| Wednesday, November 15, 2017 |
| City sales tax, hotel/motel tax revenues improve for September | |
 | The city of Starkville saw its sales tax and hotel/motel tax revenue improve year-over-year, according to latest data provided by the city. In September 2017, the city collected $608,135.89 in sales tax revenue, which is up from $585,700.65 reported for September in the previous year. Month-to-month, the city reported a slight downturn in sales tax revenue from $619,204.68 collected in August. For the hotel/motel tax in September, the city collected $23,339.59 - which is up from $21,131.52 in September 2016. If the monthly average holds for city sales tax revenue, the city is currently on pace to top its 2016 total of $6,931,658.48. The same can also be said for the hotel/motel tax revenue, with the city on pace to top the yearly total of $304,438.14 in 2016. For the hotel/motel tax, the city saw a 10.45 percent increase from 2016 to 2017 for the month of September. This came on the heels of a 78.69 percent increase for August from 2016 to 2017 -- much of which is dictated by the football schedule of Mississippi State University. |
| Downtown businesses report strong foot traffic, sales | |
| Following a combination Brunch and Browse and Christmas Open House hosted by the Greater Starkville Development Partnership Sunday, several downtown Starkville businesses reported above-average foot traffic and sales. The event was hosted by the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and included 31 local businesses mainly centered around downtown, although businesses from across Starkville participated. The businesses were slated to stay open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., but many kept their doors open longer due to heavy foot traffic. The event was held in conjunction with the Mississippi State University football game against Alabama. Rebecca Tabb, owner of R. Tabb and Company Boutique and Gifts said weekends with evening games were often good for business. Reed's Manager Bo Summerford also said the late game had increased his sales. |
| SOCSD Board to accept Partnership School bid | |
| A major decision will be made tonight concerning the Partnership School, when the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees considers accepting a bid for the project. Four bids were opened last week, including base bids of $28,586,000 from the Tupelo-based Century Construction and Realty Inc.; $26,450,000 from the Columbus-based West Brothers Construction Company; $27,866,000 from the Brandon-based Flagstar Construction Company Inc. and $28,200,000 from Thrash Commercial Contracting, also of Brandon. The board will make its decision based on the recommendation of JH&H Architects, which designed the school. Completion is scheduled for fall 2019. The school will be located near the north entrance to the Mississippi State campus across from the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park. |
| Supervisors to seek AG opinion on hospital moratorium | |
| The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to ask for an opinion from the Mississippi Attorney General on a moratorium on the discussion of the sale of OCH Regional Medical Center during its meeting on Tuesday. The motion was made by District 1 Supervisor John Montgomery and was approved with a vote 4-1. Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors President Orlando Trainer voted against the motion. "This right here needs to come to an end," Montgomery said. "The discussion of selling the hospital is over, at least for the time being." Montgomery said the results of the vote proved to the board the public wants to keep the hospital local. He said both sides gave good arguments, but now there needs to be peace in the county and the board should focus on improving the economic environment. |
| Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves speaks at Rotary | |
| Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves was the guest speaker during the Starkville Rotary Club's weekly meeting on Monday afternoon. "I firmly believe that our state government's number one priority should be job creation, bringing better and higher paying jobs to our state," Reeves said. "I have a political philosophy that says government does not create jobs. Government's role is to create an environment that encourages those in the private sector to invest capital and create jobs." "2017 is Mississippi's bicentennial," Reeves said. "We've been a state for 200 years. Mississippi has a very challenging and complicated history, but I believe in this, in our 200th year, Mississippians need to spend less time apologizing and spend more time bragging about the good things going on, and there are a lot of good things." |
| MEC stop in Meridian discusses path to growth | |
 | The Mississippi Economic Council Tour made its way to Meridian on Tuesday, drawing a crowd of more than 75 people. The early morning breakfast meeting featured a presentation from MEC Interim President and CEO Scott Waller, who discussed topics that included economic development, healthy living, community programs and building a strong and successful workforce. MEC's current chairman William Yates III said growing existing business while creating jobs and creating an attractive environment for new businesses are important factors when striving to "do better." MEC also puts a high premium on education, as it assists in preparing the workforce for future jobs. Waller cited a Georgetown University study that showed 65 percent of jobs will require some sort of secondary education by the year 2020. |
| Final lottery meeting scheduled for Thursday | |
 | A lottery study committee formed by House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, will host what is expected to be its final meeting Thursday afternoon at the state Capitol. After the meeting, it is expected the information garnered by the nine-member panel will be compiled into a report to be presented to the full House when the 2018 session starts in January. Whether that report leads to the consideration and ultimate passage of a bill enacting a Mississippi lottery remains to be seen. Some believe a lottery will be an issue during the 2018 session. It has been touted as a source of funds to fill needs during the current, ongoing period of sluggish state revenue collections. |
| 'It's our duty to be prudent:' Brookhaven's Sen. Sally Doty is part of group that divvies up tax dollars | |
 | State agencies will learn the possible fate of their coffers later this month when Sen. Sally Doty and the rest of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee releases its recommendations for the next budget year. Doty, R-Brookhaven, said agencies asked for about $800 million more for their budgets for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1. That's about a 13 percent increase in a $5.6 billion budget. Agencies faced Doty and the committee for two days of budget hearings in September. The 14-member bipartisan committee will recommend how to divvy up tax dollars for education, health, prisons and other state government functions. Doty, who is in her second year on the committee, said recommendations will be voted on at a Nov. 27 meeting and announced at that time. "The budget is made up of taxpayers' hard earned money and it is our duty to be prudent with those funds," she said. |
| Ocean Springs mayor will take down state flag at city hall | |
 | Last week, Ocean Springs Mayor Shea Dobson he would fly the state flag at City Hall no matter the design. This week, however, he changed his mind. Dobson took to his personal Facebook on Tuesday to let citizens know the state flag would be coming down. In an interview with the Sun Herald on Nov. 7, Dobson said he suggested the state vote on a new design for the flag, but he said he'd continue to fly the current flag until that vote would, if ever, happen. "I believe this decision is in the best interest of the City in order to move forward and focus on what makes Ocean Springs great," Dobson posted about 5:30 p.m. The state flag has been a topic of discussion and controversy in Ocean Springs since Dobson took office. Former Mayor Connie Moran removed the flag because of the Confederate battle emblem. Many residents say the Confederate emblem is offensive, while others believe it represents the history of our state and should fly. |
| Roy Moore: Mississippi Republican leaders react to sex scandal | |
 | U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran on Tuesday joined at least 13 other Republican senators calling for Alabama GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore to drop out of his race over allegations of past sexual assault and pursuing teen girls when he was in his 30s. But Sen. Roger Wicker and his potential Republican challenger next year, state Sen. Chris McDaniel, were more measured in their comments about Moore. Both questioned why accusers are coming forward decades later. Cochran, in a statement, said: "I condemn harassment in any form. The disturbing behavior in the allegations involving Judge Moore is alarming. It seems continuing his candidacy may not be in the best interest of his state or the U.S. Senate." |
| Alabama among two finalists for Toyota-Mazda plant, reports say | |
 | Alabama is one of two states still in the running for the $1.6 billion Toyota-Mazda manufacturing plant. Bloomberg is reporting that Alabama made the cut from as many as 11 states that were on the short list. North Carolina is the sole other contender. The two auto giants plan to announce the site by early next year, according to Akira Marumoto, Mazda's executive vice president, who was quoted in Tokyo earlier this month. Both companies would not comment on the report. In October, sources said the search for a home for the manufacturing plant was down to possibly four Southern states. Both companies reportedly want an incentive package of at least $1 billion to get the sought-after factory. |
| AP Exclusive: US scientists try 1st gene editing in the body | |
 | Scientists for the first time have tried editing a gene inside the body in a bold attempt to permanently change a person's DNA to try to cure a disease. The experiment was done Monday in California on 44-year-old Brian Madeux. Through an IV, he received billions of copies of a corrective gene and a genetic tool to cut his DNA in a precise spot. "It's kind of humbling" to be the first to test this, said Madeux, who has a metabolic disease called Hunter syndrome. "I'm willing to take that risk. Hopefully it will help me and other people." If it's successful, it could give a major boost to the fledgling field of gene therapy. Scientists have edited people's genes before, altering cells in the lab that are then returned to patients. There also are gene therapies that don't involve editing DNA. But these methods can only be used for a few types of diseases. This time, the gene tinkering is happening in a precise way inside the body. |
| Uptick In Teen Depression Might Be Linked To More Hours Online | |
 | A study published Tuesday in the journal Clinical Psychological Science finds that increased time spent with popular electronic devices -- whether a computer, cell phone or tablet -- might have contributed to an uptick in symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts over the last several years among teens, especially among girls. Though San Diego State University psychologist Jean Twenge, who led the study, agrees this sort of research can only establish a correlation between long hours of daily screen time and symptoms of alienation -- it can't prove one causes the other -- she thinks the findings should be a warning to parents. |
| City, county, U. of Mississippi to go in on joint transportation study | |
 | While the city of Oxford, Lafayette County and the University of Mississippi each continue to grow in population, that means more cars on the roads, which has created a need for the leaders of the LOU community to plan how to move citizens around in the most efficient manner. Talks of a joint Transportation Study started last spring between the city, county and university and the Oxford Board of Aldermen budgeted $250,000 for the 2018 fiscal year to pay to formulate a comprehensive traffic plan encompassing all of Lafayette County. Earlier this fall, the city entered into a contract with Waggoner Engineering to move forward with the study, according to City Engineer Bart Robinson. "The contract includes two parts," Robinson said. "Part one is the actual Transportation Plan, which includes assessment, plan development and network modeling. Part two is Program Development, where we will prioritize and set implementation strategies. |
| Hattiesburg hosts first of three hearings on USM transit route | |
 | Some proposed new mass transit routes to the University of Southern Mississippi were shown during the first of three public hearings Tuesday night. The hearing was held at the Liberal Arts Building at USM. The city is expanding from four to six fixed routes for its transit system in 2018 and a third new route could be added to Southern Miss. City officials are hoping input from students and residents will help them develop that potential new route. They say no new buses or drivers will be needed if that route is added. "For the most part, we would be using current staff and equipment," said Andrew Ellard, director of urban development for the city of Hattiesburg. "We actually, as a result of the tornado, have a lot of new equipment that is in the process of being procured now, so that will enable us to fill out some of these new routes." |
| Jackson State student hit by car on campus | |
 | A Jackson State student was hit by a car while she was walking on campus shortly after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. According to Maxine Greenleaf, with JSU PR, the student was transported to the University of Mississippi Medical Center and was responsive. Her name is not being released at this moment as well as the name of the male student that was driving the car. Campus police have ruled this as an accident. |
| Millsaps commemorates remarkable relationship with Eudora Welty | |
| A life-size sculpture of Eudora Welty sitting on a bench holding a copy of her Pulitzer Prize winning 1973 novel, The Optimist's Daughter, was dedicated Nov. 13 on the Millsaps College campus. The sculpture was commissioned by two Millsaps College alumni, created by an alumnus and given in honor of Dr. Suzanne Marrs, emerita professor of English at Millsaps and a Welty scholar. "A member of the Millsaps Board of Trustees, an adjunct faculty member and honorary degree recipient, Miss Welty was a frequent presence on the Millsaps campus, just a few blocks from her residence," Dr. Robert W. Pearigen, president of Millsaps College, said during the dedication. "Countless visiting writers such as Ann Patchett, Elizabeth Spencer, Ralph Eubanks, Richard Ford, to name just a few recent visitors, all speak of Miss Welty's profound influence on their work and her spirit that they feel when they're here on campus." |
| MGCCC students research ecological benefits of recycling oysters | |
 | A group of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College students presented their research on how oysters are good for more than seafood. Members of the Omicron Alpha Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa thoroughly examined the ecological benefits of recycling oyster shells. Nicholas Parker presented the findings before council members during Tuesday's council meeting. Parker and other students researched the benefits of oyster recycling for several months. The students turned to local restaurants for help, collecting a total of 1,280 pounds of oyster shells. They studied the Barrier Islands and collaborated with experts in South Mississippi's scientific community. Parker says one interesting finding is that oysters carry water purifying properties. |
| Suspect claims innocence in alleged assault at Meridian Community College | |
 | The suspect in an alleged assault at Meridian Community College is claiming his innocence and says there's more sides to the story. 20-year-old Kendricuz Hodges, who was charged with aggravated domestic violence and disorderly conduct from an alleged assault last Friday, says he should not have been charged with a felony. "That's my best friend. Why would I do something to my best friend," says Hodges. "I never had a chance to hit her. Before the [verbal] fight even started, we started off talking and playing." Hodges, who's not an MCC student, admits he was wrong by trespassing on campus and admitted he ran from police and disobeyed the officer's lawful order to stop. Hodges claims that he was the one who was actually assaulted. |
| Social media apps have changed the way parents, college students keep in touch | |
 | Smartphone apps have changed how parents connect with their kids who are at college. The majority of moms and dads of today's U.S. college students use multiple platforms to communicate. "Nowadays, you can get in touch with your child -- if they answer, if they aren't in class or anything like that," said Ester Moscovitch of suburban Los Angeles, whose son, Jacob, is a University of Missouri freshman. "It's an immediate response, compared to where if my parents wanted to get a hold of us, they couldn't." A 2016 Pew Research Center study on demographics of mobile devices showed 88 percent of adults ages 30 to 49 and 74 percent of adults ages 50 to 64 own smartphones. The same study said 92 percent of adults ages 18 to 29 have them. Another Pew study, a 2016 look at the demographics of social media use, found Facebook was the most popular social media platform for adults of all ages. It is used by 88 percent of adults 18 to 29, 79 percent of adults 30 to 49 and 61 percent of adults 50 to 64. The study also looked at Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn. |
| Controversial Nominee for Federal Bench Wrote About Ghosts at U. of Alabama | |
 | A nominee for a federal judgeship in Alabama turns out to practice in an unrelated realm as well: supernatural scholarship. Brett J. Talley, chosen by President Trump for a seat on the federal district court in Montgomery, Ala., co-wrote a 2012 book, Haunted Tuscaloosa, about the ghosts said to haunt the campus of the University of Alabama, reports The Daily Beast. His interest in the paranormal adds a wrinkle to a nomination that is being criticized because Mr. Talley did not disclose his wife's connection to the White House -- she's a lawyer there -- and because the nominee has never tried a case in court. Congress will have to decide if Mr. Talley is fit for Alabama Middle District Court, but in the meantime The Chronicle thought it would be useful to see what he has written about his alma mater. |
| Trump, breaking with tradition, will not meet with American Nobel recipients | |
| President Trump, breaking a tradition that stretches back nearly two decades, will not personally greet the eight American Nobel laureates this year before they travel to Sweden in December to receive their prizes. Not all the honorees are disappointed. Two American Nobel Prize winners, when contacted by STAT, indicated they would not have attended a White House event even if invited. Columbia biophysicist Joachim Frank, awarded a Nobel in chemistry for his work in microscopy, said in an email he was "very relieved" when he learned there was no chance of an encounter with the president. The White House has hosted an event in the laureates' honor nearly every year since 2001. Former President Barack Obama granted an audience to the American group each year of his presidency except for 2009, when he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Former President George W. Bush attended each year except for 2006, when former Vice President Dick Cheney greeted the group instead. Former President Bill Clinton also held in-person greetings for Nobel winners on numerous occasions during his presidency. |
| Texas State Halts Greek Activities After Fraternity Pledge Dies | |
 | Texas State University suspended all fraternity and sorority activities on Tuesday, a day after the death of a Phi Kappa Psi pledge -- the latest in a string of similar episodes on campuses across the country. Denise M. Trauth, the university's president, said in a statement that Greek organizations would be "prohibited from holding new-member events, chapter meetings, social functions and philanthropic activities until a thorough review of the Greek Affairs system is completed." And on Monday, the day Mr. Ellis died in Texas, a district attorney in Pennsylvania charged 10 more students in the death of Timothy Piazza, a Beta Theta Pi pledge at Penn State. Eighteen students had already been charged after Mr. Piazza, 19, died in February. |
SPORTS
| New-look offensive line paves way for Bulldogs' success | |
 | Darryl Williams' help disappeared in the first quarter of his fifth career start. Mississippi State was strategic with how it placed its new starters on the offensive line, Williams at left guard and right tackle Stewart Reese: it put experienced Deion Calhoun next to Reese and highly-rated left tackle Martinas Rankin next to Williams. Rankin's injury in MSU's loss to Auburn quickly turned Williams from student to teacher with Rankin's replacement being freshman Greg Eiland. It wasn't the ideal development arc, but it was valuable experience gained all the same. That experience, and the five games in which Williams has played alongside Rankin, has made Williams a competent yet improving starter with two years of eligibility still ahead of him. A week after ESPN's Greg McElroy said on the television broadcast of MSU's game against Alabama that MSU has taken a liking to running behind the left side of the line, No. 17 MSU is likely to do more of the same as it faces Arkansas (4-6, 1-5 SEC) 11 a.m. Saturday. The path to all of this began in the offseason. |
| Bulldogs' WR Jordan Thomas is large and in charge | |
| Mississippi State may currently have one of the largest wide receivers in the nation. Jordan Thomas, all 6-foot-5, 280 pounds of him, has had to start splitting out wide from his natural tight end position due to all the injuries to the Bulldogs' receivers. "Me moving to wide receiver is nothing different to me," Thomas said. "I'm just going to continue making plays and keep doing what I have to do for the team to win." Having someone of Thomas' size lining up at wideout has left a lot of cornerbacks curious, dumbfounded and possibly a bit frightened. "None of them really talk to me," Thomas said. "One of them said, 'It don't make no sense for someone that big to be so fast' and another one asked 'how can you be this big?' but that's about it." |
| Mississippi State's defense motivated by Migos sign on third downs | |
| Mississippi State linebackers Leo Lewis and Erroll Thompson were watching film one day during training camp when graduate assistant coach Christian Robinson walked in the room with the news about third downs. "Coach Christian was like, 'You know we got a new third down sign?'" Thompson said. "I had known nothing about it." It was then when Robinson informed the players that Mississippi State would be holding a new sign when the defense needs a stand on third down during games. The sign features Migos, the famous hip-hop trio, with money symbols. "We liked it, we loved it," linebacker Gerri Green said. "Everybody was into it. Third down, it's the money down." Mississippi State has used the sign all season. |
| Mississippi State could have to call on Erroll Thompson at linebacker | |
| A good way to take a good defense and reduce it to rubble is to take away its top linebacker -- even mighty Alabama struggled in its first game without Shaun Dion Hamilton last week against Mississippi State. One week after benefitting from a linebacker loss, No. 17 MSU (7-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference, No. 16 College Football Playoff) could be afflicted with it. MSU head coach Dan Mullen said Monday it won't know the game status of senior linebacker Dez Harris, MSU's second-leading tackler, until later in the week (thigh bruise). Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham doesn't worry; he has Erroll Thompson. |
| Arkansas' offense starting to settle in | |
| Just in time for the Mississippi State defense to prepare for it, the Arkansas offense is starting to settle in. After injuries to the quarterback, offensive line and running back positions threw the Razorback offense into a frenzy for several weeks, No. 17 MSU (7-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference, No. 16 College Football Playoff) thinks it knows what it is up against as it goes to Arkansas (4-6, 1-5 SEC) 11 a.m. Saturday (CBS) at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. "They do as good a job as anybody in the country in combining the power run and the physical run game with their running backs with a great combination of playaction pass, screens and using tight ends all over the field," MSU head coach Dan Mullen said. |
| See where Mississippi State ranked in College Football Playoff poll | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs remained at No. 16 in the College Football Playoff top 25 poll. The Bulldogs (7-3, 3-3 SEC) are coming off a 31-24 loss to No. 1 Alabama on Saturday, but did not suffer any kind of drop in the top 25 poll because of the loss. Which makes sense, since it was a one-touchdown loss to the No. 1 team in the country. Mississippi State plays at Arkansas this week. The Tide is No. 1 after Georgia's loss to Auburn; Georgia is No. 7, falling six spots, while Auburn moved up four spots to No. 6. |
| Mississippi State's Vivians, William added to Wooden Award Top 30 | Sports | djournal.com | |
| Mississippi State senior guards Victoria Vivians and Morgan William were each placed on the Preseason Top 30 for the John R. Wooden Award, which goes to the nation's top player. Vivians led the seventh-ranked Bulldogs in the season opener with 22 points while William finished with two points, eight assists and no turnovers. MSU was one of eight schools to have multiple players make the list with Tennessee being the only other Southeastern Conference program. A total of six SEC players were chosen in the Wooden Top 30. |
| How is an NCAA Committee on Infractions decision delivered to Ole Miss? | |
| Nobody knows for certain when Ole Miss will receive a decision from the NCAA's Committee on Infractions. The usual six-to-eight week window has come and gone and the university is still waiting for a ruling on the 21 allegations it's facing. The decision could come at any time. This week, next week, you name it. When it does come, what's the normal process? "The university is notified the morning before an announcement and then receives the materials the same day of the announcement in the morning," Stacey Osburn, the NCAA's director of media and public relations said. "The Committee on Infractions provides the decision to the school via an email with the full report document." |
| Alabama Moves to No. 1 in College Football Playoff Rankings | |
| Alabama is the new No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Clemson is No. 2 and Miami and Oklahoma round out the top four. Wisconsin was fifth and Auburn was up to sixth in the rankings released Tuesday. The Crimson Tide had been second behind Georgia in the first two selection committee rankings, but the Bulldogs and previously No. 3 Notre Dame lost last weekend, opening up the top of the rankings for changes. Clemson moved up from fourth and unbeaten Miami jumped from seventh to third, giving the Atlantic Coast Conference two top-four teams. Auburn is the highest-ranked team with two losses. |
| Jeff Long: Arkansas AD reportedly fired | |
| Jeff Long will not return as the Arkansas athletics director, according to multiple media reports. Long has been the AD at Arkansas since 2008 taking over from legendary figure Frank Broyles and previously headed the athletic department at Pittsburgh. Long's contract is set to on June 30. During Long's tenure at the school, he hired Bobby Petrino after his less than year–long stint with the Atlanta Falcons. Petrino was fired four years later after lying about his relationship with a staffer after a motorcycle accident. Long then hired current coach Bret Bielema in 2013. Bielema has struggled in his time at the school and has a 29-32 record in his five seasons at the school including a 4-7 mark this year. |
| In UA's view, Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium needs up to $10M in improvements | |
| Up to $10 million in improvements are needed for War Memorial Stadium to continue hosting Arkansas Razorbacks football games, according to documents and emails exchanged between officials of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. The documents, obtained through an open-records request, detail several improvements UA officials say are needed to bring the stadium in line with fan demands, meet needs of TV partners and support potential changes to Southeastern Conference regulations. There is no record of any official recommendations pertaining to stadium upgrades. UA has played annually at the stadium since it opened in 1948, but the Razorbacks' future there is in doubt after a contract between the parties ends in 2018. |
| Auburn's Bruce Pearl addresses ongoing investigation, rumors about job security | |
 | Seven weeks have passed since the arrest of former associate head coach Chuck Person on Sept. 26, and there seem to be more questions about the future of Auburn's men's basketball program now than there was then. Last week, an ESPN report citing unnamed sources claimed that head coach Bruce Pearl's job could be in jeopardy if he doesn't begin cooperating with attorneys, who are conducting an internal review of the men's basketball program around the FBI investigation that also has Auburn wrapped in web. Despite the reports that he's not cooperating with the school's investigation, which is being conducted by the Birmingham law firm of Lightfoot, Franklin & White, Pearl said that he and the school's administration "are literally in communication daily" and often for "several hours a day." Pearl would not comment on specifically who in the administration he was talking to, but when asked if he trusted university president Steven Leath, he said "Of course, I trust this president. Absolutely. I have absolutely no reason not to trust him." |
| How Trump Helped Liberate U.C.L.A. 'Knuckleheads' From China | |
| President Trump found out about the great U.C.L.A.-China basketball episode of 2017 when members of his staff saw it on CNN just before Mr. Trump's dinner with the president of China in Beijing last week. They learned that three American college basketball players -- representing a storied sports program visiting China for an early-season game sponsored by one of China's largest companies -- had been arrested on Nov. 8, accused of stealing designer sunglasses at a high-end shopping mall. The alleged offense was hardly life or death. But what begun as a simple accusation of celebrity shoplifting threatened to escalate into a full-blown international incident just as Mr. Trump arrived in China on a 12-day mission through Asia, his first foreign trip to the region. |
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