New Orleans – Spring 1982. Sixteen seconds within the NCAA final and a skinny newcomer from North Carolina buries a jumper who delivers a championship and changes his life.

This week he appeared in New Orleans as Mike Jordan. He went as Michael.

At that point was the extensive steel constructing, which was used to the stage for Jordan's arrival within the national awareness of seven-year-old Louisiana Superdome-Zur's cancellation of the theater in his partitions. In November 1980, when the seconds at the top of the eighth round of the world championship on the planet weight were adopted, boxer Roberto Durán, who fed up, waved the ring across the ring, the referee along with his glove and stumbled to his corner. “No Más, no Más,” murmured Durán. It was the primary time that a world champion had voluntarily granted the title in 16 years.

Two years earlier, the identical stadium experienced the last of Muhammad Alis 56 Professional victory, a unanimous decision about Leon Spinks, which took back the WBA heavyweight title.

Pete Maravich initiated the break here. Keith Smarts Springer won the title here. Chris Webber called a break that he didn't have here.

In 1978 the venue was in the primary Prime Time Super Bowl. Thirty -five years later the lights went out in one other. Tom Brady won his first here; Bradys Idol, Joe Montana, won his last one.

In 1981 the Rolling Stones appeared before 87,500 – then a record amount for an indoor concert. The Pope visited. President too.

But for local New Orleanians, nothing will match with the night with Steve Gleason's blocked punt that a city felt completely.

Not after the devastation when hurricane Katrina landed on August 29, 2005. When the dikes broke and the communities flooded, the superdome became “refuge of the last decision” for displaced residents. Thousands that were packed inside and don't turn anywhere else. The installation failed. The air-con failed. Böslike winds are peeled by parts of the roof. Pooled urine on the ground. Blood coloured the partitions. According to reports, a person was reported to death from a stadium balcony.

A city remained up so far, the residents of which were scarred, its legendary stadium.

The superdome was restored twelve months later, and with it New Orleans. Doug Thornton, Executive President of ASM Global, the corporate that operates the stadium, watched the Saints fans through the goals on the night of the house opening. “They never thought they would come back,” he says now.

What followed was such a symbolic moment that the team built a statue to remind them.

After Gleason had forced the Atlanta Falcons right into a threesome for the primary possession of the sport, he turned out to dam a punt attempt by Michael Koenen. Curtis Deloatch, team -mate of Saints, recovered the ball when he rolled into the top zone for a touchdown in New Orleans that began a Catharical celebration. “I've never been to a louder stadium,” Mike Tico from Espn later told NFL movies.

The eighth super bowl of the superdome arrives on Sunday; No other stadium has organized greater than six. It is proof of the rarest American sports event locations that, despite a wide range of aspects that fight against its longevity, passed the test of the times, including architectural progress and the worst nature that mother has to supply nature. In addition, fewer and fewer NFL franchise corporations are calling home in town center in the midst of the era of multibillion dollars.

The saints still do it. And so New Orleans prefers it.

“I spent half of my life in this building,” says Thornton, whose office has been within the lateral Caesar's superdome. “We have all the time joked that New Orleans considered the superdome as his lounge. Here we watch our kids complete the highschool. Here we come together for Saints Games. For Monster Truck Rallyes. For all of those important events, we organize yearly just like the Sugar Bowl.

“People simply worship this place.”

Macie Washington tends a bar with walk-on a couple of blocks from the stadium. New Orleans without superdomes? The thought stays in mind for a couple of moments. It becomes calm. She never considered it.

“Everything that happens in the dome, we feel it here,” she says. “It is the heart of our city.”

Consider similar venues that were inbuilt the identical time, during a brand new wave of American ingenuity: Houston's astrodomas (opened in 1965, closed in 2008), Detroits Pontiac Silverdomen (opened in 1975, 2013); Seattle's Kingdome (opened in 1976, closed in 2000); Minneapolis' metrodomas (opened in 1982, 2013), RCA Dome of Indianapolis (opened in 1984, 2008). All aside from the astrodoma were destroyed.

The superdome continues to be standing and because of the recently 557 million US dollar, which was distributed in 4 NFL games, could have a distinct look in response to Super Bowl -Lix. According to Jay Cicero, President and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, greater than 100 million US dollars got here directly from Saints owner Gayle Benson. “If this is not proof that you want to stay, I don't know what it is.”

Cicero doesn’t mean staying in New Orleans. He thinks he is classed within the superdome.

“Continue to plan and finance renovations in the stadium instead of tearing it off and building a new one from scratch?” Cicero continues. “That only suggests how important it is for New Orleanians.”

According to Thornton, the unique price for the constructing in 1967 was around 42 million US dollars. But after his lengthy unveiling from 1975, the prices had risen to $ 160 million. It was a way to an end. The city wanted an NFL franchise. Legende has long -time league commissioner Pete Rozelle to New Orleans businessman Dave Dixon, who cited the advance -that his city could have a team so long as she fulfilled a critical condition.

“It is better to build a stadium with a roof because of all the thunderstorms,” ​​said Rozelle.

Dixon obliged. Louisiana built the biggest arched stadium within the country. The constructing comprises 13 square meters. At its top, the roof is 273 feet from the ground. “Two million square foot under the roof”, splendidly Thornton. “When it opened, it was twice as big as the astrodom.”

It can also be the fifth oldest energetic stadium of the NFL and can go to fourth place after the invoices have left the Highmark Stadium in the approaching years (and third if the bears ever leave the soldier's field). The recent renovations, which were stimulated by Benson and the Saints organization, have modernized the power and opened the concours for easier movements.

“It looks more like a night club compared to a Colosseum,” added Sam Joffray, who spent 25 years on the Grean New Orleans Sports Foundation and designed the primary website of the stadium within the mid -nineties. “It is a pretty amazing example of what can happen if you invest again in an event location instead of tearing it off.”

A message can be plastered throughout town this week, and the Beads volunteers are distributed on the airport until the signs of Ernest N. Morial Convention Center :. New Orleans is happy with its ability to arrange major events, and in the middle of the colossal stadium – a brief walk from almost all over the place in town center – modified the potential of town from the time when it opened.

“The superdome brought New Orleans to the menu,” says Thornton. “Before it was built, our main industries were oil, gas and shipping. Now our main industries are tourism, oil and gas and shipping.

“I'm always joking,” he continues.

Like Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field in Chicago and the Madison Square Garden in New York, the superdome has established a unique intimate relationship with a city and its residents. “We are not the largest market in the world. We are actually quite small compared to most NFL cities, ”says Cicero. “But we will fight for these major events and organize these major events, and it starts with a very amazing, amazing venue. The superdome is just a part of the material of New Orleans. “

Therefore, the saints have no interest in finding a new home.

That is why the Super Bowl always finds in New Orleans.

“This community has such a technique to stamp it,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at the beginning of this week when he was asked why the Big Easy stays such a constant player in the Super Bowl rotation of the league. “I think the people here wrap their arms and do it better. I think we found that this is a place that is perfect for the Super Bowl. “

The athlete

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – 23XI Racing co-owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin began NASCAR championship week by facing the sanctioning body in federal court.

23XI, which together with Front Row Motorsports is suing NASCAR and its CEO Jim France for antitrust violations, had its first in-person showdown with NASCAR within the courtroom during a hearing Monday on a motion for a preliminary injunction.

On the fifth floor of the federal courthouse in Charlotte, the team's attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, engaged in a heated, sometimes contentious hearing with NASCAR attorney Chris Yates. At stake is a clause in NASCAR's 2025 charter agreement with teams that doesn't allow them to take legal motion. 23XI and FRM asked Judge Frank Whitney to waive this clause and permit them to sign the agreements in order that they can proceed racing, either as charter teams or as “open” non-charter teams.

“We literally cannot practice our profession at all without signing this declaration,” Kessler said.

23XI Racing co-owners Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin and Curtis Polk, in addition to Bob Jenkins and Jerry Freeze of Front Row Motorsports, enter federal court for today's injunction hearing. pic.twitter.com/hXNJaecFFW

— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) November 4, 2024

Teams are hoping Whitney will each waive the clause and restore the unique charter offer that NASCAR had on the table on Sept. 6 when 13 owners signed it. DocuSign originally had a Nov. 5 deadline, Kessler said, but NASCAR has now withdrawn it.

Yates said NASCAR now not desired to enter right into a charter agreement with the teams after they publicly disparaged NASCAR.

“They have called NASCAR a series of names that undermine NASCAR’s brand and goodwill,” Yates said. “NASCAR only wants to enter into charter agreements with teams that want to work together to grow the sport.”

Yates added that the teams had launched a “frontal attack on the charter system” and argued that NASCAR shouldn’t be a monopoly for several reasons, including the provision of 128 other tracks that host stock cars within the United States along with the 26 Cup venues. could race within the series.

He also said the owners could decide to do something else with their company besides running a NASCAR team, corresponding to “buying another NBA team,” a reference to Jordan's previous ownership of the Charlotte Hornets. But Kessler said suggesting that 23XI and FRM suddenly change their business model, even to a special racing series, could be like asking a football player to grow to be a baseball player.

Jordan spent much of Yates' arguments leaning forward attentively from his seat within the front row of the courtroom, sometimes with a smile and sometimes with a hand to his chin.

Michael Jordan after the hearing: pic.twitter.com/2L4MQFmsxj

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) November 4, 2024

Yates said racing teams would receive about half of all TV revenue under the 2025 charter agreement and that the worst-performing charter team would receive a 50 percent increase in payouts under the present agreement.

He said NASCAR is contractually obligated to notify teams of next season's funding by Nov. 1, which is why NASCAR has reduced the number to 32 charters and has no plans to re-offer 23XI and FRM their existing 4 combined charters. Charters offer guaranteed entry into every Cup Series race in addition to the next share of race winnings. Yates claimed the teams asked the judge to force NASCAR right into a seven- to 14-year contract by rewriting the contract “to their preferred terms.”

“They are trying to force NASCAR into an unwanted charter relationship,” he said.

Kessler denied this, saying the teams just wanted the judge to waive the clause at some stage in this case, adding: “Hopefully it doesn't take 14 years.”

Yates also said the teams' claim that many house owners were forced to sign the brand new agreement on Sept. 6 is fake because team owners like Roger Penske, Rick Hendrick and Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs should not the kind being pushed around by individuals who try this. He also quoted Hendrick and owner Justin Marks as saying they were glad with the terms of the brand new charter agreement.

At one point, Kessler said loudly that Yates was “making up facts” and “misrepresenting” the team's case to mislead the judge. Kessler rephrased the teams' demands “so that even (Yates) can understand it.”

Yates replied, “We disagree on almost everything he argues.”

Kessler also revealed that 23XI's driver contract with Tyler Reddick would allow the driving force to depart as a free agent if 23XI didn’t have a charter for him together with the team's sponsors.

Reddick is considered one of 4 drivers battling for the NASCAR Cup Series championship Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Before the hearing, Whitney told those in attendance that he hadn't seen his courtroom this full “in several years,” adding, “I also feel like I have two full law offices ahead of me.”

Whitney initially seemed skeptical of Kessler's claims but was more open to Yates' arguments, but Kessler's rebuttals led to each side being on equal terms.

The judge praised each lawyers for his or her “extraordinary” and “very excellent arguments” and said he would issue a written decision by Friday.

Both sides were satisfied afterwards. Although NASCAR made no comment, France turned and winked at senior advisor Mike Helton within the row behind him.

And Jordan told reporters outside the courtroom that Kessler “did an incredible job today.”

“I put all my cards on the table,” Jordan said. “I think we managed that well. But I’m looking forward to winning the championship this weekend.”

Required reading

When Michael Jackson died in 2009, he left behind an advanced legacy. But one thing stays true: The King of Pop's music still generates thousands and thousands of dollars yearly. Jackson biopic is predicted for 2025, and “MJ,” his Broadway show, has brought his music to theaters worldwide.

But despite the continued success of Jackson's music, his estate has been in limbo for greater than a decade. This is as a consequence of a long-term tax dispute concerning greater than 700 million US dollars allegedly owed to the IRS, and other legal challenges.

The latest development within the saga got here on August 21, 2024, when a California appeals court approved a $600 million sale of assets proposed by Jackson's estate.

As Law Professors We are lecturers on trust and estate matters and imagine that Michael Jackson's estate can function a lesson to anyone desirous about making a will – even in the event that they don't have the King of Pop's fortune.

The mother and the multinational corporation

When Jackson signed his will In 2002, he left almost every little thing to his children in the shape of a trust; his mother has a small share during their lifetime.

His may also contained a general provision giving his executors—the people managing his estate—the ability to sell the estate's assets “on such terms as the executors think best.” The proceeds from the sale would then be distributed to his children.

In February 2024, Jackson’s executors negotiated what the New York Times called “Blockbuster deal“ to sell a good portion of Jackson’s music catalog to a three way partnership with Sony for $600 million.

Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, nevertheless, objected, amongst other things because, because the court explained, “Michael had told family members before his death that the assets should never be sold.

But in mid-August, a California appeals court dismissed Katherine Jackson’s lawsuit in a final decision which approved the planned sale.

Legal requirements for a sound will

Although it is not uncommon for people to casually discuss their estate planning with family and friends, these wishes are usually not legally enforceable unless they’re captured in a sound will, trust, deed or contract.

In most states including California In Jackson's case, a will normally needed to be in writing and signed by the creator – referred to as the “testator” – and two witnesses who observed the testator signing the desire.

These requirements allow courts to differentiate early drafts and memos from the ultimate version that the testator intends to put in force after his death. These rules also force testators to retain reliable evidence of their estate planning, which is helpful in Probate proceedings which occur in court after the death of the testator.

Interpretation of the desire text

When the meaning of a will is unclear, courts let witnesses testify about how the text needs to be interpreted. Katherine Jackson offered such testimony, arguing that when Michael gave his “entire estate” to his trust, he intended that the trust should receive the estate's assets largely in the identical form as they existed when Michael died.

According to Katherine, Michael wanted to provide the Trust his music catalogue, not the proceeds from the sale of his music catalogue, nor partial management rights to that catalogue.

However, the court disagreed with Katherine's interpretation because Michael's will gave his executors broad powers even through the administration of the estate. The court explained that the trust would receive distributions from the estate, however the executors “Power of attorney to sell real estate“ while managing the property.

The executor’s authority to sell estate items

In estate planning, the importance of executor's powers is commonly missed because they’re amongst essentially the most technical terms in a will. But the dispute over Jackson's estate shows that executor's powers can play a crucial role in estate administration.

Estate planning attorneys typically advise their clients to provide the executor broad powers to purchase and sell estate assets through the execution of the desire in order that the executor doesn’t must waste money and time obtaining court approvals for routine transactions.

Comprehensive powers of attorney for executors, as provided for in Jackson's will, subsequently reduce transaction costs in the long term. This increases the web value of the estate, which is ultimately distributed to the beneficiaries. Trust law protects the estate by making executors personally responsible for any abuse of power.

Estate planning for special assets

When advising clients with unique assets reminiscent of Michael Jackson's music catalog, estate planning attorneys typically advise testators against restricting the sale of invaluable property. That's because it may possibly be difficult to predict how circumstances might change in the long run.

A famous example of this misstep is the twentieth century media giant Joseph Pulitzer – the founding father of the Pulitzer Prize – left a will which prohibited his estate administrators from selling shares in his highly valued newspaper company.

Twenty years after Pulitzer's death in 1911, the newspaper business became unprofitable, so Pulitzer's trustees petitioned a New York court for permission to revise the desire, arguing that Pulitzer had did not foresee the changing fortunes of his newspaper. Court agreedand concluded that “the continuation of the publication of the newspapers … will in all probability result in a substantial impairment or destruction of a large portion of the trust assets.”

The Pulitzer case shows how limiting the ability of executors and trustees can backfire – an issue that Jackson's lawyers obviously desired to avoid.

Estate planning lessons

Estate planning is simply enforceable when it’s formalized in a document reminiscent of a will. Once formalized in writing, courts are reluctant to vary an estate plan based on posthumous testimony in regards to the testator's oral statements – even when those wishes were expressed to a parent.

Testators should subsequently fastidiously review every provision of a will, including technical terms which will require explanation by a lawyer. Testators also needs to be cautious: it could be tempting to regulate assets from the grave, but restrictions that appear desirable during life can backfire after death.

A decade ago, Michael Brown Jr.an unarmed 18-year-old black man was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.

The fatal incident began when police officer Darren Wilson saw Brown and a friend walking in the course of the road. Wilson claimed that Brown refused to comply along with his orders to go away the road and a fight ensued. The shooting, Wilson claimedwas in self-defense – a claim that Officers were used across the country to justify racist violence against blacks.

Brown's death on August 9, 2014, occurred just eight days after his highschool graduation and sparked nearly a 12 months of protests across the country. Three months later, a grand jury in Ferguson declined to press charges of the police officer, a call that sparked further protests and calls for racial justice in policing.

Almost 10 years later and lower than 90 miles from Ferguson, Sonya Masseyan unarmed 36-year-old black woman and mother of two, called local police on July 6, 2024 to research mysterious noises outside her home near Springfield, Illinois.

Instead of helping, white officersSean Grayson, shot Massey. As her son Malachi told reporters, the officer showed little regard for her humanity in the course of the killing, which was captured on body camera footage. At the officer's request, Massey a pot of hot water from the stove. Minutes later, she was killed when Grayson fired three bullets, certainly one of which hit her slightly below her eye.

Unlike the Brown case in Ferguson, Grayson was fired by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office and charged with first-degree murder. Like Darren Wilson, he claimed he acted in self-defense.

These two cases of Police violence mark the cyclical nature of police violence against blacks – and the growing mistrust amongst black Americans for the local police.

Out of 2009–2019At least 179 people were killed by police or in prison in 4 St. Louis-area counties near Brown's death site.

These local statistics reflect nationwide patterns of police violence within the USA and show that Massey and Brown weren’t exceptions to the norm – but fairly representatives of the Everyday racism that permeates American society.

As we’ve learned through our research on racial violence in black communities, developing coping strategies is usually a mandatory reality of life within the United States.

What is racial grief?

With everybody latest incident of racist violence When a criminal offense is committed by a police officer, black people are inclined to feel a collective sense of racial grief.

The Grief is defined by the US National Institutes of Health as “the individual’s cognitive, emotional, physical, and spiritual response to losses due to racism and intersectional violence.”

In addition, many black parents experience a sort of anticipatory grief and stress as a consequence of the potential racist violence their children can experience throughout their lives.

For example, in a Study 2022The researchers found that pregnant black women experienced fear, stress, and anxiety about police violence toward their children even before their children were born. Even moms who reported positive experiences with cops expected their children to be treated negatively due to their children's race.

Racist grief could be a Coping response that allows black parents to emotionally and cognitively process incidents of racist violence in the neighborhood with others.

In Our study 2022A mother told us:

“I can't watch the videos anymore. It's a living nightmare and I don't need those images because I can't forget them. It's taking an enormous toll on me. I'm coping with it in therapy. I cry. I give myself space to feel my feelings. I refer to my partner about it. It gives me a sense of pain and meaning at the identical time.”

How do black parents react to racist violence?

When parents take into consideration how they prepare their children for the racist discrimination they might experience of their day by day lives, many use the so-called racial socialization to enhance their very own and their children's coping responses to racial prejudice and discrimination.

Racial socialization is the method by which oldsters convey racial messages and values ​​to their children. Psychologists consider this to be probably the most critical Development processes for black youth and includes each implicitly And explicitly practices methods exercises.

For example, some parents monitor the content of social media and limit their exposure to racist violence. Other parents Credit reports against racial discrimination with the affirmation that their children are loved, invaluable and valued.

Together racial socialization messages include statements resembling, “You should be proud to be black.” A message about racial prejudice may be, “You may be held to higher standards than your white counterparts.”

Overall, these messages aim to encourage pride in a single's race and culture while encouraging black youth to be cautious and aware of the continuing reality of racist violence.

In a forthcoming study on how black parents in Missouri refer to their teens about race, one mother reported:

“Like the Sonya Massey thing, my daughter saw the video and was like, “But she didn't do anything incorrect.” That's what normally happens. Like I told her, she called the police for help and he or she ended up getting killed. That happens sometimes because they act like they're afraid of black people for some reason. I feel like we're not making any progress in America with this racism thing.”

While black parents and their children proceed to face racial discrimination through their on a regular basis practices of Care, love and joyThere stays an urgent need to take a position within the health and well-being of Black communities through structural policy changes in education, health care, and native government.

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Evangeline Lilly, 45; Michael Ealy, 51; John Landis, 74; Martha Stewart, 83.

Happy birthday: Focus on what matters to you this 12 months. It will spark your imagination and reinvigorate your desire to make a difference. Do whatever it takes to physically improve your life and your decisions. Emotions will run high, urging you to maintain your distance from people and situations that stand in your way. Don't live prior to now when the current matters. Show your best side. Your numbers are 9, 11, 23, 25, 32, 36, 40.

ARIES (March 21 – April 19): Set a budget and go on an adventure. Expand your interests and match your skills and physical attributes to your needs. Seek activities that relieve stress and put you on a path that promotes comfort and rest. Make romance and emotional well-being your priorities. 5 stars

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): Don't let stubbornness stand between you and your desires. Be sensible enough to supply equal opportunities and incentives to everyone you cope with today and luck might be in your side. Anger and arguments will reduce your possibilities of reaching an agreement. Stay up to the mark. 4 stars

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20): Fight temptation. Too much of anything will set you back. Stay with the individuals who support you and look out in your well-being, and distance yourself from those that lead you down a path that would cost you dearly. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21 – July 22): Rediscover what makes you pleased. Participate in events or activities that bring a smile to your face or provide you with a way of accomplishment. Test your skills and set latest standards and goals. Update and refine your skills and work to attain your dreams and desires. 3 stars

LEO (July 23 – August 22): Persuasion will work wonders in case your offer is tangible. Failure to maintain your guarantees will end in financial problems or verbal abuse. The best option to shine is to be true to your word and put honesty and kindness first. An emotional decision is preferred. 3 stars

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22): Choose your words fastidiously. If you’re precise, it’ll be difficult to misunderstand you. Don't risk your fame to get your point across. Stick to the facts and confirm all the knowledge you receive. Pay attention to details and be disciplined in your approach to what you need to achieve. 3 stars

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22): Act quickly, initiate change and leave the past behind. Look for opportunities, make things occur and gain attention, support, practical help and contributions from individuals who like your ideas and energy. Stop dreaming and begin acting. 4 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Think about what makes you pleased and do this. Take on projects that encourage your creativity or get your adrenaline pumping. What you accomplish personally will set the tone for what you do next. A positive attitude and positive actions lead to private growth and success. 2 stars

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Pace yourself, keep your eye in your goal, and challenge yourself to be your best. Tackle competitive situations with physical motion, not mental grappling. Show everyone what you’ll be able to do as an alternative of talking about your glory days. Leave the past behind and construct a greater future. 5 stars

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19): Spend more time assessing your emotional, physical and financial health. Make changes to enhance your lifestyle and residential routines. Your well-being depends upon your attitude and decisions. Take responsibility in your happiness. Enjoy life and put aside a budget for socializing, entertainment or romance. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Consider what you wish before complying with someone's demands. Make equality an obligation, recommend your thoughts and desires, and take part in what happens next. Explore the chances, follow your heart, and select what satisfies your soul; you is not going to be dissatisfied. 3 stars

PISCES (February 19 – March 20): Reassess your goals and consider how things have modified and the way you’ll be able to best use your situation. Don't overestimate the chances and don't take what you hear at face value. Trust your instincts and your mind and alter only what’s essential. 3 stars

Birthday child: You are imaginative, capricious and friendly. You are sociable and temperamental.

1 star: Avoid conflicts, work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can achieve something, but don't depend on others. 3 stars: Focus and you may achieve your goals. 4 stars: Set high goals, start latest projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you, aim for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com or follow Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

University of California President Michael V. Drake will step down at the tip of the following academic 12 months, ending a five-year term by which he steered the 10-campus system through the COVID-19 pandemic, rising enrollment, labor disputes and campus protests.

Drake, 74, announced his plan in a letter to the UC community on Wednesday.

“I am immensely proud of what our students, faculty and staff have accomplished over the past few years. They have weathered a global pandemic and historic natural disasters, grappled with international conflict and domestic uncertainty, and navigated the stresses and opportunities of daily life, all while making our university stronger, more resilient, more impactful and more inclusive than ever before,” he said.

Drake, UC's first Black president, took over as president in August 2020, replacing Janet Napolitano. Drake previously served as president of Ohio State University; he also served as chancellor of UC Irvine and systemwide vp for health affairs at UC.

Drake became UC president as universities prepared for his or her first full academic 12 months through the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to guide the system through distant learning and welcoming students back to campus.

In a press release Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom praised Drake's handling of the pandemic, saying he “took the helm of the University of California at the height of the pandemic and led it with grace and vision in the years that followed.”

Newsom worked directly with Drake to craft a five-year contract that Newsom's office and the UC agreed to in 2022. As a part of the contract, Newsom promised the UC a 5% annual funding increase in exchange for the system working toward numerous goals, including improving graduation rates and increasing enrollment amongst California residents.

Enrolling more Californians has also been a priority of state lawmakers, who’ve often urged UC to accomplish that. And recently, UC has begun to make progress in that area. In fall 2023, there have been 42,058 Californians within the system's first-year class — 2,094 greater than the previous fall, the biggest year-over-year increase during Drake's tenure.

Fall could see one other surge in enrollment amongst California residents. The UC announced Wednesday that it has admitted 93,290 California freshmen for fall 2025, a record number and a 4.3% increase from last 12 months.

However, Drake's tenure on the helm of the UC was not without challenges.

In 2022, 48,000 UC academic staff walked off the job. This was the biggest strike by higher education employees ever. The UC eventually reached an agreement with the staff for a pay increase and improved advantages.

Pro-Palestinian protests and encampments took over several UC campuses last spring, with several UC chancellors calling police to arrest students and break up the encampments. Protesters demanded that the UC divest from Israel-linked firms, but Drake's office said in April that it “has consistently rejected calls to boycott and divest from Israel.” It will not be clear to what extent protests will resume when the autumn semester begins.

As he now enters his final 12 months in office, Drake plans to “continue the work we focused on during my tenure,” he said in his letter to the UC community.

“This includes expanding student support and creating pathways to debt-free UC education. We must also ensure that more California students can enjoy the benefits of a UC degree. We must also build on the university's academic and research excellence and work to foster a safe and respectful community that encourages the free exchange of ideas,” he added.

Janet Reilly, chair of the UC Board of Regents, plans to soon convene a committee to start a nationwide seek for the system's next president.

This story was originally published by EdSource.

Originally published: July 31, 2024 at 16:54

A brilliant PAC funded primarily by former New York mayor and billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg transferred greater than $100,000 to an excellent PAC that bankrolled the stunning Congressional District 16 race, recent campaign finance filings show.

The two-and-a-half week recount requested by voters within the race to switch U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo began on April 15. The recount of greater than 182,000 votes resulted in a stalemate between Rep. Evan Low and Santa Clara County Executive Joe Simitian, and Low is now running against former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo in the overall election.

But a number of days before the recount began, a pro-Liccardo super PAC called Neighbors for Results began funneling money into Count the Vote: the super PAC that funded the recount.

Between April 12 and April 17, Neighbors for Results donated $102,000 to Count the Vote, in line with its May campaign finance filings. Both super PACs name Matthew Alvarez of Rutan and Tucker as treasurer.

Alvarez couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

The pro-Liccardo super PAC spent greater than $500,000 in the first in support of the previous mayor and lists just three donors: former NetApp CEO Daniel Warmenhoven, Cypress Semiconductor Thurman founder John Rodgers and Bloomberg.

The former New York mayor and billionaire philanthropist is the super PAC's largest donor, donating $500,000 in February. Warmenhoven donated $50,000 and Rodgers donated $15,000.

Bloomberg and Liccardo have been politically linked for several years. In 2018, Bloomberg Philanthropies included San Jose in a two-year program to assist town meet its climate goals when Liccardo was mayor. A 12 months later, Liccardo supported Bloomberg's presidential bid and served as California co-chair of his campaign.

Spokespeople for Bloomberg and Liccardo weren’t immediately available for comment.

The recount was estimated to cost several hundred thousand dollars, and the remaining donors who helped finance the recount are expected to be disclosed in the following quarterly campaign finance report in July.

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The Atlanta Falcons made a surprising selection, choosing former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick within the 2024 NFL Draft.

Among those shocked by the choice was their currently projected starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins.

The Falcons called Cousins ​​while they were on the clock to inform him they were taking Penix, his agent Mike McCartney said. When Cousins ​​signed with the team this offseason, the Falcons told him they’d sign a quarterback within the later rounds of this draft. He was stunned once they scored in the primary round, and Cousins' biggest concern is that the pick won't help the team next season.

One of the explanations Atlanta selected Penix is ​​since it believes it won't have a top pick in the approaching years with Cousins ​​under center, a team source said.

The Falcons signed Cousins ​​this offseason to a four-year deal value $180 million, with $100 million guaranteed. The 35-year-old quarterback is recovering from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in Week 8 last season. Cousins ​​said at his introductory press conference in March that he could take drops and make passes, but whenever you add to that, “I think the moment I had to leave the pocket, you'd say, 'Yeah 'He's still recovering from a hamstring injury.' .'”

Opinions about Penix varied

I didn't think the Falcons would use the eighth pick on Penix, that's for sure, but I think Penix was a really interesting prospect in this draft.

Among the people I spoke with during the draft process were two former head coaches with strong track records who had Penix as the No. 2 quarterback in that draft behind Caleb Williams. It seemed like very few people agreed with that assessment.

During Super Bowl week, I had a feeling Penix would be gone by the middle of the first round, but the chatter surrounding him made me feel like that was too far-fetched. There can be a lot of volatility with quarterbacks. If a team loves you, the team should take him. And when teams feel like the position is already set, they usually just don't pick it. So someone like Penix can leave sooner than expected, while Aaron Rodgers waits longer than expected.

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