Tag: poorest

The nation’s poorest state used welfare cash to pay Brett Favre for speeches he by no means made

The nation’s poorest state used welfare cash to pay Brett Favre for speeches he by no means made

 September 2, 2022  Posted in business news
Brett Favre earned almost $140 million as a star NFL quarterback over twenty years and thousands and thousands extra in product endorsements.However that did not cease the state of Mississippi from paying Favre $1.1 million in 2017 and 2018 to make motivational speeches — out of federal welfare funds supposed for needy households. The Mississippi state auditor stated Favre by no means gave the speeches and demanded the cash again, with curiosity.Favre has repaid the charges, though not the $228,000 in curiosity the auditor additionally demanded. However the revelation by the auditor that $70 million in TANF welfare funds was doled out to a multimillionaire athlete, knowledgeable wrestler, a horse farm and a volleyball advanced are on the coronary heart of a scandal that has rocked the nation's poorest state, sparking parallel state and federal legal investigations which have led to prices and responsible pleas involving a few of the key gamers.Favre hasn't been accused of against the law or charged, and he declined an interview. His lawyer, Bud Holmes, stated he did nothing fallacious and by no means understood he was paid with cash supposed to assist poor kids. Holmes acknowledged that Favre had been questioned by the FBI within the case, a proven fact that hasn't beforehand been reported.The saga, which has been boiling at low grade for 2½ years, drew new consideration in July, when the state welfare company fired a lawyer who had been employed to claw again a few of the cash, simply after he issued a subpoena looking for extra details about the roles of Favre and the previous governor, Phil Bryant, a Republican. The present governor, Republican Tate Reeves, acknowledged taking part in a task within the resolution to sack Brad Pigott, accusing the previous Invoice Clinton-appointed U.S. legal professional of getting a political agenda. However the state official who first uncovered the misspending and fraud, auditor Shad White, is a Republican.In his first tv interview since he was fired, Pigott stated his solely agenda was to get on the reality and to recoup U.S. taxpayer funds despatched to Mississippi that he says had been "squandered.""The notion of tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} that was supposed by the nation to go to the alleviation of poverty — and to see it going towards very totally different functions — was appalling to many people," he stated. "Mr. Favre was a really nice quarterback, however having been an important NFL quarterback, he's not nicely acquainted with poverty." Pigott, who earlier than he was fired sued on behalf of Mississippi's welfare company, naming Favre and 37 different grant recipients, laid final blame on the ft of prime Mississippi politicians, together with Bryant."Governor Bryant gave tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} of this TANF welfare cash to a nonprofit led by an individual who he knew nicely and who had extra connections along with his political celebration than with the great individuals in Mississippi who've the center and the abilities to really cajole individuals out of poverty or forestall teenage pregnancies," he stated.In an interview with Mississippi Immediately, Bryant stated he by no means knew the grants got here from welfare cash. His lawyer did not reply to requests for remark.The particular person in control of the nonprofit group Pigott was referring to is Nancy New, an in depth good friend of Bryant's spouse. New and her son have pleaded responsible to state and federal prices and agreed to cooperate. New, a key participant in doling out the cash, stated in a courtroom doc that Bryant was amongst these concerned in directing the transactions. Her lawyer declined to remark.The former head of the state welfare company, John Davis, has pleaded not responsible to state prices of bribery and conspiracy, and regulation enforcement officers say the investigations proceed.Favre defended himself in a collection of tweets final 12 months in opposition to prices from state auditor White that he accepted state cash for speeches he by no means supposed to present."I might by no means knowingly take funds meant to assist our neighbors in want, however for Shad White to proceed to push out this lie that the cash was for no-show occasions is one thing I can't keep silent about," Favre tweeted.The speeches aren't the one welfare grants tied to Favre. Textual content messages obtained by the web site Mississippi Immediately and authenticated by Pigott present that Favre sought a $3.2 million grant to a drug firm through which he was a shareholder and a $5 million award that constructed a volleyball area on the College of Southern Mississippi, the place his daughter performed the game and the place he performed soccer. Favre's lawyer declined to remark.The drug firm, Prevacus, was touting remedies to mitigate the consequences of concussions, though none had been permitted by the Meals and Drug Administration. In some texts, Favre urged awarding shares within the drug firm to Bryant whereas he was governor."Do not know if authorized or not however we'd like lower him in," Favre texted an organization official in November 2018, referring to Bryant. Following up three days later, Favre wrote, "Additionally if authorized I will give a few of my shares to the Governor."Bryant has stated he by no means would have accepted such a proposal."All of it stays fairly a thriller," Pigott informed NBC Information, "as to why Mr. Favre would get the good thing about thousands and thousands of {dollars} in TANF welfare cash, each for a price for speeches he did not make, $2 million-plus to go to an organization through which he was the most important exterior particular person investor and $5 million for his alma mater to play volleyball in a volleyball constructing."The state auditor stated he discovered different "no present" contracts benefiting former professional athletes and members of the family of Davis, the welfare company director.The auditor stated Davis directed one contract to Austin Smith, his nephew, who was paid greater than $400,000 to supply "coding abilities" lessons though prosecutors allege he had no such abilities "and didn't know how you can train."Not less than $3 million went to Ted DiBiase, a retired skilled wrestler. Marcus Dupree,...
In poorest international locations, every COVID-19 dying estimated to lead to 1.56 orphans — vs 0.09 orphans in high-GDP international locations — ScienceDaily

In poorest international locations, every COVID-19 dying estimated to lead to 1.56 orphans — vs 0.09 orphans in high-GDP international locations — ScienceDaily

 August 31, 2022  Posted in Health & Fitness
The danger of youngsters being orphaned per COVID-19 dying is highest within the poorest international locations and people the place folks of reproductive age have the best charges of non-communicable ailments, based on a brand new examine printed this week within the open-access journal PLOS International Public Well being by Callum Lowe of Australian Nationwide College and colleagues. Because of the increased COVID-19 mortality danger amongst adults than kids, and the propensity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to shortly unfold all through a family, there may be the chance that kids will survive a COVID-19 an infection whereas their mother and father or caregivers is not going to. In this examine, the researchers used a beforehand developed COVID-19 orphanhood calculator to foretell the entire orphans per COVID-19 dying for 139 international locations. The calculator built-in data on fertility charges and pandemic mortality by age and intercourse. Information on different elements, together with vaccine protection and sociodemographics was additionally obtainable on the nation degree. The workforce discovered that the chance of orphaned kids (those that have misplaced at the very least certainly one of their mother and father or caregivers) was a lot increased in international locations under median GDP per capita (1.56 orphans per COVID-19 dying) in comparison with international locations above median GDP (0.09 orphans per dying). The elevated danger of orphans was particularly related to higher poverty prevalence (B = 2.32, p<0.01), decrease GDP per capita (B = -0.23, p<0.05), and the next proportion of individuals with non-communicative ailments who're between the ages of 15 and 49 (B = 1.46, p<0.0001). In virtually all world areas, it was additionally related to decrease vaccination protection. The authors conclude that on account of pre-existing well being and vaccine protection inequity, extra kids will endure the lack of their mother and father on account of COVID-19 in poorer international locations. The authors add: "COVID-19 has unfold to virtually each nation on the globe, however the danger of youngsters being orphaned on account of COVID-19 is increased in poorer international locations. Infairness in entry to COVID-19 vaccines will bolster this concern additional." Story Supply: Supplies supplied by PLOS. Observe: Content material could also be edited for fashion and size.