NEW: @OleMiss is trying to compel its ombudsman to turn over confidential communications in order to unmask the #UMemails whistleblowers who exposed a web of racism among UM officials and donors.

The effort has "terrified" faculty members.

“We’re all worried the university is going to get a hold of his communications & that our names will be revealed,” said one faculty member (not a whistleblower) who shared concerns with the ombudsman, fearing retaliation if they raised them elsewhere. 2/ https://t.co/bqr2Dvxhc2
Two faculty members said they worry the university could be laying groundwork to eliminate the Ombudsman Office altogether.

“If they took that Ombuds office away, there would be nowhere for faculty to go. ... That’s the only place we have on campus." 3/ https://t.co/bqr2Dvxhc2
"People would be terrified of speaking up because people who speak up get hammered at this university. There is no place to go except the Ombuds office to be treated fairly & with respect. Paul Caffera as the ombudsman is the only place women can go.” 4/ https://t.co/bqr2Dvxhc2
The University of Mississippi EORC, which is charged with enforcing Title IX, is leading the investigatory effort to unmask the #UMEmails whistleblowers on "hostile work environment" allegations" after they exposed a web of racism and sexism on campus. 5/ https://t.co/bqr2Dvxhc2
Ombudsman Caffera filed a lawsuit on Nov. 19 to block the EORC’s efforts to compel him to disclose information or to access his emails and private communications. He says he is not affiliated with and does not know the identities of the whistleblowers. 6/ https://t.co/bqr2Dvxhc2
There is no indication UM officials involved in the racist #UMemails were punished. Instead, the EORC is probing vague claims that the whistleblowers are creating a “hostile work environment…on the basis of race & national origin & just in general.” 7/ https://t.co/bqr2Dvxhc2
"The purpose of a university ombuds is to provide a safe & confidential place for members of a university community to bring forward issues of concern in a manner that protects them from retribution or retaliation for (speaking) about their concerns." 8/ https://t.co/bqr2Dvxhc2
For background, read our read our initial 3-part #UMemails investigation, starting here.

‘The Fabric Is Torn In Oxford’: UM Officials Decried Racism Publicly, Coddled It Privately
https://t.co/K2yGQqYsgj
When I first investigated the #UMemails, multiple sources told me they & others feared retaliation if they spoke out publicly.

Some claimed a "witch hunt" ensued in 2018 after a tape leaked to a reporter that almost revealed the story sooner. https://t.co/bhW3yfH2MO
Multiple sources spoke to us who asked to be anonymous out of fear of retaliation, saying that they had to speak out because a "culture of secrecy" & fear among faculty enabled the continued status quo. Here's Part 3: https://t.co/5zO5Y8gsEg
We first broke news that UM was investigating whistleblowers last month—and that ex-journalism dean Will Norton, who resigned when a public records request brought the racist emails to light, continues to earn almost $20k a month—despite not teaching. https://t.co/ZiOqq9XLhp
If you support the work we do to hold power & public institutions in Mississippi accountable, please follow @MSFreePress and support paywall free, non-profit journalism at this link: https://t.co/Ru01Wfm9Xo

More from Economy

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is analyzing damage due to COVID and projecting further severe consequences if current policies persist. They state “despite involving short term economic costs, lockdowns may lead to faster economic recovery by containing the virus”

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Note: This report doesn’t do a dynamic analysis that makes things much clearer, but it does a thoughtful statistical analysis based upon increasingly available data.

https://t.co/5Xmt8y7lCL

A few more quotes:

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“The analysis also finds that lockdowns are powerful instruments to reduce infections, especially when they are introduced early in a country’s epidemic and when they are sufficiently stringent.”

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“lockdowns become progressively more effective in reducing COVID-19 cases when they become sufficiently stringent. Mild lockdowns appear instead ineffective at curbing infections.”

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“The results suggest that to achieve a given reduction in infections, policymakers may want to opt for stringent lockdowns over a shorter period rather than prolonged mild lockdowns...

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The argument for deficits & debt raising interest rates in the US is not increased credit risk, it is that interest rates are a function of economic fundamentals, flows & policy. Deficits/debt change those.

I can't tell if I'm agreeing or disagreeing with @jc_econ.


Increasing government spending or reducing taxes increases demand (or reduces saving). This raises the price of loanable funds or the interest rate.

In a dynamic context, more demand means a stronger economy, the central bank raises interest rates sooner, and long rates rise.

(As an aside, we are not close to the United States needing to worry about credit risk and the risks are more overstated than understated in most other advanced economies too. But credit risk is not always & everywhere irrelevant, just look at the UK in 1976 or Canada in 1994.)

Interest rates have fallen over the last 20 yrs while debt has risen. This does not necessarily mean that debt rising causes interest rates to fall. It could also mean that other things have happened at he same time that pushed down interest rates more than debt pushed them up.

The suspects for these "other things" include slower productivity growth, slower popln growth, higher inequality, less investment, etc. All of which either increase the supply of saving or reduce the demand for investment, reducing the equilibrium interest rate.

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