There of course is "back channel" discussion going on, but I don't know any details. I will say (again) though, the that letter our legislators wrote, and had published, asking Manahan to apply made them look foolish then, and even much more so now. Honestly, their influence is probably diminished because of that, and they're not going to be calling the shots on this at all. They *may* have Haslam's ear a bit, but that's about it. From what I hear, the chancellor is trying to be very fair and open-minded, and is going to be listening to all the search committee members' feedback. If he has a pick in mind, he's keeping that close to his vest.