Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Shad White
Shad White Blames Bennie Thompson for Delta Problems: Is He Right?
Skip to stories Breaking •SoundHound AI (SOUN) Stock: Quote, News and Price History•Naga-Kuki Clashes in Manipur Leave 9 Dead; PM Modi Pledges Support•Pentagon Releases New Casualty Figures as US Deaths Rise•Sui (SUI) Price in CAD Today: Charts, News and Market Cap•Isaias Death Toll Climbs as Floods and Outages Hit Florida, Alabama•SoundHound AI (SOUN) Stock: Quote, News and Price History•Naga-Kuki Clashes in Manipur Leave 9 Dead; PM Modi Pledges Support•Pentagon Releases New Casualty Figures...
Opinion | The Limits of the ‘Mississippi Miracle’
It will fizzle if the state fails to extend gains to later grades with school choice. Hunt Mercier/Associated Press Jackson, Miss. The nation is paying attention: Mississippi is outperforming most other states in education, at least by one measure. Mississippi is among the 10 best states in the country for fourth-grade reading scores on national exams. Newspapers and politicians call it the “Mississippi Miracle.” Candidates for governor in other states are campaigning on the need to catch up.
Taxpayer-funded ‘diva brunches?’
What if I told you your tax dollars, in blood-red Mississippi, were being spent on things like “diva brunches” and bar hopping in New York City at 4 am? Sounds crazy, right? Well that’s exactly what we uncovered at the State Auditor’s office thanks to our new initiative looking into waste in nonprofits that receive government grants.
An update on misspent funds in your MS hometown
Mississippi State Auditor Shad White's office returned over $900,000 of misspent public funds to taxpayers. Operation Payback, an investigation into unemployment fraud, revealed over $500 million in illegal payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Auditor's office investigates cases of fraud and refers findings to prosecutors for potential legal action. Examples of unemployment fraud include an inmate using other prisoners' information and siblings colluding to receive benefits illegally.
White: An update on misspent funds in your hometown
By Shad White, Mississippi State Auditor It seems like every day we read about politicians doing whatever they can to get more of your money and spend it on nonsense. That’s one reason why I love being State Auditor—it’s one of the only positions in government that can give money BACK to the taxpayers instead of taking it. That’s exactly what we did this year with the release of our annual “Exceptions Report,” which details every case of misspending of public funds over the last year.
Shad White | The Grenada Star
Earlier this year, MIT-trained economist Melissa Kearney walked to a podium at the University of Mississippi’s Declaration of Independence Center and launched into the clearest explanation of why Mississippi remains stuck in last place in many rankings: broken families.
Shad White: Getting our kids back in school
Read this content now for free! Register with us (no credit card required) to read 3 articles per month at no charge. - or - Subscribe now for as little as $9.95 per month for unlimited access to all of our content and eEditions, including more than 12 years of archived stories. Subscribers also get to read article comments and make comments. Cancel at any time. Or Posted in Mississippi’s chronic absenteeism in K-12 schools is surging at a rate higher than any of our bordering states.
MS Auditor: State-level DOGEs could find millions in waste
Mississippi's State Auditor, Shad White, highlights examples of government waste in Mississippi, echoing the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'s mission. Millions of taxpayer dollars are allegedly wasted on Medicaid coverage for deceased individuals and ineligible recipients, including a wealthy couple living in a million-dollar home.
White: Every State is a Border State
By Shad White Last year Mississippi witnessed a tragic and horrific event when it was reported that an illegal immigrant, who had previously been deported, allegedly raped a 10-year-old boy twice. Unfortunately for Mississippi and the country at large, stories like these seem to be more and more common. Whether a crime like that happens in your neighborhood or not, the truth is that everyone is affected.
Auditor: People helped kill bad bill
I’m used to making the establishment politicians angry when my office finds wasted taxpayer funds. They sued me to stop me from even trying to recover misspent taxpayer money, but I won that suit earlier this year. They’ve complained about me in the media. And now, these past two weeks, one of Delbert Hosemann’s chairmen tried to strip my office of legal authority. Here are the details.
An elected official asking for less money Original
In this world, nothing is certain, except for death, taxes and politicians constantly asking for more money. Some of those politicians, especially the ones in Washington, D.C., spend your tax dollars with reckless abandon, and even though everyone can agree that government remains very wasteful, those elected officials still ask for more and more money every year. It’s time for a change.
Getting Our Kids Back in School - The Panolian
Published 10:15 am Wednesday, October 2, 2024 By Shad White State Auditor Mississippi’s chronic absenteeism in K-12 schools is surging at a rate higher than any of our bordering states. My office recently found that our school districts had a 14% average chronic absentee rate in 2019, but by 2023 that number soared to 24.7%—much higher than any of our neighboring states. This should alarm every Mississippi taxpayer—whether you have children in school or not—and I will tell you why.
State Auditor Shad White shares a vision for a healthier Mississippi
Pop Quiz: which famous American said, “There is nothing, I think, more unfortunate than to have soft, chubby, fat-looking children”? The answer is President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy said this as he launched a new nationwide effort to change physical education in our K-12 school system. He wanted to place a greater emphasis on physical fitness and started the President’s Council on Physical Fitness.
State Auditor Shad White shares a vision for a healthier Mississippi
Pop Quiz: which famous American said, “There is nothing, I think, more unfortunate than to have soft, chubby, fat-looking children”? The answer is President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy said this as he launched a new nationwide effort to change physical education in our K-12 school system. He wanted to place a greater emphasis on physical fitness and started the President’s Council on Physical Fitness.
Shad White: Telling the truth about DEI in the face of lies
Last year my office released a report that shows taxpayers how much of their money has been spent on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives in our public universities. As it turns out, taxpayers have been footing the bill for symposia that teach students about the evils of “whiteness” and for research into things like “queer criminology,” whatever that is.
Common sense needed to move our state forward
Millions of taxpayer dollars go to illegal immigrants every year. Universities are more focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and indoctrinating students than creating the next generation of doctors, engineers and accountants. Entitlement programs wasting our money. Over half of all children born to unwed mothers. Unfortunately, each of these sentences describes Mississippi.
Commonsense needed to move Mississippi forward
Shad White argues that Mississippi must address challenges like fatherlessness and the threat of DEI programs to move forward. Millions of taxpayer dollars going to illegal immigrants every year. Universities more focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and indoctrinating students than creating the next generation of doctors, engineers, and accountants. Entitlement programs wasting our money. Over half of all children born to unwed mothers.
Uncovering One of the Biggest (and Strangest) Frauds in Mississippi History
Shad White is the Mississippi state auditor who exposed the misspending of nearly $100 million in funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program — federal money meant to aid the poorest people in the nation’s poorest state. Eight individuals have pleaded guilty to crimes in the scandal, and the state is suing 38 others in an effort to recover nearly $77 million improperly funneled through the Department of Human Services.
Former President Donald Trump’s trial was a farce Original
Shuwaski Young — a media darling and failed candidate for statewide office in Mississippi — recently wrote a piece in this paper criticizing me, along with others, for standing by former-President Donald Trump. There are a mountain of policy reasons conservatives support Trump. Under Trump, our border was secure, our economy was the best in American history, and we had a president who would stand up to criminals (at home and abroad) and keep us safe.
Capital City plan to remove Andrew Jackson’s statue a big mistake
The City of Jackson is reportedly preparing to remove the statue of Andrew Jackson, its namesake. Auditor Shad White says the move is part of an extremist effort to erase history. Yesterday the Clarion Ledger reported the City of Jackson plans to remove the statue of Andrew Jackson that currently sits in front of City Hall. This is nuts. The city is named Jackson, after all. If Jackson is such a reprehensible figure, why stop with the statue? Why not rename the city?
GUEST COLUMN/Biden makes us pay for it twice
Government waste fact of the day: Mississippi sends as much taxpayer money to our universities to educate students in worthless fields, like gender studies, as we do for mechanical engineers. Now the Biden administration is going to make you pay for it twice: President Biden recently announced student debt for many students will be paid for by the rest of us.
It’s time to make Mississippi safe
WLBT recently reported that Jackson “still tops every other major city in the nation when it comes to the rate of killings per capita.” Although we have made strides in reducing homicide rates by increasing Capitol Police presence, who are doing great work, it is still not enough. It is obvious that homicides are a tragedy not only for the victims but for their families and friends. But as the Auditor, there is another aspect that concerns me. The cost to you, the taxpayers, for each homicide.
Shad White: Fixing the university enrollment cliff
Our universities are facing a looming crisis. The news outlet Inside Higher Ed recently stated that “the number of traditional college-aged students will peak in 2025 and then decline dramatically for several years.” Students pay tuition, so a declining number of students is bad news for the balance sheets of the universities. We’ve already seen that West Virginia University is confronting dire financial straits and is cutting programs quickly.
Boost ‘labor-force participation rate’ to boost our economy
What’s the greatest challenge Mississippi’s economy faces in the next 20 years? This is the question I ask business and community leaders around the state as I travel for meetings and speeches. Their top answer is consistent: We need more people in our workforce. Businesses say their goods and services are in demand, but they can’t find enough employees. The business leaders’ complaint is backed up by the data, too. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranks states on their labor-force shortage.
Dads are best crime antidotes
Recently, we arrested a woman for allegedly embezzling from a program for college students. Because of this and hundreds of other cases like it in my time in office, I’ve come to understand a thing or two about crime. That’s why, when I saw that Gov. Tate Reeves announced a new effort to put more police in Jackson, I knew it was a smart idea. I’ve heard some critics say “we can’t police our way out of crime.” This is completely wrong, based on the research.
White: Stopping misspending of taxpayer funds in North Mississippi
alcorn county, farmington city clerk, hickory flat, mississippi, north mississippi, shad white Note: The following opinion-editorial article is provided by State Auditor Shad White recapping his office’s activities in the past year affecting North Mississippi. By Shad White As your State Auditor, it is my job to hold accountable those who choose to steal or misuse your hard-earned taxpayer money. I also need to report my results to you, my bosses.
The next step for the Mississippi Miracle. How to improve state's education
You see it on your TV screens around the state: “Our schools went from 49th to 21st in America” on 4th-grade reading scores. Even The New York Times called this the “Mississippi Miracle.” That all happened thanks to big changes in the law in 2013 that focused resources on reading, along with the hard work of parents, teachers and students. So what next? How do we take the Mississippi Miracle to the next level?
The trial of ‘crypto king’ SBF is the Enron scandal for millennials
Yet another website imitating The Manila Times posted a story endorsing a cryptocurrency trading program supposedly recommended by former Finance secretary Carlos Dominguez III. This is a rehash of a previously debunked hoax. Several Facebook (FB) users and a page circulated the link to the website as early as Oct. 3.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's trial is a key moment for millennials Original
Over the past 20 years, according to authors Gretchen Morgenson and Joshua Rosner, the number of federal white-collar prosecutions fell by half. Think of the limited prosecutions following the 2008 financial crisis as proof. The question now is whether the high-profile trial of cryptocurrency magnate Sam Bankman-Fried is about to change that. First, some history. In the 1980s after the savings and loan crisis, the Department of Justice convicted more than 1,000 bankers.
Feinstein's death should prompt more debate on politicians' age
On Thursday of this week, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein passed away. At 90-years-old, the Democrat from California, was the longest-serving female senator in U.S. history and the oldest sitting member of Congress. Feinstein was a fierce advocate for progressive causes and a pioneer for women in politics. There will be much lionizing of her service in the coming days and weeks.
Biden preaches democracy as House begins impeachment inquiry
Nothing stood still as President Biden told supporters that democracy, properly defined, “means rule of the people, not rule of monarchs, not rule of money, not rule of the mighty.” As he spoke in Tempe, Ariz,, a federal court was denying former President Trump’s request to delay his trial in a civil fraud case, House Republicans were alleging that Biden was at the center of a multi-million-dollar influence scheme, and the federal government moved closer to a shutdown.
Spend Taxpayer Money on Majors that Matter
If you looked online last week, you’d probably see me being called “the worst of society,” an “anti-intellectual,” and a “white supremacist.” What caused the big stir? My team and I published a report saying the state should spend taxpayer money on the college majors that actually advance Mississippi’s economy and stop spending taxpayer money on the degrees that don’t. That’s it. But that idea set off a firestorm on social media.
White wants government to dictate majors to IHL students
State Auditor Shad White is playing IHL Tzar again. Now he foolishly wants government to tell university students what they can and cannot major in. “It’s time to stop investing in college degrees that aren’t worth anything and put our money into degrees that can supercharge Mississippi’s economy,” he tweeted on September 12. Wow! The self-annointed Tzar is for big brother government taking away students’ freedom to choose their majors.
Opinion | Jimmy Buffett Didn’t Need a Music Degree
Jimmy Buffett at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater in Key West, Fla., Feb. 9.
Beyond the Basics: Medicaid Expansion’s Over-Enrollment Problem
In this series, I’m seeking to go beyond the basics of Medicaid expansion—meaning the goal is to wade past the waters of talking points and do a deep dive into what expansion truly is, and what that means for our state. My last column was released shortly after the Neshoba County fair. This one after the primary elections. November is coming quickly, so we have no time to waste.
Mike Pence's MS Book Festival talk highlights fledgling battle for soul of Republican Party
On Saturday afternoon, just days before the first Republican Presidential Debate, former Vice President Mike Pence took the stage at the Mississippi Book Festival. Former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour introduced Pence, and his interviewer, former Congressman Gregg Harper.
Defending Family from the Left
I spoke at a community college graduation ceremony and the video of the speech set off a firestorm on social media. A clip of the speech has been viewed tens of thousands of times. The controversy it created is important because it raised a critical debate about our society. Here’s the background: on May 11th, I spoke to the graduating class at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
Any amount of money stolen from taxpayers is too much, Mississippi auditor says Original
Republican State Auditor Shad White thanks supporters at a state GOP election night victory party, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, in Jackson, Miss. White, who was appointed to the position, ran unopposed. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) AP As your State Auditor, my job is to hold those accountable who choose to steal and misuse your hard-earned money. Let's take a look at some of the recent cases that have had an impact on your community.
What every taxpayer should know about “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”
Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Those sound like nice words to some. But the truth is that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (or DEI) programs are highly controversial and often push ideas that many Americans dislike. From discussions of “whiteness” and “systemic racism” to “Pride Week,” Mississippi taxpayers deserve transparency into what millions of their dollars are going toward. Let me back up and provide more detail. DEI programs are initiatives that big companies and schools have put into place.
An unsung hero in the fight for life
Unless you are in the weeds of public policy, there’s a good chance you have never heard of Jameson Taylor. But if you believe unborn life is worth protecting, Taylor’s contributions in the fight for life warrant praise. He quietly sits at the heart of the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. For more than a decade, the humble policy “wonk” has labored tirelessly on behalf of families and children.
What taxpayers should know about DEI
Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Those sound like nice words to some. But the truth is that DEI programs are highly controversial and often push ideas that many Americans dislike. From discussions of “whiteness” and “systemic racism” to “Pride Week,” Mississippi taxpayers deserve transparency into what millions of their dollars are going toward. Let me back up and provide more detail. DEI programs are initiatives that big companies and schools have put into place.
What every taxpayer should know about "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion"
State Auditor Shad White, Neshoba 2022 Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Those sound like nice words to some. But the truth is that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (or DEI) programs are highly controversial and often push ideas that many Americans dislike. From discussions of “whiteness” and “systemic racism” to “Pride Week,” Mississippi taxpayers deserve transparency into what millions of their dollars are going toward. Let me back up and provide more detail.
Responses to basic truths tragic, dangerous for society
Recently, I spoke at a community college graduation ceremony, and the video of the speech set off a firestorm on social media. A clip of the speech has been viewed more than 50,000 times. The controversy it created is important, because it raised a critical debate about our society. Here’s the background: on May 11, I spoke to the graduating class at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
Mass incarceration not the problem ... freeing prisoners is
This month, nationally recognized criminology expert Rafael Mangual, author of “Criminal (In)Justice,” and I spoke about how we need to get tough on crime in Mississippi. There’s so much bad info out there about so-called “mass incarceration,” so our speech was a chance to correct the record. In other words, it was time someone pointed out the reason we have so many in prison: We have a violent crime problem. Jackson, our capital, was the per-capita homicide capital of the country in 2021 and 2022.
WH: McCarthy, Freedom Caucus Debt Limit Plans Indistinguishable
When the long-awaited Republican plan to raise the debt limit was made public, some White House officials couldn’t shake the distinct feeling they had read it before. Of course, they didn’t like what they read, but it still felt familiar. Perhaps that is because the proposal released by Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday borrowed heavily from a similar plan released by the conservative House Freedom Caucus back in March.
White plays DeSantis, goes after university DEI programs
Gov. Tate Reeves and the Legislature having successfully stamped out the non-existent Critical Race Theory (CRT) programs in Mississippi schools, colleges, and universities, State Auditor Shad White has chosen another fake issue to tackle – our universities’ diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. Conservative Republicans have begun slamming DEI programs as part of their anti-woke agenda. Gov. Ron DeSantis has moved to defund DEI programs at Florida universities. Gov.
Ted DiBiase Jr., son of "Million Dollar Man," charged with conspiracy to misappropriate millions in welfare funds
On Thursday, a federal indictment was unsealed in Mississippi, charging Theodore “Ted” DiBiase Jr. with 13 counts of conspiracy, theft, money laundering and wire fraud related to millions of dollars in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds that prosecutors say were misappropriated in the state.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Review is Necessary
In this May 4, 2020, file photo, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White speaks during a news conference in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File - Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Recently, my office instructed Mississippi universities to report how much they are spending on so-called “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) programs. That was enough to send liberal columnist Bill Crawford into a tailspin.
DEI review is necessary in Mississippi universities
Recently my office instructed Mississippi universities to report how much they are spending on so-called “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) programs. That was enough to send liberal columnist Bill Crawford into a tailspin. Crawford claims I’m on a “witch hunt.” He found a nameless “Republican operative” who said I, like Gov. Ron DeSantis, was “overreach[ing].” So let’s take a closer look (and for the record, I don’t give a flip about what an anonymous “Republican operative” says).
Fraud-Prone Poverty Programs Are Ripping Off Taxpayers Nationwide
If the new Republican House majority wants to focus on fraud, start by looking at poverty programs.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Shad
Contact Shad, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack