This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
Good morning, Winners. Welcome to the Morning Win. Thanks for reading today. We appreciate you for giving us your time.
Four years ago, we learned that Brett Favre, Phil Bryant, the former governor of Mississippi, and some of their associates siphoned millions of taxpayer dollars meant to go to the neediest folks in the state directly into their own pockets and to their own causes.
We only learned about this because of the excellent, Pulitzer-winning reporting by Anna Wolfe and the nonprofit news outlet Mississippi Today.
As of today, Wolfe is the only one being threatened with jail time because of the story, ESPN’s Mark Fainaru-Wada reports.
MORE ON FAVRE: Brett Favre should be ashamed of himself for stealing from the (then) poorest state in the nation
Wolfe and Mississippi Today are under legal fire because of a defamation lawsuit filed by Bryant. The crux of the lawsuit isn’t the original reporting done by Wolfe and Mississippi Today.
Instead, it’s a statement made by the new outlet’s CEO, Mary Margaret White. She appeared on a panel at a national conference and spoke about the story.
She said: “We’re the newsroom that broke the story about $77 million in welfare funds, intended for the poorest people in the poorest state in the nation, being embezzled by a former governor and all his bureaucratic cronies and used on pet projects like a state-of-the-art volleyball stadium at Brett Favre’s alma mater.”
All of that sounds great. But here’s the problem: Wolfe’s reporting never suggested Bryant embezzled money. The former governor also denied any wrongdoing. So, technically, this was White levying charges against Bryant that were never filed. That’s where this lawsuit begins.
White issued an apology, but it didn’t matter. Now, Bryant is doing his best to rake Mississippi Today over the coals and completely nix the organization using Mississippi’s legal system.
And, unfortunately, it’s working.
A state court judge ordered Mississippi Today to turn over all of Wolfe’s notes, emails and sources used to produce the story on Bryant. Wolfe and her boss, Adam Ganucheau, have refused to give them. Now, Bryant is demanding they be held in contempt of court.
Bryant’s suit gives Wolfe and Mississippi Today an impossible choice to make. The first choice is to refuse to give up their sources — which is the route Wolfe is taking — and face potential jail time, at worse, or hefty fines at best. The second choice for Wolfe and Mississippi Today is to give up the sources and materials and never be trusted by a whistleblower again.
Either way, Bryant is getting what he wants, which is the destruction of Mississippi Today.
ESPN’s Fainaru-Wada reports the case has already taken a hefty financial toll on the publication. It’s used $500,000 of a $1 million insurance policy to cover legal fees, and there’s a chance this case will leak into 2025. The publication’s annual budget is only $2 million, most of which is used to pay reporters and editors.
This is a systematic dismantling of a local news outlet. There’s no other way to describe it.
What’s most appalling is that this is only happening because Wolfe and Mississippi Today were doing their jobs. They were holding the most powerful people in the community accountable for wrongdoings against their people. And, now, they’re the only ones facing any consequences.
It’s shameful, but it’s hardly surprising. Mississippi is historically one of the worst states when it comes to freedom of the press. It’s one of eight states with no shield law protecting reporters from revealing their sources in court. As Mississippi Today editor in chief Adam Ganacheau wrote in The New York Times in June, the state is writing the playbook to dismantle a free press.
Mississippi Today is appealing the judge’s decision with the Mississippi Supreme Court, arguing that the order is unconstitutional. But, Ganacheau writes, the appeal is “politically perilous,” with four of the court’s justices having been appointed by the former governor himself.
No decisions have been made yet, but the situation undoubtedly feels bleak. This is a crucial moment in American history, with potential precedents being set for future cases just like this one. The state would be making an example out of Mississippi Today.
Should Bryant prevail in this case, corruption would win the day. There’s no other way to put it. We should not let that happen.
Sweeps galore in the WNBA
Pull the brooms out, folks. The first round is officially over after we were handed two more sweeps in the WNBA last night.
- First, the Sun ground the Fever into dust. Collectively, Indiana shot a putrid 26.7 percent from deep (8 of 30) and turned the ball over 13 times against Connecticut, who were buoyed by Alyssa Thomas’ 19 points and 13 assists on the night.
- Then, Naphessa Collier destroyed the Phoenix Mercury with a 42-point masterpiece. She scored well from every level of the floor. There was nothing Phoenix could do to stop her. They simply didn’t have anyone capable of guarding her. Now, their season is over.
With that, the WNBA semifinals are officially here. The top four teams in the league have advanced. On one side of the bracket, we get a WNBA Finals rematch between the Aces and Liberty. On the other side, two juggernauts in the Lynx and Sun will go head-to-head.
The real show starts now, folks. Buckle in.
It’s been quite the ride, DT
With the Mercury officially being eliminated from the playoffs, that might be the last time we see Diana Taurasi on a WNBA floor.
She hasn’t officially announced her future in the league, but the signs are there. She’s an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Mercury are tweeting like this is the end, which, I guess it would be either way for that team. Even Nike is getting in on the whole “if this is it” thing.
In all likelihood, Taurasi will probably retire. She’s 42 years old! She’s also very clearly not the player she once was, as incredible as she still can be at times. There’s no better time to walk away from the game than right now.
She’s the league’s all-time leader in points by quite a bit, with 10,646. She’s a three-time WNBA champion and a five-time (!!!) Olympic gold medalist. She has nothing left to prove to anyone. She’s accomplished everything.
Thanks for all the moments, DT. We’ll cherish them forever, whether this is truly it or not.
YOU HAVE TO READ THIS: DT going out with a technical foul is the most DT thing ever.
Quick hits: Is Derrick Rose a Hall of Famer? … Week 4 NFL Player Props … and more
— Charles Curtis asks if Derrick Rose is a Hall of Famer. There’s a case on both sides.
— Here’s Prince Grimes with player prop bets for Week 4 in the NFL.
— Caitlin Clark’s offseason starts today and she’s (jokingly) taking up golf.
— Cory Woodroof has 10 NFL free agents who can help teams after three games, including Ryan Tannehill.
— The Mets and Braves series was postponed because of Hurricane Helene. Andrew Joseph has the details.
— Here’s Mitchell Northam with CFB watchability rankings for Week 5
That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for reading. We appreciate you. Have a fantastic Thursday.
-Sykes ✌️