Latest news with #Morris'
Irish Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Meath's Jordan Morris taking 'a big enough risk' but loving the journey
Jordan Morris says he is taking a 'big enough risk' playing with two partially torn knee ligaments, but he's 'loving it at the minute.' Morris' season looked over when he collapsed in agony back in March in Meath's Division 2 defeat by Louth at Inniskeen. An ambulance came for the Kingscourt forward with boss Robbie Brennan almost certain afterwards that it was a season ending knee injury. It would later emerge that Morris had suffered a fractured leg and a grade two tear to his posterior and anterior cruciate knee ligaments. But the full extent of the damage was never made public, with Morris (24) getting the all clear to play on from leading surgeon Ray Moran without going under the knife for surgery. Morris was moving freely on Meath match days and it soon became apparent that his 2025 inter-county race may not be run. Lo and behold, Morris came in as a sub after 45 minutes of the Leinster Final meeting with Louth at Croke Park. And although the Royals didn't win that one, Morris has started all four Championship games since, culminating in a magnificent 1-6 from play haul in the shock All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Galway. He also fired a brilliant individual goal, which proved crucial in the All-Ireland round robin victory over Cork. Morris hit two points from play in the draw with Roscommon and one point from play against Kerry before exploding against Galway. The flying forward missed his first three shots in the All-Ireland quarter-final, but it didn't deter him, as he went on to terrorise the Tribe rearguard, turning over the ball that led to his own game changing goal from Matthew Costello's pass. After losing James Conlon for the season, Morris' presence on the inside line has been vital for Meath. 'Basically I was told there's maybe a 40percent chance players who go back with a grade 2 tear can fully rupture it,' said Morris. 'So that's the risk I'm playing with at the minute. It's probably a big enough risk. But there's a 60percent chance I won't do it. 'It is in the back of your mind at times. You just have to manage it as much as you can. I'm playing with a risk and I'm loving it at the minute so it's great. 'It feels all good at the minute anyway. All the work and rehab is paying off. The TUD Sport, Health and Science student, who made his Meath senior debut back in 2020, continued: 'Probably the overriding feeling straight after the Louth game was that my year was done. 'It probably took maybe a week or a week and a half to get a full grasp of what happened. 'I went to see Ray Moran and he said he was happy enough with the structure of the ligaments. He said just rehab away at it. So there was no surgery required at all thank god. 'The doctors and physios I was dealing with were very good. They laid out a pathway straight away. 'I think I was given maybe eight weeks to get back on the pitch and I think I managed to get back in six, pushing and driving it on. 'I'm taking a bit of a risk as it is, but with the year we were having, I couldn't miss out on it. So I was just trying to do everything I could to get back on the panel and matchday squad.' He continued: 'I would have been rehabbing three times a day, injections and stuff like that to get back on the pitch. And then the S&C work you have to do. 'It's mad within even a week of not playing how much you can lose a bit of match fitness. 'I think that was probably a thought in my mind and on the physios', to get back to that level of gameplay. It was so hard to go back to it. 'The S&Cs, Philip Campbell and David Drake, are probably one of the best I've ever worked with. 'They got me back in a position to get out on the pitch in the Leinster final, so I can only thank them.' All that hard work paid off in spades against Galway as Morris propelled Meath to a first All-Ireland semi-final since 2009. His left handed fisted point under massive pressure was a huge score, while his bounce dummy and step move for one of his second half points had the crowd purring. 'It's probably something I've worked on,' he says. 'I played a lot of basketball down through my younger years. 'It probably combines with the basketball and GAA kind of aspect to be fair. 'Robbie gives you the freedom of the park. He wants you to go out and try these different things. 'Look, if you make a few mistakes or turnovers, he's not going to hold a grudge about it. 'He wants to see them 'creative turnovers,' as he calls them. He's probably had a good effect on my game. 'He's allowing me to go out and express myself a bit more. That's probably the impact Robbie's having on me. 'I've probably done a good bit of work with Niall O'Donoghue, our Performance Coach, these past couple of years. 'The three misses (against Galway). You just think about the next ball. If you start thinking about them it might ruin your game and it affects different things. 'The work I've done with Niall just proved to me that no matter what happens, it's the next ball and that's what I try to do anyway. 'From a personal point of view, the new rules probably blended into my type of game. I think as a team as well, it probably suits us down to the ground. 'Maybe the last couple of years we've been talking about breaking down the defences and things like that. 'Moving away from that type of style of defence has suited us, I think, as a group. That's probably helping us out a bit.' *** Jordan Morris was named the PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month in football for June
Axios
27-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Nate Morris launches quest for McConnell seat with cheeky "Garbage Day" ad
Nate Morris — a pro-Trump entrepreneur who founded a waste-disposal company worth $2 billion — joined the frenzied race to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) with a cutting but lighthearted ad showing Morris riding on the back of a bouncing garbage truck. "Let's dump career politicians and take out the trash in Washington," Morris says as his "DC SWAMP CLEANUP SERVICES" truck pulls away. The " Garbage Day" ad, first reported by Breitbart's Matt Boyle, says each of Morris' two main rivals for the Republican nomination — U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron — is a "McConnell Puppet." The two-minute video will run as a digital ad and on social media. The backstory: Morris, 44, who lives in Lexington, is the founder and former CEO of Rubicon Technologies, a successful waste and recycling platform he took public in 2022. Morris launched his campaign with a cutting-edge twist, announcing his campaign Thursday on Don Jr.'s podcast, "Triggered." Morris' campaign is run by a trio of Trump-Vance advisers — Andy Surabian, Chris Grant and Tony Fabrizio. The other side: The Barr campaign said in a statement to Axios that Morris is "more of an East Coast liberal than a Kentucky conservative."
American Press
11-06-2025
- Politics
- American Press
Jim Beam column:Bad bills often surface late
The civil service system that serves Louisiana so well is targeted by late Legislative action. Writing about the Louisiana Legislature the day before it has to adjourn the next day at 6 p.m. is a risky undertaking. Sometimes lawmakers leave controversial bills sitting on the calendar and then pass them at the last minute. Senate Bill 8, a proposed state constitutional amendment that is designed to make it easier to fire employees protected by the state's civil service system, passed the Senate on May 15 with a 26-11 vote, the exact two-thirds vote needed. The House vote didn't take place until Monday and it cleared the lower chamber with a 70-28 vote, again with the exact two-thirds vote needed. Southwest Louisiana's 12 Republican senators and representatives voted for the bill. The Senate has to agree with a House amendment before the bill goes to the governor who is expected to sign it. Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, sponsored pretty much the same bill in 2024 that came up eight votes short of the 70 House votes needed. What he said last year explained his motive for sponsoring the legislation. The Louisiana Illuminator on May 29, 2024, reported that Morris 'said his preference would be to do away with civil service entirely, even though his bill stops short of doing so.' The Illuminator on June 5 reported that Morris' SB 8 was 'trying to change the state constitution to wrestle power away from the Civil Service Commission to eliminate state worker protections and could, according to some critics, allow for the quick firing of thousands of employees for any reason, creating fear that some dismissals could be politically motivated.' The Morris amendment would give lawmakers the power that currently rests with the Civil Service Commission. It is a seven-member independent review panel that oversees the hiring and firing of 28,000 'classified' state workers. Unclassified workers don't have that protection and can be fired 'at will' for no reason. Morris said, 'If you believe in democracy or republicanism — (because) we're a republic — then the Legislature should have some ability to alter how our civil service system works. Right now we can't do anything because the constitution prevents it.' Yes, it does prevent changes because voters approved the civil service system during the administration of the late-Gov. Sam Jones of Lake Charles (1940-44). Charles E. Dunbar Jr. is credited with drafting the 1940 and 1952 civil service basic laws and is considered the 'father' of the system. The Illuminator said some Democrats have taken issue with the ballot language on Morris' bill. They say it doesn't explicitly mention classified employees and could mislead voters into thinking the amendment doesn't affect those state workers who are currently protected under civil service. The news report said Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has tried repeatedly to exert authority over the civil service commission. In February, he tried unsuccessfully to revoke civil service classifications from 900 state jobs, mostly positions for engineers and attorneys, shortly after President Donald Trump made a similar move at the federal level. The state Civil Service Commission rejected Landry's request in a 4-2 decision. Daniel Sullivan, retired CEO with the Louisiana Civil Service League, in a letter to The Advocate said, '…This legislation would allow the entire classified civil service workforce in our state to be politicized…' Sullivan said 39,000 classified employees would be affected by Morris' legislation. He added that state civil service isn't perfect, but it is one of the most successful reforms in the state's history. He said it had received numerous national awards for the effectiveness of its human resource program. 'Our present system must be retained to ensure the most qualified applicants are hired and promoted, protected from political influence, and the incompetent or nonperforming are removed,' Sullivan said. 'Stop this political ploy before it returns us to the days of Huey Long and the deduct box.' The deduct box was a system where state employees, particularly those appointed by Long, were required to give 5% to 10% of their salary to Long himself. The major civil service complaint is that it's too hard to fire classified employees who aren't performing well. However, the Civil Service Commission has the power to make reforms that are necessary. Voters statewide will decide the fate of Morris' amendment on April 18, 2026. I hope the voters reject the amendment because of what it is — an effort to deny classified workers the job protection they deserve. Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or Reply Forward Add reaction
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
DC man found guilty of distributing PCP
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A D.C. man was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP). The U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) for D.C. said in a news release that a jury found 44-year-old Norman Morris — also known as 'Fibble' — guilty on Tuesday. Court documents say that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the FBI started conducting an investigation in September 2023 into a group that included Morris and some other co-defendants. DC man sentenced for robbing woman, stealing car Prosecutors say that Morris was conducting drug transactions outside of his home in the 200 block of 58th St. NE. Law enforcement monitored these transactions for several months, during which time officers saw Morris' co-defendants meet with him to exchange possible narcotics and cash. The USAO said that one of his co-defendants, 45-year-old Jamar Bennett, sold over two kilograms of PCP to undercover officers over nine different transactions. Another co-defendant, 44-year-old Lamont M. Langston, provided the PCP, and a third co-defendant, 43-year-old Kelvin Sanker, prepared and stored the PCP at his home. Bennett pleaded guilty to charges on April 11, 2024. Sanker pleaded guilty on Oct. 22, 2024. Langston pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2024. The date for Morris' sentencing would be set later. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana state employees could lose jobs under Civil Service amendment
Louisiana Senate chambers during the close of the 2023 legislative session on June 8, 2023. (Photo credit: Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers are trying to change the state constitution to wrestle power away from the Civil Service Commission to eliminate state worker protections and allow for the quick firing of thousands of employees for any reason, creating fear among critics that some dismissals could be politically motivated. Senate Bill 8, sponsored by Sen. Jay Morris. R-West Monroe, is nearing final passage in the Louisiana Legislature, though voters will get the final say on a constitutional amendment on a ballot that could have significant consequences for how state government operates. Morris' proposal would give state lawmakers power that currently rests with the Civil Service Commission, a seven-member independent review panel that oversees the hiring and firing of 28,000 'classified' state workers. The commission hears complaints from classified employees and appeals from any who want to contest their dismissal or demotion, affording them due process when it comes to discipline and terminations. In an interview Tuesday, Morris said his bill would let lawmakers 'unclassify' state employees, removing them from the oversight of the commission. An unclassified employee does not have Civil Service protections and can be fired 'at will' for no reason. The bill's current version would also apply to local civil service workers such as municipal police and firefighters, but Morris said he intends to change his measure to exclude them and restrict it to only state employees. 'If you believe in democracy or republicanism — [because] we're a republic — then the Legislature should have some ability to alter how our civil service system works,' Morris said. 'Right now we can't do anything because the constitution prevents it.' Some Democrats have taken issue with the latest iteration of the ballot language in Morris' bill because it doesn't explicitly mention classified employees and could mislead voters into thinking the amendment doesn't affect those state workers who are currently protected under Civil Service. When asked about the proposal following Tuesday's meeting of the House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure, Rep. Wilford Carter, D-Lake Charles, said the ballot language doesn't align with what's in the bill. The ballot language states: 'Do you support an amendment to allow the legislature to remove or add officers, positions, and employees to the unclassified civil service?' Critics have pointed to other issues that have not been addressed or debated in any of the committee hearings on Morris' proposal. One of those is the vague use of the word 'remove,' which could be interpreted to mean 'fire' or 'terminate,' said Peter Robins-Brown, who opposes the bill on behalf of Louisiana Progress, which advocates for low and middle-income people. He said lawmakers have not drafted any kind of companion measure that would establish statutes or regulations to implement the specific necessary changes. 'No one has really been paying attention to the details,' Robins-Brown said. 'I'm not sure how the average voter will be able to figure it out, especially when the bill doesn't have a statutory companion to prove the goal of this exercise.' Gov. Landry fails to remove civil service protections from 900 state jobs Rep. Nicholas Muscarello, R-Hammond, who chairs the House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure, said the intent of the amendment is to give lawmakers the power to unclassify state employees, not fire employees. Hiring and terminating decisions would be left up to the executive branch, he said. The Civil Service Commission, a nonpartisan entity, has taken a neutral position on Morris' proposal. When asked about it Wednesday, commission administrators said they assume 'remove' means the act of changing an employee's classification status, but they pointed out the word is not actually defined in the bill. State Civil Service Director Byron Decoteau said Morris' civil service amendment amendment, if adopted, could technically allow lawmakers to simply 'remove' an unclassified job position with no intention of classifying it, leaving a current employee in a limbo with neither a classified nor unclassified status. Sherri Gregoire, Civil Service general counsel, said the lack of a clear definition invites different interpretations, including that the amendment gives lawmakers the power to remove governor's staff members, and creates a situation that would certainly end up in court. The more likely course of events, if voters decide to approve the amendment, would be that the legislature designates all future hires as unclassified employees — a move that would eventually end the classified civil service system altogether, Gregoire said. The Civil Service Commission, itself, would still exist under the constitution but would effectively become pointless because it would no longer have anything to oversee. 'Eventually you won't have any classified employees, so why do you need a commission?' Gregoire said. Morris said he doesn't yet have a vision for how lawmakers would exercise their new power if voters approve the amendment. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has tried repeatedly to exert authority over the commission. In February, he tried unsuccessfully to revoke civil service classifications from 900 state jobs, mostly positions for engineers, shortly after President Donald Trump made a similar move at the federal level. The state Civil Service Commission rejected Landry's request in a 4-2 decision in February. Because unclassified workers can be subject to political punishment and coercion, removing such a large number of engineers from the classified service could create ethical conflicts and unnecessary risks to the public, the commissioners said. A similar version of Morris' bill stalled on the House floor last year, but some Republicans who likely would have supported the bill were absent when the final vote took place. Morris' bill is expected to earn final passage before the regular session ends June 12 and will be placed before voters on the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide election ballot. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
