Texts: Favre also sought welfare money for football facility
New court documents show retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre texted the Mississippi governor in 2019 to ask about getting money from the state’s welfare agency to build an indoor practice facility for the University of Southern Mississippi’s football team. The governor at the time, Republican Phil Bryant, texted back to tell Favre that federal money for children and low-income adults is “tightly controlled” and “improper use could result in violation of Federal Law.” This happened two years after the director of the state Department of Human Services committed welfare money to a volleyball arena that was Favre’s pet project. Court documents were filed Friday by attorneys for the former governor.
Tropical Storm Ian could hit Florida as a major hurricane
Tropical Storm Ian strengthened Sunday and was expected to become a hurricane near western Cuba before threatening Florida as a major hurricane this week, forecasters said. Forecasters said Ian, which was about 430 miles southeast of Cuba as of Sunday night, was expected to become a hurricane Monday and a major hurricane Tuesday. The storm was expected to strengthen rapidly Monday and Tuesday. “Ian is going to be a large and powerful hurricane in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and spread its impacts over a large portion of the Florida Peninsula,” Jamie Rhome, acting director of the National Hurricane Center, said in a briefing Sunday.
Police: Man arrested in California plotted mass shooting
Authorities say a man has been arrested in Northern California on suspicion of threatening to kill police officers and planning a “Las Vegas -style” mass shooting. The 37-year-old suspect was taken into custody by SWAT officers Sunday at a Super 8 motel in Chico after detectives obtained evidence of his plot. After his arrest, police say, the suspect threatened to kill additional officers and their families, and he battered an officer with a table during the interview process. The man could face charges including making criminal threats and battery on a peace officer. He was held without bail at Butte County Jail.
Rihanna to perform at Super Bowl halftime
Rihanna will perform at the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12 as the NFL enters the first year of a new deal with Apple Music as primary sponsor of the halftime show, replacing Pepsi. It is the first scheduled return to the stage for an artist who last performed publicly at the Grammy Awards in early 2018 and whose most recent solo album, “Anti,” was released in January 2016. “We’re excited to partner with Rihanna, Roc Nation and the NFL to bring music and sports fans a momentous show,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats.
Russia begins mobilizing Ukrainians to fight against their own country
In the occupied city of Kherson, some Ukrainian men believe that if they break their own arms, maybe the Russians will not force them into military service. Others are hiding in basements. Some are trying to run even though they are forbidden from leaving the city, residents said, and virtually everyone is afraid. As the Kremlin’s conscription drive faced protests across Russia for a fifth day, new signs of resistance, and fear, emerged Sunday in the territories it occupies in Ukraine as well.
Canada mobilizes military to help towns slammed by Fiona
Canadian officials Sunday mobilized the military to help eastern Canada after what forecasters called “a historic storm” slammed coastal towns, washing away entire homes and blocking roads in Nova Scotia. Waves about 40 feet or higher hit the eastern shore of Nova Scotia and southwestern Newfoundland, forecasters said. The storm covered playgrounds in water, ripped coastal houses from their foundations and knocked over large trees. A 73-year-old woman was killed after her residence was swept away by the storm, police said, while another person who was reported to have been swept into the ocean was rescued.
Cuba holds unusual vote on law allowing same-sex marriage
Cuba is holding a rare referendum on an unusually contentious law — a government-backed code that would allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt. It also outlines the rights of children and grandparents and tries to protect against gender violence. The code of more than 400 articles has been questioned by many members of the island’s increasingly vocal evangelical community. President Miguel Díaz-Canel has promoted the law but acknowledged Sunday that “it still has issues that our society as a whole does not understand.”
By wire sources