Congress has announced a formal investigation into how Mississippi is spending billions in federal infrastructure money, with a particular focus on how the State plans to use those funds to address the City of Jackson’s water problems.
In the wake of recent disclosures of texts related to Mississippi’s welfare scandal, retired NFL star Brett Favre has hired Eric D. Herschmann, an Austin, Texas-based attorney who served as a lawyer for former President Donald Trump. Herschmann will represent Favre amid the ongoing investigations and civil suit over what State Auditor and Hinds County District Jody Owens called the largest welfare-fraud scandal in Mississippi history when they announced their investigation in February 2020.
Jackson officials have estimated that the cost to fully repair the many issues afflicting the capital city’s dilapidated water infrastructure could cost well over $1 billion.
Congressman Bennie Thompson is seeking up to $200 million in direct federal funding for the City of Jackson to address its beleaguered water system, potentially bypassing the State of Mississippi entirely.
For the first time in recent memory, virtually all stakeholders in the future of Mississippi’s capital city came together Wednesday to discuss the Jackson water crisis that has left more than 160,000 residents without clean water for over a month.
The State of Mississippi is now in talks with a private company about managing its capital city’s struggling water system, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba said during a press conference Tuesday. The City of Jackson was also in discussions with the company before the State took over, he added.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced “significant” improvements in the City of Jackson’s water system on Labor Day while telling reporters he is open to numerous long-term solutions, including leasing its management to a private company.
The FBI has interviewed retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre regarding the Mississippi welfare scandal that saw over $77 million in Temporary Assistance For Needy Families Funds doled out to fund pet projects and sports celebrities—including Favre himself, NBC reports.
Hundreds of thousands of Mississippians who received federal student loans could have their debt eliminated or significantly reduced under an executive order President Joe Biden announced Wednesday. The plan cancels up to $10,000 in federal student-loan debt for lower and middle-class Mississippians, or up to $20,000 for those who received Pell Grants.
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