he will support Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention set for August. Representative Zakiya Summers (D), who also serves as Treasurer of the Mississippi Democratic Party, plans to do the same.

“President Biden is our nominee and I’m looking forward to casting my vote for him in Chicago,” Summers told Magnolia Tribune. “All of these detractors need to cut it out and stop feeding into this narrative of him stepping down. It only serves as a distraction. The Mississippi Democratic Party is united and stands with President Biden.”

Republican Party leaders in Mississippi, including Governor Tate Reeves, don’t share their counterparts faith in Biden’s ability to serve another four years.

Reeves told Magnolia Tribune in a statement, “it’s clear that President Biden is no longer physically or mentally capable of being the most powerful person in the world. I’d tell him to step down now for the good of the country, but a Harris Administration would be an even bigger disaster.”

“President Trump is going to take back the White House in November regardless of who the Democrats put up. Republican governors have his back, and we look forward to helping him Make America Great Again,” Reeves said.

But state Democrats argue Trump is not a better option than Biden.

“We’re talking about a person whose opponent has 34 felonies that just seems to have gone unnoticed by the Republican Party,” Taylor elaborated. “We are also talking about the faith and soul of this country. I think that people need to be mature voters, and people have to look at the issues and policies that have been put out, more so than personal nuances.” 

“If you look at the side by side snapshot” between Biden and Trump “there is no question,” Taylor says. “Our economy has responded very well, crime is down across the nation and we have a president who is fit to lead us for the next four years.”

Mike Hurst, Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party pushed back on both Biden’s fitness for office and his record. Hurst told Magnolia Tribune that Biden’s administration has done nothing but run the country into the ground for the past three and a half years. He’s also concerned if Biden does choose to step aside. 

“If he is replaced, the talk is it would be Kamala Harris, and unfortunately for us as Americans, she would be no better than Biden and would only continue his terrible, disastrous policies,” Hurst stated.

Hurst also expressed concern about the lack of coverage concerning Biden’s mental fitness prior to the debate.

“I think the American people should be upset. Not only with this White House and the Democratic party, but also the media, who are refusing to report on his mental health and for gaslighting anyone who questioned his mental acuity.” Hurst added. “It has put us as citizens at risk, having someone completely asleep at the wheel of our country.”

To Hurst, those risks go further than this nation’s boundaries; he is also concerned about Biden’s impact on national security on the world stage. 

“You have to image that every enemy in this world who wants to do evil to us as a country are salivating that this man, who is not there in his mind, would be reelected for four more years,” Hurst said. “We can’t allow that to happen. I think right now the Republicans and Donald Trump have the momentum going into the November 5th election.”

Another debate is set for Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. Central. It will be hosted by ABC News.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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A controversial law preventing Mississippi’s treasury or public employees’ retirement system from investing in companies that boycott Israel or those of Jewish descent has been recertified.

Though Republican Gov. Tate Reeves etched his signature on Senate Bill 2226, which extends the Israel Support Act of 2019 for another three years, back in April with its implementation date set for July 1, a group of lawmakers gathered on Monday for a ceremonial signing.

Critics of the legislation, such as Emad Al-Turk, the co-founder of the International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson, argue that the law infringes on Mississippians’ constitutionally protected rights to free speech and peaceful resistance to a foreign government.

“If somebody wants to support Israel, they can support Israel. This is not about Israeli support. This is about curtailing Mississippians’ and Americans’ rights to freedom of speech, freedom of protest, and boycotting in a peaceful way,” Al-Turk told SuperTalk Mississippi News in March.

Proponents of the measure, including State Treasurer David McRae, believe that the law further cements Mississippi’s unequivocal support for Israel amid the nation’s ongoing conflict in Gaza. McRae also supports the notion of pushing back against any boycotts against Israeli companies as he finds that to be an act of antisemitism.

I was proud to join @tatereeves as he signed the Israel Support Act today. This bill combats the woke, anti-Israel “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions” movement and expands MS’s access to @israelbonds. We must stand with Israel against hate, antisemitism, and terrorism. ???????? ???????? pic.twitter.com/ITHnXTv7ch

— Treasurer David McRae (@DavidMcRaeMS) July 8, 2024

When the legislation was originally passed and signed by then-Gov. Phil Bryant, a section of the Department of Finance Authority’s website was created to keep a list of companies determined to be boycotting the Jewish State.

According to the state law, Mississippi companies are required to be given a 90-day written notice before being placed on the list, offering business owners the opportunity to prove they are not discriminating against the Middle Eastern nation.

“Are we really going to be boycotting people for expressing their opinions and expressing what groups they

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(AP) — Former President Donald Trump is getting back on the campaign trail Tuesday, rallying voters in his home state at his flagship golf resort in a celebratory mood as Democrats face tough calls over President Joe Biden’s reelection chances.

Trump is nearing a deadline to announce his running mate but appears in no rush as much of the attention is still centered on questions about Biden’s ability to govern for another four-year term. Some Democrats have started calling for Biden to step down as their presumptive nominee following his dismal debate performance last month.

Both Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, are at least two decades older than most American presidents have been, according to the Pew Research Center, which said the median age for all U.S. presidents on their first inauguration is 55 years old. But that has not stopped Trump from arguing he is stronger than Biden, who repeatedly stumbled, paused and could not complete sentences at times during the June 27 debate. 

Trump was criticized by Democrats for making false statements during the debate about the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and suggesting immigrants entering the U.S. illegally were taking so-called “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs.”

In an interview Monday with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, Trump said he thought Biden “might very well stay in” the race. “Nobody wants to give that up that way,” Trump added. “He is going to feel badly about himself for a long time. It’s hard to give it up that way, the way where they’re trying to force him out.”

In the Miami suburb of Doral, Trump will underscore his strong support in a former battleground state that has now shifted toward the GOP. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Miami native and one of the contenders for the vice presidential post, will be attending the rally along with other Florida politicians.

Kevin Cabrera, a Miami-Dade County commissioner who was Florida state director for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign and is set to speak at the rally, said to expect an “overwhelming show of unity.”

“The rally will display our unified front, showcasing a stark contrast to the Democrats, who are lost and fighting with each other over Biden’s health and ability to continue,” Cabrera said.

The presumptive GOP nominee will also touch on Biden’s handling of immigration and the economy, highlighting the rise in home prices and goods. Trump will also talk about how Florida is affected by the increasing arrivals of immigrants as the final destination for many people illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

The leadership crisis among Democrats has perhaps given Trump a reason to wait for his VP announcement so as to not draw attention away from Biden’s woes. Senior advisers and key allies say they still don’t know whom Trump will choose as his running mate, and many believe the choice is still in flux.

Speaking on MSNBC Monday, Biden criticized Trump for not having held events since the debate and suggested he had been “riding around in his golf cart.”

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(AP) — Former President Donald Trump is getting back on the campaign trail Tuesday, rallying voters in his home state at his flagship golf resort in a celebratory mood as Democrats face tough calls over President Joe Biden’s reelection chances.

Trump is nearing a deadline to announce his running mate but appears in no rush as much of the attention is still centered on questions about Biden’s ability to govern for another four-year term. Some Democrats have started calling for Biden to step down as their presumptive nominee following his dismal debate performance last month.

Both Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, are at least two decades older than most American presidents have been, according to the Pew Research Center, which said the median age for all U.S. presidents on their first inauguration is 55 years old. But that has not stopped Trump from arguing he is stronger than Biden, who repeatedly stumbled, paused and could not complete sentences at times during the June 27 debate. 

Trump was criticized by Democrats for making false statements during the debate about the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and suggesting immigrants entering the U.S. illegally were taking so-called “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs.”

In an interview Monday with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, Trump said he thought Biden “might very well stay in” the race. “Nobody wants to give that up that way,” Trump added. “He is going to feel badly about himself for a long time. It’s hard to give it up that way, the way where they’re trying to force him out.”

In the Miami suburb of Doral, Trump will underscore his strong support in a former battleground state that has now shifted toward the GOP. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Miami native and one of the contenders for the vice presidential post, will be attending the rally along with other Florida politicians.

Kevin Cabrera, a Miami-Dade County commissioner who was Florida state director for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign and is set to speak at the rally, said to expect an “overwhelming show of unity.”

“The rally will display our unified front, showcasing a stark contrast to the Democrats, who are lost and fighting with each other over Biden’s health and ability to continue,” Cabrera said.

The presumptive GOP nominee will also touch on Biden’s handling of immigration and the economy, highlighting the rise in home prices and goods. Trump will also talk about how Florida is affected by the increasing arrivals of immigrants as the final destination for many people illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

The leadership crisis among Democrats has perhaps given Trump a reason to wait for his VP announcement so as to not draw attention away from Biden’s woes. Senior advisers and key allies say they still don’t know whom Trump will choose as his running mate, and many believe the choice is still in flux.

Speaking on MSNBC Monday, Biden criticized Trump for not having held events since the debate and suggested he had been “riding around in his golf cart.”

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The White House would not say Monday why a neurologist with expertise in Parkinson’s disease, Dr. Kevin Cannard, visited the executive campus eight different times or who specifically the doctor was there to visit.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insinuated Cannard had traveled there to treat members of the military, telling reporters that “multiple neurologists” have traveled to the campus to treat the “thousands of military personnel,” many of whom “get care from the White House medical unit.”

Citing privacy concerns, Jean-Pierre declined, more than once, to say if the doctor’s visits to the White House were connected in any way to the treatment of President Biden, telling reporters she could not share information about any specialist “broadly from a dermatologist to a neurologist.”

Dr. Kevin Cannard’s Repeated Trips to the Executive Campus Stir Speculation

Late Monday evening, the White House finally offered an explanation in the form of a letter penned by Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician. He confirmed that Cannard visited campus and wrote that the Parkinson’s specialist “was the neurological specialist that examined President Biden for each of his annual physicals.”

The neurologist, O’Connor continued, provided care to a number of other patients beyond just the president. “Prior to the pandemic, and following its end, [Cannard] has held regular Neurology clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active-duty members assigned in support of White House operations,” Biden’s physician wrote. 

The visits only came to light because of publicly available visitor logs released by the White House. No such records exist, however, for the president’s private residence in Wilmington, Delaware, where Biden retreats nearly every weekend. He often arrives on a Friday and departs the following Monday. He has spent almost nine months of his presidency there, according to one recent analysis. His administration does not keep a record of visitors there. The residence remains effectively a black hole.

But the White House did say flatly that the president has not received medical care in Wilmington, far from the prying eyes of the press or the public. “He has not seen specialists in Delaware,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates told RealClearPolitics, adding only that “like past Presidents, he travels with a White House Medical Unit doctor.”

Press Secretary Hints at Medical Aid for Military Personnel

Increased scrutiny of the age and mental acuity of the president follows his disastrous debate in Atlanta, a halting performance that left members of his own party publicly questioning not just whether he can win the coming election but if he is physically up to the rigors of the presidency. “I think it’s a legitimate question to say, ‘Is this an episode, or is this a condition?’ And so, when people ask that question, it’s completely legitimate,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84, said of Biden, 81.

Those questions now haunt the White House. Complicating things is the president himself, who told Democratic governors on Friday that he had a medical exam after the debate, an admission that came less than 24 hours after his spokeswoman side-stepped questions about whether the president had been examined by a doctor. On Monday, Jean-Pierre said only that Biden had “a check-in” with a doctor. The White House maintains that the president had a cold and was jet-lagged the night of the debate. The president, for his part, told ABC News that he was “exhausted” and simply had “a bad night.”

Regardless of the explanation for his performance, the health of the president has subsequently reignited a debate over transparency.

The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Kentucky Rep. James Comer, demanded that Secret Service begin keeping a record of who visits him behind closed doors.

“President Biden said he’d have the most transparent administration in history,” Comer told RCP in a statement. “As President Biden’s mental state continues to decline, now is the time for him to put his money where his mouth is and be transparent with the American people.”

“He should immediately direct the Secret Service to keep visitor logs for his Wilmington residence so Americans know who he is meeting with when he travels there,” he continued.

The White House previously tangled with Comer after classified documents were discovered at the Biden family home. Visitor logs for the Wilmington residence don’t exist, said a spokesman for the White House Counsel’s Office, because it is a private residence.

“Like every president across decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal,” spokesman Ian Sams told the New York Times. “But upon taking office, President Biden restored the norm and tradition of keeping White House visitors’ logs, including publishing them regularly, after the previous administration ended them.”

Former President Trump ended that practice during his four years in office. He also did not disclose visitor logs for any of his private residences, such as Mar-a-Largo, an omission that triggered a lawsuit from the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

“It seems like we have the same problem here with Biden,” Richard Painter, the former ethics czar for the George W. Bush administration and CREW vice chair, told RCP. He added that the current president is not unique, noting that both Trump and Bush before him did not disclose visitors of their private residences. The names of anyone meeting the president on official business, or even making a personal visit, Painter said, should be disclosed: “He is the president, after all.”

The U.S. Secret Service has said previously that while they do not maintain visitor logs of private residences, they do screen visitors who meet with the President.

This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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The White House would not say Monday why a neurologist with expertise in Parkinson’s disease, Dr. Kevin Cannard, visited the executive campus eight different times or who specifically the doctor was there to visit.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insinuated Cannard had traveled there to treat members of the military, telling reporters that “multiple neurologists” have traveled to the campus to treat the “thousands of military personnel,” many of whom “get care from the White House medical unit.”

Citing privacy concerns, Jean-Pierre declined, more than once, to say if the doctor’s visits to the White House were connected in any way to the treatment of President Biden, telling reporters she could not share information about any specialist “broadly from a dermatologist to a neurologist.”

Dr. Kevin Cannard’s Repeated Trips to the Executive Campus Stir Speculation

Late Monday evening, the White House finally offered an explanation in the form of a letter penned by Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician. He confirmed that Cannard visited campus and wrote that the Parkinson’s specialist “was the neurological specialist that examined President Biden for each of his annual physicals.”

The neurologist, O’Connor continued, provided care to a number of other patients beyond just the president. “Prior to the pandemic, and following its end, [Cannard] has held regular Neurology clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active-duty members assigned in support of White House operations,” Biden’s physician wrote. 

The visits only came to light because of publicly available visitor logs released by the White House. No such records exist, however, for the president’s private residence in Wilmington, Delaware, where Biden retreats nearly every weekend. He often arrives on a Friday and departs the following Monday. He has spent almost nine months of his presidency there, according to one recent analysis. His administration does not keep a record of visitors there. The residence remains effectively a black hole.

But the White House did say flatly that the president has not received medical care in Wilmington, far from the prying eyes of the press or the public. “He has not seen specialists in Delaware,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates told RealClearPolitics, adding only that “like past Presidents, he travels with a White House Medical Unit doctor.”

Press Secretary Hints at Medical Aid for Military Personnel

Increased scrutiny of the age and mental acuity of the president follows his disastrous debate in Atlanta, a halting performance that left members of his own party publicly questioning not just whether he can win the coming election but if he is physically up to the rigors of the presidency. “I think it’s a legitimate question to say, ‘Is this an episode, or is this a condition?’ And so, when people ask that question, it’s completely legitimate,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84, said of Biden, 81.

Those questions now haunt the White House. Complicating things is the president himself, who told Democratic governors on Friday that he had a medical exam after the debate, an admission that came less than 24 hours after his spokeswoman side-stepped questions about whether the president had been examined by a doctor. On Monday, Jean-Pierre said only that Biden had “a check-in” with a doctor. The White House maintains that the president had a cold and was jet-lagged the night of the debate. The president, for his part, told ABC News that he was “exhausted” and simply had “a bad night.”

Regardless of the explanation for his performance, the health of the president has subsequently reignited a debate over transparency.

The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Kentucky Rep. James Comer, demanded that Secret Service begin keeping a record of who visits him behind closed doors.

“President Biden said he’d have the most transparent administration in history,” Comer told RCP in a statement. “As President Biden’s mental state continues to decline, now is the time for him to put his money where his mouth is and be transparent with the American people.”

“He should immediately direct the Secret Service to keep visitor logs for his Wilmington residence so Americans know who he is meeting with when he travels there,” he continued.

The White House previously tangled with Comer after classified documents were discovered at the Biden family home. Visitor logs for the Wilmington residence don’t exist, said a spokesman for the White House Counsel’s Office, because it is a private residence.

“Like every president across decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal,” spokesman Ian Sams told the New York Times. “But upon taking office, President Biden restored the norm and tradition of keeping White House visitors’ logs, including publishing them regularly, after the previous administration ended them.”

Former President Trump ended that practice during his four years in office. He also did not disclose visitor logs for any of his private residences, such as Mar-a-Largo, an omission that triggered a lawsuit from the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

“It seems like we have the same problem here with Biden,” Richard Painter, the former ethics czar for the George W. Bush administration and CREW vice chair, told RCP. He added that the current president is not unique, noting that both Trump and Bush before him did not disclose visitors of their private residences. The names of anyone meeting the president on official business, or even making a personal visit, Painter said, should be disclosed: “He is the president, after all.”

The U.S. Secret Service has said previously that while they do not maintain visitor logs of private residences, they do screen visitors who meet with the President.

This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Following Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann announcing plans to tackle chronic absenteeism next legislative session, State Auditor Shad White has released a report on the impact children missing school for long periods of time has on the state.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing more than 18 days of the school year, or 10%, for any reason including excused absences, unexcused absences, and suspensions in K-12 schools. It has skyrocketed across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the state auditor, in 2019, Mississippi compared favorably to its border states with a 14% chronic absentee rate. However, by 2023, Mississippi outpaced its border states with a 24.7% chronic absentee rate — a drastic increase.

White said students who are chronically absent have an increased chance of dropping out of school, which he contends leads to a higher likelihood of getting arrested or relying on social services later in life. Analysts estimate that the number of students who were chronically absent before dropping out of school in academic year 2023 alone will cost the Mississippi economy $550 million over time.

As Hosemann offered some of his proposals to keep children in the classroom, White also weighed in on measures the legislature can take to combat the state’s high chronic absenteeism rate.

Alter Mississippi’s School Accountability Ratings to include attendance Pass laws that link driver’s license privileges to school attendance Reorganize and hire more school attendance officers

“Kids need to be in school,” White said. “We pump a ton of taxpayer money into our K-12 school system, but it does no good if the students’ tails are not in the seats. Now is the time to address this before the problem gets worse.”

The state auditor’s full report can be found here.

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